Romans 11:23

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. AND THEY ALSO ('YEA, AND THEY'), IF THEY ABIDE NOT STILL IN UNBELIEF, SHALL BE GRAFFED IN: FOR GOD IS ABLE TO GRAFF THEM IN AGAIN. This appeal to the power of God to effect the recovery of His ancient people implies the vast difficulty of it-which all who have ever laboured for the conversion of the Jews are made depressingly to feel. That intelligent expositors should think that this was meant of individual Jews, re-introduced from time to time into the family of God on their believing on the Lord Jesus, is surprising; and yet those who deny the national recovery of Israel must and do so interpret the apostle. But this is to confound the two things which the apostle carefully distinguishes. Individual Jews have been at all times admissible, and have been actually admitted,...

23._For God is able, etc_. Frigid would this argument be to the profane; for however they may concede power to God, yet as they view it at a distance, shut up as it were in heaven, they do for the most part rob it of its effect. But as the faithful, whenever they hear God’s power named, look on it as in present operation, he thought that this reason was sufficient to strike their minds. We may add, that he assumes this as an acknowledged axiom, — that God had so punished the unbelief of his people as not to forget his mercy; according to what he had done before, having often restored the Jews, after he had apparently banished them from his kingdom. And he shows at the same time by the comparison, how much more easy it would be to reverse the present state of things than to have introduced it; that is, how much easier it would be for the natural branches, if they were again put in the pla...

22-32 Of all judgments, spiritual judgments are the sorest; of these the apostle is here speaking. The restoration of the Jews is, in the course of things, far less improbable than the call of the Gentiles to be the children of Abraham; and though others now possess these privileges, it will not hinder their being admitted again. By rejecting the gospel, and by their indignation at its being preached to the Gentiles, the Jews were become enemies to God; yet they are still to be favoured for the sake of their pious fathers. Though at present they are enemies to the gospel, for their hatred to the Gentiles; yet, when God's time is come, that will no longer exist, and God's love to their fathers will be remembered. True grace seeks not to confine God's favour. Those who find mercy themselves, should endeavour that through their mercy others also may obtain mercy. Not that the Jews will be...

Verse 23. _IF THEY ABIDE NOT IN UNBELIEF_] So, we find that their rejection took place in consequence of their _wilful_ obstinacy: and, that they _may_ return into the fold, the door of which still stands open. _FOR GOD IS ABLE TO GRAFT THEM IN AGAIN._] Fallen as they are and degraded, God can, in the course of his providence and mercy, restore them to all their forfeited privileges; and this will take place if _they abide not in unbelief_: which intimates that God has furnished them with all the _power_ and _means_ necessary for _faith_, and that they _may believe_ on the Lord Jesus whenever they will. The _veil_ now continues on their heart; but it is not a veil which God has spread there, but a veil occasioned by their own voluntary and obstinate unbelief: and, when they shall turn to the Lord, (Jesus,) the veil shall be taken away. See what the apostle has said,...

AND THEY ALSO - The Jews. IF THEY BIDE NOT ... - If they do not continue in willful obstinacy and rejection of the Messiah. As their unbelief was the sole cause of their rejection, so if that be removed, they may be again restored to the divine favor. FOR GOD IS ABLE ... - He has, * Power to restore them, to bring them back and replace them in his favor. (2)He has not bound himself utterly to reject them, and forever to exclude them. In this way the apostle reaches his purpose, which was to show them that God had not cast away his people or finally rejected the Jewish nation; Romans 11:1. That God has this power, the apostle proceeds to show in th

EXPOSITION ROMANS 11:1 (4) _The_ _Jews are not finally rejected, but, through the calling of the Gentiles, will be brought into the Church at last. _St. Paul, painfully recognizing the fact of the present exclusion of Israel as a nation from the inheritance of the promises made to their fathers, and having in Romans 9:1. and 10. accounted for and justified such exclusion, proceeds now to the question—But is Israel as a nation finally rejected after all? He answers—No; impossible! God's ancient covenant with his people stands; the remnant of believers even now is a sign of his continued favour to his ancient people, as was, in the time of Elijah, the remnant that had not bowed the knee to Baal; nor does the fact of its being a remnant only imply now, any more

AND THEY ALSO, IF THEY ABIDE NOT STILL IN UNBELIEF,.... The apostle suggests that the Jews also might be recovered and brought into a Gospel church state, provided they did not continue in infidelity; but inasmuch as they seem to lie under invincible ignorance, obstinacy, and unbelief, and were such bitter enemies to the Gospel, and abhorrers of Gospel ordinances, and a Gospel church state; yea, that they must and will abide in unbelief, unless the Spirit of God convinces them of it, and it is given to them to believe in Christ, and they are powerfully drawn by the Father to come to the Son, there is no possibility or likelihood that they SHALL BE GRAFTED IN, or taken into a Gospel church state; to which the apostle answers, and argues for their ingrafting, and the possibility of it from the power of God: FOR GOD IS ABLE TO GRAFT THEM IN AGAIN; as many of them were in the times of the...

ABIDE See (Jeremiah 3:21); (Jeremiah 3:50); (Jeremiah 3:4); (Jeremiah 3:5); (2 Corinthians 3:16)....

ISRAEL'S RESTORATION. CHAPTER 11 (“The Jewish Question”, by A. C. G., gives a complete exposition of this great chapter.) _ 1. God Hath not Cast Away His People. (Romans 11:1 .)_ 2. Israel's Apostasy not Complete; a Remnant Saved. (Romans 11:2 .) 3. Israel's Blindness for a Season. (Romans 11:7 .) 4. To Provoke Them to Jealousy. (Romans 11:11 .) 5. Their Fulness and Reception Life from the Dead. (Romans 11:12 .) 6. The Parable of the Two Olive Trees. ...

THE INGRAFTING OF THE GENTILES. From Romans 9:1 onwards, Paul has written as a Jew to Jews; here he turns to the other half of the Church (see Introd. § 3). ROMANS 11:13. But to you Gentiles I say. Paul's labour in their evangelisation has an ulterior object; he would fain somehow stir to jealousy his own flesh and blood, etc. (_cf. Romans 10:19_; also 1 Corinthians 9:20). I glorify my ministry, make it renowned (_cf. Romans 15:15_,...