<H3>Chapter # 11  Paragraph # 4  Study # 9<BR />March 31, 2019<BR />Humble, Texas<BR /><a href="https://www.biblical-thinking.org/DOC-Ro3/audio.php?name=Rom190331.mp3">(Download Audio)</a></H3>

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Thesis:&nbsp;&nbsp;  God's "larger plan" has to do with a future "re-grafting" of an "Israel" that is finally ready to "abide not in unbelief" because of the "jealousy" principle.

Introduction:&nbsp;&nbsp;  In our studies thus far, we have seen the "problem" of Gentiles adopting an attitude toward Israel that consists of "boasting against" and an attitude toward themselves that consists of "highmindedness".
This "problem" consists, at its heart, of a movement away from "faith in grace" toward "faith in one's self".  Since Israel's long term problem consisted of these very factors, and since God has determined to "break off the branches of the tree" that "settle" their "faith" issues along these lines, and since God is consistent in His dealings with men, those "Gentiles" who have been grafted into the tree because of a  "faith" that was rooted in "the kindness of God that led to repentance" stand in grave danger if they "settle" into the very attitudes which caused God to "break off branches from the tree".  Paul warns them that they will be treated in the same manner by God as He has treated Israel.
Now, as we come to the conclusion of this paragraph, we will see that Paul has returned to the earlier, major, concept of God's plan to "reclaim" Israel through the "jealousy" principle.  I believe that if we overlook this earlier concept, we will misconstrue Paul's meaning as he turns to the "possibility" that a certain "group" will move away from the "unbelief" of "boastful highmindedness" and toward "faith in grace".  With that in mind, let's consider what he wrote in these last two verses of this paragraph.

<ul><li>I. The "They" That Are Involved at This Point in Paul's Explanation. 
	<ul><li>A. The "they" marks a shift in Paul's explanation from the "singular" you of verses <b>17, 18, 19, 20, 21,</b> <b>22,</b> and <b>24,</b> to the "plural" of the "they" and "them" of <b>23</b> and the "these" of <b>24</b>. 
		<ul><li>1. The "singular" number in Paul's warning indicates a "specific individual" whose "faith in grace" is shifting to a previous "faith in one's self" that signals the "death" of the "repentance" that the "kindness of God" engenders and a resurgence of the pride/despair attitudes that "repentance" confronted. 
		<li>2. But the "plural" number of Paul's final statements in this part of his explanation signals a "group" that has been defined earlier as "abiding in unbelief". 
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	<li>B. This "shift" indicates that Paul is returning to the major element of God's methodology to which he pointed in <b>11:11-15</b>. 
		<ul><li>1. This major element is a "provocation unto jealousy" with "salvation" in mind. 
		<li>2. This major element is both an element of God's method of bringing the nation of Israel to the attitude of repentance and faith before the establishment of the Kingdom of Messiah is set up, and an element of Paul's method of bringing individuals in that nation to "repentance and faith" in the time before the entire nation is brought there. 
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<li>II. The "Condition" to Which the Nation Must Be Brought. 
	<ul><li>A. We have already seen that Paul is dealing with "developments that have to come into play". 
		<ul><li>1. Paul used first class conditional clauses in <b>11:17, 18, 21,</b> and <b>24</b> [These clauses assumed the truth of the condition involved]. 
		<li>2. But he used third class conditional clauses in <b>11:22</b> and <b>23</b> [These clauses leaned toward the truth of the condition involved, but allowed the possibility of the condition not being met]. 
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	<li>B. The "condition" itself. 
		<ul><li>1. In <b>11:23</b> the "condition" is that the "they" "continue not in their unbelief". 
		<li>2. This means, specifically, that "they" turn from their "legalism" (faith in one's self) to the "repentance" summoned by "God's kindness" and an abiding "faith" in God's provision in the Gospel. 
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	<li>C. A possible reason for Paul's "third class condition" in the "probable" development, instead of the more positive "first class condition" in the actual development, is that the condition continues through every generation with the possibility that each one might be the one that will actually "fit the bill" as laid out (having been "provoked" by God to a "jealousy" that results in salvation). 
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<li>III. The Outcome of the "Condition" Coming to Pass. 
	<ul><li>A. The generation of the nation that comes to the fulfillment of the condition, as a nation, will be "grafted back into the tree". 
		<ul><li>1. This assumes the "nation" has failed; just as Paul has already declared. 
		<li>2. This also assumes that there will be an overt realization of this failure in history; a matter that was forced by the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies in A.D. 70 and the dissolution of the nation as a nation through a massive dispersion of the population into the nations of the world. 
		<li>3. And a final assumption is that there will be a historical, overt, demonstration of the future national "re-grafting" as a prelude to the "re-grafting" of the individuals in that nation, which also has occurred (A.D. 1948). 
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	<li>B. This "outcome" is underwritten by the "power of God". 
		<ul><li>1. The declaration is that "God is able to re-graft them". 
		<li>2. The "ability" is rooted in omnipotence (dunamis). 
		<li>3. The actual action by God is "rational". 
			<ul><li>a. God "grafted" you (singular), who were "wild by nature" into the "good olive tree". 
			<li>b. So, it is more than reasonable that He will "re-graft" those who "by nature" belong to the "good olive tree" (as the physical offspring of Abram). 
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