Romans 11:1-36

Israel's Rejection not final. A Warning to the Gentiles

In this chapter St. Paul brings to an end his great exposition of God's dealings with the Jews. He has shown in Romans 9 that God is free to choose or reject individuals or nations as the instruments of His purpose; and, in Romans 10, that the Jews have deserved their rejection. Now he declares that, in spite of all this, God has not. cast off His ancient people. He has seen fit, in His mercy, to preserve a portion of them faithful to His will, and the remainder are still loved by Him. Their having fallen away for a time has given an opportunity for the conversion of the Gentiles. When the Gentiles have been gathered into His kingdom, the Jews will be stirred up by their example and return to God.

1-12. God did not utterly reject the Jews as a nation (Romans 11:1). Their failure is partial (Romans 11:2), and, as in former days, there is a faithful remnant; their failure is used by God for good, and is temporary (Romans 11:11).

Paraphrase. '(1) Does it follow that God has finally rejected those He made His own people? I, who am proud to be one of them, cannot believe it. (2) And it is impossible, for from all eternity He marked them to be His instruments, and He is unchanging. They are no more rejected than they were in Elijah's day, (3) when, although Israel was rebellious, (4) God preserved a faithful remnant. (5) So also now there is such a remnant, selected out of the mass by God's undeserved favour, (6) not for any merit of their own. (7) Thus, a select portion of Israel, having minds open to God's will and believing in Christ, has obtained acceptance, which the rest, by seeking it in self-righteousness, have lost, incurring instead that hardening which follows self-will, (8) that heavy deafness and blindness toward God which Isaiah perceived, (9) that ruin caused by misuse of blessings (10) of which David spoke. (11) But although the majority have stumbled, even they have not fallen for ever. Their refusal of Christ has occasioned an earlier preaching to the Gentiles, and so has been the means of bringing salvation to them, and this, in turn, is meant to stir the Jews up to accept Christ, and thus regain their old privilege. (12) Thus they still are used by God, for their failure has been a means of blessing to the world, and much greater blessing will result from their complete conversion.'