Greater Riches To the World Through Israel’s Restoration
Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! Romans 11:11,12
Paul began this chapter asking whether God had rejected His people. He recognised that while a believing remnant remained, the majority had been hardened. Now he asks whether this is final: ‘Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!’ Paul’s purpose in 11:11-32 is to explain why this isn’t his thinking.
Their ‘transgression’ (11:11) of rejecting God’s grace in Christ has led to salvation for the Gentiles. ‘Because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles’ (11:11). Paul’s own ministry from the book of Acts shows how this happened historically. Again and again he preached the gospel in a synagogue, meeting with only moderate response before eventually being rejected. He and his companions then turned to the Gentiles, who generally welcomed their message (Acts 13:44-47; 14:1-3; 18:4-7; 19:8-10; 28:23-29).
But this pattern was more than a historical accident. As Paul develops in this letter to the church in Rome, Jewish rejection and Gentile acceptance was God’s plan for the salvation of the world. His sequence of thought is like a chain with three links
1. already through Israel’s fall, salvation has come to the Gentiles
2. this Gentile salvation will make Israel envious and so lead to her restoration or ‘fullness’
3. Israel’s fullness will bring yet much greater riches to the world
In 11:11-16 Paul traces this same development twice, first in general terms (11:11,12) and then with particular reference to his personal ministry as apostle to the Gentiles.
The first stage has already taken place. Gentiles are coming to Christ in numbers; so Paul goes to the second stage: ‘salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious’ (11:11). Borrowing the language of Deuteronomy 32:21 (quoted in Romans 10:19), Paul states that the salvation of the Gentiles has the purpose of making Israel ‘envious’ (11:11). When Israel sees the blessings of salvation being enjoyed by believing Gentiles, (their reconciliation to God and to each other, their forgiveness, their love, joy and peace through the Spirit), they will want these blessings for themselves. This will lead to their repentance and faith in Jesus.
But this restoration of Israel will lead to a third stage, as the salvation enjoyed by Israel spills over into further blessing for the world. ‘But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!’ (11:12). If Israel’s fall (‘transgression’) and defeat or overthrow (the meanings of the word ‘loss’) brought blessings to the Gentiles, how much more blessing would her ‘fullness’ bring? Paul is thinking not only of her conversion and restoration, but also increase in numbers. As for the Gentiles, the blessing they have received through Israel’s fall is called ‘salvation’ and ‘riches,’ but the blessing they will receive through Israel’s fullness is called ‘much greater riches.’