The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

Therefore, I say: Has God driven away his people? Let it not be so! For I, too, am an Israelite of the offspring of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

God has not driven away his people, whom he foreknew. And do you not know what Scripture says in Elijah, how he calls upon God against Israel?

“Lord, they have slain your Prophets. They have overturned your altars. And I alone remain, and they are seeking my life.”

But what is the Divine response to him? “I have retained for myself seven thousand men, who have not bent their knees before Baal.”(a)

Therefore, in the same way, again in this time, there is a remnant that has been saved in accord with the choice of grace.

And if it is by grace, then it is not now by works; otherwise grace is no longer free.(b)

What is next? What Israel was seeking, he has not obtained. But the elect have obtained it. And truly, these others have been blinded,

just as it was written: “God has given them a spirit of reluctance: eyes that do not perceive, and ears that do not hear, even until this very day.”(c)

And David says: “Let their table become like a snare, and a deception, and a scandal, and a retribution for them.(d)

Let their eyes be obscured, so that they may not see, and so that they may bow down their backs always.”

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

Therefore, I say: Have they stumbled in such a way that they should fall? Let it not be so! Instead, by their offense, salvation is with the Gentiles, so that they may be a rival to them.(e)

Now if their offense is the riches of the world, and if their diminution is the riches of the Gentiles, how much more is their fullness?

For I say to you Gentiles: Certainly, as long as I am an Apostle to the Gentiles, I will honor my ministry,

in such a way that I might provoke to rivalry those who are my own flesh, and so that I may save some of them.

For if their loss is for the reconciliation of the world, what could their return be for, except life out of death?

For if the first-fruit has been sanctified, so also has the whole. And if the root is holy, so also are the branches.

And if some of the branches are broken, and if you, being a wild olive branch, are grafted on to them, and you become a partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree,

do not glorify yourself above the branches. For though you glory, you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Therefore, you would say: The branches were broken off, so that I might be grafted on.

Well enough. They were broken off because of unbelief. But you stand on faith. So do not choose to savor what is exalted, but instead be afraid.(f)

For if God has not spared the natural branches, perhaps also he might not spare you.

So then, notice the goodness and the severity of God. Certainly, toward those who have fallen, there is severity; but toward you, there is the goodness of God, if you remain in goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.(g)

Moreover, if they do not remain in unbelief, they will be grafted on. For God is able to graft them on again.

So if you have been cut off from the wild olive tree, which is natural to you, and, contrary to nature, you are grafted on to the good olive tree, how much more shall those who are the natural branches be grafted on to their own olive tree?

All Israel Will Be Saved

For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery (lest you seem wise only to yourselves) that a certain blindness has occurred in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has arrived.(h)

And in this way, all of Israel may be saved, just as it was written: “From Zion shall arrive he who delivers, and he shall turn impiety away from Jacob.

And this will be my covenant for them, when I will take away their sins.”

Certainly, according to the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But according to the election, they are most beloved for the sake of the fathers.

For the gifts and the call of God are without regret.(i)

And just as you also, in times past, did not believe in God, but now you have obtained mercy because of their unbelief,

so also have these now not believed, for your mercy, so that they might obtain mercy also.

For God has enclosed everyone in unbelief, so that he may have mercy on everyone.(j)

A Hymn of Praise

(Isaiah 40:9–31)

Oh, the depths of the richness of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable are his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?

Or who first gave to him, so that repayment would be owed?

For from him, and through him, and in him are all things. To him is glory, for all eternity. Amen.

Footnotes

(a)11:4 Seven thousand, etc:This is very ill alleged by some, against the perpetual visibility of the church of Christ; the more, because however the number of the faithful might be abridged by the persecution of Jezabel in the kingdom of the ten tribes, the church was at the same time in a most flourishing condition (under Asa and Josaphat) in the kingdom of Judah.(Challoner)

(b)11:6 It is not now by works, etc:If salvation were to come by works, done by nature, without faith and grace, salvation would not be a grace or favour, but a debt; but such dead works are indeed of no value in the sight of God towards salvation. It is not the same with regard to works done with, and by, God’s grace; for to such works as these, he has promised eternal salvation.(Challoner)

(c)11:8 God has given them, etc:Not by his working or acting in them; but by his permission, and by withdrawing his grace in punishment of their obstinacy.(Challoner)

(d)11:9 Notice the progression here: first they are ensnared, then deceived, then led astray by what is offensive, and the end result is that they receive the retribution which their deeds deserve.(Conte)

(e)11:11 That they should fall:The nation of the Jews is not absolutely and without remedy cast off for ever; but in part only, (many thousands of them having been at first converted,) and for a time; which fall of theirs, God has been pleased to turn to the good of the Gentiles.(Challoner)

(f)11:20 You stand on faith ... be afraid:We see here that he who stands by faith may fall from it; and therefore must live in fear, and not in the vain presumption and security of modern sectaries.(Challoner)

(g)11:22 Otherwise you also will be cut off:The Gentiles are here admonished not to be proud, nor to glory against the Jews: but to take occasion rather from their fall to fear and to be humble, lest they be cast off. Not that the whole church of Christ can ever fall from him; having been secured by so many divine promises in holy writ; but that each one in particular may fall; and therefore all in general are to be admonished to beware of that, which may happen to any one in particular.(Challoner)

(h)11:25 The phrase ‘ex parte’ in this context means that the blindness is not complete, but is a particular blindness, or partial blindness, in other words, a certain kind of blindness.(Conte)

(i)11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are without:his repenting himself of them; for the promises of God are unchangeable, nor can he repent of conferring his gifts.(Challoner)

(j)11:32 Concluded all in unbelief:He has found all nations, both Jews and Gentiles, in unbelief and sin; not by his causing, but by the abuse of their own free will; so that their calling and election is purely owing to his mercy.(Challoner)

I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:

“Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.”(a)

But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”(b)

Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.

According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” (c)

David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.”(d)

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry,

if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.

For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?

If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree,

don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.

You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.”

True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear;

for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

All Israel Will Be Saved

For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers,(e) of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,

and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.”(f)

Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,

even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.

For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

A Hymn of Praise

(Isaiah 40:9–31)

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”(g)

“Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?”(h)

For of him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

Footnotes

(a)11:3 ℘ 1Kings 19:10,14

(b)11:4 ℘ 1Kings 19:18

(d)11:10 ℘ Psalms 69:22,23

(e)11:25 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(f)11:27 ℘ Isaiah 59:20-21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34

(g)11:34 ℘ Isaiah 40:13

(h)11:35 ℘ Job 41:11