Good morning, Bereans. We are continuing our study in Romans 11. When dealing with the subject of Israel in the Scripture, what is the most important thing to understand about Israel? I'll give you a hint.
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, Romans 9:6 ESV
So, what is the most important thing to understand? There are TWO ISRAELS! So, when we see the word Israel in Scripture we always have to ask: Which Israel? Is it referring to national Israel or to spiritual Israel? This distinction is critical to a correct understanding of Scripture.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Hebrews 8:10 ESV
Is this promise to national Israel or to spiritual Israel? He writes his laws on their hearts and they shall be his people. This is not national Israel but spiritual Israel, the believing remnant of national Israel.
Let's get into Romans 11. One of the interesting things about Romans chapter 11 is the reactions of many of the outstanding expositors of the Word of God to it.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon has a number of studies in the preceding chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, but when he came to Romans 9, 10, and 11, he provided very few sermons based upon them. Sadly, he included no studies at all on Romans chapter 11. Why is this? It is because for a large part of his life, Spurgeon was troubled over whether Israel really had a future at all.
Alexander McLaren is another of the great expositors of the word of God. He has eleven studies on Romans chapter 8 in his expositions of the Scriptures. However, there is nothing on Romans 9, 10, or 11. Then he has 12 studies on Romans chapter 12 as he goes on the through the Epistle to the Romans.
So many commentators don't touch Romans 11, but the majority of those who do see it as promising a future for ethnic Israel. John Murray, perhaps the premier Calvinistic exegete of the 20th century, stated that Romans chapter 11 predicts very plainly an ethnic future for the nation Israel.
What would a future for ethnic Israel look like? There is no ethnic Israel.
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. Romans 11:1 ESV
Who are "His people"? Is it the nation Israel? Many say that it is, but I think it is a reference to the remnant within the nation Israel. They are a people that He called, a people that He predetermined to love, a people that He chose. The nation as a whole was never His people. His people are the elect remnant—those foreknown within the nation. Let's look at some Scripture:
"You are the sons of the LORD your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 14:1-2 ESV
Does this refer to the whole nation? Were all members of the nation "sons of Yahweh"? Look at Deuteronomy 32.
They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. Deuteronomy 32:5 ESV
The 'no longer' is not in the text. The verse simply states that "they are not his Children." The non-elect were not his children.
"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, Deuteronomy 7:6-7 ESV
Is the whole nation loved and chosen of Yahweh?
For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols. When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel. Psalms 78:58-59 ESV
Did Yahweh reject His elect, those whom He had chosen? No. This is speaking of the nation. Yahweh's people are the remnant, in other words, they are those within the nation of Israel whom He has chosen for His own. As Paul teaches us in Romans 9:6, "For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel." Within national Israel is the true Israel, the chosen remnant:
So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. Romans 11:5 ESV
John MacArthur writes: "The present time, as we've been learning, however, is a time when God is chastening the nation for their unbelief. It is not that He is putting them out of existence, it is that He is chastening them. And that's Paul's message in this chapter."
This chapter is not about "present day" Israel, it is about Israel in Paul's day. And Paul lived in the last days, so things were about to change very soon.
Remember that I said that Romans 11 subdivides into 11:1-10 and 11-32. Romans 11:1-10 asks: Can any Jews be saved? And Paul's answer is, "Yes." Then in 11:11-32, he asks: Can any more Jews be saved? And, again, Paul says, "Yes." In verses 11-15 we see the two-fold purpose of God as it relates to Jewish unbelief and Gentile conversion:
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Romans 11:11 ESV
"So I ask"—that little three-word phrase (the translation of a two-word phrase in the original text), is precisely the same as that which began the chapter: "I ask then." these are the two points of division in the chapter.
Who is the "they"? The "they" in verse 11 is corporate, ethnic Israel as a whole. As Romans 9:3 said: "[They are] 'accursed and cut off from Christ.'"
We need to realize that when Paul speaks of Israel, he is not speaking of every single Jew, but rather he addresses them corporately without implying all of them. We might say, "Americans have an entitlement mentality and are looking for a handout from the government." Does that mean every single American? Certainly not. But it does mean that such a statement reflects a sizeable group. That's how Paul uses Israel in our text when he refers to them by the plural pronoun.
"Did they stumble in order that they might fall?"—there is no question that Israel stumbled.
but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, Romans 9:31-32 ESV
And as we saw in our last study, they fell with the gravest consequences (11:7-10). Notice what Paul says in verse 22.
Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. Romans 11:22 ESV
The answer to Paul's question is "yes." They have stumbled and fallen—no question about it. What is their corporate transgression? The greatest sin Paul's people have been guilty of is rejecting their Messiah and taking part in His death.
