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.
We just finished reading God's indictment upon Israel as a nation at the close of chapter 10. The last verse is a quote from Isaiah 65:2 that He had His arms open, but Israel refused to obey. Paul asks the next logical question, has God cast away Israel? Did He give up on them since they refused to obey? That's not the God of the bible, now is it? May it never be! The apostle's familiar response in the epistle to the Romans. To prove it, he tells us of his own status, that he is from Israel, and we know that he is clearly saved.
I noticed that some translations have the word "ask" in this verse, which is wrong compared to the original language. The word is lego, which definitely means to speak. "I say" is the more proper translation. Other things to note from the Greek is that there is a definite article: Hath the God cast away His people? Finally, there is the word "ek" that doesn't quite appear in the KJV. After the "may it never be!" It should say, "For I also am in Israelite, out of (ek) the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." That last point is a bit picky, I know, but I am a stickler for the original inspired word of God.
Romans 11:2
God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
No, God hasn't thrown away Israel. We'll see the plan unfold in this chapter. We are reminded of the time Elijah prayed to God, though not completely in this verse. I really get confused when a verse is cut off mid-sentence, but this is one of those cases. It makes it easy to remember that the chapter and verse numbers were not inspired of God, right?
There are some fun facts to notice in the Greek here. Again, the definite article is present to denote the God not casting away His people. The word for foreknew comes from compound Greek word proginosko (pro + ginosko). It does mean to know beforehand, but that is where the English prognosis comes from. The Greek asks after this, "Or do you not understand what the scripture says in Elijah?" The phrase "wot ye not" isn't something we say anymore in English, but is has the same meaning of "do you not understand?" There are two definite articles in the last clause, and the word for intersession is the Greek entugchano. It has this meaning:
entygxánō (from 1722 /en, "in," which intensifies 5177 /tygxánō, "to obtain by hitting the mark") – properly, "light upon (meet with), obtain" (LS); "to go and meet a person to converse, consult," i.e. to intervene ("intersect with"). [1] Thayer also documents how this meaning is consistently the same in ancient Greek writers.
Using that definition, the verse ends like this: How he goes and meets with the God to converse against Israel." The word "saying" isn't in the original language; it just picks up in verse 3 with the word Lord.
Romans 11:3
Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
From Elijah's perspective, Israel had killed the prophets God sent and totally forsook the faith. Elijah thought he was the only one left and they were after him to kill him off too. Can you imagine living in that time and feeling as alone as Elijah? Read his account in 1 Kings 19. This quote comes from verse 10, but it is pretty rough for Elijah. This verse is spot on with the Greek.
Romans 11:4
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.
There's that question again: But what does God say? Isn't that interesting that this is in the present tense? God spoke this to Elijah several hundred years ago, but it is still relevant for us today. God's word truly is living and active presently (Heb 4:12).
God tells Elijah that he isn't alone. In fact, there is a staggering 7,000 faithful still in Israel. Sometimes, it is easy for us to feel alone. There may be difficult times in each of our lives that make it seem as if all other believers are far away or that there is no way out. Just because we can't see it, though, doesn't make it true. God sees something different. God sees it all. He brought comfort to Elijah at that time and He is the God of all comfort for us today (2 Cor 1:3-4). That doesn't mean He will erase all of the uncomfortable times in the blink of an eye, but rather we can rejoice when we are weak, because He will prove Himself strong (2 Cor 12:9-10).
There is only one thing to point out in the Greek, and that is that there is a definite article to denote the Baal. Amazing to think that at that time there were only 7,000 faithful men in God who didn't chase after idolatry. To be fair, it does specify men, so there may be more women and children in that number. Even so, how abysmally sad when compared to the population of the world. Elijah lived in a very difficult day indeed.
Romans 11:5
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Just as there was a remnant of faithful men in Elijah's day, there is also a remnant of faithful by God's grace at this present season from Israel. That's the context of this passage. Even though the oracles of God were committed to Israel, and God stretched forth His hands to that nation, only a remnant believed. God's desire, which should be shared by all believers, is that all are saved by His grace and not just a remnant. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that not all will believe. Some will remain children of disobedience, following Satan, and ultimately join him in the lake of the fire (Eph 2:2-3, Rev 20:11-15).
We are about to see a dispensation difference in the next verse. The context clues point to this as well. What is the present time or season? It is the dispensation of the mystery as given to Paul (Eph 3:1-9, Rom 1:16, 16:25, etc).
Now we run into something interesting in the Greek. The verb ginomai is in the Perfect tense, meaning it has already taken place. Ginomai means to come into being. It's a bit deceptive in the KJV because of the word "is." The Greek says this:
Even so then, in the present time a remnant according to the election of grace has come into being.
So just like there was a remnant of faithful according to the gospel of circumcision in the time of Elijah, there is a remnant of faithful in God according to the gospel of the uncircumcision today. Let's look at the next verse for more explanation on this.
Romans 11:6
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.
If one does not see the dispensational differences in the bible, then this verse makes little sense to be in here. Grace does not mean work and work does not mean grace. Why would God want to tell us this? Because we have two major gospels and doctrines to consider. We have the gospel of the circumcision, as being given to Peter to dispense, and the gospel of the uncircumcision as given to Paul to dispense. Two dispensations (Gal 2:7). The gospel of the circumcision with Peter required works to be carried out in conjunction with faith in God in order for one to be a saint. The gospel of the uncircumcision with Paul requires faith only. That's why we have this verse. It's for our clarification. Don't forget the words Paul was inspired to record in 1 Cor 7:17-20
1 Corinthians 7:17-20
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
What on earth does it mean if a man is circumcised to "not become uncircumcised"? That's not physically possible. In this short passage again we hav a view of the different dispensations. Same God. Same Jesus. Same deal that the "just shall live by faith" (Rom 1:17, Hab 2:4). Under the dispensation of Law, the circumcised had the covenant to do specific works. Those were the commandments of God. Let that man continue to do so for the glory of God. Under the dispensation of grace, we are commanded to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called" (Eph 4:1). We are to know how to "possess our vessel in sanctification" (1 Thess 4:1-4). We should exude the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Gal 5:22-23) rather than the lusts/fruit of the flesh. We don't have to do any Law-covenant based works, but rather exemplify the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. For any dispensation, the faithful would do what God told them to do.
The Greek is more emphatic and clearer as usual. The word if here is ei, which is if-factually, or could usually be translated as since. The verse also starts with de, the emphatic particle. We could render the first part of the verse this way:
Since now by grace, no longer out of (ek) works
See the dispensational difference? Today is the dispensation of grace in the gospel of the UNcircumcision and the faithful remnant is no longer out of works. Otherwise the grace message is null and void if works are required. Paul covers that extensively in his epistles, but some references other than this verse are Galatians 3:15-25, 5:1-6, and Romans 4.
Before continuing we need to understand a little Greek word of large importance. That is the word epei. It is a compound word of epi and ei. Epi is a preposition, and in this case means upon. We already talked about ei which can typically be translated as since, but most definitely is introducing fact and not possibility in the conditional. Epei is the Greek word translated as "otherwise." Let's take another look at the first half of the verse, and note the definite article.
Since now by grace, no longer out of works, otherwise (upon since) the grace is no longer grace.
Remember the context. We're talking about the remnant according to the election of what? Grace. If the remnant according to the election is of grace, then the remnant is no longer a remnant out of works. IF it was out of works, then the remnant of grace isn't really grace, it's works. We have the converse of this right afterward to really hammer it home.
If now (ei de) out of (ek) works (fact), it is no longer grace, otherwise (epei) the work is no longer work.
Same concept. If the remnant is now out of works, then the remnant is no longer of grace. IF it was out of grace, then work isn't really work, it's grace. From verse 5, we know that the remnant in this present season is of grace and not of works (cf Eph 2:8-9). Those under the Law lived in the works of the Law. See the contrast in Gal 3:10-14 with the quotes coming from Deut 27:26, Hab 2:4, Lev 18:5, and Deut 21:23.
Note the definite articles used in this verse. We have the faith and the works. Clearly, God is laying out the dispensations. During Elijah's time, the remnant was out of the works in the gospel of the circumcision. Today, it is out of the faith alone in the gospel of the uncircumcision.
Romans 11:7
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
So what is the point of making mention of this? Remember that Paul is discussing Israel at this point of the epistle and his desire that they are all saved (chapter 10). Israel had the word of God, they heard the word of God, but they did not all obey it. They really didn't have any excuse as evident in Rom 10:21. Israel, as a nation, did not obtain righteousness because they sought it not by faith (Rom 9:32-33). Only the remnant, the true believers in that dispensation, obtained it, and the rest were blinded. That is why Paul is writing this here. His desire is that ALL Israel is saved, not just a remnant, as it is written from the word of God. More on that in verse 26. Really his desire is that all of mankind is saved, aligning with God's desire, as should all believers today (2 Tim 2:4). But he has a special place in his heart for his countrymen, for Israel.
The Greek uses the more emphatic "de" twice here. But (de) the election hath obtained it, and (de) the rest were blinded. that word for blinded really has the idea of being hardened or calloused. It is the Greek poroo.
Even though we are now in the dispensation of grace through the gospel of the uncircumcision, God will still play out all the words He had for Israel, as will be explained in this chapter (verse 29). After this dispensation comes to an end, all true Israel will be saved. In the next three verses, God will explain more on why.
Romans 11:8
(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.
