Romans Chapter 11

From The Open Bible Project

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.

• (1) Now the apostle shows how this doctrine is to be applied to others, remaining still in his propounded cause. Therefore he teaches us that all the Jews in particular are not cast away, and therefore we ought not to pronounce rashly of individual persons, whether they are of the number of the elect or not. * (2) The first proof: I am a Jew, and yet elected, therefore we may and ought fully to be sure of our election, as has been said before: but of another man’s we cannot be so certainly sure, and yet ours may cause us to hope well of others. *(3) We must take great care to maintain the historical perspective in our treatments of this passage. Truly, in Paul's day, there WERE still physical, genetically identifiable desendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thus, Paul is addressing the relationship (of these actual, physical descendants of Abraham in HIS day) to the God of Israel - JM .

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:

• (4) The second proof: because God is faithful in his league or covenant, even though men are unfaithful: so then, seeing that God has said that he will be the God of his own to a thousand generations, we must take heed that we do not think that the whole race and offspring is cast off, by reason of the unbelief of a few, but rather that we hope well of every member of the Church.
• (a) Whom he loved and chose from eternity past. (5) The third proof taken from the answer that was made to Elijah: even then also, when there appeared openly to the face of the world no elect, yet God knew his elect and chosen, and also that they were a great amount and number. Whereupon this also is concluded, that we ought not rashly to pronounce of any that he is a reprobate, seeing that the Church is often brought to that state, that even the most watchful and sharp-sighted pastors, think that it is completely extinct and put out. (6) The emphasis in this text must be placed upon the phrase WHICH HE FOREKNEW. In other words, Paul is now not focussed on the Israelite People as a whole, but rather that subset within the Nation who were specifically FOREKNOWN by the God of Israel. These were the "elect", also referred to as "the remnant" in various places in Scripture. It was this unique group WITHIN the Old Covenant Nation who were God's special People, his own by faith. They were not only physical descendants of Abraham (many of them) but also spiritual descendants. They shared a like faith in God with their forefather and the founder of their Nation and People. - JM

11:3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life."[50]

11:4 But how does God answer him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal."[51]

• (b) He speaks of remnants and reserved people who were chosen from everlasting, and not of remnants that should be chosen afterwards: for they are not chosen, because they were not idolaters: but rather they were not idolaters, because they were chosen and elect.
• (c) "Baal" signifies as much as "master" or "patron", or one in whose power another is, which name the idolaters in this day give their idols, naming them "patrons", and "patronesses" or "ladies".

11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

• (d) The election of grace is not that by which men chose grace, but by which God chose us of his grace and goodness.

• (e) Again, Paul is focussed exclusively, now, on the ELECT - not on the Israelite Nation as a whole. - JM

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.

• (7) Even though all are not elect and chosen, yet let those that are elected remember that they are freely chosen: and let those that stubbornly refuse the grace and free mercy of God impute it to themselves.
• (a) This saying demolishes the doctrine of all kinds and manner of works, by which our justifiers of themselves teach that works are either wholly or partly the cause of our justification.

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.

• (b) See (Mark 3:5).

• (c) Later in this passage, Paul identifies "the chosen ones" as "Israel" (TRUE Israel, in his thought and teaching). "The rest" who were "hardened" really have no eternal relationship or Covenant with the God of Israel. - JM

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."[52]

• (8) And yet this hardness of heart does not come except by God’s just decree and judgment, and yet without fault, when he so punishes the unthankful by taking from them all sense and perseverance and by doubling their darkness, that the benefits of God which are offered to them, do result in their just destruction.
• (9) The question, here, is WHO is in view now. Is Paul referring to the hardness of heart experienced by the "non-elect" Jews, or is he addressing the unfortunate (but correctable) spiritual condition of many of THE ELECT in his day? I believe the latter is suggested by the context, as elaborated, above. - JM
• (g) A very sound sleep, which takes away all sense.
• (h) That is, eyes unfit to see.

11:9 David says, "Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.

• (i) As unhappy birds are enticed by that which is their sustenance, and then killed, and so did that thing turn to the Jew’s destruction, out of which they sought life, that is, the law of God, for the preposterous zeal of which they refused the Gospel.
• (10) The tragedy was that many of the elect(like Saul of Tarsus, pre-conversion) were completely blinded to the Truth by the hateful system of lies created by the Jewish religious leadership as a supposed representation of the Mosaic Covenant system of worship. - JM

11:10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Bow down their back always."[53]

• (11) The idea suggested here (and in the subsequent text, below) is that this period of unbelief and lack of awareness of the Truth would ultimately result in the repentance and restoration of the elect who had strayed in their thinking and faith. - JM

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.

