Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 11:25

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

25. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant ] Same word as Rom 1:13; 1Co 10:1 ; 1Co 12:1; 2Co 1:8; 1Th 4:13. Here St Paul leaves the image of the Olive Tree, which he had used to facilitate to his reader’s conception the idea of a restoration of Jews to the Church of the Messiah, now become the Universal Church. He now, in plain terms, reveals and predicts a great future Restoration.

“ For: ” the connexion indicated is somewhat thus: “My parable of the Olive Tree is no conjecture or peradventure, when it suggests a brighter future for Israel. For such a future is to come, in the purposes of God.”

ignorant ] Whether for want of information, or want of reminders. Possibly the precise revelation of the future here made had never been made, in terms, before, though suggestions and intimations of it had often been heard. (Cp. perhaps Luk 21:24.) So in another place, (1Th 4:13,) where the Apostle uses the same formula: the hope of Resurrection had been abundantly revealed in a general way, but the precise fact that the buried saints should rise before the living saints should be transfigured was probably then first made known.

mystery ] Here, as consistently in N. T., the Gr. word means a truth undiscoverable by reason, but now revealed. Our use of the words “mystery” and “mysterious,” is often misleading in these connexions, as it easily suggests the thought of what cannot be understood. The Gr. means, in fact, a secret, which, when told, may be found either partially to transcend the grasp of man’s conception, or to be quite within it. Thus in 1Co 15:51 we have a “mystery” revealed as a fact which yet (in detail at least) we cannot clearly conceive: in the present passage we have a “mystery” revealed which is far more within our reach of thought, viz. judicial blindness inflicted on the Jews as a body, and hereafter, at a definite point in the Plan of God, to be removed.

wise in your own conceits ] Same word as Rom 12:16. “ Conceits: ” i.e. opinion. The Gr. is, more literally, wise, or sensible, at your own bar; i.e. judged in the court of self-complacency. The “wisdom” or “thoughtfulness” here in view is such as that rebuked in Rom 11:19; that of a Gentile convert who thought much of his large insight into the Divine Plan because he saw in the rejection of the Jews not an accident but a deliberate opening of the door of grace to the world and there dismissed the subject, careless whether there were, or not, any future mercy for Israel in the same Divine Plan.

blindness ] See on Rom 11:7, “ were blinded.” The noun here is cognate to the verb there. It occurs elsewhere in N. T., Mar 3:5; Eph 4:18.

in part ] This gracious qualification is not necessary to the statement, in which the “blindness” or “hardening” is the emphatic thing. But St Paul will not omit to remind the Gentile Christian that even in the dark ages of Israel there ever has been, is, and will be, a “holy seed,” (Isa 6:13,) an “election,” who behold and welcome the promised Salvation. Thus the hardening is never total; it is partial, though, alas, the hardened “ part ” is the large majority, till the great call of grace. See further, long note above on Rom 11:1.

until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ] The Gr. equally allows the rendering until the fulness &c. come in. This would not necessitate (as E. V. does) the inference that the call of grace to Israel was not to come till the in-coming of the “fulness of the Gentiles” was over. In Rom 11:15 (q. v.) we have had it intimated that the conversion of Israel should be a means of immense grace to the world; as indeed it must be, in the nature of the case. In view of this, it seems best to explain the present verse as predicting that the in-coming of the nations to the Church of Christ shall have largely, but not perfectly, taken place when Israel is restored to grace; so that the closing stages of the in-coming may be directly connected with the promised revival of Israel, and may follow it in respect of time. “ Come in ” : to the Fold, the Refuge, the City, of Messiah’s salvation.

the fulness of the Gentiles ] Cp. note on “fulness” in Rom 11:12. The word here plainly means the full destined number of the Gentile Church, with the underlying idea of the greatness of that number. Cp. Rev 7:9.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ignorant of this mystery – The word mystery means properly what is concealed, hidden, or unknown. And it especially refers, in the New Testament, to the truths or doctrines which God had reserved to himself, or had not before communicated. It does not mean, as with us often, that there was anything unintelligible or inscrutible in the nature of the doctrine itself, for it was commonly perfectly plain when it was made known. Thus, the doctrine, that the division between the Jews and the Gentiles was to be broken down, is called a mystery, because it had been, to the times of the apostles, concealed, and was then revealed fully for the first time; Rom 16:25; Col 1:26-27; compare 1Co 15:51; Mar 4:11; Eph 1:9; Eph 3:3. Thus, the doctrine which the apostle was stating was one that until then had been concealed, or had not been made known. It does not mean that there was anything unintelligible or incomprehensive in it, but until then it had not been made known.

Lest ye should be wise in your own conceits – Paul communicated the truth in regard to this, lest they should attempt to inquire into it; should speculate about the reason why God had rejected the Jews; and should he elated with the belief that they had, by their own skill and genius, ascertained the cause. Rather than leave them to vain speculations and self-gratulation, he chose to cut short all inquiry, by stating the truth about; their present and future state.

Blindness – Or hardness; see Rom 11:7.

In part – Not totally, or entirely. They are not absolutely or completely blinded. This is a qualifying expression; but it does not denote what part or portion, or for what time it is to continue. It means that the blindness in respect to the whole nation was only partial. Some were then enlightened, and had become Christians; and many more would he.

To Israel – To the Jews.

Until the fulness of the Gentiles … – The word fulness in relation to the Jews is used in Rom 11:12. It means until the abundance or the great multitude of the Gentiles shall be converted. The word is not used elsewhere in respect to the Gentiles; and it is difficult to fix its meaning definitely. It doubtless refers to the future spread of the Gospel among the nations; to the time when it may be said that the great mass, the abundance of the nations, shall be converted to God. At present, they are, as they were in the times of the apostle, idolators, so that the mass of mankind are far from God. But the Scriptures have spoken of a time when the gospel shall spread and prevail among the nations of the earth; and to this the apostle refers. He does not say, however, that the Jews may not be converted until all the Gentiles become Christians; for he expressly supposes Rom 11:12-15 that the conversion of the Jews will have an important influence in extending the gospel among the Gentiles. Probably the meaning is, that this blindness is to continue until great numbers of the Gentiles shall be converted; until the gospel shall be extensively spread; and then the conversion of the Jews will be a part of the rapid spread of the gospel, and will be among the most efficient and important aids in completing the work. If this is the case, then Christians may labor still for their conversion. They may seek that in connection with the effort to convert the pagan; and they may toil with the expectation that the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles will not be separate, independent, and distinct events; but will be inter-mingled, and will be perhaps simultaneous. The word fulness may denote such a general turning to God, without affirming that each individual shall be thus converted to the Christian faith.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Rom 11:25-27

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery.

The mystery of the conversion of the Jews

I. To what mystery does the apostle refer?

1. That blindness has happened to Israel This blindness–

(1) Is national blindness (1Co 3:14).

(2) Is in no wise a contradiction to God s dealings–for God foresaw it, and predicted it (Isa 29:10-14; cf. Rom 11:7-10).

(3) Is but partial (Rom 11:5).

2. This blindness is temporary.

(1) What led to it (see Rom 11:20; cf. Deu 28:15; Deu 28:29; Joh 8:24).

(2) What followed (Rom 11:11; Rom 11:15)? Blessings came from the fall of the Jew, but still greater blessings would come from his restoration.

(3) Now we readily gather from this, that God is not unfaithful (Rom 11:29).

(4) But furthermore. This blindness is only until the fulness of the Gentile shall come in.

In Luk 21:24. the same truth is laid down. Now to see exactly what this time is, refer to Act 15:13, etc. The Lord is acting with the whole Gentile world in this manner: sending His gospel for a witness. Then men come out of the world and are a people elect–the true Church. And when this work shall have been accomplished, then the Lord will restore Israel. Therefore, from comparing these Scriptures together, we may draw this conclusion, that the time will come when the Jews shall be restored (verses 11, 23; Jer 32:37, etc.). Nor is there anything improbable in this. At the present moment there are materials which have only to be put together to form cites which will hold ten, or twenty, or thirty thousand inhabitants. And moreover, the thorns and briars as protecting them from decay and injury.

II. What is said of this mystery. The day is gone by when it was considered absurd to speak of these things; but still there are numbers who think that this is an unnecessary or unimportant study. But the apostle, writing to the Gentiles, says, I would not that ye should be ignorant of it. Why?

1. Because he would not, that you should be ignorant of the Bible; for many passages of Scripture convey no idea whatever till we understand that Jerusalem means Jerusalem, and Israel Israel.

2. But independently of this. If God has mercy in store for these people, may not we also look forward to Gods mercy, backsliders and sinners as some of us are? And where do we find this warranted but in Gods own Word.

III. The ground of his anxiety. Lest ye should be wise in your own conceits. This Epistle was addressed to the Church of Rome? Now, note one or two of the leading features of this Church.

1. They keep the Scriptures back from the people. And what is the consequence of that? Many of them remain in perfect blindness as regards the truth. They keep the traditions of men, and therefore believe what is told them of Romes power, and of no one but those connected with Rome being safe for heaven; whereas, if they had only the Scriptures before them, they would see what a place Rome will hold in the last great day.

2. Rome upholds a formal religion. How many externals had the Jew! and what did the externals profit him?

3. Rome is completely eaten up, as it were, with its own conceit (Rev 18:7). And therefore the apostle says, I would not lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; for you may indeed speak of your greatness, but you shall fall, while Jerusalem shall stand in that day. Conclusion:

1. Beware–

(1) Of trusting to external privileges.

(2) Of giving countenance to any unbelief whatever. It was unbelief which led to the fall of Israel.

2. Encourage yourselves with the remembrance that the time is very short for your sojourning in this world.

3. Help forward this blessed work. (Bishop Villiers.)

The Mystery of the calling of the Jews

I. The calling of the Jews is a mystery. Seek not further than is revealed, and believe that. If thou askest how, and when? I know not, because I find not revealed. God knows, which satisfies me. He that too earnestly looks upon the sun comes in the end to see nothing, and he that stands too near fire may burn himself instead of warming him. Secret things are for the Lord, but things revealed for us and our children for ever.

II. The end of the world shall not be till the Jews are called, and how long after that none yet can tell.

1. There are certain foolish prophecies dispersed that the world shall end within so many years. In Pauls time there were such, and they would have fathered their brainless toys upon Paul (2Th 2:1-2). So also from Pauls time to this day–a note of great folly and rashness.

(1) Because there are no plain Scriptures for it but against it.

(2) Because the grounds of their conceit are uncertain, idle and frivolous: as from Peters saying, that a thousand years is but as a day, and from divers mystical numbers in Daniel and the Revelation.

(3) If the last day be unknown (as all acknowledge), then the day before the last, and so by consequence the last week, month, year, age.

(4) All the diviners about this point have been hitherto shamed. Such, therefore, that shall yet attempt it must expect the same as a just recompense of their madness.

2. It is not possible to know nor lawful to inquire. If it had been for the Churchs profit to have known it God would have revealed it.

3. Whensoever the time comes it shall come well for Gods children; prepare for it that it may be a joyful and not a dismal time unto thee. If God should now come to judgment, how ready art thou?

III. Till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. There is an emptiness among the Gentiles, both in regard of number and of grace, which last is a great impediment to the calling of the Jews. The idolatry of some, and the profaneness of others are a stumbling-block unto them. Let us remove it that we may make a passage for their calling.

IV. Come in. Whither? Into the Church. All they which believe are within; without are unbelievers. It is our Fathers house, where is bread enough; without is nothing but hogs meat. Examine how thou art within, whether as Ham in the ark, as Judas among the apostles, as chaff in flour; for in respect of their bodies many are within, who in respect of faith and obedience are without. It is all one to be without and to deserve to be without.

V. Blindness or obstinacy is in part come to Israel, but in the end all Israel shall be saved. An obstinate man is not in the state of salvation. Who have this obstinate heart? The Jews; but we need not seek a Jew to find it. Concerning which note–

1. The misery of an obstinate heart. There are two estates of the heart most fearful: to feel sin too much; and to be past feeling. The soft repenting heart is a heavenly heart.

2. The means whereby we come to such a state.

(1) Custom in sinning. Even as a path is hardened by the continual trampling of the passengers, so by custom in evil is the conscience by little and little crushed and made insensible.

(2) Neglect of the means of grace offered. This shut up the Jews in obstinacy; and ordinarily for this is this judgment of God inflicted upon men.

3. Its effects.

(1) A. departing from the faith, broaching the doctrines of devils, denying manifest truth, and holding and seeming anything to obtain our own ends (1Ti 4:1-3; Eph 4:18). As when men will be Papists, Protestants, neuters, anything, nothing, as they see it best serve their politic plots.

(2) Committing and delighting in sin.

4. Its signs.

(1) When no judgment.

(2) When no mercy can move to remorse. When the word, which is a hammer, a sword, and water can neither by the thundering of judgment, bruise, or make any dent into our hearts, not by the pleasing sound of mercy, molify us and make us relent; there is hardness unspeakable. (Elnathan Parr, B.D.)

Why do we hope for the conversion of the Jews?

I. Because it is predicted–

1. By Paul (verse 25). Their blindness is partial and temporary.

2. By the Old Testament prophets (verses 26, 27). They shall acknowledge Christ and share in the promise of the new covenant.

II. Because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

1. Their exclusion is for a temporary purpose.

2. Their election permanent.

3. The purpose of God unalterable (verses 28, 29).

III. Because of Gods plan of procedure with the Gentiles.

1. Once excluded by their own unbelief.

2. Now accepted through the unbelief of Israel.

3. So they also shall obtain mercy.

4. That God may have mercy upon all. (J. Lyth, D.D.)

Our duty to the Jew

I. How we should regard him.

1. Not with contempt, but with respect.

2. Not as cast away, but blinded.

II. What we should hope for him.

1. His restoration with the fulness of the Gentiles.

2. Not simply the conversion of a few, but of the nation.

III. How we should treat him. We should–

1. Hate his self-righteousness.

2. Love himself.

3. Seek his Salvation. (J. Lyth, D. D.)

The fulness of the Gentiles.—

The fulness of the Gentiles and the conversion of the Jews

Take as an illustration the case of a river bed nearly dry from long-continued drought. What water there is flows languidly, and produces no effect on an islet in mid-stream. Rain comes and the volume of water is increased and the flow becomes stronger and more rapid. In proportion to the copiousness of the rain, and therefore to the power of the current the islet is affected. By little and little its banks are washed away, and more and more of its surface is covered by the victorious waters which gradually rise. The rain becomes a flood, and the river bed now full, and the river a mighty torrent, the islet, after long resistance, ultimately succumbs, and is covered or washed away. So the conversion of the Jews will be proportionate to the amount of missionary energy, fed by Divine grace, on the part of the Gentile Churches. And when the fulness of grace shall fill all Christian agencies with a fulness of enthusiasm we may expect Judaism to be submerged. Or to change the figure. A king returns from his journey into a far country and finds his whole kingdom in a state of revolt. He first appeals to that province with which he has the closest and tenderest ties. But his claims are ignored and his overtures treated with contempt. Collecting, however, a loyal few, he marches forth to subjugate his own provinces. The work is a long and arduous one, and the fortunes of the brave band are varied. Victory is followed by defeat. Here a subjugated territory maintains its allegiance, there another revolts as soon as the army is withdrawn, and has to be conquered again. But the army is ever increasing, and year by year there is less and less to conquer, and each conquered territory sends its contingent to reduce the rest. Eventually the work is done, and the whole kingdom brought to subjection with the exception of the province to which the king made his first appeal. All through the campaign individual citizens have come over, but there is now a stubborn residuum left. On this the whole of the now loyal empire concentrates its forces, and partly perhaps from a sense of helplessness, but, mostly from a sense of the rectitude of the conquerors claims, it yields, and the kingdom is once more united under one rightful head. So Christ, the King of man, made His first appeal to the Jews; but rejected by them, His kinsmen, He with His apostles turned to the Gentiles, and not in vain, as the history of the bye-gone centuries with all their vicissitudes for His cause has proved. Much yet remains to be done, but past successes are prophetic of future triumphs, and Jesus will yet have the heathen for His inheritance, etc. The power of Christian influence will then be irresistible and Israel will yield.

I. The fulness of the Gentiles will be the result of a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The gift of Pentecost was only the earnest of a larger blessing. That equipped the Church for her warfare, this will inaugurate her triumph. Special manifestations of the Spirit have been vouchsafed in every age, and these have been uniformly followed by an outburst of missionary zeal. It is not, then, incredible that God should literally pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and thus bring the fulness of the Gentiles in.

II. The fulness of the Gentiles will be the full Christianisation of the Gentiles.

1. As yet this is only partial. Vast tracts lie outside Christian influence, but these are being narrowed every year.

2. A great mass of Christianised Gentilism is only nominal. Multitudes have only the form without the power, and wear a name they only disgrace.

3. The time will come when both in name and reality all tribes and kingdoms and tongues will become Christians.

III. The fulness of the Gentiles will have an irresistible effect on the Jews. During the process of filling this effect has been more or less marked, and will, we may well believe, be more marked still as the Galilean goes on conquering and to conquer. But when the Jew looks back and sees religion after religion overthrown, and nation after nation brought into obedience to the faith of Christ and His religion, and his nation the only one left–the time will not be far distant when overwhelming external pressure will combine with overwhelming internal conviction to bring Israel to the feet of Christ. Conclusion:

1. What a glorious outlook! What an argument for Christian missions! (J. W. Burn.)

And so all Israel shall be saved.—

The salvation of Israel

I. Their present blindness.

1. Awful in its character.

2. Partial in extent.

3. Fixed in its period.

II. Its removal.

1. Complete.

2. General.

3. Certain.

Conclusion. Consider–

1. Its aspect on the Jews.

2. Its proper effect upon your own kinds. (C. Simeon, M.A.)

The restoration of Israel

I. The event.

1. All Israel, as a nation–

2. Shall be saved, delivered from the curse which has so long rested upon them.

II. The means by which it shall be accomplished.

1. The deliverer, Christ–

2. Shall come out of Zion–

3. And take away their sin (Isa 59:17-21).

III. The certainty of it.

1. The covenant–

2. Of salvation (Jer 31:31). (J. Lyth, D.D.)

For this is My covenant with them.

The new covenant

I. Unto whom sent.

1. To all who believe.

2. Not only Jews but Gentile.

II. What does it include.

1. The promise of the Spirit (Isa 59:21; Jer 31:31).

2. Of eternal salvation (Isa 55:3).

III. How it is sealed. In the pardon of sin. (J. Lyth, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 25. I would not-that ye should be ignorant of this mystery] Mystery, , signifies any thing that is hidden or covered, or not fully made manifest. The Greek word seems to have been borrowed from the Hebrew mistar, from the root sathar, to hide, conceal, c. though some derive it from , to be initiated into sacred rites, from , to shut up. In the New Testament it signifies, generally, any thing or doctrine that has not, in former times, been fully known to men: or, something that has not been heard of, or which is so deep, profound, and difficult of comprehension, that it cannot be apprehended without special direction and instruction: here it signifies the doctrine of the future restoration of the Jews, not fully known in itself, and not at all known as to the time in which it will take place. In Ro 16:25 it means the Christian religion, not known till the advent of Christ. The apostle wished the Romans not to be ignorant of this mystery, viz. that such a thing was intended; and, in order to give them as much instruction as possible on this subject, he gives them some characteristic or sign of the times when it was to take place.

Lest ye should be wise in your own conceits] It seems from this, and from other expressions in this epistle, that the converted Gentiles had not behaved toward the Jews with that decorum and propriety which the relation they bore to them required. In this chapter the apostle strongly guards them against giving way to such a disposition.

Blindness in part is happened to Israel] Partial blindness, or blindness to a part of them; for they were not all unbelievers: several thousands of them had been converted to the Christian faith; though the body of the nation, and especially its rulers, civil and spiritual, continued opposed to Christ and his doctrine.

Until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.] And this blindness will continue till the Church of the Gentiles be fully completed-till the Gospel be preached through all the nations of the earth, and multitudes of heathens every where embrace the faith. The words may be borrowed from the melo haggoyim, a multitude of nations, which the Septuagint translate by . By the , or fulness, a great multitude may be intended, which should be so dilated on every hand as to fill various regions. In this sense the words were understood by Solomon ben Melec, . The nations of the Gentiles shall be filled with them: the apostle, therefore, seems to give this sense of the mystery-that the Jews will continue in a state of blindness till such time as a multitude of nations, or Gentiles, shall be converted to the Christian faith; and the Jews, hearing of this, shall be excited, by a spirit of emulation, to examine and acknowledge the validity of the proofs of Christianity, and embrace the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We should not restrict the meaning of these words too much, by imagining,

1. That the fulness must necessarily mean all the nations of the universe, and all the individuals of those nations: probably, no more than a general spread of Christianity over many nations which are now under the influence of Pagan or Mohammedan superstition may be what is intended.