This quote comes from Isaiah 29:10. Only the election of Israel obtained the righteousness it sought for. Only that small remnant out of the mighty nation. The rest were hardened as we saw in the previous verse. Here, God is elaborating for us, that He gave those that were hardened a spirit of slumber, eyes and ears that don't work so they just won't get the truth. This is the case unto the day of Paul's writing of Romans, and really unto this present day as well. Was God the bad guy here? Absolutely not. He just gave them what they wanted.
The Greek is fascinating here, and I would venture to say that something big was missed in the KJV. First, here's the literal translation up until the last three English words:
Just as it has been written, the God has given to them a spirit of stupor/deep slumber, the eyes of it not to see, the ears of it not to hear.
That's all well translated, right? The spirit they were given is a blind and deaf one. Now here's the fascinating thing. The Greek has four words after this: heos tes semeron hemeras. Heos means "until" or "as far as" [1]. Tes is a definite article, but it appears in the Genitive case. This is important as I will show in a moment. Semeron means "this very day" and appears in the Nominative case. Hemeras is the Greek for "day", which can mean a 24 hour period or an indeterminate time period and must be defined in the context, just like the English "day." Hemeras also appears in the Genitive, so the article belongs with it. Let me rearrange that to make it clearer in the English for those that don't like parsing:
As far as this very day of the day.
Do you see what I see there? This hardening is happening to the present day of the day. What is the day? I see it as the dispensation of the Grace of God as given to Paul, and I'll show by scripture why I see that. Note what we see in 1 Thess 4:13-5:11. We have the blessed hope of those in the Body of Christ in 1 Thess 4:13-18. Then it is contrasted with the earthly hope of the nation of Israel in chapter 5. Note how the words of the day/light and the night/darkness are used in the verses in chapter 5. I will emphasize them and add some notes in brackets for clarity.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [dead], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus [bodily death of the faithful] will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them [go before them] which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
5:1 But of the times and the seasons [prophecy of Old Testament], brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord [wrath-tribulation period] so cometh as a thief in the night.
5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
5:4 But ye, brethren, are NOT IN DARKNESS, that that day [of the Lord - wrath] should overtake you as a thief.
5:5 Ye are all the CHILDREN OF LIGHT, and the CHILDREN OF THE DAY: we are NOT OF THE NIGHT NOR OF DARKNESS.
5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
5:7 For they that sleep sleep IN THE NIGHT; and they that be drunken are drunken IN THE NIGHT.
5:8 But let us, who are OF THE DAY, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
5:9 For God hath NOT APPOINTED US TO WRATH, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him [see 1 Thess 4:13-18].
5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
The hardening is continuing into this present dispensation. There are many unbelieving Jews who refuse to see Jesus Christ as Emmanuel, God with us. I don't mean to target just the Jews, because there are many others who don't believe, but the Jews are the ones in context here. The seed of Abraham did come through them as God promised, and that was Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16). Jesus Christ can be seen throughout the Old Testament, but because of the hardening of the hearts, God gave them a blind and deaf spirit, preventing them from seeing and hearing the truth up until the present time. There will be a day that all Israel is saved, but that isn't in this the day, and we'll get to that later in this chapter.
Romans 11:9
And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
This a quote from Psalm 69:22. Now the words here are quite interesting. This verse is spot on with the Greek, but it helps us to learn a deeper definition of what is being said. The table here is a table for food or business. It was used for feasting or business. What God is saying through David then, is to have those that reject Him willfully to let their prosperity entrap them and be paid back to them in retribution. That's a common saying in the Old Testament prophets. Let the wicked who appear to be prospering be recompensed for their wickedness. God will certainly do that, in the time called the Day of the Lord.
Let's take a deeper look at these three traps as well. It almost looks like God is saying the same thing three times here, but there are differences that should be noted. The word snare is the Greek pagis, which means "properly, of snares in which birds are entangled and caught" [2]. This is a trap that catches the victim unaware. Suddenly the trap is sprung and they are caught. Remember how the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night? The word pagis is used only 5 times in the New Testament: Luke 21:35, Rom 11:9, 1 Tim 3:7, 6:9, and 2 Tim 2:26.
The word trap is the Greek thera, which means a hunting, or an entrapment, or a means of capturing [3]. Doesn't that fit well with prosperity? Isn't it easier to forget about God when all seems to be going well? Materialism is a dangerous path to be on. The prosperity of the wicked will be the means of capturing them for that day. This is the only time the word thera appears in the New Testament.
The word stumblingblock is the Greek skandalon. See the English word scandal in there? Skandalon has this definition: properly, the trigger of a trap (the mechanism closing a trap down on the unsuspecting victim); (figuratively) an offense, putting a negative cause-and-effect relationship into motion. [1] Putting all of these three things together, the prosperity of the wicked will will act as the trigger for punishment, as well as be the means of capturing, and it will come upon them unaware. God does say that He will judge them according to their works in Rev 20:11-15, and that judgement is not a pleasant one as it determines the degree of torment in the lake of the fire. That will be their recompense.
Romans 11:10
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
God finishes the quote with Psalm 69:23. The eyes of the wicked will not be able to see the truth in this life, but they will bow down to God and acknowledge Him as God. That's something that may not be clear in the old English. Despite the wickedness of the wicked and being destined to punishment, they will, without a doubt, acknowledge who God is. They will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord (Phil 2:10-11).
There is a definite article missing here because the English would sound goofy. It says Let the eyes of the them be darkened not to see. God is pointing out that this blindness is for those who reject Him by choice. Even so, everyone will bow before God. The word alway here is the Greek dia pantos. It literally means through all things.
Romans 11:11
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.
The next logical question in this is has Israel then stumbled as a nation that they might fall? That is, should they no longer be a part of God's plan? They have stumbled due to unbelief and received that spirit of blindness and deafness, so are they now out of the picture altogether? Paul's familiar answer in this epistle: May it never be! He answers immediately what God's purpose of this was. Through this fall, salvation is to the nations for the point of provoking Israel to jealousy.
The English again is a good translation, but there are important subtle differences in the Greek. The word fall is two different words. First, in the question "they should fall," the Greek word is pipto and it does mean to fall down. The second "fall" is the Greek paraptoma, a compound word of para (close beside) and pipto. That time it has the idea of a false step or trespass. It's a falling away from being close beside. They aren't completely scratched out of God's plan, but the spotlight has shifted. A dispensational change took place for a season. God will explain more of this in this chapter.
Note well the purpose of this dispensation. It is to provoke God's chosen people Israel to jealousy. What better way to get the attention of Israel, a nation that was given specific divine promises, than to give all the other nations divine promises while withholding Israel's specific promises? We have all the spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ (Eph 1:3) through faith in what Christ did for us (Eph 2:8-9, 1 Cor 15:3-4). That's what the gospel of grace given to the apostle Paul is. Anyone anywhere can put their faith in Christ and His finished work and be saved from sin and death. Before this dispensation, Gentiles had to go through Israel to have any hope in God at all. See how that will make them jealous? Rest assured, they will get their promises too, but only after this season of grace to the Gentiles is complete.
One last thing to note are the definite articles here. It is the salvation, and the them (provoke the them to jealousy). It is clear this is Israel, and that they will be jealous of the salvation coming to the Gentiles, especially since it is obtained through a different means. Salvation from sin and death comes through faith apart from works, whereas they had to have faith and work out the Law of Moses or be cut off.
Romans 11:12
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?
This statement should get all believers excited. Honestly, we have such an awesome gospel in that we are saved from sin and death by placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, who will raise us from the dead and give us a body like unto His glorious body. There is so much we have "In Christ" and I encourage all believers to seriously study Ephesians 1-3 to understand a bulk of it. It's all over Paul's epistles, but that is a good concise summary in my opinion. As great as this is, can you imagine what it will be like when all Israel is saved? God is bringing us to understand that this isn't even as good as it gets. Yes, we will go to Heaven to be with the Lord forever, whether we are alive or dead (1 Thess 4:13-18). But that's not the end. First Israel will go through their 70th week of tribulation (Dan 9:27, Jer 30:7), have their earthly kingdom (Rev 20:1-6), and then the fullness of Israel will come to be.
How amazing and breathtaking will bit be to witness the new Heaven and Earth (Rev 21:1-5)? Right now all the nations have this gospel, the power of God unto salvation, which is described as riches here. There will be unbelievers during the tribulation and Millennial kingdom. But after that, EVERYONE will be believers, there will be no more fighting, sin, nor death. How wonderful will that be?
This verse is spot on with the Greek. There are still some things to point out for clarity. The "if" here is "ei" again. The word for "fall" is paraptoma like in verse 11. The word for "diminishing" is hettema and has the idea of shortcoming, defeat, or failure. The word for "fulness" is pleroma, which has the idea of filling up full to completion.
Romans 11:13
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
If we ever have a business card call out for the apostle Paul, it's this verse right here. He is the apostle to the Gentiles. It began with Paul as the first apostle of the gospel of the uncircumcision in Acts 13. that's why he can call it his (Rom 2:16, 16:25, 1 Cor 9:18, 1 Tim 1:11, 2 Tim 2:8).
The Greek adds even more emphasis. Here we find the phrase eimi ego, which literally means I am, I. A similar phrase was used by Jesus Christ when He stated He was God in John 8:58. The only difference is the word order, because Jesus said I, I am (ego eimi). Paul here says, "I am I, the apostle of the Gentiles."
