Translations: Chinese GB Big5

Romans 11 (web)

The Remnant of Israel

11:1 I ask then, Did God reject his people? May it never be!
For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
11:2 God didn't reject his people, which he foreknew.

Or don't you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:

11:3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets,
they have broken down your altars;
and I am left alone, and they seek my life." (1Kings 19:10,14) 11:4 But how does God answer him?

"I have reserved for myself seven thousand men,
who have not bowed the knee to Baal." (1Kings 19:18) 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.
But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 11:7 What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn't obtain,
but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.

11:8 According as it is written,

"God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see,
and ears that they should not hear, to this very day." (Deut 29:4; Is 29:10) 11:9 David says,

"Let their table be made a snare, and a trap,
A stumbling block, and a retribution to them.
11:10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see.
Bow down their back always." (Ps 69:22,23)

Israel's Recovery

11:11 I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be!
But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
11:12 Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles;
how much more their fullness?

11:13 For I speak to you who are Gentiles.
Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;
11:14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.

11:15 For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world,
what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?

11:16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump.
If the root is holy, so are the branches.
11:17 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 and of the richness of the olive tree;
11:18 don't boast over the branches.
But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.

11:19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."
11:20 True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith.
Don't be conceited, but fear;

11:21 for if God didn't spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

11:22 See then the goodness and severity of God.
Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness,
if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
11:23 They also, if they don't continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in,
for God is able to graft them in again.

11:24 For if you were cut out of that which 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?

11:25 For I don't desire, brothers, to have you ignorant of this mystery,
so that you won't be wise in your own conceits,

that a partial hardening has happened to Israel,
until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
11:26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written,

"There will come out of Zion the Deliverer,
And he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
11:27 This is my covenant to them,
When I will take away their sins." (Is 59:20,21; 27:9)

11:28 Concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake.
But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.

11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

11:30 For as you in time past were disobedient to God,
but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
11:31 even so these also have now been disobedient,
that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.

11:32 For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

11:33 Oh 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!

11:34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?" (Is 40:13)
11:35 "Or who has first given to him,
And it will be repaid to him again?" (Job 41:11)

11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.
To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

Questions

What does "remnant" mean? In what manner or upon what basis does God chose the remnant?
Why would obtaining it by grace not really be by grace if works were involved?
How has the Jew's rejection of the gospel benefit the Gentiles?
How does the Gentile's acceptance of the gospel benefit the Jews?
vs 17.What does the root represent? The different branches?
vs 24 What is the wild olive tree?
What condition causes a branch to be cut off?
vs 32 What does it mean to bind men over to disobedience?
In what way does this allow God to exercise mercy? (Gal 3:20,21)
What does this chapter teach us about God's character?
How does God treat believers different from unbelievers?

Comments

vs 5 "Chosen by grace"

"Chosen graciously"

See

http://www.bcbsr.com/greek/grklnk.html

"Chosen by grace" does not mean that God choses arbitrarily, but rather choses those who put their faith in Christ. This is not by works, for the Bible does not categorize "believing" as a work (Rom 4:4,5) On the other hand, if one truly believes, there should be outworkings to one's faith - outworkings that are so inevitable that one might even measure their salvation status by them. But what is the difference between these outworkings of faith and the mistake that these Jews made in seeking righteousness by works? The difference is that though we have outworkings of our faith, we do not put our faith in the applications of our faith. Rather, we put our faith in the atoning work of Christ. We do not put our faith in such things as Baptism and obedience to Christ's commands to save us. Though these are applications of our faith.

vs 7 "The others were hardened"

The "elect" were those who, like Paul, put their faith in Christ. Those who refused to do so were hardened. God does not play with people like puppets as if they had no free will. For if they had no free will, then neither could they have been justly held accountable for their actions. But having resisted the gospel, they experience the corrupting effect of sin - a judgment blinding them to the truth. vs 11+ The natural branches that were removed, had been cut off due to their unbelief and those that were grafted in were grafted in due to their faith.

"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:"

Rom 11:20

If Christians lose faith, they also will be cut off. And this is a legitimate basis for fear."For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee." Rom 11:21

But what are they being joined to and cut off from? Is it salvation? I don't think so. It seems to me that Paul is referring to the outward manifestation of God's people. For example, before Christendom, the outward manifestation of God's people was the nation of Israel, or the "Jews". They represented God's people. But these people were not automatically saved just because they were born Jewish, or because they had been circumcised.

After Christ, God's people were changed from Judaism to Christianity. It changed from the Jewish nation to Christendom. But Christendom was not a new tree. It is in fact the same old tree. Christianity is the "true" Judaism. Judaism as the unbelieving Jews perceive it is contrary to Christianity. Thus they have cut themselves off from the true Judaism, which is Christianity. And if they come to faith in Christ, they can join themselves back on to the true Judaism.

When a Jew or Gentile identify with Christendom, by claiming faith in Christ and getting baptized, that may not necessarily mean that they have been "saved" (or "justified"), but rather that they can be called and treated as a Christian. But the requirement for salvation goes beyond outward things. It requires an inward faith that is confident, enduring and application-oriented. And while many "play" Christianity on an outward level, it often takes a while for a Christian to travel through the outward "nominal" stage before their faith is on the level of a conviction. And this is a basis for fear.

On the other hand, this does not contradict the concept of "Once Saved, Alway Saved". But calls into question when a person is actually saved. Thus as Paul writes:

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you— unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2Cor 13:5 (niv)

Paul speaks of the benefits of Israel's fall. But why was it necessary for branches to be broken off? Wouldn't it have been even better if the vast majority of Jews had accepted the gospel and then spread it to the Gentiles? It seems from the book of Acts, much of the motivation and opportunity of spreading the gospel to the Gentiles was really born of the hostility the Jews had against the gospel. Persecution against Christians by the Jews helped to spread the gospel to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.) Just as the Jew's murder of Jesus brought salvation to the world, so even their rejection of the gospel and persecution of Christians caused the gospel to be spread. Of course, this doesn't justify their behavior, for which they will be held accountable. But it shows that God can use us despite our sinfulness. They were chosen for such a purpose, acting appropriately for the role. But the story is not over. For their role is not finished. In the end they (as a category) will accept the Messiah.

What would have happened if the Jews had not acted with hostility against the gospel message? Perhaps things would not have turned out as well as they did. As Job asks "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" On the other hand, Paul writes:
"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ." 1Co 2:16 So perhaps we can understand these things.

vs 32 "have mercy on them all" (Categorically not individually)

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources

Feb 10,2009