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If you recall, I labeled chapters 9-11 “Paul’s theology clinic” because he’s using the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) to unwrap big theological themes such as; divine election, foreknowledge, reprobation, salvation, and faith. But we must ask; “Why?” If we miss the basis for Paul’s riff, we end up segmenting these verses into doctrinal proof texts which don’t always align with his over arching thesis in the letter, which is “faith in Christ” is not a new alternative religion, but the means by which all comers become free from their religion, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness…” (10:4)

In order for faith to displace religion, Paul has to deconstruct Judaism in order to reveal the Christology that it has possessed all along, and then he takes that Christology and extends it to everyone else outside of Judaism. This was a scandal to the religious mind (still is), but it is essential to Paul’s gospel. For Paul, salvation is not limited to the Hebrew people, but by the sacrificial work of Christ, God’s grace is extended to all comers. This means Paul’s Christology subverts religious authority as a means to God (justification). “(all)…are justified” (3:24).

Continuing his clinic, Paul focuses on the religious Jews in Rome. The passages today complete chapter 10 and continue in chapter 11. He’s quoting again from Hebrew scripture to prove his point, that God has always included others in His redemptive plan, and the Hebrew people were essentially an archetype for everyone else. Last week, Paul redefined salvation as people “hearing” or understanding that the risen Christ (of whom this audience would be eye-witnesses) is revealed in and as the event (réma) of their own life, (present, living Christology), and faith is living in conformity to that awareness.

Now Paul is revealing to the religious mind that this idea has been with them all along:

But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

“Their voice (utterance) has gone out to all the earth,
    and their words to the ends of the world.”(cited from Psalm 19:4)

¹⁹ But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
    with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” (cited from Deuteronomy 32:21)

²⁰ Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
    I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” (cited from Isaiah 65:1)

²¹ But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” (cited from Isaiah 65:2)

In other words, God’s people comprise those within and beyond the Hebrew nation.

As we move into chapter 11, Paul is anticipating (as he has done all along) the push-back from the religious mind, which sees itself as superior to others. He can imagine them saying: “Oh, so God is just rejecting his chosen people? All of our history is for nothing? You just want to deconstruct the whole thing away?”

“I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For 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 appeals to God against Israel? ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” ⁴ But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men 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.” (Romans 11:1-6)

Paul’s argument is the end of works, or religious deeds that make us right with God. Instead, we have his Gospel of grace. All sinners are made righteous by grace. I’m going to allow Paul to keep opening up this argument to the religious Jews. As you’ll see, he resolves the tensions in the tonic note in v.12. If we dissect any of these pieces out from this framework, we can get into tribal arguments which have created new denominations over the centuries.

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 spirit of stupor,
    eyes that would not see
    and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.” (cited from Isaiah 29:10)

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 bend their backs forever.” (cited from Psalm 69:22-23)

¹¹ So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. ¹² Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

Remember, all theses pieces feed into a larger theme, which is Paul’s Christology of grace as the means of salvation, justification and faith now, and not the law (religion), for all people, not just Jews. While it may seem to those who are over-identified with their religion, that God is rejecting them by moving away from religion as a means of grace, God is still committed to the work of grace. Paul’s answer to the religious who feel they are losing out is in v.1 “By no means.” Furthermore, this is not a theology lesson about “exclusion,” namely those that “were hardened” as if to say, “God is rejecting some people by hardening them.” By no means!!! “They didn’t stumble in order to fall” (v.11). What this is saying is that this is a theology lesson on “Inclusion,” namely that God is using the “stupor” or “trespass” (sin), the hardening of some to include salvation for all others (v.12). Our binary conclusions about how God works from our line of sight are not sufficient.

Paul’s clinic requires a wide angle lens. Avoid dissection here, and follow the flow all the way through. This doesn’t mean people are free to live however we wish. This doesn’t mean one group is better than the other. It means that God is working through the lives of all people, in various ways, and he has been all along. Now because of the work of Grace, the plan of salvation and faith is visible to all comers, from within the christological context of our lives. We’ll see next week, there’s still a requirement for faith and fidelity on the part of each of us, lest our hardened disposition ‘breaks us off’ as it has others (v.22).

The path forward is this:

The religious will need to widen their Christology to include others beyond their tribal religion in order to see Paul’s theology lesson, the non-religious will need to narrow their Christology unto that of Jesus Christ in order to “hear/understand” it. Faith means everyone has change and grow into the larger, inclusive truth that the Gospel invites us into. God has provided the means of grace for all comers, but how he applies it varies considerably.