Salvation comes from God. It comes from God, through faith.
The fact that Gentiles were getting saved by faith, and also that some Jews were missing-out because of unbelief was a scenario that had been foreseen by the Prophets. It was by FAITH - not by nationality - that a person stood. Therefore the Roman believers shouldn't gloat over Israelis, because of their new privilege with God. Nor should they think Jews could no longer be saved. Nor should they think God's promises to Jews had somehow failed. God hard fore-ordained that salvation would be by grace through faith. Therefore the Gentile believers also should fear.
The background to Paul's statement is that many Jews in the first century were missing out on the personal experience of salvation that had been promised to them by the Prophets, while a predominantly Gentile church was emerging. Consequently many Roman believers may have been confused, as if God's promises to Israelites through the Prophets had somehow failed. Others might have been at risk of taking their new position with God too lighheartedly.
Paul's objective therefore was to explain the manner of God's dealings with both Jews and Gentiles, in order to prevent the Gentiles from becoming conceited. Paul explained that the Prophets had foreseen all along that Gentile believers would be included as heirs of the promises regarding salvation. He explained that the Prophets also foresaw that unbelieving Jews would also miss-out on experiencing the personal salvation promised by the Prophets, despite their Jewishness. Paul explained that inheriting the promises hinged on faith, not on nationality - exactly as the Prophets had foretold. He explained that seeing an individual stands or falls by his faith, it is therefore possible for a Jewish person to be saved if he starts believing, and it is also vital for Gentiles not to become conceited but to fear, seeing it is only by faith that they stand.
That was the flow of Paul's argument - and then he summarizes it like this: "So then it (the scenario that was unfolding in the first century - the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles by faith, and the exclusion of unbelievers even if they were Jewish) - this scenario is from God, it's the way the Prophets foresaw it - you don't stand because of anything special that you Gentile believers at Rome or anyone else has over and above Israelites, other than your faith". So be not highminded, but fear.
So it doesn't have as much to do with unconditional election, irresistable grace or perseverance of saints as we've thought! That pretty-much eliminates the Calvinist vs Arminian question, doesn't it!
God in His sovereignty mercifully fore-ordained that FAITH - not nationality - would be the requirement for receiving the promises spoken by the Prophets, and the rest would miss-out. No-one planned such a wonderful thing other than God. No-one willed it or worked to pay for such a plan. It came from God's mercy alone. But it also came from His severity - unbelievers miss out. Therefore Gentile believers shouldn't gloat over Israelis in their new privilege with God. They shouldn't think it's impossible for a Jew to be saved. They shouldn't think God's promises had failed. It's all by grace, through faith. Therefore fear.
It's not saying what the hyper-Calvinists are saying. Am I right?
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