GOD'S PURPOSE FOR ISRAEL IS BEING FULFILLED THROUGH A REMNANT (11:1-10). Paul now deals with the question as to whether Israel has been ‘cast off'. And his reply is ‘certainly not', and this reply is based on the fact that many true Israelites, like Paul, are still acceptable to God. This, therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I say then, Did God cast off his people? Certainly not. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.' In his usual manner Paul raises a question in order to answer it. His question is, ‘did God cast off His people', and it is asked on the basis of the quotation in I... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S PURPOSE WITH REGARD BOTH TO THE JEWS AND THE GENTILES (11:1-36). Paul now carries forward the doctrine of the Israel within Israel, and evidences it again from Scripture, making clear that those who were saved in Israel, in other words were the true Israel, were always a remnant. He then brin... [ Continue Reading ]
‘God did not cast off his people whom he foreknew.' The idea of God casting off His people is taken from Psalms 94:14 where it says, ‘YHWH will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance', but this is then defined as referring to ‘the upright in heart (Romans 11:15), in contrast w... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul then illustrates the fact that not the whole of Israel has been cast off by reference to 1 Kings 19:10; 1 Kings 19:14; 1 Kings 19:18. It was in the portion read in the synagogues under the heading ‘Elijah' (compare Mark 2:26, ‘epi Abiathar'). There the Scripture states that when Elijah had thou... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.' Paul then defines these 7,000 as ‘a remnant according to the election of grace' (a description demonstrated as applying to them by the use of ‘also'), who can be seen as similar to the present ‘remnant a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But if it is by grace, it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace.' Paul then relates this back to his previous arguments in Romans 3:24; Romans 3:27; Romans 4:2; Romans 4:16; Romans 5:15; Romans 6:15; Romans 8:31. They have been chosen in accordance with the unmerited, active favour... [ Continue Reading ]
‘What then? What Israel seeks for, that he did not obtain, but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened,' What then are we to conclude from this? The conclusion must be that Israel as a whole failed to obtain what ‘it is seeking for' (compare Romans 9:31; Romans 10:3). Unbelieving Israel... [ Continue Reading ]
‘According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor (Isaiah 29:10), eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day (Deuteronomy 29:4).' Paul then provides two citations from Scripture in order to support his diagnosis. The first is a Pauline concoction... [ Continue Reading ]
And David says, “Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense to them, let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow you down their back always.” The second citation is an adaptation from Psalms 69:22 which in LXX reads, ‘Let their table before th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I say then, Did they stumble that they might fall? Certainly not, but by their false step salvation is come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.' ‘I say then --', followed by a question, is one of Paul's indicators of the commencement of a further stage in his argument (compare Romans 11:... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD HAS ESTABLISHED A TRUE ISRAEL BASED ON THE REMNANT WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO THE MESSIAH, WITH THE FALSE ISRAEL BEING AT LEAST TEMPORARILY CAST OFF, TO BE RESTORED IF THEY TURN TO THE MESSIAH AND REJOIN THE TRUE ISRAEL (11:11-32). We now commence with a new subsection, commencing as so often in Roma... [ Continue Reading ]
UNBELIEVING ISRAEL'S FALL IS NOT NECESSARILY PERMANENT (11:11-12). Paul now makes clear that the fall of unbelieving Israel is not necessarily permanent. As he will point out, they can be regrafted onto the olive tree (Romans 11:23). This theme then raises a question about the main emphasis in Roman... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And if their false step is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness?' For the false step of the unbelieving Jews in rejecting their Messiah, has resulted in riches for the world, because it has resulted in the Messiah being proclaimed more wi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But I speak to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.' Paul now turns his comments specifically to the Gentile element in the church at Rome. He explains... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ILLUSTRATION OF THE OLIVE TREE (11:13-24). ‘The Olive Tree' is the name of Israel specifically given to it by God. In Jeremiah we are told “YHWH called your name ‘a green olive tree', fair, with goodly fruit” (Jeremiah 11:16). The formula ‘YHWH called your name' is significant. It is the one use... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world, what will the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?' And if he is successful in stirring the Jews to seek the Messiah this can only be for the good of the world. For if their casting off by God has resulted in the reconciling... