Romans 11:1-10

God's Purpose For Israel Is Being Fulfilled Through A Remnant (11:1-10).

Paul now deals with the question as to whether Israel has been ‘cast off'. And his reply is ‘certainly not', and this reply is based on the fact that many true Israelites, like Paul, are still acceptable to God. This, therefore, demonstrates that the whole people have not been cast off. And he then ties this in with his previous argument about God's elective purpose within Israel (Romans 9:6). Israel has not been cast off as a whole. It is only that part of Israel which did not believe in the Jesus the Messiah (Romans 9:30 to Romans 10:21), which has been cast off. And one reason why this has occurred is in order that salvation might come to the Gentiles in order to provoke them to jealousy (Romans 11:11). Here the distinction between believers (the elect) and unbelievers (the hardened) is made crystal clear (Romans 11:7). And it is the former who make up the true Israel. The same distinction was made apparent in Romans 9:18 against the background of Romans 9:6.