Why the Majority of Jews Have Rejected Their Own Saviour
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 9:30-33
Many Gentiles have come to righteous-standing before God on the basis of their faith in Christ (9:30) while the majority of Israel is in unbelief and only a minority believes. Why?
In this final section, Paul will explain that Israel’s unbelief is because she is proud, pursuing righteousness in the wrong way, by works instead of faith, and by doing so has stumbled over the stumbling block of the cross Why didn’t the Jews reach it? Paul answers ‘because they pursued it not by faith (which is how the Gentiles laid hold of it) but as if it were by works’ (as if the piling up of works-righteousness was God’s way to salvation [9:32]). ‘They stumbled over the stumbling stone’ (9:32). In 1 Corinthians he calls the message of Christ crucified ‘a stumbling block to Jews’ (1 Corinthians 1:23). The cross undermines self-righteousness. ‘If righteousness could be attained through the law, Christ died for nothing’ (Galatians 2:21). If we could gain a righteous standing before God by our own obedience to the law, the cross would be superfluous. If we could save ourselves we wouldn’t need another Saviour, and especially a Saviour’s death for us. His death wouldn’t be necessary. But we cannot save ourselves. Recognising and believing this message destroys our pride though. If we hold on to our pride, we must reject the Savior. This is what Paul sees Israel as having done. ‘They stumbled over the stumbling stone’ (9:32).
Like Peter in 1 Peter 2:6 and 8, Paul quotes two Isaiah scriptures about the rock/stone. The first and final phrases are from Isaiah 28:16 ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone’ and ‘the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ In between these Paul places the other two phrases from Isaiah 8:14 ‘a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ God Himself has laid down a solid rock or stone, His eternal Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus had boldly applied to Himself Psalm 118:22 ‘the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’ (Mark 12:10 and quoted in Acts 4:11). Paul was alluding to this truth in 1 Corinthians 3:11 ‘no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.’
In 9:6-29 Paul has explained the ethnic contribution of God’s people in his day as a result of God’s election. God calls both Jews and Gentiles into His messianic kingdom. In 9:30-33 he has explained the same circumstance from another side – the decision of human beings to believe or to choose not to. This will be taken up further in chapter 10. So in 9:6-29 Paul has explained why anybody at all is saved (God’s election) and in 9:30-33 why anybody is lost (their responsible, personal decision).