Romans 11
1 I ask, then, ‘Has God rejected his people?’ Heaven forbid! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
But then I ask, “Has God rejected his people?” Of course not! I'm an Israelite myself, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not rejected his people, whom he chose from the first. Have you forgotten the words of scripture in the story of Elijah – how he appeals to God against Israel?
God has not rejected his chosen people. Don't you recall what Scripture says about Elijah? How he complained about Israel to God, saying,
3 ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have pulled down your altars, and I only am left; and now they are eager to take my life.’
“Lord they've killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I'm the only one left, and they're trying to kill me too!”
4 But what was the divine response? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand who have never bowed the knee to Baal.’
How did God answer him? “I still have seven thousand left who have not worshiped Baal.”
5 And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
Today it's just the same: there are still some faithful people left, chosen by God's grace.
6 But if in love, then it is not as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
And since it's through grace, then clearly it's not based on what people do, otherwise grace wouldn't be grace!
7 What follows from this? Why, that Israel as a nation failed to secure what it was seeking, while those whom God selected did secure it.
So what do we conclude? That the people of Israel didn't achieve what they were striving for—only the chosen, while the rest became hard-hearted.
8 The rest grew callous; as scripture says – ‘God has given them a deadness of mind – eyes that are not to see and ears that are not to hear – and it is so to this very day.’
As Scripture says, “God dulled their minds so their eyes could not see and their ears could not hear, to this very day.”
9 David, too, says – ‘May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them – a hindrance and a retribution;
David adds, “May their feasts become a trap for them, a net that catches them, a temptation that brings punishment.
10 may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do you always make their backs to bend.’
May their eyes become blind so they cannot see, and may their backs always be bent low in dejection.”
11 I ask then – ‘Was their stumbling to result in their fall?’ Heaven forbid! On the contrary, through their falling away salvation has reached the Gentiles, to stir the rivalry of Israel.
So am I saying that they stumbled and consequently failed completely? Not at all! But as a result of their mistakes, salvation came to other nations, to “make them jealous.”
12 And, if their falling away has enriched the world, and their failure has enriched the Gentiles, how much more will result from their full restoration!
Now if even their failure benefits the world, and their loss profits the foreigners, how much more beneficial it would be if they were to completely fulfill what they were meant to be.
13 But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
Now let me speak to you foreigners. Insofar as I'm a missionary to foreigners, I promote what I'm doing
14 Being myself an apostle to the Gentiles, I exalt my office, in the hope that I may stir my countrymen to rivalry, and so save some of them.
that somehow I might make my people jealous and save some of them.
15 For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but life from the dead?
If the result of God's rejection of them is that the world becomes God's friends, the result of God's acceptance of them would be like the dead coming back to life!
16 If the first handful of dough is holy, so is the whole mass, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
If the first part of the bread dough given as an offering is holy, then so is all the rest; if the roots of a tree are holy, then so are the branches.
17 Some, however, of the branches were broken off, and you, who were only a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and came to share with them the root which is the source of the richness of the cultivated olive.
Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and you—a wild olive shoot—have been grafted in, and have shared with them the benefit of nourishment from the olive tree's roots,
18 Yet do not exult over the other branches. But, if you do exult over them, remember that you do not support the root, but that the root supports you.
then you shouldn't look down on the other branches. If you're tempted to boast, remember it's not you who are supporting the roots, but the roots that are supporting you.
19 But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
You could make the claim, “Branches were broken off so I could be grafted in.”
20 True, it was because of their want of faith that they were broken off, and it is because of your faith that you are standing. Do not think too highly of yourself, but beware.
All well and good—but they were broken off because of their failure to trust in God, and you stay there because you trust in God. So don't think highly of yourselves, but be respectful,
21 For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
because if God didn't spare the original branches, he won't spare you either.
22 See, then, both the goodness and the severity of God – his severity towards those who fell, and his goodness towards you, provided that you continue to confide in that goodness; otherwise you, also, will be cut off.
You should recognize both God's kindness and toughness—he was tough on the fallen, but God is kind to you so long as you trust in his kindness—otherwise you'll be removed too.
23 And they, too, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has it in his power to graft them in again.
If they no longer refuse to trust in God, they can be grafted in as well, for God is able to graft them back in again.
24 If you were cut off from your natural stock – a wild olive – and were grafted, contrary to the course of nature, on a good olive, much more will they – the natural branches – be grafted back into their parent tree.
If you could be cut from a wild olive tree, and then be grafted artificially onto a cultivated olive tree, how much more easily they could be grafted back naturally to their own tree.
25 My friends, so that you don’t think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognize the truth, hitherto hidden, that the callousness which has come over Israel is only partial, and will continue only until the whole Gentile world has been gathered in.
I don't want you, my brothers and sisters to miss this previously-hidden truth, for otherwise you could become conceited. The people of Israel have become hard-hearted in part, until the process of the foreigners coming in is complete.
26 And then all Israel will be saved. As scripture says – ‘From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
This is how all Israel will be saved. As Scripture says, “The Savior will come from Zion, and he will turn Jacob away from his opposition to God.
27 And they will see the fulfillment of my covenant, when I have taken away their sins.’
My promise to them is that I'll take away their sins.”
28 From the standpoint of the good news, the Jews are God’s enemies for your sake; but from the standpoint of God’s selection, they are dear to him for the sake of the patriarchs.
Though they are enemies of the good news—and this is to your benefit—they are still the chosen people, and loved because of their forefathers.
29 For God never regrets his gifts or his call.
God's gifts and his calling can't be withdrawn.
30 Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
At one time you disobeyed God, but now God has shown you mercy as a result of their disobedience.
31 so, too, they have now become disobedient in your day of mercy, in order that they also in their turn may now find mercy.
In just the same way that they're now disobedient as you were, they will also be shown mercy like you received.
32 For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
For God treated everyone as prisoners because of their disobedience so that he could be merciful to everyone. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh! The unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes –
Oh how deep are God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge! How incredible his decisions, how unimaginable his methods!
34 ho has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
Who can know God's thoughts? Who can give him advice?
35 Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a reward?
Who has ever given anything to God that God would be obliged to repay?
