Saturday 21 October 2017

Romans 11

Paul didn't say only that the nations had now obtained mercy through Israel's unbelief - he said also that Israel was now receiving mercy through the nations' mercy.

Israel's hardening wasn't only for the nations' benefit - it was also for Israel's own benefit in a way - so that He could have mercy on them too (which was already happening - the remnant and Paul himself being examples).

More Israelis would indeed be grafted in, and quite naturally so, seeing the promises were originally theirs. It was something which was already happening, because Paul used his own ministry as an example of God's attempt at provoking Israelis to jealousy.

It's something God was to continue to do until the fulness of the Gentiles comes in - that is, until the end. God won't shut the door to Israelis before then.

And in that manner God's promise to save "all Israel", which Paul had already defined in chapter 9, will have come to pass. Salvation offered to all - but experienced only by believers - Jews first, and also Gentiles, and at the same time by more and more Jews and most naturally so. 

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