Romans 11 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Rom 11:1-10

1 I ask then: did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah – how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me’? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:

‘God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    eyes that could not see
    and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.’

9 And David says:

‘May their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling-block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent for ever.’

A. Find Out:

1. How does Paul first counter the rejection-of-Israel theory? v.1
2. What Old Testament person does he use? v.2
3. What had that man felt? v.3
4. What had been the truth then? v.4
5. How does Paul apply that to the present? v.5
6. How are they chosen? v.5b,6

B. Think:

1. What 2 responses does Paul give here to the rejection-of-Israel claim?
2. What two groups are there always, therefore, in Israel?

C. Comment:

Having just commented that Israel were stubborn and disobedient, Paul asks if the Lord had rejected His people, Israel. His first response is to point out that he is an Israelite and God hadn’t rejected him! Not only that, he goes on to say, I’m not the only one. Remember, he says, how Elijah thought he was the only one in his day who followed the Lord and God told him there were a lot more, well it’s the same today. Although the majority may have rejected God’s way there is, and always will be, a minority, a remnant who have responded, who are, as we saw in Chapter 8, chosen from before the foundation of the world.

The majority, as we’ve already seen, were disobedient and obstinate with hard, self-centred hearts, wanting to work for their salvation (if at all) by religious works, not by faith in God. Because God gave them a “religious environment”, that blinded them so that they couldn’t see that it was heart love for God that counted, not their religious works that were man-centred.

D. Application?

1. Again we need to see that God accepts people who come by faith, not because they come from “the right Christian family”
2. “Religious activity” can blind us to the truth!

Passage: Rom 11:11-21

11 Again I ask: did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as first-fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

A. Find Out:

1. What effect does our salvation have on Jews? v.11
2. What does Paul hope to do? v.14
3. What 2 illustrations does Paul next use? v.16
4. How does Paul view the Roman Gentiles? v.17
5. What reason does he first give for them not boasting? v.18
6. What warning/reason does he next give? v.20,21

B. Think:

1. How have Israel been a blessing to the Gentile world majority?
2. How, from past studies, were Israel “rejected”?
3. How does Paul use the picture of an olive tree to convey truth about all “believers by faith”?

C. Comment:

Previously Paul had asked (v.1) “Did God reject His people?” and answered that in the first ten verses. Now he asks the same question from a slightly different viewpoint, basically saying, “Is there any hope for them?” His answer in verses 2-10 was to talk about a remnant but now he talks about how Israel have been a blessing to the world by their history and by bringing Jesus. Now, in turn, the Gentiles are to be a means of provoking the Jews in envy, to produce that remnant of believers, Jewish believers.

Paul considers their origins, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob etc. speaking of dough and a tree. They were its roots and, as believers by faith, they were holy. All who were part of the “believers’ tree” were also holy, the remnant he spoke of earlier. Don’t feel proud, he warns these Roman Gentiles, don’t look down on the Jewish believers, they are the original plant, you are just additions! You are added to the root plant, the original men of faith. Unbelievers were cut off from the root because of unbelief and the same could happen to you, so be careful! NB. “fullness” and “their acceptance” (v.15) refers to Jews who do believe, i.e. the remnant of Israel that is the real Israel.

D. Application?

1. The tree is a tree of faith, are we really in it?
2. Are others envious of our lives?

Passage: Rom 11:22-27

22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

‘The deliverer will come from Zion;
    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.’

A. Find Out:

1. What are we to continue in? v.22
2. How could the Jews be grafted in again? v.23
3. What has Israel experienced? v.25
4. How long will it continue? v.25
5. What has God planned? v.26a
6. What will Jesus do? v.26b

B. Think:

1. What warning does Paul bring in this passage?
2. What possible hope does he bring?
3. How is that hope largely dashed?

C. Comment:

In trying to understand this passage we need to remember various things that Paul has already said. First in this passage comes Paul’s warning to the Romans to realise the realities of their position: if they abuse it they can be cut out of the tree. Then he tantalizingly suggests that many in Israel could be grafted in again but that would require a move of faith out of their unbelief, but it IS possible.

But then he almost appears to squash that thought when he adds that Israel has “experienced a hardening in part”, i.e. as he said earlier in the chapter, a large percentage of natural Israel have believed in a form of religion by rules that needs neither faith nor God.

Then comes the difficult bit, “all Israel will be saved”. Here we need to remember what he said before: a) of natural Israel only a remnant will be saved (11:5) and b) natural Israelites are not necessarily real Israelites (9:6,8). Israel here in v.26 therefore more probably means the remnant who are really “Israel”, God’s faith people. The only real alternative is that the nation will know salvation after Jesus returns, for this is when the full number of the Gentiles will have come in (v.25). Time and only the Lord really know!

D. Application?

1. “Religion” hardens hearts and allows people to focus on self rather than on God.
2. Watch for a move of God in Israel.

Passage: Rom 11:28-36

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counsellor?’
35 ‘Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?’
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

A. Find Out:

1. What is the hope for Israel? v.28
2. What has happened to us? v.30
3. How have they become just like us? v.31
4. What happened to ALL men? v.32
5. What does Paul go on to extol? v.33

B. Think:

1. How has God made Jews the same as Gentiles?
2. What hope does that release for the Jews?

C. Comment:

In concluding these 3 chapters about Israel’s position we must try to be very clear on what Paul is saying. As a nation, Paul says, Israel have rejected the Gospel (just like England, say) but they are still special because of their origins. In a sense God has still got a soft spot for them, for He doesn’t go back on His original desires for them.

However, says Paul, if you consider what has happened to them you see they came to the same starting point as the Gentile majority of the world. Originally they had a highly privileged position of knowing God as a nation. That was their calling, but they rejected it as they many times rejected God. That left them in exactly the same position as the rest of the world. That, of course, also means they are in exactly the same position to receive God’s mercy in the form of salvation through knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

Although many, as in the Gentile part of the world, reject Him, there will still be many, as in the Gentile part of the world, who will respond to His mercy and grace and will come to Him. It is only part of natural Israel who will remain hardened, blind and unbelieving, for the rest, the true “Israel of God”, will respond and be saved. Such is the wonder of God’s love. They are NOT all written off, still there will be salvation for many. There WILL be a real Israel in the midst of natural Israel.

D. Application?

1. God loves Jew AND Gentile and wants ALL to come to Him to receive of His mercy.
2. Salvation for all comes through faith in Jesus.