Want some more emphasis here? The Greek is full of it. The KJV doesn't include the words hosos (how much), men (indeed), and oun (therefore). Also, the word "for" at the beginning is our familiar "de" of the Greek. So if we're going for a literal interpretation of this verse, it is like this:
To you, now, I am speaking to the Gentiles, inasmuch as how much indeed therefore I am I, the apostle of the Gentiles, the ministry of me I magnify.
I do hope it is ridiculously clear that Paul had a special ministry, even by this verse alone. Paul is not part of the 12 apostles to Israel. He really is the apostle to the Gentiles with the gospel of the grace of God to build the Body of Christ, which consists of Jew and Gentile (1 Cor 12:12-13, Gal 3:28, Eph 2:11-18). That is a doctrine that is unique to him and clearly was one given by Jesus Christ Himself (Gal 1:11-12).
Romans 11:14
If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
The context here goes back to verse 11. Paul is really emphasizing his position as the apostle to the Gentiles, that he has a different doctrine, and the purpose of that is to rile up the flesh and have Israel be saved. In general, the Jews were stuck in their works. They kept the Law, but they didn't seek salvation by faith (Rom 9:32). That was their problem and why they didn't obtain what they were looking for. They went after the righteousness which is out of the Law and not the righteousness which is of God.
Paul made it quite clear that his heart's desire to have Israel, which is of the flesh, be saved. Through this doctrine committed unto him, he will by any means provoke them to jealousy that some may be saved.
There are a few things to note in the Greek. If is the Greek ei. The word to provoke to jealousy is the same here as in verse 11. There is the Greek preposition ek, which is translated of here, but could more accurately be "out of." Some will be saved out of Israel. The English here is helpful, but there are extra words. It literally says, "If at all I will provoke to jealousy the flesh of me and will save some out of them." This verse is an accurate translation, which is back up by verse 1 of this chapter. Paul isn't saying to save some out of his own flesh, which is just the one person - him. That wouldn't make much sense.
Romans 11:15
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?
So what awaits Israel? They were cast away or rejected by God due to their unbelief. That brought about this dispensation of God's grace to build the Body of Christ through the apostle Paul. Now we have the mystery revealed that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor 5:19). He made the world save-able and holds the gift of salvation out to all who will believe in Him and the finished work He did through Christ on the cross of Calvary. That's what the rejecting of Israel brought in, so what about when all Israel is saved? Clearly it means life from the dead.
The word if here is the Greek ei and could be better rendered as "since." For since the casing away of them... The Greek also asks a bit of a different question, though it is the same concept. The literal translation is "what will the receiving of them be if not life out of the dead?" The Greek ei appears in the "if not" part there, saying that this is a fact that is coming. Again, when all Israel is saved, God is making the new Heaven and Earth where there will be no more death, because the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Cor 15:22-26).
Romans 11:16
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
I love it when God gives us a picture to help us understand Him and what He is doing. We are introduced to this picture in this verse, so it is just the concept we are to understand for now and it's pretty straight forward. If the firstfruit is holy then the whole mixture is holy. In case that one wasn't clear, God gives another picture. If the root is holy, then any branch of that root is holy. In other words, if the source is holy, everything else from that source is holy.
The only thing in the Greek to point out is that both "ifs" here are "ei."
Romans 11:17
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;
Another case of an unfortunate verse break. I don't understand why they stop in the middle of a thought. We get the beginning of it here using the picture given in verse 16. We are given that the root is holy. Some branches are broken off. Who could those be? We are told that "thou" is a wild tree graffed in to take part of that holy root and the fatness of it. We also see it's an olive tree. All of this should make it clear that Christ is the root and Israel were the broken off branches. The "thou" here can be understood by how this epistle is addressing. It is an individual the Gentiles in Rome that Paul is writing to. Each one that believed in Paul's gospel now partakes of that root, which is Christ. Note that only some of the branches were broken. Not all Israel was unbelieving. There was always a remnant of the faithful. We'll get more to the point of the picture in the next verses up to verse 21.
The verse starts off with ei de in the Greek, or "Since now." The next "and" is also "de" to add emphasis that after those branches (Unbelieving Israel) were broken off, now you. The wild olive tree is what the Greek word means, but to be clear this is talking of an uncultivated tree. That should be the picture that "wild" brings to mind, but think of it in the spiritual sense. There was no cultivation before this point. There was no life from the root, so there was no good fruit. But now there is life after being grafted in to the root and taking part in the fatness of the tree.
Something that may be missed from the original language is how this verse ends. It literally says, "and a fellow partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive tree have become." I feel this is the Romans version of Ephesians 2:11-18.
Romans 11:18
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Now knowing the spiritual application of this picture, the command should make complete sense. Don't boast against Israel. Don't talk down to them because they were set aside in unbelief. Keep in mind that you are a branch and not the root. You depend on that root, which is Christ. God chose the nation Israel, and He will keep every word spoken concerning them.
The verse is spot on with the Greek.
Romans 11:19
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Doesn't God know us well? Isn't is the natural response of this command saying something like, "Hey, God did that so I can be part of His Body! It was all their fault! He did it for me." Being the father of some young children, I am often reminded of the childish responses to commands that shouldn't be hard to follow. It is so natural to think to the self and not to others. That's why we're told to think on others and not ourselves to be set apart from the world (Phil 2:1-4).
This verse is spot on with the Greek. The old English "that" could be rendered "in order that" for clarity, but the meaning is there.
Romans 11:20
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Right away we may miss the meaning of the first word in the old English. This word well means what was previously said was right or good. It's the adverb form of kalos in the Greek, which does mean good. There are several instances of this in the New Testament, like Matthew 15:7 or Luke 20:29. In the context here, Paul is acknowledging that yes, the branches were broken off that the wild branch may be grafted in. But he quickly follows up with the reason why. You, the Gentile, stand by faith. They, Israel, were broken off because they didn't have their faith in the right spot. So don't be puffed up about that, but be respectful of God and of them. And whoever made the verse breaks will keep us in suspense until the next verse as to why to show this fear.
The Greek is more emphatic than the English here. It says, "Rightly so. They were broken off by the unbelief. Now (de) you stand by the faith." Note the importance of faith. Faith has always been required to be saved from sin and death since the fall of man in Genesis. Then after this are the two imperatives. Be not high-minded, but rather be afraid. That is the Greek phobeo there, where we get our word phobia from.
Romans 11:21
For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
So why are we to be afraid? Because Israel was intended to be God's chosen nation. They were the ones that were given all the oracles of God (Rom 3:2). Despite that, their unbelief caused God to not spare them, but cast them aside. If He did that to Israel, we Gentiles ought to respect that and not boast of against Israel, because God could choose to cast aside us...again. We went over this in Romans 1 and what the world looked like at that time. Just re-read verses 28-32. The Gentiles knew of God, but rejected Him anyway and chose to engage in sinful activity. Not only they, but they had pleasure in others doing sinful acts as well. Kind of sounds like the world today, doesn't it?
God won't usher in a new dispensation. This doctrine given to Paul is it as it fills up full the word of God (Col 1:25). What this verse should do is give us pause and think where our faith is at. If it's in Christ, we ought to behave like Christ and seek to save the lost by sharing the message of reconciliation with them.
The "if" here is ei once more. It is definite fact that God did not spare the natural branches (Israel). They have been set aside in unbelief for a season as we'll see in verses 25 and 32. The last half of this verse is quite emphatic in the Greek as well. It literally translates to, "not how not now will He spare you?" It may be better understood as, "How will He not spare even you?" The Greek does have the double negative there, which is goofy in the English, but clearly is showing how important it is to heed this warning of God.
Romans 11:22
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.
So then we can see how kind and loving God is, but also at the same time that He is just. Israel constantly rejected God to the point where He cast them aside in unbelief. Note Romans 10:21. They had many chances, but by choice wanted to be apart from God. Because of their fall, God brought salvation to the Gentiles through the gospel He gave to the apostle Paul (Rom 11:11). Now, this grace can be enjoyed by all who come to the faith in the gospel, that Jesus paid the sin debt in full through His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15:3-4) and that no works are required (Eph 2:8-9). But if one hears of the gospel and doesn't "continue" in the gospel, or put their faith in God and the finished work of Christ, they will be cut off. There is a day coming where God will say that enough is enough. The rapture of the church, the Body of Christ will take place and those that are left behind and heard the gospel will endure the tribulation with strong delusion to believe the Antichrist (2 Thess 2:1-12). Their fate is the lake of the fire. Please don't let that be you.
It is important to note that the "if' here in the Greek is eav, which is the conditional and not factual if. That word for "continue" is epimeno, a compound word of epi (upon) and meno (persist). Continue works as an English translation, but let it be known that once one hears of the gospel of God's grace and chooses not to persist upon putting faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, they will not be saved from sin and death. Don't hear me wrong here. I'm not saying that once someone believes and chooses to walk away from the faith, they will lose salvation. God is clear that once someone genuinely believes in God's grace through Jesus Christ, they are saved, guaranteed, sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14). What I mean is that everyone is presented the same choice. Either believe and be saved or don't and be damned.
For those that don't believe, the Greek here is quite emphatically clear. The word for "otherwise" is the Greek epei, which we already looked at in detail in verse 6. For those that don't believe, it is a fact that they will be cut off. Cut off from what? A life with God. They will have a life in the lake of the fire, which is an eternity separated from God and without hope of ever getting better. Again, don't let that be you. Just let God save you by placing your faith in Him. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved (Acts 16:31).
