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The Book of Romans Chapter Ten
Preface
Paul continues his fixation on Israel, the people with whom he identified in the flesh. He continues his thought with which he opened chapter nine of this epistle, wherein he states “I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart . . . for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites . . . .” (9:2-4).
Whereas the previous chapter focused on the sovereignty of God pertaining to the condition of Israel and its lost condition, this chapter is concerned with the personal responsibility of Israelites in the matter. In fact, this chapter contains a passage (vss. 9, 10) that is usually misinterpreted by evangelicals regarding the means for apprehending God’s gift of eternal salvation. And unless the Bible student understands the context of this chapter, i.e., that it is about Israel’s rejection of Christ as the Messiah, he will never understand these two verses.
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.
The Word of God recognizes only three classes of people (1 Corinthians 10:32), i.e., Jews, Greeks (Gentiles), and “the Church of God (Christians). By faith alone in Christ alone a person of Jew or Gentile origin is baptized (immersed) by the Holy Spirit into one body, i.e., the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13); and, “in Christ,” that person then loses all racial, social, and gender distinctions (Galatians 3:27, 28).
Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God. (1 Corinthians 10:32)
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:27, 28)
It is only “in Christ” that man can truly achieve unity. The noble intentions, the laws instigated, and the governments initiated by man are all to no avail in this matter. “In the flesh” divisions will always remain. But “in Christ” individuals, regardless of racial, social, or gender designation are “one.” Unfortunately this is a fact that Christians often ignore or forget when they live in the “carnal state,” as evidenced by the sundry and prolific divisions and individual acts that are contrary to our Lord’s instruction to love one another in various local churches today.
Nevertheless, as a matter of fact, Paul recognized his genealogical roots and he continued in great personal (emotional) pain over the fact that Israel, as a nation, had rejected its Messiah.
And it was Paul's strong and genuine (heart-felt) desire and prayer to God that his countrymen in the flesh might be “saved.” Paul often uses the word “saved” and “salvation,” as does other human authors of the New Testament, to refer to something other than justification and reconsolidation (items that refer specifically to one’s eternal “past-tense” salvation as solely based on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, with no connection to any merit of man), as in Romans 5:9, 10.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:9, 10)
The student of God’s Word needs to be careful not to fall victim to what is called “illegitimate totality transfer,” a term that describes the assignment of a preconceived meaning to a word or phrase in a passage regardless of context. Scripture represents the redemption (salvation) of man in three aspects, i.e., he is saved (past-tense), he is being saved (present-tense), and he will be saved (future tense).
The first has nothing to do with the merit or works of man. It is based solely upon the “work of Christ,” His vicarious (substitution) sacrifice on the cross, which can only be apprehended by a non-meritorious decision of faith alone in Him (Acts 16:31; John 3:16-18; 20:31; Ephesians 2:8, 9), plus nothing and minus nothing. This act of faith in Christ by the individual is identified by Christ as the “new birth” (John 3:3-7), and it is a one-time transaction, never (impossible) to be revoked by God or man. This commentator refers to it as “spirit salvation” (when man’s spirit is made alive by the Spirit of God).
The second has everything to do with man’s merit, as the term relates to his faithfulness to God in the absorption of God’s Word resulting in spiritual maturity and the performing of divine good works, i.e., works done not “in the flesh,” but “under the control of the Spirit of God.” This process of sanctification is on-going as the immature “babe in Christ” strives to spiritually grow to maturity by metabolizing Bible doctrine (1 Corinthians 3:1, 2; Hebrews 5:12-14) and becoming adept in the epignosis (full-knowledge) of God’s redemptive plan, specifically the “Word of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:19),” wherein he understands God’s ultimate purpose for man, as initially established in the opening verses of Genesis and profusely presented throughout both Testaments, i.e., that he is eventually to realize his inheritance as a “firstborn son” by becoming a co-heir with Christ during the coming millennial era (Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:11-13). This on-going process, termed by this commentator as “soul salvation” (1 Peter 1:9), will finalize at the Judgment Seat of Christ at which the Christians’ life will be evaluated resulting in millennial verities (1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 2:6; 14:10; Galatians 6:7; Revelation 22:12).