2. We must not suppose that the coming in here mentioned necessarily means, what most religious persons understand by conversion, a thorough change of the whole heart and the whole life: the acknowledgment of the Divine mission of our Lord, and a cordial embracing of the Christian religion, will sufficiently fulfil the apostle’s words. If we wait for the conversion of the Jews till such a time as every Gentile and Mohammedan soul shall be, in this especial sense, converted to God, then-we shall wait for ever.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Here he shows there is not only a possibility and probability, but a certainty of the Jews conversion and calling. This he calleth a

mystery, or a secret; though it was revealed in the Scripture, (as you will hear), yet it was not understood; nay, the manner, the number, and the time of their conversion, is still concealed and hid from us. The calling of the Gentiles was a mystery, and a great secret; see Eph 3:3; and so is the calling and restoration of the Jews. There are three particulars of this mystery, which he makes known to the Gentiles (and he doth it the rather, lest they should swell with a high conceit of themselves, and proudly despise the Jews): two of them are in this verse; and the first is,

that blindness is happened to Israel in part only; i.e. they were not all blinded or hardened; or this blindness should not last always, but for a time. The latter sense agrees best with the word mystery; for it was no secret that some of the Jews believed; this was told them before, Rom 11:2,5,7. Secondly, another part of this mystery was, that this blindness of the Jews should continue till

the fulness of the Gentiles came in. By fulness here, (as in Rom 11:12), understand a great number or multitude of the Gentiles; greater, by far, than was in the apostles days. There is another exposition of this clause, which I submit to consideration: by the Gentiles, here, you may understand the Romans, or the Roman monarchy and power; {see Act 4:27; 21:11} and by the coming in of their fulness may be understood, the full time of their reign and continuance; after which their ruin follows. And so here is foretold the time of the calling of the Jews, which will be soon after the destruction of antichrist and the Roman monarchy.

Query: Whether this doth not agree with the prediction of our Saviour? Luk 21:24.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

25. For I would not . . . that yeshould be ignorant of this mysteryThe word “mystery,”so often used by our apostle, does not mean (as with us) somethingincomprehensible, but “something before kept secret, eitherwholly or for the most part, and now only fully disclosed”(compare Rom 16:25; 1Co 2:7-10;Eph 1:9; Eph 1:10;Eph 3:3-6; Eph 3:9;Eph 3:10).

lest ye should be wise inyour own conceitsas if ye alone were in all time coming to bethe family of God.

that blindness“hardness”

in part is happened to“hathcome upon”

Israelthat is, hathcome partially, or upon a portion of Israel.

until the fulness of theGentiles be“have”

come inthat is, notthe general conversion of the world to Christ, as many take it; forthis would seem to contradict the latter part of this chapter, andthrow the national recovery of Israel too far into the future:besides, in Ro 11:15, theapostle seems to speak of the receiving of Israel, not as following,but as contributing largely to bring about the general conversion ofthe worldbut, “until the Gentiles have had their fulltime of the visible Church all to themselves while the Jews are out,which the Jews had till the Gentiles were brought in.” (See Lu21:24).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

For I would not, brethren,…. The apostle in order to raise the attention of the Gentiles to what he was about to deliver to them, not only styles them “brethren”, expressing his affection for them, and their relation to him and other believing Jews, and to one another, being all one in Christ Jesus, partakers of the same grace, and heirs of the same glory; but also tells them, that what he had to acquaint them with was a “mystery”, a thing secret and hidden, which had not been heard of and known, at least not so fully and clearly as he was about to reveal it; and because of his great respect for them, he was unwilling, as he says,

that ye should be ignorant of this mystery; he was desirous that they should abound and improve in all spiritual knowledge and judgment, and, among the rest, be better informed of this particular article, the call of the Jews: and his view in apprizing them of it is expressed in the following clause,

lest ye should be wise in your own conceits: lest they should imagine that they were the only wise and knowing persons, and be elated in their minds with their knowledge and understanding, and look with contempt upon the poor, blind, ignorant Jews, as if they were always to remain in such a state of darkness and infidelity. The thing he had to inform them of is,

that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; by Israel is meant the Jews, the descendants of Jacob, whose name was Israel. Philo the Jew observes b, that this name signifies , “the vision of God”; indeed, Jacob had it given him when he wrestled with the angel, and saw God face to face, though it does not seem to be for that reason; however, blindness had now befallen the Jews, who had been favoured with a divine revelation, with the knowledge of God, his will and worship; and none were more blind than those who were called the servants and messengers of the Lord of hosts, as the Scribes and Pharisees, the priests and princes of the Jewish world. This “blindness” designs their unbelief, the hardness of their hearts, and darkness of their understandings with respect to God himself, whom they knew not in Christ; not as the Father of Christ; nor even the perfections of his nature, particularly his righteousness; which was the reason of their setting up their own righteousness, and of their non-submission to the righteousness of Christ: they were blind as to the Messiah; they knew him not, when he came; they saw no beauty and comeliness in him; could not discern the characters of him in Jesus, though they were so manifest; and rejected him notwithstanding the clear evidence of his ministry and miracles. They were in the dark about the sense of the prophecies of the Old Testament; a vail was upon their hearts when they read them, so that they understood them not, and could not see their accomplishment in Christ; they were even ignorant of the law, the spiritual nature, true use, and right end and scope of it; and it is no wonder that the Gospel should be hidden from them. This blindness “happened” to them not by chance, but befell them by the decree, and according to the will of God, who hardens whom he pleases; and according to various predictions in the Old Testament, cited in

Mt 13:14; and in righteous judgment, for since they liked not to retain God and his Christ in their knowledge, it was but just in God to give them up to reprobate minds, to judicial blindness, and hardness of heart: but then this blindness only happened to them “in part”; not that it was only in some measure or some degree, for it was total, they were darkness itself, and had no spiritual and evangelic light at all on whom it fell; but that this blindness was not general with respect to persons, there were some few, a seed, a remnant, that were delivered from it, though the far greater part of the nation were involved in it, and continue in it to this day; and will do, “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in”: that is, till the whole number of God’s elect among them, be called and brought into the Gospel church state, which in the latter day will be very great; when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea; when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ; and the abundance of the sea shall be converted, and the forces of the Gentiles shall come to the church, and multitudes of them shall flock thither, as doves to their windows: and since the blindness of the Jews is not yet removed, it seems plain that the full number of God’s chosen ones among the Gentiles is not yet completed in regeneration; for as soon as ever they are all called and brought in, the vail will be taken away from the Jews, and they will be turned unto the Lord.

b De Temulentia, p. 251. & De Sacrificiis Abel & Cain, p. 151.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

This mystery ( ). Not in the pagan sense of an esoteric doctrine for the initiated (from , to blink, to wink), unknown secrets (2Th 2:7), or like the mystery religions of the time, but the revealed will of God now made known to all (1Cor 2:1; 1Cor 2:7; 1Cor 4:1) which includes Gentiles also (Rom 16:25; Col 1:26; Eph 3:3) and so far superior to man’s wisdom (Col 2:2; Col 4:13; Eph 3:9; Eph 5:32; Eph 6:19; Matt 13:11; Mark 4:11). Paul has covered every point of difficulty concerning the failure of the Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah and has shown how God has overruled it for the blessing of the Gentiles with a ray of hope still held out for the Jews. “In early ecclesiastical Latin was rendered by sacramentum, which in classical Latin means the military oath. The explanation of the word sacrament, which is so often founded on this etymology, is therefore mistaken, since the meaning of sacrament belongs to and not to sacramentum in the classical sense” (Vincent).

Wise in your own conceits ( ). “Wise in yourselves.” Some MSS. read ‘ (by yourselves). Negative purpose here ( ), to prevent self-conceit on the part of the Gentiles who have believed. They had no merit in themselves

A hardening (). Late word from (11:7). Occurs in Hippocrates as a medical term, only here in N.T. save Mark 3:5; Eph 4:18. It means obtuseness of intellectual discernment, mental dulness.

In part ( ). Goes with the verb (has happened in part). For , see 2Cor 1:14; 2Cor 2:5; Rom 15:24; for , see 1Co 14:27; for , see 1Cor 12:27; 1Cor 13:9; for , see Heb 9:5; for (adverbial accusative) partly see 1Co 11:18. Paul refuses to believe that no more Jews will be saved.

Until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ( ). Temporal clause with (until which time) and the second aorist active subjunctive of , to come in (Matt 7:13; Matt 7:21).

For fulness of the Gentiles ( ) see on verse 12, the complement of the Gentiles.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Mystery [] . In the Septuagint only in Daniel. See ch. Rom 2:18, 19, 27, 28, 30, of the king’s secret. It occurs frequently in the apocryphal books, mostly of secrets of state, or plans kept by a king in his own mind. This meaning illustrates the use of the word in passages like Mt 13:11, “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” – secret purposes or counsels which God intends to carry into effect in His kingdom. So here; Rom 16:25; Eph 1:9; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26, 27; Col 2:2; Col 4:3; Rev 10:7. In Justin Martyr (second century) it is commonly used in connection with sumbolon symbol, tupov type, parabolh parable, and so is evidently closely related in meaning to these words. Compare Rev 1:20; Rev 17:7, This meaning may possibly throw light on Eph 5:32. In early ecclesiastical Latin musthrion was rendered by sacramentum, which in classical Latin means the military oath. The explanation of the word sacrament, which is so often founded on this etymology, is therefore mistaken, since the meaning of sacrament belongs to musthrion and not to sacramentum in the classical sense.

In Eph 3:3 – 6, Paul uses the word as here, of the admission of the Gentiles.

Wise [] . See on the kindred noun fronhsiv wisdom, Luk 1:17. Mostly in the New Testament of practical wisdom, prudence; thus distinguished from sofia which is mental excellence in its highest and fullest sense; and from sunesiv intelligence, which is combinative wisdom; wisdom in its critical applications. See Col 1:9, and compare Eph 1:8.

Blindness [] . See on ver. 7. Rev., hardening.

In part [ ] . Merov part is never used adverbially in the Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. In the Epistles it is rarely used in any other way. The only exceptions are 2Co 3:10; 2Co 9:3; Eph 4:9, 16. Paul employs it in several combinations. With ajpo from (1Co 1:14; 1Co 2:5), and ejk out of (1Co 12:27; 1Co 13:9, 10, 12), in which a thing is conceived as looked at from the part, either [] as a simple point of view, or [] as a standard according to which the whole is estimated. Thus 1Co 12:27, ” members ejk merouv severally, i e., members from a part of the whole point of view. Also with ejn in, as Col 2:16, with respect to, literally, in the matter of. With ajna up, the idea being of a series or column of parts reckoned upward, part by part. Merov ti with regard to some part, partly, occurs 1Co 11:18; and kata merov, reckoning part by part downward; according to part, particularly, Heb 9:5.

Construe here with hath happened : has partially befallen. Not partial hardening, but hardening extending over a part.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant,” (ou gar thelo humas agnolin adelphoi) “For brethren I sincerely will (that) you all not be ignorant, lacking of knowledge, anymore, now and hereafter. A mystery explained becomes a revelation to those who understand, who have spiritual understanding. The cutting off of the Jews and grafting in of the Gentiles was not an afterthought of God but it was veiled prophecy of the Old Testament revealed in the new as per scriptures following, Mat 13:1-58.

2) “Of this mystery,” (to musterion touto) “to or toward this mystery”. That God should call a people for his name’s sake from among the Gentiles, that is the church, graft them (it institutionally) into his revelation purpose, establish and purchase the church, his little flock, with his own blood, and send them to all nations to preach the gospel, Mat 4:13-19; Act 15:13-17; Act 20:28; Joh 20:21; Mat 28:18-20; Zec 13:7; Mat 26:31-32; Luk 12:32; 1Pe 5:2-3; Eph 3:9-10; Eph 3:21.

3) “Lest ye should be wise in your own conceit,” (hina me ete en heautois phronimoi) “in order that you be or exist not wise in yourselves, of your own accord, out of your own ego or conceit”; God did not decide to graft you of the Gentiles, and the church, into his custodial service as an afterthought or cut Israel off impulsively, Eph 3:2-11; Eph 3:20-21.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

25. I would not, etc. Here he rouses his hearers to a greater attention, while he avows that he is going to declare something that was secret. Nor did he do this without reason; for he wished to conclude, by a brief or plain sentence, a very perplexed question; and yet he declares what no one could have expected. But the words, Lest ye should be proud in yourselves, (361) show what was his designed object; and that was, to check the arrogance of the Gentiles, lest they should exult over the Jews. This admonition was also necessary, lest the defection of that people should immoderately disturb the minds of the weak, as though the salvation of them all was to be forever despaired of. The same is still not less useful to us at this day, so that we may know, that the salvation of the remnant, whom the Lord will at length gather to himself, is hid, sealed as it were by his signet. And whenever a long delay tempts us to despair, let us remember this word mystery; by which Paul clearly reminds us, that the mode of their conversion will neither be common nor usual; and hence they act absurdly who attempt to measure it by their own judgment; for what can be more unreasonable than to regard that as incredible which is far removed from our view? It is called a mystery, because it will be incomprehensible until the time of its revelation. (362) It is, however, made known to us, as it was to the Romans, that our faith may be content with the word, and support us with hope, until the event itself come to light.

That blindness in part, etc. “In part,” I think, refers not simply to time, nor to the number, but means, in a manner, or in a measure; by which expression he intended, as it seems to me, only to qualify a declaration which in itself was severe. Until does not specify the progress or order of time, but signifies the same thing, as though he had said, “That the fullness of the Gentiles,” etc. The meaning then is, — That God had in a manner so blinded Israel, that while they refused the light of the gospel, it might be transferred to the Gentiles, and that these might occupy, as it were, the vacated possession. And so this blindness served the providence of God in furthering the salvation of the Gentiles, which he had designed. And the fullness of the Gentiles is to be taken for a great number: for it was not to be, as before, when a few proselytes connected themselves with the Jews; but such was to be the change, that the Gentiles would form almost the entire body of the Church. (363)

(361) “ Ne apud vos superbiatis;” ἵνα μὴ ὢτε παρ ἑαυτοῖς φρόνιμοι; “ ut ne sitis apud vosmetipsos sapientes — lest ye should be wise in yourselves,” — [ Beza ] and [ Piscator ]. The meaning, as given by [ Grotius ], is, “Lest ye think yourselves so wise as to suppose that ye can by your own understanding know what it is to come.” But the object of the Apostle seems to have been, to keep down self-elevation on account of the privileges they had attained. The phrase seems to have been taken from Pro 3:7; where the Septuagint render, “in thine own eyes,” בעיניך, παρὰ σεαυτῷ, “in thyself,” that is, in thine own esteem. And it appears to be its meaning here, “Lest ye should be wise in your own esteem,” which signifies, “Lest ye should be proud,” or elated, that is, on account of your now superior privileges and advantages. [ Doddridge ] ’s version expresses the idea, “Lest you should have too high an opinion of yourselves.” — Ed.

(362) The mystery is accounted for in rather a singular way. The most obvious meaning is, that the mystery was the fact of the restoration, and not the manner of it. No doubt the word sometimes means what is obscure, sublime, or profound, as “great is the mystery of godliness,” 1Ti 3:16 : but here the mystery is made known, in the same manner as Paul mentions a fact respecting the resurrection, 1Co 15:51, and also the call of the Gentiles, Rom 16:25. — Ed.

(363) The explanation of this verse is by no means satisfactory. It does not Correspond at all with what the Apostle has already declared in Rom 11:11; where the restoration of the Jews to the faith is most clearly set forth. Besides, by making Israel, in the next verse, to mean generally the people of God, the contrast, observable through the whole argument, is completely destroyed.

The word for “blindness” is πώρωσις, hardness, callousness, and hence contumacy. “In part,” is generally regarded as having reference both to extent and duration: the hardness did not extend to all the Jews, and it was not to endure, but to continue for a time; and the time is mentioned, “until the fullness of the Gentiles come in.” This is obviously the meaning, and confirmed by the whole context. The attempt of [ Grotius ] and [ Hammond ], and of some of the Fathers, to confine what is said to the Apostolic times, is wholly irreconcilable with the drift of the whole passage and with facts.

Much as been written on the words, ἄχρις οὖ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθὟ. That the event was future in the Apostle’s time, (and future still as history proves) is evident, especially from the following verse, “and so all Israel shall be saved.” The plain construction of the passage is, “until the fullness of the Gentiles shall come.” What this “fullness” is to be has been much controverted. But by taking a view of the whole context, without regard to any hypothesis, we shall, with no great difficulty, ascertain its meaning. The “fullness” of the Jews in Rom 11:12, is determined by Rom 11:26; it includes the whole nation. Then the “fullness of the Gentiles” must mean the same thing, the introduction of all nations into the Church. The grafting more particularly signifies profession. It then follows that all nations shall be brought publicly to profess the gospel prior to the removal of the hardness from the whole nation of the Jews. There may be isolated cases of conversion before this event, for “in part” as to extent the hardness is to be: but all shall not be brought to the faith, until the faith spread through the whole world: and the effect of their restoration will be a great revival of vital religion among the professing Gentiles, according to what is said in Rom 11:15. This is clearly the view presented to us in this extraordinary passage, when all its parts are compared with each other.

[ Hammond ] tells us, that many of the Fathers wholly denied the future restoration of the Jews, and we are told by [ Pareus ] , who mentions some of the same Fathers, that they maintained it. But it appears from the quotations made by the first, that the restoration disallowed was that to their own land, and that the restoration referred to by the latter was restoration to the faith; two things wholly distinct. That “Israel” means exclusively the Jewish nation, was almost the unanimous opinion of the Fathers, according to [ Estius ]; and that their future restoration to the faith is here foretold was the sentiment held by [ Beza ], [ Pareus ], Willet, [ Mede ], and others, and is generally held by modern divines. — Ed.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

Text

Rom. 11:25-32. For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; Rom. 11:26 and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written,

There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer;
He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Rom. 11:27 And this is my covenant unto them,

When I shall take away their sins.

Rom. 11:28 As touching the gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers sake. Rom. 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of. Rom. 11:30 For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, Rom. 11:31 even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy. Rom. 11:32 For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

303.

Explain the two grafting in processes.

REALIZING ROMANS, Rom. 11:25-32

494.

How would ignorance of the hardening of Israel be a temptation to the Gentiles?

495.

What is the fullness of the Gentiles? Remember what you said about the fullness of the Jews?

496.

When the fullness of the Gentiles is reached, then the Jews in great numbers will turn to Christ. Is that the thought of this passage?

497.

Do you know the significance of the name Zion? This is the key word in this passage. Explain,

498.

The nation of Israel was both an enemy and beloved. Explain.

499.

What gifts do we have from God in connection with this subject? What calling of God do we have?

500.

The disobedience of man and the mercy of God provided salvation, but man must do something about itboth Jews and Gentiles. Explain the responsibility of both Jews and Gentiles in the light of Gods mercy.

501.

In what sense is God responsible for our disobedience? Before you answer, read Rom. 11:32 again.

Paraphrase

Rom. 11:25-32. For, brethren, that ye may not have an high conceit of yourselves, on account of your being made the people of God in place of the Jews, I must show you this secret, that the blindness of the Jews in part, will continue only till the generality of the Gentiles come into the Christian church. For that illustrious event will render the evidences of the gospel irresistible.

Rom. 11:26 And so, laying aside their prejudices, all Israel, by believing the gospel, shall enjoy the means of salvation, according as it is foretold, Isa. 59:20. The redeemer shall come to Zion, and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob.

Rom. 11:27 For this is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins of unbelief. My spirit that is upon thee, O Messiah, and my word which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

Rom. 11:28 With respect to the gospel indeed, they are, through their unbelief, enemies to God on your account; your reception into the church. But with respect to their original election to be the people of God, they are still beloved of God, on account of the promise to their fathers, that he would be a God to them in their generations.

Rom. 11:29 For Gods free gift, and his calling Abrahams posterity by Isaac his people, are unalterable on the part of God, who, if they repent, will receive them again.

Rom. 11:30 Besides, as ye Gentiles also in times past have disobeyed God by your idolatry, yet now have obtained the mercy of being admitted into Gods covenant and church, through the disobedience of the Jews to the gospel;

Rom. 11:31 Even so the Jews also have now disobeyed the gospel on your being admitted into Gods covenant, yet so as by your receiving that great favor, the gospel being continued in the world, they also shall obtain the mercy of being at length admitted into Gods covenant.

