Understanding Romans Chapter 11

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Romans 11.1-25
October 24th 2021

Last week Paul explained that the Gentiles were to be brought into the favor of God and that the reason for this seems to have been the obstinacy and rebellion of the Jews, God’s attitude toward Israel, Paul says in the last verse of chapter 10, was this, that: “All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Those passages set us up to now get into Romans chapter 11. So let’s read verses 1-6, where Paul begins with

Paul's Assurance to Israel

Romans 11:1
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? 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.
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.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Understanding the Context

Now, chapter 11 is really just a continuation of chapter 10 and so Paul says in verse 1 of chapter 11 Romans 11:1 “I say then,” (I ask then) “Hath God cast away his people?” And his answer is “God forbid.” And as a means to prove it, Paul uses His own person to prove that God is still calling to all Jews, and he writes: “For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” Now, know this, that in asking the question: “Hath God cast away his people?” There are those who would ignore Paul’s response of “God forbid,” and would say fervently, even venomously, claim – “He sure has!” And we have to therefore dissect the passages in terms of time and age in order to understand what Paul is conveying to them/then and what it means to us today. As we know, Paul is writing to the believers at Rome then. And in that day, God was still calling to Israel to repent and receive His son by faith before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

So, in Paul’s day, “God forbid” truly meant “not in the least!” To picture what God was doing with Israel in that day we have to understand the concept of a remnant. And so right off the bat, as a means to fortify the idea of God always having a remnant, Paul adds at verse one, “I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” In other words, if God had cast off Israel at this point, how was Paul, a Jew, part of His elect? So then Paul adds 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. And he cites an Old Testament prophet (and a situation that he was in) to prove his point. This is what he says:

“Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? (Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah?) how he (Elijah) 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.”

Elijah's Example

So, what is this all about? Elijah experienced one of the greatest victories ever when he challenged the prophets of Baal. It a story right up there with David going before Goliath and John the Baptist before the Pharisees. It's really good and found in 1st Kings 18 beginning at verse 17 so read it. But for now let me paraphrase because of time: Ahab had walked from faith and turned to the idol Baalim and Elijah calls him out and throws down a challenge – he tells Ahab

The Story of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

To gather all 450 prophets of Baal, and the 400 prophets that ate at Jezebel's table and to come to Mt Carmel – which he does. And once gathered Elijah says to all the people:

How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. And he added, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

And then he says, essentially, let’s see whose God is more powerful – let’s offer up two bullocks, lay them on the wood and call to our respective Gods to consume or answer them “by fire”.

Elijah's Challenge

So, the Prophets of Baal go first and lay out the slaughtered ox and “called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, and get nothing so they leap on the alter and get nothing and this caused Elijah to start mocking them, and they start cutting themselves to draw blood – but nothing.

So then Elijah lays his offering on the altar and in a bit of showmanship has barrels of water poured over it THREE TIMES until it was utterly drenched, then called upon the Lord and fire fell and consumed the sacrifice, and the altar and the water! And we read:

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

But the next day when Jezebel, the wife of the wicked king, found out what Elijah had done, she said, "God do so to me also if I don't have the head of that man." And Elijah, who took on four hundred prophets and priest fled into the desert to get away from one woman – “da Jezebel.”

I mean he was so afraid of her he ran all the way down to the area of Mount Sinai and hid in a cave. And while he was standing in the entrance of the cave, the Lord said, "Elijah what are you doing here?" And his response is what Paul quotes here in Romans 11 as he said,

"I have been zealous for God, and they have all turned from You, and I am the only one You have left, and they are seeking my life.” But how did the Lord answer him? (and this is the point Paul is making by citing the reference) (verse 4)

4 God said, “I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.”

See, unknown to Elijah, God had a remnant of 7000 men who would not bowed their knee to Baal. God knew them, and had them numbered. And he kept His promises to them. In other words, He didn’t drop them because the rest of the House of Israel was playing the harlot.

God's Faithful Remnant

And Paul is pointing out that God has always had His faithful remnant and he references the time of Elijah here in Romans 11, asking: "Don't you remember that God said, 'There are 7,000 that I have reserved unto Me'?" This remnant, in Elijah’s time, worshipped God, served God, that had not turned after Baal. NOW LISTEN TO WHAT PAUL SAYS in VERSE five:

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

There was a remnant in the time of Elijah (when it seemed like all were lost to the wiles of Baal) and Paul was saying that even then at the time He was writing God had a remnant (from the House of Israel) that were saved “according to the election of grace.” We have talked about how God certainly elected some from the Nation to play a role that would bless the world. In Paul’s day he was part of that some, as would be those who made up the nascent Church for the first 30 years of its existence who were saved by grace!

