Passage Overview · Free · Romans 9:32–33
The Stone of Stumbling and Righteousness by Faith
Paul closes the chapter with a paradox: Gentiles who were not pursuing Torah-righteousness attained righteousness by faith, while Israel pursuing a law of righteousness did not reach its goal because the pursuit was “as it were by the works of the law” rather than by faith.
He then combines Isaiah’s stone texts. The LORD’s sanctuary/stone imagery of Isaiah 8:14 and the tested cornerstone of Isaiah 28:16 are brought into a Christ-centered argument: the one who believes on him will not be put to shame. This is one of Romans’ clearest examples of Isaiah’s God-centered imagery being reread around Christ without erasing the original prophetic setting.