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RomansThe Letter from Yeshua's Emissary Sha’ul(Paul) to the Messianic Community in Rome Chapter 11 - (CJB)* A Study to Help New and Young Christians - Previous Study |
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1. “In that case, I say, isn’t it that God has repudiated his people?” Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Isra’el, from the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Binyamin. 2. God has not repudiated his people, whom he chose in advance. Or don’t you know what the Tanakh says about Eliyahu? He pleads with God against Isra’el, 3. “ADONAI, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars, and I’m the only one left, and now they want to kill me too!” 4. But what is God’s answer to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt down to Ba‘al.” 5. It’s the same way in the present age: there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6. (Now if it is by grace, it is accordingly not based on legalistic works; if it were otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.) 7. What follows is that Isra’el has not attained the goal for which she is striving. The ones chosen have obtained it, but the rest have been made stonelike, 8. just as the Tanakh says, “God has given them a spirit of dullness— eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, right down to the present day.” 9. And David says, “Let their dining table become for them a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a punishment. 10. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see, with their backs bent continually.” 11. “In that case, I say, isn’t it that they have stumbled with the result that they have permanently fallen away?” Heaven forbid! Quite the contrary, it is by means of their stumbling that the deliverance has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. 12. Moreover, if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world—that is, if Isra’el’s being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter—how much greater riches will Isra’el in its fullness bring them! 13. However, to those of you who are Gentiles I say this: since I myself am an emissary sent to the Gentiles, I make known the importance of my work 14. in the hope that somehow I may provoke some of my own people to jealousy and save some of m! 15. For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead! 16. Now if the hallah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you—a wild olive—were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, 18. then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you. 19. So you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20. 20 True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust. However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified! 21. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won’t spare you! 22. So take a good look at God’s kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God’s kindness toward you—provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off! 23. Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in. 24. For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree! 25. For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won’t imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra’el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26. and that it is in this way that all Isra’el will be saved. As the Tanakh says, “Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya‘akov 27. and this will be my covenant with them, … when I take away their sins.” 28. With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs’ sake, 29. for God’s free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. 30. Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Isra’el’s disobedience; 31. so also Isra’el has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God’s mercy. 32. For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all. 33. O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments! How unsearchable are his ways! 34. For, ‘Who has known the mind of ADONAI Who has been his counselor?’ 35. Or, ‘Who has given him anything and made him pay it back?’ 36. For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. |
Study - Chapter 11 Ch 11: verses, 1-6, There is a teaching that says, God had rejected the people of Isreal, the Jews, because they rejected Jesus who God sent to redeem Mankind. Paul here clearly contrdicts this in the following verses. Although many of the Isreali People have no belief that Jesus is the way to enter The Kingdomof Heaven, God still has those who have believed. In Verses 2, 3, and 4: Paul continues to explain what the Prophet Eliyahu, (Elijah) complained to God that he was the only one left that served God. But God says that He has many, seven thousand men, that are still faithful. Paul continues to state the same exists today as was then that many are faithful. Verse 6: It is a matter of 'Grace', not by any one's actions or works, otherwise it could not be 'of Grace'. ........ Ch 11: verses, 7-12, What follows is the present state of the Isreali People. They have not achieved what they were hoping for because they were trying to do in their own strenght. There have been some that through the Grace of believing it is by Faith, Trust, and not by effort accees to The Kingdom of Heaven is achived. Those that have rejected the "Act of Faith" God has allowed them to become 'stonelike', they have hardned their hearts so not to able to understand. Because it must be by faith and not by 'seeing' that God is able to show His Mercy no smart convincing will help those who have reject the Grace Offer. Verse 11: Clearly states that God has not abandoned His People but through thier 'stumbling a the promise' "deliverance has come to the Gentiles". As Paul states that he is an Apositle an 'emissary sent to the Gentiles', but he hopes to make his own people jealious and see the Good News that he is sharing to all who will hear. To the Gentiles he make very clear that they should not become proud that they received the Good News and despise the Jewish People. He states in Verse 12: - "Moreover, if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world—that is, if Isra’el’s being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter—how much greater riches will Isra’el in its fullness bring them!" ........ Ch 11: verses, 13-24, Paul continues talking to the Gentiles warning them not to become complacent. His vigor in reaching out the the Gentiles can be seen in other episles that Paul wrote but this is all part of trying to make his people all the more jealious. Just because the Jews were a 'broken off branch' to allow you as a Gentile to be 'grated in' should not give the Gentile any confidence that their place is perminent. If their lack of 'Trust' gave the Gentile access to be 'grafted in' won't they be 'grafted back' if they show they have a new Trust, also? Paul want the Gentiles that have received this 'New Life' to realise this most impportant fact. They have it because it was first offered to the Jewish people. That they should show their gratitude by taking up all the challenges that this New Life brings. ........ Ch 11: verses, 25-36, There is a real mystery here that Paul is trying to convey. It is "that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra’el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness;" which has given the Gentiles access to this New Life. Now that the Gentiles have had their chance God is opening the doors widely to His People again. God has a special plan for Isreal to bring them back into a place of believing. Paul explains that the Gentiles were given the chance of recieving the Good News of the Gospel because the Jews had difficulty in beleiving it is by faith and not by works. God's apparent rejection of Isreal does not mean they will miss out. His Faithfulness to the Patriarchs will never be forgotten. There is a time coming that God will embrace all of Isreal, the whole 12 tribes and cause them to understand all His Grace. Paul makes to observation that just as you Gentiles were "disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Isra’el’s disobedience", Vesre 30: So when they act in obedience they will be brought back into the Fold. So the Gentiles need to thankful to Isreal in that they have been place to one side so as Gentiles we might find Life. Now we must embrase our Isreali Brothers (and Sisters) because it is because of them we have an access to the New Life in Christ. Paul finishes this section that explains how the Jewish People fit into the Plan of God by an explosive praise. Let's the following Verses just roll out. Verses 33 to 36: - 33: O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments! How unsearchable are his ways! ........ |
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(CJB)* The Complete Jewish Bible" used with permission. |
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