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And if the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.' Paul now uses the illustration of the firstfruit and the root. The firstfruit as connected with ‘the lump' comes from Numbers 15:17 LXX where the first of the dough is offered as a heave-offering to YHWH,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree,' It is in this verse that we first learn that the olive tree is in mind, certainly in so far as Romans 11:17 onwards are... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Do not glory over the branches. But if you do glory, it is not you who bears the root, but the root you.' The assumption here might be that Gentile Christians in Rome have been gloating over the situation as regards unbelieving Israel. It may, however, simply be that Paul foresees the danger of tha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” ' He then forestalls an objection which he sees as possibly arising (and which he may have heard said among certain carnal Gentile Christians), and that is, said rather gloatingly, that the branches were broken off so that t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Well, by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Do not be highminded, but fear,' So Paul reminds them that the Jewish branches were broken off because of their unbelief, whilst they themselves have been engrafted in, by faith in the Messiah. Thus they should not be highm... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare you.' For let them recognise that they are only allowed to be in the olive tree as a consequence of their faith in the Messiah. Let that faith but cease (demonstrating that it was not genuine, compare Mark 4:16) and they will soon d... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Behold then the goodness and severity of God. Towards those who fell, severity; but towards you, God's goodness, if you continue in his goodness, otherwise you also will be cut off.' So their current position should make them recognise both the goodness and severity of God. Goodness towards those... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GENTILE CHRISTIANS ARE TO RECOGNISE BOTH THE GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD (11:22-32). So the Gentile Christians are to recognise both the goodness and the severity of God. Towards the unbelieving Jews who had rejected His Son, the Messiah, He showed severity. Towards the Gentiles He had shown go... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.' And the inference is that if those Jews who have been cut off through unbelief begin to have faith in the Messiah, they will be regrafted in. They will become a part of the true I... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?' Indeed, Paul points out, in the realm of the spirit the natural branches will... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For I would not, brothers and sisters, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in,' Paul now makes clear to the Roman church as a whole, a ‘mystery', (a secret that has now bee... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And in this way all Israel will be saved.' He had made clear in Romans 11:6 that the elect of Israel had, from God's point of view, been guaranteed salvation. Now he indicates that once the number of the Gentile elect have been made up, it completes the make up of the true Israel. Thus all Israel w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘As touching the gospel, enemies for your sake, but as touching the election, beloved for the fathers' sake. For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of.' As has already been noted this statement is not connected with what has been said previously by any connecting word, something whic... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy.' Paul now explains the situation to the Roman Gentile Christians. He points out that they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.' The section now ends with an emphasis on the primary theme, the salvation of all, both Jew and Gentile. For God's purpose in shutting up to disobedience both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 1:18 to Romans 3:20; note especially ‘Go... [ Continue Reading ]
‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!' As Paul considers the amazing nature of God's plan, to leave the Jews in unbelief so that the way might be opened to the Gentiles, and then sees how this in tu... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL MARVELS AT THE AMAZING WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AS HE CONSIDERS GOD'S WAY OF WORKING AS REVEALED IN WHAT HE HIMSELF HAS SAID (11:33-36). Paul now marvels at the wisdom and knowledge that God has demonstrated in what He has done in using the unbelief of the Jews to bring about the evangelisa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counsellor? or who has first given to him, and it will be recompensed to him again?' For who can possibly fathom the mind of the Lord? And who could possibly counsel Him? And who could first give something to God, so that God has to recom... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.' And the reason why what he has just declared is true is because everything, apart from sin which is an act of man, is of God. He is the source of all things (‘out of Him'), He is the controller of all thi... [ Continue Reading ]