Yes.
All who received the Gospel in the first century had the
veil lifted by receiving the Holy Spirit.
Acts 21:
17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.
Yes, many Jews believed the Gospel of Christ by grace through faith. They are the elect remnant from Israel according to election of grace. They are not ethnic Israel who remain in unbelief, and never foreknown of God. Just as God had reserved seven thousand men who had not bowed to Baal, so too at the time of Paul there is a remnant from Israel who are saved by grace through faith.
Romans 11:1-5 (KJV) 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.
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, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 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. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
1 Corinthians 3:
15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
This confirms what I am saying. The majority of Israel remain hardened to the Gospel, and only the remnant turns to the Lord through the power of His Word and Spirit.
Paul in Romans 11 is instructing Gentiles to the perpetual nature
of God's covenant with natural Israel.
Paul goes into great detail to prove there is only one Covenant of eternal redemption for both believing Jews and believing Gentiles together. The eternal Covenant of God to save a people for Himself is never limited to ethnic Israel.
Presently, the church of God/
Israel of God is remnant Jews and elect gentiles. But once the
fullness of the gentiles is complete, all Israel will be saved.
How can this be defined as ethnic Israel since Gentiles complete Israel that will be saved? Israel of God is neither of the circumcision nor uncircumcision, but a new creature, Christian. They are the Israel of God that will be saved when the fullness of the Gentiles become saved through the same good olive tree that Jews of faith partake of.
Galatians 6:15-16 (KJV) For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
Paul says ungodliness will be turned away from Jacob. Paul stopped speaking of an ethnic people here, but instead relates back to what he has said in Ro 9.
Romans 9:6-13 (KJV) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For
they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is,
They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but
the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this
is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only
this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one,
even by our father Isaac; (For
the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Jacob signifies the children of the promise. Are the children of promise coming through Jacob limited to ethnic Jews? Not according to Paul. Not only does Paul say that Gentiles too shall be called the children of the living God, but he also says, "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved". Paul does not then contradict himself in Ro 11 by saying all ethnic Israel will be saved. So when we seek to understand the words of Paul in Ro 11, we must refer back to what Paul has already said.
Romans 9:24-33 (KJV) Even us, whom he hath called,
not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Osee,
I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass,
that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye
are not my people; there shall
they be called the children of the living God. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel,
Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut
it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. What shall we say then?
That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Jacob is Jews, never gentiles. The election of grace is reckoned
through Isaac, and includes Jew and gentile, for they are of Promise/ not Mosaic covenant. But God has not permanently
set aside Jacob.
11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
Jacob, according to Paul is both believing Jew and Gentile of faith together, i.e. Christians. God has set aside NO people. Christ plainly tells us that whosoever believes shall be eternally saved, and it matters not what nation of the earth one comes from. When one hears the Gospel of Christ and by grace through faith believes he/she is of the Root of Jesse, belonging to the good olive tree, and of the seed (Christ) of Jacob, eternally secure and called "the Israel of God" that shall be saved.
