Salvation’s Great Plan
Romans 11:11–24 Handout
Up until this point the apostle focused on spiritual Israel. In chapter 11, however, he selectively focuses on what happens to national Israel. The apostle shows that despite the rebellious nature of the Jewish people, God’s plans never could be frustrated. God uses the disobedience of the Jew and the Greek (11:32) to accomplish an even greater display of God’s glory and compassion.
God’s Promises to Israel Are Not in Vain (11:11–24)
- Greater blessings on all upon ethnic Israel’s return (11:11–15)
- Gentiles are now being grafted into Israel’s olive tree (11:16–24)
- Some Gentiles and Israel will be saved (11:25–36)
A. Greater Blessings on All Upon Israel’s Return (11:11–15)
God has not rejected the few chosen Israelites (11:1–10). Paul provides us several surprising facts about Israel in 11:1–15. He is still trying to prevent us from making wrong conclusions. Note the question in 11:11 that drives the words in the rest of this chapter.
Israel Is Not Out of the Scene! (11:11)
“... They did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be!” (11:11)
Paul makes a difference between stumbling and falling. Stumbling is tripping where one can get up again. In fact, Paul will take this wording to “prove” Israel as a nation will come back one day. It only stumbled.
God Uses Israel’s Disobedience (11:11–12)
“... But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous” (11:11)
God’s eternal plan is hardly frustrated by man’s disobedience even when it involves His key player, Israel. Paul in essence is convincing us not to see Israel as if God has made a mistake but that a greater more subtle plan is being accomplished. Nor does God’s plan end here.
Clear on One Thing (11:13–14)
“... I am speaking to you who are Gentiles” (11:13)
He is revealing to the Gentiles that they are not an end, for God has a purpose which is greater than themselves. On the one hand he removes any basis of pride among the Gentiles. On the other hand, he is revealing how God is using them to create a holy jealousy among the Jews so that some might believe.
The Two-Fold Plan (11:15)
“... if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (11:15)
Plan #1 has been discussed in great detail throughout chapters 9–11. Plan #2 and the phrase “life from the dead” is only quickly mentioned here. Perhaps it refers to Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dead bones (Ezekiel 37:1–14). Once the Spirit softens Israel, more marvelous things will occur!
“... if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!” (11:12)
B. The Gentiles Engrafted onto Israel’s Olive Tree (11:16–24)
The Gentiles are intertwined in God’s redemptive plan illustrated through two pictures!
Two Illustrations: Dough and Tree (11:16)
“... first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also”
“and if the root be holy, the branches are too”
If one takes a small piece of dough from the whole lump, it should provide a good representation of the whole batch. If the piece is holy, then the whole batch is holy. If the roots from which the whole tree gets its life are holy, then the branches are holy. In other words, no matter which way you look at it, we can detect that the original faith of the Israelites (e.g. Jacob, etc.) is good and holy, and acceptable to God. The foundation is good enough to build upon rather than to start over.
Broken Off (11:17)
“But if some of the branches were broken off” (11:17).
Many Jews were rejected from the covenant blessings because of their disobedience. This state exists until today. It does not speak of the whole nation as can be seen from the word “some” (see also 11:1).
Grafted In (11:17)
“... you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree” (11:17)
Paul, using the olive tree analogy, speaks of how the branch grafted in (Gentiles) will gain its life from the root of the tree. The branch is dependent upon the root rather than the root upon the branch. This speaks of how the original community of God’s people have adopted the Gentile community into them through Christ rather than becoming something completely new.
Some object to the possibility of grafting a wild olive onto a cultivated olive tree. But they in fact do this. As a result two things happen. First, the wild branch begins to produce good olives. Secondly, the old tree is newly invigorated. This speaks of Israel’s renewed interest in Jesus Christ. This root is clearly referred to in Romans 9:1–5.
Careful Now! (11:18)
“... Do not be arrogant toward the branches.”
The Gentiles were evidently displaying some form of pride, but there simply is no basis for this pride. As it already has been pointed out, the branches were dependent upon the roots, not vice versa. True, the branches were broken off so that these branches might be inserted, but with such pride, these new branches will be snapped off even quicker (11:18).
Broken Off (11:19)
“... Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” (11:19)
We can see that Paul accepts a greater plan for the whole. Branches are not broken off with no reason or purpose. In God’s economy, all things work together for His greater purpose. This connection between the Jews’ rejection and the Gentiles’ acceptance is seen in verses 11–14.
By Your Faith (11:20)
“... You stand only by your faith.” (11:20)
In the spirit of chapters 3 and 4 Paul again affirms that we only belong to the community of God by faith. Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles belong without faith; they both belong because they have faith.
Kindness and Severity (11:22)
“Behold then the kindness and severity of God.” (11:22)
We must not delude ourselves thinking that God’s love will envelop all sin. We see both the kindness and severity of God with the favored people of the Jews as well as with the Gentiles. Only a foolish understanding of God would separate love from truth, kindness from stern consequences. Severity stems from God’s holy wrath upon unbelievers. Kindness is found for those securely hidden in God’s love covenant through faith. Observe this in Exodus 34:6–7 where God describes Himself.
Do Not Continue in Unbelief (11:23)
“If they do not continue in their unbelief.” (11:23)
What about the security of faith? We see two sides to this here. The one who tastes God’s kindness will be favored if they hold onto their faith (11:22). Verse 23 asserts that if they do not continue in unbelief, they can be joined back in by faith. This leaves open the door for the unbelieving Jewish people to believe.
Three Theological Perspectives
Classical Dispensationalism
Scofield defined dispensation as “a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God.” Traditional dispensationalism believes history can be broken up into usually seven or eight dispensations.
They claim commitment to a literal interpretation of prophetic Scripture and uniformly believe:
- A distinction between prophecies of Israel in the Old Testament and the church in the New Testament.
- A premillennial 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth.
- A pre-tribulation rapture of the church and a two-stage return of Christ.
Progressive Dispensationalism
This revision of classical dispensationalism came about in the 1980s. It parts with the classicists by focusing on:
- The “already” and “not-yet” tension in eschatological promise.
- The church as part of the one people of God, while Israel remains distinct from the church.
- The new covenant being partly fulfilled by the church.
- Old Testament promises of Gentiles worshiping God being partly realized now.
Progressive dispensationalists still agree that Israel will be restored, Christ will return to reign in the millennium, and the rapture is pre-tribulational.
Reformed Covenantalism
Reformed theologians focus on the two covenants—Old and New, or the covenant of works and grace. They see God’s work through the ages as a gradual unveiling of His great plan.
In this view there is no essential difference between believing Jews and Gentiles. God is not working with Israel as a distinct people any longer.
There are, of course, modifications within this perspective just as there are within dispensationalism.
Summary
We need to have a constant faith. It is inadequate that we rely on our past faith. In light of this, one should be able to spot the danger of putting one’s faith aside. Instead, cooperating with God, we should earnestly pray for the Jewish people to be saved.
Discussion Questions
- Does faith really matter? What is the effect of unbelief on one’s life?
- What does this passage say about man’s ability to frustrate God’s purposes?
- Does this passage speak about losing one’s salvation?