Romans 11:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet the Apostle does not even stop at this. He turns everything not toward the fact that the Jews have been rejected, but toward the fact that they too will again receive mercy.

See how he gives the Gentiles as much as he formerly gave the Jews. Since you Gentiles, says the Apostle, were once disobedient, the Jews came in. Again, since they became disobedient, you came in.

Only with difficulty was the people of the Jews sent away to serve liturgically in the wilderness. The Egyptians themselves clung to the ancient deception. Yet now they have received mercy, when Israel fell and became disobedient for the mercy shown to the Gentiles, so that Israel too might receive mercy in its own time.

Thus, as I have said, the charges against both were equal, and both alike needed the help of Him Who spares. But, he says, all were shut up by God in disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

We do not at all think that anyone's disobedience was the work of the divine will, so that those who fell into it might then be spared. Rather, God shut them up in disobedience by showing that they were subject to charges of disobedience.

They were, as it were, convicted by the circumstances themselves, because at last they had reached such misery that they needed mercy and compassion.

Thus Christians from among the Gentiles have no grounds whatever for boasting over the unconverted Jews. This is especially so because the Gentile Christians themselves were recently far from God, and yet by God's mercy received mercy. In the same way the Jews too can receive mercy.

Moreover, just as the apostasy of the Gentiles was the occasion for the election of the Jews, so now the rejection of the Jews has become the occasion for the calling of the Gentiles. Therefore all nations, like the Jews, are sinful, and all can be saved by the mercy of God.

In explanation of this passage Ambrosiaster writes: "The Jews were struck with blindness only for a time, and among them only those who, zealous for the law, did not see that the good things promised by God had come in Jesus Christ the Lord and were being proclaimed.

"By such stumbling they were blinded in part, so that they might suffer for their unbelief, seeing the Gentiles gladly profit from their unbelief and enter into the inheritance of Abraham's promise. But when the full number of the Gentiles comes in, then blindness will fall from the eyes of their mind, and they will be able to believe, and they will believe."

Explaining the words of verse 26, Chrysostom observes: "Since what the Apostle proclaims is important, he brings in as witness the prophet who says the same. He does not offer testimony that blindness occurred, since this is evident.

"But that the Jews will believe and be saved is witnessed by Isaiah, who cries out and says: 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.'"

Concerning the words, "For God has shut up all in disobedience," he says: "He convicted all and declared all disobedient, not so that all should remain disobedient, but so that He might save some through the obstinacy of others: the Jews through the Gentiles, and the Gentiles through the Jews."

Or "once" may signify the time after the giving of the law and the ordering of the Jewish people according to it. Living according to this law, the Jews submitted to God. The Gentiles did not wish even to know this institution of God and by no means agreed to submit to it. Yet both at the moment of its establishment and afterward, the report of it passed everywhere. In this case the discourse will take this form: you once, or formerly, resisted, while the Jews obeyed. Yet this was not for the sake of your resistance, but in such a way that your resistance went hand in hand with their obedience. So it was once. But now the opposite has happened. The Jews began to resist the will of God and God's institution for the salvation of men. On account of this resistance, God extended to you the word of calling. You obeyed and were received into mercy in place of the Jews. Consider, then: you resisted, and the Jewish people was formed and maintained in mercy. Now that people has resisted, and you have been received into mercy because of their resistance. Therefore, if you, who once resisted on your own account, have been received into mercy, what is astonishing if they too, who now resist with benefit to you, are themselves one day shown mercy? For you were shown mercy on this occasion. Let us cite the words of our interpreters. Saint Chrysostom says: "Here the Apostle shows that formerly all the nations were called and guided. Then, when they did not wish to follow God's guidance, the Jews were chosen. Now the same thing has happened. Since the Jews did not wish to believe, the nations have again been called. But he does not stop there. He directs everything not toward saying that the Jews have been rejected, but toward saying that they too will again be shown mercy. See, he gives the Gentiles as much as he had previously given the Jews. Because you Gentiles, says the Apostle, were once disobedient, the Jews came up. Again, because they became disobedient, you came up. Nevertheless, they will not perish completely, but will be shown mercy." Blessed Theodoret writes: "Remember how all of you acted impiously for a very long time. The man-loving Master did not look upon this prolonged and stubborn impiety, but counted those who desired it worthy of ineffable love for mankind. When the Jews did not believe, He called you in their place. Therefore it is not at all strange if those now resisting, namely the Jews, should wish to believe, be received by God, and obtain the same love for mankind. The Apostle again used the expression 'that' according to his proper manner of speech. They did not resist in order to be shown mercy. But although they resisted through stubbornness of mind, they will be shown mercy when they have recourse to repentance." In Ambrosiaster we read: "Since you Gentiles resisted God when the oracles of God had been entrusted to the Jews. And now have received mercy not according to your worthiness, but because of the Jews' blameworthy conduct, why should they not all the more receive mercy? For they formerly lived under the law of God and were counted worthy of God's special promises." Photius in Oecumenius reasons thus: "By these words the Apostle disposes the Jews toward faith and gives them good hopes, removing every shame. Do not be ashamed, he says, that you persisted in delaying your approach to faith. Do not despair as one approaching later. You will receive mercy even if you approach late, toward evening. For the Gentiles too, having been called, formerly did not obey, but now have believed. They were neither ashamed of their former disobedience nor hindered from salvation by their delay. So too you, O Jew, do not be ashamed and do not despair. Approach the faith with a ready heart, and you will certainly be shown mercy. Thus what was said may have been spoken as such an exhortation and admonition. Or it may have been spoken as prophecy, disposing them to faith in what will be by applying to it what has already happened. When he says, 'You have obtained mercy because of their disobedience,' and, 'They have now been disobedient because of your mercy,' he does not mean that the Jews' disobedience was the cause of mercy for the Gentiles. Nor does he mean that mercy toward the Gentiles was the cause of the Jews' disobedience. Rather, he means to show and teach that God never ceases doing what belongs to Him and pouring forth His mercy. Let the Gentiles have been disobedient of old, and let the Jews be disobedient now. Nevertheless, He does not cease His benefactions and mercies. This is seen in the fact that, just as then the Jews were counted worthy of mercy on the occasion of the nations' disobedience, so now the nations are shown mercy on the occasion of the Jews' disobedience. It is seen still more clearly in the fact that He will show mercy to these very Jews who are now disobedient. At the same time, the Apostle gives instruction to the Jews, as though saying: although you have withdrawn from faith, do not think that through this faith is diminished in its significance in any way. For as of old, when the nations apostatized, the service of the true God suffered no diminution, so now, when you have cut yourselves off from faith, the works of faith are in no way diminished in their significance. He reshaped what was said with reference to the Gentiles, desiring to make the reproach and admonition more keenly felt by the Jews. It can also be taken thus: the Apostle said this with the Gentile believers in view, so that they should not be high-minded because they believed. You, he says, believed by mercy. The Jews too, now disobedient to the faith, will believe and be shown mercy."