Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.
Truth to Learn
Paul loved his lost brothers and prayed for them while he proclaimed the Gospel message to them.
Behind the Words
The word translated “brothers” is adelphos, which is made up of the connective a, implying unity and delphus, meaning “the womb.” Hence, adelphos refers to those who have the same mother. It is frequently used metaphorically referring to those who are of the same lineage, as Paul does here.
“Desire” is translated from the Greek word eudokia, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of dokeĊ, meaning “to think.” Thus we see that this word literally means “to have good thoughts.” Eudokia is often translated as “desire, delight, kindness, or wish.”
Meaning Explained
In the previous chapter the Apostle Paul expressed his great concern for his brothers in the flesh, the nation of Israel. He was troubled by the fact that so many of them were out of the way of salvation. Here’s how he expressed it in the opening verses of that chapter:
I speak the truth in Christ, not a lie, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, that my sorrow is great and I have continual grief in my heart. For I almost wish that I was accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kindred according to the flesh (Romans 9:1-3)
He loved his fellow Jews and was deeply grieved by the fact that they rejected Jesus as their Messiah, the One for whom they had been waiting for centuries. He went on to show that God has chosen some of them for salvation but not others. He also showed that God has also called some of the Gentiles to salvation over his Jewish kinsmen.
But, you may ask, if Paul truly believed that God is the one who chooses who will be saved, why was Paul so intent on evangelizing the Jews, calling on them to accept Jesus as the Messiah? The answer is in the Great Commission. All Christians are commanded to preach the gospel. We don’t know whom God will choose, but they must believe God’s promise through His grace in order to be saved.
In the first half of the current chapter, Paul will show that the reason why so many Jews were lost is because they tried to earn their way into righteousness by keeping the Law instead of receiving the gift of salvation through faith.
Paul had been accused by some of his countrymen of deserting his Jewish brothers in favor of this new Way called Christianity. He starts off the current chapter with a declaration that not only has he not deserted them, but that he has a strong desire for them to be saved. And, he will show that salvation is to be received through faith, not through works.
Application
We are told to hate sin but to love sinners. We are told to proclaim the good news of God’s promise of salvation through the blood of Christ. We do not save sinners, only God can do that. We are to pray for sinners and proclaim the gospel. And we are to be a witness for God by the way we live our lives.
Are you fulfilling the Great Commission?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved