Romans 11:17-36

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Romans (Acts)

Rusty's Notes

Some have concluded from this that Paul’s Christian audience in Rome was made up entirely of Gentiles.

• I think it’s more likely, however, that the congregations Paul’s addressing in Rome were a mixed group between Gentiles and Jews.
• And so what he’s signaling here to this mixed audience is, “Now the argument of my making at this point in Rom 11 is particularly directed to you Gentile Christians in Rome.”[1]

 
Romans 11:12-16
12 Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!

• Whose transgression?
• Israel for not believing Jesus is the Messiah
• Brings riches for the world
• Salvation has come to the world… the Gentiles.
• This is Paul’s experience throughout Acts.
• He came to each city/region and preached to the Jews first in the synagogue.
• He got rejected by the majority and then would go teach the Gentiles.
• This was repeated everywhere Paul went.
• How much more will their fullness bring
• All of Israel will eventually believe.

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if I might somehow make my own people, jealous and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

• Paul repeats what he said before.
• The Jews rejected Jesus and the Gentiles believed.
• Their acceptance mean but life from the dead.
• All of Israel will eventually believe.

16 Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. [2]
 
Romans 11:17-36
17 Now if some of the branches were broken off (Jews – rooted in the soil of God’s promises to the Patriarchs), and you (Gentiles – apart from the promises), though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.

• It is not so much an attitude of “I am wonderful” of which Paul is complaining as “I am more wonderful than you.”[3]

19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware, 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

• “you too will be cut off”
• Paul never was talking about an individual
• He was always speaking in reference to a generation of Jews or Gentiles.
• Your kindness or lack of, could impact generations to come.

23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?

• Grafted in is something that is unnatural
• Slide of Olive Tree

25 I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

• The hardening of the heart is something Paul has already talked about in the previous chapters.

26 And in this way (not “then”) all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

• There are, essentially, six interpretations of the expression ‘all Israel’ in Paul’s statement that ‘all Israel will be saved’:
• (i) all Israelites from every age;
• (ii) all the elect of Israel of all time;
• (iii) all Israelites alive at the end of the age;
• (iv) Israel as a whole alive at the end of the age, but not including every individual Israelite;
• (v) a large number of Israelites at the end of the age;
• (vi) Israel redefined to include all Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus Christ.[4]
• Is Paul here talking about one step in the process when Jews are included again in the kingdom?
• Or is “all Israel will be saved” a way of summarizing the entire process from beginning to end?[5]
• The phrase occurs almost sixty times there, and very rarely does “all Israel” mean every single Israelite who was, let’s say, alive at that time.
• “All Israel” is a phrase that almost always has a kind of representative significance.
• It talks about a significant or representative number of Jews, but not every single Jew.
• This language is similar to the way we use such language in our day.
• One might say, for instance, “The whole city was talking about the books available to the students,” when in fact we mean, “Well, a significant number of people in the city,” maybe not even a majority of the people in the city.
• Many of the people in the city may not even have heard about the issue, but we use the language of the “whole city” or “all Israel” in this kind of representative sense.[6]

The Deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this will be my covenant with them (Isaiah 59:20-21 - “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord. [7])

• The “deliverer” or “redeemer” will come to Zion in Isaiah’s prophecy (to the Jews).
• But Paul quotes it as the “deliverer” or “redeemer” will come from Zion. (from the Gentiles who reach more regions.

when I take away their sins. (Jeremiah 31:31-34 - 31 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”,—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin. [8])

• Some theologians believe in bi-covenantalism.
• Gentiles are saved by faith in Jesus
• Jews will be saved by the promises made in the Torah.
• I don’t believe Paul has declared that at all.
• He has clearly said that both Jews and Gentiles must come by faith in Jesus to be saved.
• Here Paul is talking about the issue of salvation, spiritual matters, and I think that Paul always views salvation as taking place in Christ and in terms of the Christian church.
• So this salvation of “all Israel” in the last days, it seems to me, will be taking place by their faith in Christ as God graciously works among them and will integrate them into the single people of God, the church of the new covenant era.[9]

28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, 29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable. 30 As you once disobeyed God but now have received mercy through their disobedience, 31 so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may have mercy on all.

• God’s purpose is to let salvation come to Gentiles, in turn provoking Israel to repentance (11:11).
• That way, representatives from all peoples, Jewish and Gentile, could have the opportunity for salvation (11:30–33).[10]

 
A HYMN OF PRAISE (doxology)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable his ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?
35 And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid? (Isaiah 40:13-14)
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen.[11]

• He has shown that God treats Jews and Gentiles alike in the matters of sin and judgment (1:18–3:20), and that he offers salvation freely to them both and without reference to the law.

God does this on the basis of what he did for them through Jesus Christ, whom he set forward as the atoning sacrifice for their sins, thus showing not only his great love for humanity but also his justice in justifying sinners who put their faith in his Son (3:21–5:21).[12]

[1] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 11:12–16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 414). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
[4] Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 448). Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
[5] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[6] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Is 59:20–21). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Je 31:31–34). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[10] Keener, C. S. (2009). Romans (p. 132). Eugene, OR: Cascade Books.
[11] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 11:17–36). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (pp. 456–457). Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

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