Allow me to summarize the mystery I have unveiled to you in this letter. Jesus the Messiah was sent to the Jews for the purpose of confirming the truth of the prophetic promises God gave to the Jewish patriarchs and to make a way for the Gentiles to glorify God for the extension of his mercies to them. For scripture says, "To this end I will declare your truth to the Gentiles and sing to them about your great name." And again he says, "You Gentiles, rejoice together with the Jews." And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles and exalt him all you nations." Isaiah also prophesied, "The root of Jesse will rise to reign over all the Gentiles, and they will put their trust in him."
Comments:
I believe that this is the main biblical thematic context for all that Paul has to say in the book of Romans...his inspired understanding into the meta-narrative of the big God-Story that arches from Genesis to Revelation. The "mystery" is something that was previously hidden from the understanding of God's people (even the Hebrew prophets themselves didn't always understand with the Holy Spirit was indicating through their inspired proclamations), but that has now been explained by the advent and teaching of Jesus Christ and the spiritually authoritative revelation that he imparted to his apostolic scribes.
God gave the magnificent promises of the universal and eternal good news of the Messiah to all the ethnic groups of the earth...and to the whole of creation...in "seed form"...to and through the Abrahamic patriarchs and Jewish prophets of long ago. These prophetic promises converged and coalesced in the person and work of Christ Jesus. The result is that "the chosen people of God" now includes both believing Jews and gentiles who have had the ancient and historic wall of separation between them demolished...they have come together in Jesus to make up "one new man" through their faith in him.
Paul states this clearly in Gal 3:28-29 (as well as in many other passages in his epistles):
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise."
Those who insist on continuing to make distinctions, in terms of personal spiritual status, between Jews and gentiles based on their ethnicity are, often unwittingly, limiting and minimizing the work that Jesus Christ finished on the cross (and in his resurrection and ascension). This is a terrible and tragic mistake that does theological violence to the gospel.
The challenging of the "racism" that was lurking in the hearts of people in the first century was a significant part of what led to the executions of both Jesus and Paul. This same kind of "racism" still lurks in the hearts of the people of our world and it is the source of much ongoing conflict, tragedy and anguish to this day...all across the world. The resurrection of Jesus represents, among many other wonderful things, the defeat of all hateful bigotry and a faithful witness to the ultimate triumph of the love of God in the human drama.
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