Rom. 11:32 For God hath shut up together all under sentence of death for their disobedience, that, in admitting them into his covenant and church, he might make them sensible (aware) that he bestows a free gift upon all.

Summary

Hardness in part has come upon Israel until the full sum of the Gentiles come into the church. By that time the hardness of Israel will give way, they will then become believers, and so a great many of them will be saved. You Gentiles should know this mystery to keep you from becoming puffed up with self-importance. The rejected Jews are still beloved on their Fathers account, and you Gentiles have now to preach the gospel to them, and so convert them to Christ. They are thus at last to realize the divine mercy through you. Their fall has proved a blessing to you, and your conversion is to prove a blessing to them.

Comment

c.

Mercy to All; The Ultimate Purpose of God. Rom. 11:25-32

In Rom. 11:25 we have a bold statement of fact that has before only been given in analogy. Lest the brethren in Rome (a great share of whom were Gentiles) distort the aim of this figurative language into a conclusion concerning their own self-importance, Paul says, For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. The thought of hardening in part refers back to the thought that their rejection was not entire, but only in part. The time element spoken of here points once again to the fact that their rejection is not final, only until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. But what can the meaning of the fullness of the Gentiles be? We have had a reference to the fullness of the Jews (cf. Rom. 11:12 b). In this case we found the term fullness to be descriptive of the turning of the Jews to Christ, and in great numbers. Since then, the same subject is here being discussed, the turning of men to Christ, we could likewise say the fullness of the Gentiles refers to the extensive acceptance of Christ among these peoples. But there is one contrast in this comparison, for the fullness of the Gentiles is said to come in. What is the thought here? This would seem to mean that there are a certain number of persons in that multitude, and when that number has been reached then will come to pass the fulfillment of the promise. We do not mean that no further Gentiles will be saved; indeed, we have already said that the fullness of the Jews would mean life from the dead among the Gentiles. The thought is that a change will take place as to who will carry Gods good news. Rom. 11:25

The apostle emphatically affirms that when the fullness of the Gentiles has been reached, All Israel will be saved. Along with the salvation of Israel, Paul promises that the words of Isaiah, the prophet, will find their fulfillment. How is it that all Israel shall be saved? How is it they were lost? This is not difficult to answer. They were lost because they turned from Christ; they then will be saved when they turn to Christ. Notice please that the turning of the Jews to Christ is tied up inseparably with the fullness of the Gentiles. This would give us some light on the reason for the turning of the nation of Israel to their Messiah. It would seem that there will be something in the bringing in of the fullness of the Gentiles that will cause all Israel to be saved. This could be nothing short of the faithful preaching of the gospel by the Gentiles to the Jews. When the Gentiles have accomplished this in the way and manner that God wants it done, then will come to pass the fullness of the Gentiles and the salvation of Israel. That it could take place in any other way seems inconsistent with Gods means for mans salvation. To state that all Israel will be saved does not necessitate the salvation of each individual in the nation, but only as the word all is used in other instances which speak of a large portion as all. The Deliverer who was to come out of Zion could be none other than Christ. Zion in this instance would refer to Israel and the results will be that ungodliness will be taken from Jacob. Since the Jews are descendants of Jacob, this would refer to them. When the day comes that Israel accepts the salvation provided in Christ, then will they be able to look back upon these words of Isaiah and behold their fulfillment. The covenant made by God with Israel concerning this was probably made with Abraham and now finds its fulfillment in Christ. Rom. 11:26-27

304.

What temptation was possible on the part of the Gentiles at Rome as they read this chapter?

305.

How did Paul combat this temptation?

306.

What is the meaning of the fullness of the Gentiles? How can it be said to come in?

Still speaking of Israel, the inspired writer speaks of their relationship to the gospel. When Jehovah views Israel in the light of the gospel he must say, They are my enemies. It is not that God has refused them, but rather that they have refused him. But as has been considered before, God used this as a means of saving the Gentiles. When viewing Israel in relationship to his eternal purposes or election, he says, They are beloved. Why were they beloved and in what sense? As to why they are beloved, we have the answer given: For the fathers sake. Who are the fathers here spoken of? Notice that it does not refer to the heavenly Father, but rather to the fathers. This we take to mean the fathers of the Hebrew nation, namely, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc. Because of the promises made to these great men of God, he yet loves Israel. The 29th verse serves to explain his consideration of Israel for the fathers sake. He is saying in essence that many among the Jews will one day turn to Christ, for he so purposed it when he promised to these men of old that he would be their God and they his children. These are called gifts and calling. God is not sorry that he thus made these promises, for although it might now appear as a mystery, it will one day be made plain, even as he purposed. Rom. 11:28-29

In conclusion to this whole matter of the salvation of the Jews and Gentiles, we have the statement of Rom. 11:30-32. Let us read Rom. 11:32 first and then see how it finds its explanation and fulfillment in Rom. 11:30-31. Notice: For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. Consider first the disobedience of the Gentiles. This was described in the first chapter of this book, but was purely introductory and had nothing to do with mercy. Now we notice the disobedience of the Jew. This was so for a twofold purpose: not only that Gentiles might obtain mercy through Christ, but that we might bring the gospel to the Jewish people and thus cause them to enter into Gods mercy. This only more firmly established the thought we before expressed, which is that the turning of the Jews to Christ is dependent upon the preaching of the gospel by the Gentiles. So then, we can indeed see that God shut up all unto disobedience, (in the case of the Gentiles, before Christ; in the case of the Jews, after Christ) that he might have mercy upon all. Of the fulfillment of this we have just written. Rom. 11:30-32

307.

How will the fullness of the Gentiles save all Israel? What is meant by the term all Israel?

308.

Who is the Deliverer out of Zion?

309.

Explain in your own words Rom. 11:28.

310.

What is meant by the gifts and calling of God?

311.

Show how all were shut up unto disobedience that all might obtain mercy.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(25) Mystery.The word always means throughout St. Pauls writings something which, though not to be known or fully comprehended by unassisted human reason, has been made known by direct divine revelation. It is therefore not to be taken in this passage in its usual sense, of something hidden and concealed from all except a few, but rather of all such truths as though previously hidden, had been made manifest by the gospel.

It is thus applied to the whole or any part of the Christian system. To the whole, as in Rom. 16:25; 1Co. 2:7-10; Eph. 1:9; Eph. 6:19; Col. 1:26-27; Col. 2:2; 1Ti. 3:9; 1Ti. 3:16. To any part, as (a) the admission of the Gentiles, Eph. 3:3 et seq., and partly here; (b) the mystical union of Christ and His Church which is typified in marriage, Eph. 5:32; (c) the transformation of the quick at the resurrection, 1Co. 15:51; and (d) the opposition of Antichrist to the gospel, 2Th. 2:7.

Here the reference is to the whole of the divine purpose as shown in the dealings with Jew and Gentile, and especially in the present exclusion and future re-admission of the former. This last point the Apostle goes on to prove.

Blindness.Rather, as in the margin, hardness, a hardening of the heart so that the gospel could not find entrance into it.

In part.These words qualify Israel. The hardness extends over some, but not over all. There were Jewish as well as Gentile converts in Rome itself.

The fulness of the Gentiles.As above, the complete number; the full complement of the Gentiles.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

(25-32) There was a deep meaning underlying the temporary rejection of Israel, of which he has been speakinga meaning which has hitherto been kept secret, but now to be revealed as a corrective to any possible pride on the part of the Gentiles.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

3. The full conversion of the Gentiles will result in the full Recovery of the Jews , Rom 11:25-32 .

25. Mystery A mystery of the divine counsel; a fact concealed until this time of revelation.

Conceits Puffed up with your superiority to the fallen Jew.

In part To a part of Israel.

Happened Taken place, but not in the sense of accident.

Fulness of the Gentiles We have little doubt that Paul’s mind half unconsciously here recurs to our Lord’s words in Luk 21:24: “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the fulness of the Gentiles be gathered in.” (See our note on that passage.) By the word fulness we understand not necessarily absolutely all the Gentiles, but such a plenitude, foreseen by God, as will, as it were, drown out the infidelity of the Jews; and then the conversion of the Jews will reflow to drown out the unbelief of the Gentiles. Thereby a Christianity more or less pure and perfect may fill the earth.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘For I would not, brothers and sisters, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in,’

Paul now makes clear to the Roman church as a whole, a ‘mystery’, (a secret that has now been revealed) concerning which he does not want them to be ignorant, in order that they might not cherish wrong ideas which might make them conceited (i.e. that the Gentiles among them might feel that they are somehow superior to the Jews). And the revealed secret is that a hardening in part has happened to Israel, until ‘the full number of the Gentiles has come in’, (that is, until all the elect among the Gentiles have become Christians). He has already explained how and why this was true. It was by their being joined with the Messiah and with the true Israel. And it was in order that it might provoke the unbelieving Jews to jealousy, so that they too might seek their Messiah. The hardening is, of course, that hardening which is the consequence of obstinacy and unbelief, which is nevertheless seen as the work of God (Rom 9:18; Rom 11:8-10). It makes them enemies of the Gospel (Rom 11:28). As this hardening is said only to affect ‘Israel’ in part, ‘Israel’ here clearly signifies the whole of Israel, both believing and unbelieving, and there is no reason why we should not see it as incorporating Gentile believers (as it certainly includes Gentile proselytes). It is we who tend to exclude Gentile believers from Israel, not Paul (see the excursus at the end of this chapter). So while there has been a hardening, it has not affected the Israel within Israel as defined in Rom 9:6, nor any believing Gentiles who have been incorporated into Israel.

‘That a hardening in part has befallen Israel, until –.’ It will be noted that such a hardening is mentioned twice in chapter 9-11 and in both cases it is permanent and thus results in judgment. See Rom 9:17-18; Rom 11:7-10; and compare also Mar 8:17. There is thus no reason for thinking that ‘until’ means ‘then once that is over something else will happen’, i.e. the process of saving Israel will begin. It can equally mean that the hardening will go on until the last Gentile has come in, and then will come the judgment. In this respect we should note the uncertainty lying behind Paul’s references to Israelites being restored in Rom 11:12-24. He hopes it will happen, with happy consequences, but he is not sure. There is no confident certainty. See Rom 11:12; Rom 11:14 (note ‘some of them’), Rom 11:15, Rom 11:23-24 (note the ‘if’). This does not sound like a triumphant confidence in the salvation of large numbers of Jews. It is an expressed hope. One cannot but feel that if he was aware that he was building up to declaring that large numbers of extra Israelites would be saved, his expressions in these verses would have been more positive.

‘Until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.’ In this case pleroma probably means full number. However, if we translate as ‘completeness’ we get the same result. (Either is possible). The point is that all Gentiles who are elect will have been saved as a necessary part of ‘all Israel’ being saved (compare Mat 8:11). But what then have the Gentiles ‘come in’ to? The most obvious answer in the context is that they have ‘come in to Israel’, that is, into the community of the elect. This is suggested by the context. See Rom 11:16-24 taken in context with Rom 11:6. They have been grafted into the olive tree. They have come into the ideal Israel. In this connection it should be noted that Jewish sects at the time (such as those in Qumran) were also speaking of ‘entering into the elect community’.

Other suggestions are that it refers to ‘coming in to the Kingly Rule of God’ (e.g. Mat 18:3; Mat 19:23; Luk 18:7; Luk 18:20; Luk 18:25; ), translated as ‘entering into the Kingly Rule of God/Heaven’, or that it refers to ‘coming in’ to the sphere of salvation (found nowhere in the New Testament), or to ‘coming in to life (Mat 18:8; Mat 19:17-18; Mar 9:43; Mar 9:45), or to ‘coming in to their rest’ (Heb 3:18-19; Heb 4:6). The verb is only rarely used by Paul, see Rom 5:12; 1Co 14:23-24 neither of which are relevant here, which would suggest that it has to be interpreted by the context, i.e. entering in to Israel , or entering into salvation, compare verse Rom 11:11. On the other hand it should be noted that the latter reference speaks of salvation as ‘coming to them’, which is the common idea in the New Testament, and may therefore exclude our seeing a reference here to entering into salvation. The New Testament nowhere speaks of entering into salvation. It is ‘obtained’ not entered into. Thus the Pauline background suggests that ‘entering in’ means entering into the true Israel.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Restoration of Israel – Rom 11:25-32 will talk about the restoration of the nation of Israel and its effects upon the Gentiles. When God brings the nation of Israel into its fullness, blessings will also come upon the Gentiles. This is a clear passage that reveals a little known truth. This verse shows that as God blesses the earthly Jerusalem, thus will blessings come upon the heavenly Jerusalem, which is the Church. For example, God restored the nation of Israel in 1948. Thus, God is also restoring the Church to its former glories of the first century. We can watch the events happen to Israel as a nation and predict that God will also soon bring these same blessings upon the Church.

The reason that Paul follows his discussion on the glorification of the Church in Rom 8:17-39 with a discussion of Israel’s future glorification in Romans 9-11 is because the Church’s glorification is awaiting for and dependent upon Israel’s glorification. I believe that the Jews will largely turn to Jesus Christ as their Messiah at His Second Coming when He sets up His earthly kingdom and reigns from the holy city of Jerusalem; for at that time they will see Him as a conquering king rather than a suffering servant seen in his First Coming. It is at this time that the will Church will also be glorified and the nations will be blessed.

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Rom 11:25 “lest ye should be wise in your own conceits” Scripture References – Note:

Rom 12:16, “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”

Rom 11:25 “that blindness in part is happened to Israel” Comments – Some of Israel has rejected Jesus Christ, being blinded to the coming of their Messiah. This blindness refers to a hardening of the heart. Rom 11:7 says, “and the rest were blinded.” 2Co 3:14 says, “But their minds were blinded.”

Rom 11:7, “What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded ”

2Co 3:14, “ But their minds were blinded : for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.”

The Greek phrase (in part) is used as an adverb. See the same use of this Greek phrase in Rom 15:15, “in some sort,” or “on some points.”

Rom 15:15, “Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort , as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,”

Rom 11:25 “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” Comments – We find a similar statement in Luk 21:24, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled .”

In order to gain insight into this verse, we must note that God sees three types of people on the earth during this church age. He sees Jews, Gentiles and the Church (1Co 10:32).

1Co 10:32, “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:”

In understanding the phrase, “the fulness of the Gentiles,” we know that this is not a reference to the fullness of the Church. For the Gentiles are those who are lost, and not a part of the Jews or Christians. As I see the deepening of man’s depravity in these last days, I am becoming convinced that this fullness refers to a fullness of sin. Note God’s comments to Abraham about the fullness of the Amorites.

Gen 15:16, “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”

I believe that this is a reference to God’s judgment upon this earth as seen in the book of Revelation and as prophesied in other Scriptures.

It is a time when the Gospel has been preached unto all nations, and then the end shall come. Note:

Mat 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

Mar 13:10, “And the gospel must first be published among all nations.”

Thus, all Gentiles nations will be judged for rejecting the Gospel.

Rom 11:28 Comments – Paul is saying in Rom 11:28 that if we just consider the stage of justification (through the preaching of the Gospel), it appears if the Jews have become the enemies of God, and resulted in an open door for the Gentiles to be saved; but if we look as God’s overall plan of redemption, also called election, then the Jews are still maintaining their status as God’s beloved, and this status of His beloved is being maintained because of His promises to the patriarchs.

The phrase “for the father’s sake” means that the faith of the forefathers, the patriarchs, is still affecting God’s mercy on the children of Israel.

Rom 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Rom 11:29 Comments – Within the context of this passage of Scripture Rom 11:29 is referring to God’s faithfulness to the children of Israel; for God has not changed His purpose and plan for the Jews when we consider His overall plan of redemption. However, we often broaden its application to the Church. If applied to the believer, then we can notes that the gifts exhibited in a person’s life precede one’s calling into a divine service. As the spiritual gifts operate in a believer’s life, the church leadership recognizes this person’s gifts and set him apart for a divine calling and service.

Rom 11:32 Word Study on “concluded” – Strong says the Greek word “concluded” ( ) (G4788) literally means, “to shut together, to include,” and figuratively, “to combine, assimilate.” BDAG translates it “imprison” in this verse, saying, “he has imprisoned them all in disobedience.” This word has four uses in the New Testament (Luk 5:6, Rom 11:32, Gal 3:22-23).

Gal 3:22, “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

Comments Paul opened his discourse in Romans on God’s plan of redemption by explaining how the Gentiles and Jews are all in sin and need redemption through Jesus Christ (Romans 1-3). He now concludes this lengthy discourse by repeating his opening argument, declaring mankind disobedient, and all candidates for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The fullness of the Gentiles and all Israel:

v. 25. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

v. 26. And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

v. 27. for this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins.

There is here no basis for the millennial dream of the final conversion of all Jews, but the apostle speaks of Israel in the same sense that he has employed almost exclusively in the entire letter. Paul had stated that the total hardening would not take place in the case of all the members of the Jewish race, but that there is a possibility of the conversion of some of them throughout the entire New Testament era. But in connection herewith the apostle intends to impart to his brethren, the members of the congregation at Rome, which was composed largely of Gentile Christians, a secret: I do not want you to remain in ignorance of this mystery, this secret, in order that you be not wise within yourselves. The secret of which Paul speaks is this: That obduration, blindness, in part has happened to Israel, until the full number of the heathen be come in, and thus all Israel will be saved. In order that the Roman Christians might not form their own opinion in regard to the matter, might not follow the drift of their own thoughts, he feels that it is best to tell them this at once. The blinding or hardening that he had been speaking of did not affect every member of the nation, but affected them only in part, namely, in so far as some of them had been finally rejected; but of the rest it was true that some of them were continually and gradually being converted and saved. While the fullness of the heathen is being gathered for Christ, while the number of those out of the Gentiles that will finally make up the body of those that are destined for salvation is being called through the Gospel, souls will also be gained from the midst of the Jews. Until the day of the revelation of Jesus Christ in His glory, therefore, there will always be some from the midst of the self-hardened Israelites that will come to the knowledge of the Savior. And thus the final result will be that all Israel will be saved, all those that are in deed and truth the children of Abraham, not according to the flesh only, but according to the spirit. These are the ones, from every nation under the sun, whom the Lord has chosen as His own and whom His saving call will reach sooner or later.

That this is the correct understanding of the text appears also from the Messianic prophecy which the apostle now quotes: There will come out of Zion the Deliverer; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. And this is My covenant toward them, what I have firmly decided within Myself with regard to them when I shall take away their sins. This is a combination of various prophetical sayings, Isa 59:20-21; Isa 10:11-12; Isa 27:9; Jer 31:31-34. In the principal prophecy to which the apostle has reference those members of the Jewish race that persist in their rejection of the mercy of God are placed in contrast with those that will be converted to the Messiah. When Jesus, the Messiah, came to Israel, He brought deliverance, He turned away godlessness from Jacob. And His covenant consisted in the forgiveness of their sins; therein was His covenant realized. The benefit of the Messiah’s work was therefore not confined to the children of Israel according to the flesh, but included all those that accepted the Redeemer as their Deliverer and entered into that wonderful covenant with Him whereby their sins were forgiven.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Rom 11:25. The fulness of the Gentiles The fulness of the Jews, Rom 11:12 is the whole body of the Jewish nation professing Christianity, and therefore the fulness of the Gentiles here must be the whole body of the Gentiles professing Christianity. It is well remarked by Dr. Harris, that as this Epistle was written about the year 57, that is, long after the most remarkable conversion of the Jews by the first preaching of the Apostles, and after St. Paul had been about thirty years engaged in his work, it appears that the prophesies relating to the calling of the Jews were not accomplished then, and consequently are not yet accomplished. Dr. Whitby very justly observes, that there is a double harvest of the Gentiles spoken of by St. Paul, in this chapter; the first called their riches, Rom 11:12 as consisting in the preaching the Gospel to all nations; whereby indeed they were happily enriched with divine knowledge and grace; the second, the bringing in their fulness, in the latter age of the world. See Locke, Whitby, Harris’s Discourse on the Messiah, p. 91. Limb. Collat. p. 94 and Doddridge.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Rom 11:25-32 . The formal and unconditional promise of the collective conversion of the Jews, and the confirmatory proof of this promise, now follow down to Rom 11:32 .

] introduces the corroboration of the previous : “ they shall be grafted in , I say; for be it not withheld from you ,” etc.