"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, Acts 7:51-52 ESV
They (the nation) stumbled at the stumbling stone of the cross. They turned their back as a whole upon Yeshua the Christ, and, as a result, they have come under the discipline of God.
Put Paul says, "By no means!"—that is a false conclusion based upon a correct premise. How can Paul give a negative reply to this question? The sentence construction supplies the answer. The question is not, "Did they stumble and fall?" The answer to that question would be affirmative. The question is, "Did they stumble 'in order that' they should fall?" The word "in order that" is hina, which means "in order that." Paul is not stressing the stumbling and the fact of the falling, but he's looking at the purpose. Have they stumbled that they should fall and that be all? May it never be! The stress rests on the purpose of Israel's fall.
Virtually all commentators agree that the question, "Did they stumble in order that they might fall?" asks whether Israel's failure to obtain salvation is irrevocable and irreversible.
"Rather, through their trespass"—this is "but rather," which is purpose, through their transgression. " trespass"—here is from the Greek paraptoma. This is the same word Paul uses five times in Romans 5:15-20.
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, Romans 5:20 ESV
"The trespass"—is singular and is a reference to the singular transgression of Adam. Why would God want to increase sin? God gave the Law to Israel to show that men, all men, are sinners. If we had not fallen in Adam, each of us would have sinned personally and fallen. God was just to make Adam our federal head because just as Adam was given law and broke it so also Israel was given Law and broke it. Adam's sin, then, was duplicated by Israel and thus increased. They sinned in the likeness of Adam.
When Paul refers to "the trespass" he means that the Jewish nation (through its leaders) rejected Christ and eventually put Him to death on the cross:
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Yeshua of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Yeshua, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Acts 2:22-23 ESV
Therefore, Israel's trespass was their rejection and murder of their Messiah Yeshua.
And it was through their transgression that, "Salvation has come to the Gentiles"—the word "Gentiles" here is ethnos.
The hardening of Israel was not a capricious act on God's part. From eternity past, it was the will of God that through the disobedience and unbelief of Israel, the Gentiles would come to faith in God. Yahweh had a purpose in Israel's sin.
Many believers have a hard time understanding that Yahweh has a purpose in sin and unbelief. But He clearly does, as we see here and also in Joseph's abuse by his brothers by their selling of him into Egypt.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20 ESV
God meant their evil for good, and he meant Israel's evil for good also. And the first purpose for Israel's sin is Gentile salvation.
Through Israel's trespass, salvation has come to the nations. Before their stumbling Yahweh dealt with the human race through the nation Israel alone. Yeshua affirms this when he says to the Samaritan woman:
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. John 4:22 ESV
No Gentile could come to Yahweh unless they came through the nation Israel. That had now changed, as Yeshua made clear in the Gospels. After the centurion called upon Yeshua to heal his servant while confessing his unworthiness for Yeshua to come under his roof, Yeshua declared this man's faith greater than any He had found in Israel. Then He spoke piercing words of judgment.
I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 8:11-12 ESV
The salvation of Gentiles came about on a wide scale because of the fall of Israel and also by the spreading of the Gospel to the Gentiles. The saving of Gentiles was not an afterthought—it was part of the predetermined plan of God.
How did Israel's sin bring salvation to the Gentiles? First and foremost, their sin lead to the crucifixion of the Lord Yeshua the Christ, which, in turn, brought about salvation. But secondarily, Israel's sin drove Christians out of Israel. After Pentecost, Jewish believers settled into the routine of living as Christians in their homeland. No real efforts were made to take the Gospel beyond Judah. But then came persecution—not at the hand of Rome, but at the hand of the Jews. And Christians began to scatter!
And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Acts 8:1 ESV
The Jews hated Samaritans! But now Philip, a Jewish Christian, went to Samaria due to the transgression of the Jews in rejecting the Gospel. As he preached in Samaria, "there was much rejoicing in that city" because many came to faith in Christ (Acts 8:4ff.).
Then an Ethiopian believed the Gospel. Why did it happen? The Jews had transgressed by rejecting the Gospel that caused Philip to leave Jerusalem and be right where he needed to be to explain the Gospel to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-40).
Acts 11:19-30 tells the story of Jewish believers "who were scattered because of the persecution," making their way "to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch." Some spoke only to Jews.
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Yeshua. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. Acts 11:20-21 ESV
Why did it happen? Jewish rejection of the Gospel and the consequent persecution of Christians launched Jewish Christians into the world with the Gospel. In Yahweh's eternal purpose, the rejection of the Gospel by the Jews worked to the salvation of the Gentiles. But it doesn't end there. He goes on to say:
"So as to make Israel jealous"—this is quoted from Deuteronomy 32, The Song of Moses, which is a prediction of Israel's last days. Let's look at the context.
