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by Howard Watson
Paul's lamentation over the Jewish people, which
is expressed in his great sorrow of heart in verse two, brings this
chapter of explanation of what has happened in the wisdom of God.
God rejects human effort and works as unworthy of His kingdom of
faith/obedience. Although the Jews had the law, the prophets, the
covenants, the service and the ancestry of Jesus Christ the Messiah,
they were rejected as unworthy of the praise and glory of God. God
had raised them up in His own decision and plan. But, they were
found to miss the mark of the righteousness of God which is by faith.
See verses thirty-one and following. They had stumbled over the
cross of Christ Jesus. Only a remnant of the Jews came to God through
Jesus as the Messiah and the rest were given up to their unbelief.
See verse twenty-seven.
Now, Paul says, believers are saved, both Jew and Gentile. See verses
twenty-four, twenty-five, and thirty-three. The stumblingstone ("prosekopisan"
Gk. from "proskopto" meaning to dash against, to stumble
at, to take offence at) of Jesus, as the fulfilling Messiah, offended
the blind guides and leaders of the Jews who together called for
Jesus to be crucified. A small remnant read the Scriptures in their
spiritual meaning and trusted in their Lord Jesus as the suffering
Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world in His own
body on the cross.
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