THREE CHAPTERS in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans chapters 9 through 11, are hotly contested by Calvinists and non Calvinists yet if sound principles of Biblical exposition are applied, there is no problem. The first rule is: Who is the subject? Without any doubt, the Jew is the subject:
Ch.9:3: “I could wish myself accursed from Christ for my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites.
Ch.10:1 ”my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”
Ch.11:1 “Hath God cast away his people? God Forbid. For I also am an Israelite.”
The Historic Context
The second rule of interpretation is to ask, What is the context. In the case of Romans chapters 9 through 11 this is absolutely vital. In chapters 1 through 8 Paul is expounding personal salvation of the individual but in chapter 9 through 11 he is expounding the national and dispensational aspects of the Gospel.
The early Church was entirely Jewish. At Pentecost there were only Jews and Jewish proselytes. Early Christians continued to attend the Temple and synagogues and the only Bible was the Old Testament. When Saul persecuted believers he found them in the synagogues.
The truth of the Church as “neither Jew nor Gentile” in one Body as taught in Eph. 3:1-10, 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Rom. 12:4-8; and Col. 1:24-27; 2:19 was completely foreign to the Apostles. It was a totally new concept to Old Testament saints.
God revealed the truth of the Church as the Body of Christ to Paul who was the apostle to the Gentiles. He said “How that by revelation He
(God) made known unto me the mystery…that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body” (Eph. 3:3-6).
Paul wrote to the Ephesians from Rome in AD64, Corinth no earlier than AD54, and Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to the 1st Council about AD50 to clarify the place of Gentiles in the Church according to Unger’s Dictionary. The first 20 years were predominently a Jewish Church meeting in the Temple and synagogues.
Overview of Romans 9, 10 and 11
Jewish believers were having great difficulty reconciling the fact that Israel was no longer the instrument God was using to speak to Gentiles for the Church had taken the place of the nation after Pentecost.
This situation was in accordance with God’s plan because the apostles were told to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and then to the utmost parts of the earth – in that order. Israel had first to be given the offer of the kingdom which they rejected just as Peter declared to the Jews at Pentecost:
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:38-40).
The first converts were Jews at Jerusalem where “about three thousand souls” responded to Peter’s preaching and Paul later declared, “To the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). Peter said, “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you” (Jews) (Acts 13:46).
As time passed, the Jews resisted the Gospel of Christ and the Jews divided into two camps; a remnant who trusted in Christ and the rest who hardened their hearts and shut their ears to the truth. The believing remnant were eventually cast out of the synagogues and the epistle to the Hebrews was written about AD67 shortly before Paul’s death to encourage the believing Jews to be steadfast in the face of excommunication.
The Change from Old Covenant to New Covenant was Radical
For the Jewish believer who knew that the Temple and priesthood, the feasts, sabbaths and the offerings, were all ordained by God thro’ Moses, the idea of there being “no difference” between Jews and Gentiles constituted a denial of the Law. Their Bible was the Law and the Prophets, so how could things change? How could God have mercy on Gentiles unless they came into Israel as “strangers” as they had for 1,500 years? After all, Jews were Israelites
“to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Rom. 9:4-5).
Had not Jesus told His disciples, “Go not in the way of the Gentiles” but go only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel?” (Matt. 10:5-6).
Jewish believers could not understand that God had the right to change the way He works. There was nothing in the Old Testament about the Church. God had kept it a secret as He told Paul in Ephs 3:1-10; Rom. 16:25; Col. 1:27.
In ages past God had not revealed the fact that Gentile believers would become the Bride of Christ. It was first revealed to Paul (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:32).
It was true the leaders of Israel were evil but a substantial remnant of believing Jews had become the foundation of the Church as Paul was told when he returned to Jerusalem on his final visit:
“Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs” (Acts 21:20-21).
But God had said to Moses:
“I have mercy on whom I have mercy and I have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Rom. 9:15).
God reserved the right to change the way He dealt with mankind. Under the law of Moses, Gentile believers identified with Israel. They became “strangers in Israel” and God’s law provided for them. To be right with God a Gentile had to believe in and worship the God of Israel. As Jewish believers they were expected to be circumcised and keep all the Jewish feasts along with the Jews.
