Not Replacement, Grafting

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Romans 11:1-24

 

Romans 11:1

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,^[a] a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

(ESV)

 

In the previous chapter of Romans, Scripture established that salvation from sin was for all (Romans 10). In Romans 11:1-24, Paul deals with the belief that God has rejected the Jews because they rejected Jesus and God replaced them with the Church. Such a belief would go against the availability of salvation to all with Paul’s teaching in this section pointing out that God has not rejected the Jews and replaced them with the Gentiles but has instead extended salvation to Jews and Gentiles through Christ. Jew and Gentile can be grafted to the root of Christ through belief in Jesus as Lord.

 

Paul begins this text by asking the question of whether God has rejected the Jews and answering the question with an emphatic no citing his being a believer and a Jew (Romans 11:1). The text elaborates further by looking at the example of Elijah who believed he was the only one left in Israel that followed God (Romans 11:2-3). God responds to Elijah by telling him of the existence of a remnant in Israel of seven thousand who had not bowed in worship to Baal (Romans 11:4). Paul then brings the narrative back to his time, letting the reader know there is a remnant of grace, including himself, among the Jews during his time (Romans 11:5). However, if this is a remnant of grace, it is no longer based upon one’s works for that would make grace unnecessary (Romans 11:6).

 

Paul then asks another question, if Israel has failed to obtain what it was seeking with the elect remnant receiving it with the others hardened (Romans 11:7). God has deafened and blinded his people spiritually, with them wandering in a state of spiritual stupor that was still present in the time of Paul writing the book of Romans (Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10; Romans 11:8). David also stated that their table had become a snare, trap, stumbling block, and retribution for them with their eyes darkened so they cannot see (Psalm 69:22-23; Romans 11:9-10). When Jesus entered the Temple and overturned the tables, he told them He was doing it because they had turned His Father’s House into a den of thieves (Matthew 21:12-13).

 

The stumbling of the Jews over Jesus has the benefit of bringing salvation to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous (Romans 11:11). If the trespass of this stumbling over Jesus brings the riches of salvation to the world, how much more will the Jews full inclusion mean (Romans 11:12). Paul then gives insight into the purpose of his ministry to bring the Gospel message to the Gentiles to save some of his fellow Jews by making them jealous (Romans 11:13-14). Paul then states that the Jews rejection of Jesus, bringing salvation to the Gentiles brings reconciliation to God for the world. Jewish acceptance after their rejection will mean resurrection from the dead (Romans 11:15). If the dough, Jesus, is holy so is the whole lump of those connected to the dough of first fruits, the rood that is holy with any branch connected to the root also holy (Romans 11:16).

 

Paul then cautions Gentiles not to become arrogant toward the Jewish branches that have broken off from the root, Jesus, due to their rejection of Him as Messiah because it is not the branches that nourish the root but the rood nourishing the branches (Romans 11:17-18). Gentiles believing in Jesus are grafted onto the root, Jesus, through grace with no reason to boast (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 11:19-20). Pride can lead to God rejecting the newly grafted branches just like the Jews were rejected for their rejection of Christ (Romans 11:21). God is both severe and kind, severe to both Jews and Gentiles who have fallen through rejection of Christ or arrogance in Christ, and kind to those continuing in grace (Romans 11:22). Those branches that have broken off from the root can be grafted back in if they choose to believe (Romans 11:23). If God chose to graft in wild branches, Gentiles, why would he not regraft in the natural branches, Jews, choosing to believe in Jesus as their Messiah (Romans 11:24).

 

In Romans 10:5-21, Scripture determined that the message of salvation was for all. For God to reject the Jews without providing a chance for salvation would mean the Jews were not included in salvation for all. We know God cannot lie so even though the Jews have disconnected from the root of God’s salvation through their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah, they can still come back to God through repentance, something the nation of Israel has done many times in their history. There is therefore no such thing as replacement theology, the belief that the Church has replaced the Jews in God’s plan, but instead, there is an opportunity for all to reconcile with God by accepting Jesus as their savior. This is how anyone, Jew or Gentile, grafts their wild sinful branch (Romans 3:23) onto the root of salvation, Jesus Christ.

 

This opportunity to reconcile with God is available to all because it is a gift from God according to His grace or unmerited favor (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23). One receives this gift by confessing with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in their heart that God raised Jesus from the Dead. If you are reading this and have not confessed Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, I invite you to do so by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

No matter your nationality, your gender, your race, or what you have done in your life, the mercy and grace of God has now saved you from your sins if you just prayed with belief in Jesus as your resurrected Lord. I encourage all that just prayed to find a local Church teaching the Bible and become involved to begin the study of the Word of God and association with other believers. I also encourage you to let someone know about your decision, especially anyone you know who has been praying for you. May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.