The Remnant, Romans 11:1-6

Posted on December 18, 2014 by KD Manes under Bible Study

Did God reject His people? By no means!” – Romans 11:1

This chapter begins in classic Paul style of question-declaration. What follows is a discussion of the remnant of Israel, the salvation of Gentiles, Israel’s jealousy of the fruitful Gentile mission, and the prophetic declaration of Israel turning toward Christ.

“The Remnant”, according to Shepherd’s Notes, “consists of the righteous people of God who remained after divine judgment . . . . For example, Noah and his family may be understood as survivors, or a remnant, of a divine judgment in the flood (Gen. 6:5-8; 7:1-23). In Romans 9:25-33, Paul quoted from the prophets Hosea and Isaiah to demonstrate that the saving of a remnant from among the Jewish people was still part of the Lord’s method of redeeming His people. There would always be a future for anyone among the covenant people who would turn to the Lord for salvation.”

God did not reject Israel as an entire nation. There remained a remnant of Jewish believers. Paul points to himself being a Jew, (so were Jesus’ disciples and most of the early Christian missionaries). Paul backs up his claim—God didn’t reject His special people—by using the great reforming prophet, Elijah, as an example. During a corrupt time when Israel’s priesthood and king’s court strayed from God, Elijah thought he alone remained faithful. But God replied, “I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all who have not bowed down to Baal,” (1 Kings 19:18).

Paul then connects the dots: 4caade4f52332582b74b797142db9fc8 “so too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace,” (vs. 5-6).

So What?

We are not saved because of our religion, good works, or heritage. We are saved only through faith in Jesus Christ.

On whom, or on what, or you depending for salvation?

Engrafted Branches, Romans 11:11-24

Posted on December 17, 2014 by KD Manes under Bible Study

Again I ask: ‘Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?’ – Romans 11:11

Paul’s description of the unbelieving, hardened Israel in the last section prompted him to ask this question. In other words: Was Israel’s fall a permanent ruin? Again, Paul replies: “By no means!”

Paul summarizes his discussion’s main points for the rest of the chapter in verses 11-12, (Shepherd’s Notes):

Through the trespass of Israel, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
Through the salvation of the Gentiles, Paul hoped Israel would be provoked to jealousy and turn to Christ for salvation.
Through the inclusion of Israel, great blessings will come to all. Not only was the rejection of Israel partial; it was also temporary.

The Ideal Church

Paul had a vision of Jew and Gentile uniting under God’s love where faith and obedience to Christ would matter most, not a person’s social status and/or ethnic background.

“The LORD called your name, ‘A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form’: With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless” (Jeremiah 11:16, NASB).

This ideal church would look to Christ alone for salvation while still respecting the Law.

Paul’s vision has yet to be realized. While many Jews rejected the gospel, and instead relied on their heritage for salvation, many Gentiles began rejecting the Jews. Sadly, persecution has been a recurring practice throughout the centuries.

In verses 17-24, Paul uses the allegory of an olive tree to warn Gentiles from feeling superior because God rejected some Jews.

The olive tree symbolized true Israel: The natural branches broken off symbolized the unbelieving Jews, while the Gentiles were the wild olive branches grafted in.

3 Reasons Why Gentiles Shouldn’t Boast

Shepherd’s Notes observes Paul’s admonition to Gentiles for not boasting over the Jews:

They should remember that they are wild olive shoots who have been engrafted (vs. 17-18).
They should understand that the natural branches were broken off because of their unbelief, taking heed not to presume on God (vs. 19-22).
They should realize that God has the power to graft the natural branches back into the olive tree, provided that they do not persist in their unbelief (vs. 23-24).

So What?

Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect and thank God for all His blessings. Thankfully, God has extended His invitation of salvation to everyone.

May we remember God’s words to Abraham: “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). Jesus—descendant of Israel’s father, Abraham—fulfills this promise. Micah 4:2 and Zechariah 8:22 says that many nations will come to know Him. And when Jesus returns, He will reign in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21).

The Salvation of Israel, Romans 11:25-36

Posted on December 16, 2014 by KD Manes under Bible Study

Paul’s response to God’s grace. Only God could turn disobedience into an opportunity for His mercy toward those who would believe.

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” -Romans 11:25

Paul then boldly declares: “. . . . all Israel will be saved,” (vs. 26). This surprising statement should be studied within the big picture of Paul’s previous statements about the nation Israel.

What is the basis of Paul’s claim?

