Romans 11:12-24

Michael Horton writes in his latest book, The Gospel-Driven Life. He writes:

The God of the Bible is a strange God-- not the kind of God we can manage, manipulate, accommodate, or domesticate to our familiar experience. We cannot find this God by looking within ourselves. His Word is not the same as our inner voice. He cannot be pared down to our size, measured by our speculations, experiences, or felt needs. Rather, he stands over against us, telling us how things actually are. When God actually confronts us, our speculations are exposed as idols, our experience judged as little more than a projection of ourselves, and our felt needs give way to more pressing needs that we did not even realize that we had. God confronts us, disorients us, and pulls us outside of our comfort zones. If we feel naked and ashamed, then it's a good sign that we are actually in the presence of the God of the Bible.

What is the point? God is absolutely sovereign.

We’re on the last leg, now, of our journey to the obligation mentioned in 8:12 and completed in 12:1ff.

Paul has been talking about Israel’s failure to receive the Promise (Christ) and is now ready to discuss his ministry to the gentiles.

The Verses

12. He’s talking about the Jews’ rejection of Christ, that their rejection opened the way for the gentiles to receive the riches and the even greater value Christ will be to the Jews when those who will finally accept Him.

13. Paul proclaims himself an apostle to the gentiles.

14. His ultimate goal is to bring “his people,” the Jews, to salvation.

15. Because the Jews rejected Christ, Paul could turn his attention to the gentiles. The funny thing is, it is through the gentiles that the chosen people of God will receive the Promise of God (Christ).

16. My interpretation here is not the interpretation of “learned” scholars, but I believe is correct: “Firstfruits” is a reference to Christ. If Christ is holy, so are all who are in Him.

17. Some of God’s chosen people have rejected His Promise. They have broken off. We gentiles have been grafted in (“adopted” is another way Paul expresses this truth).

18. But now watch…the part that has broken off is gone, but the root stock is still there in the persons of those Jews who have accepted Christ. They are the spiritual stock that give evidence of our support.

19. The fact that branches broke off made room for us is true, but

20. It was their unbelief in the salvation provided by God, and it is our faith that enables us to stand fulfilled in Christ.

Don’t think you are better than the Jews. That manifests itself as arrogance.

21. He’ll not spare anyone who is arrogant enough to think he is self-sufficient or able to provide his own salvation.

22. God is infinitely kind to those who are in Him through Christ, but “stern” with those who have rejected Him.

23. If they will but turn to Him, they, too, will be grafted into the vine.

24. He’s speaking here of the way in which we must all come to Christ. He is also saying that if any Jew turns to Christ, he will immediately be accepted.