A. Introduction
1. The basic premise of the doctrine of election is that God has chosen -- "elected" -- a remnant for Himself. The apostle Paul has gone to great lengths in the ninth and tenth chapters of Romans to show that this has always been God's intention. Any notion that He originally planned to "save" the entire nation of Israel -- every single physical descendant of A __ __ __ __ __ __, I __ __ __ __, and J __ __ __ __ -- is refuted by the Scripture record of God's dealing with mankind since the Fall. The expanded version of this teaching is called "Universalism," which declares that God will, in the end, save the entire human race through the blood of Christ. Some variations of this doctrine -- a.k.a. "the gospel of the Second Chance" -- are intriguing but must be, finally, rejected, since they stand in direct oppostition to some of what is set forth clearly in God's Word.
a. The Old Testament prophets began to understand that Israel as a nation had never been entirely faithful to God, and that she never would be. These same prophets were, however, confident that a r__ __ __ __ __ __ of Israel's descendants would remain faithful.
(1) ref: Amos 9:9-10
Micah 2:12; 5:3
Zephaniah 3:8-13
Jeremiah 23:2-4
Isaiah 6:9-13
(2) "A 'disobedient and contary people' Israel might be, but God had no more written them off now than in earlier days when they rejected his word through Moses and the prophets. 'Those whom he foreknew he also predestined' is a principle not set aside in their case. As in Old Testament times, so in apostolic times God's purposes in choosing his people was safeguarded by his reservation of a faithful 'remnant.'" - F.F. Bruce: Romans ( Volume 6, Tyndale New Testament Commenary )
2. In Romans 11 Paul concludes his teaching on the relationship between God and both of His "chosen" people: the Jews and the Gentiles. One question seems to nag at Paul: Since Israel rejected His Messiah, is God done with her for good?
B. Text: Romans 11:1-36
1. In v.1 Paul points to a very personal reference to prove that God has not abandoned the Jewish people: himself! He identifies himself as:
a. an I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __,
b. of the seed of A __ __ __ __ __ __,
c. of the tribe of B __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
2. "If God had cast away his people, then above all he would have cast away the apostle Paul who fought against him with all his strength." - Martin Luther: Lectures on Romans
2. In v.3-6 he provides Scriptural support for his belief that God is not yet through with Israel.
a. The way in which he words his self-addressed question --.has God cast away His people? -- hearkens back to Psalm 94:14:
For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
b. Specifically, Paul recalls the desperate situation in which the prophet E __ __ __ __ __ found himself, as recorded in 1 Kings 19:1-18. Among the things the prophet learned through this experience:
(1) Deep spiritual v __ __ __ __ __ __ often follow "mountaintop" experiences.
(2) It is easy to be overwhelmed by the "tyranny of immediate circumstances."
(3) God does not always r __ __ __ __ __ Himself in ways we might expect.
(4) Divine s __ __ __ __ __ __ doesn't always mean divine I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
(5) God preserves a r __ __ __ __ __ __ of faithful people unto Himself.
c. In v.5 Paul states flatly that the fact that even a remnant of faithful Jews exist is according to the e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of g __ __ __ __.
d. In v.6 he makes it clear that this remnant was not chosen by God because of some special m __ __ __ __ on their part. If it were possible for anyone to "earn" God's election, it would n longer be a work of g __ __ __ __.
3. V.7-10 are rife with fascinating implications.
a. Paul is incredulous that Israel, who so earnestly sought -- and tried to earn -- God's election did not obtain it.
b. In v.7-8 he again makes reference to the "dark" side of election. Those who did not receive salvation by faith were given a "spirit of s __ __ __ __ __."
(1) eyes that cannot s __ __ and ears that cannot h __ __ __
(2) ref: Deuteronomy 29:4
Isaiah 29:10
Psalm 69:22-23
(3) ref: Matthew 13:10-17
Matthew 16:13-17
Acts 28:21-29
(4) In v.9-10 Paul quotes from Psalm 69:22-23, an "I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __" psalm written by David, calling God's wrath down upon His enemies. In this light we can see that the "hardnening" which God visits upon unbelievers -- "callousness" or "blindness" or "deafness" to the Truth -- as judgment for their insensitivy to His Word, their refusal to "see" and "hear," their obstinancy in the face of God's grace.
