Whereas the 10th chapter of Romans explains how individual Jews and Gentiles are saved into The Body of Christ by grace through faith, the 11th chapter deals with the restoration of the Nation of Israel and the salvation of Gentile Nations. Unfortunately, this truth was obscured by early church fathers shortly after Paul revealed it. It was promoted as “replacement theology,” i.e., the false teaching that the Christian Church has replaced National Israel regarding the plan, purpose and promises of God, https://carm.org/about-theology/what-is-replacement-theology/. This belief exists to one degree or another today by many who either don’t understand or totally overlook the 11th chapter of Romans, which Paul begins: “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.” Romans 11:1.
God promised Abraham that his progeny would be a great nation; God would bless him; his name would be great; he would be a blessing; God would bless them that bless him and curse them that curse him and that in him all families of the earth would be blessed, Genesis 12:2 – 3. God chose Israel to be His people, Exodus 6:7, and Israel is referred to as God’s people numerous times in the Old Testament (OT). However, individual Jews are no different than anyone else born from Adam; all being totally incapable of doing God’s will by self-effort. Therefore, in spite of the many blessings Israel was promised and could have enjoyed if they had been obedient to God’s Law, they failed time and again simply because they were sinners, Romans 3:23. Nevertheless, God will keep His promises to the Nation of Israel, because He cannot lie, Titus 1:2. Our text continues with a quote from the OT when Elijah lamented that Israel had killed God’s prophets, destroyed His alters and he (Isaiah) thought he was the only one loyal to God and was in fear of death from his fellow countrymen, Romans 11:2 – 3, see I Kings 19:13 – 14. God informed Elijah He had reserved to Himself 7000 men of Israel who had not bowed down to the false god Baal, Romans 11:4, see 1 Kings 19:18.
One of many proofs the Bible is truly God’s Word is that Jews still exist today as a separate and distinct people despite the persecution they’ve suffered throughout more than 1900 years. Satan being the prince of the power of the air who works in the children for disobedience, Ephesians 2:2, has attempted many times to eliminate Israel; a recent example being the 6 million Jews exterminated during the Holocaust. It’s estimated there are over 14 million Jews in the world today, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-population-of-the-world even though an estimated 80% of them don’t feel connected to their Jewish identity, https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2020/07/21/world-jewish-population-nearly-14-5-million-but-80-unconnected/. But God has preserved them even though they rejected The Lord Jesus as their Messiah. The fact is that they will never gain God’s blessings by their own work and merit; God’s promised blessings to them will be fulfilled when He breathes His Spirit into them as prophesied in Ezekiel 37:1 – 6 and Romans 11:26. And this will occur at the Lord Jesus Christ’s second coming after the Tribulation, Zechariah 12:10.
Regardless of Israel’s disobedience, God has blessed mankind through them:
- He gave the Law to Moses that demonstrates His absolute Holiness (His perfect sinless nature) as opposed to mankind’s absolute sinfulness. Israel has been an example of how its impossible for mankind to meet God’s perfect standard and why a Savior is needed.
- God’s Word (our Bibles) was written by Jews, Romans 3:2.
- Our Lord and Savior was a Jew, Luke 1:30 – 33, John 1:1 – 2, John 1:14.
- God chose Paul to reveal the Gospel of His Grace by which, upon believing, both Jews and Gentiles are saved, Acts 20:24, Romans 11:1, Galatians 1:11 – 16, Philippians 3:4 – 6.
Even though Israel was set aside over 1900 years ago, individual Jews (along with Gentiles) have been saved, not by works of righteousness, but by God’s Grace, Romans 11:5 – 6. It is by God’s election or choosing that individual Jews are saved while the Nation of Israel is blinded (because of unbelief), Romans 11:7; a “spirit of slumber” with “eyes that cannot see” and “ears that cannot hear” has befallen them as prophesied by Isaiah, and this “slumber” continues to this day, Romans 11:8 see Isaiah 29:10. “And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.” Romans 11:9 – 10, see Psalms 69:22 – 23.
