I mentioned in church about a great article clarifying the Israel / Gentile question, particularly as Paul addresses it in Romans 11. You can find it at Dwight Pryor's site, Center for Judeo-Christian Studies. You can read it or download it from the main page there.
Here's a summary - the article refers to verses 11-12 of Romans 11, and suggests that Paul may actually be drawing an analogy from Homer's Iliad.
"So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass ("fall" KJV, or "misstep") salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure ("defeat" or "diminishing") means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion ("fullness" KJV, or "completion") mean!"
(Romans 11:11-12)
In the Iliad there is a story of a race that Odysseus (Ulysses) wins with divine help. In the race, Ajax, seems to be headed to victory when Odysseus calls upon Athena for greater speed. The goddess causes Ajax to stumble and fall, enabling Odysseus to pass him and take the prize. Ajax manages to right himself to finish second, and share the riches.
The terms Paul uses in Romans 11:11-12 are terms also used as racing terms: the word translated transgression (NIV and ESV) or fall (KJV) was a common term to Paul's Roman audience for a runner taking a false step or a misstep in a race; the term often translated failure was used to denote a competitor's defeat or failure in a race.
From this perspective we see that Paul may again have been using athletic imagery to teach theological truth. Israel indeed stumbled over the chosen stone. But Paul has also affirmed that theirs are the promises, and that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Salvation has come to the Gentiles through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah unto death, to the advantage of the Gentiles. He says he is committed to provoke them to jealousy, so that they will get up and continue the race and share in the riches of God's glory.
O the depth of the riches and wisdom of the knowledge of God! (11:33)
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2 comments:
Mark, thanks for posting this. The link didn't work for me, but I found it at www.jcstudies.com anyway. I have a question though. Was Jesus the only stumble or mistep on the part of Israel? I know about the "stone" that caused many to stumble, but I've always thought that these versus pointed to Israel's history with God as well as it's rejection of Jesus. Not so?
Thanks,
Dan
Hi Dan,
I just noticed the bad link, and just fixed it. Thanks.
Good point.
Yes, I would say they stumbled all along the way, but even so God restored them again and again... but maybe we can say that all of their unfaithfulness throughout their history postured them (in other words they were poorly trained them, to use the Olympic analogy) to trip up and fall when the entrance to the kingdom was there in their midst, when the finish line was right there in sight...
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