Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 9:4-5: Key Questions and Answers

What is the significance of Paul using the term "Israelites" instead of "Jews" in Romans 9:4-5?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul deliberately chose the term "Israelites" rather than "Jews" or "Hebrews" because it emphasizes their unique relationship with God. While "Jew" is typically used to contrast with "Gentile" and "Hebrew" refers to those who spoke the Hebrew language, "Israelite" points to their special covenant relationship with God. The term originates from Genesis 32 when Jacob's name was changed to Israel, meaning "one who has prevailed with God." This term highlights that they were God's chosen people in a unique manner - "Ye only have I known of all the nations of the earth" (Amos). It's more significant than just national identity; it emphasizes their spiritual privilege and position.

What does "adoption" mean when applied to Israel in Romans 9:4?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the adoption mentioned in Romans 9:4 is different from the adoption of individual believers discussed in Romans 8:15 and 8:23. Here, adoption refers to God placing the entire nation of Israel in the position of a son. This is evidenced in passages like Exodus 4:22 ("Israel is my son, even my firstborn"), Deuteronomy 14:1 ("You are the children of the Lord your God"), Jeremiah 31:9 ("I am a father to Israel"), and Hosea 11:1 ("When Israel was a child, then I loved him"). This was a national adoption that applied to all Israelites as a people, whether or not they were individually faithful. It represents the progression from being merely a governed people to having a family relationship with God.

What does "the glory" refer to in Paul's list of Israel's privileges?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "the glory" refers to God's manifestations of His own glorious nature specifically to Israel. This wasn't merely about the glory of their position, but actual glimpses of God's presence and glory that no other nation experienced. Examples include:

1. Moses seeing the burning bush
2. The pillar of cloud and fire that led Israel through the wilderness
3. The glory that appeared in the cloud (Exodus 16:10)
4. God's glory filling the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34)
5. The Shekinah glory that rested on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies
6. The glory that filled Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:11)

This was a unique privilege where God actually revealed something of His divine nature to Israel, making their rejection of Christ all the more tragic.

Why is understanding the Old Testament essential for New Testament interpretation?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the Old Testament is essential for proper New Testament understanding because:

1. Many New Testament terms become "quite meaningless unless we know something about the Old Testament."
2. Romans 9:4-5 provides "a masterly summary of the whole of the Old Testament" in just two verses.
3. The New Testament constantly points back to Old Testament concepts, making them inseparable.
4. We who are Gentiles have been "brought into a share of all this" (referencing Ephesians 2) - we've been grafted into privileges that were first given to Israel.
5. Our identity as Christians can only be fully understood in light of what God did with Israel.

He criticizes those who dismiss the Old Testament as irrelevant, calling such approaches "superficial" and "foolish," as they fail to recognize how the two testaments are "intermingled" and form one coherent revelation.

What practical lesson does Dr. Lloyd-Jones draw from these verses about Bible study?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses Romans 9:4-5 to teach about proper Bible study methods:

1. We should not merely read scripture superficially or to complete a "daily portion" without understanding.
2. We must stop and examine words carefully - "Let's ask it questions. Let's see exactly what it's saying and why it's saying it."
3. We should consider the context of words, not just their dictionary definitions - "Remember, take your context as well as the particular meaning."
4. We need the Holy Spirit's illumination - "We need to be enlightened. We need to watch everything because there is hidden treasure everywhere."
5. We should look for significance in every word choice (like why Paul used "Israelites" instead of "Jews").

He warns that failure to study deeply can lead to misunderstanding and even heresy: "You can become a heretic without realizing that anything's happened to you at all."

What is the tragedy that breaks Paul's heart regarding Israel?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the great tragedy breaking Paul's heart is that despite Israel's extraordinary privileges - being Israelites, having the adoption, experiencing God's glory, receiving the covenants, the law, the temple service, the promises, and being the people through whom Christ came - they rejected their own Messiah. As John 1:11 puts it, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." This rejection is made more astonishing and tragic precisely because of their unique relationship with God and all these special privileges they had received. The very people who had been prepared for centuries to receive the Messiah failed to recognize Him when He came, which causes Paul "continual sorrow" and "great heaviness" of heart.