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A Look At Romans 11

 

George L. Faull

 

For years the eleventh chapter of Romans has been used to teach the national conversion of the Jewish nation. In this study we want to examine that doctrine in light of the Scriptures.

 

Knowing that we dare not take a Scripture out of context, we need to begin our study where the Apostle Paul begins his study. He begins by telling of his love for his kinsmen, according to the flesh. He, being a Jew, speaks of the Israelites. He recognizes that the Israelites had the advantage of the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the Law, as well as the promises to the fathers.

 

Romans 9:1-5, "1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4 Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises; 5 Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen."

 

Since he has just inferred in chapter 9:1-5 that Israel, for the most part, was lost, he anticipates someone asking a question in light of the promises God made to the fathers: Is not then the Word of God of none effect?

His answer is:

1.             They are not all Israel which are of Israel (Jacob).

2.             Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham are they children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. i.e. the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of promise are counted the seed. (The promise was to Sarah's son (Isaac), not Hagar's (Ishmael), and to Jacob not Esau. This was to establish the purpose of God by election, not works. It is not the man who wills or runs, that God uses to show His mercy. He uses whom He will. Some vessels, such as the Jews, are used in one way, and others, such as Pharaoh, are used yet in another way. God is God, and He can show mercy on whom He will, to fulfill His purpose. These verses speak not of individuals, but nations. He is not speaking of salvation, but of their purpose in His eternal plan.

 

God had planned from the beginning to call, not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles. He has always planned to call the Gentiles to be His people, even though they were not His chosen people. He wants all people to be the children of God, both Jews and Gentiles. In Abraham's seed "all nations of the earth are to be blessed."

 

This He has done. How? Well, as Isaiah said, "A remnant of the Jews shall be saved," as well as the Gentiles who followed after righteousness by faith. Why aren't the Jews as a whole saved? They stumbled over the "stumbling stone," namely Jesus Christ. Paul shows that this was foretold in the Old Testament prophets.

 

Romans 9:33, "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

 

In chapter ten of Romans Paul again offers his concern for the Jewish nation. He admits that they are zealous, but ignorant of God's righteousness in Christ. If they would but confess and believe, they would not be ashamed, because there is no differ-ence between the Jew and the Greek, for the offer is to "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13.

 

This faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The sound went out to the whole world. It is not that Israel did not hear it, it is that they did not believe it. Many Gentiles heard and believed, but God held out His arms in vain to Israel.

 

Romans 10:21, "But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."

 

So, has God cast away the Jewish people? No! He proves it by showing the following things:

First,      In that Paul was a saved Jew!

Second,  God has always had a remnant. In Elijah's time, God had 7,000 who would not bow the knee to Baal.

Third,     At this present time He has a remnant, according to the election of grace.

Fourth,   The majority of the nation has not obtained grace because of blindness, however the remnant (the Jews who believed) is under grace.

 

Did their stumbling over Christ mean that the Jewish nation could not be saved? No, on the contrary:

1.             Their falling made salvation available to the Gentile masses. If a wild olive branch is going to be grafted into an "olive tree," a natural branch must first be cut off.

2.             If the cutting off produced such a blessing, imagine how much greater a blessing, if they could be grafted back in. He does not infer a wholesale conversion.

3.             As an Apostle to the Gentiles, I use you Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealousy [as Moses suggested in verse 19], so that some, [not all] may be saved.

4.             After all, if their rejection made it possible for the world to hear and believe the Gospel, what would the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? Paul argues that if the first fruit is holy, and the root is holy, so is the lump and branches holy.

5.             Do not be arrogant against the Jews. They were broken off because of unbelief. You Gentiles only stand by faith. You should fear, that as they were broken off, so you may be also. If He did not spare the natural branches because of unbelief, take heed that He not spare you Gentiles. He no more suggests a national conversion of all Jews, than a national rejection of all Gentiles.

6.             In these arguments we see two things:

A.            First, the goodness of God, in that you Gentiles can be saved through faith.

B.            Second, the severity of God in cutting off the natural branches.

7.             Of course, God is able to graft in the Jews again, if they will believe. Which is easier, to graft in a wild olive branch, or a natural olive branch?

8.             I have told you all this so that you won't be proud. This partial blindness of the nation of Israel happened so that Gentiles could be saved.

 

We now arrive at the verse that is so badly abused. It reads:

 

Romans 11:26, "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."

 

This is thought by many to teach:

1.             The Jews as a nation shall be saved.

2.             This will happen at Jesus' coming.  

3.             Their hardness is temporary till the last Gentile is saved.

 

Such an interpretation is contradictory to the New Testament Scriptures.  In fact, it contradicts the whole Christian system:

First,      If the Bible teaches anything, it teaches that there is not a difference between the Jew and the Gentile, for all have sinned.

Second,  If the Bible teaches two truths, the second would have to be that salvation is only by faith in Jesus Christ. This faith comes by hearing the Word of God preached.

Third,     If the Bible teaches three truths, the third one would have to be that the Deliverer has already come, and the covenant of the forgiveness of sins is already offered, and that if it is not accepted while it is called today, there will be no salvation.

Fourth,   If the Bible teaches four truths, the fourth truth is that salvation is an individual thing, and nations as a whole are not converted! The proof texts advocating such a doctrine are greatly abused.

Fifth,     If the Bible teaches five truths, the fifth truth is that salvation is not a miraculous change of the sinner's will, but depends on the free will of the believer. I.e., God is not going to make the Jews believe in Christ against their will.

Sixth,     If the Bible teaches six truths, the sixth truth would have to be, that when Jesus comes again, He is not coming as Savior, but as Judge. He is coming, not to save the Jewish sinners, but to execute unbelievers! He is "coming in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." He will punish the Jews, not miraculously convert them and save them from their sins.

This should suffice to show any honest hearted believer that Romans 11:26 is badly abused by dispensationalists.

 

Returning to Romans 11:26, "And so….

He refers to the method of salvation he has been speaking of throughout these verses, namely, by faith in Christ Jesus.

All Israel….

The remnant he has been speaking of from the beginning, the true Israel.

Romans 9:6, "6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel."

The promised seed….

Romans 9:8, " That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."

The remnant of Elijah's day…

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."

Those of the present time….

Romans 11:5, "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace."

Those whom Paul wished to provoke….

Roman 11:14, "If by any means I may provoke to emulation [them which are] my flesh, and might save some of them."

They also in the future….

Romans 11:23, "And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again."

Yea, all Israel….

The true Israel of God, who deserves the Name, that is…. i.e. the remnant that believes, shall be saved."

 

All Israel cannot possibly be taken literal. Who will affirm that every Jew ever born will be saved? In light of the above, who will affirm that every Jew alive at Jesus' coming will be saved? Obviously, "all Israel" means all of the elect of every age. The true Israel, from the fathers, to Elijah's remnant, to Paul's day; yea, every true Israelite until the last Gentile is saved. God had not cast off the Jewish people if they will believe in Christ.

 

Paul concludes that the Jews were the Gentile's enemies, but as far as "election" is concerned, they are beloved for the father's sake… for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He promised that their seed could have salvation. "Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." How? By believing the Gospel!

And so…

In this manner, through faith in Christ Jesus, shall all Israel be saved. This agrees with "in Thy seed [Christ] shall all nations of the earth be blessed."