Romans 11:12-15

 

 

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Summary of
Romans 9-11
Romans 9 Romans 10 Romans 11
Past
Election
Present
Rejection
Future
Reception
God's Sovereignty
Israel's Election by God
Man's responsibility
Israel's Rejection of God
God's Ways Higher
God Not Rejecting Israel

 

11:12  Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
Greek: ei de to paraptoma auton ploutos kosmou kai to ettema auton ploutos ethnon, poso mallon to pleroma auton. 
Amplified: Now if their stumbling (their lapse, their transgression) has so enriched the world [at large], and if [Israel's] failure means such riches for the Gentiles, think what an enrichment and greater advantage will follow their full reinstatement!
ESV:  Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion[1] mean!
ICB: The Jews' mistake brought rich blessings for the world. And what the Jews lost brought rich blessings for the non-Jewish people. So surely the world will get much richer blessings when enough Jews become the kind of people God wants.
NIV: But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
NKJV: Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
NLT: Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the Jews turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when the Jews finally accept it.
Phillips: For if their failure has so enriched the world, and their defection proved such a benefit to the Gentiles, think what tremendous advantage their fulfilling of God's plan could mean.
Wuest: But since their fall is the enrichment of the world, and their defeat and loss the enrichment of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness?
Young's Literal: and if the fall of them is the riches of a world, and the diminution of them the riches of nations, how much more the fulness of them?
ROMANS ROAD
to RIGHTEOUSNESS
Romans
1
:18-3:20
Romans
3:21-5:21
Romans
6:1-8:39
Romans
9:1-11:36
Romans
12:1-16:27
SIN SALVATION SANCTIFICATION SOVEREIGNTY SERVICE
NEED
FOR
SALVATION
WAY
OF
SALVATION
LIFE
OF
SALVATION
SCOPE
OF
SALVATION
WORK
OF
SALVATION

NOW IF THEIR TRANSGRESSION BE RICHES FOR THE WORLD AND THEIR FAILURE IS RICHES FOR THE GENTILES: ei de to paraptoma auton ploutos kosmou kai to etthema auton ploutos ethnon: (15,33; 9:23; Ephesians 3:8; Colossians 1:27) (25; Isaiah 11:11-16; 12:1-6; 60:1-22; 66:8-20; Micah 4:1,2; 5:7; Zechariah 2:11; Zechariah 8:20-23; Revelation 11:15-19)

Now if their stumbling (their lapse, their transgression) has so enriched the world [at large], and if [Israel's] failure means such riches for the Gentiles, think what an enrichment and greater advantage will follow their full reinstatement! (Amplified)

Transgressions (3900) (paraptoma from parapipto = fall aside, apostatize) is a "false step" and describes a deviation from living according to what has been revealed as the right way to live.

Riches (4149) (ploutos from pletho = fill) can describe wealth, money, possessions, or abundance. Here Paul is obviously not speaking of worldly riches but of spiritual riches.

Failure (2275) (hettema from hettáomai = be overcome) describes a deterioration and objectively as used in this verse pictures a failure or a loss.

God has used even the great transgression of Israel in rejecting her Messiah to accomplish His ultimate purpose of bringing spiritual riches to the world, that is, the Gentiles, just as He had declared to Abraham when He first called Israel to Himself: “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Ge 12:3). Although Israel failed to witness to the world in righteousness, God caused her to witness to the world, as it were, in unrighteousness. Because the Lord could not use Israel’s faithfulness to bring riches to the Gentiles, He instead used her failure.

HOW MUCH MORE WILL THEIR FULFILLMENT BE (pleroma in v25 also = fullness): poso mallon to pleroma auton:

Fulfillment (4138) (pleroma from pleroo = make full, fill, fill up) describes fullness, a full measure, an abundance or a completion. Pleroma is that which has been filled and thus refers to that which is complete, the completeness of Israel referring here to its return to God at the second Advent of the Messiah when all Israel would be saved (cf Ro 11:26).

But if Israel's rejection of light described above brings "riches", how much more will Israel’s restoration result in rich blessing for all the world! When Israel turns to the Lord at the close of the Great Tribulation, she will become the channel of blessing to the nations. Think of it—the Lord Jesus, personally reigning on the throne of David in Jerusalem, the nation Israel saved, Satan bound, and universal righteousness, peace, and prosperity for one thousand years, “that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles” (Ac15:17).

"Much more" when used in a comparison regarding quantity, denotes a greater abundance (as here). Otherwise (Ro 5:9,10,15,17) it denotes a greater certainty. What is Israel's "fulfillment" associated with? Messiah's return and the His establishment of the
Millennial kingdom. This is why it is "much more"! Not only that but many think that the 144,000 Jews in Revelation 7 will be evangelists and the great reaping of souls from Gentiles is a result of their strong witness (although Scripture never directly identifies the 144,000 as "witnesses" it seems very plausible).

Earlier in the letter Paul had used another extreme contrast to portray the greatness of God’s love and grace:

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 5:8–10).