• (12) God appointed this casting off of the Jews, that it might be an occasion to call the Gentiles: and again might turn this calling of the Gentiles, to be an occasion to restore the Jews, that is, that they being inflamed and provoked by jealousy of the Gentiles, then might themselves at length embrace the Gospel. And by this we may learn that the severity of God serves for the setting forth of his glory as well as his mercy does, and also that God prepares himself a way to show mercy by his severity: so that we ought not rashly to despair of any man, nor proudly triumph over other men, but rather provoke them to a holy jealousy, that God may be glorified in them also.

• (13) Note that the "they" in this passage is NOT a reference to "the Jews" - or the "Israelite Nation" as a whole. Rather, it references those very "elect" WITHIN that Nation, who were Paul's true focus in this passage (see v.2, above). In other words, there is really no indication, here, that the Jewish/Israelite Nation as a physical, genetic entity would ever be restored and embrace the Christian gospel at any future point in history. Yes, God's casting off of His "ELECT" was coupled with introduction of salvation to the Gentiles, in order to provoke THE ELECT to jealousy and repentance. - JM

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?

• (k) By "riches" he means the knowledge of the Gospel to everlasting life: and by the "world", all nations dispersed throughout the whole world. - FALSE. By "world", Paul is referring to the Jewish "cosmos" of his day, dispersed throughout the Roman Empire as the Diaspora. This is not a global, universal statement involving the spiritual state of mankind as a whole. - JM
• (l) Of the Jews, when the whole nation without exception will come to Christ. - FALSE. This passage teaches nothing whatsoever in relation to the Jewish Nation as a physical entity. - JM

11:13 For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;

• (14) He witnesses by his own example, that he goes before all others in this regard.
• (m) I make noble and famous.
• (15) One school of thought on the usage of the term "Gentiles" throughout the New Testament is that it COULD be a reference to those Jews and Israelites scattered abroad, far from Jerusalem and their homeland, in the farthest reaches of the Diaspora. Paul certainly seemed to make it his uppermost priority to visit the synagogues first, in every city to which he travelled in his ministry. - JM

11:14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.

• (16) Paul DOES seem to distinguish (by inference) between the Gentiles he has just referred to, above, and "those who are my flesh" (physical descendants of Abraham - Jews/Israelites) here. So it may well be that the idea that "Gentiles" are those Jews farther removed from the land of Judah/Israel are not, indeed, Jewish but are, rather, non-Jews. - JM

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

• (n) It will come to pass that when the Jews come to the Gospel, the world will as it were come to life again, and rise up from death to life. - This futurist treatment of the text is, of course, utterly without basis in an actual contextual treatment of this passage. As we have seen, above, "them" and "their" are pronouns referring to THE ELECT - not to the Jewish Nation as a whole. Furthermore, the "world" is not this planet and all of humanity on it, but rather the Jewish "cosmos" of Paul's day, its reconciliation coming in the REPRESENTATIVE form through the reconciliation of the "elect" from within it. - JM

11:16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

• (17) The nation of the Jews being considered in their head and root, that is, in Abraham, is holy, although many of the branches are cut off. Therefore in judging of our brethren, we must not dwell on their unworthiness, to think that they are at once all cast off, but we ought to consider the root of the covenant, and rather go back to their ancestors who were faithful, that we may know that the blessing of the covenant rests in some of their posterity, as we also find proof here in ourselves. - The "root" is, indeed, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The "branches", of course, are the "elect" - NOT every individual in the Physical Nation as a whole. - JM
• (o) He alludes to the first fruits of those loaves, by the offering of which the whole crop of corn was sanctified, and they might use the rest of the crop for that year with good conscience.
• (p) Abraham.

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;

• (18) There is no reason why the Gentiles who have obtained mercy, should triumph over the Jews who condemn the grace of God, seeing they are grafted in place of the Jews. But let them rather take heed, that also in them is not found that which is worthily condemned in the Jews. And from this also the general doctrine may be gathered and taken, that we ought to be zealous for God’s glory, even in regards to our neighbours: and we should be very far from bragging and glorying because we are preferred before others by a singular grace.

• (19) There is no reason, rather, to believe that any such persons as physical descendants of Abraham ("Jews" in that sense) exist today, nor is there any justification for reading them into the text, here. The ancient genetic distinctions between "Jews" and "Gentiles" no longer exist, anthropologically AND theologically speaking. In PAUL'S day these identifiers were legitimate and still existed, but evern here, in v.17 of this passage, he is referring to the "elect" as "branches [who] were broken off". - JM
• (q) In place of those branches which are broken off.
• (r) It is against the common manner of farming, that the barren juice of the young shoot is changed with the juice of the good 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.