The third aspect of salvation, which is totally future, has to do with the resurrection of the body and is appropriately called “body salvation” (Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:49-54; 2 Corinthians 5:2, 4; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2).
Nevertheless, Paul’s desire and prayer for Israel is that they be totally saved. In this expression the Bible student understands that it is appropriate to “pray for those who are lost” and that one’s desires (inward genuine thoughts) concerning others should be compatible with and most often expressed to God in intercessory (pleading on the behalf of another) prayer.
Romans 10:2, 3 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
In this passage Paul reflects on what is Satan’s most often used and most effective tool in keeping those who are lost, i.e., those without eternal salvation, from receiving God’s gracious gift of life. That tool is represented by one word, “religion.” Christianity is not a “religion.” Rather, it is a union or relationship with a Person, Jesus Christ. Although it involves instructions (rules), this union or relationship is never achieved by the legalistic adherence to such. Christianity is obtained only by faith in Christ alone; and, quite frankly, the same principle of faith that insures one of “past-tense” salvation also insures one of successful “present-tense” salvation (Colossians 2:6; Galatians 2:20).
As [in the same manner] you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so [in that same manner] walk in Him. (Colossians 2:6)
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
A person who then avoids the trap of legalism (believing that adherence to rules and procedures gains God’s approval) and instead employs the principle of faith in living the “Christian life,” will be one who daily “confesses his sins to God” (1 John 1:9), who then maintains the “filling of the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), and who lives not in accordance with the flesh but under the control of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-8).
Israel did indeed have a “zeal for God,” as is the case with so many throughout the world. This was evident in their strict observance of the many rules, rituals, and ceremonies of Judaism. But zeal is not enough. It must also be centered in truth (John 14:6).
Romans 10:3, 4 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Paul amplifies his thesis of the Israelites failure to understand God’s righteousness and their misguided zeal in attempting to establish their own righteousness in order to achieve the approbation (approval) of God. This they did even in light of numerous passages of Scripture (Old Testament) that would have shown them the error of their way, e.g., Genesis 15:6; Psalm 32:1, 2.
Even though the Jews were exposed to the full gamut of Old Testament doctrine, they remained ignorant of the real meaning behind it. Every prophecy, every ceremony, every ritual, every sacrifice, and every instruction was designed to lead them in some fashion to a faith in the coming Messiah. But they missed it all. This is quite similar to most of Christendom today. Even in most so-called Bible-believing circles (local churches) there is a dearth in understanding Bible doctrine. Even though the Bible is conspicuously carried under many arms to and fro from various church activities, the knowledge of Bible doctrine remains foreign to most believers. And without continuous digestion of and maturation in Bible doctrine there can be no spiritual growth, which, with regard to the second aspect (present-tense) of salvation (soul), will have deleterious results at the Judgment Seat of Christ and on the believer’s prospects during the millennial kingdom.
In regards to Paul’s phrase, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believe,” the following comments from The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Cook Communications Ministries, 2004, are most appropriate:
The Greek in Romans 10:4 includes the coordinating particle gar, “for.” It introduces a statement that is crucial to Paul’s explanation of Israel’s stumbling. The word “end” (telos) stands in the emphatic first position in the Greek sentence. It means that Christ is the designed end (termination) or Purpose-Goal of the Law (cf. Galatians 3:24), the Object to which the Law pointed.
The Law did not and could not of itself provide righteousness before God for individuals (cf. Romans 3:20; 7:7). But Christ fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17, 18) by keeping it perfectly during His sinless life (cf. John 8:46) and then gave His life in payment for the penalty of sin and the broken Law (cf. Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:13, 14). The Law then pointed to Him as the Source of the God-provided righteousness it could not supply (Galatians 3:24). A godly Jew who trusted Yahweh and followed the Levitical system, including the sin offering and the trespass offering, would most likely be inclined to respond to Christ by faith and would receive God’s righteousness (i.e., be justified; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:24; 4:3, 5). He then could meet the requirements of the Law by the indwelling Holy Spirit (8:4). Conversely, a Jew who sought by works to establish his own righteousness would not recognize Christ as “the end of the Law” and would stumble over Him.
