It as been quite a while since I posted my “Possible Expanded Literal” notes on Romans. This was not because I stopped working on the series, but because I felt that God wanted to work on the series “Thou Shalt Surely Die.” Today I return to posting my study notes in verse form for Romans Chapter 11. Once again I remind you this is not a translation. Not really, It is simply my notes put in verse form as best I can. I hope that it might help someone else understand Romans better, or spur conversation that might help me to understand it better. So with some humility, here is Romans Chapter 11.
Rom 11:1 — I say this then, “Has our God [as a result of Israel’s unbelief] pushed away and refused those who are his chosen people?” Don’t even think of this as a possibility. For the fact is, that I am indeed an Israelite [one of God’s chosen people]. I am out of the tribe that came out of Benjamin. [this proves that God has not cast away his chosen people.]
Rom 11:2-3 — [This fact alone, that I am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin should prove that] God has absolutely not cast away the Tribe of Israel that he foreknew and chose. Are you not aware then of what the Elijah said in the scripture? About how he stood against Israel and spoke against them saying
“My Lord they destroyed and are destroying your prophets, the ones that speak for you, and they have undermined the foundations and demolished the alters where sacrifice is made for you. Your alters! And now, I am left behind, alone and without support and aid, and they are actively seeking my soul, my breath life [to take my last breath from me.]”
Rom 11:4 — But God did not agree with what Elijah said, for what was the answer given to him by God? “I have left to me, missed and untouched by the hunters, seven thousand men who are heads of their houses who are mine, totally committed to me. These have not bowed down in worship to Baal the god of the Phoenician and Canaanite nations.
Rom 11:5 — In the same manner that God had a number of men who had not bowed to Baal in worship during the time of Elijah, in this same manner, during this same present time, right now, there is a remnant, a number of the people of Israel left to God by means of the picking out and choosing of God’s grace.
Rom 11:6 — But you can see by this then that if it is the case that God’s righteousness and election comes out of God’s grace, His favor and His loving kindness, that God righteousness and election cannot come out of continually doing works to please God and earn his righteousness and election. If that was the case, then God’s freely given favor and care is no longer really God’s freely given favor and care.
Rom 11:7 — What then, since we understand that grace and works are two different ways of receiving God’s righteousness and justification, then we can we say that Israel has not in any way received and obtained that righteousness and justification that they were seeking and striving [by works] to obtain? But those who were chosen and picked out by their choice, [to seek God’s grace] have received and obtained that righteousness, but the others, who only sought righteousness and justification by works, were hard and callous in their hearts, [to God’s grace and favor] and so did not receive that righteousness and justification. [Yes, that is what we are saying.]
Rom 11:8 — This is just as it was given to be written and recorded, “God [Jehovah] has given to them, the people of Israel, a spirit that brings a slowness of mind and an insensibility to what is correct. They have eyes, but this spirit keeps them from seeing and understanding, they have ears to hear, but this spirit keeps them from hearing and understanding. This is true even unto today.
Rom 11:9-10 — And in the same way David [The King], said “Let the prosperity of their table come to be a trap to them, and to be a hunting of them, and let it become a stumblingblock, making their walk difficult and a just payback to them.
Their eyes should be covered over that they cannot see to understand, and their backs should be bent under a heavy burned always.
Rom 11:11 — Since the scriptures have pointed this out, I could ask this question, “Hasn’t the nation of Israel tripped up and stumbled in their walk so that they could fall to lesser place in God’s plan?” Don’t let this idea even come into your thinking, But, push and keep pushing that idea out of your mind, realize that their mistake and unbelief in this area has opened up and brought into being for the Gentiles, (all the nations of the world) the possibility of deliverance and safety; that is to say salvation. With the result that it will stir up and provoke these same members of the nation of Israel to be jealous of the Gentiles and God’s blessings upon them.
Rom 11:12 — but it is also important that you see this, if it is the case that their [Israel’s] deviation and misdeeds resulted in God’s enriching abundance becoming available to the world and its order, and their [Israel’s] apparent defeat and decrease resulted in God’s rich abundance being shown to the Gentiles; Just how much more do you think it means when they don’t fall, and don’t misstep and instead walk in God’s full rich abundance?
Rom 11:13-14 — But listen and understand this also, that I speak and teach all of you who are gentiles, those of you who are not of the nation of Israel, since I am truly sent with a message and office to serve and teach the Gentiles. I do honor and seek to fulfill that service hoping that by doing so I may provoke those who are my people, descended from Israel, into action and belief and bring about the possible rescue and salvation of at least some of them out of the nation of Israel.
Rom 11:15 — For the fact is that the rejection, and loss of them [Israel] resulted in the reconciliation and return to God’s favor to the rest of the world and its inhabitants [by Jesus settling the accounting that was held against them.] what shall the receiving of them to God’s side be if not bringing them to life in its completeness, bringing them out from among the dead
Rom 11:16 — For the fact is that if the portion of a lump of bread or clay that is broken off for an offering be holy, pure, and as it should be, it is also true that the entire lump of bread or clay is also holy, pure and as it should be. And in like manner if the root from which the tree and its branches come from is holy, so also are the branches which come from that root.
