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all its parts are arranged in
careful dependence upon the others. Without any given part, the machine
will not function.
No one would have imagined even a century ago what was happening all
along, in just a tiny cell! But the way in which the God of Israel
demonstrates His righteousness in Messiah is similar to the way He has
created these brilliant biological machines. Paul shows that God’s
revelation of righteousness is an “irreducible complexity” as well:
...I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Messiah: for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith: as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans
1:16-17).
Bible scholars agree that
understanding these verses is the key to understanding the rest of the
book of Romans. In truth, the Book of Romans is the key to understanding
the New Covenant. Thus, Romans 1:16-17 provides us with the theme to
understand not only Romans, but the whole of Scripture!
The Surprising Design of the Good News
All the pieces matter - if indeed “therein is the righteousness of God.”
If we take away even a part - whether it be that the Good News is “the
power of God,” “to every one that believes,” or “to the Jew first” -
then we make the righteousness of God into unrighteousness. The only
hope for the Gentile world is that the Good News of Messiah is to the
Jew first.
Unfortunately some modern translations make understanding this passage
more difficult by translating from the Greek, “first for the Jew, then
for the Gentiles” (inserting ‘then’). In this interpretation, “to the
Jew first” refers only to the historical outworking of the Gospel, as if
Paul meant it was formerly prioritized to the Jews, but now it is for
the Gentiles. Is this view accurate? In a word, no. In Romans 1:16 the
Greek word for “first” (proton) is used several times in Romans with
reference to the Jewish people:
…tribulation and distress
for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of
the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek… (Romans 2:9-10)
First of all (“chiefly,”
NKJV), that they were entrusted with the oracles of God (Rom. 3:2)
In none of these verses does
“first” or “chiefly” refer to a historical matter, but to something more
fundamental.
Furthermore, Paul is speaking in the present tense. There are three
verbs in Greek: “am not ashamed,” “is,” and “believes.” All are in the
present tense. The Gospel is, not was, but is the power of God, to all
who believe, and to the Jew first. The idea that the Good News was
“first for the Jew and then for the Gentile” implies that the Good News
is no longer for the Jew (i.e. “they had their chance”). Obviously, this
cannot be true, for to this very day Jewish people are still coming to
faith in Yeshua!
His Power, His Promise
Remember, Paul was writing ‘to the Jew first’, not regarding a past
activity, but as his present and active ministry (Acts 13:46;14:1). He
was not looking back on the first century advance of the Good News, but
stating it as an ongoing principle for the future flow of history. Even
as the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul’s ministry was always “to the Jew
first.”
This idea of "first" reiterates the idea that the Jewish people are
God’s Chosen People (Deuteronomy 7:6). God made no promises to the
nations (Psalm 147:19-20) but only through the seed of Abraham:
"And I will make of thee a
great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and
thou shalt be a blessing... in thee shall all families of the earth
be blessed" (Genesis 12:2-3).
This is no cause for Jewish pride.
In choosing the Jewish people, according to Deuteronomy 7:8-9 and 9:6,
God essentially picked the runt of the litter, the least likely to
succeed, in order to prove God’s ability to keep a people of His
choosing. God’s purpose for the Jewish people was that they would be a
blessing to the whole world, ultimately fulfilled in Yeshua. Thus
Messiah is the fulfillment of God’s purpose for the Jewish people, not
the replacement of it (Galatians 3:8-14). God has no other plan than
through this people whom He foreknew (Romans 11:2).
God is equally caring toward Gentiles, for though it is to the Jew
first, as writer David Stern puts it, “the Good News is especially for
the Jews, but equally for the Gentiles.” Paul wrote as the apostle to
the Gentiles (Romans 11:13) as to why he wasn’t ashamed to preach in
Rome. Paul wanted the Gentile believers to understand and express their
faith in light of God’s faithfulness to Israel. For Gentile believers
“to the Jew first” was a reminder of their calling to make Israel
jealous (Romans 11:11), and to minister to Israel the very mercy they
themselves had received (Romans 11:31). God forbid that they should
think that they had replaced Israel (Romans 11:17-19). Not at all, but
rather, Gentile believers were to be God’s reminders of His faithfulness
to Israel. Any Gentile who diminished the priority of bringing the Good
News to the Jew first would be distorting God's message of faithfulness
revealed in His word.
The Good News is still to the Jew first, even as Good News of Messiah is
still the power of God unto salvation to all who will believe! God is
faithful, and all who believe on His promised salvation in Yeshua will
indeed be saved.
The Unchanged Character
of God
The Good News is the very vindication of
God’s faithfulness to His own Word and promises. As a Jewish person,
Paul was unashamed, for the Good News is the faithfulness of God to our
people. Some teach that God’s promises to the Jewish people are voided,
or transferred to the "Church," and that God has forsaken the Jewish
people! If that is so, if His promises to Israel are nullified, how
could anyone trust in any of God’s promises? Paul’s point was to
establish the Romans’ confidence in the gospel, not to destroy it! The
only hope for the Gentile world is that the Good News of Messiah is to
the Jew first. Follow the logic: if the gospel is no longer to the Jew
first, then maybe it is no longer to all who will believe; and perhaps
it’s no longer the power of God for salvation either. If this is the
case, then maybe we should be ashamed of our faith in Yeshua, and not
share Him with others. Of course, the answer to all of this is a
resounding NO! The Good News is still to the Jew first, for the Good
News of Messiah is still the power of God unto salvation to all who will
believe! "To the Jew first" reveals that God is faithful, and all who
believe on His promised salvation in Yeshua will indeed be saved! And
that’s the truth.
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