To many, chapters 9-11 of Romans seem out of place after eight chapters of explaining the gospel. Why did Paul include this block of teaching? To answer this question, it’s helpful to consider the thought-flow.
Questions raised
In chapters 1 through 8, Paul shows that his gospel is entirely in keeping with God’s character, as many of his readers (who were Jewish) should have already understood from their knowledge of the Old Testament. He also explains that it offers to mankind a righteousness which, coming from God, is infinitely superior to anything that humans could produce.
Furthermore, the gospel is good news for everyone who believes it, regardless of their race. So some critics would be asking, “Does not such a universally-offered message ignore privileges that were bestowed on Jews only?” Was Paul no longer grateful that he was born a son of Abraham? Had he “crossed the floor,” so to speak? The messenger’s credibility was at stake.
Paul’s response
So, in the ninth chapter, Paul begins by assuring his readers that their fears were unfounded. The promises made to Israel which had not yet been fulfilled would still be realized. But people needed to understand that those promises would not be enjoyed by those who, though they were Abraham’s physical seed, did not share his faith. God’s choice of Jacob over the older Esau showed that He would do as He pleased in such matters. Such privileges did not result from birth order or human merit but were granted on the basis of divine election.
Having said that, it is essential that we do not think of this election as if it referred to God’s choice of individuals for personal salvation. It refers to His raising up of some of them to fulfill strategic roles in human history. Like a potter, God has power over men so that they end up doing His will. This means that He showed mercy to some who did not deserve it and hardened the hearts of others who sought to resist His will. This calling of God to carry out His plan involved not only the destiny of these individuals, but also the families from which they sprang and the nations they came to represent. But salvation from personal sins is open to anyone from any nation who calls upon the name of the Lord (10:12f).
Now to hear of this salvation demands that it be proclaimed (10:14f). That requires messengers, and Paul may well be justifying his own calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles—an idea previously unacceptable to persons who thought that God’s favor was limited to their own nation, Israel.
Characteristically, Israel had shown ignorance of God’s righteousness, being distracted by an insistence on maintaining her own, thus showing herself disobedient and contrary. But God had not, and would not, cast her away because His gifts and calling were irrevocable (11:1f, 29). The elect among them might be relatively few in number, but they refused to yield to the general apostasy, resembling the 7,000 in Elijah’s day (11:2ff). The rest were given over to being nationally alive but spiritually insensible.
But this was not Israel’s death-knell. The salvation that had been brought to the Gentiles was, in part, to make her jealous (11:11). Regarding the gospel, they might be enemies, but when God has completed His gracious work among the Gentiles, Israel will experience revival and cleansing (11:26f).Thus, instead of the gospel annulling God’s promises to Israel, it is seen to be the means by which God will bring those very promises to fulfillment. This revelation of God’s superintendence of history should bring all to worship Him whose ways are otherwise beyond human knowledge (11:33ff).