Free Bible Commentary
“Romans 11:25-36”
Categories: Romans“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.’
“From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
---End of Scripture verses---
The salvation of both Jews and Gentiles are very dependent upon one another. Because of the disobedience of the Jews, God’s grace greatly abounded (Romans 6:20) through the Gospel to those who were not God’s people (Romans 9:25). In one real sense, the Gentiles owe their salvation to the Jews, specifically because of their rebellion (verse 30). Therefore Gentile Christians must resist the urge to be “arrogant” (verse 18), thinking that they are better and that God loves them more. God’s former covenant people are still greatly “beloved” by the Lord (verse 28) and He doesn’t want to see any of them lost.
As a matter of fact, God uses the obedience and inclusion of the Gentiles to try to lure the hard-hearted Jews back into His fold of safety (verse 31). God wants to make them “jealous by that which is not a nation” (Romans 10:19; 11:14). Paul tells us that Israel’s “hardening” is only “partial” in verse 25. They have not been so completely hardened that it is impossible for them to repent and return to the Lord. Now that the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come in, God is using them to entice the descendants of “the fathers” into His spiritual family (verse 28).
“And so, all Israel will be saved” (verse 26). The mistake that most people make with this verse is that they put the emphasis on the word “all” instead of on the word “so”. Paul is not teaching that, at some future point in time, every single ethnic Jew will be unconditionally saved. That would completely contradict what he has previously taught on this subject in this very same context (and elsewhere in the Bible). The salvation of any descendant of Israel (or any person period), absolutely requires that “they do not continue in their unbelief” (verse 23). All people are saved by God’s grace through their own faith (4:4).
The word “so” means “in this manner.” Paul is saying that, in this manner—by God hardening His former children of covenant, and thereby including Gentiles into covenant status with Him, God will save “all Israel” (verses 25-26). That is the method that He has chosen to save all “true” Israel (9:6). All those who have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, hardened by their own arrogance from once being God’s elect; if they will open their hearts to the truth of the Gospel, they will be saved.
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Only God can take the hard hearts of stubborn and rebellious people and use that to advantageously serve His purposes and fulfill His promises. God executes His plan of salvation and accomplishes His will in spite of and because of man’s sinful ways. A mere human being just couldn’t make a plan like this up! All praise and honor and glory and thanks be to God!!!
Please read Romans 12:1-21 for tomorrow.
Blessings!
- Louie Taylor