They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. Deuteronomy 32:5 ESV
This is not the best translation. The "no longer" is not in the original text. The CSB rendered it correctly as "they are not his children." This establishes the unbelief of Israel, verse 20 marks the judgment of God.
And he said, 'I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. Deuteronomy 32:20 ESV
Then the next verse, verse 21, is the one Paul quotes.
They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. Deuteronomy 32:21 ESV
God is telling Israel: "I'm going to turn to another people, another nation, a Gentile nation and bless them and provoke you to jealousy." This prediction of Moses could find its fulfillment only in the conversion of the Gentiles through the Gospel of Christ. They were the "no people" brought into intimate relationship with God. And the Jews should have remembered Deuteronomy 32 and repented. They should have seen the truth of the Gospel as it went out to the Gentiles.
"So as to make Israel jealous"—this is an infinitive with a preposition, indicating purpose. The purpose of Israel's stumbling was that the Gentiles would be saved and the Jews, in seeing their blessing going to the Gentiles, would be drawn by jealousy or envy. They would have a desire to possess what the Gentiles possessed in being blessed by God and, therefore, would come to salvation. The word "jealousy" here is used in a positive sense.
The unbelief of Israel, therefore, is ordained by God to promote the salvation of the Gentiles, which in turn would promote Jewish jealousy, leading to their salvation:
Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Romans 11:12 ESV
The method of argument in this verse was well-known in Judaism. If negative events bring positive results, then positive events would bring positive results of a greater magnitude. This is what is called an "a fortiori argument."
Let's focus on the term "riches" for a moment. In Romans 9:23, Paul refers to them as the "riches of his glory."
in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— Romans 9:23 ESV
"The riches of His glory" that God made known upon "vessels of mercy." That context obviously points to riches, meaning "the Gospel." He uses the verb form of "abounding in riches" in 10:12, in reference to the grace of God shown commonly to Jews and Greeks in the Gospel. So, when he speaks of "riches for the world" and "riches for the Gentiles" in verse 12, it is the riches of the Gospel that he has in mind.
"Full inclusion"—is from the Greek word pleroma, which means "completeness or totality." Some say that this refers to the restoration of national Israel. I think that's eisegeses. Let me ask you something. Does the New Testament justify the expectation of a future restoration and conversion of Israel as a nation? Yeshua spoke of the destruction, but He does not even hint at any prospective restoration of national Israel. I think the silence of Yeshua is significant.
I think that "full inclusion" here is referring to the age to come. This happens at the Parousia of Christ. This is restored Israel. This is Revelation 21 and 22. This is the New Covenant age. This is where we are today. We are living in the full inclusion.
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry Romans 11:13 ESV
It seems that beginning at verse 13 and continuing through verse 24 Paul is addressing especially the Gentile portion of the church at Rome. The majority of Gentile believers in Rome were probably proselytes. We need to understand a little bit of history here. In A.D. 49 the Roman Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome. We see this in Acts 18.
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, Acts 18:1-2 ESV
Why did Claudius kick all of the Jews out of Rome? The conflict between Jews and Jewish Christians in Rome was about who "Christ" was. To the Christians, Yeshua of Nazareth was the Christ. As a result of these disturbances, Claudius banished the Jews from Rome. This dismissal of the Jews from Rome had a significant effect on the Roman churches in that they became mainly Gentile. These Gentile house churches developed for a number of years apart from Jewish influence. But when Nero became emperor in A.D. 54, many Jews returned to Rome along with Jewish Christians. Paul probably wrote Romans in A.D. 55 or 56 when the Jews had just begun to return to Rome. The sudden influx of Jewish believers into the Gentile churches would have no doubt caused some tensions, to say the least.
The Roman Christians may have been ready to move on without any Jews in the church. And Paul, as an apostle to the Gentiles, is seeking to promote unity. So, he literally says, "I magnify my ministry
in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them." Romans 11:13b-14 ESV
Paul literally says, "If I might make my 'flesh' jealous and so save some of them." As we see in Romans 7, Paul uses "flesh" in talking about the Old Covenant mode of existence. The flesh is the body of Adam under the Old Covenant. Believers are not in the flesh; they are in the Spirit. Paul says that part of his ministry to the Gentiles is directed towards his "flesh," in other words, those Israelites living under the Old Covenant mode of existence.
