Will Jesus Enter the Eastern Gate For the First Time or, Again?

[jazzy]

(05-31-2010 09:19 PM)Rose of Shushan Wrote:  

Quote:Paul said that God has concluded all Israel in unbelief. Rom.11:32 When they as a nation refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah and did not keep His covenant, I have to wonder just what position the Jews do have anymore.

I dont see that the Romans verse you quoted is referring to Israel but rather to both jew and gentile.Ill paste the verse with the preceding two verses so we get context.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

In verse 30 its the gentiles not believing and in 31 its the jews.So both jew and gentile have been guilty of unbelief and both benefit from God's mercy.

As to the position that jews have today. Well to me it seems clear from the NT that being jewish itself will not save you.We all jew and gentile need to enter into the New Covenant and believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
It is encouraging that so may jews now believe in their Messiah and are also more vocal about it.

The first "all" in (v.32) are the Jews which Paul was writing about in the previous context verses. He made them spiritually just like Gentiles. He didn't conclude Gentiles in unbelief, Gentiles are born that way to begin with. Jews were born into the family of God, they were natural children of God.

Paul said:

"We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified". (Gal.2:15-16)