] not a mere formula of announcement generally (Rckert), but always of something important, which Paul desires to be specially noticed, Rom 1:13 ; 1Co 10:1 ; 1Co 12:1 ; 2Co 1:8 ; 1Th 4:13 . That which is addressed , under the fervent addition of the embracing all readers, is the whole church , although it stands before the apostle’s eyes such as it was, namely, in its predominantly Gentile-Christian character. Comp. Rom 11:13 ; Rom 11:28 ; Rom 11:30 .

] has not in the N. T. the sense in which profane writers speak of mysteries (something mysterious in itself, comprehensible only by the initiated, and to be concealed from the profane). See on and ., Creuzer on Plotin. de Pulcr . p. 357 f.; Lennep. Etymol . p. 441; comp. Lobeck, Aglaoph . I. p. 85 ff. But it signifies that which, undiscerned by men themselves, has been made known to them by divine , and always refers to the relations and the development of the Messianic kingdom (Mat 13:11 ). Thus it frequently denotes with Paul the divine counsel of redemption through Christ, as a whole, or in particular parts of it, because it was veiled from men before God revealed it (Rom 16:25 ; 1Co 2:7-10 ; Eph 3:3-5 ). Whether the contents of a mystery have already become known through the preaching of the gospel, may be gathered from the scope of the particular passages. That, however, which Paul here means by ., is something the of which he is conscious of having received by divine illumination (just as in 1Co 15:51 ), and he declares it as a prophet (1Co 14:6 ; 1Co 14:30 ); without presupposing that the church, personally still strange to him, was already acquainted with the peculiar point of doctrine, as is evinced by . He desires, namely, by a disclosure of the , to take care that his readers , from their Gentile-Christian standpoint, should not, under a misapprehension of the divine counsel, hold for truth their own views on the exclusion of the Israelitish people , and therewith be wise in themselves ( ., see the critical notes), i.e. in their own judgment (comp. Jas 2:4 ). What Luther has: “that ye be not proud ” (comp. Erasmus, Beza, Calvin, Calovius), is not directly expressed, but is rightly pointed out by Theodoret as a consequence . Comp. Isa 5:21 ; Soph. El . 1055 f.

. . .] Contents of the ., namely, the duration of the hardening of Israel, which will not be permanent.

] See on Rom 11:7 .

] is to be connected with , not, as by Estius, Semler, Koppe, Fritzsche, contrary to the construction, with . Hardening has partially befallen the people, in so far as (Theodoret). Comp. Rom 15:15 . It is therefore to be understood extensively (comp. , Rom 11:7 ; , Rom 11:17 ), not intensively , as Calvin takes it (attaching it to ): quodammodo , which was intended to soften the severity of the notion. So taken, it would not modify the conception, but alter it (Rom 11:7 ff.). Kllner finds in . the statement of a single ground of the divine arrangement, leaving it undecided whether other reasons, and what, were in the mind of the apostle: on the one part the hardening had been decreed by God over Israel only for the end, that first, etc. But in that case . must have referred to an expressed or the like. The temporal view, “ for a while ” (Hofmann), is here as contrary to usage as in 2Co 1:14 ; 2Co 2:5 . Paul would have known how to express this sense possibly by , or by the classical .

] from whom? is known from Rom 11:8 .

] usque dum intraverit. Then when this shall have taken place the hardening of Israel shall cease. Calvin’s ita ut is intended, in spite of the language, to remove the idea of a terminus ad quem; and for the same reason Calovius and others employ much artifice in order to bring out the sense, that down to the end of the world the partial hardening will endure, and therefore, too, the partial conversion, but only that which is partial.

. ] In opposition to Gusset, Wolfburg, and others named by Wolf, also Wolf himself, Michaelis, Olshausen, Philippi, who understand only the complementum ethnicorum serving to make up for the unbelieving Jews (“the recruitment from the Gentiles,” Michaelis), the usus loquendi is not decisive; for according to usage that, with which something else is made full, might certainly be expressed by the genitive with (Mar 8:20 , and see on Mar 6:43 ; comp. Ecc 4:6 ). But how enigmatically, and in a manner how liable to misapprehension, would Paul have indicated the supposed thought, instead of simply and plainly writing ! especially as already, in Rom 11:12 , the analogous expression was used in the sense of “ their full number .” Fritzsche also finds too little: caterva gentilium , so that only a great multitude is meant. Comp. on Eph 3:19 . We must observe the correlation of : a part of Israel is hardened, until the Gentiles collectively shall have come in, and, when that shall have taken place, then all Israel will be saved. The conversion of the Gentiles ensues by successive stages; but when their totality shall be converted, then the conversion of the Jews in their totality will also ensue; so that Paul sees the latter which up to that epoch certainly also advances gradually in individual cases ensuing, after the full conversion of the Gentiles, as the event completing the assemblage of the church and accomplishing itself probably in rapid development. All this, therefore, before the Parousia , not by means of it . Comp. on Act 3:20 . The expression . is therefore to be taken numerically: the plena copia of the Gentiles (of whom in the first instance only a fraction has come and is coming in), their full number . Rightly Theophylact: , but with arbitrary limitation he adds: . Just so, in substance, Augustine, Oecumenius, and many others, including even van Hengel: “plenus numerus gentilium, quotquot comprehendebant proposita Dei ,” comp. Krummacher: “only the elect among the Gentiles.” The collective multitude of the Gentiles in the strict sense Hofmann seeks to get rid of, by making serve only to emphasize the fact that is to be thought of “in the full compass of the notion ,” so that by . . no other full amount is intended than that which would be expressed by itself . Thus there would result as the sense: until no people of the Gentile world is any longer found outside the church. This is decidedly at variance with Rom 11:12 , and with the whole context down to its evident concluding verse (Rom 11:32 ), according to which not the peoples as such (in the lump, as it were), but all persons who compose them, must be the subjects of the entrance into the church and of the divine mercy. The above interpretation is a process of rationalizing , artificial and far-fetched, and contrary to the language and the context, by interpreting what is said of the individuals as applying to the nations; just as Beyschlag, p. 75, understands the two great groups of mankind to be thought of here and in Rom 11:26 .

] namely, into the community prefigured by the holy olive tree, i.e. into the people of God. There is not yet mention of the kingdom of Messiah; its establishment is later. The passage Col 1:13 is wrongly employed with a view to supply . . . See in loc .

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

DISCOURSE: 1899
THE FUTURE SALVATION OF ALL ISRAEL

Rom 11:25-27. I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

IT is surprising, how indifferent even pious Christians are on the subject of the future restoration of the Jews. Though the Scriptures speak so much of it, the generality are contended to be altogether ignorant of Gods designs respecting them. Yet, in the midst of their ignorance, they are as decided in their sentiments on this subject as if they had made it their peculiar study, and were able to explain all the prophecies relating to it. Some will tell us, confidently, that the time for the conversion of Israel is not yet come; and that, when it shall be come, it shall be effected by miracle: and that, consequently, it is both unnecessary and presumptuous in us to attempt it. But, brethren, I would not have you ignorant of this mystery; more especially because it is in this chapter so plainly and so fully unfolded to our view. To aid you in contemplating the state of the Jews, I will endeavour to point out,

I.

The period allotted for their present blindness

The blindness of the Jewish people is most awful
[Their prophecies respecting the Messiah are most clear [Note: Refer to the most striking; and particularly the 53d chapter of Isaiah.] And the accomplishment of them in the Lord Jesus Christ is most strongly marked in the New Testament Yet is there a veil upon their hearts; so that they cannot see either what the prophecies imported, or how they are accomplished [Note: 2Co 3:15.]. This, indeed, is happened to that nation only in part. A remnant there are, and ever have been, whose eyes have been opened to see the light which shines around them: but the rest are and have been blinded, according to that prediction respecting them, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day [Note: ver. 8.].]

This blindness will last till the fulness of the Gentiles come in [Note: , shall be fully come.]

[These words are much misunderstood. Some suppose the fulness of the Gentiles to mean the completion of the period allotted for the continuance of the Roman empire; whilst others think it refers rather to the period when all the Gentiles shall have been brought into the fold of Christ. I conceive that neither of these is the true import of the words; but that they speak of the time when the general conversion of the Gentiles shall commence. It cannot mean the completion of that great work; because the fulness of the Jews will precede that [Note: ver. 12.]. But when the Gentiles begin on a more extended scale to embrace the Gospel, then shall the veil be taken from the hearts of the Jews also; and they shall, if not universally, yet with few exceptions, be converted to the faith, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah, and worship him as their God [Note: That here, and in Luk 21:24, refer to the commencement, rather than to the close, of a period. See, in the Greek, Joh 7:8. Luk 9:51. Act 2:1.].]

Such is the change which, at the allotted period, shall take place; and such,

II.

The event that awaits them at the termination of it

Here let me call your attention to,

1.

The event itself

[All Israel shall be saved. Hitherto, even in the best ages, there have been but few that truly feared God: the great mass of the people have been ungodly; and the saints have been but as a remnant of them. But in that day a spirit of grace and of supplication will be poured out upon them in a more abundant measure; and they will look on Him whom they have pierced, and mourn, even as one mourneth for his only son [Note: Zec 12:10.]: and they will all fear the Lord, from the least of them even unto the greatest of them: yea, so universal shall be the prevalence of real piety amongst them, that every vessel in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness to the Lord; and there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts [Note: Zec 14:20-21.].]

2.

The certainty of it

[It is here assured to them by a special promise; and that promise is ratified by an unchangeable covenant. The promise is recorded by the Prophet Isaiah [Note: Isa 59:20.]; and, with a slight but unimportant variation, cited by the Apostle. That this promise had not been fully accomplished in the apostolic age, is evident, from the way in which it is cited by the Apostle: for it is clearly considered by him as referring to a period yet future, a period when all Israel shall be saved. What the Lord Jesus Christ has already effected among them, and what he has wrought also in the Gentile world, shews what he will do at the appointed season: he will, by the power of his word and the effectual operation of his Spirit, turn away all ungodliness from Jacob; and make them a holy nation, a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

This is confirmed to them by an everlasting covenant. In the first covenant, the promises were all conditional; and being violated by them, it was altogether annulled. But by the new and better covenant, of which Christ is the Surety, God engages to write his laws in their hearts, and to put them in their inward parts: and not only not to depart from them himself, but to put his fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from him. Thus, at the same time that he takes away their former sins by forgiveness, he will prevent the recurrence of them by his grace, and secure to them the full blessings of his salvation [Note: Compare Jer 31:31-34. with Heb 8:8-12.].]

Let me, in conclusion, call your attention to this mystery. Consider,
1.

Its aspect on the Jews

[How melancholy their present state of blindness! and how glorious the prospects held out to them! ]

2.

Its proper effect upon your own minds

[It is lamentable to observe how wise the generality of Christians are in their own conceits, in reference to this matter: how contemptuously they speak of the Jews, as if they were by nature worse than ourselves; and as if they were never again to be restored to the favour of their God. But, if we bear in mind what they once were, and what they are yet destined to become, we shall regard them with veneration, for their fathers sakes, and seek their welfare with earnestness for their own sakes ]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Ver. 25. That blindness in part ] It is neither total nor perpetual. Lyra was a famous English Jew. Tremellius was also a Jew born; they are but methe mispar, a very few that are yet converted. They pretend (but maliciously) that those few that turn Christians in Italy are none other than poor Christians hired from other cities to impersonate their part. But when God shall have united those two sticks, Eze 37:19 , and made way for those kings of the East,Rev 16:12Rev 16:12 , then it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, “What hath God wrought?” Num 23:23 . Jachiades (a Jewish doctor) upon those words, Dan 12:4 , would have us believe that God sealed up the time of the coming of the Messiah; that for their sins, which are many, it is deferred, &c., but concludeth his animadversions there with this truth, Verum enimvero Deus nos dignabitur clarissima visione; cum Deus reducet Zionem, tunc intelligemus res ipsas, prout sunt, i.e. God shall vouchsafe us a most clear vision at that time when he shall bring back the captivity of Zion, and then we shall understand things even as they are.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

25 32 .] Prophetic announcement that this re-engrafting SHALL ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE ( Rom 11:25-27 ), and explanatory justification of this divine arrangement ( Rom 11:28-32 ).

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

25. ] For (I do not rest this on mere hope or probability, but have direct revelation of the Holy Spirit as to its certainty) I would not have you ignorant, brethren (see reff., used by the Apostle to announce, either as here some authoritative declaration of divine truth, or some facts in his own history not previously known to his readers), of this mystery ( . Tholuck in his 4th edition classifies the meanings thus: (1) such matters of fact, as are inaccessible to reason, and can only be known through revelation : (2) such matters as are patent facts, but the process of which cannot be entirely taken in by the reason . He adds a third sense, that, which is no mystery in itself , but by its figurative import . Of the first, he cites chap. Rom 16:25 ; 1Co 2:7-10 ; Eph 1:9 ; Eph 3:4 ; Eph 6:19 ; Col 1:26 , al., as examples: of the second, 1Co 14:2 ; 1Co 13:2 ; Eph 5:32 ; 1Ti 3:9 ; 1Ti 3:16 ; of the third, Mat 13:11 ; Rev 1:20 ; Rev 17:5 ; 2Th 2:7 .

The first meaning is evidently that in our text: ‘a prophetic event, unattainable by human knowledge, but revealed from the secrets of God’) that ye be not wise in your own conceits (that ye do not take to yourselves the credit for wisdom superior to that of the Jews, in having acknowledged and accepted Jesus as the Son of God, seeing that ye merely , Rom 11:30 ), that hardening (not ‘ blindness :’ see above on Rom 11:7 , and Eph 4:18 note) has happened in part (Calvin explains it ‘ quodammodo . qua particula voluisse mihi duntaxat videtur temperare verbum alioqui per se asperum,’ but there is no trace of such a desire above, Rom 11:7 ; the Rom 11:17 establishes the ordinary acceptation, that a portion of Israel have been hardened. . may be joined with , or with : from the arrangement of the words, best with the former) to Israel, until ( has been variously rendered by those who wish to escape from the prophetic assertion of the restoration of Israel. So Calv.: “ donec non infert temporis progressum vel ordinem, sed potius valet perinde ac si dictum foret, ut plenitudo gentium;” al., “while shall come in:’ but Thol. well observes that . with an ind., if any thing actually happening is spoken of, may have the meaning of ‘while,’ even with an aor.: but with a subj. of the aorist, a possible future event is indicated, which when it enters puts an end to the former: see reff.) the completion of the Gentiles shall have come in (scil. to the Church or Kingdom of God, where we, the Apostle and those whom he addresses, are already: as we use the word ‘come in’ absolutely, with reference to the place in which we are. Or the word may be used absolutely, as it seems to be in Luk 11:52 , of entering into the Kingdom of God .

In order to understand . . ., we must bear in mind the character of the Apostle’s present argument. He is dealing with nations : with the Gentile nations, and the Jewish nation. And thus dealing, he speaks of . . . coming in, and of being saved: having no regard for the time to the individual destinies of Gentiles or Jews, but regarding nations as each included under the common bond of consanguinity according to the flesh. The I would regard then as signifying ‘ the full number,’ ‘the totality ,’ of the nations, i.e. every nation under heaven , the prophetic subjects ( Mat 24:14 ) of the preaching of the gospel. Stuart denies that will admit of this meaning. But the sense which he allows to it of “completion, i. q. ” (?), amounts in this case to the same thing: that completion not arriving till all have come in: the importing that which . The idea of an elect number, however true in itself (‘plenitudo gentium in his intrat, qui secundum propositum vocati,’ Aug [109] cited by Tholuck), does not seem to belong to this passage).

[109] Augustine, Bp. of Hippo , 395 430

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Rom 11:25-32 . In this concluding section Paul abandons the ground of argument for that of revelation. He has discussed the problems arising out of the rejection of Israel and the calling of the Gentiles, when taken in connection with the promises of God to His people; and he has tried to make it clear that in all His dealings with His people, God has acted righteously, that for all that has befallen them the Jews have full responsibility, and that a Divine purpose, with blessing in it to both Jew and Gentile, has indirectly been getting itself carried into effect through this perplexing history. The rejection of the Jews has led to the calling of the Gentiles, and the calling of the Gentiles, by provoking the Jews to jealousy, is eventually to lead to their conversion too. All this, it may be said, is matter of argument; it is more or less convincing as the argument appeals with less or greater force to our minds. It is Paul’s construction and interpretation of the facts before him, and his anticipation of the result in which they are likely to issue; but it has no greater authority than the reasoning by which he supports it, or the motives which suggest one line of reasoning upon the facts rather than another. We can understand how patriotism, and religious faith in God’s promise, and insight into the psychological influences which determine human conduct, all contribute some weight to his argument; but he is not content to rest upon argument alone the central truth he has been expounding that the hardening of Israel is temporary as well as partial, and that when “the fulness of the Gentiles” has come in the hardening will cease, and all Israel be saved. He expressly puts this truth forward as a revelation ( , Rom 11:25 ). What this means psychologically we cannot tell, but it is clear that for Paul it was an essential part of the true religion, so far as he could make out the manner of its working in the world. He might try to lead the mind up to it along various lines of argument, or to confirm it by considerations of various kinds; but for him it had a Divine authority, antecedent to argument and independent of it. He sought arguments to make it credible and intelligible, not for his own sake, but for the sake of others. How much a revelation of this kind will weigh with the modern reader depends on the extent to which on general grounds he can recognise in Paul an inspired interpreter of Christianity. History, it must be admitted, throws no light on his words. The Gentiles are not fully gathered in; the time to say whether Israel as a whole is to have any distinct or decisive place in the final fulfilment of God’s gracious purpose is therefore not yet. One feels as if the nationalism of the passage fell short of Paul’s great word, There is neither Greek nor Jew; but there the Jews are, a problem to unbelief as well as to faith; think what we will of it, it is of them salvation comes; and it is at least as credible as the reverse (without considering Paul’s arguments at all) that Providence is not preserving them for nothing, and that in some such way as is here indicated there is a close connection between their salvation and the salvation of the world.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Rom 11:25 . : cf. Rom 1:13 , 1Co 10:1 ; 1Co 12:1 , 2Co 1:8 , but especially 1Th 4:13 , where as here it is used to introduce a revelation. An often-repeated phrase tends to be formal, but the thing of which Paul would not have his readers ignorant is usually important. As the phrase is invariably followed by , the latter also tends to be formal: it is at least a mistake to see anything of peculiar intimacy or affection in it in such connections. As Rom 11:28 and Rom 11:30 prove, in which they are contrasted with the Jews, the are Gentiles, and they are practically identical with the Roman Church. : the word only occurs once in the Synoptical Gospels (Mar 4:11 and parallels) and not at all in John; but Paul uses it often (twenty-one times, including two in 1 Tim.). It always refers to something which though once hidden, or in its nature a secret, is now revealed. In some passages it is applied to the Christian revelation as a whole ( e.g. , in Rom 16:25 , 1Co 2:1 , Eph 1:9 , Col 2:2 : in the last it is identified simpliciter with Christ). In others it is applied to the Christian revelation as a whole, but with some special aspect of it in view: thus in Eph 3:3 the special aspect of “revelation” or “mystery” for it is all one in the Gospel is the destined inclusion of the Gentiles among the people of God, while in Col 1:26 f. it is the indwelling Christ, as the pledge of immortality. In others, again, any particular element in the great revelation is called a “mystery”. Thus in 1Co 15:51 the truth communicated about those who live to see the second advent is described by this name, and it might have been used in the similar passage in 1Th 4:15 , where Paul says instead that he speaks . This is merely to claim for his words the authority of revelation in another way. The passage before us comes under this last head. It is a piece of revelation something which has been communicated to Paul for the good of the Church that hardening in part has come upon Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in. The new ideas in this revelation are the limits in extent ( ) and in time ( ). : it would tend to self-conceit if the Gentiles in ignorance of this Divine appointment concluded off-hand that the Jews could never be converted as a whole, and that they themselves therefore were in a place of permanent and exclusive privilege. For ( [11] [12] ) is found in [13] [14] [15] [16] , etc. Both occur in LXX but the former is much more likely to have been changed. = the full number, totality, of the Gentiles. It does not mean a number pre-determined beforehand, which has to be made up, whether to answer to the blanks in Israel or to the demands of a Divine decree, but the Gentiles in their full strength. When the Gentiles in their full strength have come in, the power which is to provoke Israel to jealousy will be fully felt, with the result described in Rom 11:26 .

[11] Codex Alexandrinus (sc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[12] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[13] Codex Sinaiticus (sc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[14] Codex Ephraemi (sc. v.), the Paris palimpsest, edited by Tischendorf in 1843.

