Is there a Priority in Proclamation?
Paul’s teachings on topics such as Christology, ecclesiology, and soteriology have shaped the church’s doctrines for two thousand years. As you know, dear reader, he states in Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”[1]
This verse is often displayed in churches, plastered on banners at mission conferences and inscribed on bracelets and t-shirts. It was the theme verse for a tour by Christian rap artists in 2013.[2]
These are all good! Reminding people that the gospel is “God’s power for salvation” is a message worth declaring from any platform. Affirming that the gospel is for “everyone who believes” is crucial. No one is excluded from God’s power to save. But rarely does one hear it proclaimed from the pulpit that the gospel is “to the Jew first.”
The phrase “to the Jew first” is just as important as the other truths contained within Romans 1:16. If the first part of the verse is true, so is the second. For this reason, it is important to properly exegete this verse.
What does Paul mean by the phrase: “to the Jew first”? Dr. Douglas J. Moo, Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, comments on Romans 1:16 in this way:
What is the nature of the Jew’s priority (“first”) over the Gentile? Some scholars, indeed, have sought to remove any sense of priority from the phrase, but without success. Paul clearly accords some kind of priority to the Jew. Some suggest that no more is involved than the historical circumstance of the apostolic preaching, which, according to Acts, began with the Jews and moved to the Gentiles. But Paul must intend more than simply historical fact in light of the theological context here. If we ask what precedence Paul accords Israel elsewhere in Rom., we find that his emphasis is on the special applicability of the promise of God to that people whom he chose (3:2; 9-11). However much the church may seem to be dominated by Gentiles, Paul insists that the promises of God realized in the gospel are “first of all” for the Jew. To Israel the promises were first given, and to the Jews they still particularly apply. Without in any way subtracting from the equal access that all people now have to the gospel, then, Paul insists that the gospel, “promised beforehand… in the holy Scriptures” (1:2), has a special relevance to the Jew.[3]
Dr. Moo makes a good point. Paul is referring to the nature and priority of the gospel message. Regarding the nature, the gospel is inherently Jewish and, therefore, especially for the Jewish people. Though Gentiles have equal access to the Messiah, the Messiah is especially for those to whom He was promised. Aside from this, the Jewish people were awaiting a Messiah for centuries before the Gentiles discovered Him.[4]
In agreement with Dr. Moo, Dr. Fruchtenbaum writes:
Consistent exegesis would demand that if the gospel is always the power of God to save, then it is always to the Jew first. The Greek word that Paul used for the English word first is proton, which means “first in time, in place, in order, and in importance.” Applying this verse to the Great Commission, the gospel, wherever and by whatever means it goes out from the local church, must go to the Jew first.[5]
Dr. Fruchtenbaum rightly applies Romans 1:16 to the church’s mandate in carrying out the Great Commission. If the gospel really is “to the Jew first,” a mission strategy that neglects the Jewish people lacks a vital component. If a mission strategy neglects the Jewish people, for whom the gospel is a priority, what kind of strategy is it?
The Greek word proton is used elsewhere to indicate a priority. For example, in Romans 2 Paul teaches about the future judgment of God. Paul makes the point that just as the gospel is “first to the Jew,” so God’s judgment is “first to the Jew:”
He will repay each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness; affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what it good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. There is no favoritism with God (Romans 2:6-11).
Paul’s teaching is consistent. Though there is no favoritism in either salvation or judgment with regards to Jew or Gentile, there is a priority of “to the Jew first” for both.
Proton, translated in Romans 1:16 and 2:10 as “first,” is also used in Matthew 6:33:
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you” (emphasis mine).
Most of us have little difficulty comprehending what Matthew means by “first.” He means priority. Matthew urges readers to place a higher priority on seeking the kingdom of God than on seeking earthly things. The word proton indicates a priority of something or someone over something or someone else.
Paul’s use of proton in Romans 1:16 is evidence that gospel proclamation to Jewish people should be prioritized in mission strategies. The church is in agreement that the gospel is “the power of God.” The church agrees that the gospel is “for everyone who believes.” Why are we failing to accept and implement the priority of the gospel, “to the Jew first?”
A biblically based mission strategy is one that incorporates the Jewish people. Neglecting the Jewish people creates a strategy that is not in line with the highest biblical standards. These strategies will miss out on potential blessings of evangelism success. As Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. reminds us,
It would be wise for the church to once again take another look at how she is carrying out the work of the kingdom and how she is regarding the nation of Israel. Otherwise, she will have small victories here and there, but we will miss the full favor of our Lord, who calls us to a much higher biblical standard of performance for the sake of his excellent name and his Jewish people.[6]
Written by Levi Hazen, LIFE Executive Director
Endnotes:
[1] Holman Christian Standard Bible used throughout.
[2] See www.unashamedtour.com.
[3] Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1996), 69.
[4] At this juncture, it is important to understand what I am not saying. I am not arguing that Jewish people are somehow better than other peoples. Jewish people are not more deserving of the gospel. It is important to remember what Romans 3:23 states: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” “All” includes both our Gentile and Jewish friends.
[5] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, “Romans 1:16 – To the Jew First,” Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism Bulletin, no. 85 (Sept. 2006), lcje.net/bulletins/2006/85/85_01.html [accessed April 13, 2016].
[6] Darrell L. Bock & Mitch Glaser, To the Jew First: The Case for Jewish Evangelism in Scripture & History (Grand Rapids: Kregal Publications, 2008), 52.