Read the passage: Romans 11 (ESV, Bible Gateway)
Verses 1-5
- What question is Paul addressing and how does he answer it?
- Given his past, why is Paul a good example for not thinking that God has given up on people?
- Is there someone, or a type of person, you have or are tempted to give up on, as having no prospect of coming to Christ? Conversely, have you seen someone come to Christ who you would never have imagined that happening to?
- Considering v5-6, why is grace the reason why we should not think God has given up on ethnic Israel – or anyone else?
Verses 7-8
- Israel tried to find righteousness by its own efforts, rather than as a gift from God. They hardened themselves to His gift, and as a result God further hardened them. Paul then quotes from Moses and Isaiah: Look up Deuteronomy 29.2-4 and Isaiah 29.10. What does the fact that Paul can use such examples from Israel’s past tell us?
- How might an individual or a church have a culture that rejects grace, and what might this look like in practice?
Verses 9-10
- What are the consequences of refusing and resisting God?
Verses 11-12
- In these verses, Paul deals with another question. What is it, and what two answers does he give?
- In what ways might a Jewish person be jealous of a Gentile’s Christian faith, or of Gentiles as a group coming to faith?
- As an example, look at Acts 6.1-7. Luke describes how, after the early church organised itself to practically care for one another, a large number of Jewish priests converted. How might those two things (practical care and the conversion of priests) be connected to each other, and why might this be an example of the ‘jealousy’ Paul is talking of?
- Would a committed member of another religion look at your own life, or at your church, and be envious of it? Can you give any examples of this being the case?
- In what ways might a Jewish person be jealous of a Gentile’s Christian faith, or of Gentiles as a group coming to faith?
Verses 12-16
- I these verses, Paul raises an element of hope. What is it?
- As you look at the level of acceptance/rejection of Christianity in our own culture, are you hopeful or despondent and why?
Verses 17-24
- What danger does Paul highlight in realising that you are chosen by God, and experiencing things others are not? How does Paul say we should rather think?
- There can be times when those who believe in predestination, election and God’s sovereignty can come across as proud, arrogant and judgmental of other Christians. Why might this be the case, and why is it totally antithetical to the whole concept of grace?
- Tragically, there is a long history of anti-semitism in the ‘Christian’ West and the wider church. Why is a hatred of Jewish people totally contrary to the gospel generally, and what Paul writes here in particular?
Verses 20-22
- The term ‘spiritual presumption’ is the idea that it doesn’t matter how you live/behave because you’re chosen, you believe in Jesus, and God is a God of grace anyway. Why is such a view dangerous?
- In v22 Paul says we are to note the kindness and the severity of God. Which of those do you tend to lean towards naturally. What goes wrong if you – or a church – emphasises one over the other?
Verses 25-32
- What great prospect does Paul bring up?
- What might Paul mean by ‘all Israel will be saved’? And how should this inspire us?
Verse 33-36 to wrap it up
- The issues covered in ch 9-11 are a cause of debate, and even argument/conflict. Paul says we should have a different response. What is that?
- Why are humility and worship appropriate responses to God’s sovereignty? Are they for you?
- Why is a sense of mystery an appropriate part of worship?
- In v34 Paul quotes Isaiah 40.13 and in v35 Job 41.11. This means, as Paul now moves into worship he is recalling and meditating on God’s word. Why does true worship require us to meditate on God’s truth?
- How might meditating on God’s word in your personal life inspire and increase your personal worship? Are you already doing this?
Leader’s notes
Verses 1-5
- What question is Paul addressing and how does he answer it?
The question is whether the negative response to the gospel by the Jewish people of Paul’s day is a sign that God has rejected them. Paul says definitely not. He gives two reasons why: 1. He himself is (very) Jewish. 2. The example of Elijah, who felt like he was the only person who was worshipping the true God, whereas in fact God had preserved a remnant of true believers unknown to Elijah. So too, God had saved a remnant of Jewish people in their day.- Is there someone, or a type of person, you have or are tempted to give up on, as having no prospect of coming to Christ? Conversely, have you seen someone come to Christ who you would never have imagined that happening to?
