From Jim McGuiggan... All Israel will be saved (3)

All Israel will be saved (3)

Gentile "fullness" is not a certain number of Gentile converts. It is their state of fullness. It's their being filled with the riches of God's grace in Jesus Christ. In 15:29 Paul tells the Roman Christians that he is coming "in the full measure of the blessing of Christ." He comes with what all that Christ means and is and he calls that "the fullness of Christ." Israel is hardened until the Gentiles have experienced the meaning of Christ.

"Until" the fullness of the Gentiles has come in? "Until" appears to suggest a time sequence. As if, "the hardening will continue (only) until the Gentile fullness has arrived." At that point the hardening will cease. That appears to be the commonly accepted view. Taking that to be true, what then? It's tempting to think that when the hardening ceases Israel will automatically turn to Christ and this is what very many evangelicals believe. But we need to remember that the hardening didn't make this section of Israel into unbelievers—they were already unbelievers and the hardening (God's judicial sentence) made use of their sin. If God withdrew the special circumstances that hardened a section of Israel it would not follow that they would automatically come to faith. If they didn't believe before the hardening there's no guarantee that they will believe after it.

But it's the following phrase that generates the evangelical view. "A hardening in part has happened to Israel until Gentile fullness has come in and so all Israel will be saved." The "and so" is often taken as something like "consequently" or "and then" or "following that" all Israel will be saved. But "and so" should be taken as an adverb of manner, "in this way" or "and this is how" all Israel will be saved.

But making "and so" an adverb of manner is awkward if we link it immediately with the hardening of Israel or Gentile fullness. N.T. Wright in his commentary on Romans takes "and so" to mean "in this way". He thinks that it's always been God's way of saving Israel, by hardening. Maybe it's better to say that it's by bringing in Gentile fullness (and so making Jews jealous so that they want in—11:31) that God will save Israel. But I'm sure it's better still to look back to 11:23-24. All Israel will be saved "in this way," namely, turning from unbelief. This means that 11:25-26 is a little—but not unimportant—aside before he returns to how Israel is to be saved. Where lies their hope? In turning from unbelief (11:11:9,23-24). And when they turn from their unbelief it will be in keeping with the purpose of the Messiah's coming (11:26-27).

Paul changes a preposition in quoting Isaiah 59:20. The prophet speaks of a Redeemer coming "to" Zion but Paul says that the Redeemer will come "from" Zion. I think Paul is rebuking the Gentile arrogance again and reminding them that the root bears them and not they the root (11:18). The redeemer who redeems both Israel and the Gentiles comes not from Gentiles but from the Jews. The Messiah is theirs (9:5, 15:27).

So here's what I think Paul has said here in this section. "You Gentiles must not be arrogant because you are now people of God while Jews are on the outside looking in. You stand by faith and they are outside. It's true that they were cast off (11:15,22b) but this was no permanent purpose of God, he hasn't 'washed his hands of them'. No, if they turn from unbelief they will be received into their own blessings (11:23-24). This is the way all Israel will be saved. Understand this, the hardened condition God produced, is on a segment of Israel—an unbelieving segment (11:20) and it was accomplished that your rich blessing might be brought in (11:30). If unbelieving Israel turns from unbelief they will be gladly received as if they were alive from the dead (11:15,23) because that's precisely why God sent the Redeemer (11:26-27). And by the way, the Redeemer that saves you and them comes from among them!"

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.