Romans

11:25-32

Arguments in support of the proposition, 1:18-11:36

4. God's true Israel consists of the children of promise, not the children of law, 9:1-11:36

iv] The final shape of God's true Israel, 11:1-32

c) God's inclusive people

To conclude his examination of the "place of Israel in God's purposes", Davies, in order to establish that God's elect community, the children of God, is spiritual Israel, not national Israel, and that therefore the identification of the Roman nomists ("the weak" - law-bound believers) with historic Israel and its institutions is potentially destructive of their Christian standing, Paul now outlines God's universal purpose of mercy, both for the Jews and the Gentiles. Paul asks his readers to note carefully "the mystery", God's secret plan now revealed, namely, that God's called-out people, spiritual Israel, finds its ultimate shape in the hardening of part of national Israel and the inclusion of the Gentiles (the vine illustration, 11:11-24). There are three elements in the fulfillment of God's righteous reign, his setting all things right: First, the unbelief of the majority of the Jewish people; Second, the completion of the incoming of the Gentiles; Third, the salvation of "all Israel", v25-26. After supporting the third element from the scriptures, v26-27, Paul draws out the implication for his readers, v28-32: First, the disobedience of the Jewish people and their subsequent punishment, has in fact, through the sovereign intervention of God, served as a means of salvation for the Gentiles, although it must be recognized that the rejection of the Jewish majority does not imply that Jews are beyond the gospel; Second, the disobedience of the majority of God's historic people has served as a means of channelling God's mercy to the Gentiles and in a similar way, the mercy shown to the Gentiles will be a means of channelling God's mercy to the Jews; Third, Both Jew and Gentile are in bondage to sin. Since all humanity is bound by this slavery, it is not possible to escape from God's impartial judgment, other than by his mercy, his impartial redemption in Christ.

Extensive debate surrounds the notion of Israel's final salvation. These notes take the view that this salvation is representative, not national (it has nothing to do with the zionist state of Israel, nor the institutional fabric of the synagogue). The conversion of the Jews has been an ongoing reality since the first century. So, when Paul says of the conclusion of God's putting all things right that "all Israel will be saved", he is speaking of the full-grown olive tree with some branches removed, some wild shoots grafted in and some of the removed branches grafted back in (an eschatological image). The hardening of most Jews has already occurred and now Gentiles and Jews are coming to know Christ and are joining together in God's eternal family. As for "the full number of the Gentiles", Paul is referring to the end of God's putting all things right, not of a stage which then leads on to God's saving a full number of Jews.

For an overview of the main interpretive approaches to chapters 9-11 see notes for 9: 1-5

Paul directs his readers to pay attention to his words.

gar "-" - for. Explanatory. Paul now explains "how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree." Of course, the debate is whether Paul goes on to speak of an ingrafting of the nation Israel, or of a representative Israel, and whether this ingrafting is "now", or in the future. Representative seems best, as does a present ongoing ingrafting.

iJna mh + subj. "So that [you may] not [be conceited]" - lest. Introducing a purpose clause. "There is a profound truth concealed here, my brothers, of which I do not wish you to lose sight, lest you become unduly self-satisfied", Cassirer.

Paul now explains the mystery.

to musthrion (on) "mystery". A mystery in the New Testament is revealed truth for those who have their eyes open, a truth once hidden and now revealed.

gegonen (ginomai) perf. "has experienced" - has happened. "A hardening has come upon Israel", NRSV.

pwrwsiV (iV ewV) "a hardening" - hardness. Used of callusing, so of the dulling of spiritual perception. Israel's disobedience entailed rebellion against God, in particular, unbelief. Hardening is best seen as a consequence of unbelief, ie. a failure to rest on the mercy of God.

apo merouV (oV) "in part". Not all of Israel is unbelieving. Possibly a partial hardening, but unlikely. "Is not permanent", TEV; "partial blindness", NEB.

acri ouJ "until [the full number of the Gentiles has come in]" until. Prepositional phrase. It is often argued that the unbelief of Israel is temporary and awaits the end of the time of the Gentiles. Paul is simple saying that Judaism was hardened (as a consequential punishment) providing for the inclusion of the Gentiles. This situation will continue till "all Israel is saved", ie. the full gathering of God's people.

to plhrwma (a atoV) "the full number" - fullness [of the Gentiles]. The NIV "full number" agrees with most translators who go with the Jewish idea of a particular number of righteous Israelites who will be saved. Paul is obviously applying this idea to the Gentiles, "full quota", Williams. A generalization may be more appropriate since this is likely a technical concept rather than an actual truth, "until the Gentiles have been admitted in full strength" REB. Paul is speaking of the full incorporation of the Gentiles. Of course, this incorporation is ultimately by grace through faith. The idea illustrates divine grace rather than a set number of believers.

kai ouJtwV "and so" - and thus, so. Argumentative, not temporal - not "then", as if the salvation of "all Israel" is after the inclusion of "the full number of the Gentiles".

paV Israhl "all Israel" The "all" is representative, and "Israel" is better understood as "spiritual Israel" rather than the Zionist state of Israel. Spiritual Israel, in a representative sense, will fully realize the Abrahamic promise, but this will not include every Jew. The "all Israel" will consist of believers drawn from ethnic Israel and the Gentile world.

