These are all my opinions and research. I am 100% open to dialogue and healthy conversation.
Romans 9–11 is 100% about who the people of God are, but Paul does not erase Israel as a category. He teaches that there is one people of God in Christ, yes, but he still maintains a distinction between Israel and the Gentiles throughout Romans 11. Gentiles have been grafted in, but it is not the church simply replacing Israel.
Romans 9
Paul explains that not all physical descendants of Israel are the “true” Israel; true belonging comes through God’s promise and faith, not mere ancestry (echoing the remnant idea).
He uses examples such as Jacob/Esau and quotes Old Testament passages (Hosea and Isaiah) to show that God has always included Gentiles and preserved a believing remnant within Israel.
This isn’t a replacement; it clarifies that election has always been by grace, not ethnicity alone.
God’s people have always been defined by promise + faith, not just ethnicity.
Romans 10
Many Jews pursued righteousness by works of the law rather than by faith in Christ. Salvation is available to “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord,” Jew or Gentile alike. Israel’s unbelief is real and tragic, but it stems from their rejection of the gospel, not God’s failure.
This chapter = God’s sovereignty to human responsibility.
Romans 10 = Israel’s responsibility.
There is one way of salvation. Jew and Gentile are equal at the cross. Does not support any idea of a separate salvation plan for Israel. But it does not say Israel has no future role.
Romans 11
This directly counters any idea of permanent rejection or replacement. Paul asks outright: “Has God rejected his people?” and answers, “By no means!”
He points to himself and the current believing remnant as proof. God has not cast Israel aside.
The olive tree represents the people of God, rooted in the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and God’s covenants/promises.
Root = Abrahamic covenant
Natural branches = Israelites. Some were broken off because of unbelief.
Wild olive branches = believing Gentiles, grafted in “among them” to share in the root and richness.
Gentiles should not boast or become arrogant toward the (broken-off) natural branches. They do not support the root; the root supports them. God can graft the natural branches back in more easily if they believe.
The church does not replace the tree or uproot Israel. Gentiles are added to the existing structure. The broken-off branches can (and will) be regrafted. This shows inclusion and expansion through faith, not substitution.
Q: “Has God rejected His people?”
A: “No”
Not: “Israel is replaced”
Not: “Israel and the church are totally separate forever.”
But: One tree, Gentiles added, Israel not removed permanently
“mystery”
"A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved... As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:25–29, ESV)
The hardening is partial (not total) and temporary (“until”). something follows?
The mystery here is not just “Gentiles are included.” The mystery is the sequence and structure:
1. Israel hardened
2. Gentiles gathered
3. Israel restored
Not every Jew is hardened (Paul himself = proof). There is always a remnant. This does NOT mean: Israel = irrelevant now or Israel = replaced.
Paul then introduces a timeline, saying that this hardening lasts “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Gentile salvation is not random or indefinite, but part of a divine plan moving toward completion. The word “until” is critical because it signals that something will change. It cannot mean that Israel is permanently set aside or fully replaced, because the sentence itself builds toward a future shift. God is actively gathering the Gentiles, and when that process reaches its fullness, a new phase begins.
“All Israel Will Be Saved” = after the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, there will be a turning of Israel to God. This does not mean every Jewish person in history is automatically saved, nor does it mean salvation without Christ. A harvest.
Paul keeps Israel and Gentiles as distinct groups. The phrase points most strongly to a future moment where Israel, as Israel, experiences a significant turning to Christ.
The covenants and promises God made to Abraham and Israel in the Old Testament
These promises are seen as irrevocable (Romans 11:29)
The Main Promises in the Abrahamic Covenant
God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3, 15, 17) includes three core elements, repeated and expanded to Isaac and Jacob (Israel):
1. Land — The physical territory of Canaan (and beyond, from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates) given as an everlasting possession (Genesis 13:15; 17:8; 15:18–21).
2. Seed/Descendants — Numerous offspring, including a special line through Isaac and Jacob, forming a great nation.
3. Blessing — Abraham’s descendants would be blessed, and all families/nations of the earth would be blessed through his seed (Genesis 12:3).
Related covenants build on this:
•Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7) — An eternal throne/kingdom for David’s descendant (ultimately pointing to the Messiah).
•New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34) — Promised specifically to the house of Israel and Judah: forgiveness, a new heart, God’s law written inwardly, and a restored relationship.
These are often described as unconditional in their core promises (God swore by Himself in Genesis 15, passing between the animal pieces alone), though enjoyment of blessings involved obedience.
Everything in Romans 9–11 connects back to this: God made real promises to: Abraham & Israel. And Paul is defending this: “God has NOT broken His word”
Are the promises fulfilled??
1. Seed
•Fulfilled in Christ
•Expanded to Gentiles
•Still future fullness for Israel
This is BOTH:
•already fulfilled
•still unfolding
“The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring… who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16) Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of Abraham’s seed. And through Him:
a. Jews and Gentiles become Abraham’s children by faith.
b. The family of Abraham explodes beyond ethnicity.
This promise is fully established and active right now
2. Blessing to the nations
•Happening right now through the church
•Gentiles fully included
“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)
•The message has gone global
•Gentiles are included
•The church is living proof of this promise
This is a clear present fulfillment
3. Land promise
•Literal future fulfillment (restored Israel)
•Or fulfilled in a greater way (new creation / kingdom)
What we KNOW:
•Israel did live in the land (Joshua, David, Solomon)
•But never fully and permanently in the full boundaries described
•They were later exiled
Overall:
They all have been truly fulfilled in Christ…
but they are not exhausted or finished in every sense.
Maybe the real Question is not are they fulfilled, but are they finished?
New Covenant aspects
God first promised the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31, where He specifically said it would be made with “the house of Israel and the house of Judah,” meaning it originally belonged to Israel. When Jesus came, He declared at the Last Supper, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood,” showing that His death inaugurated or started that covenant. Because of Jesus, the blessings of the New Covenant are now available, including forgiveness of sins, a new heart, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Today, anyone who believes in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, can experience these realities, which means the church is already living in the New Covenant.
At the same time, this raises an important question: if the New Covenant was promised to Israel, but the church is experiencing it now, what does that mean for Israel?
From my understanding, many understand this through an “already and not yet” framework.
The New Covenant has already begun and is fully active in believers today, but it may not yet be fully completed in every sense.
Romans 11 points to a future moment when “all Israel will be saved,” which many interpret as a large-scale turning of Israel to Christ. In that sense, while the church currently participates in the blessings of the New Covenant, there may still be a future, fuller expression of that promise when Israel as a people experiences the same heart transformation and restored relationship with God.
Paul in Romans 9–11 reinforces this:
God’s word to Israel has not failed (9:6). There is a believing remnant now, Gentiles are grafted in without boasting, and the natural branches (Israel) can be regrafted. The gifts and calling to Israel are irrevocable (11:29), and a future salvation for “all Israel” will bring even greater blessing to the world (11:12, 15, 25–26). This directly counters any notion that the church has fully supplanted or canceled Israel’s role.
a. God is faithful even when people are not
b. Israel’s current rejection is NOT the end of their story.