Shepherd’s Notes suggests the following:

Although interpreters differ widely in their understanding of this difficult passage, the most probable interpretation of the phrase “all Israel” is that it indicates a great turning of Israel to Christ, without specifying the conversion of every individual Jew, just as the “full number of Gentiles” does not mean that every Gentile will be saved.
Israel’s salvation will be like all other people—responding in faith to the forgiveness made possible by Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection.
Paul describes this as a “mystery”, which had been previously kept secret, but now revealed. This mystery contained the revelation of God’s will made known to all (1 Cor. 2:1,7; 4:1), which included Gentiles (Rom. 16:25-26; Col. 1:26-27; Eph. 3:3-6).
The mystery of the New Testament is described as an open secret: “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.

So What?

God—who is always at work in people’s lives—is gracious. He is extremely patient and longs for all to turn to Him for forgiveness and eternal life (2 Peter 3:9). He desires that everyone share in the blessings of the gospel (Eph. 2:11-13), made possible through Jesus’ work (Col. 2:2, Eph. 1:9), and His indwelling Holy Spirit (Col. 1:26-27).

Living Sacrifices, Romans 12:1-2

Posted on December 15, 2014 by KD Manes under Bible Study

Paul moves from the theological to the practical in this last section of Romans, laying the groundwork for believers in discipleship. Chapter 12 deals with commitment, spiritual gifts, and relationships.

Call to Commitment

What comes to mind when you think of worship? Many people—including myself—think of Sunday services and singing worship songs. You don’t have to dig deep into the Bible to realize that sincere praise through singing and music pleases God (Psalm 107-150). In fact, about 500 verses speak of worshiping God in this way. But Paul takes our Sunday worship one step further:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” – Romans 12:1

The word “therefore” directs us to make a connection between Paul’s previous section and his following advice.

3 Qualities of the Believer’s Sacrifice (Shepherd’s Notes):

It is living. This concept may provide a contrast with the [Old Testament] dead bodies of animal sacrifices, or it could denote the new life that the believer possesses in Christ.
It is holy. The Christian is set apart for and belongs to God [sanctification].
It is pleasing. Sacrifices offered to God are not enough in themselves. The offerings must be acceptable to Him.

The greatest motivation for offering ourselves as living sacrifices stem from God’s mercy to us.

A Threat to the Believer

A great threat to the believer appears in verse 2: pressure to conform to this world.

Credit: Jessica Meggs

The word “world” means “age”. As in Paul’s day, our present age opposes God’s coming world/values. Instead of settling for the world’s standards of living—behaviors and customs—we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds”. This goes beyond strict adherence to moral living. It begins by surrendering our thoughts and attitudes to God.

So What?

Believers become living sacrifices by daily setting aside selfish desires. God is pleased when we devote our time, energy, talents, and spiritual gifts to Him. We do this out of gratitude for His forgiveness and free gift of eternal life.

Like salmon swimming upstream, Christians must work hard to not drift (conform) with the world’s current of values and immorality. The Holy Spirit enables us to swim upstream against the corrupting current when we surrender our thoughts/attitudes to God. He is the One who transforms our lives and gives discernment for His perfect will.

Submission to Authorities, Romans 13:1-7

Posted on December 12, 2014 by KD Manes under Bible Study

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1

In the wake of recent uproar against police officers, this isn’t a popular passage, at least by the world’s standards. But Paul sets the bar high for believers concerning divinely sanctioned government offices and our response to them. For to rebel against authorities is rebelling against what God has instituted and will incur God’s judgment (vs. 2). God’s purpose of rulers and their use of force is to keep order in society by rewarding good conduct and punishing wrongdoers (vs 3).

Paul doesn’t expand on his remarks—such as duties of rulers to those under them, or limits of Christian obedience—and many modern believers struggle with this. But the context implies that the officials are just and are “God’s servants” (verse 4).

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Are there times when believers should not submit to the government? The NIV Life Application Study Bible comments: “We should never allow the government to force us to disobey God. Jesus and His apostles never disobeyed the government for personal reasons; when they disobeyed, it was in order to follow their higher loyalty to God. Their disobedience was not cheap: they were threatened, beaten, thrown into jail, tortured, and executed for their convictions. Like them, if we are compelled to disobey, we must be ready to accept the consequences.”

So What?

Although interpretations may differ on verse one, Paul makes it clear that we are to strive for peace with the authorities. Allegiance to God does not dismiss our responsibility to secular authority. We are expected to respectfully abide by accepted regulations, including paying taxes.