11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
Having stated that only a remnant of the Jews will be saved (see Romans 9:27); that they through their ignorance of God’s Word seek a righteousness that is not from God (see Romans 10:2-3); and that they have not accepted Jesus (see Romans 10:16-17); it might appear that Paul was saying that God has abandoned the Jews. So, Paul asks his readers, “I ask, then, has God rejected His people?” (Romans 11:1a) Depending on your perspective or how you were taught (many denominations incorrectly teach that the Israelites forfeited their blessings when they failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah), the answer to this question may vary. But Paul has already made clear that God cannot lie, change His mind or renege on any of His promises (see Romans 9:6-26, see also 1 Kings 8:56; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 119:160; Hebrews 6:13-18), plus he noted that even though His people are disobedient and contrary, God waits for them to repent with His arms open wide (see Romans 10:21). Paul answers his question with the same emphatic phrase he has used eight times prior in this epistle, “By no means!” God has not abandoned the Jews (see also 1 Samuel 12:22; 1 Kings 6:13; Psalm 94:4).
Paul then uses himself as an example, as he is a Jew and God did not abandon him. He reminds his readers that he was an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and member of the tribe of Benjamin (see also Philippians 3:5). He clearly states that God has not rejected His people, whom He foreknew (same word used in Romans 8:29-30 for those saved through faith). Paul reminds us that God is omniscient, and since He knows all things past, present and future, He knew what His people would ultimately think and do. He knew that there would be some that would not accept His Son Jesus as their Savior.
11:2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Referring to the Old Testament story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings 18:1-19:18), Paul reflects on one of Elijah’s weaker moments. After showing that Baal was a false god in a dramatic demonstration on Mount Carmel and then slaughtered over 400 of Baal’s prophets, Elijah got cold feet when he heard that Jezebel had threatened to kill him. So, he ran over 100 miles to the mountain of God to escape. When Elijah spoke to God on Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai) he thought he was the only faithful follower of God left in the world and now his life was threatened. Quoting from 1 Kings 19:28, Paul says God’s reply was “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Simply put, Elijah was not alone. While it might be reassuring for us to see a “mighty man of God,” like Elijah, having a moment of shear panic or Spiritual weakness, we need to remember that regardless of what we go through, God is closer to us than we can possibly understand and that He is always in control. Paul used this story to convey the fact that God still has today a remnant, one chosen by grace. This is not a reference to Jesus, He is not the remnant that Paul is referring to, he is referring to those that believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior. Paul then reminds his readers that if chosen by grace, then salvation is no longer based on works, if that were true then it would not be grace. The concept of grace cannot be “mixed” with works, grace is always one hundred percent, as God did all the work. We cannot add to what God had already perfectly done.
11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”
Paul then asks, did Israel fail to obtain what it was looking for regarding salvation? The word translated here as ‘seeking’, is the Greek word ‘epizēteō’, meaning to diligently seek something, putting a high priority on finding it. He says that the elect (those chosen) did become righteous, but the others were hardened. To explain what he means by the term ‘hardened’, he once again quotes from the Old Testament, first from Isaiah 29:10 in verse eight and then from Psalm 69:22-23, in verses 9-10.
The Greek word translated here as ‘stupor’ (‘katanyxis’), has an interesting etymology, the word refers to something piercing or stabbing, which makes one unable to think clearly, becoming insensitive or sleepy. By saying God gave them a “spirit of stupor,” would imply that God prevented them from understanding and recognizing the truth.
11:9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”
Referring to their ‘table’, the central place where one eats, and where the family gathers around, as a metaphor for their incorrect worldview (rejecting Jesus and not believing the truth), to become a deliberate snare and trap that will cause them to stumble as a form of retribution, is in a sense, saying “they get what they deserve.” The Message renders this verse, “David was upset about the same thing: I hope they get sick eating self-serving meals, break a leg walking their self-serving ways. I hope they go blind staring in their mirrors, get ulcers from playing at god.” (Romans 11:10, The Message) Thus letting their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, preventing them from spreading their lies and affecting others (false teaching can be considered the opposite of evangelism).
Since Paul is quoting from the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, the last portion of Psalm 69:23 (quoted in Romans 11:10) varies from the Hebrew version, which states, “and make their loins tremble continually.” (Psalm 69:23b) However, both translations can be interpreted in the same manner, both refer to the weight of the law painfully bearing down on their backs that force them to not see forward, preventing them to see where they are going.
Only the Jews that refused to believe were hardened, Paul is clearly stating that God is not done with the Jews nor the nation of Israel, as there are several promises given to them that have not yet been fulfilled. There has always been a remnant of “Jesus-believing Jews” since His resurrection. For the others, the hardening is only temporary, a subject that Paul will come back to explain in greater detail later in this chapter (see Romans 11:25).
