1 I say then,
In view of what Paul had just finished explaining, Paul now asks a rhetorical question.
(In chapters 1-8, Paul had shown that both Jews and Gentiles were in need of salvation, and he showed that salvation was by grace through faith, regardless of ethnicity, and without the works of the Law.
Then in chapters 9-10 he answered the objection that the Gospel-message implied that the Bible-prophecies regarding Israel had somehow failed. Paul showed from the Scriptures that the prophecies hadn't failed, but the Prophets foresaw the exact outcome which the Roman believers were observing: the outcome that only believers were experiencing the promised-salvation, including Gentiles, while most of Israel were not).
Now Paul asks rhetorically...
Hath God cast away his people?
Be it as it may that Prophecy has been fulfilled, has God nevertheless closed the door to salvation against the Jews? some may have wondered.
God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Paul answers that the Gospel-message does not imply that God had shut the door to salvation against the Jews. Paul himself was an example of God still being willing to save Jews, seeing he himself also was a Jew.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.
God didn't closed the door to salvation against the Jews - that ancient nation which God brought to existence for His own purpose.
Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Just like there were a number of righteous people in Israel in the days of Elias despite the overall backslidden state of the nation at that time, so today many in Israel were in fact experiencing the promised-salvation - those who received it by grace through faith - despite the fact that many were not experiencing it.
Today - Paul was discussing present-day realities faced by the Roman church, not exclusively future realities.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Those Jews who were not experiencing the promised-salvation had failed to experience it not because God wasn't willing for Jews to experience it, but because they insisted on achieving the salvation through Moses' Law rather than receiving it through the grace of Jesus Christ.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Israel by-and-large was failing to experience the promised-salvation, but the elect - those who believed through grace - were experiencing it - and the rest were blinded.
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Israel experienced the following consequence of their unbelief: spiritual slumber, blindness and deafness.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
As a recompence - that is, as a consequence of - not as a cause of - their unbelief.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
A state of affairs that was the result of their unbelief.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall?
They tripped, but they can get up again - by believing.
The consequences of their unbelief was not an irretrievable situation. He hadn't shut the door to salvation against them.
God forbid:
The Gospel-message never means that Jews can't be saved.
but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
The fact that it was then predominantly Gentiles who were getting saved rather than Jews, far from meaning that God was finished with Jews, was actually a situation which God was intent on using in order to win as many of those Jews back as possible.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
The fact that the world was experiencing salvation showed that the fall and reducing of the Jews was not indicative that God had diminished any of His willingness to save.
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
In this chapter Paul was describing a process that existed in his own day, in the Roman church's own day, an objective of his own ministry - rather than describing something which is exclusively for some future time.
Some of them: Paul's expectation was not literally a nationwide salvation, but some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
The casting away, the fall, and the diminishing of the Jews did not cause the reconciling, riches and salvation of the Gentiles - the Gentiles experienced those things despite it. Therefore since such wonderful good has come despite such bad, it shows that God's plans even for the Jews have not lost any of their intrinsic goodness. Any Jew could yet experience His goodness, like life from the dead.
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
The issue was a misunderstanding of God's attitude towards the salvation of Israelis.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Only due to unbelief.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Continuing in His goodness - continuing in faith - was the only basis for the sustained experience of God's promises.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
Any Jewish individual could still experience the promised-salvation, through faith in Jesus.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
It was still entirely appropriate, fitting and natural for Jewish people to become believers in Jesus.
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Desiring unity in the mixed Jewish and Gentile congregation in the church at Rome, and desiring no misconceptions about his Gospel-message, Paul now explains a truth which was an already-present reality, as a guard against conceitedness.
The already-current state of affairs in Israel, as they were seeing it, was due not to any notion of God no longer being interested in saving Jews, but due only to the fact that many of the Jews had become spiritually blind as a consequence of their unbelief. At the same time many Jews who believed through grace were experiencing the promised-salvation. And meanwhile many Gentiles were also experiencing the salvation.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
The sense is probably: and so (that is, in this manner, or according to this scheme of things - not, and then, as if to point to some future moment in history) all Israel shall be saved (potentially).
Proof that Paul was describing an already-present reality rather than forecasting a future event, he goes on to quotes a prophecy which was fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus, not at the second coming. The deliverer, and the turning-away from ungodliness came to Zion through Jesus, through the Gospel.
