Chapter 11 – One God Translation

Romans

   11 I ask this then: God has not rejected His people, has He?[965] Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he complains to God about Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and have broken down Your altars. I alone am left, and they are seeking to kill me!” 4 But how did God respond to him? “I have reserved for Myself 7,000 people who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 In the same way then, at this present time also, there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works, or grace would no longer be grace.
    7 What shall we say then? What Israel was seeking they did not obtain. The chosen ones obtained it, but the rest were hardened. 8 As it is written, “God gave them a spirit of sleepiness, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, up to this very day.” 9 And David says, “Let their feasts become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a just punishment for them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened to not see, and always keep their backs bent over.”
    11 I ask then, did they stumble in order to completely fall? Absolutely not. But by their sin, salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their sin means riches for the world and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their inclusion mean? 13 Now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Since I am an Apostle to the Gentiles, I will make the most of my ministry 14 so that somehow I might provoke my own people to jealousy, and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance mean but life from the dead! [966] 16 If the piece of dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
    17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you Gentiles, a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and now share the rich root of the olive tree, 18 then do not boast over the other branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. [967] 19 You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 That is correct: they were broken off because of their unbelief, and you are standing because of your faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear, 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, neither would He spare you. [968] 22 Reflect then on the kindness and severity of God: severity towards those who fell, but God’s kindness towards you — if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. [969] 23 And if Jews do not continue in their unbelief they will be grafted in, because God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted against nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
    25 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of this previously hidden truth, so that you will not be arrogant: A partial hardening has happened to Israel, until[970] the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 This is how all Israel[971] will then be saved. As it is written, “There will come from Zion the deliverer, and he will banish all evil from Jacob. 27 This will be My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”
    28 They are presently enemies of the Gospel for your sake, but they are still potentially the chosen people, beloved for the fathers’ sake. 29 For God does not take back His gifts and His calling. 30 Just as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy as a result of their disobedience; 31 in the same way they are currently disobedient, so that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. 32 For God delivered all to disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.
    33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and how undicoverable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His advisor? 35 Who has first given to God so that God would pay it back? 36 For everything is from Him, through Him, and to Him. To Him be the glory for the ages! Amen.

Romans

[965]

The topic is obviously not the church but now blinded Israel. Paul calls the international church the “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16) as distinct from the “Israel of the flesh” (1 Cor. 10:18). The church is also the true spiritual circumcision, i.e. the true Jews (Phil. 3:3).

[966]

A future spiritual revival of Israel is mentioned in Ezek. 37 and this is one of many prophecies of a recovery of a remnant of now blinded natural, national Israel. In the meantime, the international church has become the true Israel of God (Gal. 6:16) and true circumcision of the spirit (Phil. 3:3). Paul refers to unconverted national, natural Israel as the “Israel of the flesh” (1 Cor. 10:18) or “Israelites” (Rom. 9:4; 2 Cor. 11:22). The contrast with the international believers is obvious in Gal. 6:16, the Israel of God, the true people of God. Paul still sees in the future a national, collective conversion of now blinded Israel. This will happen under the pressure and refining effects of the future Great Tribulation (see Zech. 13:8-9; 14:2).

[967]

Not to be confused with contemporary “Messianic roots” systems which muddle Moses and Jesus.

[968]

Showing that Paul disagreed entirely with modern theories about “once saved, always saved,” and Paul was no Calvinist. Salvation depends on our willing cooperation with God (Phil. 2:12-13).

[969]

This and many other verses deliver a death knell to the popular but erroneous teaching about “once saved always saved.” Salvation is conditional on successful persistence to the end. This too is the warning given by Jesus in the parable of the sower, where “some believe for a while” (Lk. 8:13). These verses make any doctrine of double predestination impossible, thankfully!

[970]

“Until” of course is an adverb of time and implies “and then…”

[971]

Referring not to every Jew just because he is a Jew, but a collective national conversion of a remnant of Jews. This will happen at the future Second Coming of Jesus, after the future Great Tribulation which will have the effect of refining those who go through it. A collective remnant of Jews will finally say to the Messiah, “Blessed is the one coming in the name of the LORD” (Mt. 23:39).