Romans 11:28

As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. AS CONCERNING THE GOSPEL, THEY ARE ENEMIES FOR YOUR SAKES - that is, they are regarded and treated as enemies (in a state of exclusion, through unbelief, from the family of God) for the benefit of you Gentiles; in the sense of ; . BUT AS TOUCHING THE ELECTION (OF ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED), THEY ARE BELOVED (EVEN IN THEIR STATE OF EXCLUSION), FOR THE FATHERS' SAKES....

28._With regard indeed to the gospel, etc. _He shows that the worst thing in the Jews ought not to subject them to the contempt of the Gentiles. Their chief crime was unbelief: but Paul teaches us, that they were thus blinded for a time by God’s providence, that a way to the gospel might be made for the Gentiles; (368) and that still they were not for ever excluded from the favor of God. He then admits, that they were for the present alienated from God on account of the gospel, that thus the salvation, which at first was deposited with them, might come to the Gentiles; and yet that God was not unmindful of the covenant which he had made with their fathers, and by which he testified that according to his eternal purpose he loved that nation: and this he confirms by this remarkable declaration, — that the grace of the divine calling cannot be made void; for this is the import of the words,...

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 28. _AS CONCERNING THE GOSPEL_] The unbelieving Jews, with regard to the _Gospel_ which they have rejected, are at present _enemies_ to God, and aliens from his kingdom, under his Son Jesus Christ, on account of that extensive grace which has overturned their _peculiarity_, by admitting the Gentiles into his Church and family: but with regard to the original purpose of _election_, whereby they were chosen and separated from all the people of the earth to be the peculiar people of God, _they are beloved for the_ _fathers' sake_; he has still favour in store for them on account of their _forefathers_ the _patriarchs_....

AS CONCERNING THE GOSPEL - So far as the gospel is concerned; or, in order to promote its extension and spread through the earth. THEY ARE ENEMIES - The word “enemies” here stands opposed to “beloved;” and as in one respect, to wit, on account of “election,” they were still beloved, that is, beloved by God, so in another respect they were his enemies, i. e., opposed to him, or cast off from him. The enemies of God denote all who are not his true friends; Colossians 1:21; Romans 5:10; compare Romans 11:8. The word here is applied to the Jews because they had rejected the Messiah; had become opposed to God; and were therefore rejected by him....

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

AS CONCERNING THE GOSPEL,.... Whereas it might be objected to the call and conversion of the Jews, their implacable enmity to the Gospel, the apostle replies, by granting, that with respect to that, THEY [WERE] ENEMIES to God and Christ, to the Gospel, and the ministers of it, and particularly to the apostle: FOR YOUR SAKES; the Gentiles, to whom it was preached, and by whom it was received, and which greatly irritated and provoked the Jews; or the sense is, that they were suffered to reject the Gospel, and treat it with hatred and virulence, that by this means it might be taken away from them, and carried to the Gentiles; so that the present enmity of the Jews to the Gospel, turned to the advantage of the Gentiles, and should not hinder the future conversion of God's elect among them in the latter day: BUT AS TOUCHING THE ELECTION, THEY ARE BELOVED FOR THE FATHERS' SAKES; as many of...

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 MYSTERY OF ISRAEL'S FUTURE. Romans 11:25_ a_. It may save Gentile believers from a dangerous self-conceit (_cf. Romans 12:16_) to learn the secret that the hardening (see Romans 11:7) which has partially befallen Israel (the remnant is exempt; Romans 11:5; Romans 11:7), will last only until the full complement of the nations enters into God's kingdom; then all Israel will be saved. A _mystery_ is a secret truth concerning God's kingdom made known by express revelation; _cf._...

THE CALLUS ON THE HEART (Romans 11:1-12)...