• (s) We may rejoice in the Lord, but in such a way that we do not despise the Jews, whom we ought rather to encourage to join in the good battle with us.

• (20) We should, rather, encourage so-called "Jews" to lay to rest their false ethnic identity and label, and acknowledge WITH us the consummation of all things (pertaining to the Old Mosaic Covenant "world") in Christ, as He brought to an eternal conclusion all Jewish forms of worship and Covenant relationship with God, introducing at the same time the eternal Abrahamic Covenant in a NEW form - the New Heavens and Earth - true Christianity. - JM

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;

• (t) See that you stand in awe of God modestly, and carefully.

• (21) It is far too easy to wrest these texts out of their historical context and find false application in them to ourselves, personally, today. The simple fact of the matter, historically and Biblically, is that the "elect" were still "broken off" in PAUL'S day, as he wrote these things, but by the time the final end of their "world" came, in 70 AD, they had all been restored to favor with God and reconciled eternally to Him. In PAUL'S day some of them remained enemies to the gospel (at the time he wrote this Epistle), but very shortly after the writing of this Book of Romans, the remainder of the "elect" (TRUE Israel) who were unconverted to the gospel yielded to the Truth and became Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Thus, the admonition in v.20 is to the Christians of PAUL'S day - not to anyone of us, today. - JM

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

• (u) He calls them natural, not because they had any holiness by nature, but because they were born of those whom the Lord set apart for himself from other nations, by his league and covenant which he freely made with them. - FALSE. This statement has nothing to do with physical "birthright". The "natural branches" were those "elect" pre-selected from within the Israelite/Jewish Nation to be God's BY FAITH, whether they were initially responsive to His Truth or not. - JM

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) Seeing that the matter itself declares that election comes not by inheritance (although the fault is in men, and not in God, why the blessing of God is not perpetual) we must take good heed that those things are not found in ourselves, which we think blameworthy in others, for the election is sure, but those that are truly elect and ingrafted, are not proud in themselves with contempt of others, but with due reverence to God, and love towards their neighbour, run to the mark which is set before them.

• (22) Again we find the commentator stumbling in a morass of false application, immediately above. The Christians of PAUL'S day COULD be "cut off" (i.e. lose their salvation, in relation to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the subsequent Judgment) if they were not of the "elect". There is no suggestion, here, that citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven BEYOND 70 AD must live with exceeding caution and fear lest they fall from God's goodness and forfeit their/our status before Him as His People. The idea of "running to the mark set before anyone" is completely irrelevant to our situation today, spiritually speaking, and has no relationship to the implications of Paul's statements in these texts, - JM
• (x) The tender and loving heart.
• (y) In that state which God’s bountifulness has advanced you to: and we must mark here that he is not speaking of the election of every individual man, which remains steadfast forever, but of the election of the whole nation. - This comment borders on the absurdly, inanely obtuse. Whatever the commentator is attempting to explain, here, the fact remains that God's "election" only applied to specific individuals within a specific Israelite/Jewish "subset" PRIOR to 70 AD. That process of "election" was exclusive and unique to the history and "world" of the Israelites/Jews, and came to an end when THEIR "world" was destroyed forever, at the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in the First Century. - JM

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.

• (12) Many are now for a season cut off, that is, are without the root, who in their time will be grafted in: and again there are a great number who after a certain manner, and with regard to the outward show seem to be ingrafted, who nonetheless through their own fault afterwards are cut off, and completely cast away: which thing is especially to be considered in nations and peoples, as in the Gentiles and Jews.

• (23) As can be seen immediately above, the commentator becomes mired in a morass of speculative confusion, having abandoned the historical and textual context of this passage. As Paul states in v.23, the ELECT (of HIS day) would not continue in their unbelief, but would be grafted in, eventually (before the final destruction of their "world"). - JM

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?

• (z) Understand nature, not as it was first made, but as it was corrupted in Adam, and so passed on from him to his posterity. - Paul is most likely not referencing "fallen humanity as a whole" with the "wild olive tree" analogy here, but is rather referring to paganism and the pagan religions of his day. - JM
• (a) Into the people of the Jews, whom God had sanctified only by his grace: and he speaks of the whole nation, not of any one part. - FALSE. Paul is speaking EXCLUSIVELY of ONE part of the Israelite/Jewish Nation - the "elect". - JM

11:25 For I don't desire you to be ignorant, [54] brothers, [See Romans Footnotes 54] 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,

• (24) The blindness of the Jews is neither so universal that the Lord has no elect in that nation, neither will it be continual: for there will be a time in which they also (as the prophets have foretold) will effectually embrace that which they now so stubbornly for the most part reject and refuse.