Romans 10:5-7 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Paul then expresses the difference between righteousness by faith and righteousness by the Law. By referring to Leviticus 18:5 in which Moses essentially said that if anyone is to achieve righteousness by the Law, he would have to faithfully and without fail keep all the Law — an impossibility as demonstrated by all the sacrificial provisions God provided the Israelites for the many times they would break it.
Paul next conveys the meaning of two verses in Deuteronomy (30:12, 13), which originally applied to the availability of the Law, but which he changes somewhat in order to apply them to the gospel. In the Old Testament the thought is that the Law is not hidden, distant, or inaccessible. A person does not need to go up to heaven or cross the sea to find it. It is near at hand and waiting to be obeyed. But such accessibility also applies to the gospel message. A person does not need to ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down. Why? It is because He has already come down to earth in His incarnation.
Paul then changes the quote from Deuteronomy regarding crossing the sea, to descending into the abyss (grave), that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. This he did in order to express the availability of the gospel message. Paul’s point is that a person does not have to descend into the grave in order to bring Christ up from among the dead. This would be impossible, but it would also be unnecessary, because Christ has already risen from the dead.
In these last two verses (10:6, 7) Paul speaks of two cardinal doctrines concerning Christ that were the hardest for the Jews to accept — His Incarnation and His Resurrection, two doctrines that affirmed His deity. And herein is the key to understanding the two most often misinterpreted verses in this epistle (10:9, 10).
Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the Word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
After affirming that the gospel is readily available to the Jew, i.e., “near you, in your mouth and in your heart,” the point of the two previous verses (10:6, 7), which is in fact the “Word of faith” that he and the other apostles preached; he then addresses the crux of the matter — the Jews disbelief in the Messiah.
Romans 10:9 & 10 is a passage of scripture used by many evangelical in their endeavor to bring someone to a saving-relationship with Jesus Christ. They most always use it to present one aspect of a “stepped-process” that they claim will bring the person who is “lost” to a “saved” (justified) position before God, thereby insuring that the person will go to heaven when he passes from this life.
By a “stepped-process” of salvation it is meant that a person appropriates eternal (spirit) salvation or justification by means of a series of steps or “things to do.” It is understood that one will not appropriate salvation, which is clearly a grace-gift from God (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8, 9), unless he sees a need for it. And this need, which is the realization that one is truly a sinner before God (Romans 3:23) and whose eventual destination in this state is an eternity apart from God in the Lake of Fire (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15), comes only by the convicting (persuasive) power of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8, 9). So to speak about how a person appropriates (apprehends) eternal salvation (justification) is to specifically define the step or steps that a person must take (thing or things he must do) in order to secure for himself his personal justification before God.
The various steps cited by evangelicals in their attempts to bring the spiritually lost to a saving-relationship with Jesus Christ, depending upon the presenter’s personal persuasion, are as follow:
Although all of these steps sounds suitable, only one (but only if properly understood) has a basis in Scripture. All but one introduces the concept of self-effort (“works”) as part of the salvation process. In order to properly (scripturally) refute those that are erroneous would involve scope that is beyond the focus of this study. For a more extensive consideration of these, it is suggested that the reader visit the various topical studies at www.bibleone.net. But briefly, the following may be stated:
A person, saved or lost, is unable under his own power to turn from the practice of sin — and this includes even the intent to turn from sin. Briefly, biblical repentance is the “act of turning by faith to Christ from any other confidence (works, religion, etc.) for one’s personal salvation. It is one act only and not two, well illustrated by 1 Thessalonians 1:9. It is the act of placing one’s faith totally in Christ.
As to the Matthew passage, the following remarks are by the late Lewis Sperry Chafer (one of last century’s greatest theologians — Dallas Theological Seminary):
This verse, which occurs in the midst of Christ’s kingdom teachings and as a part of His instructions to His disciples whom He is sending forth with a restricted message to Israel (cf. vss. 5-7) and which was to be accompanied by stupendous miracles (cf. vs. 8) such as were never committed to preachers in the present age, applies, primarily, to these disciples themselves in respect to their faithful delivery of this kingdom proclamation, and could be extended in its appeal only to the Israelites to whom they were sent. The carelessness which assumes that this Scripture presents a condition of salvation for a Jew or Gentile in the present age is deplorable indeed.
