New Testament Commentary - Romans 11

by Don R. Hender

Paul expounds a portion of the allegory of the olive tree to the Roman saints, alluding to their understanding of the allegory of Zenos, which he would have taught them more fully by some other more proper venue than in a letter. While we have a full version of the entire allegory found in Jacob chapter 5, we do not have the full writings of Zenos as did perhaps Paul and of course as did the Nephites in the plates of brass. There is more to the understanding of the 'mystery of the olive tree'. The allegory presents the metaphor in relationship to Israel, but Israel is the Lord's. We are His. He it is that suffered in the Olive Garden. It is He that was beaten as the tree is beaten. It is He whose blood oozed forth from every pore as the oil of the olive does when pressed through the pores of the woven baskets which hold them when pressed. In that garden of the Mount of Olives did the savior atone that all might be saved. He it is that stands at the tree of life. He is the giver of the fruit and word thereof. It is by and through Him that life is given.
[The Ram at the Tree of Life figure here shown was found in the ancient royal tombs of Ur. Whether it is or is not representative of Christ to the ancients is unknown. To those who understand Christ's position in the gospel plan it is a remarkable figure indeed.]

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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.	Paul selectively expounds upon the concept of Salvation to all through the vehicle of the Scattering of Israel, the Great Apostasy and the Restoration of all during the Fulness of times through the Gentiles which ushers in the Day of the Lord as contained in the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees which he alludes to with the presumption of fuller understanding upon the part of his intended letter audience.	*The Mystery of the Olive Tree*
1 I SAY then, Hath God cast away his people? ^aGod forbid. For I also am an ^bIsraelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin^a. 2 God hath not cast away his ^apeople which he ^bforeknew. ^cWot ye not what the scripture saith of ^dElias [Elijah]? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have ^akilled thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am ^bleft alone, and they seek my life.	1^a of the tribe of Benjamin Though elsewhere Paul states he is a Jew, he is a Jew merely by 'nationality', as was Lehi, Paul being a citizen of that 'country'. But he is a descendant of Benjamin, the second son of Rachel of Jacob, and brother of Joseph and is therefore of the tribe of Benjamin. So also one may prescribe to question the exact tribal descent of each of the original apostles of the Lord.	1^a GR May it not be! ~ It is not so! ^b Acts 22:3; 2 Cor. 11:22 2^a TG Israel, Blessing of ^b TG Foreordination; TG God, Foreknowledge of ^c GR Know ^d IE Elijah 3^a TG Apostasy of Israel; TG Martyrdom ^b 1 Kings 19:14 (10-18)
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have ^aareserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant^a according to the ^aelection of grace. 6 And if by ^agrace, then is it no more of ^bworks: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.	5^a there is a remnant This particular remnant to which Paul refered to, which was current in his day, was the remnant of the Jews, Paul and the apostles included, who were of Israel and did then exist in the early Christian Church though the gospel was in the process of being taken to the inhabitants of all the world.	4^aa D&C 49:8; 1 Kings 19:18 5^a TG Election 6^a TG Grace ^b Rom. 2:6 (5-10)
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it^a, and the rest ^awere blinded 8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of ^aslumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not ^bhear;) unto this day. 9 And David saith, Let their table be made a ^asnare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a ^brecompence unto them: 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.	7^a the election hath obtained it From Paul's perspective it was an 'elect', a 'select', group of but few of the Jews who did accept Christ and had been accepted in and were by the grace of God members of the early Christian Church of Christ. Paul himself have been plucked by the hand of the Lord out of the realm of the unbelieving Pharisees who had been those who did so pursecute all who did believe in Christ. Thus one can understand that from Paul's perspective, which is a good perspective, he was not ready to just disregard all the rest of the non believing Jews to an everlasting death of not being able to one day come to an understanding and an acceptance of Christ as even Paul had from among their midst. Thus we too should never give up on our kindred who are dead and may have even at one time rejected the message of Christ, for who is to judge and know their eternal fate, that they might not fully accept and come unto Christ by their conversion and repentance in the world of spirit.	7^a GR became callous 8^a GR deep sleep, stupor.; Isa. 29:10 ^b Matt. 13:14; 2 Ne. 16:10 9^a Ps. 69:22 ^b GR retribution, requital
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? ^aGod forbid: but rather *through their fall salvation is come* unto the Gentiles^a*, for to provoke them to ^bjealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the ^adiminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 13 For I speak to you ^aGentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I ^bmagnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are* my flesh, and might save some of them.	*11^a through their fall salvation is come* unto the Gentiles** Paul's open minded and forgiving perspective toward the Jews who rejected Christ and pursecuted the saints is a very tolerable and forgiving one indeed. Remember, Paul once shared their fate and he was not going to ever write them off. This is the correct attitude and perspective to take. It is the one which Christ exemplified upon the cross when he stated, 'Forgive them for they know not what they do.' This is the attitude that we must all take. We are to forgive all and leave judgment unto the Lord. Else one day we find that many we snub as being unworthies are found to have surpassed us upon their acceptance of the gospel, whenever that may be.	11^a GR May it not be! ~ It is not so! ^b TG Jealousy 12^a GR default, failure 13^a Acts 22:21
