Chapter # 11 Paragraph # 5 Study # 3
May 5, 2019
Humble, Texas
(128)
1769 Translation:
28 As concerning the gospel, [
they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [
they are] beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God [
are] without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
1901 ASV Translation:
28 As touching the
gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of.
30 For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
31 even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy.
32 For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
- I. According to the Standard of the Gospel.
- A. The terminology, "standard of the Gospel", indicates that The Gospel is a fundamental issue by which God's Larger Plan is being measured. The translation "the standard of the Gospel" arises out of the grammar of the preposition kata plus the accusative case of the noun to which it is attached [See Robertson as to this point].
- 1. Paul's point is that God's Larger Plan is for The Gospel to be proclaimed to all the nations for salvific purposes.
- a. Underlying all other issues involved inThe Gospel as a "standard" is what is called "The Love of The God".
- 1. On the primary hand, this "Love" is all about doing all that is necessary to provide "Life" for God's people, with the Cross being the central thesis of that "Love".
- 2. But on the other hand, this "Love" is also about making sure that there is sufficient revelation of the Truth about God that "Love" can be appreciated. This side of the coin has also to do with a central thesis of the Cross: God's infinite antagonism toward "Sin" and those who embrace it unto Death.
- b. "Salvific purposes" means that the primary purpose of the Gospel is to enlighten men's eyes to the offer of Eternal Life to those who believe that God's provision in Christ is a sufficient foundation (in Justice) for "forgiveness" (by Grace).
- c. But, "salvific purposes" goes further than that: the "promises" of the Gospel include forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life, but, as promises, they must be "believed" in order to have a primary salvific impact; thus, the question arises regarding those who do not "believe" what they have proclaimed to them (what "salvific purpose" is there in the Gospel regarding them in their unbelief?). The answer is: none. But, there is yet "salvific purpose" in the Gospel's proclamation to them because "salvation" is enhanced in the lives of those who believe by what they "learn" from the rejection of the Gospel by those whose hearts are hardened.
- d. In other words, there is "salvific impact" for those who believe out of what happens to those who believe not. "Salvation" is not only "to" forgiveness and eternal life; it is also "from" vengeance and eternal death and this "from" is very important for those who have been delivered "from" Death to understand what that means. This understanding comes primarily out of the imposition of the wrath of God upon those who believe not. A "salvation" that is only "to" and not "from" is actually ineffective as to the "to" because there is little to no grasp of the "from". Note well Peter's claim that ungodliness arises out of a casual attitude toward the "from" in 2 Peter 1:9. A "salvation" that does not deliver one "from" something can hardly be called "salvation".
- 2. The Gospel, in its intention of "salvation", is at the very core of God's Larger Plan.
- B. Indeed... .
- 1. The word I have translated "indeed" doesn't even appear in the Authorized Version.
- 2. However, it is an emphatic particle of either affirmation or concession, and ought to be translated.
- 3. The point of the word is according to Paul's "admission" that that "Israel" of whom are those who are going to be saved when The Deliverer comes out of Zion is, currently, made up of "enemies" of those "Gentiles" who are currently being saved.
- C. [They are] enemies... .
- 1. The primary reason they are "enemies" is "jealousy" . God, Paul claims, determined to "make them jealous by turning to the Gentiles; a methodology that Paul actually embraced as he took the message to the Gentiles (11:10-14).
- 2. However, it must be understood that "jealousy" is a powerful, antagonistic, attitude at the beginning. The rage of the Jews' persecution of Paul for preaching the Gospel to Gentiles is evidence of this reality. But, jealousy has a tendency to falter over time as the fuel of the fire gradually diminishes, and once it has cooled somewhat, the "envy" can actually turn into a longing for what the Gentiles have been given by the God of the Jews (forgiveness and eternal life). Once this "longing" develops, the Jews will find themselves open to the Gospel as the way to obtain forgiveness and eternal life. At that point, they will cease to be "enemies".
- 3. But, for now, admittedly, "they" are "enemies".
- D. "For your sakes"... .
- 1. Paul has been very clear that God brought the Jews under rejection so that He might save Gentiles.