The most recognized verse of Scripture defining the (complete) salvation message in the Bible is John 3:16, which conditions eternal salvation upon believing only in Christ alone. The only book in the Bible specifically written to bring the lost to a saving-relationship with Christ is the book of John (cf. John 20:31). In it the only “requirement” for apprehending eternal life is believing in Christ alone.
The only time in the entire Bible that the specific question is asked as to how one must be saved is in Acts 16:30 where the “keeper of the prison” confronted Paul and Silas. The specific reply by Paul and Silas was “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” The only salvation “formula” any lost person is to hear from a “witnessing believer” is that you can be saved (i.e., receive God’s grace-gift of salvation) by faith alone in Christ alone.
Linguistics
Although the translated words used in this Roman passage are true to the original Greek manuscripts, there is one word that is translated into English, which is often misunderstood by the English reader. It is the Greek word homologeo (from homou “together with” and lego “to say”), which is translated “confess.” To the English reader this is usually understood as “profess,” as in a public confession. But it actually means “to concede or admit,” as in mental assent. In one sense it means “to agree with,” which is how it is used in 1 John 1:9 — that is, to receive God’s forgiveness as a Christian, one must agree with God regarding the fact and nature of his personal sin (i.e., it can’t be “sugar-coated;” there can be no excuse offered for its reality in his life).
Context
Nothing is quite as important as context when it comes to interpreting a specific passage of Scripture. And in this passage it is critical. The primary reason believers fail to understand this passage is because they fail to consider its context.
After Paul’s salutation and thanksgiving/prayer; he takes up the need for righteousness, concluding that all mankind (Jews and Gentiles) are condemned (Romans 1—3:20). He next explains how righteousness is imputed — showing justification by faith, illustrated, and enjoyed; and concluding that all can be made righteous (Romans 3:21—5:21). After this Paul discusses sanctification as it relates to sin in principle, in practice, the law, and the Spirit (Romans 6:1—8:39).
Then in Romans 9:1 through 11:36, Paul takes up the vindication of the righteousness of God, and within this immediate context is the passage under discussion. Within this framework Paul’s concern is for Israel — its past, present, and future. He expresses his deep sorrow for his Jewish brethren, who were blessed above all people and who should have been able to recognize Christ as the Messiah, but instead rejected Him.
And after some discussion of the sovereignty of God and Israel’s history, Paul in chapter ten expresses his heart’s desire that Israel would be saved. He points out that the Jews are seeking to establish their own righteousness while rejecting God’s righteousness (Jesus Christ). He uses an Old Testament verse (Deuteronomy 30:14) in Romans 10:8 to illustrate that the true gospel message is close at hand, even in their “mouth” and in their “heart.”
Then in Romans 10:9 he presents the requirements necessary for the Jew to receive the righteousness of God. Specifically, he must confess with his mouth (mentally accede or assent to the deity of Jesus Christ — that is, accept as fact that Jesus Christ is God incarnate — for as a person “thinks” so he “speaks”) and believe in his heart (i.e., genuinely trust or place one’s sole confidence in) the gospel message pertaining to Christ (the person of Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection) in order to receive God’s grace-gift of righteousness.
He then in verse ten differentiates between the first two facets of salvation, i.e., (1) past-tense salvation or justification, which is based solely on faith in Christ and is static and permanent; and (2) present-tense salvation or sanctification, which is based on one’s life and works and is dynamic and leads up to the Judgment Seat of Christ and the coming Kingdom Age. He subsequently in verses eleven and thirteen verifies that “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” To “call upon the name of the Lord,” first mentioned in Genesis 4:26 is the equivalent to “placing one’s total and genuine faith in the Lord,” instead of any other confidence. And then in verse fourteen Paul says “How then shall they call on Him [i.e., place their faith in Him] in whom they have not believed [i.e., accepted as factual that He is incarnate God]?”
Conclusion (Meaning)
To recap, this passage is not speaking about a public confession of one’s faith in order to be saved or to prove one’s salvation. It is about the Jews who have rejected the deity and mission of Jesus Christ. It verifies that the only means whereby the Jew can be saved is to accept as fact the deity of Jesus Christ and to trust only Him for personal salvation.
