Listen to The Daily Word online.  For the past few weeks, we have been studying Romans 9-11. In these chapters, Paul asks why his fellow Jews rejected Jesus and whether this rejection indicates a failure on God’s part. In Romans 10.21, which quotes Isaiah 65.2, Paul describes Israel as “a disobedient and obstinate people.” Israel’s disobedience and obstinacy, then, explain its rejection of Jesus.  But isn’t this a dangerous answer? I mean, haven’t Christian anti-Semites throughout the centuries used Israel’s disobedience and obstinacy as an excuse for their persecutions against Jews? Haven’t pogroms been legitimized by appeals to Jewish incorrigibility? … Continue reading The Remnant (Romans 11.1-6)

Listen to The Daily Word online.  I often talk with people about how to best reach their friends with the gospel. Usually, those conversations focus on presenting the gospel with language and concepts that nonreligious friends can understand. The unstated assumption is that if we could just find the right words, people would come to Christ. But what if that assumption is wrong? In Romans 10.18-21, the Apostle Paul asks why his fellow Jews failed to accept Christ. He offers three explanations, rejecting the first two in favor of the third. The first explanation Paul offers is that they have … Continue reading The Failure of Evangelism (Romans 10.18-21)