This is the tenth installment of what I hope to be a complete “translation” of Romans. Please note that this is not scripture; it is my understanding of scripture. Any with questions or concerns should check the original.
Tenth chapter of Romans
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God is that the Jews would be saved.
For I can testify abou them that they are passionate about serving God … but that their passion is not based on knowledge.
Since they didn’t know that goodness comes from God and tried to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s plan. Jesus Christ is the goal of the law: righteousness for all those who believe in Him.
Moses describes the goodness or righteousness that comes from the law this way: the man that does these things will live.
But the goodness or righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ says: don’t say “I will do it myself.” Instead, it relies on the word of faith: confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. In this way, you will be saved.
It’s with your heart that you believe, and are therefore made blameless in God’s sight. And it’s with your mouth that you confess Jesus as Lord, and are saved. As the Bible says, “anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.”
Then there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all, and richly blesses all who call on him. As God says by the prophet Joel, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
But how can people call on the name of the One they have not believe in? And how can the believe in Him if they have not heard of Him? And how can they hear of Him if someone does not preach to them?
As it is written in Isaiah:
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring news of gladness and good!
But not all of the Israelites accepted the good news – as Isaiah also says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Faith comes from hearing the good news, and the good news is the word of Christ. So did they not hear? Of course they did! As the Psalmist says about creation, which proclaims the glory of God:
Their voice has gone out into all the earth – their words to the end of the world.
So did they not understand? Moses said, of those who Israelites turned away from God:
I will make you envious of others who are not a nation. And I will make you angry by a nation that has not known me.
And as God says through Isaiah so boldly:
I was found by those who did not look for me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.
But about Israel He said:
All day long I held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.