4. Israel's rejection of Christ have brought upon the nation three great tragedies:
a. the nation f __ __ __ (v.11);
b. the nation has been d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (v.12);
c. the nation has been c __ __ __ a __ __ __ (v.15).
5. In Israel's time of brokenness Paul sees four great implications:
a. Although Israel has indeed "s __ __ __ __ __ __ __," the "fall" of the Jewish people will not be "fatal" (v.11).
ref: Psalm 37:23-24
b. Israel's failure has led to God's j __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the Gentiles (v.11).
c. The blessing of God's salvation to the Gentiles will bring about in the Jews e __ __ __. Paul sees himself being used of God in this stirring up of jealousy among the Jews as they watch him win great congregations of Gentiles to Christ (v.13-14).
ref: Acts 13:38-47
d. A time is coming for Israel's "f __ __ __ __ __ __" -- "full inclusion" -- in the kingdom of God, this time alongside the Gentiles (v.12, 15).
ref: Isaiah 59:20-21
Romans 11:26
6. In v.16-24 Paul uses two images familiar to his readers to illustrate his contention that the children of Israel would indeed be reconciled to God and that they would be joined to believing Gentiles on God's "family tree." It is the doctrine of the c __ __ __ __ __.
a. The imagery in v.16 is that of the "f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __," an offering of the first loaf of bread baked from the harvest to God in worshipful acknowledgement that He is, in fact, owner of the entire harvest. Paul applies this lesson to the Jews, his basic contention being that when God accepts the "part" -- the "new remnant" of believing Jews -- He is also sanctifying the "whole" -- those many other Jews who, down through the ages (from Paul's perspective) would be justified by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
ref: Leviticus 23:9-14
Numbers 15:17-21
b. In v.17-24 Paul uses the image of an o __ __ __ __ tree as a model of God's "new family."
(1) Regarding this "spiritual" tree, the r __ __ __ is h __ __ __. Bible scholars have long debated the "identity" of this "root." Is the root C __ __ __ __ __? or is the root the faithful p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ from Israel's glorious past? I prefer the former understanding, if only because Paul implies here that the "branches" of the tree are also holy, having sprung from a holy root. I do not subscribe to the "covenant family" belief of the Reformed tradition which seems to suggest that God has promised to justify the children of the elect -- their "branches," if you will. This interpretation cannot be simply dismissed, however. We are reminded by Paul again and again in this letter that those whom God justifies are the "spiritual children" of Abraham.
How one views the root will determine how one sees the tree itself. Is this allegory presenting the tree as I __ __ __ __ __, or as the c __ __ __ __ __? We will consider this question more fully, God willing, next Sunday morning.
(2) There is virtually no disagreement among scholars, however, on the subject of the identity of the "branches" which have sprung up from this "root."
- The "good" branches ( those which have borne spiritual f __ __ __ __ ) remain firmly connected to the life-giving root. These are those Jews who have received Christ as Saviour.
ref: Jeremiah 11:16
- The "bad" branches ( those which did not bear fruit ) have been b __ __ __ __ __ off. They are the Jews for whom Paul has expressed his passionate desire for their salvation: the unbelieving Jews.
- The "g __ __ __ __ __ __" branches -- taken from a "wild" olive tree -- are the Gentile believers who have been justified by God on the basis of their faith.
