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Question:
I am studying Romans chapter 11 these days and it seems unclear to me. That’s why I want to ask you to help me understand the passage from Romans 11:25-32. What is the message of this passage?
In order to correctly understand the passage from Romans 11:25-32, it is important to interpret it in the context of the entire epistle. First, the recipients of the epistle are Jews and Gentiles. Secondly, the apostle Paul wanted to combat two heresies that threatened the church from Rome through this epistle. On the one hand, there were the Judaizers, who taught that salvation is by faith, but sanctification is by keeping the Law (the Old Covenant made by God with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai). On the other hand, there were the antinomians (anti – against, nominos – law) who taught that salvation is by faith, by grace, and you may live as you wish, even in sin. Taking all this into consideration, the apostle Paul begins his epistle by proving that both the Gentiles, who did not have a written law (chapter 1) and the Jews, who had a written law (chapter 2) need salvation, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (chapter 3).
From Romans 3:21 to chapter 5, the apostle Paul shows that salvation is by faith, both for Jews and for Gentiles. Then in chapters 6 to 9 he demonstrates that sanctification is also by faith and by the work of the Holy Spirit and not by keeping the Law as the Judaizers were teaching, In Christ (in the New Covenant), the Jews, who were born under the Law (the Old Covenant) , die to this Law, that is, to this Covenant (Romans 7). Also, by identifying with Christ, we die to sin so that sin only no longer has power over us (Romans 6).
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7)
… and we receive the Holy Spirit who gives us strength to live without sin (Romans 8).
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-5)
In all of these chapters, the apostle Paul demonstrates that salvation and sanctification is by faith regardless of nationality. God saves by faith both the Jews and the Gentiles (or the text writes “Greeks”), and God will judge by deeds both Jews and Gentiles. God does not show favoritism. Respectively, the question arises: what about Israel as a nation? Has God rejected Israel? In chapters 9 to 11, the apostle Paul points to God’s sovereignty in salvation. He chooses whom to save. Specifically, He chooses those who believe in the name of the Lord Jesus. These are people who believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God – both Jews and Gentiles. But that does not mean that God has denied Israel as a nation. The apostle Paul reveals to the recipients a mystery. After the full number of the Gentiles will come in (when the time of the Church ends, that is, after the Church will be Raptured up into heaven), all Israel will be saved as a nation. This is because of the promise made by God to Abraham.
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,“The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” “This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11: 25-29)
Romans 11:25-32 speaks of the salvation of the Jews, who will be alive at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. The fact that the state of Israel was formed in 1948 is the evidence that the time of the end is near and that the Word of God is fulfilled.
I recommend you to read the following articles about the future of Israel:
Translated by Marcela Tasca