15 For if the casting away of them be the ^areconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead^a? 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the ^aroot be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive ^atree, wert ^agraffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 ^aBoast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Speaking in Context Paul's various letters to the saints are often taken out of context. That is a letter is never a 'complete' dissertation, it is a correspondence of communications often in response and respect to its fuller context of time, conventional understanding of the period, and in response to certain circumstances then and there involved. Paul's letter have been made scripture as though they where such full dissertations and many quote them as such self contained dissertations as though they where the entire scriptural text upon the matter. They are not. Here Paul obviously is speaking to the saints in Roman who have a 'common' understanding that 'Israel' is the Natural Olive Tree and that the 'Gentiles', which they are, is the Wild Olive Tree. This fuller understanding of such symbolic reference Paul does not fully discribe in a letter as the presumption of common knowledge is being made. For this very reason, many of Paul's letters seem 'cryptic' and are easily misunderstood for the fuller 'context' beyond the 'letter' is not held by those who are not of Paul's day. Paul was a Pharisee highly schooled in the completeness and fulness of the Jewish scriptures, many of which have not survived and are not in our Bible today. He was a student of the great Gamaliel. And Paul not only spoke from such fulness of scriptural knowledge but he would have brought it with him and taught it to the Church in there doctrinal meetings and convocations. Paul would have at least once taught the fulness of the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees, which he in his letter he merely alludes to. But the concept is that Paul would have taught it from the set of scriptures that Paul had access to and to which the early Christian church also once had access to. We know from various allusions in the New Testament to scriptural writings which no longer are had available in our Bible that much was lost and likely removed by design from the Jewish scriptures which the Jews had at the time of Christ. And it Paul's allusions to the allegory of the olive tree are representive, we may presume that the writings of the prophet Zenos had survived until the time of Christ and Paul, but they would soon be removed by the design of men for we do not have them now in our latter compiled Bible from what happened to remain.	15^a life from the dead This concept of giving life to that which is dead can have dual implications. One is to take one who is dead to the things of the spirit and righteousness and instill in them an awakening to the spirit and righteousness. Thus they come alive in Christ. Another concept is that of bring forth from the grave. That is giving life again to that which is literally dead. Christ provides that resurrection from the dead. All will literally live again because of him. Now those who have risen from the dead in the ressurrection may also have need of the restoration of life in the other sense as well. And they who have not had the necessary saving ordinance performed for them must have these ordinances performed for them vicarious. Thus Paul also alludes here to such vicarious ordiances which he mentions elsewhere as 'baptism for the dead'.	15^a TG Reconciliation 16^a TG Mission of 17^a TG Vineyard of the Lord 17^a Jacob 5:17 (17-18) 18^a TG Boasting
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of ^aunbelief they were ^bbroken off, and thou standest by ^cfaith. Be not highminded^a, but ^dfear: 21 For if God spared not the ^anatural branches, take heed lest he also ^bspare not thee.	20^a Ge not highminded When we presuppose ourselves to be better than our neighbor because we are of God's Church and of the 'select' people, we have lost our humility before God, have begun to be caught up in our pride, and are on the path to hypocracy and apostasy. For all are alike unto God who is no respector of persons. And as stated previously in reference to verse 11, we may just find our final fate to be less than those who we so look down upon. It is interesting that this was the frequent fate of those of the Nephites who once caught up in their pride did begin to suppose themselves better than another. For through the grace of Christ, even the lowliest may be raise up and stand among the greatest. Was not Joseph Smith but an unschooled farm boy, who by the grace of God was raised up and his weaknesses made strong by the grace and power of God?	20^a TG Apostasy of Israel TG Unbelief, Unbelievers ^b Ps. 80:12 (12-16); TG Israel, Scattering of ^c 2 Cor. 1:24; ^c TG Reverence 21^a Jacob 5:3 (1-77); Jacob 6:1 (1-13) ^b TG Apostasy of the Early Christian Church
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God^a: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they 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 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 ^anatural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?	22^a the goodness and severity of God Like unto the Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord, God treats those of a rebellious and sinful nature with the severity of dreadfulness. But to the meek and repentant who come unto him, he grants an abundance of goodness and blessings. Yet often in such prosperity the once humbel have the tendancy to turn proud and it often takes the severity of God to bring man to humbleness before God.	24^a Jacob 5:67 (67-68)