- Considering v5-6, why is grace the reason why we should not think God has given up on ethnic Israel – or anyone else?
Because people coming to faith in Christ does not depend on their good moral conduct, or right beliefs now – as if they can earn God’s choosing them in the future. It’s based on grace. That means that how people are responding now (i.e badly) does not rule out the fact that in His grace God may actually have chosen them.
- Considering v5-6, why is grace the reason why we should not think God has given up on ethnic Israel – or anyone else?
- Is there someone, or a type of person, you have or are tempted to give up on, as having no prospect of coming to Christ? Conversely, have you seen someone come to Christ who you would never have imagined that happening to?
Verses 7-8
- Israel tried to find righteousness by its own efforts, rather than as a gift from God. They hardened themselves to His gift, and as a result God further hardened them. Paul then quotes from Moses and Isaiah: Look up Deuteronomy 29.2-4 and Isaiah 29.10. What does the fact that Paul can use such examples from Israel’s past tell us?
This was not a new situation! In both Moses’ and Isaiah’s time, ethnic Israel had hardened their hearts against God and as a result God had given them over to hardness of heart.- How might an individual or a church have a culture that rejects grace, and what might this look like in practice?
People and churches can be motivated by fear or pride in their approach to God. They can be very serious about pursuing holiness, and being right with God, but do so out of fear or pride or the desire to win the approval of others, and do this depending on their own efforts, not acknowledging their need for God’s help. This can create a culture that is judgmental of others. It can also tend to narrowly define sin as those things ‘outsiders’ do – while being blind to the sins of pride, racism, anger, greed that may be prevalent in its own community.
- How might an individual or a church have a culture that rejects grace, and what might this look like in practice?
Verses 9-10
- What are the consequences of refusing and resisting God?
If we reject God, God will reject us; if we harden our hearts, God will harden them. This puts us on a downward spiral of refusing grace and growing self-righteousness.
Verses 11-12
- In these verses, Paul deals with another question. What is it, and what two answers does he give?
His question is, is the failure of Jewish people to believe the gospel the end of them and of God’s dealings with them? Paul’s answer is ‘no!’ 1. Their failure to believe has meant the gospel has spread to non-Jewish people. If every Jew and every synagogue had accepted the gospel, the gospel and the church may very likely have stayed an entirely Jewish thing. Instead, their refusal to believe encouraged the apostles to take the gospel directly to Gentiles. 2. The fact that so many Gentiles have believed provoked Jewish people to jealousy. So, Paul’s argument is that Jewish refusal leads to salvation of the Gentiles. And the salvation of the Gentiles leads to the salvation of Jews.- In what ways might a Jewish person be jealous of a Gentile’s Christian faith, or of Gentiles as a group coming to faith?
Some examples: Positively, they can see OT prophecies being fulfilled in Gentiles turning to Israel’s God; the Christian view of God as Father, with whom we can have a personal and intimate relationship goes further than the Jewish view typically goes – and they might wish that was true for them. Negatively: they see their scriptures and history becoming something that Gentiles also lay claim to and this can be resented.- As an example, look at Acts 6.1-7. Luke describes how, after the early church organised itself to practically care for one another, a large number of Jewish priests converted. How might those two things (practical care and the conversion of priests) be connected to each other, and why might this be an example of the ‘jealousy’ Paul is talking of?
It was the priests’ responsibility to collect tithes and offerings, and to use these to help support the poor. Within Judaism, this system did not work as it should have. If priests then saw such a system working well, as Christians generously gave and supported one another, that would have been very attractive to them.
- As an example, look at Acts 6.1-7. Luke describes how, after the early church organised itself to practically care for one another, a large number of Jewish priests converted. How might those two things (practical care and the conversion of priests) be connected to each other, and why might this be an example of the ‘jealousy’ Paul is talking of?
- In what ways might a Jewish person be jealous of a Gentile’s Christian faith, or of Gentiles as a group coming to faith?
