Romans
Chapter 11
The Rest of Israel
I ask: Has God rejected his people? Of course not! I, myself, am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin.
No, God has not rejected the people he knew beforehand. Don’t you know what the scripture says about Elijah when he accused Israel before God?
He said: “Lord, they have killed your prophets, destroyed your altars, and I alone remain; and now they want to kill me.”
What was God’s answer? “I kept for myself seven thousand who did not worship Baal.”
Similarly, there is now a remnant in Israel, those who were chosen by grace.
It is said: by grace, not because of what they did. Otherwise, grace would not be grace.
What then? What Israel was seeking, it did not find, but those whom God chose did find it. The others hardened their hearts
as scripture says: God made them dull of heart and mind; to this day, their eyes cannot see, nor their ears hear.
David says: May they be caught and trapped at their banquets; may they fall, and may they be punished.
May their eyes be closed so they cannot see, and may their backs be bent forever.
Once again, I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not. Their stumble brought salvation to the pagan nations, and this, in turn, will ignite Israel’s jealousy.
If Israel’s shortcoming made the world rich, and the pagan nations grew wealthy from what they lost, what will happen when Israel is restored?
Salvation of the Gentiles
Now I am speaking to you, Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry
to make my own people jealous and ultimately save some of them.
If the world found peace with God when they stayed apart, what will it be like when they are welcomed? It will be nothing less than a passing from death to life.
When the first fruits are consecrated to God, the entire harvest is consecrated. If the roots are holy, then the branches will be too.
Some branches have been cut from the olive tree, while you, as a wild olive tree, have been grafted in their place, and you are benefiting from their roots and sap.
Now, therefore, do not be prideful or despise the branches, because you do not support the roots; the roots support you.
You may say, ‘They cut off the branches to graft me.’
Well and good! But they were cut off because they did not believe, while you stand by faith. So don’t pride yourself on this too much, but be cautious:
if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
Admire both the goodness and severity of God at the same time: He was severe with the fallen, and he is generous with you, as long as you remain faithful. Otherwise, you will be cut off.
If they do not keep rejecting the faith, they will be grafted in, because God can graft them back again.
If you were pulled from the wild olive tree where you belonged and, despite being a different species, you were grafted into the cultivated olive tree, how much more will those who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
The Conversion of Israel
I want you to understand God’s mysterious decree, so you don’t become overly confident: part of Israel will stay hardened until most Gentiles come in.
Then all Israel will be saved, as scripture says: From Zion will come the Liberator who will purify the descendants of Jacob from all sin.
And this is the covenant I will establish with them: I will remove their sins.
Regarding the gospel, the Jews are opponents, but it is for your benefit. Concerning the election, they are loved because of their ancestors;
because the call of God and his gifts cannot be revoked.
Because of the disobedience of the Jews, God’s mercy came to you who did not obey God.
They, in turn, will receive mercy in due time after this disobedience that brought God’s mercy to you.
So, God has allowed everyone to be disobedient, to show his mercy to all.
How vast are the riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God! His decisions cannot be explained, nor his ways understood!
Who has ever known God’s thoughts? Who has ever been his adviser?
Who has given him something first so that God had to repay him?
Everything comes from him, has been made by him and must return to him. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Commentaries
The Rest of Israel.
Among Christians who originated from pagan backgrounds, the belief likely circulated that God had rejected the Jews. Paul addresses this rumor with a question and responds emphatically, “By no means!” (1). He then demonstrates this by consulting the Word of God in the Scriptures. The Apostle’s mastery of the Bible is impressive. Even more remarkable is his ability to understand all events—big and small, individual and collective, personal and external—through the lens of the Word of God. Since his conversion on the road to Damascus, that lens has always reflected “a single color”: the bright color of salvation extended to both Jews and pagans. Ultimately, the Apostle appears to be contemplating how all the pieces of the Creator Potter come together, fitting perfectly to form his grand plan of universal salvation.
Salvation of the Gentiles.
Paul now addresses Christians from pagan backgrounds who may be risking their relationship with Judaism because of a possible “Christian complex” of superiority. Repeating once again what the widespread acceptance of the Gospel by his people will mean for the reign of God, he says the results will be excellent, like “a kind of resurrection” (15). He reminds them that Israel’s election still holds and that his people remain a key part of God’s plans for saving the world. For the Apostle, the Jewish people and the Christian people cannot exist without each other. Their shared destiny is to walk together until the “day of the Lord.”
The Conversion of Israel.
The Apostle appears to accept the mystery of his people’s widespread rejection of the Gospel. He cannot understand it. It is a secret, known only to God, and he, Paul, now feels like a guardian of it, even though he can only speculate. None of the debates and theories seem to fit anymore. The secret, which calls for humility and hope, is the future conversion of the Jews, connected to the inclusion of the pagans (25). He does not specify when or how, but Paul expects this to happen soon, since he believed the Lord would return in a few years and even considered the possibility of meeting the Lord himself while still alive (cf. 1 Cor 15:51).