The Election of Grace

So, Paul says at verse 5:

“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And then read verse six with me (which is contextually applied to the Jews who are part of the saved remnant) as Paul

Understanding Paul's Message on Grace versus Works

AGAIN repeats the major point he wants to make to the Jews:
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.

Israel's Quest for Righteousness

Verse seven is key to understanding what Paul is trying to say here when he concludes:
7. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
“What was Israel seeking?” They were seeking to be righteous before God by works. And Paul adds, but Israel has not obtained that which he has been seeking for.

So, Israel did not obtain that acceptance before God, a “righteous standing,” because of their works. Listen to what Paul says next: Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. This phrase, “Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, BUT THE ELECTION HATH OBTAINED IT, and the rest were blinded,” speaks to those whom God elected from the House of Israel to make up the Bride – the 144,000 in the least.

We’ve talked all about election and how it looked in the age of the Post-Adamic Fall and how God used his election to meet all the problems created by it in order to establish through the Last Adam a new Edenic state of choice for all.

A New Direction in Romans

Now, if we jump ahead and look at the first verse of chapter 12, there Paul writes: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” That passage serves as a launching point for a new direction in the letter to the Romans – a point where Paul begins to address the practical issues the church at Rome faced and the ways and means to approach them.

In other words, after chapter 11 he abandons the primary reason for the letter in the first place and changes course in his focus. However at this point Paul sort of illustrates the main point of this letter by using an Olive Tree to explain how God has worked to redeem both the Nation AND gentiles willing to hear and receive His call. The illustration (for the most part) is self explanatory (though very illuminating) and so we are going to just read it together and see if we can speak to the parts that aren’t so clear.

So remember, Paul has said that Israel did not obtain what it “sought for” (which we said last week was to obtain righteousness by works). But he adds that some of the elect Jews were saved “by grace through faith” (which worked) then in verse seven Paul adds, speaking of the rest of the nation of Israel, “and the rest were blinded.”

Paul's Explanation of Israel's Blinding

And now Paul continues, saying –
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.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
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?
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.
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?
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

The Mystery of Israel's Blindness

The Apostle Paul addresses the Romans, explaining the dynamics of faith and unbelief among the Israelites. He begins with an analogy of broken branches, representing the Jews, and wild branches, symbolizing the Gentiles now grafted into God's olive tree. Paul warns against arrogance, reminding the Gentiles that their inclusion is by faith and not to be taken for granted. God's severity and goodness are illustrated through the judgment on unbelief and reward for faithfulness. Paul envisions a restoration for the Jews if they abandon their unbelief, emphasizing God's capacity to re-graft them into the nurturing olive tree.

The Unfolding Mystery and Assurance of Salvation

Paul reveals a mystery to the brethren, cautioning against self-conceit. He reflects on Israel's partial blindness, a temporary state until the Gentiles fulfill their role. In due time, all Israel shall be saved, aligning with the prophecy of a Deliverer from Sion. Paul's message extends to God’s everlasting covenant of taking away sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace.. Although Israel stands as an enemy concerning the gospel for the sake of the Gentiles, they are cherished due to the patriarchs. God's unrepentant gifts and calling envelop all. Reflecting on the past, Paul shares that the Gentiles received mercy through Jewish unbelief, with a reciprocal mercy awaiting the Jews. God's ways, profound in wisdom and knowledge, showcase inexhaustible judgments. The scripture questions who can fathom God's mind or act as His counselor, underscoring His sovereignty. Everything originates, persists, and culminates in Him, deserving eternal glory.

Old Testament Prophecies of Blindness

Paul, referencing the Old Testament, enlightens the Jews on God's actions through Isaiah and Moses, portraying prophecies about spiritual blindness. He quotes Isaiah's "spirit of slumber," a metaphor for the Jews' inability to grasp spiritual truths. Further, he quotes King David’s plea from the Psalms, praying their comforts become their downfall. David's words illustrate that temporal pleasures led Israel astray, foretelling a divine retribution concealed within their blessings. The once pleasurable becomes a harrowing snare, marking a significant turning point.

Israel's Stumble and the Gentiles' Gain

A similar picture here in this nation and the lives of many believers. In time, the Jews became dull and altogether indifferent to spiritual interests, following after idols. So David prayed their table would be a snare to them. And his imprecation continues at verse 10 where he prophetically says:

10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

Paul adds this to show that such blindness had ultimately fallen over the house of Israel, and where it says “and bow down their back always,” it means “let them grow weak in their stance and stature, as though bearing a very heavy load that slowly drops them to the ground.”

The Stumbling of Israel

Now in verse 11, Paul brings the whole idea back to the subject at hand, asking:

11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them (the Jews) to jealousy.

