Can the Jews Obtain Righteousness? (Romans 11)

1. Read: Romans 11:1-5

2. About the Text:

1) The book of Romans is about the righteousness of God revealed through the gospel (Romans 1:16-17).

2) It is to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

3) In chapter 10, Paul showed that salvation is in Christ for both.

4) Romans 10:12 says, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.”

5) In other words, for both the Jew and Gentile, salvation is in the gospel.

6) Most of the Jews, however, had rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

7) This meant that they were lost.

8) Romans 11 begins with the question, “Has God cast away His people?”

9) This chapter is about how the Jew may obtain righteousness.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. God has not cast away His people.

1) Paul was a Jew.

2) Many other Christians (the elect) were Jews.

2. The situation is like that of Elijah in 1 Kings 19.

1) Many had turned away from God to idols under Ahab and Jezebel.

2) God told Elijah, however, that 7000 faithful remained (1 Kings 19:18).

3) Only those who continued to obey God were the faithful remnant.

3. The remnant is according to the election of grace.

1) What system of salvation is by grace? – The system that comes from faith in Christ.

2) What system of salvation is by works? – The system that comes from the Law of Moses.

3) The two systems are incompatible.

4) Those who accept God’s grace have obtained righteousness.

5) Those who do not are blinded (Deuteronomy 29:4, Psalm 69:22-23).

1. Was the purpose of their stumbling for them to fall? No, but they did fall.

2. What was the purpose of their stumbling and falling?

1) To provoke them to jealousy (Romans 10:19, Deuteronomy 32:21).

2) For salvation to come to the Gentiles.

3) For the riches of the world and the gentiles.

4) Reconciling of the world (15).

5) “Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles’” (Acts 13:46).

3. What would their fullness/acceptance be? (Compare v.12 with v.15).

1) (Paul speaks to the Gentiles)

2) Salvation

3) Life from the Dead

4) In other words, their fall is not necessarily inevitable.

4. How is it that they can still be saved?

1) (Paul continues speaking to the Gentiles).

2) He uses two metaphors: lump/firstfruit and root/branches.

3) Paul settles on the metaphor of the olive tree.

4) The Jews originated with the LORD.

5) Their origination (root) was holy (16).

6) As long as they were attached to the root, they were also holy.

7) Some of their branches were broken off – these are the Jews who rejected Christ.

8) Wild olive tree branches were grafted in – these are the gentiles.

9) Paul warns the gentiles not to become arrogant against the Jews.

10) They all have the same root – Christ!

11) Gentiles must continue in God’s goodness or get cut off like the unbelieving Jews.

12) God may graft in the Jews again if they believe.

13) Thus, both are saved the same way, by believing in the Christ.

1. Paul wants the brethren to know how the Jews may be saved.

2. Paul is concerned about gentile Christians elevating themselves above Jewish Christians.

3. Yes, part of the Jews are blind, but some are not.

1) Their blindness creates an opportunity for gentiles to be saved.

2) Their blindness (and the opportunity created by it) will last until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.

3) This changes when they realize that the gentiles are part of God’s plan and repent.

4) Their own prejudices prevented them from believing (Romans 10:1-3).

5) When they remove their prejudices, they will be saved. How?

4. Israel will be saved in the same way as the gentiles.

1) “And so…” – “So” is an adverb of manner, i.e. in this way, by this method.

2) Paul quotes from Isaiah 59:20-21 and Jeremiah 31:33-34.

3) This is a messianic prophecy about how God’s people will be saved from sin.

4) The deliverer will come out of and for the sake of Zion.

5) He will turn away ungodliness from the Jews.

6) He will establish a covenant.

7) This covenant will be to take away their sins.

5. Who did this? Jesus did this – “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

6. This means that the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles is through the gospel (Romans 1:16).

1. Paul turns to praise God for His great wisdom in providing salvation for both Jews and Gentiles in the cross.

2. The human mind is unable to fathom all His plans as did the Jews (1 Corinthians 1:23).

3. No one has known the Lord’s mind.

4. No one is His counselor – His ways surpass our thinking (Ephesians 3:20).

5. No one can make a claim of debt from God – as the Jews were trying to do (Rom.10:1-3).

6. All things are of Him, through Him, and unto Him.

7. We must glorify God for what He has done.

1. Can the Jews Obtain Righteousness?

1) Yes, because Paul and other Jews did in Christ.

2) Yes, because the spiritual fall of the nation does not mean the end of opportunity.

3) Yes, because righteousness comes through Jesus Christ, a Jew.

4) Yes, because God is wise and is able to accomplish all things.

2. Invitation