Chapter 11                    

Romans: -1- -2- -3- -4- -5- -6- -7- -8- -9- -10- -11- -12- -13- -14- -15- -16- 
  11:1 I must then ask, “Did God reject His people?” It cannot be! I also am an Israelite, out of the sperm of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject His people whom He knows inside Himself. Do you not know what Elijah says in the Scripture? How he pleads with God concerning Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, and they have torn down Your altars, and I have been left alone, and they are seeking to destroy my soul.” 4 But what was the divine answer spoken to him? “I have left for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal” (1 Kings 19 10-18). • 5 In the present time also, there is a remnant according to the out-speaking of grace. 6 More than that, if by grace, then it is no longer out of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. For if it is out of works, then grace is no more, otherwise work would no longer be work.

7 What then? What Israel seeks, this it has not obtained [did not hit the mark]; but those who come out from God-speaking did hit the mark. Then the remainder were hardened. 8 As it is written, “God gave them a spirit of insensibility, eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear until this day, today” (Isaiah 29:10-13 & Deuteronomy 29:3-4). 9 And David says, “Let their table be made into a snare and an entrapment, into a stumbling block and into their just retribution. 10 Let their eyes be darkened so they do not see, and bow down their backs through all” (Psalm 69:22-23).

11 I ask, then, “Did they stumble that they might perish?” It cannot be! Rather, because of their false step, salvation came to all ethnic families, in order to provoke them to jealousy. 12 For that reason, if their false step is turned into riches for the world cosmos, and their failure is turned into riches for all ethnic families, how much more their return to fulfillment? 13 Now, I am speaking to you of the ethnic families [not Judeans]. Because I am the apostle to the ethnic families, I magnify my service. 15 I would provoke to jealousy those who are of my flesh so that some of them might be saved. You see, if their rejection becomes the restoration of the world-cosmos, what is their acceptance except life out from the dead?

16 More than that, if the firstfruit is devoted, so also must be the lump, and if the root is devoted, so also must be the branches. 17 But if some of the [natural] branches were broken off, and • you, as branches from a wild olive tree, were grafted in among the [natural branches], you have become a fellow-partaker of the fatness coming out from the root of the olive tree. 18 Do not boast against the other branches. For if you do boast against them, consider that you do not support the root, but the root supports you [a]. 19 You might say, then, “These branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Rightly so. But they were broken off because of unbelief; you, however, are established [grafted in] through faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear. 21 If, indeed, God did not spare the natural branches, then neither will He spare you. 22 Look and see, then, the kindness as well as the severity of God. Upon those who have departed [from grace] comes severity, but upon you comes the kindness of God, if you persistently continue in that kindness, otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted into [Christ Jesus], for God is well able to graft them in again. 24 If you, then, were taken as the branches native to a wild olive tree, and were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, contrary to nature, how much more these natural branches will be grafted back into their own olive tree [again, into Christ Jesus]?

25 Indeed, I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you would not be wise in yourselves; that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the ethnic families might come in. • 26 And so all Israel will be saved [connected to God through Jesus], as it is written, “Out of Zion will come the Rescuer, He will remove from Jacob the refusal of wickedness. 27 And this is My covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins and disconnection from God. 28 Indeed, as regards the Gospel right now, they are enemies for your sake; as regards to being spoken out from  God, however, they are beloved because of the fathers. • 29 Indeed, the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once refused to be persuaded by God, but then were shown mercy in spite of your initial refusal, 31 in the same way, these who presently refuse to be persuaded, so that mercy might come to you, so even now [from you], they also might now have mercy shown to them. 32 Indeed, God has enclosed all together into refusal, that He might show mercy to all.

33 Oh the depth of the riches, both of wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and untraceable are His ways! 34 Who indeed has known the mind of the Lord or who has been His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to him, that it would be given back? • 36 For coming out from Him and passing through Him and returning into Him are all things. To Him be the glory into the ages. Let it be so; it is so.
 		  
 
Gospel Comments Notes
• Definition: This principle, that what God gives is irrevocable, applies to all.

• Covenant: The Covenant that is Jesus is with the House of Israel. We who are non-Judeans are welcomed into that same Israel through faith in Jesus. We do not then drive the natural Judeans out by claiming they are not part of God’s Church.

• The Form for God through Jesus: God has one House, former Judeans and non-Judeans  now as one together inside of Jesus (see Ephesians 2), many brethren together filled with God.

• Definition: Everything that exists comes out from God every moment through Jesus’ speaking. Everything that exists dwells inside the very presence of God right now. And everything that exists RETURNS to the Father through Jesus’ ability to carry all creation back into God. Paul’s Gospel and Absolute!