Expert: Cooper P. Abrams III - 12/8/2005

Question
That answer was so precise and exactly how I needed it explained to me.  thank you very much!!!!!.

could you please elaborate on Romans 9:6, 7

"For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel"

I'm not clear

God bless
Cann


Answer
Hi Cann,
 Paul is saying that all the Jews...(Israel) were not truly of Israel.  That means that all the Jews were not truly believer in God nor follow God's word and were not saved.
  Israel was established by God to bring salvation to the world through the Messiah who was of the seed of Abraham. That was God's purpose for them.   However, most of the Jews rejected Jesus their Messiah.   Throughout the Old Testament many Jews rejected God...worshipped idols and would not believe or follow His word to them.  These were born Jews, but not born-again Jews...meaning they were not saved.

   In Romans Paul is telling them beginning in Chapter 3 that just because they were born Jews it did not mean they have God's favor, knew God or were going to heaven.  The true Israel (Jews) were those who believed God, obeyed Him and were saved.
   The Jews then and even now have mistakenly thought that because the nation was chosen and begun by God that it meant all of them would be saved.   But that has never been God's stated word. God promised to preserve the "nation of Israel" but not individual Jews.  The individual Jew had to believe God by faith in order to be saved.    Those Jews saved in the Old Testament were those that believed God...the rest sadly were lost in their sins.
    So this is the point Paul is making.   Read Romans chapter 3-11 carefuly and it will become clear.
    Thanks again.   One of the most misunderstood teachings of the Bible is what was God's relationship with the Jews and the nation of Israel.   Even today many people are confused and it spawns a lot of false teachings.  You are on the right track....
   If you have further comments or question please write.
Cooper Abrams
http://bible-truth.org