Rom 11:17-18 — But understand, by this example, that Israel is holy, if it is the case that some of the branches (i.e. people of Israel) were cut off and you [Gentiles who were separated from God] were taken from a wild olive tree and grafted in among the branches of the cultivated olive tree [the nation of Israel], with the result that you share in that which the root of the cultivated olive tree gathers and the nourishment and the fruitfulness of the that cultivated Olive tree, So I command you do not boast and glory in yourself, thinking that you are better than the branches that remain, [or the ones that were cut off] speaking of the nation of Israel. But if you do boast, you have a need to remember that you do not bear or sustain the root of the tree you were grafted into, but it is the root of the tree that carries and sustains you.
Rom 11:19 — Those of you who choose to boast might therefore boast in this way, “These branches [Israel] were broken off by God for the express purpose of allowing me to be grafted into the tree.”
Rom 11:20 — You are correct that they we broken off thus giving you a place to be grafted in, but it was because of their own personal unbelief regarding the Messiah that they were broken off. But you are made to stand, in their place because of your faith in the Messiah. Be not puffed-up and highminded against them, but instead have a reverential fear and awe of God in his power, might, grace and mercy.
Rom 11:21 — For the fact is that if it is the case that God did not spare or show mercy to the branches [Israel] that were rightfully and naturally a part of the tree. He [God] will not spare or show mercy to you. [who were grafted into the tree]
Rom 11:22 — Look at and understand this regarding the moral goodness and integrity and the discipline and justice of God. On them that fell from their natural position due to their unbelief came discipline and justice, but in contrast, to you was extended kindness and favor. There is a condition regarding this extended kindness and favor, it only continues if you continue to live in that favor, kindness and goodness. Otherwise, it will be the case that you also will be cut off the tree.
Rom 11:23 — But this too must be understood, that if those of the nation of Israel do not continue to act in unbelief [if they begin to believe] they will be re-grafted into the tree from which they were cut out. For it is a fact that God has the power and ability to graft them once again back into the tree from which they were cut.
Rom 11:24 — For the fact is that if you were cut off of what was naturally a wild and uncultivated olive tree and were grafted onto a cultivated olive tree to which you did not belong and became therefor a partaker of the nourishment and strength of the roots of the cultivated tree, just think how much easier it would be, and how much stronger they would be if those branches that were cut off of the cultivated olive tree were grafted again onto their own tree.
Rom 11:25 — For the fact is my brethren [in Christ] that you should not by any means be ignorant of this mystery (which is revealed to you), lest you should be find yourself claiming to be knowing based only on yourself, this mystery that I am now revealing to you is that there is hardness (regarding the Messiah) that has taken place on part of the chosen nation of Israel until such time as the full number of the Gentiles (that are to believe) come in (to God’s family by believing).
Rom 11:26 — And thus you can see that all of those of the nation of Israel [those descended from Jacob] have the potential to be kept safe and sound from the coming destruction. Just as it was written in Isaiah, “there shall arrive and come out of Zion, the city of Jerusalem, the one who will deliver us and all of those descended from Jacob [Israel] will turn away and leave their improper attitude towards God
Rom 11:27 — and as it is written in the covenant, the divine contract that I[God] have made with the people of Israel, when at the time that I am able to cut them off from their sins and remove them from them.
Rom 11:28 — Certainly then we can see that in regard to the gospel, [the good news] Israel is looked down upon and hated because of you. But regarding the original choosing and election by God, they are loved and esteemed by God because of God’s choosing of them and because of the stand of the fathers of the nation of Israel.
Rom 11:29 — It is a fact that the free gifts that God gives out of His love and favor and the calling to positions or actions that God gives, He gives without regret and God does not change His mind about what He has done.
Rom 11:30-31 — for the fact is that just as you [Gentiles] who also chose not believe God in the past, but now, at this time, you have been shown mercy and favor out of their deliberate lack of belief:
Even in the same way do these now also who are disobedient and refuse to obey God and believe [the Gospel] that by means of the same mercy [favor and compassion] which you now possess [if they believe as you have done] they also will receive mercy, compassion and favor from God.
Rom 11:32 — For the fact is that our God has shut every one of us up together as regards to our unbelief; that deliberate disobedience to His will and the Messiah, in order that he might be able to show mercy, compassion and favor by delivering all of us [who choose to believe]
Rom 11:33 — O my friends just look and see the extreme depth of the many riches of God and look at His Wisdom in applying His knowledge and be amazed at the knowledge that God has. See how his decrees and judgements are past our ability to understand, and how God’s ways and movements cannot be tracked like you would an animal or a person.
Rom 11:34 — For I must ask you, what person is there who has ever perceived and understood the thoughts and thinking of God [Jehovah] or has been asked to be his Counselor and advisor?
Rom 11:25 — Or which of you had given over to him [God] anything in order that it shall need to be repaid as debt owed to you by Him [God]?
Rom 11:36 — This is because what comes out from him [God] and is by means of him [God], and is towards him [God] are all the things that exist and that come as a result of what exists, and it is to him [God] that we give all honor and attention forever, throughout all of the ages past, present and future. Let this be a firm and established statement.
Keith Carter Ministries 