Verses 12-16
- I these verses, Paul raises an element of hope. What is it?
Ethnic Israel’s full inclusion. People like Paul are the first fruits of something far greater that God is going to do.
Verses 17-24
- What danger does Paul highlight in realising that you are chosen by God, and experiencing things others are not? How does Paul say we should rather think?
Gentiles can become proud that they have now become God’s people and the Jewish people are cut off. Instead, Paul says, we should realise that we are grafted into the trunk of faith and God’s historic people – Israel. We should be humble, not proud.- There can be times when those who believe in predestination, election and God’s sovereignty can come across as proud, arrogant and judgmental of other Christians. Why might this be the case, and why is it totally antithetical to the whole concept of grace?
It’s acknowledged, even in Reformed circles, that there can be a problem in people who hold to the ‘doctrines of grace’ being proud and looking down on others who see things differently. This could be that a certain type of personality is attracted to these doctrines, rather than the doctrines themselves being the cause of these problems. However, it is also possible to know that you are chosen by God and that become a thing of pride for you. This is very wrong! If we are called and chosen it is entirely because of God’s grace and nothing to do with us. It should be a reason for deep humility and gratitude, not pride and judgmentalism of others.
- There can be times when those who believe in predestination, election and God’s sovereignty can come across as proud, arrogant and judgmental of other Christians. Why might this be the case, and why is it totally antithetical to the whole concept of grace?
Verses 20-22
- The term ‘spiritual presumption’ is the idea that it doesn’t matter how you live/behave because you’re chosen, you believe in Jesus, and God is a God of grace anyway. Why is such a view dangerous?
Paul says we must continue in God’s kindness: we must daily realise we are saved by grace, and grace alone. The only proof that we really are chosen and saved is the ongoing proof of that in our lives: that we are growing more humble, thankful, and Christ-like, not more proud, arrogant, hateful. Paul does not mean you can lose your salvation. He means that a failure to continue in God’s kindness proves someone was never saved in the first place.
Verses 25-32
- What great prospect does Paul bring up?
Once God has brought in all the Gentiles He has chosen and called, the Jewish people will be saved.- What might Paul mean by ‘all Israel will be saved’? And how should this inspire us?
Option 1: All ‘true’ Israel – Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ – will be saved ; Option 2: And given the context of Romans 11 this is much more likely: all/the significant majority of Jewish people will respond positively to the gospel. This is a huge incentive to ongoing mission to Jewish people, because ‘to be saved’ means to come to trust in Christ – it does not mean that they will be saved just by being Jewish. ‘All’ Israel does not necessarily mean that every Jewish person, without anyone left out, will be saved, but the majority of Jewish people, or a very significant number of them will be. This could be a massive turning to Christ at the end of time, or, more likely, a steady and growing stream of Jewish people turning to Him.
- What might Paul mean by ‘all Israel will be saved’? And how should this inspire us?
Verse 33-36 to wrap it up
- The issues covered in ch 9-11 are a cause of debate, and even argument/conflict. Paul says we should have a different response. What is that?
- Why is a sense of mystery an appropriate part of worship?
For example, consider how a God we knew totally, whose actions we could totally predict, who always behaved in predictable ways, would be limited and unlikely to inspire worship. Such a God would be little more than an extension of ourselves. Whereas, a God who is above and beyond us, whose thoughts are not ours, who is sovereign in all He does and answers to no-one, and yet is absolutely good, inspires awe- filled worship. - In v34 Paul quotes Isaiah 40.13 and in v35 Job 41.11. This means, as Paul now moves into worship he is recalling and meditating on God’s word. Why does true worship require us to meditate on God’s truth?
For worship to be true, we must worship God as He is, not a construct of our imagination, or an extension of our own personality. To do this, our worship must be soaked in God’s word – His revelation of Himself.
- Why is a sense of mystery an appropriate part of worship?
Download the complete study: Bible study on Romans (PDF) and leader’s guide (PDF)