The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

I Demaund then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid: for I also am an Israelite, of the seede of Abraham, of the tribe of Beniamin.

God hath not cast away his people which he knew before. Know ye not what the Scripture sayth of Elias, howe hee communeth with God against Israel, saying,

Lord, they haue killed thy Prophets, and digged downe thine altars: and I am left alone, and they seeke my life?

But what saith the answere of God to him? I haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousand men, which haue not bowed the knee to Baal.

Euen so then at this present time is there a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if it be of grace, it is no more of workes: or els were grace no more grace: but if it be of workes, it is no more grace: or els were worke no more worke.

What then? Israel hath not obtained that he sought: but the election hath obteined it, and the rest haue bene hardened,

According as it is written, God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber: eyes that they should not see, and eares that they should not heare vnto this day.

And Dauid sayth, Let their table be made a snare, and a net, and a stumbling blocke, euen for a recompence vnto them.

Let their eyes be darkened that they see not, and bowe downe their backe alwayes.

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

I demaund then, Haue they stumbled, that they should fall? God forbid: but through their fall, saluation commeth vnto the Gentiles, to prouoke them to follow them.

Wherefore if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more shall their aboundance be?

For in that I speake to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the Apostle of ye Gentiles, I magnifie mine office,

To trie if by any meanes I might prouoke them of my flesh to follow them, and might saue some of them.

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiuing be, but life from the dead?

For if the first fruites be holy, so is the whole lumpe: and if the roote be holy, so are the branches.

And though some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wilde Oliue tree, wast graft in for them, and made partaker of the roote, and fatnesse of the Oliue tree.

Boast not thy selfe against the branches: and if thou boast thy selfe, thou bearest not the roote, but the roote thee.

Thou wilt say then, The branches are broken off, that I might be graft in.

Well: through vnbeliefe they are broken off, and thou standest by faith: bee not hie minded, but feare.

For if God spared not the naturall branches, take heede, least he also spare not thee.

Beholde therefore the bountifulnesse, and seueritie of God: towarde them which haue fallen, seueritie: but toward thee, bountifulnesse, if thou continue in his bountifulnesse: or els thou shalt also be cut off.

And they also, if they abide not still in vnbeliefe, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graffe them in againe.

For if thou wast cut out of the Oliue tree, which was wilde by nature, and wast graffed contrary to nature in a right Oliue tree, how much more shall they that are by nature, bee graffed in their owne Oliue tree?

All Israel Will Be Saved

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this secret (least ye should bee arrogant in your selues) that partly obstinacie is come to Israel, vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in.

And so all Israel shalbe saued, as it is written, The deliuerer shall come out of Sion, and shall turne away the vngodlinesse from Iacob.

And this is my couenant to them, When I shall take away their sinnes.

As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloued for the fathers sakes.

For the giftes and calling of God are without repentance.

For euen as yee in times past haue not beleeued God, yet haue nowe obteined mercie through their vnbeliefe:

Euen so nowe haue they not beleeued by the mercie shewed vnto you, that they also may obtaine mercie.

For God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe, that he might haue mercie on all.

A Hymn of Praise

(Isaiah 40:9–31)

O the deepenesse of the riches, both of the wisdome, and knowledge of God! howe vnsearcheable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out!

For who hath knowen the minde of the Lord? or who was his counsellour?

Or who hath giuen vnto him first, and he shalbe recompensed?

For of him, and through him, and for him are all things: to him be glory for euer. Amen.

I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:

“Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.”(a)

But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”(b)

Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.

According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” (c)

David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.”(d)

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

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

For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry,

if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.

For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?

If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree,

don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.

You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.”

True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear;

for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

All Israel Will Be Saved

For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers,(e) of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,

and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.”(f)

Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,

even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.

For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

A Hymn of Praise

(Isaiah 40:9–31)

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”(g)

“Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?”(h)

For of him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

Footnotes

(a)11:3 ℘ 1Kings 19:10,14

(b)11:4 ℘ 1Kings 19:18

(d)11:10 ℘ Psalms 69:22,23

(e)11:25 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(f)11:27 ℘ Isaiah 59:20-21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34

(g)11:34 ℘ Isaiah 40:13

(h)11:35 ℘ Job 41:11