Romans 10:11-13 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:16, which would indicates two things to Paul’s countrymen: (1) Since this is a Messianic passage, it affirms Paul’s position that Christ indeed was the promised Messiah; and (2) That the Israelite who indeed accepts in faith Jesus Christ as the incarnate God, even though he does this “against the norm or stream” of Jewish tradition, he will “not be put to shame.” In fact, that person will become part of God’s universal family that is made up of both Jews and Gentiles — a family that inherits the richness of God simply by placing his faith (i.e., “call on the name of the Lord”) in Christ.
Paul also quotes Joel 2:32, another Messianic passage (again confirming his thesis), which centers on the expression (decision) of faith as being the sole means man has effective access to God. To “call on the name of the Lord,” is the equivalent of placing one’s faith in Him. Men first started “calling upon the name of the Lord” early in the history of mankind, as is recorded in Genesis 4:26, the means whereby a person receives eternal life, which means was certainly passed on by man’s first parents. There is an algebraic formula that states that if x = y and z = y then x = z. In this passage it is clearly stated that “calling upon the name of the Lord” equals salvation, which is exactly what faith in Christ does as expressed in Romans 10:10.
Romans 10:14, 15 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Paul again quotes from the Old Testament, Isaiah 52:7, another passage that points to God’s deliverance of Israel, which is based on the coming Messiah. But in addition to further confirmation of his gospel message pertaining to Christ as the Messiah and the universality of it (to both the Jews and the Gentiles), he vindicates his (and others) proclamation of the message of such good news.
In another sense Paul is saying that the acceptance by faith of the good news of Christ, must be based on knowledge. A person must first hear the gospel message before he can act on it. And that is the responsibility of every believer, i.e., to make known the gospel message.
Romans 14:16-18 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”
Yet Paul admits that not all of his countrymen have obeyed the gospel, which was evident before Christ went to the cross and continued after His sacrifice on the cross. And by quoting Isaiah 53:1, another Messianic passage, he confirms that this is in fulfillment of God’s prophetic Word.
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:1-6)
Paul reaffirms that faith is preceded by the “Word of God,” a message that can mean either the words of Christ or words expressed concerning Him. In this case, the latter appears to be contextually more accurate. And Paul essentially says his countrymen are without excuse by his quote of Psalm 19:4, a passage indicating that God’s message has gone out (been displayed) by the cosmic heavens, which is a reaffirmation of Romans 1:18-20.
Romans 10:19-21 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Paul concludes in this chapter by quoting several Old Testament passages. The call of the Gentiles and the rejection of the gospel by the majority of Jews, and indeed by Israel as a nation, should not have come as a surprise to the Israel. Their own Scriptures foretold exactly what would happen. God even said that He would provoke Israel, making it jealous and angry by going to the Gentiles — a people that in fact did not seek Him. But this was not done apart from the fact that God had been extremely patient with Israel, having stretched out His hand to what continued to be a “disobedient and contrary people.”
With these verses the argument takes a turn. The apostle anticipated another objection. Someone might argue, “Yes, Israel heard but she did not understand [“know’] that God purposed to offer righteousness by faith to all mankind, including Gentiles.”. . . His answer this time was from two Old Testament quotations, one as early as Moses (Deuteronomy 32:21) and the second by Isaiah (Isaiah 65:1).
Both Old Testament leaders wrote about God’s turning to the Gentiles, whom the Jews thought had no understanding (asyneto, “senseless”; cf. Romans 1:21, 31). And yet concerning Israel, God has been gracious in spite of her disobedience (a quotation of Isaiah 65:2). Israel’s continuing rebellious and unbelieving disobedience was judged by God’s turning to the Gentiles (Romans 10:20; cf. Acts 8:1-8, 10). At the same time God had not withheld salvation from Jews. He has held out His hands, imploring them to return to Him. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Cook Communications Ministries, 2004)
The following from the commentary of J. Vernon McGee pertaining to this passage is appropriate:
Stephen’s final word to this nation [Israel] is revealing:
“Ye stiffnecked [haughty and obstinate] and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept It” (Acts 7:51-53).
This not confined to Israel. It could be said today that God is holding out His hands to a gainsaying [denying, disputing] world. I marvel at the patience of God. I do not mean to be irreverent, but if I were running the show on this little earth down here, I would make a lot of changes. I would move in like a bulldozer! But God is just holding out His hands to our gainsaying world. (Thru the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983) |