Where Paul says “have they stumbled that they should fall?” we ought to read it as a rhetorical objection to which he will answer with his every loving, “God forbid!” So even though Paul has admitted that the Jews are now blind and unbelieving, that they have rejected the Messiah, that they have stumbled, he asks, Is it the purpose and will of God to finally exclude them altogether and forever? And he answers, “God forbid.”

The imagery of stumbling (as in tripping over a stumbling stone) is preferable to the idea of falling off a cliff because this is what the Nation of Israel has done – stumbled over the Rock which became a stumbling stone to them. This imagery is linked to blindness, and to sinning or missing the mark, but not being cast off forever. Instead, through their stumble, and as a means of them having been tripped up through unbelief, the Gospel would then come or go to the Gentiles.

So, what was the stumble? They rejected the Messiah. How did they reject Him? By not believing on Him. Their city of Peace was obliterated and their sacred temple was utterly destroyed, stopping all their ceremonial rites, burning all their genealogies, killing over a million, and distributing the rest into slavery.

The Spread of the Gospel

But prior to this, God had gathered a remnant who would serve as the Bride to His Son. But listen – it was by and through all of this that the Gospel could and would go out to the rest of the world. God did NOT blind them so the Gentiles could receive the Good News, the Gentiles received the Good News because they were blinded . . . due to their failure to believe. But before the end, by and through the Gentiles receiving the election, the Nation would be “provoked to jealousy” and this would allow one last shot for the Jews in that day to humble themselves and receive their Messiah by faith.

So now Paul asks (at verse 12):

12 Now if the fall of them (the Jews) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?

Translated – “If the stumbling of Israel has accomplished so much good and brought about such blessings to the rest of the world, imagine how much greater the glory and blessings that will come when they get back up and fill the measure of their original election – which would occur prior to the end of that age.”

The Promise of Restoration

Here Paul uses the word riches, and in the scale of things, there is no greater richness or wealth than possessing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because the Gospel went to the world due to the Jews stumbling (more specifically, to the rest of the human race known as Gentiles) Paul is pointing out that since this great result came by the Nation of God stumbling how great will be the place with God when they return by faith. When Paul says, “How much more their fullness, the Greek word (plhrwma) means a thing which gets “filled up” or completed, or “how much more complete when they are restored.”

And in most of the rest of chapter 11, Paul continues to assure us that they (the elect of the house of Israel) would be . . . . . restored. Having made this clear, he now turns his attention to the Gentiles there in the church at Rome and purposefully addresses them (and us) saying:

13 For I

Paul's Mission to the Gentiles

speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: We know Paul certainly taught Jews – he is reaching to them even in this letter. So, what he is saying is that since he is the apostle to the Gentiles he wants to magnify his office toward them, but verse 14 is almost a “nevertheless,” because once he establishes the fact that his call is to the gentiles, he says:

14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh (meaning Jews) and might save some of them. (proving not all would be saved)

In other words, he seems to be saying, “If I can provoke my brethren to jealousy and move them to the of wanting to take possession of the Good News, he would attempt it so that, some might be saved.”

Provoking to Jealousy

We know that all the way back to Moses that the calling of the gentiles would provoke Paul’s Jewish brethren “to jealousy” so his intentions and heart were in accordance with scripture. To what end? Paul says it – That through his provocation, “some might be saved.” Remember this phrase “some might be saved,” because we are going to read in the near future that “all of Israel will be saved” and we have to take the meaning of this into context. And this passage will help.

Now, I want to point out something about Paul’s stated method – that his intention was that he might “provoke.” The Greek word is parazeeloo, which broken down is “para-zealous.” In other words, it means Paul sought to come alongside and jab his brethren in the side to get them to zealously seek and serve the living God.

Paul’s message here is not an easy one for any reader to swallow – If you’re a Jew it was highly insulting that God has elected another nation, and if you are a gentile it’s pretty humbling to hear that if the Jews had never lost it we would have never had it. But from it all this is the mindset God wants His Children to embrace – humility.

Lures in God's Tackle Box

There are many lures in the tackle box of God and provoking, irritating, pushing, challenging, and even offending has the ability to get some person to take the bait. Here, God is using jealousy to get the nation to return to Him. Well, Paul was full of devices he would employ to get people to think, consider, and/or try and prove him wrong. And he admits here his intention to provoke his brethren. (In verse 15 he asks)

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?

“For if the casting away of the Jews reconciled the world to God,” is what the phrase means, “what will be the result when they are re-embraced?” His answer to what it will be like when they are re-received is troubling because if taken the wrong way it can bring out a whole bunch of false ideas. In any case, he says the result will be but . . . “life from the dead.”