Romans 11:23
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
This is a great reminder. Even though Israel didn't believe and was cast aside for a season doesn't mean God outright doomed them to Hell. If (conditionally) they choose to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that He paid their sin debt, they too will be saved. All come to salvation under the same terms in this age, through faith in Jesus Christ. God is more than capable of saving anyone who believes in Him.
The only thing to point out in the Greek here is the definite articles for the unbelief and the God.
Romans 11:24
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 case we didn't understand that God has the power and ability to do such a thing, we are reminded of the picture introduced in this chapter. Gentiles were afar off from the promises of God and without hope (Eph 2:11-12). But now by putting faith in who God is and what He has done through Jesus Christ and His shed blood, Gentiles are brought near to God into the Body of Christ (Eph 2:18). There is no difference for the Jew to obtain salvation from sin and death, because Christ died for all and there is now no difference (Gal 3:28).
This verse is pretty much word for word with the Greek.
Romans 11:25
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.
Here is a pivotal statement in scripture. There is more emphasis in the Greek that proves this as a dispensational statement as well. Up until this point, we've seen a couple of chapters of the case against Israel and how much God loves them and still cares for them. As a nation, they have rejected God, so here we see that God has caused them blindness until a certain point in time. That time is given the description of the "fulness of the Gentiles."
We were just shown that this is temporary with the picture of the olive tree. We, the Gentiles, were grafted in to the root, to Jesus Christ, though the Gentiles were not part of that in the dispensation of the gospel of the Circumcision. Only Israel was "near" while the Gentiles were "afar off." Consider Ephesians 2:1-3 and 11-12
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world
That was the position of Gentiles in the gospel of the Circumcision. But God has changed all of that. Note in Ephesians 2 that the verses right after these both start off in contrast. Verse four starts off with "but God" and verse 13 starts with "but now in Christ Jesus." A change has taken place. In the gospel of the Uncircumcsion, it doesn't matter who you are, you come to salvation from sin and death the same way: placing your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your atonement (1 Cor 15:1-4, Gal 3:28). Note what we already looked at back in Romans chapter 3:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God
Also in 2 Cor 5:19 - To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
God made the world save-able through Jesus Christ shedding His blood on the cross. His grace is sufficient to save from sins upon all who believe (Rom 3:22).
With all of that said, we get to this conclusion and the reasoning why in chapters 9-11:24, that Israel has been blinded for a season. Also prayerfully study Acts 13 to see the transition take place on the chronological scale. Acts 13 is when the Body of Christ and the doctrine of the gospel of the Uncircumcision was unleashed through Saul who became Paul. Acts 13:38-39 is the FIRST time in scripture where the Law of Moses is used in a negative. The name of Peter, who led the gospel of the Circumcision, is used some 56 times in Acts 1-12. It is used once after (chapter 15), whereas Paul is clearly in the spotlight. God makes it very clear that there is change of house rules, or dispensations.
Now note the Greek here to add to the emphasis. There are key definite articles that are missing from the KJV. The verse starts off like this:
For I do not desire you to be ignorant, brethren, of this the mystery.
What is the mystery? It's the unique doctrine given to the apostle Paul. The proof that it is unique to Paul is overwhelming. Consider these verses, though there are more: Rom 16:25, 1 Cor 2:1-3,7 (testimony = mystery), Eph 1:7-12, 3:1-9, 6:19-20, Col 1:24-27, etc. The reason the Holy Spirit inspires Paul to be so emphatic to make known the mystery is given right afterward:
For I do not desire you to be ignorant, brethren, of this the mystery, in order that you might not be wise in yourselves.
Remember what God just told us in verses 18-20 not to boast against those of Israel that were cut off? It is reiterated here that we don't become wise in ourselves, or wise in our own conceits as the KJV puts it. Israel has been blinded or hardened until the fullness of the Gentiles. This is the same word for "blinded/hardened" in Rom 11:7. Note carefully what it says there in verse 7 because it is said again here. The election, the true Israel obtained righteousness through faith plus works, but the rest were hardened. Similarly, God tells us in Rom 11:25 that a hardening from a part of the Israel has happened until the fullness of the Gentiles may come in.
The word translated "in" is "apo" in the Greek, which really has the meaning away from. The hardening is away from of part of the Israel. The phrase "cut off" comes to my mind when reading into this. Those that were cut off from Israel are who are being talked about here. They are hardened in their choice of unbelief until the fullness of the Gentiles, or the rapture event, occurs. Then Israel will be in the spotlight once more for the Tribulation period, after which is the millennial kingdom that was promised in Exodus 19:5-6, and all Israel shall be saved (Jer 31:31-34) as we shall see in the next verse.
Romans 11:26
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:
All Israel will be saved after the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. It was alluded to in verse 25 but now God quotes Himself in Isaiah 59:20 to establish His truth. Note well the timeline: Israel was the spotlight, then hardness in part (portion) has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles (rapture). Israel will go through the Tribulation to fill up the transgression (Dan 9:24-27), then have their promised kingdom (Exodus 19:5-6, Rev 20:1-6) and all Israel will be saved.
This verse is spot on with the Greek.
Romans 11:27
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
This verse combines the quote from Isaiah 59:21 and 7:9. Again, God is telling us that there will be a day when all iniquity is purged. He says that this will take place after the rapture and tribulation period events.
Romans 11:28
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
This is something very important to note and consider. Who is the "they" here? It is Israel. Why are they enemies concerning the gospel? Seriously consider that question. There are some that say that there is one big gospel that is progressively revealed in scripture. If that is true, why is Israel now an enemy when they were God's chosen nation? And then how can they be beloved at the same time? Consider these questions especially in conjunction with the next verse. They are enemies concerning the gospel because it is contrary to the gospel given to them. That's right, there is more than one gospel presented in the bible. Prayerfully consider Galatians 2:7 if you are not convinced by this point.
The question should be which gospel are they enemies? Who is the "your" here? Remember, this epistle was written to the saints in Rome (Romans 1:7). They are the saints according to the gospel given to Paul, the gospel of the uncircumcision in Galatians 2:7. Israel is considered enemies according to the gospel given to Paul to the saints of that gospel because we do not keep the Law of Moses. We today are saved from faith apart from works and justified by the work of Christ, which is His shed blood on the cross of Calvary (Rom 3-4). Yet Israel is beloved because of the father's sakes. Who are the fathers? The same ones reiterated several times in the Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel is beloved for their sake because of the promises given them. As we will see in the next verse, Israel still has some promises coming.
The same Greek word is translated different ways in this verse, and that word is the preposition kata. Kata has the meaning of according to or down from. The verse could be rendered this way:
Indeed (men) according to (kata) the gospel, [they are] enemies to your account. Now (de) according to (kata) the election, [they are] beloved to the father's account.
If you want a completely literal version without those pesky perentheses, here it is:
Indeed according to the gospel, enemies to your account. Now according to the election, beloved to the father's account.
To understand these verses properly, we must rightly divide the Word of Truth (2 Tim 2:15).
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
God's word will not return to Him void (Isa 55:11). He promised Israel many things that haven't happened yet, but they will take place. They will take place after this dispensation of God's grace is done, after the snatching away of the church which is His Body (1 Thess 4:13-5:11).
The word for gifts here is from the Greek charisma, meaning they are the graces of God. The only other thing to point out in the Greek is the definite article to denote the God.
Romans 11:30
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
We're introduced to part one of a two part point that will be completed in the next verse. This is another instance of an unfortunate verse break. Note the phrase "in times past" and "yet have now...through their unbelief." What time periods are being talked about? Again, we can look at Ephesians chapter 2 for backup. Verses 1 through 3 shows the unbelieving Gentile's position within the dispensation of of the gospel of the uncircumcision. Verses 11 and 12 however, tell us of the unbelieving Gentile's position within the dispensation of the circumcision. It is that time that are in reference here in the "times past." How can I say that? Because it was through their (Israel's) unbelief that Gentiles have now obtained mercy, or had mercy shown them. God told us that in Romans 11:25. Blindness has happened until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
The first word of this verse in the Greek bears pointing out. It is the compound word hosper. Hos means "just as" and per means "indeed." So hosper has the idea of being exactly like. This gives further credence to my statement earlier, how Gentiles were blinded in unbelief during the dispensation of the gospel of the circumcision. Only those that were proselytized to Israel were saved. So, just like that was and now the Gentiles have obtained mercy through the setting aside of Israel, we'll see the reciprocal of that in the verse.
The other little words to point out are "nyn" and "de" occurring right after the word God. Literally, it would be "now, now." It could be rendered, "Now in the present..." See the emphasis God is putting there? There is a major difference in this age compared to the dispensation of the gospel of the circumcision. Things changed chronologically in Acts 13 to usher in the age of the gopel of the uncircumcision. We see God's ultimate conclusion of this in verse 32.
One more thing to say, there is a definite article present for the God.
Romans 11:31
Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Combining this verse with what we just read, we see the broad picture God is telling us. Just like how the unbelieving Gentiles were given mercy when Israel was hardened for a season, unbelieving Israel may obtain mercy in the same way. In this age, God broke down the wall that was between Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:14-18). The conclusion of them in unbelief has opened up another door of salvation to them, for there is no difference, all come to salvation in the Body of Christ the same way, through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Eph 2:16, Gal 3:28, 1 Cor 12:12-14, 15:1-4).
