Romans 11 on the ‘Natural Branches’: “Hardened,” they “fell;” so were “broken off.” Paul calls them “enemies of the Gospel” “until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in,” after which “all” will be saved!

The truth about Romans 11, which explains a lot about what’s happened regarding the true Judaics, and what will happen in the future.

“Replacement theology” isn’t Biblical, since God still has a plan for the true Judaics, the “natural branches,” who will be grafted in again after the “fullness of the Gentiles” happens.

Currently, the majority are still “enemies of the Gospel” (verse 28) until the fullness of the Gentiles happens, which will be the real Christianity, Greatest Awakening, when we finally get our act together, life in the Son — Jesus’ prayer of oneness in John 17 and God’s desire of unity and holiness in Ephesians 4:11-16 realized!

Key Points:

• Hearts were hardened; though, small remnant  v. 7 – 8

• “Fell”  v. 11, 22

• the natural branches were broken off  v. 17

• “..a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved.”  v. 25

• “Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake.”  v. 28

• “have been disobedient”  v. 30-31

Romans 11 Highlighted (WEB)

¹ 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. ² God didn’t reject his people, which he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel: ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.” ⁴ But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ⁶ 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.

⁷ What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. ⁸ 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.”  ⁹ David says,

¹¹ 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. ¹² Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? ¹³ For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; ¹⁴ if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. ¹⁵ For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ 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, ¹⁸ don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; ²¹ for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²² 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. ²³ They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ 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?

²⁵ For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, 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, ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written,

²⁸ Concerning the Good News, they are enemies* for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, ³¹ even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. ³² For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

• Paul further explains the “enemies” factor in 1 Thess. 2

¹⁴ For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen [commentaries explain], even as they did from the Jews ¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men, ¹⁶ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.