Israel's non-entry into messianic salvation: Reflections on the meaning of Romans 9--11 in the light of anti-Judaism

In Romans 9--11 Paul was attempting to reconcile two apparently contradictory affirmations: (a) that God is faithful to his divine promises to Israel (the "election of Israel"), and (b) that the salvation of God is universally offered and does not imply the election of Israel. Paul struggled to uphold both the particularism of Israel as God's chosen people and the universalism of the gospel as revealed in Christ.;Traditional interpreters of Romans 9--11 have concluded that for Paul Christianity superseded Judaism and that the present position of the Jews is now one of "wrath".;To argue that Paul believed that Christianity alone would bring salvation is to argue against Paul's own words: "All Israel will be saved" (Rom 11:26). Paul never claims that the Jews will convert at the end of the present age or that Judaism is no longer a valid path to God. The Jewish context in which he lived and wrote is an inherent part of his development and not only is it necessary to understand him in this context, but it is possible to interpret him in a manner free of anti-Judaism. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).