Response continued...
As Romans 11:18 warned believers not to be arrogant towards the root of the olive tree, (Israel). One must understand that salvation is of the Jews as our Lord stated in John 4:22:
22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
The Jews are the reason for salvation! Believers must never forget that!
God chose to reveal Himself to the world through the Jews, and Christ was born of Jewish descent as the "God Man"!
Paul continues to explain this in Romans 11:19-21, where he states even though the branches (Israel), were broken off, it was so that Gentiles could be grafted in! Romans 11:19-21:
19 You will say then, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.
20 Quite right,they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
Two points are in this example of Gentiles being grafted in:
1. The Gentiles being grafted into the olive tree (Israel), MAKES THEM PART OF THE OLIVE TREE!!! Paul telling us that spiritually, Jew and Gentile believers are ONE OLIVE TREE!! Therefore the olive tree being Israel, and Gentiles being grafted in, this makes Gentiles part of the olive tree, which makes Gentiles part of Israel.
This is THE ISRAEL OF GOD!!! The grafting in makes one olive tree.
2. If we believers become arrogant in our salvation (like Israel did) we too could broken off, just as God broke off Israel!
Paul labors to make THE ISRAEL OF GOD clear to us in his other epistles!
In Ephesians 2:14-18 Paul makes the point that this is what Christ did:
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;
18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Three times Paul stated that Jews and Gentiles are ONE! He tells us our access to God is in ONE SPIRIT!!!
Not only that, Paul also states in Ephesians 2:19-21 that Gentiles are NO LONGER strangers but FELLOW CITIZENS in Gods house, and Gentiles and Jews are being built into a temple to God, the foundation being Christ and the apostles:
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Gods household,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Lastly, Paul states Jews and Gentiles are a dwelling of God in the Spirit. This is why the Israel of God is a spiritual entity! Paul reveals that this is how God sees believers. We should see it the same way!!!
Other passages that may be referenced:
*Galatians 3:23-29 - Jews and Gentiles are Abrahams seed, and fellow heirs in Christ.
*Galatians 4:28, 29 - Like Isaac, we are "children of promise".
*Galatians 6:16 - All who walk according to Christ are the Israel of God.
*Philippians 3:3 - We are the spiritual circumcision!
*Colossians 2:8 15 - We have been spiritually circumcised!
*1 Peter 2:9, 10 - ALL Christians a chosen generation.
Paul continues to explain with the olive tree example. Romans 11:22-23:
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, Gods kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
God demonstrated His kindness to Gentiles through His severity in turning from Israel. Paul warns us that Gentile believers are to continue in Gods kindness, and not become arrogant toward Jews, or we too will be cut off. Paul also states that should the branches (Israel), turn from their unbelief, they too will be grafted back into the olive tree because God is able to do that.
Paul now reveals that this is a mystery God is revealing through him, Romans 11:24,25:
24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mysteryso that you will not be wise in your own estimationthat a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 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.
We Gentile believers are the wild olive tree; grafted into the cultivated olive tree (Israel). God has hardened ethnic Israel and is saving the Gentiles! Yet time is coming when God will open the eyes of Israel. Paul quotes Isaiah 59:20, 21 to make the point that God will do it through Christ, the deliverer.
Paul continues "the mystery", Romans 11:28-30:
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake,but from the standpoint of Gods choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
The gospel is the dividing line between Jews and Gentiles. Jews dont receive Jesus as their Messiah. However, we Gentiles should understand that Gods promise to the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), will be fulfilled by God because of the covenant that God made with Abraham when He called Him!
God is dealing with Israel as "disobedient children", which has led to Gentiles receiving Gods mercy. Romans 11:30, 31 make that clear:
30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so 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.
This is Gods sovereignty, and it cannot be understood any other way. Paul stated this earlier in Romans 9:15. There Paul quoted Exodus 33:19 where God speaks to Moses:
19 And He said, I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.
Paul proclaims Gods sovereignty in this, and gives praise to God in all God does:
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Making Jews and Gentiles ONE has been in Gods plan from the beginning! The apostle makes it clear asking the rhetorical question of verse 34, to which the answer is NO ONE can counsel God!
The "Israel of God" is to be understood spiritually! God sees both Jews and Gentiles as ONE, as Peter states in 1 Peter 2:9, 10:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Gods own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Those are all the things "ethinc Israel" was when God chose them. However, in turning from Israel after they rejected Christ, God has declared a spiritual Israel, that is to be understood as ALL WHO RECEIVE CHRIST.
This is the Israel of God, and we should understand there is NO DIFFERENCE in Gods people whether Jew or Gentile, as Paul declared many times, but specifically in Galatians 3:26-29:
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abrahams descendants, heirs according to promise.
That is how I view Romans 11!!!