Paul was not necessarily here predicting a special future event in Israel - rather, he was saying that the current scenario (the fact that God was saving Jews who believed, along with Gentiles, despite others being hardened in unbelief) fulfilled the heart of God as revealed in the Old Testament prophecy.
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
The covenant was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus - through the Gospel - it hasn't been postponed. It's just that although potentially everyone's sins were taken away, still only the believers experienced it.
The Lamb of God took away the sins of the whole world, but only believers experience it.
The Prophet stated that in the Lord would all Israel be justified, and would glory. It didn't mean literally every Jewish person would be saved. Even if an entire generation of Jews gets saved in the last days, it still can't be said that literally all Israel had been justified seeing centuries and centuries of Jews lived and died without ever experiencing justification, due to their unbelief.
To Timothy Paul wrote that Jesus is the Saviour of all men - especially of those who believe. Potentially of all - but experientially only in those who believe.
There may or may not come a nationwide salvation of Israel in future - but it's not required in order to fulfil the quoted prophecies.
And if it does happen, it will not involve a return to Moses' system of Feasts and sacrifices - for those things were only a shadow - and God isn't interested in anyone reverting back to the Old Covenant ever, not that the real substance has already come.
Therefore any Bible-prophecy which mentions a restored Mosaic system of worship, we know must have already found its fulfilment in Israel at a time when the Old Covenant still stood.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Jews are still beloved, even in God's eyes, because of the purpose which God foresaw for the ancient nation - even though many of them were opposing the Gospel in the first century.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Paul's message of salvation by faith - and the observed consequences in Israel of that time - did not mean that God has revoked any of His goodwill towards Jews.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
God has always actively sought to use the situation in order to win Jews back, of which Paul was an example.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
He categorized them all - not caused them all - to be in the same category of unbelief. He did this because everyone's salvation could be based on mercy alone - and never on ethnicity nor on Law-keeping.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
God has never stopped being interested in saving Jews, nor stopped having goodwill towards their nation. What we are seeing is the consequence either of faith or of unbelief.
.
In view of what Paul had just finished explaining, Paul now asks a rhetorical question.
(In chapters 1-8, Paul had shown that both Jews and Gentiles were in need of salvation, and he showed that salvation was by grace through faith, regardless of ethnicity, and without the works of the Law.
Then in chapters 9-10 he answered the objection that the Gospel-message implied that the Bible-prophecies regarding Israel had somehow failed. Paul showed from the Scriptures that the prophecies hadn't failed, but the Prophets foresaw the exact outcome which the Roman believers were observing: the outcome that only believers were experiencing the promised-salvation, including Gentiles, while most of Israel were not).
Now Paul asks rhetorically...
Hath God cast away his people?
Be it as it may that Prophecy has been fulfilled, has God nevertheless closed the door to salvation against the Jews? some may have wondered.
God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Paul answers that the Gospel-message does not imply that God had shut the door to salvation against the Jews. Paul himself was an example of God still being willing to save Jews, seeing he himself also was a Jew.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.
God didn't closed the door to salvation against the Jews - that ancient nation which God brought to existence for His own purpose.
Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Just like there were a number of righteous people in Israel in the days of Elias despite the overall backslidden state of the nation at that time, so today many in Israel were in fact experiencing the promised-salvation - those who received it by grace through faith - despite the fact that many were not experiencing it.
Today - Paul was discussing present-day realities faced by the Roman church, not exclusively future realities.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Those Jews who were not experiencing the promised-salvation had failed to experience it not because God wasn't willing for Jews to experience it, but because they insisted on achieving the salvation through Moses' Law rather than receiving it through the grace of Jesus Christ.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Israel by-and-large was failing to experience the promised-salvation, but the elect - those who believed through grace - were experiencing it - and the rest were blinded.
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Israel experienced the following consequence of their unbelief: spiritual slumber, blindness and deafness.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
As a recompence - that is, as a consequence of - not as a cause of - their unbelief.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
A state of affairs that was the result of their unbelief.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall?
They tripped, but they can get up again - by believing.
The consequences of their unbelief was not an irretrievable situation. He hadn't shut the door to salvation against them.
