The Jewish Messiah
To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. Romans 9:5 ESV
REVISED 13 March 2021 (my original views have changed dramatically)
From their race – We have learned that Paul’s expression “to them belong” is a translation gloss. The actual Greek text is simply the pronoun hos, literally “of them.” So when Paul asserts that the adoption, the covenants, the glory, the Torah and the promises “belong” to the Israelites, he is literally saying that all of these things are essentially Israelite. The word “belong” was added in translation. Its implication that these things exist separately and can somehow be attached to another group as if they were like property misconstrues the idea. These things are Israelite. They don’t exist in any other form.
Now Paul uses exactly the same Greek construction to describe the relationship with the patriarchs and the Messiah. The same pronoun, hos, precedes both the patriarchs and the “Christ,” the Messiah. Applying the insight we gained from prior examination, we discover that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the rest of Israel’s men and women of God exist only as Israelites. They are not universal types of spiritual giants. In modern vernacular, they are Jewish. Period. And, says Paul, in case there is any confusion about this, so is the Messiah. The Messiah is not the universal Savior. He is not the European Christ on the cross in Renaissance paintings. He is not the United Nations version of everyone’s deliverer. He is an Israelite! He will always be an Israelite. He can’t be anything but an Israelite.
Of course, the Church claims that this person, this Jewish person, is also the universal God. I’m not sure how that logic works since clearly God does not have an ethnicity. Perhaps the “dual-nature” doctrine attempts to solve this, but I suspect the Church basically ignored this fact.
Let that sink in for just a moment. If the essential character of the Messiah is Israelite, and the Messiah is God’s fully authorized, then doesn’t that imply that God is, from a human perspective, the God of Israel? Now, of course, we are not to imagine that God has a flesh and blood body so that He takes on ethnicity. That is not Paul’s point. Paul makes it clear that he is describing what is true according to the flesh. But what this does mean is that insofar as we are able to understand what it means to be god-like in human form, we encounter an Israelite humanity. In other words, if we want to know the character of God in the Messiah, we will know Him as Israelite. To strip away the Messiah’s ethnicity is to strip away his identity. The “universal Jesus” does not exist in Scripture.
In case you didn’t notice, Paul concludes this point with a typical rabbinic phrase, “blessed forever. Amen.” That small addition is found hundreds of times in rabbinic material every time there is reference to YHVH, usually something like, “Hashem, blessed be He.” This is one more indication that Paul remained thoroughly rabbinic throughout his lifetime. And this adds to the evidence that Paul thought of the Messiah in rabbinic, Jewish terms. Would you agree?
Topical Index: Messiah, Israelite, God, belong, hos, Romans 9:5
Skip (and others),
Excellent post yesterday and today. Thank you for speaking the truth as always!
I am still struggling (reading and researching) with the concept of the trinity. How are you reconciling “…is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever” with your statement, “insofar as we are able to understand what it means to be god-like in human form, we encounter an Israelite humanity.” Especially the “who is God over all” with “god-like in human form” part.
My long held doctrine of the trinity is falling apart rapidly, at least in the way I always viewed the trinity, but verses like this make it difficult.
Thanks
David
Hey David,
I know it is hard, but as you have probably read many times on this blog, tradition usually trumps the text. We typically hold onto doctrine because of tradition, not because the text supports such doctrine. Dwight Pryor used to say, a text, taken out of context becomes a pretext. How many verse has Skip pointed out that are out of context, or the text has added words or taken out words. Worse yet is the idea that some texts have been tampered with to be changed to fit the church’s doctrine. This one was a really hard one for me at first. But we have to ask the question, where did the trinity doctrine come from? It’s not in scripture. In fact Dt. 6:4,5 states clearly that God is “ONE”, “echad” not three persons. Hence this is why modern Jews can’t have a conversation with Christians because our trinity looks more pagan than it does Biblical. Polytheism was what Yeshua and Paul faced in the first century as Jews. For some Jews today, it doesn’t seem much different. So we have to keep digging to understand. We have to be open to truth no matter where it leads us. Keep digging David and enjoy the journey.
No one here debates that Jesus, the Messiah, is the Son of God. Scripture is clear on that. From Peter’s “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” to the Ethiopian’s “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,” what could be plainer? But is Jesus, is Yeshua, is the Messiah, God? There are no clear scriptures for this premise. It is telling that some come to that conclusion, and must do so using argumentation instead of absolutely plain verses.
If Jesus is God, is He the Son of Himself? My question borders on the ridiculous!
“God, Who is over all, be blessed forever. Amen” This is another rendering of the last part of the verse covered today, according to my admittedly amateur investigation. The adoption, the glory, the promises, the Christ…all these and more come from the Israelites. Praise be.
Oh my…how the trinity has set up so many and upset so many when they try and figure it all out.
The mystery of godliness is =
The mystery of wickedness is =
I am very thankful that this idol called the Trinity is being pulled down to the ground from whence it first had its beginning. The GOOD LORD ABOVE is seeing fit that HE and HE alone is the FIRST and THE LAST.
