上帝不放弃以色列人

11 这样,难道上帝放弃了祂的子民吗?当然没有!因我自己也是以色列人,是亚伯拉罕的后裔,属于便雅悯支派。 上帝并没有放弃祂预先拣选的子民。你们不知道圣经上有关以利亚先知的记载吗?他在上帝面前控告以色列人,说: “主啊!他们残杀你的先知,拆毁你的祭坛,只剩下我一个人,他们还要杀我。” 上帝怎样回答呢?祂说:“我为自己留下七千人,他们未曾跪拜巴力。”

现在的情况也是一样,上帝按照拣选的恩典留下了少数人。 既然说是出于恩典,就不再基于行为,不然恩典就不再是恩典了。 这该怎么说呢?以色列人努力追求,却一无所得,只有蒙拣选的人得到了,其他的人都变得顽固不化。 正如圣经上说:

“上帝使他们至今心智昏迷,
眼睛看不见,耳朵听不到。”

大卫也说:

“愿他们的宴席成为网罗、
陷阱、绊脚石,
给他们带来报应;
10 愿他们眼目昏暗,
无法看见,
永远弯腰驼背。”

11 那么,以色列人一失足就再也爬不起来了吗?当然不是!恰好相反,因他们的过犯,救恩临到了外族人,使他们心生嫉妒。 12 如果他们的过犯给世界带来了富足,他们的失败给外族人带来了富足,那么,他们发愤回头的时候岂不要带来更大的祝福吗?

外族人得救

13 我有话要对你们外族人说,因为我是外族人的使徒,我尊重自己的职分, 14 希望使我的骨肉同胞心生嫉妒,好使他们当中的一些人得救。 15 如果他们被抛弃,人类便有机会与上帝和好,那么,当他们被接纳的时候,又将怎样呢?岂不是要死而复生吗? 16 献祭时所献的那部分面团如果圣洁,整团面也圣洁;树根如果圣洁,树枝也圣洁。

17 如果橄榄树上有几条枝子被折了下来,你这野橄榄枝被接了上去,得以汲取橄榄树根供应的汁浆,你就不可向折下来的枝子夸口。 18 你怎能夸口呢?要知道:不是你托住树根,而是树根托住你。 19 你也许会说:“原来的枝子被折下来,是为了把我接上去。” 20 不错,他们因为不信被折了下来,而你因为信被接了上去,然而不要自高,要敬畏上帝。 21 上帝既然没有留下原来的枝子,也可以不留下你。 22 可见,上帝既慈爱又严厉。祂对堕落的人是严厉的,对你却是慈爱的。你要常常活在祂的爱中,不然你也会被砍下来。 23 当然,如果以色列人不再顽固不信,必会重新被接上去,因为上帝能把他们重新接上。 24 你这从野生的橄榄树上砍下来的枝子,尚且可以违反自然,被接到好橄榄树上,何况原来的枝子被接回到原来的树上呢?

全以色列都要得救

25 弟兄姊妹,我不愿意你们对以下这奥秘一无所知,还自以为聪明。这奥秘就是:虽然有些以色列人的心刚硬,但等到外族人得救的数目满了以后, 26 全以色列都要得救。正如圣经上说:“救主必从锡安出来,祂将除去雅各子孙的罪恶。 27 那时我要除去他们的罪,这是我与他们所立的约。”

28 就福音而论,他们成为上帝的仇敌是为了使你们得到福音;就上帝的拣选而论,因为他们祖先的缘故,他们仍是上帝所爱的。 29 因为上帝绝不会收回祂的恩赐和呼召。 30 你们从前不顺服上帝,然而因为他们的不顺服,你们现在反蒙了怜悯。 31 同样,他们现在不顺服是为了使你们蒙怜悯,好使他们也蒙怜悯。 32 因为上帝把世人都归在不顺服之列,是为了要怜悯世人。

颂赞上帝

33 啊,上帝的智慧和知识多么博大精深!
祂的判断多么难测!
祂的踪迹多么难寻!
34 谁曾知道主的心意?
谁曾做过祂的谋士?
35 谁曾给过祂,
等祂偿还呢?
36 因为万物都源于祂,
倚靠祂,归于祂。
愿荣耀归给祂,
直到永远。阿们!

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I say then, (A)has God cast away His people? (B)Certainly not! For (C)I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom (D)He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, (E)Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? (F)“I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” (G)Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And (H)if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. [a]But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

What then? (I)Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were (J)blinded. Just as it is written:

(K)“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
(L)Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”

And David says:

(M)“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.”

Israel’s Rejection Not Final

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But (N)through their [b]fall, to provoke them to (O)jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their [c]fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as (P)I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and (Q)save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be (R)but life from the dead?

16 For if (S)the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if (T)some of the branches were broken off, (U)and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and [d]fatness of the olive tree, 18 (V)do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of (W)unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, [e]goodness, (X)if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise (Y)you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, (Z)if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be (AA)wise in your own [f]opinion, that (AB)blindness in part has happened to Israel (AC)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be [g]saved, as it is written:

(AD)“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For (AE)this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are (AF)beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are (AG)irrevocable. 30 For as you (AH)were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has [h]committed them (AI)all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

34 “For who has known the (AJ)mind of the Lord?
Or (AK)who has become His counselor?”
35 “Or(AL) who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”

36 For (AM)of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, (AN)to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 11:6 NU omits the rest of v. 6.
  2. Romans 11:11 trespass
  3. Romans 11:12 trespass
  4. Romans 11:17 richness
  5. Romans 11:22 NU adds of God
  6. Romans 11:25 estimation
  7. Romans 11:26 Or delivered
  8. Romans 11:32 shut them all up in

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people?(A) Absolutely not!(B) For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,(C) from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.(D) Or don’t you know(E) what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel? 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![a](F) But what was God’s answer to him? I have left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal.[b](G) In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.(H) Now if by grace,(I) then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.[c]

What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for,(J) but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,(K) as it is written,

God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that cannot see
and ears that cannot hear,
to this day.[d](L)

And David says,

Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a pitfall and a retribution to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and their backs be bent continually.[e](M)

Israel’s Rejection Not Final

11 I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles(N) to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!(O)

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles,(P) I magnify my ministry, 14 if I might somehow make my own people[f](Q) jealous and save some of them.(R) 15 For if their rejection brings reconciliation(S) to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?(T) 16 Now if the firstfruits are holy,(U) so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 Now if some of the branches were broken off,(V) and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them(W) and have come to share in the rich root[g] of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.(X) 19 Then you will say,(Y) “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith.(Z) Do not be arrogant, but beware,[h](AA) 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness(AB) toward you—if you remain in his kindness.(AC) Otherwise you too will be cut off.(AD) 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief,(AE) will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 I don’t want you to be ignorant(AF) of this mystery,(AG) brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited:(AH) A partial hardening has come upon Israel(AI) until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.(AJ) 26 And in this way all[i] Israel will be saved, as it is written,

The Deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this will be my covenant with them[j](AK)
when I take away their sins.[k](AL)

28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage,(AM) but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs,(AN) 29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling(AO) are irrevocable.[l](AP) 30 As you once disobeyed God but now have received mercy through their disobedience, 31 so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also may now[m] receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience(AQ) so that he may have mercy on all.

A Hymn of Praise

33 Oh, the depth of the riches(AR)
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!(AS)
How unsearchable his judgments(AT)
and untraceable his ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?(AU)
Or who has been his counselor?
35 And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid?[n](AV)
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.(AW)
To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. 11:3 1Kg 19:10,14
  2. 11:4 1Kg 19:18
  3. 11:6 Other mss add But if of works it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
  4. 11:8 Dt 29:4; Is 29:10
  5. 11:9–10 Ps 69:22–23
  6. 11:14 Lit flesh
  7. 11:17 Other mss read the root and the richness
  8. 11:20 Lit fear
  9. 11:26 Or And then all
  10. 11:26–27 Is 59:20–21
  11. 11:27 Jr 31:31–34
  12. 11:29 Or are not taken back
  13. 11:31 Other mss omit now
  14. 11:34–35 Jb 41:11; Is 40:13; Jr 23:18