Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004

Last night as I was praying Evening Prayer the Reading brought me up short. It was from Rom. 11:25-36.
This sent me to a variety of translations and commentaries as well as to a few websites.
What I found threw me for a loop, so to speak! From my evangelical pentecostal days and maybe even
my Baptist days, I was taught----or I believed----that unless one accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior they could not be saved. If one was not saved they would not be one's 'taken' to meet the Lord when
He returned. This applied to all.--..Jews as well.
Please note that those amongst the nations who have NOT HEARD cannot be held accountable for that which they do not know, right?
So, it has always seemed apparent the necessity of belief on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God
and our Savior who took upon Himself our sins and died on the Cross for us and for our salvation.

YET this reading from Romans [and later from Luke] seem to be saying something a bit different in
regards to the Jews.......

Am going to approach this as systematically as I can [which is not always that good]. Will give
the verses from two Catholic translations + commentaries from the same. Will then do the
same for a protestant version.....New Living Translation and the New King James Version.


I. The first translation is the RSV, Catholic Edition, as found in the Navarre Bible Commentary:

The Revised Standard Version FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT="
Romans 11 Read This Chapter
11:25 Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in,
11:26 and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
11:27 "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
11:28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
11:29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
11:30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
11:31 so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy.
11:32 For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
11:33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
11:34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
11:35 "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"
11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.

COMMENTARY FROM NAVARRE BIBLE.....V. 25-32

"We all yearn for the fulfillment of these words---threatening yet consoling---which Christ addressed to
the scribes and Pharisees: 'For I tell you, wyou will not see me again, until you say 'Blessed is He
who comes in the name of the Lord' [Mt. 23:39]. 'Together with the prophets and the Apostles, the
Church awaits the day, known to God alone, when all peoples will call on God with one voice and
'serve Him with one accord' [Zeph 3:9] (Vat. II, Nostra aetate 4). The conversion of the Jews is a
secret--a mystery, the text says [v. 25] -- hidden in the future, which will come about when the
Incarnation of the Word achieves its ultimate purpose.
This conversion will follow that of the Gentiles, which will be as it were a prelude to it. Jesus foretold
that 'Jerusalme will be trodden down b y the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.'
[Lk. 21-24],. see note on same) which in some way suggests that the Jews will be converted at
the end of time."

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Now let us look briefly at Lk. 21:24 from RSV and Navarre commentary:
Luke 21:24---"they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
COMMENTARY: "'The times of the Gentiles' means the period in which the Gentiles, who do not belong to the Jewish people, will become members of the new people of God, the Church, until the Jews themselves are converted at the end of the world."
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Now let us look at the same verses as found in the Douay-Rheims Bible, which was [and in some
Areas is still] the official translation of the Roman Catholic Church��..this will be followed by commentary taken from Haydock, another reliable and trustworth Catholic commentary.


The Douay-Rheims Bible


Romans 11 Read This Chapter

11:25
For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery (lest you should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles should come in.
11:26
And so all Israel should be saved, as it is written: There shall come out of Sion, he that shall deliver and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
11:27
And this is to them my covenant: when I shall take away their sins.
11:28
As concerning the gospel, indeed, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are most dear for the sake of the fathers.
11:29
For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.
11:30
For as you also in times past did not believe God, but now have obtained mercy, through their unbelief:
11:31
So these also now have not believed, for your mercy, that they also may obtain mercy.
11:32
For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all.
11:33
O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways!
11:34
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?
11:35
Or who hath first given to him, and recompense shall be made him?
11:36
For of him, and by him, and in him, are all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen.


Haydock makes the follows comments on v. 25-26

�For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery��this hidden truth of God�s justice and mercy, that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles should come in. by the conversion of all nations: and then all Israel should be saved, whjen they shall submit to the faith of Christ: as it is written by the prophet Isaiah, �there shall come out of Sion he that shall deliver�; that is, their Redeemer, Christ Jesus, who is indeed come already, but who shall then come to them by his powerful grace. This is my covenant with them.
v. 28 �According to the gospel, indeed,� they are enemies for your sake. That is, enemies both to you, because they see the gospel preached and received by you and enemies to God, because He has rejected them AT PRESENT for their wilfull blindness: yet according to election, God having once made them his elect and because of their forefathers, the patriarchs, they are most dear for the sake of the faithers: for the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance in as much as God is unchangeable, and HIS PROMISES, MADE ABSOLUTELY, CANNOT FAIL.�

[CAPS ARE MINE FOR EMPHASIS]

NOW what does Haydock say regarding Luke 21:24 in the D-R which puts it thusly: �And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captives into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles: til the the times of the nations shall be fulfilled.�

HAYDOCKS COMMENTS: �Thus was Jerusalem trodden under foot, til the time of the nations was accomplished; that is, till Christianity in every nation, had triumphed over the persecution of paganism. �til the timke of the nations be fulfilled�.according to the common exposition of this, and some of ther places, the Jews from the time of the destruction of their temple and city, under Titus Vespasian; and especially from their utter destruction under the emperor Adrian, in punishment of their obstinate blindness, shall remain dispersed through the world under miseries and oppression, TIL THE GOSPEL HAS BEEN PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS; then not long before the end of the world, THE JEWS SHALL BE CONVERTED and acknowledge Jesus to be their true Messias.�

***********This seems very self-explanatory �..the Jews will be converted not long befor the end of timje and esp. when the gospel has been preached to all nations.

Also impt. Is v. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
It just seems that from reading the above scriptures + commentary, God does not go back on His promises to His people��.that they are still HIS People. We are admonished not to become uppity or such because He has given us His grace, but we should be humbled and joyful. Also �All these who have been baptized should feel humble and grateful for their Christian calling; they have no reason for resentment or presumption.� Navarre, p. 138 We should pray daily not to lose this marvelous Grace�..A grace we cannot earn. Remember we Gentiles have been grafted onto His tree by and through His Grace, �for if the Lord should cease even for an instant to aid us with His grace, that is when we would be lost.�
Let us give thanks and praise for this Grace and pray for the soon coming into conversion of His people�the Jewish people. When that occurs our Lord�s return would seem to be imminent---IF I have interpreted the Word and the commentaries correctly.