Charles Spurgeon Commentary Romans 9

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (Romans 9:1–3)

They hated Paul intensely; nothing could surpass the malice of the Jews against the man whom they regarded as an apostate from the true faith, because he had become a follower of Christ, the Nazarene. Yet note what Paul's feeling is towards his cruel countrymen: he is willing, as it were, to put his own salvation in pawn if by doing so the Jews might be saved. You must not measure these words by any hard grammatical rule; you must understand them as spoken from the depths of a great loving heart; and when such a heart as Paul had begins to talk, it speaks not according to the laws of logic, but according to its own immeasurable feelings.

There were times when he almost thought that he would himself consent to be accursed, "anathema," cast away, separated from Christ, if by that means he could save the house of Israel, so great was his love towards them. Of course, this could not be; and no one understood better than Paul did that there is only one Substitute and one Sacrifice for sinners. He only mentioned this wish to show how dearly he loved the Jews, so that on their account he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart for his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh. Do you, dear friends, feel that same concern about your brethren, your kinsmen according to the flesh? If they are not saved, do you greatly wonder that they are not, if you have no such concern about them? But once your heart is brought to this pitch of agony about their souls, you will soon see them saved.

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

The apostle is evidently about to make an extraordinary statement — a statement which would probably not be believed. Therefore, he prefaces it with the most solemn affirmations permitted to Christian men, declaring that he is speaking the truth, and also that the Holy Ghost is bearing witness with his conscience that it is so — that he so loves the souls of his fellow countrymen that, though the thing could never be, yet in a sort of ecstasy of love, he could devote himself to anything so long as his countrymen might be saved. My kinsmen according to the flesh.

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

He never thought about his unbelieving brethren, without the deepest imaginable regret. How far is this from the spirit of those who look upon the ungodly without tears – consider it a matter that cannot be altered, and take it as a question of hard fate, but are never troubled about it. Not so the Apostle. He had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart.

For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

He had just that self-sacrificing spirit of Moses, that he would lose anything and everything if they might only be saved. And this is the spirit which ought to animate every Church of Christ. The Church that is always caring for her own maintenance is no church.

The Church that would be willing to be destroyed if it could save the sons of men – which feels as if, whatever her shame or sorrow, it would be nothing if she could only save sinners – that Church is like the Lord, of whom we read, He saved others: himself he could not save. Oh, blessed heart-break over sinful men, which makes men willing to lose everything if they might only bless and win people to Christ! "My kinsmen," he says, "according to the flesh."

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

What dignity God has put upon ancient Israel! How favored they were, far beyond any of us, in these particulars! They had the light when the rest of the world was in darkness. Theirs was the law, and theirs were the covenant promises. Above all, it was from them that Christ came. Our Saviour was a Jew. Forever must that people be held in respectful honour, and we must pray for their salvation.