• (25) By use of the term "Israel", Paul is referring to the "elect" - TRUE Israel (see Rom. 9:6-8). The "fullness of the Gentiles" AND the reconcliation of the last of the "elect" who were among the "hardened" took place just before the events of 70 AD. - JM
• (b) That you are not proud within yourselves.
• (c) Into the Church. - The New Testament Church - the one, true Church in human history - Christ's unique, pre-AD 70 Body and Bride. - JM

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.

• (25) All Israel, here, again references TRUE Israel - the "elect" - that subset within the ancient Nation of Israel who were God's True Abrahamic People by faith - JM

11:27 This is my covenant to them, when I will take away their sins."[55]

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

• (26) Again, that he may join the Jews and Gentiles together as it were in one body, and especially may teach what duty the Gentiles owe to the Jews, he emphasises, that the nation of the Jews is not utterly cast off without hope of recovery.

• (27) Many of the "elect" were still enemies of the gospel at the time Paul wrote these words, but their election and status before God as pre-selected for salvation (regardless of the level of their personal, individual confusion and unbelief) remained unchanged and was their unique guarantee of eternal life and ulimate conversion (see v.29, below). - JM
• (d) Since they do not receive it.
• (e) In that God does not give them what they deserve, but what he promised to Abraham.

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

• (28) The reason or proof: because the covenant made with that nation of everlasting life cannot be frustrated or in vain. - This is NOT a reference to any Covenant with the Physical Nation of Israel. That Covenant was utterly violated by the Israelite/Jewish Nation and about to be eternally consummated in Christ's establishment of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven (via His "elect", the last of whom were living - in this realm - in Paul's day) - JM.

11:30 For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,

• (16) Another reason: because even though they who are hardened are worthily punished, yet this stubbornness of the Jews has not so that there would be a hatred of that nation, but so that an entry might be as it were opened to bring in the Gentiles, and afterward the Jews being inflamed with jealousy of that mercy which is shown to the Gentiles might themselves also be partakers of the same benefit, and so it might appear that both Jews and Gentiles are saved only by the free mercy and grace of God, which could not have been so manifest if at the beginning God had brought all together into the Church, or if he had saved the nation of the Jews without this interruption.

11:31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.

• (29) Again, these verses refer to the disobedience of many of the unbelieving ELECT, in PAUL'S day. Ultimately, God's desire was to motivate His elect to CHOOSE Him and His Truth as a free will choice on their part, rather than God having to impose Himself upon them as He did with Saul/Paul. - JM

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

• (f) Both Jews and Gentiles. - This text focusses exclusively on the disobedient state of the ELECT, in Paul's day. - JM

• (30) God had consigned all of the unbelieving elect to a state (and status before Him) of disobedience in order to, ultimately, have mercy upon all of them. - JM

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!

• (31) The apostle cries out as one astonished with this wonderful wisdom of God, which he teaches us to revere in a religious manner, and not curiously and profanely to be searched beyond the boundary of that which God has revealed unto us.

• (32) The wonders of God's merciful, infinitely wise dealings with the elect as He developed them as a spiritual Nation WITHIN the Old Covenant Physical Nation were (and are) overwhelmingly amazing. - JM
• (g) The course that he holds in governing all things both generally and particularly. - NO universal application in this text, contextually speaking. - JM
• (h) The order of his counsels and doings.

11:34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"[56]

• (33) He bridles the wicked boldness of man in three ways: firstly, because God is above all most wise, and therefore it is very absurd and plainly godless to measure him by our folly. Secondly, because he is debtor to no man, and therefore no man can complain of injury done to him. Thirdly, because all things are made for his glory, and therefore we must ascribe all things to his glory, much less may we contend and debate the matter with him.

• (34) Even though these questions of Paul's have a clear, rhetorical intent, one must bear in mind that the Scriptures were specifically given to man in order to REVEAL God's Mind and Person to man in comprehensible terms. Thus, as we assimilate His Truth within its originally intended context and according to the originally intended meaning and inferences, we become more and more thoroughly acquainted with God's very thought patterns and personality, and naturally adopt and assmilate them ourselves. - JM

11:35 "Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?"[57]

• (i) This saying overthrows the doctrine of foreseen works and merits.

• (35) This verse has interesting implications in relation to the false teachings concerning God's "repayment" of financial contributions to those who donate to the so-called "church" of today. - JM

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

• (k) That is, for God, to whose glory all things are ascribed, not only things that were made, but especially his new works which he works in his elect.

• (36) "All things", here, speaks specifically to the "things pertaining to His New Covenant World and People" - the "elect". - JM