1 I SAY then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8 (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.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 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.
12 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 fulness?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15 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?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 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;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 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.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24 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?
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.
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:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

1I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbidde. For I also am an Israelite of the seede of Abraham, of the tribe of Beniamin.

2God hath not cast away his people which hee foreknew. Wote yee not what the Scripture saieth of Elias? how hee maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

3Lord, they haue killed thy Prophets, and digged downe thine Altars, and I am left alone, and they seeke my life.

4But what saieth the answere of God vnto him? I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand men, who haue not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

5Euen so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

6And if by grace, then is it no more of workes: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it bee of workes, then is it no more grace, otherwise worke is no more worke.

7What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded,

8According as it is written, God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber: eyes that they should not see, and eares that they should not heare vnto this day.

9And Dauid sayth, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling blocke, and a recompense vnto them.

10Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow downe their backe alway.

11I say then; Haue they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid. But rather through their fall, saluation is come vnto the Gentiles, for to prouoke them to ielousie.

12Now 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 fulnesse?

13For I speake to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnifie mine office:

14If by any means I may prouoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might saue some of them.

15For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world: what shal the receiuing of them be, but life from the dead?

16For if the first fruite bee holy, the lumpe is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

17And if some of the branches bee broken off, and thou being a wilde oliue tree wert graffed in amongst them, and with them partakest of the roote and fatnesse of the Oliue tree:

18Boast not against the branches: but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might bee graffed in.

20Well: because of vnbeliefe they were broken off, and thou standest by fayth. Be not high minded, but feare.

21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heede least hee also spare not thee.

22Beholde therefore the goodnesse and seueritie of God: on them which fell, seueritie; but towards thee, goodnesse, if thou continue in his goodnesse: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

23And they also, if they bide not still in vnbeliefe, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graffe them in againe.

24For if thou wert cut out of the Oliue tree which is wilde by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good Oliue tree: how much more shall these which be the naturall branches, bee graffed into their owne Oliue tree?

25For I would not, brethren, that ye should bee ignorant of this mysterie (least yee should bee wise in your owne conceits) that blindnesse in part is happened to Israel, vntill the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in.

26And so all Israel shall be saued, as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliuerer, and shall turne away vngodlinesse from Iacob.

27For this is my couenant vnto them, when I shall take away their sinnes.

28As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloued for the fathers sakes.

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

30For as yee in times past haue not beleeued God, yet haue now obtained mercy through their vnbeliefe:

31Euen so haue these also now not beleeued, that through your mercy they also may obtaine mercy.

32For God hath concluded them all in vnbeliefe, that he might haue mercy vpon all.

33O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out!

34For who hath knowen the mind of the Lord, or who hath bene his counseller?

35Or who hath first giuen to him, and it shall bee recompensed vnto him againe?

36For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for euer. Amen.

 

1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Of course not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life." 4 But what is God's response to him? "I have left for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt to Baal."5 So also at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if by grace, it is no longer because of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What Israel was seeking it did not attain, but the elect attained it; the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day." 9 And David says: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes grow dim so that they may not see, and keep their backs bent forever."11 Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world, and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number. 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry 14 in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. If you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you. 19 Indeed you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."20 That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do not become haughty, but stand in awe. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, (perhaps) he will not spare you either. 22 See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God's kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated one, how much more will they who belong to it by nature be grafted back into their own olive tree. 25 I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not become wise (in) your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, 26 and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; 27 and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." 28 In respect to the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarchs. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may (now) receive mercy. 32 For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?"35 "Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?" 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

v.1  In view of Israel’ disobedience shown in the 10:21, another of Paul’s questions is answered with “God forbid.”  Of course God had not cast away his people, Paul was his own example of that.
v.2-5  He illustrates this with the 7,000 in Elijah’s day who had not bowed to Baal. Continuously, God has reserved a remnant, Noah, Job, even in Paul’s day.
v.6  In all time, the remnant is saved by Grace, not works.
v.7-12  Because of Israel’s rebellion God has given them a slumbering spirit, blind eyes and deaf ears. Actually they were hardened by God after they hardened themselves. The sun melts butter, hardens clay. They are temporarily set aside so God can bring them to jealousy by the Gentiles. Then He will bring them back to Himself. See comments 10:19.
v.13-15  As in 10:19, Paul wants to make the Jews jealous of the Gentiles taking their place, but their return to God would bring blessing to all the world.  
v.16  Just as first fruits loaf sanctified the whole harvest, If the firstfruit dough (Abraham and the Patriarchs) is consecrated, then the rest of the dough mass (the nation of Israel) is consecrated. If the root (Abraham) is consecrated, so are the branches (Israel).  
v.17-25  The olive tree of v 17 represents blessings to Abraham’s seed. Gentiles do not receive promises specific to Israel, but they do receive other blessings that pertain to all families of the earth, Gen. 12:3. Israel as branches were broken off the olive tree by God. Gentiles are warned that they are merely grafted into this olive tree, so they can certainly not expect any better treatment than the natural branches, but could be broken off too. Since the Gentiles were grafted in, how much easier for the Jews to be grafted in to their own tree. By belief, any can be grafted back into that tree. This in no way implies loss of salvation to individuals, It is loss of God’s dealing nationally.
The “fullness of the Gentiles” will be when God’s purpose for this age is completed and the Church is caught up to heaven. The “times of the Gentiles” is from the captivity of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar until Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation.
v.26-32  During the Tribulation Israel as a whole will be saved, yet still on an individual basis. Though they were basically all in unbelief, God extends mercy to call them to Him in that day.
v.33-36  That God can be so merciful is beyond our understanding. His wisdom and knowledge are beyond anything we can imagine.  
Teaching tip. Use two pies (or squares), one representing National Israel, the other, the Professing Church. Inside each have a small piece of the pie, one which represents the Israel of God, the other the True Church.