Is God through with the Jews? Has he rejected his ancient people? Has he turned his back and washed his hands of them? Has he written them off? Is their rejection and apostasy final and absolute? It would seem like it. Paul concluded the previous chapter with the statement that Israel is a disobedi­ent and obstinate people who refused to listen to the clear message of God and who spurned the sincere love of God.

This chapter however — despite its difficulties and differences of interpre­tation — gives us encouragement to believe that there is still hope for Israel in the gospel. There is a future for Israel in the plan of God. Before we begin, and to avoid confusion, let it be clear that when we refer to ‘Israel’ we are not referring to the modern, politi­cal, covenant-breaking, secular state of Israel. We are referring (like the apostle) rather to Jewish people wher­ever they are — whether in Jerusalem, Sydney, Melbourne, London, New York, Budapest or wherever.

Paul begins by giving us a little history lesson to illustrate the fact that God has not rejected his ancient people.

1. God has always had a Remnant People (1-10)⤒🔗

Paul asks, ‘has God rejected his people? By no means!’ Just look at me! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin’ (1). Paul was a real thoroughbred; a pedigree; a true blue Jew. Yet God transformed this persecuting Jewish zealot into a humble Christian. Saul the persecutor became Paul the preacher. He was a monument of grace. That’s positive proof that God hasn’t abandoned the Jews. No doubt Paul understood his own conversion as a pledge that oth­ers too by God’s grace could and would follow him into the kingdom. Nothing is impossible with God. Someone commented despairingly to John Newton about the salvation of some poor wretch. Newton replied, ‘I’ve never despaired of any man since God saved me.’

Has God rejected his people? By no means! Look at 1 Samuel 12:22 which Paul alludes to in the first verse. ‘For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake.’ The context is when Israel had re­belled against God by (among other things) asking for a king. Samuel warns them of the consequences, but nevertheless assures them that they are not rejected; the Lord has made a commitment to His people (22). Fur­ther Samuel says, ‘God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceas­ing to pray for you.’ (23). Like Sam­uel we should not cease to pray for the conversion of the Jewish people even though they are still in rebellion.

Has God rejected his people? By no means! Look at the example of Elijah (2-4). Cf. 1 Kings 19:1-18. Elijah’s time frame was an even worse time of apostasy than Samuel’s time. It was a dark hour in Israel’s history. It was Elijah’s lowest point. He had single-handedly defeated the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. As a result, he was now on Jezebel’s ‘most wanted list.’ He was afraid and lonely and discour­aged. He felt he was the only man left standing for God. But God assured him that there were 7,000 others who ‘had not bowed the knee to Baal.’ God has his remnant people. God is say­ing to Elijah — to Paul — and to us to­day — that the Church is bigger than you and me. The Church is bigger than what we see. There are many believers in other churches and places. There are even believers in churches where we would not expect to find them. I dare say there will be many a surprise in heaven! Someone once said there will be three surprises in heaven. The first surprise will be that — I will be there. The second sur­prise will be — who is there. The third surprise will be — who is not there. God always has his remnant people. Has God rejected his people? By no means! Look at what the Bible says (7-10). He quotes a conflation of texts from Deuteronomy, Isaiah and the Psalms to illustrate that in Moses day, as in David’s day as in Isaiah’s day there were always those who hardened their hearts and who thus failed to find the blessing of salvation. The same is still true today (Matt. 4:10-12). There are still those who harden their hearts. We do not say this lightly or flippantly. I believe the apostle wrote these words with an aching heart and a breaking voice. The psalmist appeals, ‘Today if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts.’

Israel failed to obtain what it was seek­ing — but the elect obtained it, while the rest were hardened (7). God has always had a remnant people in every generation.

2. God has always had a Plan for Israel (11-16)←⤒🔗

In these verses Paul shows us how God can work through Israel’s dis­obedience to further his purposes. It might appear that God’s mission to Israel was a failure. In many ways it was. ‘Jesus came to his own but his own received him not’. Israel was to be a light to the nations so that sal­vation might be brought to the ends of the earth. Instead, Israel became a stumbling block and a hindrance. But God’s plan will not be thwarted by their disobedience. God used converted Jewish hands, feet and mouths to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Israel’s stumbling and tres­pass opened the way for Gentiles to receive the gospel. It was all part of the Divine plan. The story is told in Acts 13: 42-48. Paul and Barnabas were preaching in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. ‘But when the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul reviling him’ (45). Paul’s re­sponse was, ‘since you thrust the Word of God aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we are turning to the Gentiles’ (46). Further evidence that the mission to the Jews ap­peared to be a failure.

However, Paul insists this is part of the Divine plan. The Jewish rebel­lion will bring riches to the Gentiles and somehow the salvation of the Gentiles will provoke the Jews to envy and jealousy and thus save some of them. ‘For if their rejec­tion means the reconciliation of the world, what will their accep­tance mean but life from the dead’ (15). There are many expla­nations as to what this last phrase means. If we were to mention them all things would get too complicated. Whatever it means it should be clearly understood that the salvation of the Gentiles is not a cul-de-sac, but a route to the salvation of Israel. Israel’s future is wrapped around the salvation of the Gentiles. We Gen­tiles therefore have a responsibility to bring a loving Christian witness and testimony to the Jewish people that somehow they might be enticed, attracted, persuaded and convinced. This is the pattern that Paul has in (The Presbyterian Banner June 2013) mind. His mission to the Gentiles (which often brought him much criti­cism and misunderstanding) had ulti­mately the salvation of the Jews in view.

