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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Romans 11:28 - 11:32
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God's mercy upon all:
v. 28. As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes; but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
v. 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
v. 30. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief,
v. 31. even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
v. 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all.
This statement is parallel to the previous one; it makes practically the same assertion regarding the great mass of the unbelieving Jews. According to the Gospel, so far as the Gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sakes, but according to the election, so far as the election is concerned, they are beloved because of the fathers. On the one hand, the Jews are enemies of God, because they are hostile in their attitude to the Gospel. And this attitude has resulted in the benefit of the Gentiles, it has given them salvation. This is true of unbelief in general. On the other hand, they are beloved of God, so far as the election is concerned. God loves the Jews, to whom the apostle here refers, because He has chosen them from the beginning, has selected them for His own. This act of God was done for the sake of, in the interest of, the fathers, the patriarchs; for unregretted are the gifts and the calling of God. What God has once decided upon with reference to the election of grace is not subject to change and recall on His part. In extending His gracious call to the patriarchs, in making them the bearers of the promise, He has called them to salvation in Christ. Because God has chosen the Jews from the beginning and called them by and in the promise given to the fathers unto salvation in Christ, and because this election and call of God must surely accomplish its object, therefore the Jews whom Paul here has in mind are even now, although as yet without faith, beloved of God. According to their unbelief, they are enemies of God, who must condemn their hatred of Him; but according to the election, they are His beloved, although not yet in possession of salvation.
This saying sounds so self-contradictory that Paul adds a further word of explanation: For even as you at one time were disobedient to God, but now have experienced His mercy through the unbelief of these Jews, thus also these now have become disobedient, in order that through the mercy which you have experienced they also now might receive mercy, vv. 30-31. The Gentile Christians before their conversion had been disobedient to the will of God, chap. 1:18 ff. But now, having heard the Gospel, these former Gentiles had experienced and received the mercy of God. And this great boon had come upon them through the disobedience of the Jews, because the Jews at that time did not want to accept the Messiah and the obedience of the Gospel. And in the same manner, St. Paul argues, the Jews have entered into the state of disobedience, of unbelief, and therefore may well be shown the mercy of God unto conversion, the same mercy and grace which the heathen have experienced. What God did to the Gentiles He is fully able to do for the Jews, who are now in the position with reference to God which the Gentiles formerly occupied; He is able to change the disobedience of the Jews into obedience, just as He did in the case of the Gentiles. For God-has comprehended, taken together, all these under disobedience, in order to have mercy upon all; He has abandoned all the people of whom the apostle has spoken to disobedience, that in His time He might bring them to faith and impart to them His mercy in Jesus Christ. What an untold wealth of mercy is that of our God in using even the obstinacy and the trespasses of men in order to bring the riches of His grace to others! Note: This mercy should have its effect upon us also in this way, that we make use of merciful patience in judging and in dealing with other people. God may well do for those that are now in the depths of unbelief and contradiction against God what He did for us, and thus bring them into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ.