Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans

12 December 2009

Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans

Introduction
As anyone, whom has ever read the book of Acts, knows Paul was a diligent student of the Law and the Old Testament, as he sat at the feet of Gamaliel, and, in fact, the words, which Paul used describing his education were, “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.”# Considering that he was taught in the perfect manner of the law, it is only natural to assume that he knew the Old Testament, particularly the law, verbatim. While in the epistles, which he wrote don’t have exact quotes to the Old Testament, there are still many paraphrases and references, which he made to prove his point, as he preached the Gospel to others.
The whole theme of Romans is righteousness: the revelation of it, the wrath against those who do not have it, the saving righteousness, hope as a result if it, God’s righteousness toward Israel and the Gentiles, righteousness in everyday life and the extension of God’s righteousness through the Pauline mission.# It is for this reason, which it Paul does refer so much to the Old Testament. According to S. Lewis Johnson Jr. the whole gist of righteousness may be traced to Deuteronomy 25:1.# This verse states, “If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.”# Johnson goes on to say, “To possess the righteousness of God, then, is to possess a righteousness, which God provides, and, thus, approves.# God’s righteousness is manifest as a saving power, says Johnson, and the idea is conceived in several verses of the Old Testament, specifically in Isaiah (46:13; 51:5-8; 56:1; 61:10-11; 62:1).# Therefore, one has to go to the Old Testament to specifically understand what exactly God’s righteousness is. If it is true, that the Christian is justified in Christ, then it must be relayed from Habakkuk 2:4 that the just live by faith.# This carries the whole theme of Romans 1:1-17. Paul reverted to the Old Testament to support what he preached, because the Gospel had been promised afore by God’s prophets in the Holy Scriptures.# Does Paul use these verses in context? This author would argue that indeed he does, because (1) Paul is a diligent student of the law (2) Paul states in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All (Holy) Scripture are given by inspiration by God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction of righteousness” parenthesis is author’s.# Since Paul is preaching on the theme of righteousness in Romans, it is submitted that Paul would use in context what is written in the Scriptures, since he admits that it is indeed instruction of righteousness; however, let this be examined in the remainder of the paper.
This author has chosen to focus her paper on Romans 9-11, whose theme is God’s righteousness to Israel and the Gentiles, and with that being said, there are actually 28 verses in these 3 chapters, which posses references to the Old Testament. This author cannot promise that all will be touched upon for spatiality’s sake, but enough will be given to explain the meaning of the section and the direct context.
What Does Paul Hope to Accomplish by Using the Old Testament?
In Romans 1:2 Paul states, “Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.”# This was speaking about the Gospel. With this, Paul starts to prove his point that those of the Old Covenant knew. They knew through the prophets, yet because of their unbelief, most of Israel was not saved. Romans 4:23-25 say, “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to Him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”# Paul is again saying that it was previously written. The oracles were written and guarded by the Israelites, and they were written so that whomever should believe on God’s Son should have salvation. Romans 15:4 say, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”# This passage confirms Romans 4:23-25, which states that the Gospel was given for us so that whomsoever would believe in Jesus would have salvation, in that it says it was given to us for learning so that we might have the hope of salvation. Paul used all these verses to show that there was no excuse for Israel to have disbelief, yet at the same time he shows that God has mercy on Israel, and that a remnant of them will be again included.
Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that the scriptures are used for doctrine, reproof, instruction in righteousness and for correction.# 2 Peter 1:20 notes, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.”# Because of these two verses, it is very unlikely that Paul would have used the Old Testament out of context, when citing it in the New Testament. Also he was very well studied in the law under Gamaliel, and knew the law and Old Testament very well. Schreiner says that Paul’s use of Rebekah and Isaac confirms and strengthen his argument.# Schreiner also says that in Romans 9:15, which is a reference to Exodus 33:19, that Paul is giving a reason why God is righteous.# In Romans 10:6-8, which is a reference to Deuteronomy 30:11-14, Paul is pointing out that if one keeps the Torah, then there will be eternal life, but Paul implies here that no one can keep the law, and so no righteousness can be achieved by that venue.# He is proving a point with the Old Testament Scripture here. In 9:21 of Romans, Paul said that the Israelites attempt to obtain righteousness through the Mosaic Law, but he proves that they have not done so by referencing Isaiah 29:10 in Romans 11:8.# Paul, therefore, does not take the Old Testament out of context to suit his purpose, but only to prove, confirm and strengthen his points.
The Use of Genesis 21:12 in Romans 9:7
Romans 9:7 states, “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.”# This is a direct reference to Genesis 21:12 context of Genesis, Abraham was about to send away Hagar and Ishmael, and was grievous in doing so, but God comforted him in reminding him that it is Isaac’s seed, in which the promise would be portended, as opposed to Paul saying, in Romans 9, that not all of Israel is Israel, and that only out of Israel’s seed would the promise come. Paul is establishing here that there is only one seed of the promise, and that seed come from Abraham, but from Abraham, Isaac inherited because of God’s unconditional covenant with his father.# Barnhouse further explains that it was not out of physical flesh of Abraham that the promise was made, such as with Ishmael and Esau, but with the ones, who God so elected, being Isaac and Jacob.#
The Use of Exodus 33:19 in Romans 9:15
The point in the paragraph above is made when Paul reaches Romans 9:15, which states, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”# The Old Testament to this reference is Exodus 33:19. In Romans 9:15, however, God is showing that God had mercy on Abraham and his seed, and in that mercy came forth the promise of the Gospel of Christ. In Exodus 33:19 God was expressly showing mercy on Moses, because Moses had obeyed Him in bringing His people out of Egypt. God had promised that His presence would go forth with Moses, and that He would shed His grace upon the Israelites, because the Israelites were a bunch of stiff-necked people, and God had intended to destroy them, but Moses begged for God to relent of His anger.# John Piper says that Exodus 33:19 (1) is a “declaration of the nature of God and thus underlies all his acts and decrees”, (2) “defines that name and glory as the freedom of God in dispensing mercy”, and (3) “proves to be a very cogent support for the righteousness of God in electing Jacob over Esau before they were born.”#
The Use of Isaiah 10:22-23 in Romans 9:27-28
Romans 9:27-28, stating, “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth” is a direct reference to Isaiah 1:9.# Isaiah 1:9 states, “Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”# When we look at the context of Romans 9:27-28, we see that out of Israel, only a remnant shall be saved from the Jews, because God had set before them a stumbling block and they had stumbled on it, not believing in the Messiah, while the context of Isaiah 1:9 is speaking of how sinful the nation of Israel was, and how it had become utterly desolate, however, God would leave a remnant, less the nation become as Sodom and Gemorrah. David Roach quotes Augustine, from his City of God, wherein he says that many Jews are saved, but many are blinded.# Barnhouse says that Paul is making a point that all of Israel would not be saved just because they had a “patent or copyright” on God.#
The Purpose of the Ninth Chapter of Romans
According to Schreiner, Paul is very upset in Romans 9, because the people of his flesh, the Jews, were not saved, only a remnant of them, but Paul acknowledges that God never promised that that the whole of Israel would be saved, but only that which came from the promised seed, which included Isaac and Jacob, rather than Ishmael and Esau.# This is because God casts his mercy upon whomsoever He will and it is not attained by any human effort, and God fulfills His righteousness by calling both Gentiles and Jews.# This brings the point of the selected Old Testament verses used, Genesis 21:12, Exodus 33:19 and Isaiah 1:9, in that they explain that God called His seed from Isaac, but that the nation became very sinful, and God only saved a remnant of them due to their sinfulness and blindness.
The Use of Leviticus 18:5 in Romans 10:5
Romans 10:5 says, “For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that# the man which doeth those things shall live by them.”# This is a reference to Leviticus 18:5, which declares, “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.” Bringing Romans 10:5 into context, it speaks of the Jews trying to bring about their own righteousness, through the law, but failing to have faith in Christ, confessing their sins to Him. Even with the works of the law, there is no righteousness, unless it is through Christ. Leviticus 18 begins with God giving Moses the ordinances and statutes, which he is to tell the Israelites. Joel Willets says that Leviticus 18:5 is about the law having to do with doing, and living with its prescriptions and not with faith, and that this approach draws a separation between the law and faith.# So Paul was using this Old Testament verse to show that the Israelites could not have possibly have gotten their righteousness from the law, but only from confessing their sins in Jesus Christ, and having faith in Him.
The Use of Deuteronomy 30:11-14 in Romans 10:6-8
Romans 10:6-8, which states, “But the righteousness, which is of faith, speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (That is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.”#
Paul is referencing here to Deuteronomy 30:11-14, which says:
For this commandment, which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.#

Paul is using this piece in the context or Romans 10:6-8 to contrast being under the law in Deuteronomy 30:11-14, to show how happy man is to be freed from the law, according to Donald Barnhouse.# He says that Deuterononomy 30:11-14, in context, was part of Moses’ farewell address, wherein he urged the Hebrews to keep the law, but Paul uses it to show how great God’s grace is.# Steven R. Coxhead says that Deuteronomy 30:11-14 is a prophecy to the coming new covenant.# He says that Christ is the law, or Torah, and that this passage relates to the prophecy of Christ coming to live in man’s heart.
The Use of Isaiah 28:16 in Romans 10:11
Romans 10:11, states, “For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”# This is a reference, which Paul took from Isaiah 28:16, which says, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”# Regarding the context of Romans 10:11, Paul is still referring to the Israelites, and how they could not achieve righteousness simply by keeping the law, but only by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and is simply stressing that whomsoever would believe in Him would have no reason to be ashamed. Isaiah 28:16’s context lies in the fact that Israel has become victim to self-deception, but judgment would come and remove it.# Accordingly, Isaiah 28:16 says that judgment would be a corner stone, and anyone that would believe on it would have no reason to be ashamed, so Paul is saying also that whoever believeth on that stone shall not be ashamed.
The Use of Isaiah 52:7, Isaiah 53:1 and Psalms 19:4 in Romans 10:15-18
Romans 10:15-18 says:
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.#