11:11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
By being omniscient, God would have known that the gospel message would cause many Jews to stumble, so Paul asks, “Did they stumble in order that they might fall?” (Romans 11:11a) For the tenth and final time, Paul answers, “By no means!” Then Paul reveals two interesting points that many Christians often fail to see, the first being the fact that by allowing Gentiles to receive God’s righteousness through faith was to provoke the Jews into jealousy and secondly, Gentile believers were able to be “grafted in” to the plan of salvation by the removal of a natural branch.
To many, the idea of making someone jealous, sounds very strange. The jealousy that Paul is referring to is not in the sense of being blinded by emotion to exact revenge or seek retaliation, like a dejected, hate-filled lover might act, although that reaction among Jews has often occurred when presented the gospel. This form of jealousy was to provoke a response of “Hey, I want that too!” Asking, “How did you get God’s righteousness, can I get that for myself?” Note that the Greek word that is translated here as ‘jealous’, is ‘parazēloō’, which can mean provoking someone to anger, jealousy or emulation (doing the same as the person they are encountering is doing, in this case receiving God’s righteousness through faith).
11:12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Paul explains that through the Jew’s trespass (not recognizing Jesus and rejecting the gospel message), that inaction allowed others to gain access to God’s riches (see also Ephesians 1:7, 8; 3:8). Paul further explains that if the Gentiles gain access to these riches, then how much more will a Jew be filled when they realize who Jesus is and accept Him as their Messiah? This is one reason why many Christian Jews refer to themselves as “completed Jews.”
11:13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
Paul now makes it clear he is about to address Gentile believers, not that any part of this epistle was or was not relevant to all believers, Paul wants to get every non-Jewish believer’s attention, especially for the remainder of the chapter. He asks if by the Jews rejection means reconciliation of the world, what will the result be? He answers that all are offered life after being dead, given salvation rather condemnation. Paul then uses terminology from the Old Testament to illustrate how something offered to God as being holy (referring to the practice of offering bread dough made from the firstfruits of the harvest to the priests, see Numbers 15:17-21; Leviticus 23:7; Deuteronomy 18:4; Nehemiah 10:37; Ezekiel 44:28-31), applies to whole lump of dough. He then extends that concept to the root system of a tree. If the tree root is holy, so are all the branches. If some of the natural branches were broken off the tree (as with some of the Jews) and we (from a wild olive tree) were grafted in among the other branches, we would be able to share the nourishment from the root (God).
11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
Grafting refers to the practice of taking a loose branch (one that is no longer attached to a tree) and attaching it to a healthy tree in order to live and bear fruit. But this can only be done through the removal of another branch. The Greek word ‘enkentrizo’, translated here as ‘grafting’ or ‘graft’, is only found six times in the Bible, all six occurrences are here in this chapter. We, non-Jews, have been grafted into the source of eternal life, by the removal of unbelieving branches. For some reason this concept bothers a few Christians, thinking as if that we, non-Jewish believers, were some form of afterthought. That is not true, remember God is omniscient, this was always His plan, and He always planned on you to receive His righteousness through faith in Jesus! The grafting is simply God’s way.
Since it is God’s way, Paul makes it clear that we should not take on the attitude of being better than the Jews. Paul tells us that we are not to be arrogant towards the other branches. Sadly, many Christians do, we need to remember that we have nothing to boast about since Jesus did all the work for our salvation (see also Ephesians 2:8-9). Paul further makes the point that we don’t support the root, it is the root that supports us! Paul, anticipating a snarky comeback like, “Those branches were broken off to make room for me.” (Romans 11:19b, NLT), reminds us that they were broken off due to their unbelief and we are able to receive salvation only because we believe, so we shouldn’t be thinking so highly of ourselves. Paul says we should not become proud, but instead fear (see also Isaiah 66:2).
What does Paul mean by fear? He explains that if God did not spare the natural branches (some of the Jews), neither will He spare us. Paul then brings up a point that has become a stumbling block for many non-believers and Christians alike, a barrier to the truth for some. He calls our attention to the contrast between the kindness of God (being loving, compassionate, offer of salvation, goodness, etc.) and the severity of God (being just, intolerable to unrighteousness, judging, condemning, etc.) Severity to those that have fallen, those that reject the gospel message, and kindness to those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Jesus is both severe and kind!