[15] Codex Claromontanus (sc. vi.), a Grco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[16] Codex Angelicus (sc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rom 11:25-32

25For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” 27″This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” 28From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

Rom 11:25 “I do not want you brethren, to be uninformed” This is a characteristic idiom of Paul’s (cf. Rom 1:13; 1Co 10:1; 1Co 12:1; 2Co 1:8; 1Th 4:13). It usually introduces significant discussion. It functions like Jesus’ initial “Amen, Amen.” Paul often uses it to signal a new topic.

NASB, NKJV,

NRSV”mystery”

TEV”a secret truth”

NJB”a hidden reason for all of this”

SPECIAL TOPIC: MYSTERY

“lest you be wise in your own estimation” Here is another hint of the tension in the Roman church(s) (cf. Rom 11:18).

NASB”that a partial hardening has happened to Israel”

NKJV”that a hardening in part has happened to Israel”

NRSV”a hardening has come upon part of Israel”

TEV”that the stubbornness of the people of Israel is not permanent”

NJB”One section of Israel has become blind”

This statement must be related to all of Romans 11. There have been and will continue to be some believing Jews. This partial blindness, instigated by God (Rom 11:8-10) because of the Jews’ rejection of Jesus, fits into God’s plan to redeem all mankind. God promised salvation to all (cf. Gen 3:15). He chose Abraham to reach all (cf. Gen 12:3). He chose Israel to reach all (cf. Exo 19:5-6, see Special Topic at Rom 8:28). Israel failed in her mission effort through pride, unfaithfulness and unbelief. God wanted to reach the Gentile world through His blessing of Israel (cf. Deuteronomy 27-29). Israel could not keep the Covenant, therefore, God’s temporal judgment fell on her. Now God has taken this very judgment and used it to fulfill His original purpose of the redemption of mankind through faith (cf. Rom 11:30-31; Eze 36:22-38).

“until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” This same term (pleroma) is used in Rom 11:12 for the Jews. Both verses speak of God’s foreknowledge and election. The “until” speaks of a time limit to this Gentile period (cf. Luk 21:24).

Rom 11:26 “all Israel will be saved” There are two possible interpretations.

1. This refers to national Israel-not every single individual Jew but the majority at a certain point in history.

2. This refers in some sense to spiritual Israel, the Church.

Paul used this concept in Rom 2:28-29; Gal 6:16; 1Pe 2:5; 1Pe 2:9; Rev 1:6. “The full quota of the Jews” in Rom 11:12 and “the full quota of the Gentiles” in Rom 11:25 are in a parallel relationship. It is “all” in the sense of God’s election not all in the sense of every individual. The olive tree of promise will one day be complete.

Some commentators say that this must refer to national Israel only because of

1. the context of Romans 9-11

2. the OT quotes in Rom 11:26-27

3. the clear statement in Rom 11:28

God still has a love and desire for Abraham’s natural seed to be saved! They must come through faith in Christ (Zec 12:10).

The question of whether those Jews who were “hardened” will have an end time chance to respond cannot be answered from this or any text. As Americans we are culturally conditioned to ask individual questions but the Bible focuses on the corporate whole. All questions like this must be left to God. He will be just to His creation which He loves!

“as it is written” This refers to two quotes from the Septuagint of Isa 59:20-21(11:26) and Isa 27:9 (Rom 11:27). The mechanism of salvation will be faith in Jesus the Messiah. There is no plan B, just plan A. There is only one way to be saved (cf. Joh 10:7-18; Joh 11:25-29; Joh 14:6).

Rom 11:27 Isa 27:9, which is quoted in Rom 11:27, combines the restoration of Israel to the Promised Land (Rom 11:1-11) with the invitation to the traditional enemy (Gentile nations) to be included (cf. Rom 11:12-13). If this restoration is literal then the millennium may fulfill this prophecy. If it is figurative, then the new covenant, the mystery of the gospel, in which Jew and Gentile are joined by faith in God’s Messiah will be the goal (cf. Eph 2:11 to Eph 3:13). It is difficult to decide. Some OT prophecies are applied to the New Covenant church. Yet God is faithful to His promises, even when humans are not (cf. Eze 36:22-36).

Rom 11:28 This verse reflects the twin aspects of election.

1. in the OT election was for service; God chose human instrumentality for the purpose of redeeming humanity

2. in the NT election is linked to the gospel and eternal salvation; this salvation of all humans made in God’s image has always been the goal (cf. Gen 3:15)

God is faithful to His promises. This is true for the OT believers and NT saints. The key is God’s faithfulness, not mankind’s, God’s mercy, not mankind’s performance. Election is for the purpose of blessing, not of excluding!

“they are beloved for the sake of the fathers” This is the promise of Exo 20:5-6 and Deu 5:9-10; Deu 7:9. Families are blessed because of the faith of previous generations. Israel was blessed because of faithful Patriarchs (cf. Deu 4:37; Deu 7:8; Deu 10:15). That the Messiah would come from Judah was also a promise to David (cf. 2 Samuel 7). However, it must also be stated that even the “faithful” were unable to fully keep the Law (cf. Eze 36:22-36). Faith-personal faith, family faith, but not perfect faith-is acceptable to God and is potentially passed on through families (cf. 1Co 7:8-16).

Rom 11:29

NASB, NKJV,

NRSV”for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”

TEV”For God does not change his mind about whom he chooses and blesses”

NJB”God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice”

This does not refer to spiritual gifts to individuals (cf. 1 Corinthians 12), but to God’s promises of salvation, OT and NT. Election is effective. The faithfulness of God is the hope of national Israel (cf. Mal 3:6) and spiritual Israel!

Rom 11:30-32 These verses are a summary of God’s plans and purposes.

1. They are always based on His mercy (see note at Rom 9:15-16), not arbitrary determinism. The term “mercy” is used four times in this larger context (cf. Rom 9:15-16; Rom 9:18; Rom 9:23).

2. God has judged all humans. Jews and Gentiles are all sinful (cf. Rom 3:9; Rom 3:19; Rom 3:23; Rom 5:11).

3. God has used mankind’s need and inability as an opportunity to show mercy to all humanity (cf. Rom 11:22). Again in context “all” must be seen in light of Rom 11:12; Rom 11:25-26. Not all individuals will respond to God’s offer, but all are included in the scope of redemption (cf. Rom 5:12-21; Joh 3:16). Oh, God, may it be so!!!

Rom 11:30-31 “but now” This strongly implies the spiritual conversion of national Israel by faith in Jesus (cf. Zec 12:10). As the Gentiles’ “unbelief” has been overcome by the mercy of God, so will Jewish “unbelief.”

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

I would, &c. See Rom 1:13.

mystery = secret. App-193.

lest = in order that . . . not. Greek. hina me.

in your own conceits. Literally with (App-104) yourselves. Compare Pro 3:7.

blindness = hardness. Greek. porosis. See Mar 3:5.

in part. Greek. apo merous.

fulness. Greek. pleroma. That is, the fulness of times when the full number of Act 15:17 is completed. Compare Luk 21:24. Isa 59:20.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

25-32.] Prophetic announcement that this re-engrafting SHALL ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE (Rom 11:25-27), and explanatory justification of this divine arrangement (Rom 11:28-32).

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Rom 11:25. , a mystery) Paul does not always apply the term, mysteries, to those doctrines, which from the very first are necessary to be known by believers, but to the secrets, which were unknown even to many believers, until, as the case required, for the sake of faith or love they were opened up to them from the Scriptures, heretofore in this respect sealed. Comp. 1Co 15:51, and on a similar occasion Eph 3:3. The calling of the Gentiles had been a mystery, ch. Rom 16:25. But now the conversion of Israel is likewise a mystery. [Therefore something different is intimated from such conversions, as were exhibited day by day in the times of Paul.-V. g.] Each of these forms a great part of that mystery, which is confirmed in Rev 10:7. Furthermore, since it is a mystery, they ought to be treated with patient forbearance who do not recognise it so quickly, and we should hope for the time, when it will be recognised by all.-[123] , wise) dreaming, that the church at Rome cannot fail. Cluverus. The very term, mystery, checks the readers pride. Hence the admonition is repeated at. ch. Rom 12:16, which is already to be found at Rom 11:20, note.- , in part) He speaks in a way softening the unwelcome truth; for , those, who were hardened, were as the sand of the sea, Rom 11:7; comp. with ch. Rom 9:27. Therefore, in the following verse, the conversion, which will not be in part [as their hardening was, which yet comprised as many as the sand], but will include all Israel (see foll. verse), will be by far the most abundant. And in the mean time also, there are always some being converted, and for this desirable object it becomes believers to be always on the watch.-, fulness) a most abundant supply; the antithesis is in part. No nation shall remain, to which the Gospel shall not have been preached in the whole world; although a great part of mankind will still continue to be wicked.-, shall come in) Joh 10:9; Joh 10:16. For many ages, now, many obstacles retard [put a drag on the wheels of] this coming in, obstacles which will be broken through at the proper time, so that the fulness of the Gentiles, who have been long since called, may entirely come in; and then the hardening of Israel will terminate, Psa 126:2-3. Paul provokes the Israelites to Christian jealousy; and this presupposes the conversion of the Gentiles before that of Israel, and yet the remaining abundance of the Gentiles may afterwards be gained by the full conversion of Israel, Rom 11:11-12; Rom 11:15; Rom 11:31; Eze 39:7; Eze 39:21-27.

[123] We should never consider a mystery for the sake of curiosity: we should always seek to be humbled before it.-V. g.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Rom 11:25

Rom 11:25

For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery,-A mystery was not something that could not be explained or understood, but something unrevealed and unknown. It is no longer a mystery after it has been explained by an inspired man. It was a mystery, or secret, that the hardness had come upon a part of the Jews until the gospel had been fully preached to the Gentiles.

lest ye be wise in your own conceits,-If they did not understand this, they might be wise in their own conceit to think that they had so commended themselves to God as to supplant the Jews in their favor.

that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;-As to when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in is a difficult question to answer. So it receives different answers from different people. I think all agree that the Gentiles means that the gospel should be preached to all Gentiles, and that they would have opportunities equal to those the Jews had enjoyed. Whether they will have rejected these opportunities and privileges as the Jews had done is a question concerning which students differ. For a time I thought they would accept the truth, and that the fulness meant when they all came to accept Christ. I now think it probable that they will reject Christ as the Jews did. I have very little confidence in human interpretations of unfulfilled prophecy, because when I look at the fulfillment as given by God, it differs so from what I would have said it meant that I have no confidence in my own interpretations or those of others of what is unfulfilled.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

That God Might Have Mercy upon All

Rom 11:25-36

Mysteries are the reasons and principles of the divine procedure which are hidden from ordinary minds, but revealed to the children of God by the Spirit, who searches the deep things, 1Co 2:10. We cannot tell how near the brim we are, or when the fullness of the Gentiles will fill the predestined measure. It may be much nearer than we suppose, and then the door will be closed, and the Hebrew nation will be grafted in to serve the divine program in the last stages of human history. They are still beloved for their fathers sake, and the day is coming when all their sins will be forgiven and taken away.

We may go a certain distance in the devout understanding of the ways of God, but there is a point beyond which we cannot advance; and as we gaze down into the profound abyss of the divine dealings, we must cry, O the depth! Rom 11:33. The origin, the maintenance, and the ultimate end of creation, providence, and redemption, is God. To Him must be the glory! In other words, we shall find that the whole story of sin, redemption, and salvation will unravel and reveal the nature of God, as the prismatic band of color the sunlight.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Chapter VIII, The Mystery Of The Olive Tree

If my reader has followed me thus far, he will be prepared now to examine with a degree of intelligence the place that the Great Parenthesis occupies in what is itself a parenthesis-the great dispensational division of the Epistle to the Romans as set forth in chapters 9, 10 and 11. It is proper to speak of these chapters as a parenthesis because so far as the doctrinal unfolding of the truth of the righteousness of God as revealed in the Gospel is concerned, one could move on without being conscious that anything was missing between the closing verses of chapter 8 and the opening verses of chapter 12. In the first eight chapters of this epistle we have unfolded for us Gods method of dealing with sin according to the righteous demands of His throne, and His Way of providing a perfect righteousness for men who have none of their own. Then in chapters 12 to 16 we see the effects of all this upon the life of the obedient believer: practical righteousness manifested in the lives of those who have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. But between chapters 8 and 12 we have a great parenthetic division in which the Apostle turns aside, as guided by the Holy Spirit, to show how the present proclamation of the Gospel of the grace of God harmonizes with Gods former revelation to Israel and His electing grace in making them His covenant people.

In Romans 3 we learn that there is no difference, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Jew is shown to have no more claim upon the grace of God in Christ than the Gentile. All must come to God in exactly the same way, as needy sinners trusting His blessed Son for salvation. This would naturally raise the question in the mind of any honest Jew: But what then of the special promises made to Israel? What of the covenant entered into at Sinai? How does this affect the promise made to Abraham and to his seed? These questions and others of kindred character are answered fully and completely in chapters 9 to 11.

In chapter 9 the Spirit of God speaks particularly of the Lords past dealings with Israel; in chapter 10, of His present dealings with them; and in chapter 11, of His future dealings, which will be in exact accord with the prophetic Word.

Turning, then, to chapter 9, we see that Israel was an elect nation. It pleased God to separate this people from all other peoples unto Himself in order that they might occupy a special place of testimony in the earth. This privilege was not given to them because of any merit of their own. It was in sovereign, electing grace that God chose Isaac and set Ishmael to one side, and again chose Jacob and set Esau to one side. God was not unrighteous in doing this. He was the Creator. Like the potter, He had power over the clay to make of it whatever He would. If any object to the truth of election in this sense, the answer to every objection is simply this: God has a right to do as He wills. He chose Israel and made that nation the depositary of His promises, and this was in order that they might be a means of blessing to the whole world.

It is a great mistake, however, to attempt to read eternal things into the ninth chapter of Romans. There is nothing in this chapter about election to eternal life or a place in heaven, and certainly nothing about reprobation to eternal judgment in hell. When hyper-Calvinists attempt to use this portion of Scripture to support their God-dishonoring views, they wrest the Word from its true setting. It is election to a place of privilege on earth, not to eternal blessedness, and the rejection of which it speaks must be looked at in the same way, as having to do with earthly things and not with heavenly. God chose Abraham to be the father of the covenant people. In the next generation He declared: In Isaac shall thy seed be called; and in regard to the sons of Isaac it is written: The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; it was said unto her [that is, unto Rebekah], The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (Rom 9:11-13). Observe, it was not said: The younger shall go to heaven and the elder shall go to hell. God was not speaking of eternal things at all, but the elder was set aside in favor of the younger so far as privilege on earth was concerned.

The thirteenth verse must be understood relatively. Compared with the blessing God gave to Jacob, it would seem as though He hated Esau, but we need to remem- ber that this statement was not made before the children were born, but long years after in the book of Malachi, chapter 1, verses 2 and 3, where God is tracing out the history of His ways with the descendants of the two sons of Isaac, and He shows how privileged Jacob, or Israel, had been and how destitute of many similar blessings Esau, or Edom, had been.

Now if God thus chose to take up the seed of Abraham after the flesh and they failed completely as a nation to appreciate His goodness, and when His own Son came into the world they fulfilled their own Scriptures in condemning Him, who shall question the righteousness of God in setting them to one side and taking up the Gentiles and giving to them the glorious privileges that they now enjoy?

So, in chapter 10 we have, as already intimated, Gods present dealings with Israel. He has set the nation as such to one side during all this long parenthetic period which we have been considering, but that does not mean that the individual Jew is left without an opportunity of salvation for eternity. Any Jew who will, may come to God in Christ and find salvation on exactly the same basis as any Gentile. So we read in verse 12: There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. And the apostle adds in verse 13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. During all this present period, while Israel nationally is set to one side, Gods whosoever message is going out to the world, and Jew or Gentile may avail themselves of it if they will, and if they refuse to do so, they are responsible for their own judgment.

In chapter 11 we have the future of this covenant people. We are told first that their eyes were blinded because they were so occupied with their own works that they rebelled against the grace of God. National Israel is judicially blinded to this present day, and this is in accordance with prophetic intimations, as we see in verses 7 to 12:

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (according as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompense unto them: let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid; but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? (Rom 11:7-12).

God then has, if one may so say, taken advantage of the Jews unbelief to open wide the door of grace to all men everywhere; and so the Gentiles are really indebted to the unbelieving Jews for their present wonderful opportunity. Surely it ill becomes any Gentile to look with contempt on or to speak in an unkind, derogatory way of the Jew because of his failure to understand Gods plan when the Lord Jesus appeared on earth in accordance with the prophetic Scriptures! They did not understand, and so they lost a glorious opportunity, even as our Lord Himself said: If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes (Luk 19:42). Your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord (Luk 13:35).

And so with the setting aside of Israel, we have the Gospel of grace going out to the nations. Speaking from the standpoint of the Apostle of the Gentiles, Paul continues:

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore, the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again (Rom 11:15-23).

The figure of the olive tree used here is taken from the book of Jeremiah, chapter 11 and verse 16:

The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

There are three plants used in a special way as representing Israel. The vine speaks of them as Gods testimony in the earth. The fig tree is the symbol of Israel nationally, and the olive tree tells of them as the covenant people in special relation to God. Because of their unfaithfulness and particularly their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the natural branches were broken off from the olive tree of which Abraham is the root. He is the father of all that believe. Israel failed here, and so these branches were torn out of the tree of the covenant. In place of them, wild branches representing the Gentiles were grafted in, but we need to remember that these branches do not necessarily speak of individual souls actually saved, but of Gentile nations to whom privileges have now been granted which were heretofore uncovenanted so far as they were concerned. If there is real faith, they partake of the root and fatness of the blive tree. As we read in Galatians, They that be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. But where the Gentiles manifest unbelief and heedlessness to the Word of God, they expose themselves to the same judgment that has already fallen upon Israel. The day will come when they will be torn out of the olive tree and their special privileges will come to an end.

Unbelieving critics have ridiculed the figure used here by the Apostle Paul, and have even taken occasion to point to it as a positive proof that the epistles are not definitely inspired by God. How, they ask, could God make such a mistake as that which Paul has made here? He speaks of grafting wild branches into a good tree, and every horticulturalist knows that you do not graft wild branches into a good tree, but you graft good branches into a wild tree in order to change completely the character of its fruit. But here, as elsewhere, it is the critics who are wrong. They do not read carefully enough, nor, shall I say, far enough. When we turn to verses 23 and 24, we read:

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? (Rom 11:23-24).

Notice the expression, If thou wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree. Paul draws attention to the fact that the illustration he is using is not in accordance with ordinary custom, but is contrary to it, just as the matchless grace of God is contrary to the thoughts of mans legalistic heart. And if the Gentile nations have thus been so highly privileged, why should anyone wonder if, upon their failure, God should turn back again to Israel and graft in the natural branches into their own olive tree? This is exactly what He will do when the present period which we have described as the Great Parenthesis comes to an end.

And so we read in verse 25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. We need to distinguish between the times of the Gentiles and the fulness of the Gentiles. We have already seen that the times of the Gentiles covers the entire period during which the nation of the Jews, the city of Jerusalem, and the land of Palestine are under Gentile domination. This began with Nebuchadnezzars conquest of Palestine and will end at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven at the close of the Great Tribulation, or as Daniel puts it, the last end of the indignation. But the other term, the fulness of the Gentiles, has to do with Gods present work of grace. When He has taken out from among the Gentiles a people for His Name, when the last soul who is to be saved in this age has come to Christ, the Church will be completed and the fulness of the Gentiles will have come in. Then that Church will be caught up to be with the Lord before the seventieth week of Daniel begins. God will then take up Israel, and after the terrible time of tribulation spoken of specifically as the time of Jacobs trouble, out of which Israel is to be saved, shall come to an end, the remainder of the nation will be brought into blessing. The apostate part of Israel will be destroyed as a result of the terrible experiences of the Great Tribulation. The remnant will be looked upon by God as the nation. And so says the Apostle in verse 26:

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 0 the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen (Rom 11:26-36).

Surely it is clear that these three chapters, then, fit in perfectly with what we have found elsewhere as to this parenthetic period between the sufferings of Christ and the glories that shall follow. The Old Testament reveals the truth that Israel would not recognize their Messiah when He came and that trouble and disaster would fall upon them because of this, but it gave no intimation of what God would do during this time of their setting aside in taking out a vast company of Gentiles to be associated with His Son throughout the Kingdom Age as His body and His bride. This is part of the great secret which had been kept in His heart from times eternal but now has been made known.

