The Book of Romans - Week 22 - Romans 11:1-24
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English - November 23, 2020 17:00 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MB - ★★★★★ - 8 ratingsChristianity Religion & Spirituality christian bible jesus grace faith lucas miles good god good news church krissy miles Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
ROMANS 11:1-24
(Review Romans 10:18-21)
-Paul asks the question, "Did God reject his people?" Paul then uses himself as evidence that God hasn't rejected the Jews, because he himself is one.
-Verse 2 is often read out of context from Romans 11:1. Out of context, this verse appears to promote Calvinism, or God's election, but in context, Paul simply seems to be answering his question in verse 1, did God reject his people...and Paul answers this implying, "No, God didn't reject the people he foreknew," referring not to individuals but to the Jewish people as a whole.
-Paul then goes to prove this by reminding the Jews of God's faithfulness to Elijah when it had seemed like all were lost.
-In vs 5 the word "remnant" means "those who are left," meaning that not all bowed their knee to Baal, and that some still remained true to the Lord. Specifically he says it is a remnant chosen by grace...this is commonly believed to mean that "God chose the remnant" but this arguably carries a more modern theology into reading an old text. More than likely, this is referring to "the source of the election is God's grace, and not human will." This isn't a statement about predestination, but rather that it's God grace that saves, and not keeping of the law or some sort of effort on man's part.
-At first this passage seems to imply a deterministic perspective, but in 11:11-15, Paul reveals that this rejection of unbelieving Israel isn't permanent but that they haven't stumbled so far as to be recovered, ultimately leading to glory to God.
-Paul then turns to the Gentiles, telling them not to boast in their salvation, because if some of the Jews could be lost, then they should not become over confident in their position to think that they couldn't fall. This is perhaps the greatest evidence against the idea of "once saved always saved,"
-Paul in vs 23 then provides the missing lynch pin for the entire argument, he shows that the Jews fell away not because of God's determinism, but because of unbelief.