11:21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
Paul says that Jesus’ kindness is extended to believers, provided that we continue in His kindness, but what does that mean? This should remind us what Jesus said in the book of John, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” (John 15:1-6, see also John 15:7-17; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Hebrews 3:6, 14), that we are to obey Jesus. That we need to “Abide in Him,” the Greek word that is translated as ‘abide’ in the gospel of John, is ‘menō’, the word that is translated here in verse 22 and the following verse as ‘continue’ is ‘epimenō’, referring to the fact that we really do need to remain in God’s kindness. Otherwise, we too can be cutoff the tree. Again, Paul is not referring to a works-righteousness, but that if we truly believe that Jesus lived and died for us, we would desire to abide in Him, by lovingly do as He wants us to do. Paul is reminding us that we need to apply our belief and trust in God in all that we say and do. We need to abide in what we have been taught, perhaps James said it best, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22) We learn about Jesus from the Word of God and continue to grow in Him as we apply the Word in our lives. In other words, we need to be genuine Christians, not phony imitations!
11:23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
Paul then informs us that If a Jew, whose branch has been broken off the tree, chooses to later accept Jesus as their Savior, that God has the ability to graft them back on the tree, He is willing to forgive (see also 2 Corinthians 3:16). He notes that if we who were grafted into God’s tree being from a different tree can be provided salvation, how much more will those that came from the same tree be able to be grafted back in as well. Which tells us that the Jews need to hear about Jesus, just like everyone else.
The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation
In verse 13 Paul began to speak directly to the Gentiles and continues to do so through to the end of the chapter. He had previously instructed that since Israel disobeyed God (in their unbelief), salvation was then also offered to the Gentiles and that no Gentile should be arrogant towards the Jews. The sad truth is that many Christian and non-Christian groups have embraced anti-Semitism. Paul knew this would occur and now takes the time to explain that this process, essentially how God works by offering salvation for both the Jew and Gentile, can only be supernaturally explained and that if anyone tried to figure it out using worldly logic they would definitely run into some complications.
11:25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Paul is concerned over being, “wise in our own sight,” in other words, we need to recognize we may not fully understand and warns us to not to be arrogant in our own thinking. But Paul encourages us to understand nonetheless, telling us that it is important, something we should know, but recognize that we may not fully comprehend. So much so that he does not want us to be ignorant of this process. Here Paul calls it a mystery, the Greek word ‘mystērion’, does not refer to a mystery that requires solving like a mystery novel, instead it points to something that was previously unknown or unseen and now it is revealed. Paul explains that a partial hardening had come upon Israel (see also 2 Corinthians 3:12-18; Matthew 23:37-39). As discussed earlier regarding verse 17, many of the people of Israel have experienced a hardening that prevents them from seeing the truth about Jesus. Here Paul referred to it as being a partial hardening (not all of the Jews) and now he explains that it is only a temporary hardening. It will last until (Greek word ‘achri’) the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. Like most passages that contain the word ‘achri’, it refers to the passage of time. Except this one refers to something very special, the time when all Gentiles that will accept Jesus as their Savior have done so. No one, other than God, knows that number. Then the hardening that had prevented many of the Israelites from seeing the truth about Jesus will end.
11:26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Paul then states that in this way all Israel will be saved (see also Ezekiel 20:33-38). He is not referring to universal salvation of all Jews, nor is he negating what he said earlier, where he said in verse twenty-seven of chapter nine when he made it clear that only a remnant of the Jews will be saved and that many of his kinsman will not be saved due to unbelief (see Romans 9:1-3, 10:1). He is saying that once the hardening has been lifted, that they will have a choice to accept or reject Jesus as their Savior, just like everyone else.
To clarify, Paul quotes Isaiah 59:20-21, which states that the “Deliverer” (Jesus Christ), will come from Zion (see Psalm 14:7; 53:6) and that He will remove all sin (banish ungodliness) from Jacob and make a new covenant with them (see also Isaiah 27:9; Jeremiah 31:31-36).
11:28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
Paul summarizes that as far as the gospel is concerned, the Jews would be considered enemies of the message for our sake, as we received the gospel message because they initially rejected it. The New Living Translation renders this verse, “Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles.” (Romans 11:28a, NLT) But as far as election (Greek word ‘eklogē’, often referring to believers, but in this case, it refers to the Jews), they are beloved by God for nothing they did or did not do, but for the sake of their forefathers. It is not a matter of deserving God’s love, it is the result of keeping the promises God gave their ancestors, namely: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see Deuteronomy 7:8-9; 10:15).
