Category: Romans 11

Romans 11:16 – Set-apart by Him

Posted on by Will

For if the first-fruit is holy, the dough is also; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Truth to Learn

Like the believing Jews, we are set-apart by God for His use.

 

Behind the Words

The word “first-fruit” is from the Greek word aparchē, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and a form of archomai, meaning “to begin.” This word refers to that part of something that is taken from the beginning or the first part.

The word translated “dough” is the Greek word phurama, which is the noun form of the verb phuraō, meaning “to break,” or “to dissolve,” or “to knead.” In this case it refers to a mass of dough that has been kneaded in preparation for baking.

“Holy” is from the word hagios, which means “set apart as something special.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has just been telling us that it was because of His rejection of the unbelieving Jews that God turned to the Gentiles. He is now going to show us that although the Jews as a nation were rejected, it was a few believing Jews who were the beginning of the church.

In the Old Testament, the “first-fruit” was the part of the crop that ripened first and was to be offered to God before partaking of the remainder of the crop. It was a way for the Jews to signify that the entire crop came from God. Even though man planted it, God alone caused the seed to germinate, God alone provided the rain and caused the plant to grow, and God alone caused the fruit to form and ripen. This current verse seems to be a reference to Numbers 15:20, 21 which says:

You shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough as a heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it up. Of the first of your dough you shall give to the LORD a heave offering throughout your generations.

I believe that Paul’s reference in the current verse is to the fact that it was a few Jews who were the first to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. And it was first to the Jews that the glorious message of His resurrection was announced. These Jewish believers were holy. That is, they were “set apart,” set apart from the world of unbelievers and set-apart to God for His use and for His glorification.

If these first few Jews were set-apart by God, so also will the remainder of the church be set-apart. Likewise, Paul refers to the root of an olive tree as being holy which causes the remainder of the tree, the branches, to be holy (set-apart). Paul will now use this metaphor of the olive tree to show us why we are totally dependent on God for His blessing and favor.

 

Application

Remember what Paul has been teaching us, that we are not the ones responsible for our salvation and the blessings that come from it. God, as we are told in Hebrews 12:2, “is the author and finisher of our faith.” He is the one who caused us to believe; hence, we are not the authors of our faith, He is. We do not cause the plants to grow and produce seed, God does. We are totally dependent on God for all of life and especially for spiritual (eternal) life. This should not make us proud; instead, it should humble us in the presence of Almighty God who chose us.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:15 – Again, God’s Choice

Posted on by Will

For if their rejection is a reconciling of the world, what is their acceptance if not life from the dead?

Truth to Learn

God decides whom He will chose and whom He will reject.

 

Behind the Words

“Rejection” is a translation of the Greek word apobolē, which is made up of apo, meaning “away from” and a form of balō, meaning “to throw.” Literally, it means “to cast away” or “to discard.”

“Reconciling” is from katallagē, which is derived from the verb katallassō. This word is made up of kata, used as an intensifier, and allassō, meaning “to change.” It is used in the New Testament to express a change, or reconciliation, from a state of being enemies to one of being friends.

The word translated, “acceptance” is the Greek word proslēpsis. It is made up of pros, meaning “to or toward” and a form of lambanō, which means “to take or to receive.” Thus proslēpsis means “to receive to oneself.”

 

Meaning Explained

This verse is nearly a restatement of verse 12, the difference being one of viewpoint and causation. In verse 12 Paul talked about the “fall” of the Jews, that is, the “falling by the wayside” as a result of unbelief on their part. It was not so much the actions or deeds of the Jews as it was their lack of faith. In the current verse Paul refers to their “being cast away,” which is an action of God in His sovereignty. Because of their lack of faith, God chose to cast them aside. But, as always, God had a purpose in casting them aside. His plan in turning from the faithless Jews was to have His message delivered to the Gentiles. However, this turning from His chosen people is not a permanent condition.

Paul says that if the casting away of the Jews by God resulted in the rest of mankind believing in His Word and being reconciled to God, then their being received back by God in the future will mean that they will have been brought back to life.

