Romans p14: Misunderstanding our Relationship with God
Reading Romans 9:30-33 Wrong
We must exercise caution as readers of the Bible when we come to Romans 9:30-33. If we have been reading Pauls letter to the Romans wrongly, interpretting it as a message about personal salvation, we not only miss out on the message of freedom in Pauls words, we also can do great harm to our Jewish brothers and sisters.
One of the more problematic readings one can take of 9:30-31 elevates the Gentiles over the Jewish people. It is often presumed that this passage is contrasting the Christian Gospel with the Jewish Torah, and in this comparison; in this reading, it seems that the Gentiles have pretty quickly attained something that the Jews haven’t, righteousness before God. If this is so, it places Judaism in a precarious position in the eyes of the Christian; it lowers the faith of the Jewish people, it diminishes their place in the story of God. Throughout church history, this passage has been used to raise up Christianity as something superior and to lower Judaism as something inferior when, in fact, Paul does nothing of the sort. It is nothibng short of dehumanizing.
I would argue that the bad reading that many have of passages like Romans 9 come from two things: misunderstanding and projection.
Misunderstanding
There are two general misunderstandings that many modern readers raised in the Evangelical church make with this passage:
Misunderstanding what Judaism is.
Misunderstanding what Christianity is.
Misunderstanding Judaism:
The general view amongst American evangelicals is that Judaism is a works based religion, a legalistic religion and that what sets Chrsitianity apart from Judaism it it’s defining feature: salvation by faith alone. The problem with this view is that it is entirely based upon a misunderstanding of first-century Judaism passed down from erroneous readings going all the way back to The Protestant Reformation.
The view of many New Testament scholars today (like E.P. Sanders, James D.G. Dunn, N.T. Wright, and Scot McKnight), first-century Judaism was what can be called a covenant nomism. Nom is the word for law, so this is a phrase which means that their laws came out of their covenant, not the other way around. They did not believe, as many evangelicals do, that they were earning their salvation or righteous standing before God. Rather, they believed that they were saved by the covenant that God made with Abraham and they placed their faith in this covenant. Judaism is a faith-based religion, not law-based.
The Jewish people didn't pursue salvation through works, and therein lies the misunderstanding. Judaism is not a legalistic religion, and it has never been. Christians often repeat the same mistakes as we move through history.
Misunderstanding Christianity:
When we read Romans 9:30-32, we often assume that this passage is about personal salvation because form many who grew up in the evangelical church, personal salvation is the entire point of Christianity. Christianity becomes like a cosmic investement with a really good ROI; if I pray the sinners prayer with a penitent heart, and I join in the weekly gatherings of the church, I will receive eternal life and riches. It’s a no brainer, really, a solid investment.
But no early follower of Jesus would put the focus of Christianity squarely on salvation from hell after we die; it meant too much to them to ever cheapen it by making it a commodity for their personal benefit. 2 Corinthians 5 tells us the view that the early church had of Christianity; they believed that through Jesus God has given his church his ministry of reconciliation. God intends to partner with us, through the church, to set the whole of the cosmos to rights again, reconciling all things and people to himself and each other.
Christianity is about flourishing, not 'going to heaven'; if you believe that there is a God, then that God created humanity with something very specific in mind. I believe that Jesus is what true humanity looks like, and I believe that the way that Jesus lived is also the way that all humanity was created to live. I believe that Jesus’ way of life reflects the heart of God to all of creation and that with him we pursue things “on earth as they are in heaven.”
Projection
Our misreading of the text also causes us to misread the world around us. For example, since one assume that the point of Christianity is going to heaven when we die, that same person is likely to assume that this is the point of all religion; we universalize our misunderstandings and project legalism onto every religion, assuming that they are all “trying to get to heaven when they die.” Likewise, if someone assumes that what sets Christianity apart in the world is that we believe in salvation by faith, instead of good works or law keeping, then that person will assume that every religion outside of our own is legalistic; We universalize our own errors, misunderstand everyone, and thus become unable to honestly and generously engage with anyone.
Getting it Right:
This brings us back to Romans 9:30-33.
“What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
~ Romans 9:30–33 (NIV)
As I have already said, the covenant with Abraham came first, the law came much later. The Covenant set them apart in the world, it was Gods promise of faithfulness and his commitment to finish his work of reconciliation through them. The Law came at Sinai, after slavery and exodus. It was ga gift from God to assist them in being a set-apart people, a holy people who exist as the presence of God to the nations. They didn’t become Gods people by following the law; they became God's people the moment God covenanted with them! Romans 4:2 tells us that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Abraham was saved by faith in God and his covenant with them, in the same we are saved by covenant: “In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20).
The law functions much more like a wedding band, letting people know that you belong to someone and that you have ordered your life around that relationship. The law was a gift, helping them remain faithful; the law was not Gods plan for saving them, and no amount of law keeping can ever set the world to rights again.
Paul’s Assesement of the Problem.
When we read VS31-32 we can see Paul’s assesement of what has gone wrong with Gods people in his day:
“but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.” (Romans 9:31-32a).
What went wrong in Paul's mind is that Israel turned their focus toward the law instead of the covenant. What was causing division in the church in Rome was the mistaken belief amongst the Jews that somehow they had earned Gods favor through law keeping, and that the Christian’s had not. Paul says that they “pursued [righteousness] not by faith, but as if it were by works.” Their hearts should have been fully turned toward their covenant, their marriage to God, their relationship with him and others.
Addicted to Law.
The law is an addiction to us humans. We love to discipline other people, and we love to show how disciplined we are. Very quickly after Instagram emerged, things rapidly devolved into “look at how disciplined I am, I work out, I invest, I build businesses, I’ve got it all figured out.” Why? Because the law stokes the ego; because discipline is hard; because it requires effort; because so few have the ability to live this way, but so many desire it. Israel already had God's affection because of the covenant, but they wanted to earn it because if you can earn it, then you can boast about your accomplishments.
That’s why Paul says:
“They stumbled over the stumbling stone.” (Romans 9:32)
They wanted to earn what was already a gift, and that was the problem.
Thomas Merton, in his book Seeds of Contemplation captures the difference between the contemplative Christian and the fundamentalist Christian:
“One of the first things to learn if you want to be a contemplative is how to mind your own business. Nothing is more suspicious, in a person who seems holy, than an impatient desire to reform other people. A serious obstacle to recollection is the mania for directing those you have not been appointed to direct, reforming those you have not been asked to reform, correcting those over whom you have no jurisdiction. How can you do these things and keep your mind at rest? Renounce this futile concern with other men's affairs!
Pay as little attention as you can to the faults of other people and none at all to their natural defects and eccentricities.” ― Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
If you are mostly concerned with wether or not somebody has the right views about the latest social issue, you can’t be a person through whom God works to bring healing. Change comes from the heart, which can only be reached through presence, love, and cross-shaped actions towards them. The tool of the law is the sword, the tool of covenant is the cross. Relationships that focus on controlling the actions of the other are abusive; relationships that focus on building faithfulness to the promises that love makes are nourishing.
Discussion Questions:
How would you describe the relationship between Judaism and Christianity?
Does your view lift Christianity above Judaism?
If so, do you believe that this is how Jesus sees things?
What role do good works and Christian living playing in your life?
Why are they important to your faith?
If we are saved by faith in God, then what role does law and good works play in your faith journey?