The scriptural quotations support the manifestation of the mystery to Paul's generation. The messiah has come, gathering God's remnant people from ethnic/national Israel and the Gentile world in fulfilment of the covenant promises. Isa.59:20-21, 27:9.

hJxei (hJcw) fut. "come". The following preposition is commonly "from", as NIV, or "out of". Probably referring to the incarnation, of the messiah coming out of the people of Israel, but possibly referring to the parousia where Jesus comes out of heaven, so Cranfield.

Siwn "Zion". Here it probably means the earthly city of Jerusalem as representing the people of Israel, but heaven is a possibility.

apostreyei (apostrefw) fut. "he will turn [godlessness] away [from Jacob]" He will take ungodliness (sin = rebellion against God) from the people of Israel. "He will drive all godlessness from Jacob (the Jewish people)", Barclay.

par emou "my [covenant]" - from, by me. "The covenant from me", Charmerlain, ie. in the sense of authorship where the preposition takes the sense of movement from beside someone, here God as the author of the covenant.

afelwmai (afairew) aor. subj. "I take away" - The subjunctive forming a temporal clause with the conjunction. The sense is "remove".

The following verses serve as "a reflection on the mystery", Dumbrell.

kata + acc. "as far as" - with reference to, in relation to.

ecqroi adj. "they are enemies" - enemies. They didn't accept the gospel and therefore came under the wrath of God. "Enemies of God", NEB, rather than "hostile toward God."

di uJmaV "on your account" - because of you. ie. With a view to the advantage of. The punishment of Israel for their rejection of Jesus, serves, in the providence of God, to benefit the Gentiles.

de "but". Adversative sense. Although punished, yet beloved of God. This is a central point in Paul's argument.

thn ekloghn (h) "election" - the choice, election. Again, we are faced with the "Calvanist/Arminian" issue. The election Israel is surely intended here, a corporate identity, not the election of individuals for salvation.

dia + acc. "on account of" - because of, by reason of. God is faithful to those he chooses to love. There is no ground for it. He has just chosen to love the family of Abraham and therefore, he will not withdraw that love. Such will always be so. "Because of their forefathers", Williams.

gar "for" - Introducing a reason for the statements in v28.

ta carismata kai hJ klhsiV "[Gods] gifts and his call" - the gifts and the call. Possibly a hendiadys where a single idea is expressed by two separate words joined by "and". "It is not in God's nature to go back on his covenantal promises."

ametamelhta adj. "are irrevocable" - "Something one does not take back", BAGD. "God does not withdraw", Phillips.

pote "at that time" - once, formerly. Probably indefinite; "in the past", Phillips.

hpeiqhsate (peiqew) aor. "disobedient" - disobey. Possibly "disbelieve", and certainly that would be the sense here; "rejected God", CEV.

nun de "now" - but now

th/ toutwn apeiqeia/ "as a result of their disobedience" - by the disobedience of these ones. A dative of cause indicating the reason for an action. Here, Israel's rejection of God in Christ/gospel

iJna + subj. "in order that" - that. Forming a purpose clause. The rebellion of national Israel hides a merciful purpose of God toward the Jews, as well as toward the Gentiles. Paul's view is that the acceptance of the gospel by the Gentiles will goad many Jews into accepting Jesus as the messiah. This view is evidenced in Paul's own ministry, eg. his collection for the poor in Jerusalem - Gentiles bearing gifts to God's historic people. We should also note that Paul's mission to the Gentiles, as recorded in Acts, is paralleled by Peter's mission to the Jews, a mission not recorded in Acts, but real, none-the-less.

tw/ uJmeterw/ eleei "as a result of God's mercy to you" - the to you mercy. The position of this phrase in the Greek text may support its place before "in order that", ie. in the first clause of the sentence, "in the same way, because of the mercy that you have received, the Jews now disobey God, in order that ....", TEV. The NIV, and most others translations, go with a logical positioning. The placement of this phrase in the Greek serves to underline God's mercy.

nun "now". A difficult variant reading which difficulty may well have prompted a scribe to leave it out. The usual principle probably applies, the more difficult reading is likely to be authentic. The "now" is the present dispensation which will end at the return of Christ. This may well support the argument that the conversion of apostate Jewry is a present and ongoing reality, rather than a final-days phenomenon.

sunekleisen (sugkleiw) aor. "had bound [all men] over" - shut up, made a prisoner, consigned, confined. "Has imprisoned them all in disobedience, ie. put them under compulsion to be disobedient (unlikely!) or given them over to disobedience", BAGD. Possibly in the sense of "imprisoned in disbelief", but better, "rebellion against God", a rebellion ("disobedience") to which we are confined by the law.

touV pantaV "all men" - the all/everyone. This "all" is obviously the same as the "them all". All are held to their sin by divine law and all stand under the mercy of God. The "all" may be the elect, or a universal whole, or a general all, ie. all who believe, but surely, in the context, it is "all" the disobedient representative Jews who are being prompted "now" to receive God's mercy by the mercy shown the Gentiles, and "all" the disobedient Gentiles who believe in Christ and so receive God's mercy.

iJna + subj. "so that" - in order that. Again forming a purpose clause, ie. the confining ("bound over") of rebellion ("disobedience") has as its ultimate purpose the delivery of mercy.

Romans Introduction.

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