God forbid:
The Gospel-message never means that Jews can't be saved.
but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
The fact that it was then predominantly Gentiles who were getting saved rather than Jews, far from meaning that God was finished with Jews, was actually a situation which God was intent on using in order to win as many of those Jews back as possible.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
The fact that the world was experiencing salvation showed that the fall and reducing of the Jews was not indicative that God had diminished any of His willingness to save.
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
In this chapter Paul was describing a process that existed in his own day, in the Roman church's own day, an objective of his own ministry - rather than describing something which is exclusively for some future time.
Some of them: Paul's expectation was not literally a nationwide salvation, but some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
The casting away, the fall, and the diminishing of the Jews did not cause the reconciling, riches and salvation of the Gentiles - the Gentiles experienced those things despite it. Therefore since such wonderful good has come despite such bad, it shows that God's plans even for the Jews have not lost any of their intrinsic goodness. Any Jew could yet experience His goodness, like life from the dead.
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
The issue was a misunderstanding of God's attitude towards the salvation of Israelis.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Only due to unbelief.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Continuing in His goodness - continuing in faith - was the only basis for the sustained experience of God's promises.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
Any Jewish individual could still experience the promised-salvation, through faith in Jesus.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
It was still entirely appropriate, fitting and natural for Jewish people to become believers in Jesus.
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Desiring unity in the mixed Jewish and Gentile congregation in the church at Rome, and desiring no misconceptions about his Gospel-message, Paul now explains a truth which was an already-present reality, as a guard against conceitedness.
The already-current state of affairs in Israel, as they were seeing it, was due not to any notion of God no longer being interested in saving Jews, but due only to the fact that many of the Jews had become spiritually blind as a consequence of their unbelief. At the same time many Jews who believed through grace were experiencing the promised-salvation. And meanwhile many Gentiles were also experiencing the salvation.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
The sense is probably: and so (that is, in this manner, or according to this scheme of things - not, and then, as if to point to some future moment in history) all Israel shall be saved (potentially).
Proof that Paul was describing an already-present reality rather than forecasting a future event, he goes on to quotes a prophecy which was fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus, not at the second coming. The deliverer, and the turning-away from ungodliness came to Zion through Jesus, through the Gospel.
Paul was not necessarily here predicting a special future event in Israel - rather, he was saying that the current scenario (the fact that God was saving Jews who believed, along with Gentiles, despite others being hardened in unbelief) fulfilled the heart of God as revealed in the Old Testament prophecy.
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
The covenant was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus - through the Gospel - it hasn't been postponed. It's just that although potentially everyone's sins were taken away, still only the believers experienced it.
The Lamb of God took away the sins of the whole world, but only believers experience it.
The Prophet stated that in the Lord would all Israel be justified, and would glory. It didn't mean literally every Jewish person would be saved. Even if an entire generation of Jews gets saved in the last days, it still can't be said that literally all Israel had been justified seeing centuries and centuries of Jews lived and died without ever experiencing justification, due to their unbelief.
To Timothy Paul wrote that Jesus is the Saviour of all men - especially of those who believe. Potentially of all - but experientially only in those who believe.
There may or may not come a nationwide salvation of Israel in future - but it's not required in order to fulfil the quoted prophecies.
And if it does happen, it will not involve a return to Moses' system of Feasts and sacrifices - for those things were only a shadow - and God isn't interested in anyone reverting back to the Old Covenant ever, not that the real substance has already come.
Therefore any Bible-prophecy which mentions a restored Mosaic system of worship, we know must have already found its fulfilment in Israel at a time when the Old Covenant still stood.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Jews are still beloved, even in God's eyes, because of the purpose which God foresaw for the ancient nation - even though many of them were opposing the Gospel in the first century.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Paul's message of salvation by faith - and the observed consequences in Israel of that time - did not mean that God has revoked any of His goodwill towards Jews.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
God has always actively sought to use the situation in order to win Jews back, of which Paul was an example.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
He categorized them all - not caused them all - to be in the same category of unbelief. He did this because everyone's salvation could be based on mercy alone - and never on ethnicity nor on Law-keeping.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
God has never stopped being interested in saving Jews, nor stopped having goodwill towards their nation. What we are seeing is the consequence either of faith or of unbelief.
.
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