The Status of Judaism
Rom 9:4b-5 Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
Earlier Paul wrote, "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God." Rom 3:1,2 The Christian Old Testament is the Jewish Bible, which itself is quoted extensively in the New Testament. Furthermore given that "the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ" Gal 3:24 you would think that being brought up Jewish would naturally lead one to becoming a Christian. In fact, unlike Islam, one could legitimately identify oneself as both a Christian and a Jew, as was the case for many early Christians, all the apostles, including Paul who all the way to the end of the book of Acts identified himself as such saying, "I am a Jew" Acts 22:3a Unlike with other religions Jews aren't spoken of as converting to Christianity. For Christianity is in a sense the true path of Judaism, as Paul will speak on later.
Note also in verse 5 of the allusion to the deity of Christ. Though his flesh, his human nature, was descended from David, which is part of the gospel as Paul writes, "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel" 2Tim 2:8, yet "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1:1a,1:14a Thus of Jesus it says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." Heb 1:10 For "Through him all things were made" John 1:3a Thus "Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." Heb 3:3,4
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
Rom 9:4b-5 Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
Earlier Paul wrote, "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God." Rom 3:1,2 The Christian Old Testament is the Jewish Bible, which itself is quoted extensively in the New Testament. Furthermore given that "the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ" Gal 3:24 you would think that being brought up Jewish would naturally lead one to becoming a Christian. In fact, unlike Islam, one could legitimately identify oneself as both a Christian and a Jew, as was the case for many early Christians, all the apostles, including Paul who all the way to the end of the book of Acts identified himself as such saying, "I am a Jew" Acts 22:3a Unlike with other religions Jews aren't spoken of as converting to Christianity. For Christianity is in a sense the true path of Judaism, as Paul will speak on later.
Note also in verse 5 of the allusion to the deity of Christ. Though his flesh, his human nature, was descended from David, which is part of the gospel as Paul writes, "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel" 2Tim 2:8, yet "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1:1a,1:14a Thus of Jesus it says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." Heb 1:10 For "Through him all things were made" John 1:3a Thus "Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." Heb 3:3,4
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