The Greek word for "now" here is "nyn" which has the idea of in the present time. The Greek word for "not believed" is in the Aorist tense, meaning that it happened in the past at some point and is continuing to the present. Israel chose not to believe in God and His Messiah and were hardened in part (verse 25). They are presently unbelieving so that they can see salvation to the Gentiles, be provoked to jealousy, and come back to the true faith (verses 11, 25, and 31).
Romans 11:32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Why did God usher in the dispensation of the mystery? In order to extend His love, mercy, and compassion to everyone that believes in Him. The free gift of salvation is available to all. It is up to each individual what to do with it. Either receive it, or reject it.
This verse has three important definite articles. It more literally reads like this:
For the God has concluded the all to (eis) unbelief in order that the all might be shown mercy.
This verse aligns perfectly with 1 Tim 2:4, that it is and always has been God's will that everyone be saved and come to the accurate knowledge of the truth.
Romans 11:33
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!
Isn't this gospel we have awesome? After all the struggle of the spiritual battle throughout history, God has solidified a way of salvation to all who believe. He thwarted Satan at every turn by the power of His word, and now has made manifest salvation from sin and death which man brought into the world. Through His amazing wisdom and grace, He set all of this up by coordinating everything throughout the universe. Is that not mind blowing? But none of these things are too hard for the Lord our God (Jer 32:17).
The Greek reads differently than the KJV puts it. The word "both" should really be "and" since it is the Greek kai. The phrase "past finding out" fits, but the word is anexichniastos and has the idea of being untraceable or untrackable. the verse literally is this:
O the depths of [the] riches and of [the]wisdom and of [the] knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways untraceable!
What is really amazing to think about is that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10), and upon placing our faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). We can be filled with His knowledge and understand the truth after salvation if we're willing to let Him teach us!
Romans 11:34
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
Could anyone have honestly thought this way of salvation up? Could anyone design life in the way it is? Of course not. These questions are rhetorical to show that our Lord's ways are past finding out. No one instructed Him how to do what He has done.
This verse is word for word with the Greek.
Romans 11:35
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Another rhetorical question for us to know the attributes of our God better. These last two verses should give us inspiration to sing praise unto our God. What a wonderful God we serve! What an amazing Savior we have in Jesus Christ! Remember, He is for us, so who could be against us (Rom 8:31-34)? Praise the Lord!
Romans 11:36
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Paul brings his praise to God in this closing verse of chapter 11. Everything is from God and circles back to God. It's all His. Nothing originated from man or woman. For this reason, His name will be glorified to the ages.
The Greek is only slightly different here. There is a definite article to denote the all things. The word "of" is from the Greek "ek" and could be rendered "out of ." Both times we see the word "to" here it is the Greek "eis" which means to the point of. Finally, the phrase "for ever" is more literally "to the ages." With all that in mind, here is a more literal translation:
For the all things are out of Him and through Him and to Him. To Him be the glory to the ages! Amen.
References:
HELPS Word-studies [1]
Thayer's Greek Lexicon [2]
Strong's Concordance [3]
The Greek is more emphatic and clearer as usual. The word if here is ei, which is if-factually, or could usually be translated as since. The verse also starts with de, the emphatic particle. We could render the first part of the verse this way:
Since now by grace, no longer out of (ek) works
See the dispensational difference? Today is the dispensation of grace in the gospel of the UNcircumcision and the faithful remnant is no longer out of works. Otherwise the grace message is null and void if works are required. Paul covers that extensively in his epistles, but some references other than this verse are Galatians 3:15-25, 5:1-6, and Romans 4.
Before continuing we need to understand a little Greek word of large importance. That is the word epei. It is a compound word of epi and ei. Epi is a preposition, and in this case means upon. We already talked about ei which can typically be translated as since, but most definitely is introducing fact and not possibility in the conditional. Epei is the Greek word translated as "otherwise." Let's take another look at the first half of the verse, and note the definite article.
Since now by grace, no longer out of works, otherwise (upon since) the grace is no longer grace.
Remember the context. We're talking about the remnant according to the election of what? Grace. If the remnant according to the election is of grace, then the remnant is no longer a remnant out of works. IF it was out of works, then the remnant of grace isn't really grace, it's works. We have the converse of this right afterward to really hammer it home.
If now (ei de) out of (ek) works (fact), it is no longer grace, otherwise (epei) the work is no longer work.
Same concept. If the remnant is now out of works, then the remnant is no longer of grace. IF it was out of grace, then work isn't really work, it's grace. From verse 5, we know that the remnant in this present season is of grace and not of works (cf Eph 2:8-9). Those under the Law lived in the works of the Law. See the contrast in Gal 3:10-14 with the quotes coming from Deut 27:26, Hab 2:4, Lev 18:5, and Deut 21:23.
Note the definite articles used in this verse. We have the faith and the works. Clearly, God is laying out the dispensations. During Elijah's time, the remnant was out of the works in the gospel of the circumcision. Today, it is out of the faith alone in the gospel of the uncircumcision.
Romans 11:7
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
So what is the point of making mention of this? Remember that Paul is discussing Israel at this point of the epistle and his desire that they are all saved (chapter 10). Israel had the word of God, they heard the word of God, but they did not all obey it. They really didn't have any excuse as evident in Rom 10:21. Israel, as a nation, did not obtain righteousness because they sought it not by faith (Rom 9:32-33). Only the remnant, the true believers in that dispensation, obtained it, and the rest were blinded. That is why Paul is writing this here. His desire is that ALL Israel is saved, not just a remnant, as it is written from the word of God. More on that in verse 26. Really his desire is that all of mankind is saved, aligning with God's desire, as should all believers today (2 Tim 2:4). But he has a special place in his heart for his countrymen, for Israel.
The Greek uses the more emphatic "de" twice here. But (de) the election hath obtained it, and (de) the rest were blinded. that word for blinded really has the idea of being hardened or calloused. It is the Greek poroo.
Even though we are now in the dispensation of grace through the gospel of the uncircumcision, God will still play out all the words He had for Israel, as will be explained in this chapter (verse 29). After this dispensation comes to an end, all true Israel will be saved. In the next three verses, God will explain more on why.
Romans 11:8
(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.
This quote comes from Isaiah 29:10. Only the election of Israel obtained the righteousness it sought for. Only that small remnant out of the mighty nation. The rest were hardened as we saw in the previous verse. Here, God is elaborating for us, that He gave those that were hardened a spirit of slumber, eyes and ears that don't work so they just won't get the truth. This is the case unto the day of Paul's writing of Romans, and really unto this present day as well. Was God the bad guy here? Absolutely not. He just gave them what they wanted.
The Greek is fascinating here, and I would venture to say that something big was missed in the KJV. First, here's the literal translation up until the last three English words:
Just as it has been written, the God has given to them a spirit of stupor/deep slumber, the eyes of it not to see, the ears of it not to hear.
That's all well translated, right? The spirit they were given is a blind and deaf one. Now here's the fascinating thing. The Greek has four words after this: heos tes semeron hemeras. Heos means "until" or "as far as" [1]. Tes is a definite article, but it appears in the Genitive case. This is important as I will show in a moment. Semeron means "this very day" and appears in the Nominative case. Hemeras is the Greek for "day", which can mean a 24 hour period or an indeterminate time period and must be defined in the context, just like the English "day." Hemeras also appears in the Genitive, so the article belongs with it. Let me rearrange that to make it clearer in the English for those that don't like parsing:
As far as this very day of the day.
Do you see what I see there? This hardening is happening to the present day of the day. What is the day? I see it as the dispensation of the Grace of God as given to Paul, and I'll show by scripture why I see that. Note what we see in 1 Thess 4:13-5:11. We have the blessed hope of those in the Body of Christ in 1 Thess 4:13-18. Then it is contrasted with the earthly hope of the nation of Israel in chapter 5. Note how the words of the day/light and the night/darkness are used in the verses in chapter 5. I will emphasize them and add some notes in brackets for clarity.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [dead], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus [bodily death of the faithful] will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them [go before them] which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
5:1 But of the times and the seasons [prophecy of Old Testament], brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord [wrath-tribulation period] so cometh as a thief in the night.
5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
5:4 But ye, brethren, are NOT IN DARKNESS, that that day [of the Lord - wrath] should overtake you as a thief.
5:5 Ye are all the CHILDREN OF LIGHT, and the CHILDREN OF THE DAY: we are NOT OF THE NIGHT NOR OF DARKNESS.
5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
5:7 For they that sleep sleep IN THE NIGHT; and they that be drunken are drunken IN THE NIGHT.
5:8 But let us, who are OF THE DAY, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
5:9 For God hath NOT APPOINTED US TO WRATH, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him [see 1 Thess 4:13-18].
5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
The hardening is continuing into this present dispensation. There are many unbelieving Jews who refuse to see Jesus Christ as Emmanuel, God with us. I don't mean to target just the Jews, because there are many others who don't believe, but the Jews are the ones in context here. The seed of Abraham did come through them as God promised, and that was Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16). Jesus Christ can be seen throughout the Old Testament, but because of the hardening of the hearts, God gave them a blind and deaf spirit, preventing them from seeing and hearing the truth up until the present time. There will be a day that all Israel is saved, but that isn't in this the day, and we'll get to that later in this chapter.
