Romans 11:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For from among the Jews, three thousand believed, and five thousand, and a great multitude. And lest someone object, "Do you make up the people? If you were called, does it follow that the whole people was called?"

The Apostle added, "God has not rejected His people, whom He foreknew." He speaks as though saying: with me there are three thousand, five thousand, and a great multitude.

What then? Does the seed likened to the multitude of the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea consist in three thousand, five thousand, and a great multitude?

Are you not plainly deceiving and misleading us, when you present yourself and the few with you as the whole people? Are you not deluding us with empty hopes by saying that the promise has been fulfilled?

For all have perished, and salvation has fallen to the lot of a few. This is boasting and arrogance, and we will not tolerate such false conclusions.

But so that the Jews could not say this, see what answer the Apostle gives in the following words. He does not state the objection, but anticipates it, and gives the solution from Old Testament history.

What is this solution? "Do you not know," he says, "what the Scripture says in the account of Elijah?"

It was as though he were caressing and gently stealing into the hearts of those who had resolved to be disobedient. In this way he was bringing them back to a pious and yielding state.

Therefore, if it is clear that he was called to the apostleship and appointed to perform the sacred ministry of the Savior's mysteries among the Gentiles (cf. Rom 15:16), being a preacher and apostle (cf. 1 Tim 2:7), though he was from Israel, then it is evident that God has not rejected His people.

The Apostle added, "God has not rejected His people, whom He foreknew" (Rom 11:2). He speaks as if to say: with me there are three thousand, five thousand, and a great multitude of Israelites foreknown by God.

Indeed, referring to the example of the prophet Elijah, the Apostle goes on to say, "Do you not know what the Scripture says in the account of Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel, saying: Lord, they have killed Your prophets.

"They have torn down Your altars. I alone am left, and they seek my life" (3 Kgs 19:14). "But what does the divine answer say to him? I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal" (Rom 11:2-4).

"So too at the present time," the Apostle adds, "there is a remnant according to the election of grace" (Rom 11:5). That is, some of the Jews received justification by faith in Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile the others were hardened and did not receive salvation, as the prophets had foretold concerning this (Rom 11:6-10).

Concerning the example of the prophet Elijah cited by the Apostle, St. Chrysostom notes: "If the Apostle had wished to prove only that few constitute the people properly belonging to God, he would have said only that in Elijah's time seven thousand remained.

"But so that the Jews might not say, 'We killed Christ as a deceiver and persecute the Apostles as impostors,' the Apostle cites the whole testimony, which says: 'Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars.'

"This meant that, just as then they killed not false prophets but true ones, so now they killed not a false savior but the true Savior. And they persecute not impostors, but true preachers."

No smaller number of Hebrews had been converted to Christ at the time when the Apostle wrote this epistle.

Thus one can in no way say that the Lord rejected His people. This is especially so because, from the Apostle's point of view, God's people cannot mean Israel alone.

It means all who have entered the people of God by the election of grace. This does not exclude the Gentiles. Nor does it include only proselytes who turned to the Lord by accepting the Law of Moses.

It also includes those who entered directly, by receiving the spirit and teaching of the Gospel.

Their conversion and justification were accomplished chiefly by the gift of grace, and not by works. For if works were involved, grace would no longer be a gift given without merit.

And if works gave salvation, they would rise above their proper significance. In that case one could ascribe to them a power they do not possess, and which belongs only to grace.

Therefore all who direct their gaze toward grace must turn it away from works. For where grace is present, the works of the Law are no longer works, that is, they have no saving significance.

In the words of verse 6, the Apostle expresses one of his constant thoughts. He unfolds it both in this epistle and in others. Therefore it is not surprising that, despite its depth and richness, he expressed it so briefly.

Explaining its meaning, St. John Chrysostom says: "By the words, 'So too at the present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace,' he makes clear that those seven thousand were also saved by grace.

"The same is seen from the words, 'I have kept for Myself.' By this God shows that He Himself accomplished the greater part of the work.

"But if it is by grace, you say, why are we not all saved? Because you yourselves do not want it. For grace, even though it is grace, saves those who desire it.

"It does not save those who do not desire it, who turn away from grace, who constantly rise up against it and resist it."

Then, addressing Christians from among the Gentiles, St. John Chrysostom added: "Therefore let us thank God that we have become numbered among those being saved.

"When we could not be saved by works, we were saved by God's gift. Let us witness our gratitude not by words only, but also by deeds and actions that accord with gratitude.

"For gratitude is complete when we do what serves God's glory, and when we avoid the things from which we have been delivered."

The second "is contained in the words, 'the people whom He foreknew.' That is, those of whom He certainly knew that they were capable of receiving the faith and would receive it.

"For among the Jews, three thousand believed, and five thousand, and a great multitude. Thus, lest someone object to his words, 'I am an Israelite,' and say, 'Do you make up the people?

"'Does it follow from your calling that the whole people has been called?' the Apostle added, 'God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.' He speaks as if to say: with me there are three thousand, five thousand, and a great multitude."

Concerning Elijah, see Rom 11:3.