Romans 11:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

NIV: For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

NASB: For if their rejection proves to be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

CSB: For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

NLT: For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!

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

NKJV: For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

Paul answers a question in this verse that he posed in verse 12, as well. There, he wrote that Israel's full inclusion in faith in Christ will mean a great deal for the Gentiles. It will be even greater than the riches of God's glory, received through faith in Christ, made available when Israel rejected Christ.

Now he asks a similar question. If Israel's rejection, by God and for a certain period, led to reconciliation with God for the rest of the world, what will be the benefit to the rest of the world when the fullness of Israelites is eventually accepted by God through faith in Christ? Paul writes that it will mean life from the dead.

Paul seems to be saying that God's eventual acceptance of Israel is somehow connected to the idea of resurrection, perhaps the future resurrection of the bodies of all who are in Christ at some future moment. The exact meaning of "life from the dead," however, is debated by Bible scholars.

Romans 11:11–24 describes why God has hardened Israel in her unbelief in Christ. It is to make room on God's figurative olive tree for the Gentile Christians. The old branches of unbelieving Jews have been broken off for now, and the new branches have been grafted in to the root. In turn, the salvation of so many Gentiles will provoke Israel to jealousy, drawing her back to God through faith in Christ when He removes the hardening of her unbelief. When that happens, after enough Gentiles have believed, the old branches of Jewish believers will be grafted back into the tree.

In Romans 11, Paul concludes his exploration of God's plan for His chosen people Israel. It's true that as a nation, Israel has rejected faith in Christ, but a remnant of Israelites has believed in Jesus. God has hardened the rest in unbelief, but will bring Israel back to faith when enough Gentiles have come to Him through Christ. Then many Israelites will trust in Christ, as well, and God will renew His covenant with His people. Paul concludes this section with a powerful poem or hymn about God's independence and how He is beyond our full comprehension.

Romans 11 concludes Paul's discussion about God's plan for the Israelites begun in Romans 9 and 10. Paul insists that, though Israel as a nation has rejected Christ, a remnant of Jewish Christians exists by God's grace. God has hardened the rest in their unbelief until enough Gentiles have come to Him through Christ. Then God will release Israel to believe in Christ and restore His covenant with her as many individual Jews come to faith in Christ, as well. Paul stands in awe of God's vast and unknowable mind and complete ownership of all things.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 5/3/2024 9:14:32 AM