Romans 11: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary

Here is a Romans 11Bible study with commentary and a summary.

Romans 11:1-2 “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?”

The Apostle Paul wants to be clear about the fact that God’s not rejected His people Israel altogether. Otherwise, Paul would have been rejected since he was a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. Since God foreknew them, even before they were called out of Egypt, he writes that He has preserved a remnant by telling Elijah, “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (Rom 11:4-5). They were not chosen because they were a mighty nation or people but because of God’s grace alone, so that God may be glorified in vessels of clay.

Will God forever reject His chosen people, Israel?

Is there a remnant still today?

Is there a remnant today that are not Jewish?

Romans 11:7-8 “What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”

It wasn’t God Who failed but Israel who failed to live up to their calling to be a nation of priests. The Jews in Paul’s day were hardened in their hearts and had “eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear,” even “down to [Paul’s] day.” Notice it wasn’t that they couldn’t see and hear but that they “would not see and ears that would not hear.” Today, the Jews still are in that “spirit of stupor” where they still will not accept Jesus as the Messiah and Lord and Savior. Their eyes and ears would not see and hear; not that they could not. They were so wrapped up in their own traditions that they had ignored the weightier matters of the law, being “mercy and justice,” and it is just as Jesus said, “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8).

What does it mean that “God gave them a spirit of stupor?”

Why wouldn’t they see and hear and then believe?

Was the law or their traditions more important to the Jews?

Romans 11:11-12 “So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!”

The Jews, by preserving the Word of God, have made access possible for the Gentiles to be saved. How so? It was by their preservation of the “oracles of God,” or the Holy Scriptures, that today many are reading the Word and then believing God. The fact that the Jews were jealous of the success of the early church seems to be what Paul is saying here; “as to make Israel jealous.” In the Book of Acts, several passages say that the Jewish authorities were jealous of the apostle’s growing popularity with the people so their transgression or rejection of the Word “means riches for the Gentiles” (or non-Jews) and allows for our “full inclusion.” By their stumbling, we are made to walk upright through Christ so “their rejection means the reconciliation of the world” (Rom 11:15). This doesn’t mean that they will forever be rejected by God. Israel’s day is coming.

How can a person be saved just by having a Bible?

What were the “trespasses” committed by Israel?

Why were the Jews jealous of the Gentiles?

Romans 11:17-18 “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.”

The branches that were broken off are clearly those Jews who have rejected Christ, but this broken branch allows the “wild olive shoot” to be grafted into the natural olive tree, or the nation of Israel, therefore we should not be “arrogant towards the branches” of the natural olive tree (Israel) but thankful that we who were outside of the family of God can now become part of that tree. Don’t despise the Jews because they were the root that supports us by their holding onto the Holy Scriptures.

What does Paul mean by saying “the branches were broken off?”

What does the olive tree represent?

Who can these roots support us who are not Jewish?

Romans 11:25-26a “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved.”

There is a partial hardening in the nation of Israel today. There are a few orthodox Jews but very few Messianic Jews, or Jews who believe that Jesus is the Christ. That hardening of Israel will come to an end someday when the last Gentile or non-Jew puts their faith in Christ. It is “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” that we wait for and in time, “all Israel will be saved.” This doesn’t mean that every Israelite that has ever lived will be saved or that every Jew today living today and yet unborn will be saved, because only those who trust in Christ will be saved (Acts 4:12).

Why does Paul say that “all Israel will be saved?”

What does Paul mean by “the fullness of the Gentiles?”

Why did Paul call this a mystery?

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Paul concludes this chapter by telling us just how deep the riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God are. It is unfathomable, it is unsearchable, and it is inscrutable. The Word of God can only scratch the surface of the knowledge of God. It’s like the Bible is the tip of the iceberg. It’s all we see but there is so much more that we don’t even know about or understand. Even so, we must trust in Him and never question God because, “who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor” (Rom 11:34). Obviously the answer is no one.

Does the depth of God’s wisdom mean that we can’t know anything at all about Him?

Is it fair to question God because of what we don’t know?

Why does Paul call the wisdom and knowledge of God “riches?”

Summary

This chapter causes many people to question God, but who among us can ever give God counsel? Who can tell God what He should do? Since we only see a small slice of God’s wisdom, we have to have faith that God works everything out for us and is always for our very best (Rom 8:28). Just be thankful that God has preserved a remnant for Himself and if you’ve trusted in Christ, you are part of that remnant. Someday, we will understand what the “fullness of the Gentiles” is all about. It seems to say that when the very last non-Jewish person is saved, then the fullness of time comes when “all of Israel will be saved.” Just be sure you are saved.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.