Romans 11:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.”

NIV: Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me'?

NASB: Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.'

CSB: Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life!

NLT: Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.'

KJV: Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

NKJV: “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?

Paul is debunking the idea that God has rejected His people Israel. For one thing, Paul wrote, he himself is an Israelite and God has not rejected him. Instead, by God's grace, Paul has come to God through faith in Christ as an Israelite. To show that there are others, Paul now quotes from a conversation between God and the prophet Elijah.

Elijah, discouraged from standing alone against those who worshiped Baal, said the words of this verse in 1 Kings 19:10. His complaint was against God's people Israel. They had killed the other prophets of God. They had destroyed the altars used for making legitimate offerings to God. Elijah believed he was the only one left still faithful to the Lord, and they wanted to kill him, too. Elijah was convinced he was speaking of all the other Israelites on the planet. Everyone else has turned away from God and to the worship of Baal.

God showed Elijah that this was not true. Paul, too, will show that a remnant of Israelites has remained faithful to God by having faith in Christ.

Romans 11:1–10 finds Paul insisting that God has not rejected Israel forever, despite her refusal to come to Christ. For one thing, Paul himself and a remnant of Jewish people have trusted in Christ by God's grace. God has hardened the rest of Israel in her unbelief, causing her to trip over the stumbling block that is Jesus Christ. They remain unable, for now, to see that following the law will not bring them to God's righteousness. But the story isn't over.

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 5/5/2024 1:46:11 AM