Romans 11:9
And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
This a quote from Psalm 69:22. Now the words here are quite interesting. This verse is spot on with the Greek, but it helps us to learn a deeper definition of what is being said. The table here is a table for food or business. It was used for feasting or business. What God is saying through David then, is to have those that reject Him willfully to let their prosperity entrap them and be paid back to them in retribution. That's a common saying in the Old Testament prophets. Let the wicked who appear to be prospering be recompensed for their wickedness. God will certainly do that, in the time called the Day of the Lord.
Let's take a deeper look at these three traps as well. It almost looks like God is saying the same thing three times here, but there are differences that should be noted. The word snare is the Greek pagis, which means "properly, of snares in which birds are entangled and caught" [2]. This is a trap that catches the victim unaware. Suddenly the trap is sprung and they are caught. Remember how the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night? The word pagis is used only 5 times in the New Testament: Luke 21:35, Rom 11:9, 1 Tim 3:7, 6:9, and 2 Tim 2:26.
The word trap is the Greek thera, which means a hunting, or an entrapment, or a means of capturing [3]. Doesn't that fit well with prosperity? Isn't it easier to forget about God when all seems to be going well? Materialism is a dangerous path to be on. The prosperity of the wicked will be the means of capturing them for that day. This is the only time the word thera appears in the New Testament.
The word stumblingblock is the Greek skandalon. See the English word scandal in there? Skandalon has this definition: properly, the trigger of a trap (the mechanism closing a trap down on the unsuspecting victim); (figuratively) an offense, putting a negative cause-and-effect relationship into motion. [1] Putting all of these three things together, the prosperity of the wicked will will act as the trigger for punishment, as well as be the means of capturing, and it will come upon them unaware. God does say that He will judge them according to their works in Rev 20:11-15, and that judgement is not a pleasant one as it determines the degree of torment in the lake of the fire. That will be their recompense.
Romans 11:10
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
God finishes the quote with Psalm 69:23. The eyes of the wicked will not be able to see the truth in this life, but they will bow down to God and acknowledge Him as God. That's something that may not be clear in the old English. Despite the wickedness of the wicked and being destined to punishment, they will, without a doubt, acknowledge who God is. They will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord (Phil 2:10-11).
There is a definite article missing here because the English would sound goofy. It says Let the eyes of the them be darkened not to see. God is pointing out that this blindness is for those who reject Him by choice. Even so, everyone will bow before God. The word alway here is the Greek dia pantos. It literally means through all things.
Romans 11:11
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.
The next logical question in this is has Israel then stumbled as a nation that they might fall? That is, should they no longer be a part of God's plan? They have stumbled due to unbelief and received that spirit of blindness and deafness, so are they now out of the picture altogether? Paul's familiar answer in this epistle: May it never be! He answers immediately what God's purpose of this was. Through this fall, salvation is to the nations for the point of provoking Israel to jealousy.
The English again is a good translation, but there are important subtle differences in the Greek. The word fall is two different words. First, in the question "they should fall," the Greek word is pipto and it does mean to fall down. The second "fall" is the Greek paraptoma, a compound word of para (close beside) and pipto. That time it has the idea of a false step or trespass. It's a falling away from being close beside. They aren't completely scratched out of God's plan, but the spotlight has shifted. A dispensational change took place for a season. God will explain more of this in this chapter.
Note well the purpose of this dispensation. It is to provoke God's chosen people Israel to jealousy. What better way to get the attention of Israel, a nation that was given specific divine promises, than to give all the other nations divine promises while withholding Israel's specific promises? We have all the spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ (Eph 1:3) through faith in what Christ did for us (Eph 2:8-9, 1 Cor 15:3-4). That's what the gospel of grace given to the apostle Paul is. Anyone anywhere can put their faith in Christ and His finished work and be saved from sin and death. Before this dispensation, Gentiles had to go through Israel to have any hope in God at all. See how that will make them jealous? Rest assured, they will get their promises too, but only after this season of grace to the Gentiles is complete.
One last thing to note are the definite articles here. It is the salvation, and the them (provoke the them to jealousy). It is clear this is Israel, and that they will be jealous of the salvation coming to the Gentiles, especially since it is obtained through a different means. Salvation from sin and death comes through faith apart from works, whereas they had to have faith and work out the Law of Moses or be cut off.
Romans 11:12
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?
This statement should get all believers excited. Honestly, we have such an awesome gospel in that we are saved from sin and death by placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, who will raise us from the dead and give us a body like unto His glorious body. There is so much we have "In Christ" and I encourage all believers to seriously study Ephesians 1-3 to understand a bulk of it. It's all over Paul's epistles, but that is a good concise summary in my opinion. As great as this is, can you imagine what it will be like when all Israel is saved? God is bringing us to understand that this isn't even as good as it gets. Yes, we will go to Heaven to be with the Lord forever, whether we are alive or dead (1 Thess 4:13-18). But that's not the end. First Israel will go through their 70th week of tribulation (Dan 9:27, Jer 30:7), have their earthly kingdom (Rev 20:1-6), and then the fullness of Israel will come to be.
How amazing and breathtaking will bit be to witness the new Heaven and Earth (Rev 21:1-5)? Right now all the nations have this gospel, the power of God unto salvation, which is described as riches here. There will be unbelievers during the tribulation and Millennial kingdom. But after that, EVERYONE will be believers, there will be no more fighting, sin, nor death. How wonderful will that be?
This verse is spot on with the Greek. There are still some things to point out for clarity. The "if" here is "ei" again. The word for "fall" is paraptoma like in verse 11. The word for "diminishing" is hettema and has the idea of shortcoming, defeat, or failure. The word for "fulness" is pleroma, which has the idea of filling up full to completion.
Romans 11:13
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
If we ever have a business card call out for the apostle Paul, it's this verse right here. He is the apostle to the Gentiles. It began with Paul as the first apostle of the gospel of the uncircumcision in Acts 13. that's why he can call it his (Rom 2:16, 16:25, 1 Cor 9:18, 1 Tim 1:11, 2 Tim 2:8).
The Greek adds even more emphasis. Here we find the phrase eimi ego, which literally means I am, I. A similar phrase was used by Jesus Christ when He stated He was God in John 8:58. The only difference is the word order, because Jesus said I, I am (ego eimi). Paul here says, "I am I, the apostle of the Gentiles."
Want some more emphasis here? The Greek is full of it. The KJV doesn't include the words hosos (how much), men (indeed), and oun (therefore). Also, the word "for" at the beginning is our familiar "de" of the Greek. So if we're going for a literal interpretation of this verse, it is like this:
To you, now, I am speaking to the Gentiles, inasmuch as how much indeed therefore I am I, the apostle of the Gentiles, the ministry of me I magnify.
I do hope it is ridiculously clear that Paul had a special ministry, even by this verse alone. Paul is not part of the 12 apostles to Israel. He really is the apostle to the Gentiles with the gospel of the grace of God to build the Body of Christ, which consists of Jew and Gentile (1 Cor 12:12-13, Gal 3:28, Eph 2:11-18). That is a doctrine that is unique to him and clearly was one given by Jesus Christ Himself (Gal 1:11-12).
Romans 11:14
If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
The context here goes back to verse 11. Paul is really emphasizing his position as the apostle to the Gentiles, that he has a different doctrine, and the purpose of that is to rile up the flesh and have Israel be saved. In general, the Jews were stuck in their works. They kept the Law, but they didn't seek salvation by faith (Rom 9:32). That was their problem and why they didn't obtain what they were looking for. They went after the righteousness which is out of the Law and not the righteousness which is of God.
Paul made it quite clear that his heart's desire to have Israel, which is of the flesh, be saved. Through this doctrine committed unto him, he will by any means provoke them to jealousy that some may be saved.
There are a few things to note in the Greek. If is the Greek ei. The word to provoke to jealousy is the same here as in verse 11. There is the Greek preposition ek, which is translated of here, but could more accurately be "out of." Some will be saved out of Israel. The English here is helpful, but there are extra words. It literally says, "If at all I will provoke to jealousy the flesh of me and will save some out of them." This verse is an accurate translation, which is back up by verse 1 of this chapter. Paul isn't saying to save some out of his own flesh, which is just the one person - him. That wouldn't make much sense.
Romans 11:15
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?
So what awaits Israel? They were cast away or rejected by God due to their unbelief. That brought about this dispensation of God's grace to build the Body of Christ through the apostle Paul. Now we have the mystery revealed that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor 5:19). He made the world save-able and holds the gift of salvation out to all who will believe in Him and the finished work He did through Christ on the cross of Calvary. That's what the rejecting of Israel brought in, so what about when all Israel is saved? Clearly it means life from the dead.
The word if here is the Greek ei and could be better rendered as "since." For since the casing away of them... The Greek also asks a bit of a different question, though it is the same concept. The literal translation is "what will the receiving of them be if not life out of the dead?" The Greek ei appears in the "if not" part there, saying that this is a fact that is coming. Again, when all Israel is saved, God is making the new Heaven and Earth where there will be no more death, because the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Cor 15:22-26).
Romans 11:16
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
I love it when God gives us a picture to help us understand Him and what He is doing. We are introduced to this picture in this verse, so it is just the concept we are to understand for now and it's pretty straight forward. If the firstfruit is holy then the whole mixture is holy. In case that one wasn't clear, God gives another picture. If the root is holy, then any branch of that root is holy. In other words, if the source is holy, everything else from that source is holy.