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar she said the Jews believed they should worship at Jerusalem but the Samaritans believed they should worship in Samaria but Jesus said:
“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” (John4 :22).
If Jesus was Messiah and He insisted that salvation was through Israel why should Gentiles not keep the whole law after Pentecost? Hadn’t Peter James and John continued to go up to the Temple to pray after Pentecost? Did not God say that Jerusalem was the only place on earth chosen in order to place His name there? (Deut. 12:5,11,14…) Hadn’t the Apostles testified before the Sanhedrin?
Why then did God say that the nation of Israel was his “witnesses” to the Gentile nations? (Isa. 43:10-12).
Now, when the Christians were scattered among the Gentiles and Gentiles believed, the Apostles had met and decided that
“It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).
Then when Paul arrived in Rome at the end of his ministry he called for the elders of the Jews and reasoned with them. When they “agreed not among themselves” Paul said, “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:28).
Paul was not saying that Jews could not believe on Christ and be saved. But he was saying that a change had taken place and now the Gospel was to be taken to the Gentiles by Gentiles! No longer would believers be required to keep the ceremonial law or be circumcised or keep the sabbath.
Under the Old Covenant that was the way God chose to work but when Messiah was rejected God changed the way He worked.
Now God was saying the Jews must be a part of the Church and that circumcision which was the sign of God’s old covenant counted for nothing. Even the Sabbath was not an essential part of the believer’s relationship with God.
“One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5).
All of the New Moon feasts, Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Yom Kippur and Tabernacles were no longer required. The Apostles at the Council of Jerusalem led by James stated:
“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood” (Acts 15:19-20).
Immorality and idolatry were the only restrictions imposed and the entire ceremonial law no longer applied!
For this reason house churches in China are justified in meeting on days other than Sunday and there is no requirement to have a priestly system offering sacrifices for the people. Every believer is a priest enabled to offer spiritual sacrifices of praise to God which are the “fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Heb. 13:15).
When Jews tried to bring the Galatian Christians back under the ceremonial law Paul charged them with preaching “another Gospel” and said that those who did so were “accursed” (Gal. 1:8). The true Gospel of Christ under the new covenant justified the repentant sinner by faith in Christ alone and “not by the works of the law” (Gal. 2:16).
Romans 9, 10 & 11 Explain God’s Plan for the Nation of Israel
Since God has turned to the Gentiles there is a danger that the Gentiles might think that God has finished with Israel and if that is the conclusion the Gentiles come to then all the promises God made to Israel would have to be re-interpreted in some way other than literal! That is exactly what Reformed Theologist do when they teach amillennial error!
God has made unconditional promises to Abraham and his seed. He has said that the land of Palestine was given to the Jews as an “everlasting possession” and that Jerusalem was where He placed His name. The kingdom of God on earth must one day must be ruled by Christ sitting on the throne of David at Jerusalem and the Jews must be a nation of “priests” – as “the ministers of our God” and will “eat the riches of the Gentiles” (Isa.61:6).
A glorious temple is yet to be built at Jerusalem to specifications spelt out in Ezekiel chapters 1 to 4.
When Christ returns to reign He will stand on the Mount of Olives and all nations will go up to Jerusalem to worship the King (Zech. 14:16).
So if the Jews have been set aside in this present age and God is now using the Church as His witness in the earth, how will Israel again become God’s servants to reign with Christ? That is exactly what Romans 9 through 11 is all about.
This statement has nothing to do with personal salvation; it is dispensational. It does not teach election or predestination. It simply says that God can put Israel aside and have mercy on Gentiles and the Jews can’t complain! God put firstborn Esau aside and blessed Jacob when Esau despised his birthright; He made an example of Pharaoh who fitted himself for destruction after God had been longsuffering with him, so that a Gentile, Rahab, believed after hearing what God did to Pharaoh (Josh.2:10), and now God is preparing for glory all, who have received mercy by faith – “not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles” (Rom. 9:24).
