Outline
- Commendation, Greetings and Doxology (ch. 16)
Romans 11
1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own
people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a
descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 No, God has not rejected his own people,
whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say
about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and
said,
3 “ LORD, they have killed your prophets
and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to
kill me, too.”
4 And do you remember God’s reply? He
said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
5 It is the same today, for a few of the
people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved
kindness in choosing them.
6 And since it is through God’s kindness,
then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be
what it really is—free and undeserved.
7 So this is the situation: Most of the
people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so
earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were
hardened.
8 As the Scriptures say, “God has put them
into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and
closed their ears so they do not hear.”
9 Likewise, David said, “Let their
bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let
their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they
deserve.
10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot
see, and let their backs be bent forever.”
11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond
recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available
to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it
for themselves.
12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched
because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how
much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
13 I am saying all this especially for you
Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress
this,
14 for I want somehow to make the people of
Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.
15 For since their rejection meant that God
offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more
wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!
16 And since Abraham and the other
patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire
batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if
the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
17 But some of these branches from
Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you
Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So
now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children,
sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive
tree.
18 But you must not brag about being
grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch,
not the root.
19 “Well,” you may say, “those branches
were broken off to make room for me.”
20 Yes, but remember—those branches were
broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you
do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could
happen.
21 For if God did not spare the original
branches, he won’t spare you either.
22 Notice how God is both kind and severe.
He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to
trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut
off.
23 And if the people of Israel turn from
their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft
them back into the tree.
24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a
wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by
grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the
original branches back into the tree where they belong.
25 I want you to understand this mystery,
dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves.
Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until
the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the
Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn
Israel away from ungodliness.
27 And this is my covenant with them, that
I will take away their sins.”
28 Many of the people of Israel are now
enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still
the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob.
29 For God’s gifts and his call can never
be withdrawn.
30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against
God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to
you instead.
31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy
has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy.
32 For God has imprisoned everyone in
disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and
wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions
and his ways!
34 For who can know the LORD ’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?
35And who has given him so much that he needs to
pay it back?
36 For everything comes from him and exists
by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