The only thing in the Greek to point out is that both "ifs" here are "ei."
Romans 11:17
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;
Another case of an unfortunate verse break. I don't understand why they stop in the middle of a thought. We get the beginning of it here using the picture given in verse 16. We are given that the root is holy. Some branches are broken off. Who could those be? We are told that "thou" is a wild tree graffed in to take part of that holy root and the fatness of it. We also see it's an olive tree. All of this should make it clear that Christ is the root and Israel were the broken off branches. The "thou" here can be understood by how this epistle is addressing. It is an individual the Gentiles in Rome that Paul is writing to. Each one that believed in Paul's gospel now partakes of that root, which is Christ. Note that only some of the branches were broken. Not all Israel was unbelieving. There was always a remnant of the faithful. We'll get more to the point of the picture in the next verses up to verse 21.
The verse starts off with ei de in the Greek, or "Since now." The next "and" is also "de" to add emphasis that after those branches (Unbelieving Israel) were broken off, now you. The wild olive tree is what the Greek word means, but to be clear this is talking of an uncultivated tree. That should be the picture that "wild" brings to mind, but think of it in the spiritual sense. There was no cultivation before this point. There was no life from the root, so there was no good fruit. But now there is life after being grafted in to the root and taking part in the fatness of the tree.
Something that may be missed from the original language is how this verse ends. It literally says, "and a fellow partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive tree have become." I feel this is the Romans version of Ephesians 2:11-18.
Romans 11:18
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Now knowing the spiritual application of this picture, the command should make complete sense. Don't boast against Israel. Don't talk down to them because they were set aside in unbelief. Keep in mind that you are a branch and not the root. You depend on that root, which is Christ. God chose the nation Israel, and He will keep every word spoken concerning them.
The verse is spot on with the Greek.
Romans 11:19
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Doesn't God know us well? Isn't is the natural response of this command saying something like, "Hey, God did that so I can be part of His Body! It was all their fault! He did it for me." Being the father of some young children, I am often reminded of the childish responses to commands that shouldn't be hard to follow. It is so natural to think to the self and not to others. That's why we're told to think on others and not ourselves to be set apart from the world (Phil 2:1-4).
This verse is spot on with the Greek. The old English "that" could be rendered "in order that" for clarity, but the meaning is there.
Romans 11:20
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Right away we may miss the meaning of the first word in the old English. This word well means what was previously said was right or good. It's the adverb form of kalos in the Greek, which does mean good. There are several instances of this in the New Testament, like Matthew 15:7 or Luke 20:29. In the context here, Paul is acknowledging that yes, the branches were broken off that the wild branch may be grafted in. But he quickly follows up with the reason why. You, the Gentile, stand by faith. They, Israel, were broken off because they didn't have their faith in the right spot. So don't be puffed up about that, but be respectful of God and of them. And whoever made the verse breaks will keep us in suspense until the next verse as to why to show this fear.
The Greek is more emphatic than the English here. It says, "Rightly so. They were broken off by the unbelief. Now (de) you stand by the faith." Note the importance of faith. Faith has always been required to be saved from sin and death since the fall of man in Genesis. Then after this are the two imperatives. Be not high-minded, but rather be afraid. That is the Greek phobeo there, where we get our word phobia from.
Romans 11:21
For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
So why are we to be afraid? Because Israel was intended to be God's chosen nation. They were the ones that were given all the oracles of God (Rom 3:2). Despite that, their unbelief caused God to not spare them, but cast them aside. If He did that to Israel, we Gentiles ought to respect that and not boast of against Israel, because God could choose to cast aside us...again. We went over this in Romans 1 and what the world looked like at that time. Just re-read verses 28-32. The Gentiles knew of God, but rejected Him anyway and chose to engage in sinful activity. Not only they, but they had pleasure in others doing sinful acts as well. Kind of sounds like the world today, doesn't it?
God won't usher in a new dispensation. This doctrine given to Paul is it as it fills up full the word of God (Col 1:25). What this verse should do is give us pause and think where our faith is at. If it's in Christ, we ought to behave like Christ and seek to save the lost by sharing the message of reconciliation with them.
The "if" here is ei once more. It is definite fact that God did not spare the natural branches (Israel). They have been set aside in unbelief for a season as we'll see in verses 25 and 32. The last half of this verse is quite emphatic in the Greek as well. It literally translates to, "not how not now will He spare you?" It may be better understood as, "How will He not spare even you?" The Greek does have the double negative there, which is goofy in the English, but clearly is showing how important it is to heed this warning of God.
Romans 11:22
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.
So then we can see how kind and loving God is, but also at the same time that He is just. Israel constantly rejected God to the point where He cast them aside in unbelief. Note Romans 10:21. They had many chances, but by choice wanted to be apart from God. Because of their fall, God brought salvation to the Gentiles through the gospel He gave to the apostle Paul (Rom 11:11). Now, this grace can be enjoyed by all who come to the faith in the gospel, that Jesus paid the sin debt in full through His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15:3-4) and that no works are required (Eph 2:8-9). But if one hears of the gospel and doesn't "continue" in the gospel, or put their faith in God and the finished work of Christ, they will be cut off. There is a day coming where God will say that enough is enough. The rapture of the church, the Body of Christ will take place and those that are left behind and heard the gospel will endure the tribulation with strong delusion to believe the Antichrist (2 Thess 2:1-12). Their fate is the lake of the fire. Please don't let that be you.
It is important to note that the "if' here in the Greek is eav, which is the conditional and not factual if. That word for "continue" is epimeno, a compound word of epi (upon) and meno (persist). Continue works as an English translation, but let it be known that once one hears of the gospel of God's grace and chooses not to persist upon putting faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, they will not be saved from sin and death. Don't hear me wrong here. I'm not saying that once someone believes and chooses to walk away from the faith, they will lose salvation. God is clear that once someone genuinely believes in God's grace through Jesus Christ, they are saved, guaranteed, sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14). What I mean is that everyone is presented the same choice. Either believe and be saved or don't and be damned.
For those that don't believe, the Greek here is quite emphatically clear. The word for "otherwise" is the Greek epei, which we already looked at in detail in verse 6. For those that don't believe, it is a fact that they will be cut off. Cut off from what? A life with God. They will have a life in the lake of the fire, which is an eternity separated from God and without hope of ever getting better. Again, don't let that be you. Just let God save you by placing your faith in Him. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved (Acts 16:31).
Romans 11:23
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
This is a great reminder. Even though Israel didn't believe and was cast aside for a season doesn't mean God outright doomed them to Hell. If (conditionally) they choose to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that He paid their sin debt, they too will be saved. All come to salvation under the same terms in this age, through faith in Jesus Christ. God is more than capable of saving anyone who believes in Him.
The only thing to point out in the Greek here is the definite articles for the unbelief and the God.
Romans 11:24
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 case we didn't understand that God has the power and ability to do such a thing, we are reminded of the picture introduced in this chapter. Gentiles were afar off from the promises of God and without hope (Eph 2:11-12). But now by putting faith in who God is and what He has done through Jesus Christ and His shed blood, Gentiles are brought near to God into the Body of Christ (Eph 2:18). There is no difference for the Jew to obtain salvation from sin and death, because Christ died for all and there is now no difference (Gal 3:28).
This verse is pretty much word for word with the Greek.
Romans 11:25
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.
Here is a pivotal statement in scripture. There is more emphasis in the Greek that proves this as a dispensational statement as well. Up until this point, we've seen a couple of chapters of the case against Israel and how much God loves them and still cares for them. As a nation, they have rejected God, so here we see that God has caused them blindness until a certain point in time. That time is given the description of the "fulness of the Gentiles."
We were just shown that this is temporary with the picture of the olive tree. We, the Gentiles, were grafted in to the root, to Jesus Christ, though the Gentiles were not part of that in the dispensation of the gospel of the Circumcision. Only Israel was "near" while the Gentiles were "afar off." Consider Ephesians 2:1-3 and 11-12
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world
That was the position of Gentiles in the gospel of the Circumcision. But God has changed all of that. Note in Ephesians 2 that the verses right after these both start off in contrast. Verse four starts off with "but God" and verse 13 starts with "but now in Christ Jesus." A change has taken place. In the gospel of the Uncircumcsion, it doesn't matter who you are, you come to salvation from sin and death the same way: placing your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your atonement (1 Cor 15:1-4, Gal 3:28). Note what we already looked at back in Romans chapter 3:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God
Also in 2 Cor 5:19 - To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
God made the world save-able through Jesus Christ shedding His blood on the cross. His grace is sufficient to save from sins upon all who believe (Rom 3:22).
With all of that said, we get to this conclusion and the reasoning why in chapters 9-11:24, that Israel has been blinded for a season. Also prayerfully study Acts 13 to see the transition take place on the chronological scale. Acts 13 is when the Body of Christ and the doctrine of the gospel of the Uncircumcision was unleashed through Saul who became Paul. Acts 13:38-39 is the FIRST time in scripture where the Law of Moses is used in a negative. The name of Peter, who led the gospel of the Circumcision, is used some 56 times in Acts 1-12. It is used once after (chapter 15), whereas Paul is clearly in the spotlight. God makes it very clear that there is change of house rules, or dispensations.
Now note the Greek here to add to the emphasis. There are key definite articles that are missing from the KJV. The verse starts off like this:
For I do not desire you to be ignorant, brethren, of this the mystery.