In this section, Paul is referring to both the books of Isaiah and Psalms. The first verse he is referring to in Isaiah is 52:7, which states, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”# The second verse from Isaiah is 53:1, and says, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”# And the verse in Psalms is 19:4 and states, “Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun.”# In Romans 10:15-18, in context, Paul is just saying that in order for a person to be saved, he or she must first be witnessed to, but Israel was indeed witnessed to and did not harken, and was full of disobedient people.# Paul reiterates Isaiah’s prophecy concerning his knowledge of the saving Gospel.# He also uses Psalms 19:4 to show that the Gospel would be universal for all people to hear.#
The Use of Isaiah 65:1-2 in Romans 10:20-21
Romans 10:20-21 states,” But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.”#
In context, this simply means that the Jews of Israel had been preached to, but they refused, as they were a bunch of stiff-necked and disobedient people.# Paul was referencing Isaiah 65:1-2, which states, “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.”# This proved Paul’s point and supported his speech, regarding Israel’s refusal to be saved, due to their disobedience.
Purpose of the Tenth Chapter of Romans
The theme of chapter 10 or Romans really deals with Israel’s disobedience. The chapter starts with Paul saying that the Jews would not accept God’s righteousness, so they tried to make their own righteousness through the Law, and he explains that it is because they are disobedient to God, and unwilling to see the salvation, which He has placed before them. Just as Isaiah prophesied in his book, God had good news of salvation to be spread (52:7), yet Israel refused it (65:1-20).
The Use of 1 Kings 18:4 and 1 Kings 19:18 in Romans 11:3-4
Romans 11:3 says, “Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.”# When Paul says this, he is reminiscing back to 1 Kings 18:4, which states, “For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.”# In addition, Romans 11:4, which states, “But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal” functions to comply with 1 Kings 19:18.# The corresponding verse says, “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”# Paul is recollecting the story of Elijah’s meeting with God, wherein Elijah is complaining that all of the prophets have been cut off but him, but God tells Elijah that he has saved a remnant.# Stanley says that Romans 11:3 works to pattern Elijah’s protest into a smooth rhetorical component.# The context of Romans 11:3-4 is, of course, that God has not cast away His people, but that He always keeps a remnant, and in 1 Kings 18 and 19, verses 4 and 18, respectively, Elijah is very depressed because Jezebel is seeking to kill him, as she has other prophets, and Elijah thinks that he is the only one left who worships God, however God made it know to him that there are many people left serving him, as the verse states that there were still seven thousand in Israel, who were still obedient to Him.# Paul is making the point that God still has a remnant as verse 5 confirms.
The Use of Jeremiah 31:33 in Romans 11:26-27
Romans 11:26-27 state, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”# Barnhouse says that Paul is referring to Jeremiah 31:33 in this instance, which states, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”# In context, in Romans 11:26-27, Paul is making the point, that God has not cast away His people, but that a remnant would be saved and grafted back in, whereas in Jeremiah 31:33 the context is saying that God would save Israel, and that God promises it so much that if the ordinances do not come to pass, then Israel would cease being a nation forever before Him (Jeremiah 31:36.) Paul was sharing with the believers in Rome that God was not finished with Israel, but that they would be again grafted in the olive tree.
Purpose of the Eleventh Chapter of Romans
The eleventh chapter of Romans shows that God is not finished with Israel, but that just as in Elijah’s day, there was a remnant left within it, which would be saved. This remnant would be grafted into the original tree, and God would have mercy on Israel. In verse 31 Paul also exhorts the believers to have mercy on them, so that one-day they would obtain the mercy from God.
Conclusion
William D. Barrick says that a good reading of the Old Testament and the New Testament show that the Gospel was not kept concealed from the Israelites, even though they did not have the New Testament.# He also goes on to show that the olive tree, which Paul alludes to in Romans 11, is made up of people from the Old Covenant and the New Covenant; precisely all those who believe in Jesus.# However, he states “The nation of Israel never truly became God’s people in any spiritual and eternal sense whatever.”# Paul built on this, showing that indeed the Israelites were not without excuse in Romans 1:20, when he wrote, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”# However, even though they were without excuse, they were disobedient and stiff-necked and did not believe, and so for this reason God pulled their branches from the olive tree, but Paul says that He is able to put them in again through the covenant, which was mentioned in Jeremiah 31:33. Paul uses many verses and passages in the Old Testament Scriptures to expound God’s plan to save a remnant of Israel. He shows many prophecies and promises of God, in dealing with the Israelites, in order to make the Roman believers understand that God had not cast away the physical entity of Israel.



























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© 2010 Kimberly Padilla, A.A Religion