If a dead Savior could redeem us, how much more can a living Savior sustain us.

By the same logic, if a faithless Israel could bring salvation to the Gentiles, how much greater blessing will her faithfulness bring. The Lord promises that when Israel one day receives the Messiah she rejected, He

“will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced” (Zech 12:10).

“In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity” (Zech 13:1).

Following that,

“the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one. . . . And there will be no more curse, . . . Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations . . . will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts” (Zech 14:9, 11, 16).

Although the Jews had stumbled, it was not that they should irrevocably fall (Ro 11:27, 29); for this was the way in which God had appointed salvation to come to the Gentiles. Even in this, however, God had their restoration in view; for the kindness shown to the Gentiles would be the means of provoking their jealousy, and great as were the benefits which accrued to the world from their fall, those of their restoration would be still greater.
 

 

11:13  But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch * then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
Greek: humin de lego (1SPAI) tois ethnesin. eph' hoson men oun eimi (1SPAI) ego ethnon apostolos, thn diakonian mou doxazo (1SPAI)
Amplified: But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I lay great stress on my ministry and magnify my office,
ESV: Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
ICB: Now I am speaking to you who are not Jews. I am an apostle to the non-Jews. So while I have that work, I will do the best I can.
NIV:  I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry
NKJV: For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
NLT: I am saying all of this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I lay great stress on this,
Phillips: Now a word to you who are Gentiles. I should like you to know that I make as much as I can of my ministry as "God's messenger to the Gentiles"
Wuest: But to you I am speaking, the Gentiles. Inasmuch then, as for myself, as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I do my ministry honor
Young's Literal: For to you I speak -- to the nations -- inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify;
BUT I AM SPEAKING TO YOU WHO ARE GENTILES: humin de lego (1SPAI) tois ethnesin:

INASMUCH THEN AS I AM AN APOSTLE OF GENTILES I MAGNIFY MY MINISTRY: eph hoson men oun eimi (1SPAI) ego ethnon apostolos eph hoson men oun eimi (1SPAI) ego ethnon apostolos, ten diakonian mou doxazo (1SPAI): (
15:16-19; Acts 13:2; Galatians 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:11,12)

"Apostle of Gentiles" - Jesus explained to the somewhat fearful Ananias so that he would be encouraged to go to Saul (Paul) and help him...

"Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." (Acts 9:15-16)

Paul many times emphasized his ministry to the Gentiles...

"(In his Defense before the Jews he testified) and He (the risen Christ) said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" (Acts 22:21)

15 "And I said, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 'But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' (Acts 26:15-18)

(Paul before the Jewish Council at Jerusalem testified that) "And it was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain...I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. (Gal 2:2,7-9)

“the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

And for this (the fact that there was one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus) I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.(1 Timothy 2:7)

Paul understood the sovereignty of God in salvation. He understood that whom God foreknew He predestined and called (Ro 8:28-30) and yet here we see he approaches this issue of salvation with a sense of his responsibility of delivering the gospel to all men for he does not know who the elect are.

We see a similar thought in his last known letter, 2 Timothy, in which he explained that it was because of the gospel that ...

I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.  For this reason I endure all things (man's responsibility) for the sake of those who are chosen (elect - God's sovereignty), that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. (see notes on 2 Timothy 2:9-10)

Note that when Paul first came to a city, he invariably would go first to the synagogue or search out individual Jews if they were too few to have a synagogue. Some of those hearers would believe, but, for the most part, they resisted and rejected the gospel that was “spoken against everywhere” (Acts 28:22). At that point, Paul would turn his focus to the Gentiles.

In this way Paul would "magnify" his "ministry" or as Phillips paraphrases it...

I should like you to know that I make as much as I can of my ministry as "God's messenger to the Gentiles"

 

11:14  if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.
Greek: ei pos parazeloso (1SFAI) mou ten sarka kai soso (1SFAI) tinas ex auton. 
Amplified: In the hope of making my fellow Jews jealous [in order to stir them up to imitate, copy, and appropriate], and thus managing to save some of them.
ESV:  in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.
ICB:  I hope I can make my own people jealous. That way, maybe I can help some of them to be saved.
NIV: in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
NKJV: if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
NLT: for I want to find a way to make the Jews want what you Gentiles have, and in that way I might save some of them.
Phillips: so as to make my kinsfolk jealous and thus save some of them.
Wuest: if by any means, possibly, I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and save some of them.
Young's Literal: if by any means I shall arouse to jealousy mine own flesh, and shall save some of them,
IF SOMEHOW I MIGHT MOVE TO JEALOUSY MY FELLOW COUNTRYMEN: ei pos parazeloso (1SFAI) mou ten sarka: (1 Corinthians 7:16; ; 2 Timothy 2:10) (9:3; Philemon 1:12)

In the hope of making my fellow Jews jealous [in order to stir them up to imitate, copy, and appropriate], and thus managing to save some of them. (Amplified)

If somehow. Elsewhere Paul stated it this was...