What is the mystery? It's the unique doctrine given to the apostle Paul. The proof that it is unique to Paul is overwhelming. Consider these verses, though there are more: Rom 16:25, 1 Cor 2:1-3,7 (testimony = mystery), Eph 1:7-12, 3:1-9, 6:19-20, Col 1:24-27, etc. The reason the Holy Spirit inspires Paul to be so emphatic to make known the mystery is given right afterward:
For I do not desire you to be ignorant, brethren, of this the mystery, in order that you might not be wise in yourselves.
Remember what God just told us in verses 18-20 not to boast against those of Israel that were cut off? It is reiterated here that we don't become wise in ourselves, or wise in our own conceits as the KJV puts it. Israel has been blinded or hardened until the fullness of the Gentiles. This is the same word for "blinded/hardened" in Rom 11:7. Note carefully what it says there in verse 7 because it is said again here. The election, the true Israel obtained righteousness through faith plus works, but the rest were hardened. Similarly, God tells us in Rom 11:25 that a hardening from a part of the Israel has happened until the fullness of the Gentiles may come in.
The word translated "in" is "apo" in the Greek, which really has the meaning away from. The hardening is away from of part of the Israel. The phrase "cut off" comes to my mind when reading into this. Those that were cut off from Israel are who are being talked about here. They are hardened in their choice of unbelief until the fullness of the Gentiles, or the rapture event, occurs. Then Israel will be in the spotlight once more for the Tribulation period, after which is the millennial kingdom that was promised in Exodus 19:5-6, and all Israel shall be saved (Jer 31:31-34) as we shall see in the next verse.
Romans 11:26
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:
All Israel will be saved after the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. It was alluded to in verse 25 but now God quotes Himself in Isaiah 59:20 to establish His truth. Note well the timeline: Israel was the spotlight, then hardness in part (portion) has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles (rapture). Israel will go through the Tribulation to fill up the transgression (Dan 9:24-27), then have their promised kingdom (Exodus 19:5-6, Rev 20:1-6) and all Israel will be saved.
This verse is spot on with the Greek.
Romans 11:27
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
This verse combines the quote from Isaiah 59:21 and 7:9. Again, God is telling us that there will be a day when all iniquity is purged. He says that this will take place after the rapture and tribulation period events.
Romans 11:28
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
This is something very important to note and consider. Who is the "they" here? It is Israel. Why are they enemies concerning the gospel? Seriously consider that question. There are some that say that there is one big gospel that is progressively revealed in scripture. If that is true, why is Israel now an enemy when they were God's chosen nation? And then how can they be beloved at the same time? Consider these questions especially in conjunction with the next verse. They are enemies concerning the gospel because it is contrary to the gospel given to them. That's right, there is more than one gospel presented in the bible. Prayerfully consider Galatians 2:7 if you are not convinced by this point.
The question should be which gospel are they enemies? Who is the "your" here? Remember, this epistle was written to the saints in Rome (Romans 1:7). They are the saints according to the gospel given to Paul, the gospel of the uncircumcision in Galatians 2:7. Israel is considered enemies according to the gospel given to Paul to the saints of that gospel because we do not keep the Law of Moses. We today are saved from faith apart from works and justified by the work of Christ, which is His shed blood on the cross of Calvary (Rom 3-4). Yet Israel is beloved because of the father's sakes. Who are the fathers? The same ones reiterated several times in the Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel is beloved for their sake because of the promises given them. As we will see in the next verse, Israel still has some promises coming.
The same Greek word is translated different ways in this verse, and that word is the preposition kata. Kata has the meaning of according to or down from. The verse could be rendered this way:
Indeed (men) according to (kata) the gospel, [they are] enemies to your account. Now (de) according to (kata) the election, [they are] beloved to the father's account.
If you want a completely literal version without those pesky perentheses, here it is:
Indeed according to the gospel, enemies to your account. Now according to the election, beloved to the father's account.
To understand these verses properly, we must rightly divide the Word of Truth (2 Tim 2:15).
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
God's word will not return to Him void (Isa 55:11). He promised Israel many things that haven't happened yet, but they will take place. They will take place after this dispensation of God's grace is done, after the snatching away of the church which is His Body (1 Thess 4:13-5:11).
The word for gifts here is from the Greek charisma, meaning they are the graces of God. The only other thing to point out in the Greek is the definite article to denote the God.
Romans 11:30
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
We're introduced to part one of a two part point that will be completed in the next verse. This is another instance of an unfortunate verse break. Note the phrase "in times past" and "yet have now...through their unbelief." What time periods are being talked about? Again, we can look at Ephesians chapter 2 for backup. Verses 1 through 3 shows the unbelieving Gentile's position within the dispensation of of the gospel of the uncircumcision. Verses 11 and 12 however, tell us of the unbelieving Gentile's position within the dispensation of the circumcision. It is that time that are in reference here in the "times past." How can I say that? Because it was through their (Israel's) unbelief that Gentiles have now obtained mercy, or had mercy shown them. God told us that in Romans 11:25. Blindness has happened until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
The first word of this verse in the Greek bears pointing out. It is the compound word hosper. Hos means "just as" and per means "indeed." So hosper has the idea of being exactly like. This gives further credence to my statement earlier, how Gentiles were blinded in unbelief during the dispensation of the gospel of the circumcision. Only those that were proselytized to Israel were saved. So, just like that was and now the Gentiles have obtained mercy through the setting aside of Israel, we'll see the reciprocal of that in the verse.
The other little words to point out are "nyn" and "de" occurring right after the word God. Literally, it would be "now, now." It could be rendered, "Now in the present..." See the emphasis God is putting there? There is a major difference in this age compared to the dispensation of the gospel of the circumcision. Things changed chronologically in Acts 13 to usher in the age of the gopel of the uncircumcision. We see God's ultimate conclusion of this in verse 32.
One more thing to say, there is a definite article present for the God.
Romans 11:31
Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Combining this verse with what we just read, we see the broad picture God is telling us. Just like how the unbelieving Gentiles were given mercy when Israel was hardened for a season, unbelieving Israel may obtain mercy in the same way. In this age, God broke down the wall that was between Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:14-18). The conclusion of them in unbelief has opened up another door of salvation to them, for there is no difference, all come to salvation in the Body of Christ the same way, through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Eph 2:16, Gal 3:28, 1 Cor 12:12-14, 15:1-4).
The Greek word for "now" here is "nyn" which has the idea of in the present time. The Greek word for "not believed" is in the Aorist tense, meaning that it happened in the past at some point and is continuing to the present. Israel chose not to believe in God and His Messiah and were hardened in part (verse 25). They are presently unbelieving so that they can see salvation to the Gentiles, be provoked to jealousy, and come back to the true faith (verses 11, 25, and 31).
Romans 11:32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Why did God usher in the dispensation of the mystery? In order to extend His love, mercy, and compassion to everyone that believes in Him. The free gift of salvation is available to all. It is up to each individual what to do with it. Either receive it, or reject it.
This verse has three important definite articles. It more literally reads like this:
For the God has concluded the all to (eis) unbelief in order that the all might be shown mercy.
This verse aligns perfectly with 1 Tim 2:4, that it is and always has been God's will that everyone be saved and come to the accurate knowledge of the truth.
Romans 11:33
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!
Isn't this gospel we have awesome? After all the struggle of the spiritual battle throughout history, God has solidified a way of salvation to all who believe. He thwarted Satan at every turn by the power of His word, and now has made manifest salvation from sin and death which man brought into the world. Through His amazing wisdom and grace, He set all of this up by coordinating everything throughout the universe. Is that not mind blowing? But none of these things are too hard for the Lord our God (Jer 32:17).
The Greek reads differently than the KJV puts it. The word "both" should really be "and" since it is the Greek kai. The phrase "past finding out" fits, but the word is anexichniastos and has the idea of being untraceable or untrackable. the verse literally is this:
O the depths of [the] riches and of [the]wisdom and of [the] knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways untraceable!
What is really amazing to think about is that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10), and upon placing our faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). We can be filled with His knowledge and understand the truth after salvation if we're willing to let Him teach us!
Romans 11:34
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
Could anyone have honestly thought this way of salvation up? Could anyone design life in the way it is? Of course not. These questions are rhetorical to show that our Lord's ways are past finding out. No one instructed Him how to do what He has done.
This verse is word for word with the Greek.
Romans 11:35
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Another rhetorical question for us to know the attributes of our God better. These last two verses should give us inspiration to sing praise unto our God. What a wonderful God we serve! What an amazing Savior we have in Jesus Christ! Remember, He is for us, so who could be against us (Rom 8:31-34)? Praise the Lord!
Romans 11:36
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Paul brings his praise to God in this closing verse of chapter 11. Everything is from God and circles back to God. It's all His. Nothing originated from man or woman. For this reason, His name will be glorified to the ages.
The Greek is only slightly different here. There is a definite article to denote the all things. The word "of" is from the Greek "ek" and could be rendered "out of ." Both times we see the word "to" here it is the Greek "eis" which means to the point of. Finally, the phrase "for ever" is more literally "to the ages." With all that in mind, here is a more literal translation:
For the all things are out of Him and through Him and to Him. To Him be the glory to the ages! Amen.
References:
HELPS Word-studies [1]
Thayer's Greek Lexicon [2]
Strong's Concordance [3]
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