"For I bear them witness (record) that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." (verse 2) Yeager states, "the Jews were zealots with reference to their relation with God, although their efforts were misguided. Misguided and irrational zeal is tragic. It indicates sincerity, even devotion, but a lack of understanding...they lacked the spiritual knowledge that comes only from the revelation of the Holy Spirit. They had the knowledge that comes from human rational analysis" (Volume XII, p. 45). Zeal means an earnest ardor toward something that is very much loved and believed. Zeal without knowledge, commitment without reflection, or enthusiasm without understanding, however, is fanaticism. Fanaticism is a horrid and dangerous state to be in. Doubtless the apostle remembers himself as a radically zealous Pharisee before his conversion to Christianity, but he was far from pleasing the true God with his zeal.
"For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." (verse 3) The Jews were sincere, but they were sincerely wrong. They knew nothing of God's righteousness and sought to maintain their own righteousness by striving to keep the law. Their philosophy and that of the unregenerate is, "How could a just God fail to reward my sincere efforts to do right?" The tragedy in the history of Israel was squandering the immeasurable privilege of having directly received the very Word of God - first His written Word in the Scriptures, and even more tragically the rejection of the living Word, God's only Son, Jesus Christ. Jeremiah wrote of this principle (9:24), "...let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord who exerciseth loving-kindness, justice (judgment), and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (verse 4) One meaning of this phrase the end of the law is to bring us to believe in Christ in order that we may have righteousness, but it is also true that Christ is the end of the law in the sense that in His incarnation experience upon the earth He fulfilled it in the sense of Matthew 5:17 where Jesus said, "think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." The end of the law means that Christ Jesus in His life, death, burial, and resurrection was the "goal" or "completion" of the Mosaic law.
"For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man who doeth those things shall live by them." (verse 5) Paul was quoting from Leviticus 18: 5 which reads, "ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and mine ordinances (judgments), which if a man do, he shall live in them; I am the Lord." Legalism says that life comes because of the righteousness which in generated by obeying the law. In Galatians 3:10 the apostle wrote, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." James wrote (2:10), "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." If such were possible, a person who failed in only one point of the law would remain just as lost as a person who failed in every point of the law. Anyone who is not utterly self-deceived realizes the impossibility of never stumbling even in the smallest way.
"But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (That is, to bring Christ down from above); or, Who shall descend into the deep? (That is, to bring Christ up from the dead). (verses 6,7) Even under the law God's standard of holy living has always required obedience from the heart. Abraham believed God in his heart, and it was reckoned (accounted) for righteousness. God said to Israel (Deuteronomy 30:10), "if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul..." Man by searching cannot find God; God will reveal Himself to whom He will. It is not necessary for man to search for God in the heavens or in the depths to find a Savior. In His incarnation our Lord has plumbed the heavens and the depths; He is our resurrected and ascended Savior. Paul is saying here that the Messiah has already come down from heaven; He has already risen from the dead. Redemption's plan is already completed in the Messiah's incarnation, life, death, and resurrection. Those who wish to be saved need not search for salvation's plan; it has already been revealed in Messiah.
"But what saith it? The word is near (nigh) thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (verses 8 - 10) Man does not need an incarnation, a mystical, esoteric, or impossible journey through the universe to find Christ and the way of salvation. The word is present with us, upon our lips and heart, as near as the breath we breathe, ready to be believed and ready to be spoken. It is the word or the speech of faith. The word is rema which means speech, discourse, or statement. Under the Old Covenant, as well as the New Covenant, men could claim God's grace simply by receiving it in faith (Deuteronomy 30:14). Paul had been preaching the word of faith since he was stricken down on the road to Damascus.
Verses 9 and 10 contain the instructions for salvation as plain as it can be given. False righteousness is based on the law which is impossible for man to fulfill; true righteousness is based upon faith in Christ Who bestows His perfect righteousness on those who believe in Him. Yeager says of this verse, "The word of faith is on the lips and in the heart. Now we have only to employ it. An open confession by word of mouth to the effect that Jesus, once dead and now alive forever, is one's Lord, coupled with a steadfast heart faith that this Jesus, Whom one has just acknowledged as Lord, has actually been raised from the dead, is the two-fold condition for salvation...To make the open confession without holding the heart-felt conviction is hypocrisy...To say that Jesus is Lord is not a confession to be taken lightly. If He is Lord in the sense of Ephesians 1:20 -23; Philippians 2:9 - 11,...normal prudence and some wisdom would dictate that if we say publicly that He is our Lord we had better mean it." (Volume XII, p. 53).