"Thus save some of them"—the Greek word for "some" is tinas (τινας), which is the accusative plural form of the indefinite pronoun tis (τις), meaning "some," "certain ones," or "any." By using tinas ("some" rather than all), Paul acknowledges a realistic and sovereignly ordained outcome: There was and will always be only a remnant. Paul is not expecting that the entire nation of Israel will be saved through his ministry. He understands that the promise made to Abraham was that there would always be a true seed.
Now Paul is aware that only Yeshua can save, but he sees himself as an instrument that Yeshua uses to bring men to Himself. Salvation is of the Lord, but Yahweh works through His people.
I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. Philemon 1:10 ESV
I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Philemon 1:19 ESV
Paul is conveying that he had had brought them to Christ and they owed him.
For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? Romans 11:15 ESV
The "if" here is a first-class condition and could be translated "since." Who is the "their"? It is Israel. "Rejection"—is from the Greek word apobole. It means "repudiation, to throw from one's self." Compare this with verse 2.
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? Romans 11:2 ESV
As you compare these two verses, remember the principle of 9:6— "For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel." Yahweh has not rejected "His people," the remnant, but He has rejected Israel.
"Reconciliation of the world"—the accent is placed upon the action of Yahweh. Reconciliation implies that two parties are estranged, and in this case, they are at enmity with each other. It is an adversarial condition. We were God's adversaries; God was our adversary. Reconciliation implies that every barrier to the relationship, everything that hinders it, has been removed. We did not decide to reconcile ourselves to God.
Let's talk about "the world"—At the time of Yeshua, the Jews had to be taught that now, in this gospel age, the old ways of Judaism were quickly passing away, and salvation was being offered to all men everywhere in the world, to all types of men (not just the Jews) regardless of nationality or lineage. "World" does not mean every single person, but non-Jews.
If rejection of Israel has been able to occasion the reconciliation of the Gentiles, what will their acceptance do?
"What will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?"—the word "acceptance" here is proslepsis. It is found only here in the New Testament. Their acceptance will be "life from the dead," which is resurrection. What does Paul mean by "life from the dead"?
John MacArthur writes: "Life from the dead refers to the rebirth, if you will, of the nation and the rebirth of the world in the glory of the Kingdom. I think that's the proper way to interpret it… I believe it refers to national resurrection of the nation Israel to the place of blessing."
John Piper writes: "I take this to mean that when God's mission to the Gentiles is complete and the hardening of Israel is removed, then the Lord will come and the dead will be raised, and we will enter the kingdom with everlasting joy."
Tom Holland states: "The expression of "life from the dead" echoes Ezekiel 37, the vision of the valley of dry bones where Israel was resurrected. It spoke, of course, of her return from exile."
The acceptance of Israel, all Israel, which would be the remnant of Israel and the remnant of Judah, happens at the resurrection. It marks the end of the Old Covenant and the consummation of the New Covenant.
Paul taught that the resurrection was the hope of Israel.
And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? Acts 26:6-8 ESV
Israel's hope was to be restored into the presence of Yahweh. This was life.
Let's go to the text in the Tanakh that speaks of resurrection—Ezekiel 37. The historical context of this text is that the children of Israel have been carried off into Babylonian captivity, and the Babylonian captivity has assimilated into it the Assyrian captivity. Because the Babylonians destroyed the Assyrians, now all those that were in Assyrian captivity are now in Babylonian captivity.
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD." So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:1-10 ESV
The dead bones are a picture of death, separation from Yahweh. They are made to stand up. Then they come to life. This is resurrection.
Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. Ezekiel 37:11-12 ESV
God is talking to physical Israel. They lament that their bones are dried up and their hope is gone. They did not say that they were physically dead but that they were separated from God, out of the land. According to the rabbinic writings, any time Israel was out of the land they were dead. Life is in the land where God dwells.
God said He was going to open their graves. These weren't physical graves because they weren't physically dead.
And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD." Ezekiel 37:13-14 ESV
When did God put His spirit within Israel and bring her to life? Pentecost!
They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 37:23 ESV
God was going to cleanse them and make them His people. This sounds like the New Covenant. This is spiritual life.
I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Ezekiel 37:26-27 ESV
Notice Revelation 21.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. Revelation 21:3 ESV
God is promising Israel resurrection life, that is, spiritual life in His presence in the New Covenant. And I believe that this is what Paul is talking about in Romans 11. Israel's acceptance is resurrection life. It is to be brought into the presence of Yahweh. And this happened at the Second Coming, consummating the New Covenant age. If Israel isn't saved, then there is no life from the dead for Gentiles.
Paul is essentially encouraging the Gentile Roman believers to not give up on Jewish evangelism. Yahweh was gathering in His remnant and would give them life from the dead.