- 2. But he has also been very clear that God fully intends to bring the Gentiles under rejection at some future point so that He might turn again to Israel and "save" all of them.
- II. According to the Standard of The Election.
- A. This is an alternative "standard".
- 1. However, it is not a "equal" standard: it is not the "standard" of the Gospel that undergirds the Larger Plan of God; it is the "standard" of "The Election" that governs all (9:11).
- a. In 9:11, Paul doubles down on both the meaning of "Election" as a "Standard" (the terms of The Election as a Standard are exactly the same in 9:11 as in this text -- kata plus the accusative case of the noun) by addressing The Election in terms of "the purpose of The God".
- 1) As "election", Paul is very clear: before either Esau or Jacob were born this "purpose" was declared so that the outcome(s) would be "out of the calling" and not "out of works". This was absolutely essential because 4:16 tells us that this was the only way "the promise might be sure to all the seed". God cannot make a "promise" and then leave the issue of whether it will come to pass up to the whims of inconstant men. Because it is God's integrity that is at stake in "promise", God refuses to put that critical attribute into the hands of men and into the outcomes of "works".
- 2) As "election", 11:5-7 makes it very clear that "works" removes "grace" from the picture and "grace" removes "works" from the picture: this is an either/or reality, not a both/and reality. Thus, it is not only "election", but it is "election as a choice of grace". The same grammatical formulation as is in both our text and 9:11 is also here in 11:5 ( kata plus the accusative case of the noun).
- b. In 11:7, Paul called for a conclusion to be drawn (What then?) and then he declared it: only "the elect" obtain the benefits of the promise of the Gospel. This absolutely has to mean that only "the elect" end up "believing" that promise. And that absolutely has to mean that men's response to the "promise" (faith/unbelief) is not, as John clearly declared, "according to the ek-plus-a-Genitive standard" when applied to human "bloods" (genealogies), "fleshly desires", or "male wishes" (John 1:12-13).
- 2. It is a "standard" of both divine pre-declared intention (as in 9:12) and of divine, carefully guarded integrity (as in 4:16).
- B. This is a "standard" of "values": "enemies" for the present are to be seen as "beloved" in both the past and future.
- 1. It was to "fathers" that the promises were given, and as soon as "they" believed" them, the integrity of God was "at stake" as to whether "fulfillment" would ever take place.
- 2. Thus, because of God's "love" regarding "integrity", "promises", "ancient believers", "present believers" and "future believers", these "enemies" are "beloved".
- III. These "Standards" Are Rooted in God's Refusal to Alter His Course.
- A. The word translated "without repentance" (Authorized Version) or "irrevocable" (NASB) is not the typical term for "repentance" that is used many times as a foundation for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4), but is, instead, a word that means "without an alteration of course or intent" (Hebrews 7:21).
- B. In respect to two major issues, God is adamantly "on track" and will not "alter course".
- 1. The first of these issues is the word translated "gifts" (Authorized Version and NASB).
- a. What is addressed here is a genuine "gift" rooted in a complete absence of "merit" on the part of the "recipient".
- b. The foundational root of this word is "grace"; thus, a "gift out of grace".
- c. The point is that Paul has already set up the "standard" as "The Election": a choice of God without regard for the "behavior" of the "elected" (Romans 9:11) either before election, or after (thus, a "gracious" choice).
- d. In Romans, the primary "grace-gift" is identified as "Eternal Life through Jesus Christ" (6:23); and the secondary "grace-gifts" are the various capacities which are given to those who have received the primary "grace-gift" in order that they may have a good impact upon one another (12:6).
- 2. The second of these issues is the word translated "calling".
- a. This is a reference to the primary, initial, overt activity of God in bringing His "purpose according to the standard of election" (Romans 9:11) to pass. According to 8:30, God's internal decision (predestination) is initially pursued by the overt action of "calling".
- b. In Romans 8:30 Paul uses the concept of "calling" as effectual unto "justification".
- c. Thus, God's summons of a person to faith in Jesus Christ unto justification is, according to our text, without possibility of an alteration in God of His "purpose".