Man's heart determines his eternal destiny. Some of Jesus's first teaching recorded in the New Testament was John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." In fact, John's very purpose for writing his gospel was that "you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His name" (John 20:31). Whenever the sinner believes in his heart, he is justified before a righteous God. After salvation comes confession (which means speaking the same thing, or being in agreement and accord with someone). The person who confesses Jesus as Lord agrees with God the Father, and that confession mixed with genuine trust brings salvation.
"For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (verse 11) This is a quotation from Isaiah 28:16, probably in the Septuagint version, "...Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested (tried) stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste." The words shall not make haste are translated in the KJV "shall not be ashamed." Literally, in English, the verse reads, "All the believers in Him shall not be ashamed," which implies that some believers will (be ashamed) and others will not. The word "ashamed" is found thirteen other times in the New Testament and is translated "confound," "dishonor," "make ashamed," "shame," and "be ashamed." In the active voice it means to bring one down in shame and disgrace; in the passive voice it means to be ashamed/embarrassed. Here Paul leaves no doubt that every believer enjoys this promise. None will be put to shame.
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." (verse 12) God does not discriminate between the Jew and the Greek (Gentile); His salvation is offered to all regardless of ethnicity. Race, color, cultural background, social, economic or intellectual status have nothing to do with it. The Jew and Gentile are saved by the same method; salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This same principle Paul shared with the Galatians (3:29), "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Both Jew and Gentile can be Abraham's seed if each will place their faith in God's promise as did Abraham. It is, however, an individual matter.
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (verse 13) Paul quotes from the Old Testament again (Joel 2:32), "And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." Morris says of this verse, "We must understand calls upon in no mere formal sense; it is a calling on the Lord out of a sense of inadequacy and need and proceeds from a genuine conviction that the Lord can be relied on. It is significant that once again Paul takes words which in the Old Testament are used of Yahweh and uses them of Christ" (p 388).
"How, then, shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (verse 14) This verse is filled with five action verbs - called, believed, believe, heard, and hear - and a participle which is a verbal adjective. The questions asked of the writer are with the subjunctive mood (call, believe, and hear) and are rhetorical, not interrogative. Paul is forcefully stating the obvious by putting the questions rhetorically, with the deliberative subjunctives. Obviously no one believes another if he does not understand him (Yeager, Volume XII, p. 59). The verb translated "call" means to "call upon," or "to appeal." This word is used thirteen times in the New Testament meaning "to call upon God." The verbs translated "believed", and "believe" mean "to have faith in," or "commit oneself unto." This word is used many times in the New Testament where men are admonished to put their faith and trust in Jehovah God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The words translated "heard," and "hear," mean to "give audience to," "to perceive audibly" or "to report." These words are used over and over again in the New Testament. The word translated "preacher" means someone who heralds the good news of salvation. These words are like links in a chain; if any are missing the chain is broken.
A subject must call, believe, and hear, and the word must be preached. All are necessary links to a person becoming a candidate for salvation. The Christ is easily accessible and equally accessible to all and there is no difference, no favoritism with God. First, in order to be saved, sinners must call on the name of the Lord. Calling on His name presupposes that they know and believe His name (i.e. that He died, was raised, and is Lord). Second, just as believing is logically prior to calling, so hearing is logically prior to believing. Third, before the development of the mass media of communications, the role of the herald was vital. The major means of transmitting news was his public proclamation in the city square or the marketplace. There could be no hearers without heralds. Fourth, the heralds must be sent. Those who preach the good news are sent forth first by Christ Himself and then by His church. Looking at the five verbs and the participial in the opposite order: Christ sends heralds, heralds preach, people hear, hearers believe, believers call, and those who call are saved (Stott, pp. 285, 286).
"And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tiding of good things!" (verse 15) Preachers or ministers are send out, first by Christ Himself and then His church. Technically the apostles were sent out, even though there are no true apostles after the twelve apostles, Jesus does chose and "send out" ministers and missionaries to preach his unsearchable riches to a lost and dying world. Thus the cycle is complete. It starts in the sovereign will of God who sends out preachers who preach. All in the audience hear audibly, while some also hear perceptively. Those who do believe and call. When they call they are saved. But those who do hear and believe do so only by divine grace.
