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After Acts 28:
Before Acts 28:
(Six Epistles).
(Six Epistles).
Jew
occurs once. (neither Greek nor Jew).
Jew
occurs 25 times.
Israel
twice. (Eph. 2: 12; Phil. 3: 5).
Israel
14
Israelite
none.
Israelite
3
Abraham
none.
Abraham
19
Occurrences 61
Total: 3.
Paul's peculiar dispensation of the grace of God to the Gentiles depended, humanly
speaking, upon the foreseen defection of Israel, and had a gospel whose terms did not
commend it to Jewish exclusiveness. This laid him open to many bitter attacks. His
sensitiveness is everywhere apparent. They said his gospel was of his own invention,
hence the moment he mentions it in Rom. 1: 1, 2 he adds, "which He had before
promised by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures;" so also in Rom. 3: 21. This accounts
for the solemn introduction to Rom. 9::--
"I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart for my brethren, my
kinsmen, according to the flesh (for I used to wish myself to be a cursed thing from
Christ)."
His own experience taught him to pity rather than to chide. His own experiences,
typical of Israel in each case, figure also in Rom. 10: 1-4 and 11: 1, 2. The next few verses
of Rom.9 bear witness to pre-eminent position of Israel.
Israel's dispensational privileges (Rom. 9: 3-5).
A | According to the flesh (kata sarka). Brethren.
B | Who are Israelites (descendants of Jacob).
C | To whom the sonship.
D | Glory.
E | Covenants.
E | Legislation.
D | Service.
C | Promises.
B | Whose are the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob).
A | According to the flesh (kata sarka). The Messiah.
The time for the cutting down of the olive tree of Israel's favour was seen by the
apostle to be approaching nearer and nearer. He tells us, however, that God's purposes
are by no means thwarted. Israel shall yet be righteous, even though but a remnant
believed during the transitional period:--
"For the gifts and calling of God are not subject to a change of mind; for as indeed ye
were formerly not believing in God, but now have been objects of mercy, by reason of
the unbelief of others (Jews), so they too have now become unbelieving, that they may
also obtain mercy, by reason of the mercy shown to you" (Rom. 11: 29-31).