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery^a, lest ye should be wise in your own ^aconceits; that ^bblindness in part is happened to Israel, until the ^cfulness of the ^dGentiles be come in. 26 And so all ^aIsrael shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of ^bSion the ^cDeliverer^a, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my ^acovenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.	25^a ignorant of this mystery The purpose of 'allegories', 'parables' and such metaphors is to preserve levels of understanding within them until such time as when people are ready to receive them. In the case of a child, the child may not understand until they reach adulthood. In the case of deep doctines and prophecy, it is to keep them hid in the 'mystery' of the parable or allegory until such time as the spirit is ready to reveal it unto them. The Allegory of the Tame and Wild Olive Trees was just such an allegory. When Zenos gave it from God before the scattering of Israel, it contained prophetic depths which could not be understood by those before the time thereof. When many of the events of the prophetic allegory were in the process of coming to pass in the time of Paul, Paul expounded the 'mysteries' of it to the saints. But contained in that mystery was the fact that the early church would not survive and would fall into corruption and apostasy. This the 'Universal Church' under political leadership consolidation of acceptability could not accept if their form of 'Christianity', which mixed various religous practices into one, was to be instituted. Thus whether by the design of the political minded Gentiles or the anti-Chritian Jews or both, the allegory became lost in its fullest form and only survives in the Bible as Paul's allusions to it in his single letter to the saints of Roman. That is the same Roman, which would kill and destory the early church with the mass colosium deaths many of the early true Christian saints as well as of the apostles including that of Peter, the chief apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. For according to the 'Universal Church' there was no such thing as the 'Great Apostasy'. 26^a There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer Now when Paul wrote this the Deliverer, Jesus Christ, had already come and performed his mortal ministry. Paul taught this Jesus Christ. The 'Deliverer' coming our of 'Zion' was a clear reference to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the fact that out of Zion, the is the restoration of the Church in the latter-days, Christ would come forth. There is no other name, there is no other Savior, there is no other Deliverer but Jesus Christ who is the same as Jehovah.	25^a Prov. 26:12 ^b GR callousness; Jacob 4:14 ^c TG Restoration of the Gospel ^d TG Gentiles 26^a TG Israel, Restoration of ^b TG Zion ^c Isa. 59:20; Alma 11:40 (37-41) 27^a Isa. 59:21 (20-21); Heb. 10:16 (16-17); D&C 49:9 (5-9); TG Abrahamic Covenant
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes^a. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past ^ahave not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their ^bunbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not ^abelieved, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. Salvations Is To All The miracle and mystery of God's salvation is that it will be unto all people. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ and humble themselves before him. And his atonement will cover all that all will be saved. Paul explains this in how the 'plan' of the Lord will work in the scattering of Israel, the rejection by the Jews and how in the fulness of the Gentiles the way will be opened up that all will be saved in the universal salvation and atonement of Christ. Of course this in context to how the Gospel plan works and Pauls alluding commentary on the allegory of the olive tree which is not fully in the text of Paul's letter. And since this is all within this 'special' context, we need not suppose that there not other matters herein to be considered. Paul elsewhere explains in another contextual letter of the the degrees of glory and that there will be certain levels and degrees of glory in immortality which can only be justified in their variation of rewards based upon man's performance. Thus the grace of God which does 'save' all, also must conform to the justice of what degree of salvation is rewarded and to whom.	*28^a they are* beloved for the fathers' sakes** All are someone's children. The rebellious are all beloved from their parent's frame of reference and the hope is that none will be lost. The wicked are often dispised and considered the enemy from the persective of the righteous, but from the fathers' point of reference which includes God the Father and the Son, all are beloved and all will be taught and eventually accept Christ and be saved. Again, Paul particularly is of this frame of reference for he was once lost, being a pursecutor of the saints of God unto death. And Paul would that none such, even the enemies of the saints be lost for he was once one. That is a correct and merciful point of reference and the point of reference of our God.	30^a GR were disbelieving, disobedient to ^b GR disobedience, disbelief 31^a GR obeyed
32 For God hath ^aconcluded them all in unbelief^a, that he might have mercy upon all. 33 O the depth of the ^ariches both of the ^bwisdom and ^cknowledge of God! how ^dunsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past ^efinding out!	32^a God hath concluded them all in unbelief God, who is no respector of persons within this second estate, considers that we all are of a fallen and carnal nature and behind the veil of forgetfulness. All are dependant upon God's mercy, atonment and grace for their salvation and exaltation. All are within this estate of weakness, all are but wretched men before God, and we all must become of a humble and meek demeanor before God and become of a continual repentant attitude.	32^a GR closed up togetehr 33^a TG Treasure ^b TG God, Intelligence of ^c TG God, Omniscience of ^d Isa. 40:28 ^e Prov. 25:2
34 For who hath known the ^amind of the Lord? or who hath been his ^bcounsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and ^athrough him, and to him, are all things^a: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.	36^a all things All things are of, for, through and to our God. He was placed to be over all by the hand of the Father when he was anointed and consecrated to be and act in all things in the stead of the Father. Jehovah is our God, our mediator, our advocate, our creator, our all before heaven and earth. It is He who is over all and all are subject unto Him.	34^a Jacob 4:8 (8-13); Mosiah 4:9; ^b 1 Cor. 2:16; D&C 22:4; TG Counselor 36^a D&C 76:24 (22-24); D&C 93:10;