Paul now quotes from Isaiah (52:7), "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" During Isaiah's time the good news was the release of Israelites from Babylonian captivity. They were celebrating; how much more welcome the heralds of the gospel of Christ should be. Beautiful feet may be explained this way - the pounding of the horses' hooves and the noise of the stagecoach approaching a village during pioneer days was sweet music to the ears of the settlers because the coming of the stagecoach might be bringing guests from afar or mail from loved ones. So the inhabitants welcomed the clatter of horse's hooves and the noise of the stagecoach.
"But they (the Israelites) have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" (verse 16) The word translated obeyed can also mean "hearken" or "submit." The Jews, on the whole, did not in Paul's opinion hearken, submit, or obey the good news. Only a remnant would be saved. Paul quotes from Isaiah 53:1, "Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" The great prophet of old felt that he spoke, mainly, upon unbelieving ears. Even Isaiah's prophecy of the Messiah fell on deaf ears. The arm of God seems to fail to embrace Israel because of their unbelief. Jesus used the same passage from Isaiah (John 12:37,38), "But though (Jesus) had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him; that the saying of Isaiah, the prophet, might be fulfilled, which he spoke, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
"So, then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (verse 17) Faith has its source in hearing, while hearing is administered by the agency of the word of Christ. Preaching leads to hearing, and hearing to believing. Why then have the Israelites not believed? Paul seeks to clarify this question in the following verses.
"But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." (verse 18) Since believing depends upon hearing, Paul answers, "of course, they did." Then he quotes from Psalm 19:4, "There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Although this passage in the psalm refers to the universal witness of the heavens to their Creator, Paul adapts this fact to the Israelites and their failing to listen to the Word of God. If God wants the general revelation of His glory to be universal, how much more must He want the special revelation of His grace to be universal also. Just as many look at the creation and fail to conclude that behind the creation there was a Creator, so there are those who fail to hear and heed the message of the good news. In Romans 1 Paul speaks of those who suppressed the truth, so those who hear the good news suppress it and appear not to hear the message of salvation. Just as the heavenly bodies touch all the earth and extend to the ends of the world with God's natural revelation, so His gospel touches all the earth and extends to the ends of the world with His special revelation.
"But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you." (verse 19) Paul puts the question so as to elicit the positive response, and then, to prove his point, he cites Moses (Deuteronomy 32:21) which reads, "They (Israel) have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation." Some fourteen hundred years before Paul wrote the book of Romans, Moses declared that the salvation message was to reach Gentiles as well as Jews. Because of Israel's apostasy God provoked Israel to jealousy by turning to the Gentiles and calling out a people for His name. This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 8:10, when He said of the centurion, "verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel..." And in Matthew 21:43 in the parable of the householder, Jesus said, "Therefore the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits of it." When the Israelites rejected God's call, He turned to (no nation; no understanding) Gentiles to provoke Israel to jealousy. Paul uses two words of interest here - one means to provoke, or to incite to jealousy (parazeloso); the other means to provoke to wrath or anger (parorgio). Israel's rejection of the good news cannot be attributed either to her not hearing it or to her not understanding it, she must be without excuse.
"But Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I was found by them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me." (verse 20) Paul again quotes from Isaiah (65:1,2), "I am sought by those who asked not for me; I am found by those who sought me not. I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name." It is ironic. The Jews were working so hard trying to obey the Torah and the Talmud and to gain righteousness thereby; they knew about adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, and the services of God, and the promises, but they rejected the Messiah. The Gentiles were not working at it at all; they just simply trusted Jehovah God and received the Messiah.
"But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and
contrary (gainsaying) people." (verse 21) In spite of Israel, God's chosen people, they ignored
His word and sought Him in their own way and on their own terms, so the Lord said (Isaiah
65:2), "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, that walketh in a
way that was not good, after their own thoughts..." God's initiative to Israel is so
pronounced. He does not simply allow Himself to be found; He is actively holding out His
hands to them. He is like a parent inviting a child to come home, offering a hug and a kiss, and
promising a welcome, so God has opened and stretched out His arms to His people, and has kept
them continuously outstretched all the day long, pleading for them to return (Stott, p. 289). God
is like the father of the prodigal son (Luke 15), yet Israel's response is negative, resistant,
recalcitrant, and dismissive. Israel's fall was their fault. The antinomy between divine
sovereignty and human responsibility remains. To feel the empathy of God, we need to look at
the two words used here to describe Israel. They were disobedient (refusing to be persuaded,
and they were unbelieving); they were gainsaying (denying, and speaking against) God.