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1 MESSAGE NOTES Lesson Focus: Rom 11: Optional Review: Leaders, It will be difficult to interpret Rom 11:7-24 without understanding the foundation Paul has already laid in Romans regarding Israel. This review will take time. If you think it is too long, you may want to summarize the main points for your group. Or, you may want to just focus on the conclusions provided at the end of the review. If you decide not to use it with your group, it might be helpful for you, the leader, to review these verses. 1. Read Rom 1:16. Why was Paul not ashamed of the gospel, Rom 1:16? It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Which 2 groups of people are specifically mentioned in Rom 1:16? The Jew first and also to the Greek (ie Gentiles). How will the righteous man live, Jew or Gentile? By faith 2. Read Rom 2: What is the contrast in these verses? The outward Jew who is physically circumcised vs the inward Jew whose circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit Which person receives praise from God? The inward Jew 3. Read Rom 9:6. Are all Jews children of God, ie saved? No, not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, v6. 4. Read Rom 9:27. How many Jews will be saved? only a remnant of them (Israel) will be saved. How many Jews were saved in Paul s day, according to Rom 11:5? A remnant was saved, chosen by grace. 5. How did Israel pursue righteousness according to Rom 9:32-33? By works, not by faith Copyright 2013, Providence Church Page 1

2 6. What additional insights does Paul provide about Israel in Rom 10:2-3? Israel was passionate about God but they tried to establish their own righteousness instead of submitting to God s righteousness. 7. How is Israel described in Rom 10:21? Disobedient and contrary 8. Has God rejected Israel (11:1)? May it never be! Conclusions: 1. A person (Jew or Gentile) is saved by believing the gospel. 2. Not all Jews are children of God, ie saved. 3. Many Jews pursue righteousness by their works instead of by faith. 3. God has not rejected Israel. II. Observing and Discussing Rom 11:7-24: Leaders, The verses we are studying this week are complex. There are several potential issues that may be difficult to resolve without careful study. Remind your group that it will be important not to bog down on certain verses but to work through all of the verses in this section. Try to focus on the obvious, not the obscure! There are notes provided to you, the leader, to hopefully assist you during your group s discussion. The big take away from these verses is God's grace and His faithfulness to His Word! If your group becomes bogged down in the details, keep taking them back to the basic message that salvation is rooted in God's grace...for the Jew and the Gentile. No one deserves this precious gift. Keep that at the center of your discussion! 1. Read Rom 11:5-10. Who obtained righteousness? The remnant (v5), the elect (v7) What was the basis for God s choosing? Grace, vv5-6 What happened to most of Israel? They were hardened. Who did the hardening? God Hardened: callous, made hard like a stone, insensible to the touch. In the NT this word is applied only in a spiritual sense to the hearts and minds of men. Copyright 2013, Providence Church Page 2

3 Leaders: If people in your group struggle with this idea of hardening, it might be helpful to remind them of the hardening process described in Romans 1:24,26, 28. In chapter 1, Paul was describing men who suppress the truth about God. As a result, God gives them over to various sins. In Romans Paul teaches that all people are born in Adam (chap 5) and are in a hardening process unless God chooses to intervene with grace. This applies to Jews and Gentiles. Early in Romans Paul laid the foundation for what he is teaching here in chapter 11. Note: Paul does not apologize or try to soften what he is teaching. He refers to several verses from the Old Testament to support what he is teaching here in chap 11 (Is 29:10, Deut 29:4, Ps 69:22). In other words, this is not new information. 2. Read Rom 11: To whom is Paul speaking in these verses? Gentiles, v13. Why would Jews be jealous of Gentiles being included among God s people? When you read these verses, do you see any future hope for Israel? See v 12 ( their full inclusion ), v14 (make them jealous and thus save some of them ), v15 ( their acceptance means life from the dead ) Where do you see God s grace in these verses? 3. Read Rom 11: Leaders, there are 2 illustrations in these verses: the firstfruits of the dough and the olive trees. He begins with the idea of firstfruits and sets the stage for the more complex illustration of the olive trees. He assumed both images were familiar to his readers. Note: In the OT firstfruits typically referred to the 1 st fruit of a particular harvest. God taught Israel to offer the first of the harvest to Him so they would remember that He had provided the land and the fruit produced on that land. The first fruit of the harvest was representative of the rest of the harvest that would follow. In a similar way, when making bread, a small portion of the dough was separated, set aside, and given to the priests. That portion was representative of the rest of the dough. The entire batch of dough was set apart or holy. (Num 15:17-21) Many theologians believe that Paul was referring to the Jewish patriarchs as the 1 st lump of the dough. The patriarchs would include Abraham, Isaac, Jacob the early fathers of Israel. The rest of the dough (ie the lump ) refers to Israel. His conclusion is that if the patriarchs were holy, the rest of Israel is holy. Holy: set apart, consecrated, set apart from a common to a sacred use. Using a whiteboard (or posterboard), draw the illustration of the 2 trees Paul describes in vv As you draw, encourage your group to identify who is represented by each part of the picture. Leaders, it will be very helpful for you to illustrate what Paul is saying in these verses. If Copyright 2013, Providence Church Page 3

