Chizuk Emunah (Pt 2) Under the Microscope: Chapter 79

Romans 9:33, "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion, a stumbling stone and a rock of offence, and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

This passage is a collection of short sentences, ignorantly or ingeniously packed together, to show that Jesus is the only Saviour of those who found "their stumbling block in Zion." In chapter 8:14 of Isaiah, we find, "And he shall be for a sanctuary and a stumbling stone, as a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, and as a snare and a gin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." And the prophet continues, (chap. 28:16), "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I have laid a foundation in Zion, a tried stone, a precious comer stone, well established, well founded. He who believes shall not hasten (away from it)."

Another incorrect quotation from our Scriptures is also to be found in Romans 10:11, "For the Scripture saith. Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." Peter in his first Epistle, (chap. 2:6), quotes from treacherous memory, "Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded."

By arbitrarily detaching or connecting various words of Scripture to verify, doctrines, not taught in our Sacred Books, is, according to our opinion, its own refutation, and highly blameable.

Troki lays two charges against two different passages of the New Testament. First, let's address the concluding passage of Romans 9:

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense;
and whoever believes in him
will not be put to shame.”
 (Romans 9:30-33)

In this passage, Paul reiterates what he had been preaching in Galatians. We gain our righteousness by faith and not by works. In other words, we pursue God by faith, and that faith results in salvation, which produces works. If salvation and regeneration came before faith, then it would not be true that we are saved by faith apart from works. We would be saved apart from faith and works. From a different perspective, one could also say we are saved by both faith and works. But under the view that regeneration precedes faith, there is no consistent basis to say that we are saved by faith and not works.

Isaiah writes:

therefore thus says the Lord GOD,
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
 a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
(Isaiah 28:16) 

 Or as we read in Psalm 118:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
 (Psalm 118:22)

And Paul writes in Romans 10:

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
 (Romans 10:8-13)

Again, direct quotation is an artifact of modern printing. Ancient Greek did not have any markings for direct quotation. Ancient writers felt free to paraphrase what others said and wrote. So where does Troki find fault in these passages? The original references state that God has laid a cornerstone which serves as a sure foundation to those who rely on it.

Paul echoes this and adds that this is a stone of stumbling, echoing his words in 1 Corinthians:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
 (1 Corinthians 1:22-25)

 So Paul fuses these two images together. This stumbling block to the Jews is the same block which serves as Zion's foundation.

A. Lukyn Williams gives references in rabbinic literature, where the rabbis take the same liberties that Paul takes in this passage:

It may be noted that a glimpse of the purport of Isaiah's words seems to be found in T. B. Sanhedrin, 38a: "The Son of David does not come until the two Houses of Israel have perished, namely the Head of the Captivity in Babylon and the Patriarch in the land of Israel, as it is said, And He shall be for a sanctuary," etc. (Isa 8:14). The passage is obscure, but it appears to mean that Messiah is to be both a sanctuary and also a cause of harm and destruction.

Similarly we find Bechai on Exodus 14:31 (p. 92) referring Isaiah 28:16 to the Messiah. The whole passage is worth quoting as a typical illustration of the use of the Old Testament Scriptures by Jewish writers: "'Unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD': Faith (Emunah) in the coming of the Redeemer, for this is a great cornerstone in the Law. For it is written: Behold I lay in Zion, etc. (Isa 28:16), and every one who believeth has much merit. That is what is said of Abraham, who was the root of faith (Emunah), 'and He believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness' (Gen 15:6). And behold he meriteth to attain to Gan Eden, for it is said, 'Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth Emunim may enter in' (Isa 26:2). And he merited to attain to the life of the world to come, for it is said, 'but the righteous shall live by his Emunah' (Hab 2:4)."