Engaging Scripture Book Club
If you want to follow along, I am reviewing Dr. Beverly Gaventa’s new Romans commentary (New Testament Library, Westminster John Knox).
If you want to learn about the book and the club details, click HERE.
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Romans 11 (NRSV)
Israel’s Rejection Is Not Final
Rom. 11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.a
Rom. 11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,
“God gave them a sluggish spirit,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and keep their backs forever bent.”
The Salvation of the Gentiles
Rom. 11:11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumblinga salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israelb jealous. 12 Now if their stumblinga means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Rom. 11:13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry 14 in order to make my own peoplea jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead! 16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.
Rom. 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich roota of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.a 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And even those of Israel,a if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.
All Israel Will Be Saved
Rom. 11:25 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters,a I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written,
“Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “And this is my covenant with them,
when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of Goda for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may nowa receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
Rom. 11:33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him,
to receive a gift in return?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
Gaventa on Romans 11
Gaventa begins by acknowledging that readers of Romans by the time they get to ch11 are perplexed by the question: “Has God rejected Israel?” (pg300). Paul’s answer is a resounding “No”! God’s people are called to trust in God’s plan, which is not fully revealed to mortals. Paul offers an example from the story of Israel in the Old Testament. God has divided Israel into a “remnant” and the rest, but Gaventa is emphatic that the remnant is not there because it is especially righteous, but only by God’s grace (304). The language of “election,” according to Gaventa, is not about the special-ness of a person or a people, but the divine act of God (305).
Gaventa brings out what she considers to be a rhetorical inversion in Romans 9-11. Paul leads the reader of Romans to think that God will save the remnant, and destroy the rest. This seems to be the direction of Romans 11:1-10. But Gaventa argues that in the remaining part of Romans 11, Paul will sharply reject that notion.
One interesting theory that Gaventa puts forward in this section is that since Paul specifically calls out gentile readers (11:13), this whole section of Romans 11 may actually be in response to the pridefulness of gentile believers rather than the feeling of alienation by Jews (see 311). Another worthwhile nugget: Gaventa points out how Paul talks about his intent to save Jews (11:14). This should remind us that while Paul was called as apostle to gentiles, he still cared deeply about the salvation of his people: “Apostleship to the gentiles is not for gentiles only (312).
As one would expect, Gaventa spends significant time on Romans 11:25-26 and the statement from Paul that “All Israel will be saved.” Gaventa takes literally and seriously both terms “all” and “Israel.” She recognizes that since Paul describes this as a mystery, it is not crystal clear what he means, and perhaps Paul was not wanting readers to speculate too much. But Gaventa finds the most sensible reading to be that God’s historical people, ethnic Israel, will be saved “at the eschatological return of Christ” (324).
As usual, this section was full of insights small and large, from Gaventa’s thorough research. In my “Critical Reflections” below I will dive deeper into my reaction to her thoughts on “All Israel will be saved.”
[next reading for week of Sept 16: Romans 12:1-13:14 (332-380)]
My Critical Reflections
“All Israel will be saved” (11:25)
First I will summarize her whole discussion, and then I will weigh in on my thoughts.
Gaventa surveys several popular scholarly views.
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