As Romans 11:18 warned believers not to be arrogant towards the root of the olive tree, (Israel). One must understand that salvation is of the Jews as our Lord stated in John 4:22:
22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
The Jews are the reason for salvation! Believers must never forget that!
God chose to reveal Himself to the world through the Jews, and Christ was born of Jewish descent as the "God Man"!
Paul continues to explain this in Romans 11:19-21, where he states even though the branches (Israel), were broken off, it was so that Gentiles could be grafted in! Romans 11:19-21:
19 You will say then, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.
20 Quite right,they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
Two points are in this example of Gentiles being grafted in:
1. The Gentiles being grafted into the olive tree (Israel), MAKES THEM PART OF THE OLIVE TREE!!! Paul telling us that spiritually, Jew and Gentile believers are ONE OLIVE TREE!! Therefore the olive tree being Israel, and Gentiles being grafted in, this makes Gentiles part of the olive tree, which makes Gentiles part of Israel.
This is THE ISRAEL OF GOD!!! The grafting in makes one olive tree.
2. If we believers become arrogant in our salvation (like Israel did) we too could broken off, just as God broke off Israel!
Paul labors to make THE ISRAEL OF GOD clear to us in his other epistles!
In Ephesians 2:14-18 Paul makes the point that this is what Christ did:
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;
18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Three times Paul stated that Jews and Gentiles are ONE! He tells us our access to God is in ONE SPIRIT!!!
Not only that, Paul also states in Ephesians 2:19-21 that Gentiles are NO LONGER strangers but FELLOW CITIZENS in Gods house, and Gentiles and Jews are being built into a temple to God, the foundation being Christ and the apostles:
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Gods household,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Lastly, Paul states Jews and Gentiles are a dwelling of God in the Spirit. This is why the Israel of God is a spiritual entity! Paul reveals that this is how God sees believers. We should see it the same way!!!
Other passages that may be referenced:
*Galatians 3:23-29 - Jews and Gentiles are Abrahams seed, and fellow heirs in Christ.
*Galatians 4:28, 29 - Like Isaac, we are "children of promise".
*Galatians 6:16 - All who walk according to Christ are the Israel of God.
*Philippians 3:3 - We are the spiritual circumcision!
*Colossians 2:8 15 - We have been spiritually circumcised!
*1 Peter 2:9, 10 - ALL Christians a chosen generation.
Paul continues to explain with the olive tree example. Romans 11:22-23:
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, Gods kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
God demonstrated His kindness to Gentiles through His severity in turning from Israel. Paul warns us that Gentile believers are to continue in Gods kindness, and not become arrogant toward Jews, or we too will be cut off. Paul also states that should the branches (Israel), turn from their unbelief, they too will be grafted back into the olive tree because God is able to do that.
Paul now reveals that this is a mystery God is revealing through him, Romans 11:24,25:
24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mysteryso that you will not be wise in your own estimationthat a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 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.
We Gentile believers are the wild olive tree; grafted into the cultivated olive tree (Israel). God has hardened ethnic Israel and is saving the Gentiles! Yet time is coming when God will open the eyes of Israel. Paul quotes Isaiah 59:20, 21 to make the point that God will do it through Christ, the deliverer.
Paul continues "the mystery", Romans 11:28-30:
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake,but from the standpoint of Gods choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
The gospel is the dividing line between Jews and Gentiles. Jews dont receive Jesus as their Messiah. However, we Gentiles should understand that Gods promise to the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), will be fulfilled by God because of the covenant that God made with Abraham when He called Him!
God is dealing with Israel as "disobedient children", which has led to Gentiles receiving Gods mercy. Romans 11:30, 31 make that clear:
30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so 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.
This is Gods sovereignty, and it cannot be understood any other way. Paul stated this earlier in Romans 9:15. There Paul quoted Exodus 33:19 where God speaks to Moses:
19 And He said, I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.
Paul proclaims Gods sovereignty in this, and gives praise to God in all God does:
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Making Jews and Gentiles ONE has been in Gods plan from the beginning! The apostle makes it clear asking the rhetorical question of verse 34, to which the answer is NO ONE can counsel God!
The "Israel of God" is to be understood spiritually! God sees both Jews and Gentiles as ONE, as Peter states in 1 Peter 2:9, 10:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Gods own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Those are all the things "ethinc Israel" was when God chose them. However, in turning from Israel after they rejected Christ, God has declared a spiritual Israel, that is to be understood as ALL WHO RECEIVE CHRIST.
This is the Israel of God, and we should understand there is NO DIFFERENCE in Gods people whether Jew or Gentile, as Paul declared many times, but specifically in Galatians 3:26-29:
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abrahams descendants, heirs according to promise.
That is how I view Romans 11!!!
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