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    Arland J. Hultgren, Pauls Letter to the Romans: A Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,

    2011.

    Chapter Five

    But what of Israel? Thats the central issue in chapter 9-11 of Romans and thats the central

    issue in this chapter of Hultgrens commentary.

    Hultrgen first divides the 3 chapter of the letter into 7 segments. The central assertion of this

    portion of the book is that

    God has not failed, nor have his promises failed. If many Gentiles

    accept the gospel, and only a few Jews do, that is no surprise (p.

    363).

    But why exactly is this the case?

    Pauls immediate response in 9:30-10:4 is that Israel has not

    pursued the righteousness that comes from God through faith,

    which is revealed in the gospel, but has sought to establish

    righteousness through the law (p. 377).

    That sentiment on the part of Hultgren will raise an eyebrow or two I imagine. But a raised

    eyebrow does not disproof provide. Paul, it seems to me, clearly and obviously believed that hiscontemporaries were striving to achieve salvation through works. This isnt the case just

    because thats how Augustine or Luther understand Paul; but rather, they understand Paul that

    way because thats what Paul thought! Hultgren is simply reading the text and letting it speak

    for itself. And he proves his case in 15 densely packed pages of argumentation.

    So, does Paul believe that God has rejected Israel? Not so, Hultgren argues. Instead, he shows

    that

    [Paul] resorts to finding a way of speaking of the present situation

    by referring to the remnant concept in the OT (p. 399).

    Israel remains the people of God and the Gentiles should stand in awed amazement of the fact

    that they are grafted in at all!

    One thing is for certain: Hultgren cant properly be accused of supercessionism!

    All Israel will be saved (11:26a) has mystified commentators for as long as commentaries have

    been written on Romans. Hultgren offers three basic interpretations. First, Israel should betaken in a spiritual sense meaning believing Jews and Christians. H. dismisses that

    interpretation in a few sentences. Second,

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    Paul envisions the conversion of the Jewish people through their

    acceptance of the Gospel (p. 418).

    He dismisses that notion as well. Finally, the third that Israel will be saved whether or not Jews

    convert to Christianity at all. But that too seems unlikely and inappropriate to H. His solution?

    means the people of Israel as a corporate entity. It

    need not mean every individual any more than similar expressions

    of modern times, such as the whole country is celebrating today.

    Nevertheless, the expression all Israel has to be taken for

    what it is, and that is that it refers to the people of Israel, the

    Jewish people, who have not accepted the Gospel (p. 420).

    Confused? Me too. In the first instance Hultgren seems right to see all Israel as a collective

    term which need not refer literally to every Jew. But he seems to take it back in the sentence

    which shortly follows where he seems, clearly, to suggest that in fact the Jewish people as a

    whole will be saved (whether they want to be or not?). Perhaps his ambiguity reflects Paulswho, at the opening of 9-11 speaks of a spiritual seed of Abraham and those believing alone

    being entitled to consider themselves his descendents, whereas in 11 all Israel does seem tosuggest a collective.

    In any event H. doesnt solve the problem raised by this verse.

    The chapter closes with an explanation of the doxology of Paul which shows, according to H.,

    that Pauls sorrow as described in 9:1 is gone.

    Jim West

    Quartz Hill School of Theology