These two verses taken together demonstrate the dichotomy of election. From the human perspective it refers to the judicial action taken against man for his rejection of God. But from the heavenly perspective, it refers to God’s casting them away so they cannot believe. In either case it is only action on God’s part that brings them back.

In the following verses Paul will give a stern warning to the Gentiles that their current state of blessedness as a people is just as tenuous as that which the Jews had, and that it can be revoked by God as well. This is NOT referring to individual revocation of the blessing, but corporate rejection. Paul is not saying that God will “take back” salvation from individuals (Paul has already shown that God can’t do this). He is saying that God rejected the Jews as His chosen race and one day will take them back as His people.

 

Application

Individuals cannot lose their salvation once God has chosen them as the elect. However, because the Jews as a nation turned from God, He turned from them. In these last days of the church we see the Gentiles turning from God just as the Jews had earlier. It is only a matter of time before God casts the Gentiles aside and the world will be judged. In the midst of that terrible judgment, called The Great Tribulation, God will once again turn to the Jews and the remnant will be saved. And God will get all the glory and praise which only He deserves!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:14 – It May be a Way

Posted on by Will

if somehow I may provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy and might save some of them.

Truth to Learn

Preaching the Gospel message may evoke an emotional response in others, and it also might provoke them to salvation.

Behind the Words

The word translated, “if” is the Greek word ei, which is a conditional conjunction. That is, it ties two thoughts together (conjunction) with a relationship that is not definite but conditional. It is most often translated as “if,” but in cases like this it can be translated idiomatically.

“Somehow” is from a single Greek word, pōs. This is an interrogative adverb. As such, it usually forms a question, like “how?” “in what manner?” “by what means?” or “is there a way?” Context and usage, however, sometimes indicate that this is not being used to form a question, but a statement.

The context here does not indicate that Paul is asking a question. Therefore, we could combine the conceptual ideas of these two words, ei and pōs, and paraphrase this verse as, “because it may be a way for me to provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy …”

Meaning Explained

This is one of those verses which sounds so awkward in English that it is difficult to understand exactly what Paul is saying. In order to understand this better we can temporarily take out the parenthetical expression from the previous verse and then put these two verses together, paraphrasing the first part of the current verse. Then we would have,

For I speak to you Gentiles because it may be a way that I might provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and perhaps save some of them.

Paul has said that he considers his calling to be the Apostle to the Gentiles as an honor and a great responsibility. One of the reasons that he is so determined to carry it out to the fullest is because it might also provoke some of his fellow Jews to jealousy and they might, through this jealousy, seek the truth of Christ and become saved themselves.

Paul had been accused by his fellow Jews of deserting his brothers in the flesh and of defecting to “the other side.” In defense of his actions, Paul started out chapter ten of this letter with:

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation. (Romans 10:1)

He then opened up the current chapter proclaiming that God has not completely turned away from the Jews. And in defense of that, he reminds everyone that he is a Jew himself.

I say then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1)

He is now showing that God has not deserted the Jewish people, and he believes that he may be a channel of God’s salvation even to the Jewish people by preaching the gospel message to us Gentiles.

Application

You may not have the spiritual gift of evangelism, but that doesn’t release you from the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel message. Oh, that we all cared as much as Paul about proclaiming the message of salvation to the unsaved!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:13 – Service Honors

Posted on by Will

But I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of the Gentiles, I honor my ministry,

Truth to Learn

Service to God is a great privilege and an honor, which should humble us now and forever.

 

Behind the Words

Many translations of this verse start off with the word “For” which is translated from the Greek word gar. However, there is significant evidence in favor of the Greek word de, meaning “and” or “but” rather than gar.

The word translated “honor” is the Greek word doxadzō, (from which we get our word doxology) which means, “to consider glorious or full of honor.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses Paul said that the gospel message has gone out to the Gentiles because of the stumbling of the Jews. He has been speaking about the Jews and he knows that those who hear his message will become more focused on the problems of the Jews than on their own relationship with God and responsibility to serve Him.