4 you do not have a whiteboard, use a large piece of paper or poster board so the group can work together to illustrate this image. The root is probably referring to the Jewish patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (like the 1st of the dough). The cultivated tree represents the people of God. In the Old Testament, Israel comprised the majority of God s people, although there were Gentiles who were saved during the OT times (ex Rahab and Ruth). Beginning in the middle of the 1 st century, this pattern reversed and Gentiles became the majority of God s people (the church). The church has always had a remnant of Jews who believed in Christ as their Messiah. The wild olive tree represents Gentiles. Note: The root system of a wild olive tree is typically strong and enables the tree to endure tough conditions. However, the quality of its fruit tends to be poor and useless. The fruit of a cultivated olive tree is superior. Farmers learned long ago to graft cultivated branches onto wild olive trees, combining the best qualities of both. In this metaphor, Paul reverses the typical practice and pictures unfruitful, useless wild olive branches being grafted into a cultivated tree. The cultivated tree is pictured as the one having the strong root system which nourishes and gives life to the entire tree. The picture Paul describes goes against normal horticultural practice but it is a beautiful picture of God s grace, a major theme running through these verses! Some possible discussion questions: -Why were some of the natural branches cut off? V20: because of their unbelief. Who do these branches represent? Unbelieving Jews -Can the branches that were cut off be grafted back into the tree? Yes! How? V23: If they do not continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted in. -Who are the wild branches who are grafted into the cultivated tree? Gentiles who believe the gospel. -What are the specific warnings and instructions given to the wild branches who are grafted into the tree? V18: Do not be arrogant towards the branches (Jews)! Remember that the root supports you. V20: Stand fast through faith! Do not become proud but fear. Vv21-22: continue in faith or you will be cut off! Copyright 2013, Providence Church Page 4

5 Continue: to abide, to persevere, to remain -Why could it be a temptation for Gentile believers to become arrogant towards Jews? -Where do you see God's grace in this illustration? Note to Leaders: Some people in your group may think that Paul is teaching in these verses that an individual believer can lose his/her salvation. If this issue arises, here are some questions to consider as a group: -Has Paul previously taught in Romans that a believer is secure and cannot lose his salvation? Yes! -Where has he taught that a believer is secure? Ex: Rom 6:3-11, 8:1-2, 14-17, Is Paul contradicting what he has already taught about a believer s security? No! -How can we resolve this issue? These verses must be interpreted within the context of chapters Paul is discussing God s dealings with Israel in chapters In this particular image, he is primarily focusing on people groups, Jews and Gentiles (the church). If a person is cut off, that person was not a true child of God. A true child of God continues in faith (see 1 Jn 2:19).(Here are additional references that support that a believer cannot lose his/her salvation: Jn 6:37-40, 44; Jn 10:27-29; 1 Jn 2:19; Phil 1:6; 1 Cor 1:8-9; Jude 24.) It is helpful to keep in mind that there was no Israel before Abraham. Israel as a nation began with the descendants of Abraham. God set Israel apart as a nation and revealed many things about Himself to them and through them. But, not every Jewish person submitted to God in faith. Those who did not submit received many blessings because they were part of the nation of Israel but they were not saved. Paul made this point earlier in Romans (see Rom 9:4-5). Gentiles who submit to God in faith become part of the people of God, chosen and set apart, rooted and nourished in the faith of the Jewish patriarchs. Jews who put their faith in the blood of Christ are grafted into that same tree. The patriarchs, Jewish believers, and Gentile believers are all part of the cultivated tree because of God s grace. One of the main points in this illustration is to warn Gentile believers to not be arrogant towards Israel. Understanding grace should drive us to humility, not pride. III. Lesson Wrap Up: -Think back over Romans 11:1-24. Review the big picture truths Paul has stated about God, Israel, and salvation: God has not rejected His people, Israel. (v1-2) God has always preserved a remnant of faithful Israel. (vv4, 5) Copyright 2013, Providence Church Page 5

6 Salvation came to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. (v11) God has the power to graft Jews into His tree when they believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. v(23) God is kind and He is severe. (v22) Kindness: Good, usefulness, forbearance. fruit tree Severe: a cutting off, severing, as of a man cutting off dead or useless boughs from a Salvation is through faith by God s grace, Jew or Gentile. (v5) -What are the warnings for those of us who are Gentile believers? Do not be arrogant! Walk humbly! Persevere in faith! Do not be complacent! Copyright 2013, Providence Church Page 6