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NASB | Romans 5:6 ¶ For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 5:6 ¶ While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly. |
Subject: Holy Spirit's power of Conviction |
Bible Note: Honestly, Chris, I haven't examined the Reformed arguments for the replacement of Israel. I do know the Dispensationalist argument, albeit without the Scriptural support behind it. I must admit at first glance I have a problem with the notion that the so-called "Church Age" is just a parenthetical period of time in God's larger dealing with Israel, which is most often the way it has been presented to me. God's promise to Abraham was that ALL nations would be blessed through his seed. It doesn't seem that that was some sort of "oh, by the way" kind of thing to me. I also have problems with the opposing notion that the church is identified 100 percent with Israel. What I mean by this is that every promise that was made to the nation of Israel is not something I as a Gentile believer can just claim as my own. It may just be lack of interest on my part in this area (which may be wrong in itself), but most of the "future glory of Israel" stuff is tied in heavily with eschatology, and I have a knee-jerk reaction against majoring in this area, since this is MUCH more speculative in nature and really doesn't occupy a central place in Scripture when compared to the nature of God and the person and work of Christ. I probably should investigate both sides a little more clearly, and look at the Scriptures in this area. Perhaps I will do that soon. The reason I said that I did not think it was germane, however, is that the vessels referred to in Romans 9 are not Israel and the rest of the world, but individuals. If we look at verses 22, 23 and 24, we see that the vessels of honor are plural, and the vessells of wrath are as well. In verse 24 Paul specifies that the vessels refer to us, who are OF the Jews and OF the Gentiles. Even if Paul speaks about the future of ethnic groups in Romans 9-12, I am not convinced that these "vessels" are nations, but rather I hold that they are people (such as the Jewish apostles and the Gentile believers and those from both groups who reject Christ). Sorry if I was too abrupt there. --Joe! |