So, he is about to tell the Gentiles that he is sharing this with them for a couple of purposes. The first is to provoke his fellow Jews to jealousy as he will point out in the next verse. The other purpose is to warn the Gentile Christians not to be too complacent and proud, because their salvation is a gift just as the salvation of the Jews is a gift, which he will point out later in this chapter.

But he now explains why he is making such statements directly to the Gentile believers. It is because Paul was called specifically to be an Apostle to the Gentiles. This is evident by what God said to Ananias in Acts 9:15 when God sent him to place his hands on Paul (then called Saul) to restore his sight. When Ananias resisted God’s call, claiming Saul to be a persecutor of the church, God said:

Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

In the current verse Paul then says, “I honor my ministry.” This is a much misunderstood statement. Paul is not bragging about his ministry, but is saying that he considers his calling as the Apostle of the Gentiles both a great honor and a great responsibility. He says that he believes that the calling which he has received is one of great importance and as such he will not rest until he has fulfilled it completely. Paul is not claiming to be proud of his ministry. He is humbled by the high calling to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

 

Application

Is that how you feel about the ministry that God has called you to? Do you know what ministry God has called you to? As part of the body of Christ, we each have a responsibility (a calling). You have not been saved just to spend eternity in Heaven. You have been saved to serve, and you should be serving in the responsibility to which you have been called. If you are serving in the body of Christ simply because you have been asked to do something, perhaps you should pray and ask God if you are serving where He wants you to serve.

When we are serving where God wants us, as Paul did, we will see our service as a great honor and we will glorify God in it!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:12 – How Rich We Are!

Posted on by Will

Now if their fall means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Truth to Learn

Because of the failure of the Jews to listen to and follow God, the offer of salvation has come to the Gentiles.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “fall” is paraptoma, which we saw in the previous verse, meaning “to fall by the wayside.”

“Riches” is translated from ploutos, which refers to “riches or wealth, either in money or possessions.”

The word translated “loss” is the Greek word hēttēma, which refers to “a state that is worse than the former state.” Therefore it could easily be translated as “loss or failure.” Paul is saying, that which the Jews lost has become riches for the Gentiles.

“Fullness” is from the Greek word plērōma, which is from the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill completely.” Hence, we see that plērōma refers to the condition of being completely filled up. Here it probably refers to the fullness of the remnant of the Jews to be saved in the last days before the return of Christ.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we talked about how the stumbling of the Jews resulted in the gospel message being sent to the Gentiles. This is the picture that Jesus portrayed in Matthew 22:1-10 where he told the parable of the wedding. Those who were invited by the king did not care to come, so he sent his army to destroy them and invited the strangers from all parts to come to the wedding. That is precisely what happened to the Jews. They refused to come to the Messiah, so God invited the Gentiles to partake of the riches of His grace.

In the previous verse Paul said that it was their “falling by the wayside” that resulted in salvation coming to the Gentiles. He uses the same word in this verse indicating that it has produced riches (the riches of salvation) for the world. It is because the Jews stumbled and fell by the wayside that the Gentiles have received the riches of God’s blessing, that is, salvation and the righteousness of God. He then follows this up with the expression, “and their loss means riches for the Gentiles.”

But then Paul turns this around. He says that if the stumbling and loss of the Jews resulted in blessing to the Gentiles, how much more so will their fullness be. In other words, Paul is projecting to a future time when the remnant of Israel will believe. With the zeal and ardor that the Jews possess, as well as their mastery of the Old Testament and their knowledge of God, imagine how they will spread the message!

Oh, that we in the Church had the zeal and tenacity that the Jews have always had. That, coupled with the truth of the gospel, could produce a wildfire of revival!

 

Application

We Christians take our salvation too lightly. We forget that the combined riches of the whole world cannot even come close to the price of eternal blessing in the presence of Almighty God. It is a priceless treasure that has been given to us, not because we deserve it in any way, but because God chose to give it to us. But the church today is beginning to resemble the Jews of Jesus’ time. We have become complacent and have placed greater value in following the rules and traditions of our denominations than in following and being obedient to Christ. So, let me ask you, my friend, who do you resemble, your church or your Savior?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:11 – Share the Treasure!

Posted on by Will

I say then, did they stumble that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, salvation came to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

Truth to Learn

The Jews lost their “most favored” position so we could receive it. We need to share it so that we don’t lose it.

 

Behind the Words

“Stumbled” is translated from the Greek word ptaio, which means “to stumble” or “to fall.” It is often used figuratively to indicate falling into sin.

“That” is from hina, meaning “in order that.” One interpretation of this word would be “merely that.” Thus, we could translate the first part of this verse as, “have they stumbled merely that they should fall?”

The words “should fall” is from the verb piptō, meaning “to fall from a higher position to a lower position.”

The second occurrence of the word “fall” in this verse is from paraptōma, the noun form of parapiptō. This is made up of para, meaning “beside” or “to the side” and piptō, which we just looked at. Paraptōma, then, refers to “falling to the side” or “falling by the wayside.”

 

Meaning Explained

The first part of this verse is almost a restatement of Romans 11:1. Paul again is using the relative negative article mē in his question to indicate an anticipated negative answer.

I like the New American Standard Bible translation of this verse. It says:

I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

Paul’s point in asking the question is to show that even though the Jews have stumbled on the rock (Jesus Christ), it is not a permanent condition for all Jews. A remnant of the Jews will be restored at some time in the future.

He is saying, “The Jews have not permanently fallen from grace, but they have stumbled, and by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles.” Had the Jews not stumbled, that is, if the Jews had welcomed their Messiah when he came the first time, then salvation would not have come to the Gentiles. But because they did reject Jesus, the message has now gone out to the Gentiles so that we might be saved.

And one of God’s purposes in giving salvation to the Gentiles is to provoke the Jews to jealousy. That which they had exclusive access to, a relationship with the God of all creation, is now being enjoyed by the Gentiles, while the Jews have lost their “most favored” position.

Later on in this chapter, though, Paul will show that God can turn from the Gentiles, as a people, just as He turned from the Jews as a nation.

 

Application

We need to guard this precious faith and the message of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ like a treasure from God. But, we need to openly share this treasure and the message with those around us. It is not something to be hoarded; rather, it is something to be given away!

Have you shared this treasure with anyone lately?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:10 – Blind Disobedience

Posted on by Will

Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always."

Truth to Learn

Whether blinded or obedient, we will all bow before Him.

 

Behind the Words

“Eyes” is translated from ophthalmos, which refers to the eyes either literally or figuratively. From this Greek word we get our English word ophthalmologist, referring to an eye doctor.

The word “darkened” is from skotidzō, meaning “to darken” or “to deprive of light.”

“See” is from the Greek word blepō, Which can refer either to the physical sense of sight or the mental ability to perceive or understand. We use the word “see” in the same way today.

The words “bow down” are translated from the verb sunkamptō, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and kamptō, meaning “to bend the back” or “to bow.” Thus, we see that sunkamptō literally means “to bend down together.” It is a picture of captive slaves whose backs are all bent under the weight of burdens.

 

Meaning Explained

This is the second half of the quotation Paul is making from the Psalm of David, Psalms 69:22, 23. In our discussion of the previous verse, we noted that this is a condemnation by David of the Jews at the time of Christ. They were living in ease and luxury while they crucified Jesus as a common criminal. The second half of this quotation from the Psalms is really covering the point that Paul is making in this part of Romans.

This is an imprecatory declaration by David. That is, he is calling down evil on these proud and ignorant Jews. David was asking God to blind them from the truth as retribution for their lack of faith. In other words, David is saying, “Lord, because they refuse to believe, don’t let them see the truth.” Because they gave Him vinegar to drink while they ate richly from the blessings that were being provided by the very One whom they were torturing, God has responded to David’s request and has blinded them from any future faith. And that is precisely what Paul is saying that God has done to the non-elect today.

