ROMANS
CHAPTER 11
Israel was chosen (foreordained) according to the election of grace—But some hardened their hearts against it—The Gentiles are grafted into the house of Israel—The gospel goes preferentially to the Gentiles until the fulness of the Gentiles comes in.
1 I SAY then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot [ Wot is the present tense of the now obsolete English word wit, which means to know. Wist is its past tense. Paul is asking, “Know you not?” ] ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [ Paul’s interpretation of the allegory of the olive tree. Here, he is predicting that the Jews’ rejecting Jesus because of spiritual blindness opened the way for the Gentiles to come into God’s covenant. ]
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [ “sometimes we hear brethren refer to ‘magnifying the priesthood.’ While many of us are guilty of making this erroneous statement, it isn’t the priesthood we magnify; it is one’s office and calling in the priesthood. It cannot be enlarged upon because there is no authority or power greater in the universe.
“To magnify is to intensify, to increase in significance, to enlarge upon, and to cause to be held in greater esteem or respect.
“President Joseph F. Smith said, ‘There is no office growing out of this Priesthood that is or can be greater than the Priesthood itself. It is from the priesthood that the office derives its authority and power. No office adds to the power of the Priesthood. But all offices in the church derive their power, their virtue, their authority, from the Priesthood.’ (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine [Salt Lake City: Desert Book Co., 1939], p. 148.)
“The apostle Paul stated, ‘Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the gentiles, I magnify mine office.’ (Romans 11:13.) And Jacob teaching the people of Nephi states, ‘I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office with soberness, …
“‘Ye yourselves know that I have hitherto been diligent in the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I have hitherto been.’ (Jacob 2:2, 3.)
“There can be no office or calling that is higher than the priesthood. President John Taylor noted, ‘Honor proceeds from works, not from office, … but by a person magnifying his office and calling.’ (John Taylor, Gospel Kingdom, comp. G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1944], p. 133.)” (Delbert L. Stapley in CR, Aug. 1972, p. 64.)]
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches [ The Jews. ] be broken off, and thou, [ The Gentiles. ] , being a wild olive tree, [ The condition of the Jews’ rejecting Jesus because of spiritual blindness opened the way for the Gentiles to come into God’s covenant. However, that lasts only until the Jews are grafted back into their olive tree, which happens when “the fulness of the Gentiles”—Ephraim’s end-time descendants—have fully gathered: ] wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; [ The Grafting In of the Wild Olive Branches some Bible scholars have been quick to point out that Paul made an evident blunder here when he drew upon a symbol from the olive culture to make his point. While the grafting of branches from one olive tree to another so as to change the nature of the tree was a common practice, it was always done in the reverse order that Paul mentions; that is, a good branch from a tame olive tree could be grafted into a wild olive and make the wild olive tame. But if the process is reversed, so are the results. The tree is pulled in the direction of the grafted branches, not vice versa, as in Paul’s little allegory. Therefore, these scholars conclude that Paul was ignorant of olive culture and made a rather obvious error in his symbol.
But it is difficult to believe that a man as educated and well traveled as Paul would not know the basic facts of olive grafting, which were fairly commonly known in his time. The better explanation is that in the very paradox of the symbol he teaches profound and important doctrines. For one thing, the conversion of the gentiles (changing wild olives into tame) was contrary to the expectations of Israel and thus was not what one would expect to happen naturally. Secondly, Paul’s symbol makes it clear that the source of nourishment is still the covenant that God made with Abraham (the roots of the tree). The power flows from the Abrahamic covenant and not from the gentiles. To reverse that symbolism would be contrary to the truth. The gentiles were not the root of the tree; they are only branches. The third point in Paul’s defense is that he himself clearly indicates that he knew what he was saying was contrary to nature. The implication, therefore, is that he chose the paradoxical symbolism purposefully in order to teach the gentiles their true relationship to the covenant people. Paul may have been relying upon the writings of an ancient prophet, Zenos, who spoke in a similar vein. (See Jacob 5, 6 in the Book of Mormon.)]
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
[ Or if you boast, you aren’t sustaining the root but the root you. ]
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
[ Or you say the branches were broken off so that you(the Gentiles) might be grafted in. Well, because of unbelief they(the Jews) were broken off, and you stand by faith*you think that you are more faithful then they). Don’t be high-minded but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not you. ]
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. [ Or listen if you understand the goodness and severity of God on those who fell, will be any different toward you think again, for if you continue in his goodness you will be fine, otherwise you too will be cut off just as the Jews were. ]
23 And they [ The Jews. ] also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24 For if thou [ The Gentiles. ] wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, [ Mystery in Greek is "Musterion" which means: The counsels of God once hidden but now revealed, in the gospel or some fact thereof; the Christian revelation generally; particular truths or details of the Christian revelation. When we say "mystery" we might as well say ordinances. This is from Greek Mysterion (usually in plural mysteria) "secret right or doctrine (known and practiced by certain initiated persons only) consisting of purifications, sacrificial offerings, processions, songs, etc." from mystes "one who has been initiated," Myein "to close shut" (see nute(adj.)); perhaps referring to the lips (in secrecy) or to the eyes (only initiates were allowed to see the sacred rites). (Online Etymology Dictionary) So mystery as we know it today has been perverted to resemble something in a mystery novel when it came from the ancients to mean sacred rights, and initiations. So as we find in the scriptures that the word mystery is always tied to some form of Salvation and or sacred rights. ] lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. [ (Hebrew melo’ haggoyim - which means fulness or completeness. Reference to temple blessings that the tribe of Ephraim bears the responsibility for in th elast days. Or until Ephraim’s end-time descendants—have fully gathered.) What Is Meant by the Fulness of the Gentiles? “For the nearly two thousand years between Abraham and Christ, the statutes and judgments of God were reserved almost exclusively for the seed of Abraham and for the house of Israel. During the mortal ministry of our Lord, the message was limited to Israel, to the Jews, and it was not then offered to the Gentiles. After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter opened the door to the preaching of the gospel of the Gentiles, and Paul became their chief apostolic advocate and teacher. Thus there was a period or time for the Gentiles to take precedence. The times of the Gentiles is the period during which the gospel goes to them on a preferential basis, and this will continue until they have had a full opportunity to accept the truth, or in other words until the fulness of the Gentiles. Then the message will go again to the Jews, meaning to the Jews as a nation and as a people.” (McConkie, DNTC, 2:290. See also D&C 45:19, 25, 28–30.)]
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: