ACC ~ Romans 10 v19

MOSES FORESAW THE FOOLISHNESS OF GRACE. ORIGEN: Having just spoken of the Gentiles Paul goes on, as is his custom, to talk about Israel as well. His intention is to demonstrate by suitable quotations that Israel has no excuse for its rejection of Christ.

In this passage it is true that Moses the friend of God wanted to attach blame to the people of God, but he also foresaw in the Spirit that if someone wants to be wise in this world he must become foolish, in order to be wise in the sight of God. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

AUGUSTINE: By calling a people “foolish” Paul explained what he meant by “those who are not a people,” viz., a foolish people ought not to be called a people at all. But he says that the Jewish people will be angered by the Gentiles’ faith, because they have received what the Jews have rejected. … Even though entire peoples were foolish idol worshipers, they nevertheless put away their paganism by believing. Thus Paul said: “If a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?”Thus he means: “I will make you jealous of those who once were not a people but were made a people,” because although they were once a foolish idol-worshiping people, they put aside their paganism through their faith in Christ. AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 68.

I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS. AMBROSIASTER: Paul means here that of course Israel knew. … They all heard but they did not all believe.

The jealousy of the Jews arose from their envy at seeing a people which earlier had been without God and barbarous claim the Jewish God as their own and receive the promise which had originally been made to the Jews. … Nothing destroys a man so much as jealousy, which is why God made it the avenger of unbelief, because that is a great sin. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

DID NOT ISRAEL UNDERSTAND? CHRYSOSTOM: Israel ought to have known even on the basis of Moses alone how to tell who were the true preachers, not merely from the fact that they believed, nor from the fact that the preachers spoke of peace, nor from the fact that they brought glad tidings of good things, nor from the fact that the word was sown in all the world, but from the ironic fact that their inferiors, the Gentiles, were receiving greater honor than they had. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 18.

PELAGIUS: Israel did not understand that the Gentiles were to be called to faith. Moses is first because the prophets after him spoke of the salvation of the Gentiles. Before they believed in God, they were not God’s people. Therefore it is as if he says: “I shall call those who are not my people, and they will believe in me in order to provoke you, so that although you should have been better than they are, you will be glad to be their equals.” It is just as if someone has a disobedient son and in order to reform him gives half his inheritance to his slave, so that when he finally repents he may be glad if he deserves to receive even that much. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

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