It may be well to point out what has been often noticed by others, that a mystery as spoken of in the New Testament is not necessarily something mysterious. It is a sacred secret which man could know nothing about until God revealed it. This mystery of the olive tree was made known only after the rejection of Christ and the consequent setting aside of the chosen nation.

What a day it will be when, Gods present program completed, He will take up Israel once more and bring them at last to confess their sin and to look up in faith to the Saviour whom their fathers rejected, and confess Him as their Redeemer and their long waited for Messiah! Then Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the whole earth with fruit, for they will become Gods instruments for the enlightenment of the Gentile world.

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

fullness

The “fullness of the Gentiles” is the completion of the purpose of God in this age, viz. the outcalling from among the Gentiles of a people for Christ’s name, “the church which is His body” Eph 1:22; Eph 1:23 Cf; Act 15:14; Eph 4:11-13; 1Co 12:12; 1Co 12:13. It must be distinguished from “the times of the Gentiles” Luk 21:24.

mystery See note,

(See Scofield “Mat 13:11”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

I would: Psa 107:43, Hos 14:9, 1Co 10:1, 1Co 12:1, 2Pe 3:8

this: Rom 16:25, Eph 3:3, Eph 3:4, Eph 3:9, Rev 10:7

lest: Rom 12:16, Pro 3:5-7, Pro 26:12, Pro 26:16, Isa 5:21

blindness: or, hardness, Rom 11:7, Rom 11:8, 2Co 3:14-16

until: Psa 22:27, Psa 72:8-14, Psa 72:17, Psa 127:1, Isa 2:1-8, Isa 60:1-22, Isa 66:18-23, Mic 4:1, Mic 4:2, Zec 8:20-23, Zec 14:9-21, Luk 21:24, Rev 7:9, Rev 11:15, Rev 20:2-4

Reciprocal: Deu 28:29 – grope Deu 32:28 – General Psa 47:9 – The princes Psa 69:23 – Their eyes Psa 72:11 – all nations Psa 86:9 – All Pro 3:7 – Be Pro 23:4 – cease Pro 26:5 – lest Pro 28:11 – his own conceit Pro 30:2 – I am Ecc 7:16 – neither Isa 11:9 – for the Isa 25:1 – thy counsels Isa 42:19 – Who is blind Isa 60:5 – abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee Eze 36:24 – General Hos 1:11 – the children of Judah Hos 3:5 – in the Mic 4:7 – I will Zep 1:17 – they shall Zep 3:18 – gather Zec 8:7 – I Zec 10:6 – I will save Mat 23:39 – Blessed Mat 24:22 – for Mar 3:5 – hardness Act 3:19 – when Act 13:11 – thou Act 13:27 – because Rom 1:13 – General Rom 1:14 – both to Rom 1:22 – General Rom 2:5 – But after Rom 11:12 – their Rom 11:31 – believed Rom 12:3 – not to 1Co 3:18 – If 1Co 8:1 – Knowledge 1Co 8:2 – if 1Co 13:2 – understand 2Co 1:14 – in part 2Co 3:16 – when Eph 4:18 – blindness Rev 3:17 – I am

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

:25

Rom 11:25. Blindness (or unbelief) in part proves that the condition of unbelief with Israel was not total, and the latter part of the verse shows that even that state of partial unbelief was not to be permanent. Fulness of the Gentiles means until they have had a full time with the Gospel all to themselves while the Jews are out. Just when that fact will be accomplished the apostle does not say.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Rom 11:25. For I would not, brethren, have yea ignorant. The Apostle thus introduces something important; see marginal references. Brethren is addressed to the whole body of Christians, who were, however, mostly Gentiles (see Introd., in the Romans Book Comments). The decisive proof (for) that the Jews shall be grafted in again (Rom 11:23-24) is found in the prophetic announcement now made by the Apostle (Rom 11:25-32).

Of this mystery. On the New Testament use of the word mystery, see notes on Eph 1:9. It does not have the classical sense, but usually refers to a matter of fact, undiscovered by men themselves, which is made known to them by revelation from God. Thus it frequently denotes with Paul the divine counsel of redemption through Christ, as a whole, or in particular parts of it,because it was veiled from men before God revealed it (Rom 16:25; 1Co 2:7-10; Eph 3:3-5). Whether the contents of a mystery have already become known through the preaching of the gospel, may be gathered from the scope of the particular passages (Meyer). Here the event revealed is future, hence Paul speaks prophetically, assuming that the contents of the mystery were as yet unknown to his readers. He regarded the revealed fact as a very important one, and as standing in intimate relations to the greatest mystery of all: the Personal Christ

Lest ye may be wise in your own conceits; they were in danger of cherishing their own incorrect views in regard to the future of Israel; the Apostle would prevent this by telling them the truth revealed to him. (There is a variation of reading here which does not alter the sense.)

That hardening hath happened (lit., hath become) in part to Israel. That introduces the contents of the mystery (extending to the word saved in Rom 11:26). Hardening (not blindness, comp. Rom 11:7) is preferable to hard-ness, since the process rather than the state is indicated. In part is to be joined with the verb, not with hardening, or Israel. The hardening has been spoken of in Rom 11:7, but the extent of it is here revealed. This thought would check the pride of the Gentiles.

Until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. This is the second fact revealed, namely, that this hardening (in part) will continue until another event occurs. No other explanation is grammatical; comp. Luk 21:24. Most modern commentators, though differing as to the exact sense of the word fulness, agree in referring the phrase, the fulness of the Gentiles. to the totality of the Gentiles, not including every individual, but the nations as a whole. It is more than a great multitude, denoting rather the great majority. Some refer it to the complement from the Gentiles to take the place of the rejected Jews, but this seems unnatural. Come in points to their entrance among the people of God, conceived of throughout as one.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Here the apostle fully proves, that the rejection of the Jews was neither total nor final; not total, because blindness in part only, happened unto Israel; that is, part of the Jews only are left in unbelief, and under the power of spiritual blindness. Nor is their rejection final, but for a time only; namely, till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in: that is, till the Gentile churches be advanced to an honourable state and fulness. And then all the Israel of God, the faithful seed of Abraham, and the main body of the Jews, shall make up the catholic church, and be saved from their unbelief; according to that gracious promise, The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob: and this is my covenant with them, My Spirit shall not depart from thy seed, nor thy seed’s seed, from henceforth and forever. Isa 59:20-21.

Learn hence, That there shall be a general calling of the Jews to the faith of the gospel before Christ’s second coming, is not only possible and probable, but infallible, sure, and certain, and that from the prophecies and predictions of the prophets of God; let us therefore believe it firmly, pray for it fervently, and live in the expectation of it continually.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Rom 11:25-27. For, &c. And this I now declare, because I would not have you ignorant of this mystery Of the mysterious dispensation under consideration, which, on the first view of it, may appear very unaccountable; lest you should be wise in your own conceits Should have too high an opinion of yourselves, on account of your being made the people of God in place of the Jews. The apostle calls the rejection of the Jews for a time, and their restoration after the conversion of the Gentiles is completed, a mystery; because it was a matter of the greatest importance to mankind, and because it had hitherto been kept a secret, like the doctrine of the mysteries among the Greeks, which was discovered to none but the initiated. See on Eph 1:9. That blindness in part That is, as to the greatest part of them, a remnant only being now brought to the faith; is happened to Israel For a certain time, for Israel is neither totally nor finally rejected; until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in Here the Christian Church is represented as a great temple, erected for all nations to worship in. And the coming of the Gentiles into this temple, or church, to worship, signifies their conversion to Christianity; a conversion which has hitherto only taken place in a small degree. For, as Whitby observes, (Appen. to Romans xi,) If the known regions of the world be divided into thirty parts, the Christian part is only as five, the Mohammedan as six, and the idolatrous as nineteen. And, alas! of the part said to be Christian, how few are Scriptural Christians, possessed of the Spirit of Christ, without which we are none of his! And so all Israel shall be saved Shall be brought to believe in Jesus as the true Messiah, and so shall be put into the way of obtaining salvation, being convinced of the truth by the coming in of the Gentiles. As it is written, Isa 59:20, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer Being the son of David, he is said, by the apostle, to come out of Sion, the city of David, and the seat of his kingdom, rather than , for the sake of Sion, the words used by the LXX.; whose translation of this passage, in other respects, the apostle adopts. It differs, however, in some degree, from the Hebrew original, both in this and the next clause; for that is, the Redeemer shall come to Sion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, which, no doubt, was the exact sense of the prophets words. But since the coming of Christ as a deliverer to the Jews was all that the apostles argument required, he quotes the passage merely to prove that point, and does not notice the variation of the Greek translation from the original Hebrew. It being certain, however, that the general tenor of Gods covenant with Israel gave no hope of their deliverance and restoration, after rejection and chastisement, but in a way of repentance and reformation, the apostle properly observes, that when the deliverer came, he should turn away ungodliness from Jacob Which, as it was not done by Christ at his first coming, will doubtless be accomplished in some future period by an extraordinary display of his mercy and grace. For this is my covenant unto Or rather with them, when I shall take away their sins That is, when their sins, as a nation, are remitted, it shall be to bring them again into covenant with myself.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Vv. 25, 26a. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in own your conceits:that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved.

The form of expression: I would not that ye should be ignorant, always announces a communication the importance of which the apostle is concerned to impress. The style of address: brethren, leaves no room to doubt that the apostle is here speaking to the church as a whole. Now it is indubitable that in Rom 11:28; Rom 11:30 those readers whom he addresses with the word ye are of Gentile origin. This proof of a Gentile majority in the church of Rome seems to us incontrovertible.

Paul uses the word mystery to designate the fact he is about to announce. He does not mean by this, as might be thought from the meaning this term has taken in ecclesiastical language, that this fact presents something incomprehensible to reason. In the N. T. the word denotes a truth or fact which can only be known by man through a communication from above, but which, after this revelation has taken place, falls into the domain of the understanding. The two notions mystery and revelation are correlative; comp. Eph 3:3-6. The apostle therefore holds directly from above the knowledge of the event he proceeds to announce; comp. 1Co 15:51 and 1Th 4:15.

Before stating the fact he explains the object of this communication: that ye be not wise in your own eyes. The reference here is not, as in Rom 11:19, to proud thoughts arising from the preference which God seems now to have given to the Gentiles. It is the wisdom of self whose inspirations Paul here sets aside. The converted Gentiles composing the church of Rome might form strange systems regarding Israel’s rejection and future history. Paul is concerned to fix their ideas on this important point, and leave no place in their minds for vain and presumptuous speculations. He borrows his expressions from Pro 3:7. Instead of , beside yourselves, two Alexs. read , within yourselves. The copyists may possibly have changed the original (in) into , under the influence of the text of the LXX. The meaning is substantially the same.

The contents of the mystery are declared in the end of this verse and the first words of the following: hardness is happened. Paul had already pointed out this, Rom 11:7; but he adds: in part, . This word is explained, as it seems to me, by the expression of Rom 11:7 : the rest were hardened, and by the term some, Rom 11:17. Hence it follows that we must here give the word in part a numerical sense. Judgment has not fallen on the totality of Israel, but on a part only; such is also the meaning to which we are led by the antithesis of the all Israel of Rom 11:26; comp. 2Co 2:5. It is a mistake in Calvin to apply this word: to the degree, of the hardening which according to him still left room for partial blessings; and in Hofmann, in a more forced way still, to apply it to the restricted time during which it is to last.

But even this judgment, which has overtaken one entire portion of the nation, will have an end: to make it cease, God waits till the totality of the Gentile nations shall have made their entry into the kingdom of God. This is the people which should have introduced all the other peoples into it; and for their punishment the opposite is what will take place, as Jesus had declared: The first shall be last. It is almost incredible how our Reformers could have have held out obstinately, as they have done, against a thought so clearly expressed. But they showed themselves in general rather indifferent about points of eschatology, and they dreaded in particular everything that appeared to favor the expectation of the thousand years’ reign which had been so much abused in their time. Calvin has attempted to give to the conj. , until that, the impossible meaning of in order that; which in sense amounted simply to the idea of Rom 11:11-12. Others gave to this conjunction the meaning of as long as, to get this idea: that while the Gentiles are entering successively into the church, a part of the Jews undoubtedly remain hardened, but yet a certain number of individuals are converted, from which it will follow that in the end the totality of God’s people, Jews and Gentiles (all Israel, Rom 11:26), will be made up. This explanation was only an expedient to get rid of the idea of the final conversion of the Jewish people. It is of course untenable1st. From the grammatical point of view the conj. could only signify as long as, if the verb were a present indicative. With the verb in the aor. subjunctive the only possible meaning is: until. 2d. Viewed in connection with the context, the word Israel has only one possible meaning, its strict meaning: for throughout the whole chapter the subject in question is the future of the Israelitish nation. 3d. How could the apostle announce in a manner so particular, and as a fact of revelation, the perfectly simple idea that at the same time as the preaching of the gospel shall sound in the ears of the Gentiles, some individual Jews will also be converted? Comp. Hodge.

The expression: the fulness of the Gentiles, denotes the totality of the Gentile nations passing successively into the church through the preaching of the gospel. This same whole epoch of the conversion of the Gentile world is that which Jesus designates, Luk 21:24, by the remarkable expression: , the times of the Gentiles, which he tacitly contrasts with the theocratic epoch: the times of the Jews (Luk 19:42; Luk 19:44). Jesus adds, absolutely in the same sense as Paul, that Jerusalem shall be trodden down until those times of the Gentiles be fulfilled; which evidently signifies that after those times had elapsed, Jerusalem shall be delivered and restored. In this discourse of Jesus, as reported by Matthew (Mat 24:14) and Mark (Mar 13:10), it is said: The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached unto the Gentiles throughout all the earth; and then shall the end come. This end includes the final salvation of the Jewish people.

Olshausen and Philippi suppose that the complement of the word , fulness, is: of the kingdom of God, and that the genitive , of the Gentiles, is only a complement of apposition: Until the full number of Gentiles necessary to fill up the void in the kingdom of God, made by the loss of Israel, be complete. This is to torture at will the words of the apostle; their meaning is clear: Till the accomplishment of the conversion of the Gentiles, there will be among the Jews only individual conversions; but this goal reached, their conversion en masse will take place.

Ver. 26a cannot be translated and then; the natural meaning is: and thus; and it is quite suitable. Thus, that is to say, by means of the entrance of the Gentiles into the church, comp. Rom 11:31. When Israel shall see the promises of the O. T., which ascribe to the Messiah the conversion of the Gentiles to the God of Abraham, fulfilled throughout the whole world by Jesus Christ, and the Gentiles through His mediation loaded with the blessings which they themselves covet, they will be forced to own that Jesus is the Messiah; for if the latter were to be a different personage, what would this other have to do, Jesus having already done all that is expected of the Messiah? , all Israel, evidently signifies Israel taken in its entirety. It seems, it is true, that the Greek expression in this sense is not correct, and that it should be . But the term , all (every), denotes here, as it often does, every element of which the totality of the object is composed (comp. 2Ch 12:1 : , all Israel was with him); Act 2:36; Eph 2:21. We have already said that there can be no question here of applying the term Israel to the spiritual Israel in the sense of Gal 6:16. It is no less impossible to limit its application, with Bengel and Olshausen, to the elect portion of Israel, which would lead to a tautology with the verb shall be saved, and would suppose, besides, the resurrection of all the Israelites who had died before. And what would there be worthy of the term mystery (Rom 11:25) in the idea of the salvation of all the elect Israelites!

Paul, in expressing himself as he does, does not mean to suppress individual liberty in the Israclites who shall live at that epoch. He speaks of a collective movement which shall take hold of the nation in general, and bring them as such to the feet of their Messiah. Individual resistance remains possible. Compare the admirable delineation of this period in the prophet Zechariah (Rom 12:10-14).

Two prophetic sayings are alleged as containing the revelation of this mystery.

Vv. 26b, 27. As it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: and this is the covenant I will make with them when I shall take away their sins.

Two passages are combined in this quotation, as we have already found so often; these are Isa 59:20; Isa 27:9. As far as the word when, all belong to the first passage; with this conjunction the second begins. Both in Isaiah refer to the last times, and have consequently a Messianic bearing. Paul follows the LXX. in quoting, with this difference, that instead of , from Sion, they read , in favor of Sion. The form of the LXX. would have as well suited the object of the apostle as that which he employs himself. Why, then, this change? Perhaps the prep. , in favor of, was contracted in some MSS. of the LXX. so as to be easily confounded with , from. Or perhaps the apostle was thinking of some other passage, such as Psa 110:2, where the Messiah is represented as setting out from Sion to establish His kingdom. But what is singular is, that neither the one nor the other form corresponds exactly to the Hebrew text, which says: There shall come to Sion (the Zion), and to them who turn from their sins in Jacob. It is probable that instead of leschave (them that turn) the LXX. read leschov (to turn away); and they have rendered this infinitive of aim by the future: he will turn away. Hence the form of our quotation. However that may be, the meaning is that He who shall deliver Sion from its long oppression, will do so by taking away iniquity from the entire people. Such is, in fact, the bearing of the term , Jacob, which denotes the whole nation collectively. It is therefore on this second proposition of Rom 11:26 that the weight of the quotation properly rests. As to the first proposition, it may be regarded as a simple introduction; or we may find in it the idea, that after setting out from Sion, the preaching of the gospel, having made the round of the world, will return to Israel to purify it, after all the other nations; or, finally, it may be held, with Hofmann, that the words from Sion denote the place whence the Lord will make His glory shine forth, when He shall fulfil this last promise on the earth.

Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)

[“The future conversion of Israel,” says Gifford, “having been proved to be both possible and probable, is now shown to be the subject of direct revelation.”] For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant [This form of expression is used by the apostle to indicate a most important communication to which he wishes his readers to give special attention, as something strange and contrary to their expectation (Rom 1:3; 1Co 10:1; 1Co 12:1; 2Co 1:8; 1Th 4:13)–in this case, a revelation from God] of this mystery [The word musterion is used twenty-seven times in the New Testament. As digested and classified by Tholuck, it has three meanings; thus: 1. Such matters of fact as are inaccessible to human reason, and can only be known through revelation (Rom 16:25; 1Co 2:7-10; Eph 1:9; Eph 3:4; Eph 6:19; Col 1:26; etc.). 2. Such matters as are patent facts, but the process of which can not be entirely taken in by the reason (1Co 14:2; 1Co 13:2; Eph 5:32; 1Ti 3:9; 1 Tim 16). 3. That which is no mystery in itself, but by its figurative import (Mat 13:11; Rev 1:20; Rev 17:5; 2Th 2:7). The first is the meaning here. Paul is about to communicate a revelation which was given of God, and could never have been divined by any process of the human intellect. As the conversion of the Gentiles was so unthinkable that it had to be made known to the Jew by revelation (Eph 3:1-6; Act 10:11), so here the conversion of the Jew was so unbelievable that it also had to be made known to the Gentile by revelation], lest ye be wise in your own conceits [This revelation of the conversion and ultimate elevation of Israel to his former position of leadership comes to Paul, and is imparted by him to the Gentiles, to prevent them from following their own vain and mistaken opinions as to the relative theocratic positions of Jews and Gentiles, by which they would flatteringly deceive themselves into thinking too well of themselves as occupying permanently Israel’s ancient post of honor, and too ill of Israel as thrust out and cast off forever. The reversal of the Jews and Gentiles in fortune and honor was but a temporary affair. It is significant that this publication of a revelation, and accompanying rebuke of the opposing self-conceit of human opinion and judgment, should be addressed to the Church of Rome! The more one ponders it, the more portentous it becomes], that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel [Here is the first term of the threefold revelation. Calvin and others connect “in part” with “hardening,” so that the meaning is that a partial hardening has befallen Israel. But hardening, as mentioned at Rom 9:18 or Rom 11:7; is not qualified as partial. “In part” is properly connected with “Israel.” A portion of Israel is hardened. This agrees with the entire context, which tells of a remnant saved (Rom 11:5), and the rest or larger portion fallen (Rom 11:12), cast away (Rom 11:15), and hardened. So “in part” stands for “the rest” of Rom 11:7 , and in contrast to the “some” of Rom 11:17 . The bulk of the Jewish nation, persistently and rebelliously refusing to believe in Christ, had, as their punishment, a dulling of their perceptions and a deadening of their sensibilities sent upon them. We can understand this punishment better if we compare it with its counterpart which befell the Gentiles. As they dishonored the form or body of God by presuming to make degrading, beast-shaped images of it, so God gave them up to degrade their own bodies (Rom 1:23-24). As they preferred lies to truth in things pertaining to God, he gave them up to prefer lying, deceptive, unnatural uses of themselves, to the true and natural uses (Rom 1:25-27). As they refused to have a right mind about God, he gave them up to a reprobate mind (Rom 1:28-32). So here, in his parallel treatment of the Jew, he found them steeling their hearts against his love (Joh 3:16) and against the drawing power of the cross (Joh 8:28; Joh 12:32), and he gave them up to the hardness which they chose and desired. Now follows the second term of the revelation which makes known how long this hardness should endure; viz.], until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in [The hardness of the Jews shall cease, and the veil which blinds their eyes shall fall (1Co 3:14-15), when the number of saved which God has allotted to be gathered during the Gentile dispensation (or “times of the Gentiles”– Luk 21:24) has been made complete, and has “come in,” to the theocratic olive-tree. In other words, as the Gentiles were “given up” (Rom 1:23; Rom 1:25; Rom 1:28) during the entire period of the Jewish dispensation, so the Jews are to be “hardened” during the entire period of the Gentile dispensation. The millennium, or final dispensation, which is to follow this present Gentile dispensation, will be given into the hands of Jew and Gentile jointly, and will be as life from the dead to both parties, because of the glorious season of revival which shall characterize it almost to its end. “Fulness of the Gentiles” is, therefore, “not the general conversion of the world to Christ, as many take it,” says Brown; “for this would seem to contradict the latter part of this chapter, and throw the national recovery of Israel too far into the future: besides, in verse 15, the apostle seems to speak of the receiving of Israel, not as following, but as contributing largely to bring about, the general conversion of the world–but, until the Gentiles have had their full time [as possessors] of the visible church all to themselves while the Jews are out, which the Jews had till the Gentiles were brought in. See Luk 21:24 .” And this brings us to the conditions, or developments, which succeed the hardening, or the third term of the mystery or revelation which Paul is here making known; viz.];

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

ALL ISRAEL TO BE SAVED

25. For I do not wish you to be ignorant as to this mystery, in order that you may not be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part has happened unto Israel till the fullness of the Gentiles may come in. The present awakening of the Jews is an argument that the end of the Gentile times is nigh. Thousands of Jews, especially in Russia, where they are more numerous than in any other country, are now being converted to Christ. Eleven colonization societies are working to bring the Jews back to Palestine. When I was there three years ago, one hundred and twenty thousand had already arrived, more than twice the whole number who returned under Nehemiah. The Jews in all lands are turning their eyes back to the prophetic hills of their holy patrimony. When I visited the wailing place of the Jews in Jerusalem and heard them crying to the God of their fathers to restore their inheritance, bring back the wandering children of Abraham and rebuild their temple, I felt that God heard that mournful cry and would answer those wailing martyrs. The Lunar Chronology runs out the Gentile times seven years ago, the Calendar thirty-five years hence, and the Solar seventy years hence. Daniel 12 gives the Tribulation forty-five years, which is to intervene between the rapture of the saints and the ushering in of the Millennium. According to all these chronologies we are rapidly approaching the end of the Gentile times and the coming of the Lord.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Rom 11:25-36. The Mystery of Israels Future.

Rom 11:25-26 a. It may save Gentile believers from a dangerous self-conceit (cf. Rom 12:16) to learn the secret that the hardening (see Rom 11:7) which has partially befallen Israel (the remnant is exempt; Rom 11:5; Rom 11:7), will last only until the full complement of the nations enters into Gods kingdom; then all Israel will be saved. A mystery is a secret truth concerning Gods kingdom made known by express revelation; cf. Rom 16:25, Eph 1:9* Eph 3:3 ff., Mat 13:11, etc.

Rom 11:26 b, Rom 11:27. The event is described in words blended from two passages of Isaiah, signifying chiefly two things: Israels Saviour comes of Israel (cf. Rom 9:5); and His salvation lies in the removal of Israels sin (cf. Rom 4:7 f., Mat 1:21, Heb 10:15-18).

Rom 11:28 f. The mass of the Jews are, in Gods eyes, at once enemies and beloved: enemies, since they oppose the giving of the gospel to Gentiles (1Th 2:14-16, etc.); beloved for their fathers sake, in whom God chose the nation. That election stands good; acting in sure foresight (cf. Rom 8:29*), God never regrets His grace-gifts, etc.

Rom 11:30-32 marks out the line of vindication. You and they have both proved disobedient to God (for the former, see Rom 1:20-23; for the latter, Rom 10:21, etc.). He has used each set of rebels to overcome the others: just as you were aforetime disobedient, and now by reason of their disobedience have become objects of mercy (cf. Rom 11:12; Rom 11:15), so they now have fallen into disobedience by reason of the mercy shown to you, that finally mercy may be shown to them too. Universal disobedience ends in universal mercy! Shut up unto disobedience (cf. Gal 3:22) means the precluding of every other issue; all (not every man) signifies Jews and Gentiles as a whole: Paul is dealing with broad historical issues.The difficulty of Rom 1:24, Rom 5:20, Rom 9:18 recurs, viz. that God should take measures to aggravate sin. But downright, unmistakable disobedience clears the moral atmosphere; brought to a crisis, the fever is curable.

Rom 11:33. The apostles sorrow (Rom 9:1) is turned to rapture as he contemplates the unfolding of Gods world-plan: O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! (mg.). His wealth is the infinitude of His resources His wisdom lies in the skill of His methods; His knowledge, in the mastery of all the facts and conditions! The beholder is lost in these depths and mazes! (cf. Rom 8:38 f.). The sayings of Rom 11:34 f. (drawn from Isaiah, Job, and Jeremiah) impressively reflect upon the mystery of Gods dealings with human life, in which He needs no creaturely counsel or aid.

Rom 11:36. Alike transcendent and immanent, God is the source (see 1Co 8:6), the operative Agent (1Co 12:6), the final issue of the being of mankind.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

Verse 25

The fulness of the Gentiles; the Gentiles generally.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

SECTION 37 ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED. PRAISE TO GOD

CH. 11:25-36

For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, that ye be not prudent in your own sight, that hardening in part has happened to Israel, until when the fulness of the Gentiles have come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved; according as it is written, There will come out of Zion the deliverer; He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And this is the covenant from Me to them, when I have taken away their sins. According to the Gospel, they are enemies, because of you: but according to the election, they are beloved, because of the fathers. For without regret are the gifts of grace and the calling of God. For just as ye were once disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by the disobedience of these, in this way also these have now disobeyed, in order that by the mercy shown to you also they may obtain mercy. For God has shut up all into disobedience, in order that upon all He may have mercy.

O depth of riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and untraceable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counsellor? Or who has first given to Him, and it shall be given back to him? Because from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory, for ever. Amen.

Rom 11:25. Further proof, based on a divine revelation and on an ancient prophecy, that salvation awaits Israel.

I do not wish etc.: as in Rom 1:13.

Mystery: a secret known only by divine revelation. Same important word in Rom 16:25; 1Co 2:7; Eph 3:3-4; Mat 13:11 : see note under 1Co 3:4.

Prudent in your own sight: so Rom 12:16. It keeps up the warning.

Hardening: recalling Rom 11:8.

In part: only a part, though a large part, of the nation had rejected Christ: cp. Rom 11:5; Rom 11:7; Rom 11:17.

Until when etc.: emphatic part of the sentence. All knew that the Jews were hardened: the great secret was that this was only for a time.

Fulness: as in Rom 11:12 : the spiritual wealth with which God will make the Gentiles full.

Have-come-in: into actual existence. Israels hardening will continue till the spiritual wealth designed for the Gentiles has been brought out of the treasury of the divine purpose and poured into their lap. I have no other example of this use of the word come-in: but the similar use of the word come in Gal 3:23; Gal 3:25; Gal 4:4 and the frequency of the word fulness in the sense here adopted justify, in default of a better, the above exposition. Paul here asserts, as a divine revelation, what in Rom 11:11-16 he inferred, viz. that salvation awaits Israel.

Rom 11:26-27. Further description of Israels future.

In this way: after the enrichment of the Gentiles.

All Israel: same words (LXX.) in 1Ki 12:1; 1Sa 12:1 : cp. Mat 2:3; Mat 3:5. The contrast with in part in Rom 11:25 suggests that Paul refers to all Israelites then living, with exceptions so few as to be of no account.

Will be saved: in what sense? This question can be answered only by the fulfilment. In Rom 11:14; Rom 10:1; Rom 10:9-10, the same word denotes a personal salvation which begins in justification and ends in glory.

Paul now quotes, as in agreement with Rom 11:25-26 a; Isa 59:20 : There shall come for Zion a deliverer, and for those who turn away from iniquity in Jacob, says Jehovah. As for Me, this is My covenant with them, Jehovah has said, My Spirit which is upon thee and My words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth, and from the mouth of thy seed, and from the mouth of thy seeds seed, Jehovah has said, from this time and for ever. After a time of general apostasy, the prophet sees a deliverer coming for Zion. He sees Israel turning from sin. For those who do so, the deliverer comes, and with them God makes a covenant. The next chapter describes the glory of the salvation which the deliverer will bring. The prophet evidently refers to the last days, and foretells that at the end of the world there will be a turning to God in Israel and a salvation wrought by a coming deliverer. Paul quotes, almost word for word, the LXX.; which differs, though not essentially, from the original; but he varies from both original and LXX. in writing, instead of for Zion, out of Zion, words suggested perhaps by Psa 14:7; Psa 53:6; Psa 110:2.

The deliverer: a definite Saviour, for whom Israel was waiting. When Paul wrote, He had already come out of Zion.

Turn away ungodliness: from the LXX., which here varies from the Hebrew original, but correctly describes the salvation brought by Christ. The Greek plural denotes various kinds of ungodliness.

And this is the covenant from Me to them: word for word (LXX.) from Isa 59:21. With the rescued ones, God will make a covenant. At this point Paul leaves Isa 59:21, and finishes the sentence by quoting, almost word for word, Isa 27:9. He thus calls attention to another prophecy of salvation awaiting Israel. A similar mingling of quotations in Rom 11:8. It is natural to one who assumes that his readers, like himself, are thoroughly familiar with the book quoted.

Taken-away: cp. Joh 1:29. It includes removal of the punishment, power, and stain, of sin.

In what sense Paul expected that all Israel would be saved, his writings do not enable us accurately to determine. But evidently his expectation moved him to strive hopefully for the salvation of all Jews within his reach: so Rom 11:14; Rom 11:24; cp. Act 13:47. This is the practical use of all the unfulfilled prophecies of Holy Scripture, viz. as an encouragement for hope and effort along the lines of the revealed purposes of God.

Rom 11:28. A comment on the position of the unbelieving Jews, prompted by the foregoing prophecies.

Enemies: objects of Gods anger and hostility, in contrast to beloved, i.e. objects of His love: so Rom 5:10; see under Rom 5:1.

According to the Gospel: measured by the word he that believes shall be saved, they are under the anger of God.

Because of you: explained in Rom 11:11-12; Rom 11:15; Rom 11:30. In order that salvation might come to the Gentiles, God sent the Gospel to the Jews in a form which He knew would increase the guilt of most of them.

Election: as in Rom 11:7.

According to the election: when Paul looks at the believing Jews, he sees in them a proof (cp. Rom 11:1) that God has not forgotten His ancient covenant, but that for the sake of the fathers He still cherishes purposes of mercy for their children: cp. Exo 2:24; Deu 4:37; Deu 7:8. How different the case would have been had all the Jews rejected Christ! Then it would have seemed that the whole nation had been rejected by God. Notice that the same men are enemies and beloved. God is angry with all who disobey Him, and will be, if their disobedience continue, their eternal foe: but His love to them prompted Him to give Christ to die, and now prompts Him to use means to draw them to repentance.

Rom 11:29. A great truth supporting the foregoing words.

Without-regret: same word in 2Co 7:10; cognate word in 2Co 7:8; Heb 7:21; Mat 21:29; Mat 21:32; Mat 27:3. It differs from repentance in Rom 2:4; Act 20:21, etc., by denoting mere regret without change of purpose.

Gifts-of-grace: as in Rom 1:11.

Calling: as in Rom 8:28. In Mesopotamia and at Sinai, God called Abraham and Israel to be specially His own, and gave them precious promises. These promises He cannot revoke: for He is unchangeable. He cannot change: because He knows all things from the beginning. Similar argument in Rom 11:2.

This verse does not contradict Gen 6:6; Jer 18:10. For, though God cannot change, many of His gifts are conditional on mans conduct. Therefore change in man is followed by a corresponding change in Gods treatment of him. This change in Gods action is practically the same to us as though God changed His purpose, and therefore is so described. But in reality Gods varying treatment of men is a result of an eternal purpose of Him who knows beforehand what every man will do. The apparent contradiction is due to imperfection of human thought and language. Gods character is pledged to fulfil His promises: but each mans share in the fulfilment depends on himself. Hence the prophets announce an almost universal apostasy; and, in spite of it, paint in glowing colours the coming glory.

Rom 11:30-31. A compact summary of the teaching of Romans 11, thus illustrating the above principle. The Gentiles once disobeyed the law of God written in their hearts: but they had obtained mercy; and this had been brought about, as explained in Rom 11:11-12; Rom 11:15; Rom 11:28, by the disobedience of the Jews.

In this way also: making prominent the similarity of Gods conduct in the two cases.

Now disobeyed: by rejecting Christ.

In order that by the mercy etc.: the salvation of the Gentiles being designed, as taught in Rom 11:14, to lead to that of Israel.

Rom 11:32. The facts and purposes stated in Rom 11:30-31 are now attributed to God.

Shut-up: He made temporary disobedience inevitable by closing every door by which man might escape from it. Same word in Gal 3:22-23 and (LXX.) Psa 31:8. To men born under the curse of Adams sin, God gave a holy law: the only possible result, and therefore the designed result, was disobedience. So Rom 5:20, a close parallel: cp. Rom 1:24, God gave them up.

All: Jews and Gentiles.

In order that upon all He may have mercy: a statement wider and more definite than that in Rom 11:31. The mercy is traced to God and is designed for all. A similar purpose in Rom 5:21; Gal 3:22-23. Paul closes his exposition of the Gospel in its relation to Israel by leading us up to a great purpose of mercy embracing all mankind.

In Rom 5:18, at the close of DIV. II., Paul asserted the universality of Gods purpose of salvation. So here at the end of DIV. IV. we have a reassertion of the same, with express reference to the great division of mankind into Jews and Gentiles which Paul has been discussing. We have not the words all men; because Paul speaks here, not of men as such, but of the two theological divisions of the race. But the first all certainly includes the unbelieving Jews of Pauls day, whose disobedience to the Gospel has led to salvation of the Gentiles to whom Paul writes: and, if so, they must be included in the second all as objects of Gods purpose of mercy. And if that purpose includes all Jews, it includes all men. That elsewhere, e.g. Php 3:19, Paul asserts or implies that not all men will ultimately be saved, is no reason for setting aside the plain meaning of plain words asserting that all are objects of Gods purpose of mercy.

Rom 11:33. An exclamation of wonder prompted by the unexpected means by which God is accomplishing His purpose.

Depth: as in Rom 8:39.

Riches: as in Rom 2:4; Rom 9:23; cp. Rom 10:12. It suggests the resources at Gods disposal.

Wisdom: such profound acquaintance with things as enables us to choose the best ends and means: see note under 1Co 2:5.

Knowledge: a lower word.

Judgments: decisions and utterances of a judge, as in Rom 2:2. It refers here to Gods hardening of unbelievers and His shutting up of all mankind into disobedience.

Unsearchable: beyond human ability to find out the meaning and purpose of His ways: the path along which He reaches the end in view.

Untraceable: same word in Eph 3:8 : footsteps which cannot be traced. The path He chose, which no man could trace but which led to the goal, revealed a wonderful knowledge of past, present, and future: and the sentences pronounced on the children of Abraham and of Adam had purposes disclosing a wisdom which none can fathom.

Rom 11:34-35. Questions justifying Pauls exclamation. Rom 11:34 is nearly word for word (LXX.) from Isa 40:13. Gods thoughts have never been grasped by man: and His wisdom needs no human counsellor. Rom 11:35 is from Job 41:11. No one can say that Gods gifts are a return for earlier gifts received. This question shuts out all human merit, and reminds us that the actions rewarded are Gods gift to us. They therefore make us debtors to God, not God to us.

Rom 11:36. A universal statement involving an answer to the foregoing question.

From Him: as their ultimate source: so 1Co 8:6.

Through Him: as the channel through which possibility passes into actuality. He needs no helper, but Himself works out His own purposes.

For Him: to accomplish His pleasure. God is the beginning, means, and end of all things. These last words cannot include sin. But in a real sense they may include suffering. For God has so constituted the universe that sin brings suffering to the sinner and to others. This need for limitation warns us to interpret with utmost caution the universal statements of the Bible. Each must be limited, as in all human speech, by the writers mental horizon.

To Him the glory: may He be viewed by men with the admiration which His work and nature demand, i.e. may He be recognised as the Source, Agent, and End of all good.

For ever. Amen: to the successive ages of the future: so Rom 1:25; Rom 16:27.

Well may Paul utter this shout of wonder and praise. He sees the spiritual blindness of his people; and knows that it has been inflicted by God in punishment of inexcusable ignorance and rebellion. It is therefore a mark of Gods anger against Israel. But as Paul contemplates the punishment, he finds in it a purpose of mercy. The blindness of Israel has led, by the grace and purpose of God, to enlightenment of the Gentiles: and God designs the light which has fallen upon the Gentiles to be reflected back upon Israel. Thus beneath Gods frown Paul finds unchanging love to the children of Abraham. While pronouncing sentence on the guilty, He is pursuing a purpose of universal mercy. This discovery of mercy where he expected wrath, the unlikeliness and yet the suitability of the means, fill him with wonder at the resources of God, at the wisdom with which He uses them, and at the knowledge underlying His wisdom. So shall we wonder when, in the light of eternity, we fully understand for the first time the purpose and method of Gods treatment of us.

Notice that Pauls wonder follows a brilliant and successful effort of the highest human intelligence to set forth Gods treatment of Israel. To find out that His ways are unsearchable, is the sublime reward of careful endeavour to trace out, in the material or spiritual universe, the footsteps of God.

CHAPTER XI. is throughout a proof of the denial given in Rom 11:1. Paul reminds us that the almost universal unfaithfulness is but a repetition of the days of Elijah. Now as then there is a faithful remnant. The punishment inflicted on the unfaithful has a purpose of mercy for the Gentiles, and for Israel. Even the cutting off of the unbelieving Jews and the reception of the believing Gentiles open a door of hope that if the Jews believe they will be received by God. As foretold in ancient prophecy, salvation awaits Israel. Chapter 10 ended in the gloom of Israels rebellion: Romans 11 has brought us out into the light of a glorious hope, and leaves us with the notes of an eternal song ringing in our ears.

DIVISION IV., comprising Romans 9-11, is throughout a proof that the Gospel is in harmony with Gods earlier revelations. Paul was moved to undertake it by the presence around him of many who cling to these earlier revelations but reject the new revelation brought by Christ, and who do so because to them the new seems to contradict the old. He therefore approaches their case with sympathy: Rom 9:1-5. But he shows that the Gospel, though it limits the heritage of Israel to a part of his offspring and condemns the rest, is in harmony with the government of God as revealed in the O.T., that is, with (Rom 9:6-13) His faithfulness, with (Rom 9:14-18) His justice, and with (Rom 9:19-23) His condemnation of those who resist Him; and that (Rom 9:24 to Rom 10:21) the Gospel itself, its condition of faith, its announcement by messengers, and its reception among Jews and Gentiles, accord with prophecy. He thus confirms from the O.T. the condemnation pronounced by the Gospel on those who reject it. But God has not cast off His people. He will receive those who turn to Him, and will yet become the Saviour of Israel.

Chapters 9-11 are a reply to the objection that the Gospel cannot be true, because it is inconsistent with Gods earlier covenant with Israel. But it is more than a reply. To those who from childhood accepted the O.T., the far-reaching harmonies set forth in DIV. IV. must have been no small proof of the common origin of the Old and New. That Paul has a key which unlocks the casket of O.T. truth, proves his commission from Him who gave the casket. Nay more. To all men, the deep, underlying harmonies of the two covenants, taken in connection with their many and broad differences and apparent opposition, bear witness, not only that their author is the same, but that their author is divine.

