Peter Barnes | Romans 11:23-26a
SERMON NOTES
ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED
(Romans 11:23-26a)
Martyn Lloyd-Jones called it ‘one of the most remarkable prophecies in the Bible’.
1. God is more readily able to convert Israel.
– 11:23-24; sounds odd.
2. Paul reveals a mystery to keep Gentiles from being conceited.
– 11:25; mystery is something that God reveals e.g. Rom.16:25-26
– unless it is something extraordinary this is an anti-climax
3. All Israel will be saved.
(a) Israel could be the elect Jews and Gentiles down through the ages (Augustine, Palmer Robertson, N. T. Wright)
(b) It could be elect Jews (William Hendriksen, Colin Kruse). But Paul has already said that in verse 5
(c) It could be literal Israel (John Murray, Thomas Schreiner, Lloyd-Jones). This seems the most convincing view.
– ‘Israel’ must mean what it has meant through Romans 9-11 i.e. literal Israel (Rom.9:6 is the only exception).
– ‘all’ does not mean every last Israelite (e.g. see Matt. 2:3; 3:5)