The Strand Study Bible

Written From Corinth During Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

ROMANS 11:9 - 11:27

1867

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of 7 unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the 8 natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on 8 them which fell, severity; but toward 9 thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise 10 thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they 11 abide not still in unbelief, 12 shall be graffed in: 13 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? The promise of CHRIST’S Second Coming (Fulfilled - Rev19:11-21) 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 Is- rael, 14 until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. P 26 And so 15 all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, 16 There shall 14 come 17 out of Sion the 18 DELIVERER , and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: P 27 16 For this is my covenant unto them, 14 when I shall take away their sins. P

9 And David saith, 1 Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling- block, and a recompence unto them: 10 2 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? 2 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? Gentiles warned! 13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I mag- nify mine office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to 3 em- ulation 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 re- ceiving of them be, 4 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 5 branches. 17 And if some of the branches be bro- ken off, and 6 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 5 branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

1. Quoted from the OT - Psa 69:22-23 2. Gr., “may it not be” 3. or, “effort” 4. Isa 26:16-19 & Ezk 37:1-14 & Hos 6:1-3 5. or, “Jewish nation” 6. or, “saved Gentiles” 7. Mt 27:20,25 & Heb 3:19 8. or, “Jewish nation” 9. or, “saved Gentiles” 10. Jn 15:2 14. Fulfilled - Rev 19:11-21 (Christ’s Second Coming) (See - Lk 21:24 & Rev 11:2) 15. Jere 31:31-34 & Ezk 36:24-29 & Dan 12:1 16. Quoted from the OT - Isa 59:20-21 17. Psa 14:7 & 110:2 18. or, “Redeemer” Isa 59:20 11. Jere 3:21-25 12. II Cor 3:16 13. Isa 27:2

11:11 The Liberty Bible Commentary does a good job explaining this portion of Scripture. It notes:

One of the purposes of the fall of the Jewish nation, in the eyes of God, is that the Gentile nations may come to Him in salvation. In return this will provoke the Jews to jealousy, as was suggested in Romans 10:19 where Deuteronomy 32:21 was quoted. When the Jews see the Gentiles feasting on bread from the banquet table of God and enjoying the salvation which could have been theirs, they will be convinced of their apostasy and foolish rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. However, if the fall of the Jews brings riches of salvation to the world, how much more their fullness , or large-scale conversion, will bring riches to the Gentile nations and glory to God. Thus Paul begins to lay the groundwork for the proof that Israel’s rejection is not permanent. She will be restored to God. 1 Truly, all things work together for good whenever God is involved (Rom 8:28). 11:16 Israel is not only the firstfruit in God’s program of salvation, she is also the nation in which salvation is rooted. 11:22 Just as God in His sovereignty cease to use His own nation (Israel) as a vehicle to proclaim the Kingdom WORK (the Gospel) because of unbelief ( Mt 21:19a,b ), so He will cease to use ( otherwise thou also shalt be cut off ) individual Jewish/Gentile churches that fail Him as well (Rev 2:1-5). John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck in The Bible Knowledge Commentary note: This does not suggest that a Christian can lose his salvation; it refers to Gentiles as a whole (suggested by the sing. you ) turning from the gospel much as Israel a nation had done. 2 11:24 While it is true as a fact of nature in horticultural science that wild olive branches cannot be grafted into a natural olive tree (it being “ contrary to nature ”), Paul clearly states that the grafting in of the Gentiles (the wild olive branches) into the natural olive tree, which is Jewish, is a supernatural act from the hand of God. 1 Falwell, Jerry. Liberty Bible Commentary . Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson Pub. 1983. Print. 2 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary , USA, Scripture Press Pub., 1983. Print.