To show this change was Biblical Paul quotes an Old Testament prophecy in Hos. 2:23:
“I will call them my people, which were not my people (Gentiles); and her beloved, which was not beloved.”
In the meanwhile, Israel nationally would be judged and only a remnant will find salvation during the Tribulation for in the future,
“He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work (7 years) will the Lord make upon the earth” (Rom. 9:28).
Conclusion to Chs.9 to 11
Paul summarises all he has said: “The Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith” (Rom. 9:30-32).
When Christ came, Israel rejected Him; they
“stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Rom. 9:32-33).
Salvation is by faith alone to all who SEEK righteousness by FAITH, be they Jew or Gentile, and not by Calvinistic pre-selection or predestination.
Chapter 10 affirms that God saves “whosoever shall call” (Rom. 10:13) and faith is not a gift but comes “by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
God has turned to the Gentiles and Israel has been put aside because they refused to respond in spite of God’s loving entreaty. God said:
“All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Rom. 10:21).
Has God Finished with Israel? – Ch.11
If God has turned to the Gentiles does this mean He has abandoned Israel permanently, to which Paul responds, “God Forbid!”
Replacement theology fails at this point for it teaches that God has “thrust away”, “cast away” His people Israel and that the Church has now replaced literal Israel with a “spiritual Israel”. This error then necessitates a redefining of the vast number of promises made to literal Israel and applying them in some symbolic way to the Church; usually passing over the curses. But
“God has NOT cast away His people” (Rom. 11:2)
for ever and even today, while the nation has been blinded by God, there is still a remnant of Jewish believers who with the Gentile believers, make up the Church; a distinctly different body to the nation of Israel:
“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him” (Rom. 10:12).
The Greek words describing Israel’s “fall” are very significant:
“Have they stumbled (tripped) that they should fall (down)? God forbid: but rather through their fall (side-slip) salvation is come to the Gentiles, for to provoke them (Israel) to jealousy. Now if the fall (side-slip) of them be the riches of the world…how much more their fulness?” (Rom. 11:12).
Israel will be restored! In this present church age the nation of Israel is blinded but there is a saved remnant in the Church. Some of the natural branches of the olive tree, symbolic of Israel, have been broken off and the
wild olive branch, symbolic of Gentiles, has been grafted in their place; but “they (Israel) also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again” (Rom. 11:23).
When the Church is Complete, Then Israel is Saved
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own
conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (the Church will be complete at the Rapture). “And so all Israel shall (in the future) be saved” (Rom. 11:25-26).
The Jewish believing remnant in the Church are not blinded but the nation is blinded.
“Nevertheless when it (Israel) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away” (2 Cor. 3:16).
Then ALL Israel shall be saved under the new covenant that God will make “with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jer. 31:31).
“For this is the covenant unto them, when I take away their sins” (Rom. 11:27).
This future repentance and blessing of the nation of Israel will be complete and final. Never again will the nation depart from the Lord. Jeremiah wrote:
“After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and
I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:33-34).
Ezekiel adds:
“Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezek. 39:29).
The Rapture of the Church
The Church is on earth only for a season. Gentile believers are described as a “wild olive branch” that is grafted into the olive tree from which the natural olive branch (Israel) has been removed. But the day will come when the last Gentile will be added to the Church and “the fulness of the Gentiles will have come in”. Instantly the Bride of Christ will be caught up and 144,000 Jewish men will be saved and begin to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom for 1,260 days until they are martyred. Russia will flood the land in about the 2nd year and “so all Israel shall be saved”,
The entire passage from Romans 9:1 to 11:36 has to do with Israel; firstly that the nation has been put aside and in this Church age there is no difference between Jew and Gentile in the Body of Christ, but when the Church is complete, Israel will turn to the Lord; be restored to the Lord in the Tribulation and to the land after Christ returns. They will again be the ministers of God to the nations in the millennial kingdom of Christ.
The doxology at the end of Romans ch.11 is for the wisdom and mercy of God to be upon both Jew and Gentile (Rom 11:33-36).
By John Ecob D.D.
The Herald of Hope – Associate Editor