This has been a long letter, full of vigorous thought and it seems like his mind caught a glimpse of what it would be like for his brethren the Jews to receive the Lord. And he got excited.

Have you ever fantasized about what it would be like for another non-Christian group to suddenly become true Christians? I have. (Try and guess the group I fantasize about . . . no, not all the playboy bunnies). I mean, I could get myself all excited at the thought of a Mormon prophet standing up and leading the members to a life in biblical Christianity. And if I could feel this way about a religion that has only been around for 180 years, imagine Paul’s thoughts for Israel!

Life from the Dead

So, he uses a very bold and striking form of imagery to explain what he thinks it would look like and he says, “life from the dead.” Because of this choice of words, some have suggested that the nation of Israel’s recovery would “cause the resurrection of the dead, but to me this is a stretch. I simply think Paul is referring to the recovery of the Nation of Israel from a time of sin (dead) to a time of life (in Christ).

As a side note, the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:1-14) used the very

Understanding Allegorical Teachings in Romans

Paul uses the same imagery of the resurrection of the dead to picture a great moral change among a people, so this is not unique to Paul. At this point, Paul uses allegory to do two things: To help Gentiles (especially there in Rome) to understand exactly their place in the Kingdom of GodGod’s spiritual reign—fulfilled and present, not political or future. and how to perceive and treat their Jewish cousins who had yet to come back, and to explain to the Jews their place in the household (or tree) of God and why.

So in verse 16 Paul asks a rhetorical set of questions, using imagery pulled from the Old Testament, and says:

16 For if the “first-fruit” be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the “root” be holy, so are the branches.

The word Paul uses here for first-fruit (aparch) is the word that describes the firstling of fruit or grain which was separated from the harvest mass and presented as an offering to God. Once this was done the rest of the harvest was considered holy. Additionally, the expression has some reference to the small portion of “dough or kneaded meal” that was first offered to God and then the mass or lump (furama) that remained was for the use of the one who made the offering. The point being is that only because the best or the first fruit of the offering was accepted was the whole harvest or lump holy. Then he uses the same imagery but using a root compared to the branches of a tree.

Allegory of the Olive Tree

His logic, of course, is to say, “Hey, if the roots of a tree (and in this case, it is an Olive tree he speaks about) if the roots are holy (which were first) only then can we suggest that the branches have holiness too!” And from this simple illustration, with the picture of an Olive Tree in place, Paul teaches every reader the order (so to speak – or better yet, the proper attitude) of those who find themselves in God’s family tree and what is needed for those who have been removed to come back.

So, he has first established the fact that the roots are holy. In my estimation, this refers back to Abraham and the Nations faithful forefathers. Then, because the roots are holy, so were the branches. And with this imagery in place, Paul launches into an expanded teaching about the branches of this tree, which we are going to read as a whole because they are really self-explanatory:

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, (unbelieving Jew) and thou, being a wild olive tree, (the Gentiles) wert graffed in among them (through conversion to a life of faith), and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree (are lead by the Holy Spirit of God gifted to the Nation);

18 Boast not against the branches. (Don’t boast yourself toward the Jews) But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.(don’t forget where you get your strength and why you are in this position in the first place – it’s from the Jews.)

19 Thou wilt say then, (or don’t say) the branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. (Paul continues and says)

20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, (and not to make room for you) and thou standest by faith (meaning, they were broken off for not having faith you better watch your faith because the same thing could happen to you). Be not highminded, but fear:

21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

The Goodness and Severity of God

(Remember the age and audience and what was headed their way when we read this)

22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, (the Jews) severity; but toward thee, (Gentiles) goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.(so much for once saved always saved)

23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.(In other words if they walk from unbelief and begin to believe, God will tap them in again to the tree from which they originated)

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?

(In other words,

The Role of Humility and God's Plan

Paul is perfectly clear here that all believers in that day should “know their place,” be humble, and grateful that they were recipients of God’s grace. Repeating the need for humility among the Gentile converts in Rome (and the church today) Paul says (verse 25):

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.

The Fulness of the Gentiles

Now, there is a contingency of believers who think that we are still in the age of the Gentiles, as many are coming into the doors Peter originally opened and that this will continue for a span of time until “the fullness of that time is reached” and then Israel as a Nation will be restored in full to their place in the Kingdom of God. I would suggest that Paul was speaking of his day and age when the Gospel was going out to that area (the Roman Empire) before the Great and Dreadful day of the Lord and once that occurred, a certain number of Jews would have a chance to be regraphted into the bride and then Christ would come.

And then Paul delivers a tough line:

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:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
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.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

The Wisdom and Knowledge of God

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 counsellor?
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.

And we will cover these verses next week.

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