Big Idea: Chapters 9–11, which correspond to the curses component of the covenant (chaps. 5–8 enunciate the blessings), answer the question “Have God’s promises to Israel failed?” Paul answers, “No!” In 9:1–5 he broaches the problem of Israel’s unbelief. Israel previously enjoyed the blessings of the covenant but is now under its curses for rejecting the Messiah.

Understanding the Text

In order to situate Romans 9:1–5 in its literary setting I must briefly make four points. First, what is the relationship between Romans 9–11 and Romans 1–8? The scholarly consensus is that Romans 9–11 forms an integral part of Paul’s argument in Romans in two ways. Had Paul left his argument with Romans 8, he would have given the distinct impression that God was finished with Israel, as indeed he was fini…