(3) "There are other offshoots of the illustration worth considering too. Most importantly, the root and branches show how completely Paul identified the Christian church with Israel. The church is not a new plan, but the "Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16) which grows from and completes the root of Abraham. There is no salvation apart from the root! Whoever desires to be included in God's saving plan must be grafted into that stock. God did not cut down the tree and plant a new one. He grafted other shoots into the true and eternal root (Eph.2:1ff.; 1 Cor. 10:1-13) -- although not into the place of the former branches! Thus, the church does not replace the synagogue, but is joined to the historic root of Israel extending from Abraham to Christ. This shows that there remains room on the stock for Jews to be grafted again into their former place." - James R. Edwards: Romans (Volume 6, New International Biblical Commentary )
(4) "Such grafting, Paul insists, is a wholly unnatural process. Shoots from a wild tree are never grafted into a cultivated stock; on the reverse process would produce good fruit. Paul has been accused of ignorance of horticulture because of his suggesting such grafting as is 'contrary to nature'; but that is the very point of his argument. Gentile Christians are reminded that any virtures or blessings that they possess are due wholly to the grace of God and not to any merit of their own. These favors have been received through faith and, at best, Gentile believers only share a life drawn from a Jewish root." - Charles R. Erdman: The Epistle of Paul to the Romans
(5) Paul draws two great conclusions from his olive tree simile.
- There is yet h __ __ __ for the Jews who have been "broken off" the tree (v.23-24).
- God's harsh, yet just, dealings with Israel should stand as a lesson for the Gentiles who have been "grafted" into the tree.
C. Application
1. Paul asserts that the unveiling of this great "m __ __ __ __ __ __" (v.25) should have significant impact on all Gentile believers.
a. Surely this illustration of God's grace should move us to h __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (v.18-20).
(1) We must not b __ __ __ __ that God seems to have found something in us that He was not able to find in the Jews. This sort of perverted thinking has led, in part, to centuries of anti-Semitic attitudes and behaviours by, of all people, those who call themselves Christians!
ref: Ephesians 2:8-9
(2) We have become partakers with them (the Jews) of the f __ __ __ __ __ __ of the root (v.17).
(3) ...remember that you do not s __ __ __ __ __ __ the root, but the root supports you! (v.18)
b. At the same time, God's history of dealing with His people should also move Gentile believers toward r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ o __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
(1) Christ has stated plainly that God -- the great h __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ -- continues to care for his "family tree" by p __ __ __ __ __ __ and g __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
ref: John 15:1-11
(2) God's blessing continue for those ...who continue in g __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
2. Hidden in this passage is also a call to the church of Christ to remain pure. Several New Testament prophecies describe an apostate professing Gentile church which will be "cut off" by God in the last days. It should sober the Church of the Saviour, as a local congregation of the church, that, while God has promised the hope of reconciliation for apostate Israel, no such assurance is extended to the apostate church described in 1 Timothy 4:1-11, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Let us continue to worship God in spirit and in truth. Amen.
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Mention was made in this morning's sermon of the belief called "universalism," which is:
"A belief which affirms that in the fullness of time all souls will be released from the penalties of sin and restored to God." - "Universalism": Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
a. Read the following passages which are used by some universalists as the basis for their belief:
Acts 3:17-21
Romans 5:18-19
Ephesians 1:7-10
1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Matthew 13:47-51 (Jesus' parable of the dragnet)
Matthew 20:1-16 (Jesus' parable of the laborers in the vineyard)
b. What might some find attractive about this belief?
c. On what Scriptural grounds could you offer a refutation of this belief?
2. In this morning's text Paul quotes from perhaps the best-known of the "impreacatory" psalms, Psalm 69. Read that psalm in its entirety.
a. Read Leviticus 19:17-18, Psalm 5:6, Psalm 7:4, and Proverbs 22:22.
b. Read Psalm 139:21-22.
c. Read Matthew 23:13-31 and Galatians 1:8-9.
d. Offer a personal statement about "imprecatory prayer" in light of what is stated in these verses.
3. Read 1 Timothy 4:1-11. List the three types of apostacy listed in v.1,2 and 3.
4. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-9 and 2 Timothy 4:1-4.
a. Describe how a person might "have a form of godliness" while "denying its power."
b. What work is required of those gifted by God and set before the local church?
(1) c __ __ __ __ __ __ __
(2) e __ __ __ __ __
(3) r __ __ __ __ __
c. What is the tool God has established in the church for these purposes?
d. How is it to be ministered in the local church?
5. It was suggested this morning that God's Word expresses hope for apostate Israel but not for the apostate church.
a. Do you agree with this?
b. Why, or why not?
