Week 6 - Romans 11:7-24
Romans 11:7-24
7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”
9 And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
Four things emerge very clearly from this section of Paul’s writing. First, Paul makes clear that the Jews who have not believed the good news really are “cut out of the tree.” This explains his heartfelt pain at the prospect of his fellow Jews not turning to faith in Jesus. Second, Paul affirms that the people of God are one single family. We are now the children of Abraham redefined around faith in Jesus the Messiah. The church remains an essentially Jewish family into which non-Jews have been welcomed. Third, Paul insists that God will bring more Jews into His renewed family, which is their own true people. After all it is easier to graft Jews back into the tree to which they originally belonged. Finally, Paul addresses the Gentile Christians regarding their attitude toward the Jewish people. He issues them a serious warning that they must not suppose that they have replaced the Jews in God’s plan or that the church is now simply a place for Gentiles only or that God has chosen them simply because they are in fact Gentiles. He wants the believers in Rome to understand that the grace of God is not tied to a particular people group or ethnicity. There is nothing outside of grace through faith alone that provides entrance into the family of God and to believe otherwise would open them to the possibility of God reacting the same way He had with unbelieving Israel.
Questions:
If only those who have given their allegiance to Jesus are members of God’s family and able to share in His promises how does this change your view of those not yet in relationship with Jesus?
In what ways have you or are you tempted to place boundaries on who is worthy of God’s grace?