This is confirmed in verses 30-31. The implication and the direction of Paul’s argument lead us to conclude that God is not through with the Jews. Furthermore, the analogy of the first-fruits and the roots (16) leads us to the same conclusion. The first-fruits are a token and promise of more to come. The holy root also implies fruit. The Jewish first-fruits and Jewish roots surely imply a pledge of yet more Jew­ish response to the gospel.

3. God Reminds us Gentiles of our Jewish Roots and Responsibilities (17-24)←⤒🔗

Is God through with the Jews? By no means! They are the original olive tree planted by God (17). What the wattle is to Australia the olive is to Palestine. It’s a native. Paul’s point is that the Jews are God’s ‘native’ people. There is nothing more natu­ral than a Jewish Christian.

‘Salvation is of the Jews’. We should not be surprised therefore if this old native tree may yet bear more native fruit. It is true that the old olive has produced some dead wood, but God has broken these branches off. In their place he has grafted in some unnatural wild olive branches (Gentiles). Any horticulturalist would have been amazed at such a graft. That amazement should not be lost on us. That we (Gentiles) are attached to the olive tree (i.e. part of the Church) is an entirely unnatural (and humbling) phenomenon. We do not naturally belong. Paul’s argument is that if God has done the hard thing, the thing con­trary to nature — by grafting wild branches into the cultivated olive — then one should not find it difficult to believe that God will restore the bro­ken-off branches to their former posi­tion. The allegory of the olive tree leads us to the conclusion that God is not through with the Jews. One writer comments, ‘The future restoration of the Jews is in itself a more probable event than had been the introduction of the Gentiles into the church of God.’ (Liddon). Another writes, ‘There is no room for despair’ (Stott).

Paul gives us (Gentiles) a strict warn­ing in verses 18-22! Remember who (or what) you are — you are a branch — and not the root! You are an unnatural graft. We have no natural indigenous rights; we are in the Church by virtue of God’s grace and kindness. There is no room therefore for arrogance or complacency. We are made of the same stuff and have the same capa­bilities to sin as the natural branches. As God did not spare the natural Jew­ish branches for unbelief, neither will he spare engrafted Gentiles if we too prove to be dead wood (21). We must therefore continue in his kindness oth­erwise we will be cut off (22).

4. Whatever God does will result in his Praise and Glory (25-36)←⤒🔗

As Paul has surveyed God’s great plan of salvation by grace which em­braces Jews and Gentiles — he is led to praise, adoration and worship (33­-36). This is good theology. It has often been said, ‘Theology should lead to doxology’. Doctrine should lead to devotion.

What led the apostle to praise? God the master builder has finally placed the last block in place and thus completed the building of his Church. He describes it thus: ‘A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gen­tiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved’ (25-26). In­stead of leading his readers to similar praise — the result has been argument and debate! These verses have be­come a battleground for commenta­tors. The meaning of the phrase ‘and in this way all Israel will be saved’ (and every word in this phrase) has been disputed. Good men have come to mutually contradictory conclusions. The arguments are complicated and technical and at times confusing. There are three main views (with variations):

View Number One:←↰⤒🔗

Paul is here refer­ring to a future time when — after the fullness of the Gentiles has been gath­ered in — God will gather in a large number (perhaps most?) of the Jews. Such will mark the grand climax and crescendo of God’s mighty act of redemption.

This view is held by e.g. Charles Hodge; John Murray; C.E.B. Cranfield; Martyn Lloyd-Jones; J. Stott; Douglas Moo; Don Carson; etc.

View Number Two:←↰⤒🔗

Paul is here referring to the whole sweep of his­tory. ‘All Israel’ describes the total number of elect Jews throughout history who will be saved.

This view is held by e.g. Anthony Hoekema, Herman Bavinck; L. Berkhof; W. Hendriksen; H.Ridderbos; O. Palmer Robertson; etc.

View Number Three:←↰⤒🔗

‘All Israel’ indi­cates the entire people of God, the total number of the elect out of both Jews and Gentiles, that is the Church — ‘the Israel of God’ (Gal. 6:16).

This view is held by e.g. John Cal­vin, S. Olyott; R.S. Ward (though he assures me this view does not preclude the possibility of future gospel blessing among the Jews); etc.

Which view is correct? It’s impossi­ble to be dogmatic — and we shouldn’t be! Each view is supported by ‘heavyweights’ in the faith. It would be foolish and arro­gant to be dogmatic. There are strong reasons for each position. But neither can they all be correct. This is an example of, ‘some things written by Paul that are hard to un­derstand.’ (2 Peter 3:16).

Do I have a preference? I would (obviously) like View Number One to be correct. I happen to think it cap­tures the argument of the apostle. God is not through with the Jews. He still has a gospel promise for them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to think that through the preaching of the gospel to the nations the time will come when the hardening of Israel will be finished and when many Jewish people will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, with result­ing blessing for the world-wide Church — and praise for the Lord!

But no matter which view we take it should not affect in any way our mis­sion or attitude to the Jews. By way of conclusion let it be clear:

There is only one way of sal­vation for Jew and Gentile alike. There is only one body, one Lord, one faith, one olive tree, one family of God, one Saviour and one gospel.