May JESUS CHRIST BE PRAISED and may GOD open the eyes of those who need their eyes to be salved. It is HIS TIME !
“If the essential character of the Messiah is Israelite, and the Messiah is God, then doesn’t that imply that God is, from a human perspective, Israelite? ”
Not in the least. The Council of Chalcedon is quite clear, that there can be no confusion of the two natures of the Messiah in any respect whatsoever. And what you’re suggesting is a confusion between the divinity and humanity of the Messiah.
“All,” – (y’all..)
“The ‘universal Jesus’ does not exist in Scripture.” No. I do not agree. Christ (son of God and son of man), The Messiah, who was born in Bethlehem and lived a fully Torah obedient life, – died for sinners. Jesus, the very and fully Jewish Messiah died for Jewish (and Gentile!) sinners. All those who have not been fully Torah-obedient from birth unto death.
Are there any among those who are Israelites (according to the flesh), sons (or daughters) of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (according to the flesh) who will say, “I have been and am now fully Torah obedient?
Do you tithe every leaf of the mint plant in your yard? Have you ever entertained one “wrong” thought? Have you ever coveted another man’s property or possessions? Have you (sir or m’am) ever “sinned?”
There are sins of commission – (doing that which is wrong- according to Torah) and there are sins of omission- (not doing that which is right according to Torah). Have you, (sir or m’am) ever done anything that was wrong? Have you (sir or m’am) ever NOT done- that which was right-according to Torah? If the answer is “yes,” to any of these infractions or if you (sir or m’am) have ever “transgressed” (knowingly or unknowingly) the Torah, then you (sir or m’am) are now guilty of sin, for sin is the transgression of the Torah.
In short (is it too late?) Has every man (Jew or Gentile, male or female) sinned or transgressed the Law? Has the FACT (just the facts m’am) of sin been thoroughly established? What do the scriptures say?~ ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God ~ that the whole world may become guilty before God? ~
May I say “welcome to the human race?” God gave the Torah (the ten words) to the Jews through Moses. Ten written commandments. Do this and don’t do that. Somehow, some way, down through the ages and through the course of Jewish history, these 10 have “grown” to 613. 613 rules for rightly related living. If you practice all these rules- then you will be a righteous man- in Hebrew parlance, – a “mensch.” But again, ~what do the scriptures say? ~ There is NONE righteous,- no, not one! ~
Even those who might “qualify,” those whom (we) might consider as a “good man” or a “mensch” are still “sinners!” Even Nicodemus, (who name means “superior”- a Pharisee and leader, -no doubt a “mensch” was still in need of being “born from above!” There is no one, (no, not one) who qualifies as a “perfect man”- with the exception of One. There is only one “Perfect Man” who ever lived. (Agreed?)
What about “our righteousness?” Surely our goodness counts for something.. Yes, it does. According to Isaiah: ! ~ But we are ALL as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we ALL do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away ~ (Isaiah 64.6)
What does Rabbi Sha’ul have to say?
~ What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are All under sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:9-18) ~
Paul, (formerly known as Saul) is this true? All have sinned? But.. what if? What if (according to the flesh) a man or a woman is born as an Israelite, a son or daughter of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Does our “first birth” free us from sin?
Houston, we (ALL) have a problem. Whether Jewish, or Gentile, the sad fact remains: ~ all have sinned.. ~
The fact of sin has been established. Why?
~ Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God ~ (Romans 3.19)
Every mouth? The whole world? Not just the Jews, but the Gentiles also? ALL have sinned? All have transgressed? ALL we like sheep have gone astray? We have ALL turned to our own way? And the LORD has laid on HIM the iniquity of us ALL? Yes. He has.
~ For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him ~
For ~ according to the (Levitical) law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission ~ (Hebrews 9.22)
~ behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world ~
Wounded and bleeding
for sinners pleading
blind and unheeding,
dying for me.
~ Because God SO loved the Israelites..
~ Because God SO loved the Gentiles..
~ Because God SO loved the world…He gave..
Who gave us His life an atonement for sin? – and opened the Life-gate that ALL may go in?
Friend, this is very good news and the gospel truth: “Whosoever will” may come..
Good morning, y’all. Carl speaks the truth.
Absolutely agree, that our Messiah is ‘Jewish’ birthed from the Tribe of Yahudah, brought up by Hebrew speaking parents, is an Israelite! That is His true blue identity-of Israelite culture.
And HE is One with YHWH, Who ‘spoke’ creation into being through the Hebrew language- Adahm meaning of the earth, red and dust to dust shall mankind who die will return.
Our Messiah will deliver anyone who choose to be under His authority and rule, to submit to His Torah/Law, keeping all His commandments, clearly not otherwise.
The universal ‘messiah’ Jesus of European features and culture is falsehood, is a man-made idol, which in no way represents the true Messiah, baruch be He. We are warned not to blaspheme His name, which also means His character/nature/ethnicity.