Paul reminds us that God always keeps His promises, that the gifts He gives, and His choosing of people, cannot be revoked. We are secure in His promises. The Greek word translated here as ‘irrevocable’, is ‘ametamelētos’ (used only this once in the Bible), which not only refers to the fact that the person’s mind cannot be changed, but also the fact that there are never any regrets, in this case of choosing or giving of gifts. God simply does not make mistakes. This also applies to the promises given to us, as we were at one time disobedient to God (the word implies disbelief, see also Ephesians 2:2-3; Colossians 1:21; 3:7; Titus 3:3), but now have received mercy because of Israel’s disobedience. Through their disobedience they can also now be saved through mercy just like us. Paul says that God has consigned all to disobedience (see also Romans 3:9), the Greek word translated here as ‘consigned’ is ‘synkleiō’, which essentially means bringing together and enclosing, in this case all that are disobedient to God (both the Jews and the Gentiles). Why would God bring us down to the “lowest common denominator,” of being disobedient to God? So that we can all be saved by God’s mercy. Again, this is not a statement regarding universal salvation for all people without believing in Jesus, this is a reference to all that will choose Jesus, that salvation is available through God’s mercy, the only source of salvation. The wording is to stand in contrast to the concept of works righteousness.
11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Knowing that the concepts presented here are impossible for humans to understanding fully, Paul takes the opportunity to stop and point us to the real source of all that there is, God. Here Paul calls our attention to just how great God is by referring to the unmeasurable depths of His riches, wisdom and knowledge. And that His judgments are unsearchable and that His ways are inscrutable! Using a combination of several Old Testament passages, Paul asks several questions, “Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice?” (Romans 11:33-35, The Message, see also Isaiah 40:13; Job 35:7; 41:11; 1 Corinthians 2:16) Humans cannot in any way save themselves, not alone help God in any way. We have no capacity to think like God. We are finite, He is not!
Since God is the source of all things, Paul wants his readers to stop and ponder the massive gap between us and God. He says that from God and through God and to God are all things. Who are we in comparison? Without Jesus, we are nothing. Here one moment then we are gone. But Paul says that God not only made us and all things, He wants us to choose Him as we have been made for Him and to live with Him (see also 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15-18). We cannot comprehend why God loves us, but we know that He does. Paul then concludes this section by reminding us that to God be the glory forever! (see also Romans 16:27: Ephesians 3:21; Philippians 4:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Peter 4:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Jude 25; Revelation 1:6; 5:13).
Paul is essentially saying that if we don’t understand how or why God does what He does, that’s alright, as His wisdom and knowledge is beyond any human’s ability to comprehend.
Replacement Theology
The concept of “replacement theology” is known by many names and has many variations. The definition for this review is one that teaches that the church (the body of Christ, all believers) has replaced Israel in God’s plan and His covenants. Those that adhere to this concept of replacement theology believe that the Jews are no longer God’s chosen people, that they forfeited this privilege when they rejected the Messiah, and now the church is new "Israel," therefore God no longer has any future plans for the nation of Israel. It appears that this theological deception may have originated with the early Christian theologians, Origen and Augustine, who promoted the idea that many of the Biblical prophecies and other portions of Scripture should be allegorized or spiritualized, instead of being interpreted as they were written, to be interpreted literally.
In summary, replacement theology teaches that the ‘church’ (as a whole) replaces Israel, and that the many promises and covenants made to Israel in the Bible are fulfilled in the church, not in Israel. Therefore, the prophecies concerning the blessing and restoration of Israel to the Promised Land are ‘spiritualized’ or ‘allegorized’ into promises of God's blessing for the church. Major problems exist with this view, such as the continuing existence of the Jewish people throughout the centuries, especially with the revival of the modern state of Israel in 1948. If Israel has been condemned by God, and there is no future for the Jewish nation, how does one explain the supernatural survival of the Jewish people over the past 2,000 years despite the many attempts to destroy them? How do we explain why and how Israel reappeared as a nation in the 20th century after not existing for thousands of years? Plus, if God did revoke a promise, what would prevent Him from revoking the promise of salvation through Jesus? These are just a few questions to consider. To justify this deception, much of the Bible is either ignored or revised. Sadly, many do just that and see no problem with that method of interpretation.
The view that Israel and the church are distinctly different is clearly taught in the New Testament. The two are never to be confused or used interchangeably. The original covenants, including all of the curses and the blessings, promises and warnings are still valid for Israel, as God cannot revoke a covenant relationship that is unconditional. As described in this chapter, the church was "grafted in" to Israel and is therefore a co-heir to the promises made to Israel. The covenants and promises given specifically to Israel will be fulfilled for Israel, not to the church or any other separate entity. The church has not replaced Israel in God's plan. Replacement theology is a deliberate lie that is tragically misleading many Christians into believing an incorrect theology, which often leads to an incorrect interpretation of prophecy. If God's covenant with Abraham is unconditional and eternal, it is still in effect and will always be in effect.