While these few verses are specifically talking about the Jews, Paul will make the point that God deals the same way with the Gentiles, which makes this a cautionary warning that we all will be held accountable for our decisions regarding the Savior. Paul will show us that it was primarily because of this blindness of the Jews that the gospel message has come to the Gentiles, but he also warns us not to take this message lightly.

 

Application

When we look around us and see unsaved people enjoying the riches of this world, we are prone to think they are enjoying the blessings of God in spite of their overt sinfulness. However, because of their blindness to the truth, one day they will bow before their Judge as He condemns them to eternal torment. Likewise, we see many Christians prospering in spite of their unwillingness to submit to God as their Lord and Master. One day they, too, will stand before their Savior and watch as all their deeds go up in smoke, while the faithful few receive rewards for their humble obedient service.

As saved Christians we need to recognize that God is our Lord and Master, so we need to be bowing to Him, submitting our will to His, not the other way around.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:9 – Ensnared by Blessings

Posted on by Will

And David says: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a repayment to them.

Truth to Learn

Blessings can become a trap if taken for granted.

 

Behind the Words

The words “let … become” are translated from a form of ginomai, meaning “to cause to be” or “to become.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood indicating a command. Though in English we often interpret the word “let” as “allow,” it is used here and elsewhere in the Bible as a command to cause something to be.

The word “table” is from trapedza, which is made up of tetra, meaning “four” and pedza, meaning “foot.” Hence, it refers to something having four feet, like a table. It is used here as a metonym, referring to the feast that is on the table.

“Snare” is from pagis, “that which is set-up or fixed in place.” It is the word that is used to refer to a snare or a trap.

The word “trap” is from thēra, referring to “a hunt for an animal,” which usually ended up in the animal being caught in a net or other inescapable trap.

“Stumbling block” comes from skandalon, which refers to “the trigger of a trap on which the bait is placed.”

The word translated “repayment” is antapodoma, meaning “the penalty which is justly deserved.”

 

Meaning Explained

In this verse and the following Paul makes a very curious quotation from a psalm of King David. This quotation (though not exact) is from Psalms 69:22, 23 which reads:

Let their table be a trap before them, and their well-being a snare. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; and make their loins shake continually.

But notice also the verse that comes just before this:

They also gave me gall for my food, and they gave me vinegar to drink for my thirst. (Psalms 69:21)

This passage is talking about the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, while he was hanging on the cross paying the penalty for all of our sins. While He was hanging on the cross, they were enjoying the blessings He had provided for them as God’s chosen people. But in the midst of their enjoyment of the benefits of God’s blessing, they were blinded by their appetites regarding the truth that was right in front of them. They were so busy enjoying the temporary, physical blessings which God had provided for them, they totally missed the eternal, spiritual blessings they should have received if they had only believed in the One they were killing. They were ensnared by their appetites, resulting in the penalty which they justly deserved.

Paul will finish his thought, and the condemnation of the unbelieving Jews, in the next verse.

 

Application

This is a warning to all of us not to take God’s blessings for granted. All of the temporal things that we have, our health, our welfare, our possessions, our freedom, our peace, are a direct gift from God and He can take away any or all of them at any moment. So, instead of taking them for granted, let’s stop right now and thank our Heavenly Father for them. Let’s release the right to these things to the One who truly owns them, and then trust in His care and provision for us.

I think it’s time to pray.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:8 – Divine Stupidity

Posted on by Will

Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes to not see and ears to not hear, until this very day."

Truth to Learn

God is the one who enlightens or stupefies.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “stupor” is katanuxis, which is the noun form of katanussō, made up of kata (used as an intensifier) and nussō, meaning “to pierce” or “to stab.” Hence, katanuxis refers to a condition of having been deeply penetrated. Figuratively, it refers to a condition of deep sleep, or of intellectual stupor following a penetrating wound or a heavy blow. In today’s vernacular we might say that it is “a spirit of stupidity.”

“This very day” is translated from the Greek words sēmeron hēmeras. Sēmeron is from an earlier form, tē hēmera, meaning “the day” or “now.” Hēmeras is also a form of hēmera, which means “day.” In Greek, repetition indicates emphasis, so we see that this could be translated as “the now day” or “this very day” as we have in our translation here.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul introduced the idea that those Israelites who were not chosen were hardened (or blinded). In the current verse he paraphrases Isaiah, where he says,

For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. (Isaiah 29:10)

This could also be a reference to:

Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to know and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day. (Deuteronomy 29:4)

Or to Isaiah, where he says:

And He said, "Go, and say to this people: ‘Hearing, you hear but do not understand; and seeing you see, but do not know.” Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and close their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn back and be healed." (Isaiah 6:9,10)

Paul’s reference is likely to one of these Old Testament passages. Clearly his declaration is that God has made them stupid, unable to see the facts presented to them and unable to hear the truth even as it is being proclaimed to them. His point is that God is the one who has caused the unbelieving Israelites to not understand the true message about the Messiah from days of old even to the present day (in Paul’s time, and in our time).

In the following verse Paul will quote from King David to show that he expressed a similar sentiment.

 

Application

We have a commission to spread the Gospel truth to all people throughout the world. We do not know whom God has chosen and whom He has stupefied. That’s not up to us. We are simply to continue proclaiming the message of salvation and leave it up to God to give understanding or blindness. We may be called fools by the very people we witness to, but God sees us as a beautiful flower every time we proclaim the truth of Christ, the Lamb of God. Given the choice of being admired by the world or being called a fool by the world and admired by God, which would you choose? Which do you choose?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:7 – Chosen or Hardened

Posted on by Will

What then? Israel did not obtain what it seeks; but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.

Truth to Learn

God chooses some and hardens the rest.

 

Behind the Words

The word “obtain” is translated from the Greek word epitugchanō. This word is made up of epi, used as an intensifier, and tugchanō, meaning “to obtain.” It is used here in an absolute sense meaning that Israel did not acquire, or obtain, the righteousness they were seeking through the law of Moses.

“Seeks” is from epidzēteō, made up of epi, used as an intensifier and dzēteō, meaning “to seek.” Thus, we see it means “to intensely seek” or “to strive for.”

“Chosen ones” is translated from the word eklogē, which we have looked at before. It refers to something that was specifically chosen.

The word translated “hardened” is pōroō, meaning “to make hard as stone” hence, “calloused or insensitive.” Applied to the mind, it means “hardened, insensitive, or not comprehending.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul is now drawing a conclusion regarding the statements that he has just made. That is, God has not abandoned His people, but neither has Israel obtained the righteousness that they tried to obtain for themselves. Those whom God has chosen have obtained this righteousness (because God imputed it to them) but the rest, those who are not elect, were hardened.

We see here, then, two things at work with regards to the righteousness of the elect (Jews in this case). The first is that it is not earned. There is no amount of works that will save them (or us). There is absolutely no single thing or combination of things that can be done which will save them (or us) and give them (or us) the righteousness of God. It is, as Paul says in Ephesians 1:5, “according to the good pleasure of His will” that they (and we) were chosen.

The second thing that we see here regarding election, and the righteousness that comes with it, is that those who were not chosen were hardened. But the obvious question is, “Who is responsible for this hardness or blindness?” Let’s see what Jesus, Isaiah, and Paul have to say about it:

Jesus – He (God, the Father) has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts, and turn, so that I should heal them. (John 12:40)

Isaiah – For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, the seers. (Isaiah 29:10)

Paul – Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. (Romans 9:18)

Paul – whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

It is God who chooses and it is also God (through various means, including Satan) who blinds or hardens those whom He has not chosen, so that they cannot believe. And even now I can hear some saying, “But that’s not fair!”

In the next few verses Paul will continue with this statement of God’s hardening by quoting a couple of Old Testament passages which affirm what he has just said.

 

Application

We may not want to believe that God chooses some and hardens others, but that’s precisely what Paul teaches. Your church may teach something different, and you may believe that teaching. We want to believe that we are the ones in control of our own eternal destiny, but Paul teaches that God chooses whom He wants to choose and He hardens the rest. That’s what the Bible teaches; therefore, I believe it.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved