Romans 11:15

the casting away Not the cognate word to that in Romans 11:1-2. But there is no practical difference in the words: it is the referencethat differs here. There he denies that Jews as suchwere thrust out of the covenant; here he asserts the plain fact that the Jewish nationwas, by its rejection of Messiah, under (temporary) exclusion.

the reconciling i.e. the practicalreconciling. The circumstances which caused and attended the "casting away" of Israel were the occasion of the proclamation of the Gospel of Reconciliation to the world. Thus, in a sense, Israel's unbelief was the instrumental causeof the enjoyment of "peace with God" by the host of Gentile believers. On "reconciliation," see on ch. Romans 5:1; Romans 5:11.

life from the dead i.e. a vast and intense revival of true religion from a state which, by comparison, was religious death. (For a passage where "life" and "death" are so used, see Revelation 3:2.) Meyer and some other expositors take the words here to mean literalresurrection-life; q. d., "the -receiving" of the Jews shall usher in the resurrection and the immortal state." But observe (1) that St Paul still has in view a blessing to the Gentilesthrough the Jews: the "for" which introduces this verse indicates this. And if so, it is most unlikely that he would mean resurrection-lifehere; a blessing in no way peculiar to Gentiles. Observe (2) that he implies a causativeconnexion, to some extent, between the casting-away of the Jews and the reconciliation of the Gentile world; (see last note): analogy leads us then to see a causative connexion also between their "receiving" and this "life from the dead." But how could this be said if the "life" meant here is the literal resurrection? How likely, on the other hand, that its meaning should be just such a spiritual revival of the Gentile church as the conversion of Israel on a great scale would directly tend to awaken! It is objected that this "life from the dead" must, as forming a climax, be a greater thingthan the previous "reconciling of the world;" and that no mere revival could be this. No doubt in somerespects it could not be; but if the revival were really world-wide, and intense, it wouldbe a greater thing in respect of manifest triumphof Divine truth and life. See further below, on Romans 11:25-26.