Chapters. 9-11 bear a relation to the Gospel as developed in Romans 5-8 analogous to that of Romans 4, to the doctrine of Justification through Faith asserted in Rom 3:21-22; and to that of Rom 3:10-20 in relation to Romans 2. The teaching of Romans 2, is so important to guard from perversion the teaching which follows that Paul hastens to confirm it from the Old Testament. And faith as the condition of salvation is a point so vital and yet so apparently new that Paul, as soon as he asserts it, proceeds to show its harmony with Gods treatment of Abraham. Then, after expounding the Gospel as a whole, he looks at it, in Romans 9-11, in its bearing on the position and prospects of the Jews; and shows that, even looked at from this point, it accords with earlier revelation.

We now stand at the end of the doctrinal part of this epistle. The object for which Paul began to write has been to a great extent attained. After an introduction (Rom 1:18 to Rom 3:20) needful to guard from mistake and perversion the new doctrines, he asserted them in Rom 3:21-26; Rom 6:2-11; Rom 8:1-4, and developed them in Romans 5-8 : and in Romans 9-11. he has shown that they accord with Gods declarations and conduct as recorded in the Old Testament. It now remains for him to apply them to sundry matters of practical life.

Fuente: Beet’s Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament

11:25 {13} For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your {b} own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be {c} come in.

(13) The blindness of the Jews is neither so universal that the Lord has no elect in that nation, neither will it be continual: for there will be a time in which they also (as the prophets have foretold) will effectually embrace that which they now so stubbornly for the most part reject and refuse.

(b) That you are not proud within yourselves.

(c) Into the Church.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

3. Israel’s restoration assured 11:25-32

Paul previously laid the groundwork for this section. His point so far was that God is able to restore Israel. That is, He can restore the nation of Israel, which now has many natural branches (unbelieving Jews) broken off, to its former condition as a fruitful nation in the world. Now we learn that He is not only able to do it, but He will do it. This section is the climax of everything Paul wrote in chapters 9-11.

"The same mercy that has overtaken the Gentiles who were formerly disobedient will finally overtake the now disobedient Israel." [Note: Harrison, p. 123.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

A "mystery" in the New Testament refers to a truth previously unknown but now revealed. In the "mystery religions" of the Greco-Roman world, initiates received secret information that was unknown to non-initiates. A modern counterpart is the "secret societies" (e.g., the Masons, the Eastern Star, et al.). That revelation in this case was that Israel (ethnic Jews) would experience a partial hardening from God until the full number of elect Gentiles would be saved. God’s plan to put the nation of Israel aside temporarily should not make Gentile believers think too highly of themselves. God designed this plan to display His own glory.

We must be careful not to equate the modern State of Israel with the Israel spoken of in the Bible. Biblical Israel was a sovereign nation among nations in the world that lost its sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Whereas some Jews today have organized the State of Israel, God has promised that He will yet cause the great majority of Jewish people to believe on His Son and return to the Promised Land as believers in Him. This will happen when Jesus Christ returns to the earth. He will then reestablish Israel as the people of God and reign over them as their Davidic King (cf. Zechariah 12-14). The present State of Israel is presently not enjoying the abundant blessings God promised to bring on Israel when Christ returns.

The "fullness of the Gentiles" (NASB) refers to the "full number of the Gentiles" (NIV; cf. Rom 11:12; Luk 21:23-24; Act 15:14). When all the Gentiles whom God has chosen for salvation during the present age of Jewish rejection (setting aside) have experienced salvation, God will precipitate a revival of faith among the Jews. Even though some Jews trust Christ now, God is not presently working through them as Israel as He will in the future (i.e., in the Millennium), after multitudes of them turn to faith in Christ. He is now working through the church.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Chapter 24

THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL DIRECTLY FORETOLD: ALL IS OF AND FOR GOD

Rom 11:25-36

THUS far St. Paul has rather reasoned than predicted. He has shown his Gentile friends the naturalness, so to speak, of a restoration of Israel to Christ, and the manifest certainty that such a restoration will bring blessing to the world. Now he advances to the direct assertion, made with a Prophets full authority, that so it shall be. “How much rather shall they be grafted into their own Olive?” The question implies the assertion; nothing remains but to open it in full.

For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, this fact in Gods purposes, impossible to be known without revelation, but luminous when revealed; (that you may not be wise in your own esteem, valuing yourselves on an insight which is all the while only a partial glimpse); that failure of perception, in a measure, in the case of many, not all, of the nation, has come upon Israel, and will continue until the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, until Gentile conversion shall be in some sense a flowing tide. And so all Israel, Israel as a mass, no longer as by scattered units, shall be saved, coming to the feet of Him in whom alone is mans salvation from judgment and from sin; as it stands written, {Psa 14:7, Isa 59:20, with Isa 27:9} “There shall come from Sion the Deliverer; He shall turn away all impiety from Jacob; and such they shall find the covenant I shall have granted, such shall prove to be My promise and provision, ordered and sure, when I shall take away their sins,” in the day of My pardoning and restoring return to them.

This is a memorable passage. It is in the first place one of the most definitely predictive of all the prophetic utterances of the Epistles. Apart from all problems of explanation in detail, it gives us this as its message on the whole; that there lies hidden in the future, for the race of Israel, a critical period of overwhelming blessing. If anything is revealed as fixed in the eternal plan, which, never violating the creatures will yet is not subject to it, it is this. We have heard the Apostle speak fully, and without compromise, of the sin of Israel; the hardened or paralysed spiritual perception, the refusal to submit to pure grace, the restless quest for a valid self-righteousness, the deep exclusive arrogance. And thus the promise of coming mercy, such as shall surprise the world, sounds all the more sovereign and magnificent. It shall come; so says Christs prophet Paul. Not because of historical antecedents, or in the light of general principles, but because of the revelation of the Spirit, he speaks of that wonderful future as if it were in full view from the present; “All Israel shall be saved.”

We read “no date prefixed.” As far as this chapter is concerned, years and days are as if they were not. On the whole, surely, a large range of process is in his view; he cannot expect to see fulfilled within a narrow season the accomplishment of all the preliminaries to the great event. But he says nothing about this. All we gather is that he sees in the future a great progress of Gentile Christianity; a great impression to be made by this on the mind of Israel; a vast and comparatively sudden awakening of Israel, by the grace of God, however brought to bear; the salvation of Israel in Christ on a national scale; “the receiving of them again”; and “life from the dead” as the result-life from the dead to the world at large. However late or soon, with whatever attendant events, divine or human, thus it shall be. The “spiritual failure of perception in part” shall vanish. “The Deliverer shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” “All Israel shall be saved.”

“Believest thou the Prophets?” The question, asked of Agrippa by St. Paul, comes to us from this prediction of his own. “Lord, we believe.” Our Master knows that for us in our day it is not easy. The bad air of materialism, and the profound and stolid fatalism which it involves, is thick around us. And one symptom of its malign influence is the growing tendency in the Church to limit, to minimise, to explain if possible away, from the Scriptures, the properly and distinctively superhuman, whether of work or word. Men bearing the Christian name, and bearing it often with loyal and reverent intention, seem to think far otherwise than their Lord thought about this very element of prediction in the holy Book, and would have us believe that it is no great thing to grasp, and to contend for. But as for us, we desire in all things to be of the opinion of Him who is the eternal Truth and Light, and who took our nature, expressly, as to one great purpose, in order to unfold to us articulately His opinion. He lived and died in the light and power of predictive Scripture. He predicted. He rose again to commission His Apostles, as the Spirit should teach them, to see “things to come”. {Joh 16:13} To us, this oracle of His “chosen Vessel” gives us articles of faith and hope. We do not understand, but we believe, because here it is written, that after these days of the prevalence of unbelief, after all these questions, loud or half articulate, angry or agonising, “Where is the promise?” the world shall see a spiritual miracle on a scale unknown before. “All Israel shall be saved.” Even so, Lord Jesus Christ, the Deliverer. Fill us with the patience of this hope, for Thy chosen race, and for the world.

It is almost a pain to turn from this conspectus of the passage to a discussion of some of its details. But it is necessary; and for our purpose it need be only brief. Whatever the result may be, it will leave untouched the grandeur of the central promise.

1. “Until the fulness of the Gentiles come in.” Does this mean that the stream of Gentile conversions shall have flowed and ceased, before the great blessing comes to Israel? Certainly the Greek may carry this meaning; perhaps, taken quite apart, it carries it more easily than any other. But it has this difficulty, that it would assign to the “salvation” of Israel no influence of blessing upon the Gentile world. Now Rom 11:12 has implied that “the fulness” of Israel is to be the more-than-wealth of “the world,” of “the Gentiles.” And Rom 11:15 has implied, if we have read it aright, that it is to be to “the world” as “life from the dead.” This leads us to explain the phrase here to refer not to the close of the ingathering of the Gentile children of God, but to a time when that process shall be, so to speak, running high. That time of great and manifest grace shall be the occasion to Israel of the shock, as it were, of blessing; and from Israels blessing shall date an unmeasured further access of divine good for the world.

2. As we pass, let us observe the light thrown by these sentences on the duty of the Church in evangelising the Gentiles for the Jews, as well as the Jews for the Gentiles. Both holy enterprises have a destined effect outside themselves. The evangelist of Africa, India, China, is working for the hour of the “salvation of all Israel.” The evangelist of the Hebrew Dispersion is preparing Israel for that hour of final blessing when the “saved” nation shall, in the hand of God, kindle the world with holy life.

1. “All Israel shall be saved.” It has been held by some interpreters that this points to the Israel of God, the spiritual sons of Abraham. If so, it would be fairly paraphrased as a promise that when the Gentile conversions are complete, and the “spiritual failure of perception” gone from the Jewish heart, the family of faith shall be complete. But surely it puts violence on words, and on thought, to explain “Israel” in this whole passage mystically. Interpretation becomes an arbitrary work if we may suddenly do so here, where the antithesis of Israel and “the Gentiles” is the very theme of the message. No; we have here the nation, chosen once to a mysterious specialty in the spiritual history of man, abeyant. A blessing is in view for the nation; a blessing spiritual, divine, all of grace, quite individual in its action on each member of the nation, but national in the scale of its results. We are not obliged to press the word “all” to a rigid literality. Nor are we obliged to limit the crisis of blessing to anything like a moment of time. But we may surely gather that the numbers blessed will be at least the vast majority, and that the work will not be chronic but critical. A transition, relatively swift and wonderful, shall show the world a nation penitent, faithful, holy, given to God.

2. The quotations from Psalms and Prophets (Rom 11:26-27) offer more questions than one. They are closely interlaced, and they are not literal quotations. “Out of Sion” takes the place of “for Zion.” “He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob” takes the place of “For them that turn from transgression in Jacob.” “This is the covenant” takes the place of “This is His blessing.” And there are other minute points of variation. Yet we reverently trace in the originals and the citations, which all alike are the work of prophetic organs of the Spirit, the great ruling thought, identical in both, that “the Deliverer” belongs primarily to “Zion,” and has in store primarily a blessing for her people.

Are we, with some devout interpreters, to explain the words, “The Deliverer shall come out of Sion,” as predicting a personal and visible return of the Ascended Jesus to the literal Zion, in order to the salvation of Israel, and an outgoing of Him from thence to the Dispersion, or the world, in millennial glory? We deliberately forbear, in this exposition, to discuss in detail the great controversy thus indicated. We leave here on one side some questions, eagerly and earnestly asked. Will Israel return to the Land as Christian or as anti-Christian? Will the immediate power for their conversion be the visible Return of the Lord, or will it be an effusion of His Spirit, by which, spiritually, He shall visit and bless? What will be the attendant works and wonders of the time? All we do now is to express the conviction that the prophetic quotations here cannot be held to predict unmistakably a visible and local Return. If we read them aright, their import is satisfied by a paraphrase somewhat thus: “It stands predicted that to Zion, that is, to Israel, belongs the Deliverer of man, and that for Israel He is to do His work, whenever finally it is done, with a specialty of grace and glory.” Thus explained, the “shall come” of Rom 11:26 is the abstract future of divine purpose. In the eternal plan, the Redeemer was, when He first came to earth, to come to, for, and from “Zion.” And His saving work was to be on lines, and for issues, forever characterised by that fact.

Assuredly the Lord Jesus Christ is, personally, literally, visibly, and to His peoples eternal joy, coming again; “this same Jesus, in like manner.” {Act 1:11} And as the ages unfold themselves, assuredly the insight of the believing Church into the fulness and, if we may say so, manifoldness of that great prospect grows. But it still seems to us that a deep and reverent caution is called for before we attempt to treat of any detail of that prospect, as regards time, season, mode, as if we quite knew. Across all lines of interpretation of unfulfilled prophecy-to name one problem only – it lies as an unsolved riddle how all the saints of all ages are equally bidden to watch, as those who “know not what hour their Lord shall come.”

But let us oftener and oftener, however we may differ in detail, recite to one another the glorious essence of our hope. “To them that look for Him will He appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation”; “We shall meet the Lord in the air”; “So shall we be ever with the Lord.” {Heb 9:28, 1Th 4:17}

We shall never quite understand the chronology and process of unfulfilled prophecy, till then.

Now briefly and in summary the Apostle concludes this “Epistle within the Epistle”; this oracle about Israel. As regards the Gospel, from the point of view of the evangelisation of the world apart from Judaism, that “gospelling” which was, as it were, precipitated by the rebelling of Israel, they are enemies, on account of you, permitted, for your sakes, in a certain sense, to take a hostile attitude towards the Lord and His Christ, and to be treated accordingly; but as regards the election, from the point of view of the divine choice, they are beloved, on account of the Fathers; for irrevocable are the gifts and the call of our God. The “gifts” of unmerited choice, of a love uncaused by the goodness of its object, but coming from the depth of the Eternal; the “call” which not only invites the creature, but effects the end of the invitation; these are things which in their nature are not variable with the variations of man and of time. The nation so gifted and called, “not according to its works,” is forever the unalterable object of the eternal affection.

May we not extend the reference of a sentence so absolute in its oracular brevity, and take it to speak the secret of an indefectible mercy not only to nation, but to individual? Here as elsewhere we shall need to remember the rule which bids us, in the heights and depths of all truth, “go to both extremes.” Here as elsewhere we must be reverently careful how we apply the oracle, and to whom. But does not the oracle say this, that where the eternal Love has, without merit, in divine specialty, settled upon a person, there, not arbitrarily but by a law, which we cannot explain but which we can believe, it abides forever? Still, this is a reflection to be made only in passing here. The immediate matter is a chosen people, not a chosen soul; and so he proceeds: For as once you obeyed not our God, but now, in the actual state of things, in His grace, found mercy, on occasion of their disobedience; so they too now obeyed not, on occasion of your mercy, in mysterious connection with the compassion which, in your pagan darkness, revealed salvation to you, that they too may find mercy. Yes, even their “disobedience,” in the mystery of grace, was permitted in order to their ultimate blessing; it was to be overruled to that self-discovery which lies deep in all true repentance, and springs up towards life eternal in the saving “confidence of self-despair.” The pagan (chap. 1) was brought to self-discovery as a rebel against God indicated in nature; the Jew (chap. 2) as a rebel against God revealed in Christ. This latter, if such a comparison is possible, was the more difficult and as it were advanced work in the divine plan. It took place, or rather it is taking and shall take place, later in order, and nearer to the final and universal triumph of redemption. For God shut them all up into disobedience, that He might have mercy upon them all. With a fiat of judicial permission He let the Gentile develop his resistance to right into unnatural outrage. He let the Jew develop his into the desperate rejection of his own glorious Messiah. But He gave the fiat not as a God who did not care, a mere supreme Law, a Power sitting unconcerned above the scene of sin. He let the disease burst into the plague spot in order that the guilty victim might ask at last for His remedy, and might receive it as mere and most astonishing mercy.

Let us not misuse the passage by reading into it a vain hope of an indiscriminate actual salvation, at the last, of all individuals of the race; a predestinarian hope for which Scripture not only gives no valid evidence, but utters against it what at least sound like the most urgent and unequivocal of its warnings. The context here, as we saw in another connection just now, has to do rather with masses than with persons; with Gentiles and Jews in their common characteristics rather than taken as individuals. Yet let us draw from the words, with reverent boldness, a warrant to our faith wholly to trust the Eternal to be, even in the least fathomable of His dealings, true to Himself, true to eternal Love, whatever be the action He shall take.

Here the Apostles voice, as we seem to listen to it, pauses for a moment, as he passes into unspoken thoughts of awe and faith. He has now given out his prophetic burthen, telling us Gentiles how great has been the sin of Israel, but how great also is Israels privilege, and how sure his coming mercy. And behind this grand special revelation there still rise on his soul those yet more majestic forms of truth which he has led us to look upon before; the Righteousness of God, the justifying grace, the believing souls dominion over sin, the fulness of the Spirit, the coming glory of the saints, the emancipated Universe, the eternal Love. What remains, after this mighty process of spiritual discoveries, but to adore? Listen, as he speaks again, and again the pen moves upon the paper:

Oh depth of wealth of Gods wisdom and knowledge too! How past all searching are His judgments, and past all tracking are His ways! “For who ever knew the Lords mind? Or who ever proved His counsellor?” Or who ever first gave to Him, and requital shall be made to the giver? Because out of Him, and through Him, and unto Him, are all things: to Him be the glory, unto the ages. Amen.

Even so, Amen. We also prostrate our being, with the Apostle, with the Roman saints, with the whole Church, with all the company of heaven, and give ourselves to that action of pure worship in which the creature, sinking lowest in his own eyes, yea out of his own sight altogether, rises highest into the light of his Maker. What a moment this is, what an occasion, for such an approach to Him who is the infinite and personal Fountain of being, and of redemption! We have been led from reason to reason, from doctrine to doctrine, from one link to another in a golden chain of redeeming mercies. We have had the dream of human merit expelled from the heart with arrows of light; and the pure glory of a grace most absolute, most merciful, has come in upon us in its place. All along we have been reminded, as it were in fragments and radiant glimpses, that these doctrines, these truths, are no mere principles in the abstract, but expressions of the will and of the love of a Person; that fact full of eternal life, but all too easily forgotten by the human mind, when its study of religion is carried away, if but for an hour, from the foot of the Cross, and of the Throne. But now all these lines converge upwards to their Origin. By the Cross they reach the Throne. Through the Work of the Son-One with the Father, for of the Son too it is written {Col 1:16} that “all things are through Him, and unto Him”-through His Work, and in it, we come to the Fathers Wisdom and Knowledge, which drew the plan of blessing, and as it were calculated and furnished all its means. We touch that point where the creature gravitates to its final rest, the vision of the Glory of God. We repose, with a profound and rejoicing silence, before the fact of mysteries too bright for our vision. After all the revelations of the Apostle we own with him in faith, with an acquiescence deep as our being, the fact that there is no searching, no tracking out, the final secrets of the ways of God. It becomes to us wonderfully sufficient, in the light of Christ, to know that “the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,” is also Sovereign, Ultimate. His own eternal Satisfaction; that it is infinitely fit and blessed that, as His Will is the true efficient cause of all things, and His Presence their secret of continuance, so He is Himself their final Cause, their End, their Goal; they fulfil their idea, they find their bliss, in being altogether His; “all things are unto Him.”

“To whom be the glory, unto the ages. Amen.” The advancing “ages,” , the infinite developments of the eternal life, what do we know about them? Almost nothing, except the greatest fact of all; that in them forever the redeemed creature will glorify not itself but the Creator; finding an endless and ever fuller youth, an inexhaustible motive, a rest impossible to break, a life in which indeed “they cannot die any more,” in surrendering always all its blissful wealth of being to the will and use of the Blessed One.

In these “ages” we already are, in Christ. We shall indeed grow forever with their eternal growth, in Him, to the glory of the grace of God. But let us not forget that we are already in their course, as regards that life of ours which is hid with Christ in God. With that recollection, let us give ourselves often, and as by the “second nature” of grace, to adoration. Not necessarily to frequent long abstractions of our time from the active services of life; we need only read on into the coming passages of the Epistle to be reminded that we are hallowed, in our Lord, to a life of unselfish contact with all the needs around us. But let that life have for its interior, for its animation, the spirit of worship. Taking by faith our all from God, let us inwardly always give it back to Him, as those who not only own with the simplest gratitude that He has redeemed us from condemnation and from sin, but who have seen with an adoring intuition that we and our all are of the “all things” which, being “of Him,” and “by Him,” are also wholly “unto Him,” by an absolute right, by the ultimate law of our being, as we are the creatures of the eternal Love.

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary