Romans Chapter 11 (From the bible you recommended)
Israel Is Not Cast Away
1 I say then, God has not (1) rejected His people, has He? (2) May it never be! For (3) I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God (4) has not rejected His people whom He (5) foreknew. (6) Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 "Lord, (7) THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE."
4 But what is the divine response to him? "(8) I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."
5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time (9) a remnant according to God's gracious choice.
<<Here is your remnant of Jewish believers. They will live and reign with Christ during His reigns (which will come to an end by the way)>>
6 But (10) if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7 What then? What (11) Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were (12) hardened;
<<God "calloused" the Jews so they would reject Him.>>
8 just as it is written,
"(13) GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,
DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."
9 And David says,
"(14) LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,
AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.
10
"(15) LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,
AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER."
11 (16) I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? (17) May it never be! But by their transgression (18) salvation has come to the Gentiles, to (19) make them jealous.
<<Now we get the reason for God's blinding of their spiritual eyes. Salvation for the nations. Christ came for "the lost sheep of the house of Israel".(His revealed will) but Christ is the Savior of all men" (His hidden intention)
12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their (20) fulfillment be!
13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as (21) I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 if somehow I might (22) move to jealousy (23) my fellow countrymen and (24) save some of them.
15 For if their rejection is the (25) reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but (26) life from the dead?
<<God cast them away and He will take them back again>>
16 If the (27) first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
17 But if some of the (28) branches were broken off, and (29) you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that (30) it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
19 (31) You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you (32) stand by your faith. (33) Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's (34) kindness, (35) if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also (36) will be cut off.
23 And they also, (37) if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For (38) I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this (39) mystery--so that you will not be (40) wise in your own estimation--that a partial (41) hardening has happened to Israel until the (42) fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
"(43) THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,
HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."
<<Israel here can't be "the complement of the nations" because in v 25 they are contrasted: Blood Israel and the complement of the nations. Blood descendents of Abraham and believers from the nations.
Israel doesn't suddenly become "the church". The believers are not "spiritual Israel". Paul is speaking here of blood descendents of Abraham.
Paul here declares "all Israel" shall be saved. Not a remnant. All of Israel.
You simply refuse to believe verse 26 Sidney.
They will be saved after Christ's reigns end at the end of the ages. The remnant will be saved before Christ's reigns begin. They will be saved by grace during their lives. They will believe the gospel.
God says in Ezekiel 37 that He would save "the entire house of Israel" which "is dead". The valley of dry bones. "These bones are the whole house of Israel, they say "our bones are dried up and our hope is gone, we are cut off"".(verse 11) Verse 13 goes on to say "O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them". 14) I will put my spirit in you and you will live....
Back to Romans 11:
27 "(44) THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM,
(45) WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are (46) enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for (47) the sake of the fathers;
<<Verse 28 proves that "the body of Christ is not "spiritual" Israel". After all, since when is "the body of Christ" enemies of the evangel. The body of Christ is the "your" in v 28. "You" are the believers Paul is speaking to. "They" are blood descendants of Abraham. And the verse goes on to say "they are beloved because of the fathers".
So regardless of your claim that "He is not giving blanket immunity from hell" scripture declares otherwise.
And no Sidney, I am not saying they won't be cast into the lake of fire. All the unGodly will be cast into the lake of fire. But the lake of fire is temporary!!! It is "the second death" and all death will be abolished!! 1 Corinthians 15:26
29 for the gifts and the (48) calling of God (49) are irrevocable.
30 For just as you(the believers from verse 30) once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they (the unbelieving blood descendants of Abraham from verse 31) also may now be shown mercy.
32 For (50) God has shut up all (believers and unbelievers) in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all (again believers and unbelievers) But I will add "each in his own order". In other words, not all during the ages.
33 Oh, the depth of (51) the riches both of the (52) wisdom and knowledge of God! (53) How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34 For (54) WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?
35 Or (55) WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?
36 For (56) from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. (57) To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
To your PS: The remnant will be saved during the ages as will the chosen believers from the nations. These will live and reign during the "ages of the ages" Or as the KJ incorrectly translates it "forever and ever". Redundancy on God's part?
PS: I just love to watch people convolute Romans 11 and twist the words to support their doctrine instead of just simply believing them as they were written.
PS 2: I think I'm the only one here among those who believe in the inerrancy of scripture who is free to believe verse 26 as written.
Thanks for the discussion Sidney.
alan w
PS: It still says that all Israel will be saved! |
