Catholic Commentary on Romans 11

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Romans 11:33)

The Mystery of Israel

Has God rejected his people? By no means. Paul himself is proof: he is an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people whom he foreknew. At the time of Elijah, when the prophet thought he alone remained, God had reserved seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal. So too at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. The hardening that has come on part of Israel is not final but purposeful: through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke Israel to envy. And if their trespass means riches for the world, how much greater will their fullness be?

Paul uses the image of the olive tree. The Gentiles are wild branches grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Israel. They must not boast against the natural branches: if they were grafted in against nature, God is certainly able to graft the natural branches back in. And so all Israel will be saved. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. God has consigned all to disobedience in order to have mercy on all. The Catechism affirms the permanent covenant between God and the Jewish people and the Church's debt of gratitude to them (CCC 839). The mystery of Israel's place in salvation history is not resolved in this age; it will be resolved in God's time and by his mercy.

The meditation ends not in explanation but in doxology: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! The correct response to the mystery of election is not a tidy systematic answer but worship before the God whose ways are above our ways as the heavens are above the earth.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, when theology reaches its limits, it should become doxology. Paul has argued for three chapters about the hardest theological questions he knows, and he ends by falling to his knees. When your mind cannot go further, let it become a prayer. Oh, the depth of the riches of his wisdom. Say that and mean it. The mystery is not a failure of the argument. It is an invitation to worship.

Prayer

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out. To him be the glory forever. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. We trust the mercy that has been shown to us and we trust the mercy that will be shown to all. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

11
A Remnant Chosen by Grace
1 I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”* 11:3 1 Kings 19:10, 14?
 
4 And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”† 11:4 1 Kings 19:18
 
5 In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.‡ 11:6 BYZ and TR include But if it is by works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
 
7 What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
 
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see,
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.Ӥ 11:8 See Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10.
 
9 And David says:
 
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”* 11:10 Psalms 69:22–23 (see also LXX)
The Ingrafting of the Gentiles
 
11 I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?† 11:11 Or did they stumble so as to lose their share? Literally did they stumble that they might fall? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. 12 But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
 
13 I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
 
17 Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, 18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
 
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not ‡ 11:21 Or He will perhaps not; SBL, NE, and WH He will not spare you either.
 
22 Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
All Israel Will Be Saved
 
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
 
“The Deliverer will come from Zion;
He will remove godlessness from Jacob.
27 And this is My covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”§ 11:27 Isaiah 27:9 and Isaiah 59:20–21; see also LXX
 
28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. 29 For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.
 
30 Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, 31 so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.* 11:31 Literally may now receive mercy through your mercy; BYZ and TR may receive mercy through your mercy 32 For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.
A Hymn of Praise
(Isaiah 40:9–31)
 
33 O, the depth of the riches
of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments,
and untraceable His ways!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?Ӡ 11:34 Isaiah 40:13 (see also LXX)
35 “Who has first given to God,
that God should repay him?”‡ 11:35 Job 41:11
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

*11:3 11:3 1 Kings 19:10, 14

†11:4 11:4 1 Kings 19:18

‡11:6 11:6 BYZ and TR include But if it is by works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

§11:8 11:8 See Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10.

*11:10 11:10 Psalms 69:22–23 (see also LXX)

†11:11 11:11 Or did they stumble so as to lose their share? Literally did they stumble that they might fall?

‡11:21 11:21 Or He will perhaps not; SBL, NE, and WH He will not

§11:27 11:27 Isaiah 27:9 and Isaiah 59:20–21; see also LXX

*11:31 11:31 Literally may now receive mercy through your mercy; BYZ and TR may receive mercy through your mercy

†11:34 11:34 Isaiah 40:13 (see also LXX)

‡11:35 11:35 Job 41:11

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