The “table” referenced in verse 9 is most likely the alter on which Israel offered sacrifices required by the Law. In Psalms 69:22 – 23 David prophesied what Christ would observe, that Israel was self-righteously proud in their obedience of the Law. The ritual of observance had snared and trapped them, they had stumbled, because they offered the sacrifices self-righteously, oblivious to the fact the Law was given to demonstrate they were sinners in need of a Savior, Hebrews 10:1 – 4, Galatians 3:24. But Israel’s rejection of their Messiah and their self-righteousness served a purpose; that being God has offered salvation to the Gentiles, which in turn provokes them to jealousy, Romans 11:11. It was not until God saved the Pharisee Saul and appointed him as the Apostle Paul to offer the Gospel of God’s Grace to the Gentiles (for all mankind) that God’s promises to the Nation of Israel were put on hold. The Gospel of Grace is the best news mankind has ever had and could ever hope for; it being salvation from death to eternal life by God’s Grace, through faith alone, Ephesians 2:8 – 9, and it came about after the diminishing and fall of the Nation of Israel, Romans 11:12 – 13.
Paul magnified (honored or glorified) his office as Apostle to the Gentiles, Romans 11:13b, if by any means he might provoke Jews to save some, Romans 11:14. As we recall from the book of Acts, it was Paul’s practice during his journeys to go first to the Jewish Synagogues when he came to a town. There, among other doctrine, he no doubt taught what is written here in Romans 11, i.e., that their prominence as God’s Nation had been set aside for a time as God was now offering salvation to Gentiles! Most of the Jews hearing Paul’s message reacted violently, rejected his message, and persecuted him terribly, 2 Corinthians 11:22 – 26.
Paul next asks if the casting away of Israel (as was done more than 1900 years ago) has been the reconciling of the world, what the receiving, but life from the dead? Romans 11:15. He begins his answer (words in italics were added by the King James translators): “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy (or, “also is holy”): and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” Romans 11:16. The Greek word translated “firstfruit” is “aparche” (G536) found 8 times in the New Testament (NT) where it is usually used to refer to the first one/s receiving the Spirit and being saved in a town or area, Romans 8:23, Romans 16:25, 1 Corinthians 16:15. (It’s also used describing Christ as being the first to rise from the dead, 1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23.) The Greek word translated “lump” is “phurama” (G5345) used 5 times in the NT. It is used of the clay from which a potter can make pots, either of honor or dishonor, Romans 9:21; that a little leaven can spoil the whole lump, referring to a man in the Corinthian church who was living in sin, 1 Corinthians 5:6 – 7; and where the Galatians were warned that a little leaven, i.e., justification by following the law, undercuts the righteousness available by faith, Galatians 5:4 – 9. So, the thought put forth in Romans 11:16 is that if those first to believe were holy, therefore the lump from which those who follow are holy also. The root referenced is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Holy and it is from Him that the olive tree gets its nourishment, so then the branches are also holy.
And if some of the branches (Israel) were broken off that olive tree and wild branches (Gentile nations) have been grafted in among the good branches and so partake of the Holiness of the Root, Romans 11:17, then the Gentiles branches (that have been grafted in from the wild olive tree) have no business exalting or boasting against the Jewish branches because the Gentile branches don’t bear or carry the root, it is the root that bears or carries the entire tree, Romans 11:18. And the Gentile Nations (wild branches) have no reason to be high-minded but should fear (be amazed or reverence) because they stand by faith and it was because Israel did not believe that they were broken off over 1900 years ago, Romans 11:19 – 20. “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.” Romans 11:21. Some have taken this statement to challenge the doctrine of eternal security in the believer, but it has nothing to do with the individual believer, it has to do with the Gentile Nations vis-à-vis the Nation of Israel. We live in the “times of the Gentiles,” but that time will run out at the Tribulation, culminating when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth to rule over Israel and the Nations, Luke 21:24 – 28.
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