And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. (1 Cor 9:20-22)

Jealous (3863) (parazeloo from pará = to the point of, unto, implying movement toward a certain point + zelóo = to desire, be zealous) means to stimulate alongside and thus to excite to rivalry or to provoke to emulation and so to make jealous. The idea is that then the Jews would be jealous and want it for themselves. Parazeloo is a Greek infinitive with a preposition (eis = unto, toward) and carries the idea of purpose.

AND SAVE SOME OF THEM: kai soso (1SFAI) tinas ex auton: (1 Corinthians 7:16; 1 Timothy 4:16; James 5:20)

Save (4982) (sozo) (Click in depth study on sozo)

 

11:15  For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead ?
Greek: ei gar e apobole auton katallage kosmou, tis e proslempsis ei me zoe ek nekron? 
Amplified: For if their rejection and exclusion from the benefits of salvation were [overruled] for the reconciliation of a world to God, what will their acceptance and admission mean? [It will be nothing short of] life from the dead!
ESV:  For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
ICB: God turned away from the Jews. When that happened, God became friends with the other people in the world. So when God accepts the Jews, then surely that will bring to them life after death.
NIV: For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
NKJV: For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
NLT: For since the Jews' rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, how much more wonderful their acceptance will be. It will be life for those who were dead!
Phillips: For if their exclusion from the pale of salvation has meant the reconciliation of the rest of mankind to God, what would their inclusion mean? It would be nothing less than life from the dead!
Wuest: For, in view of the fact that their repudiation results in the world’s reconciliation, what will the receiving of them result in if not in life from among the dead?
Young's Literal: for if the casting away of them is a reconciliation of the world, what the reception -- if not life out of the dead?
FOR IF THEIR REJECTION BE THE RECONCILIATION OF THE WORLD: ei gar e apobole auton katallage kosmou: (1,2,11,12) (5:10; Daniel 9:24; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:20,21)

For if their rejection and exclusion from the benefits of salvation were [overruled] for the reconciliation of a world to God, what will their acceptance and admission mean? [It will be nothing short of] life from the dead! (Amplified)

The word “if” which Paul uses throughout his argument here is not ean the “if” of a hypothetical condition, but ei the “if” of a fulfilled condition. Paul is not arguing upon the basis of an hypothesis, but upon the basis of facts. The translation should read, “since,” or “in view of the fact.”

Rejection (580) (apobole from apó = from + bállo  = cast as casting away a garment) describes literally a casting off and thus a rejection.

Reconciliation (2643) (katallage from katallasso = change mutually; reconcile in turn from katá = an intensifying preposition + allásso = to make otherwise, to change the form or nature of a thing) means a change or reconciliation from a state of enmity between persons to one of friendship. In the NT, this word describes restoration to divine favor by bringing about a change in man, i.e., a conversion, the means or occasion of reconciling the world to God. Reconciliation is the removal of enmity that stands between people and God. Reconciliation is the basis of restored fellowship between people and God

The Greek verb katallasso basically means “change” or “exchange.” In the context of relationships between people, the term implies a change in attitude on the part of both individuals, a change from enmity to friendship. When used to describe the relationship existing between God and a person, the term implies the change of attitude on the part of both a person and God. The need to change the sinful ways of a human being is obvious. It should be noted that some argue that no change is needed on the part of God. On the other hand, inherent in the doctrine of justification is the changed attitude of God toward the sinner. God declares a person who was formerly His enemy to be righteous before Him.

WHAT WILL THEIR ACCEPTANCE BE BUT LIFE FROM THE DEAD: tis e proslempsis ei me zoe ek nekron: (
Ezekiel 37:1-14; Revelation 11:11; 20:4-6)

Acceptance (4356) (proslepsis from proslambáno = to receive unto oneself, to take in addition, to receive besides) means a taking to oneself and thus describes an acceptance.

The reconciling of Israel back to God is, indeed, associated with the resurrection of Israel as a nation (Ezekiel 37:1-14), and also with the bodily resurrection of all who have died in faith, Isaiah prophesying to Israel that...

Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. (Isa 26:19, compare Hosea 6:1-3 Rev 20:4-6)

The receiving of Israel refers to that wonderful moment when, as the Messiah returns to the Mt. of Olives (Zech 14) all Israel shall be saved (Rom. 11:26). This will be “life from among the dead” in that the nation will be saved by the sovereign grace of God out from a spiritually dead state and from among those who remain spiritually dead.

In speaking of life from the dead, Paul was not referring to bodily resurrection. Regarding individual Jews, he was speaking of receiving spiritual life as a gracious gift to displace spiritual death, the wage of unbelief. Regarding Israel, he was speaking of its rebirth and the rebirth of the whole world in the glorified millennial kingdom of God (Isa11:1-9; Rev20). In that glorious day, even “the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Ro8:21).

 

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