11:2Elijah was a great reforming prophet who challenged the northern kingdom of Israel to repent. See his Profile in 1 Kings 17, p. 545 for more information.
Life Application Study BibleRomansChapter 11
Romans 11
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1914, 1915, 1916
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11Romans 11
1All day long I opened my arms to them,but they were disobedient and rebellious.”*
God's Mercy on Israel
1 1 lask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3“LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”* 4And do you remember God's reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”* 5]t is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel* have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God's kindness, then itis not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. 7So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.
8As the Scriptures say,“God has put them into a deep sleep.To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,and closed their ears so they do not hear.”*
9Likewise, David said,“Let their bountiful table become a snare,a trap that makes them think all is well.Let their blessings cause them to stumble,and let them get what they deserve.
10Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.”* 1Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.!#Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. 10:21 Isa 65:2 (Greek version). 11:3 1 Kgs 19:10, 14. 11:41 Kgs 19:18. 11:5 Greek fora remnant. 11:8 Isa 29:10; Deut 29:4. 11:9-10 Ps 69:22-23 (Greek version). 13I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 16And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. 17But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. 18But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. 18“ Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t* spare you either. 22Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue fo trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. 24You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
Goa’s Mercy Is for Everyone
2525I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,* so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
26And so all Israel will be saved. As theScriptures say,“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,*and he will turn Israel* away from ungodliness.
27And this is my covenant with them,that I will take away their sins.”*
28Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share* in God’s mercy. 32For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone. 33Qh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34For who can know the LORD’s thoughts?Who knows enough to give him advice?*
35And who has given him so muchthat he needs to pay it back?*
36For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
B. HOW TO BEHAVE (12:1—16:27)
Moving from the theological to the practical, Paul gives guidelines for living as a redeemed people in a fallen world. We are to give ourselves to Christ as living sacrifices, obey the government, love our neighbors, and take special care of those who are weak in the faith. He closes with personal remarks. Throughout this section, we learn how to live our faith each day. 1. Personal responsibility
Textual footnotes
Life Application Notes 11 notes
11:2God chose the Jews (“his own people”) to be the people through whom the rest of the world could find salvation. But this did not mean the entire Jewish nation would be saved; only those who were faithful to God were considered true Jews (11:5). We are saved through faith in Christ, not because we are part of a nation, religion, or family. On whom or on what are you depending for salvation?
11:6Do you think it’s easier for God to love you when you're good? Do you secretly suspect that God chose you because you deserved it? Do you think some people's behavior is so bad that God couldn't possibly save them? If you ever think this way, you don’t entirely understand that salvation is by grace, a free gift. It cannot be earned, in whole or in part; it can only be accepted with thankfulness and praise.
11:7“The hearts of the rest were hardened” was God's punishment for their sin. It was a confirmation of their own stubbornness.
11:11ffPaul had a vision of a church where all Jewish and Gentile believers would be united in their love of God and in obedience to Christ. While respecting God's law, this ideal church would look to Christ alone for salvation. A person’s ethnic background and social status would be irretevant (see Galatians 3:28). What mattered would be his or her faith in Christ. But Paul’s vision has not yet been realized. For the most part, Jewish people have rejected the Good News. They have depended on their heritage for salvation, and they do not have the heart of obedience that was so important to the Old Testament prophets and to Paul. Once Gentiles became dominant in many of the Christian churches, they began rejecting Jews and even persecuting them. Unfortunately, this practice has recurred through the centuries. True Christians should not persecute others. Both Gentiles and Jews have done so much to damage the cause of Christ, whom they claim to serve, that Paul’s vision often seems impossible to fulfill. Yet God chose the Jews, just as he chose the Gentiles, and he is still working to unite all believers so they become a holy temple where God lives by his Spirit (see Ephesians 2:11-22).
11:13-15Paul was appointed as an apostle to the Gentiles. He reminded his Jewish brothers and sisters of this fact, hoping that they, too, would want to be saved. The Jews rejected God’s Offer, and, thus, Gentiles were being offered salvation. But when a Jew comes to Christ, there is great rejoicing, as if a dead person has come back to life.
11:16-24Speaking to Gentile Christians, Paul warns them not to feel superior because some Jews were rejected. Abraham's faith is like the root of a productive tree, and the Jewish people are the tree’s natural branches. Because of faithlessness, some of the Jews have been broken off, and Gentile believers, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. Both Jews and Gentiles share the tree’s nourishment based on faith in God; neither can rest on heritage or culture for salvation.
11:22“Continue to trust in his kindness” refers to steadfast perseverance in faith. Steadfastness is a proof of the reality of faith and a by-product of salvation, not a means to it.
11:26Some say the phrase “and so all Israel will be saved” means that the majority of Jews in the final generation before Christ’s return will turn to Christ for salvation. Others say that Paul is using the term /srae/to refer to the “spiritual” nation of Israel, which is comprised of Jews and Gentiles who have received salvation through faith in Christ. Thus, “all israel” (or all believers) will receive God’s promised gift of salvation. Still others say that “all Israel” means Israel as a whole will have a role in Christ’s Kingdom. The Jews’ identity as a people won't be discarded. God chose the nation of (srael, and he has never rejected it. He also chose the church, through Jesus Christ, and he will never reject it either. This does not mean, of course, that all Jews or all church members will be saved. It is possible to be Jewish or to belong to a church without ever responding in faith. But just because some people have rejected Christ does not mean that God stops working with either Israel or the church. He continues to offer salvation freely to all. Still others say that the phrase “and so” means “in this way” or “this is how,” referring to the necessity of faith in Christ.
11:28-32In this passage Paul shows how the Jews and the Gentiles benefit each other. Whenever God shows mercy to one group, the other shares the blessing. In God’s original plan, the Jews would be the source of God’s blessing te the Gentiles (see Genesis 12:3). When the Jews neglected this mission, God blessed the Gentiles anyway through the Jewish Messiah. He still maintained his love for the Jews because of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The privileges and invitation of God given to Israel will never be withdrawn. But someday all faithful Jews will share in God's mercy. God's plans will not be thwarted: He will “have mercy on everyone.” For a beautiful picture of Jews and Gentiles experiencing rich blessings, see Isaiah 60.
11:34-36The implication of these questions is that no one has fully understood the mind of the LORD. No one has been his counselor. And God owes nothing to any one of us. Isaiah and Jeremiah asked similar questions to show that we are unable to give advice to God or criticize his ways (Isaiah 40:13: Jeremiah 23:18). God alone is the possessor of absolute power and absolute wisdom. tn the final analysis, all of us are absolutely dependent on God. He is the source of all things, including ourselves. He is the power that sustains and rules the world that we live in. And God works out all things to bring glory to himself. The all-powerful God deserves our praise.
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11:26a Greek from Zion.