Divine Permission and the Gifts of Grace

To perish and not be saved anymore? May it not be so, he says. For their transgression has a double economy; for the Gentiles have been made equal participants, and they themselves, having become jealous because of this, will turn back. Since before the law they deviated, and having received the law they were more burdened than they were benefited, and they were neither persuaded by threats nor by exhortations, but always remained disobedient; the Savior came to another economy, and the Gentiles are being saved through their transgression, so that even through the jealousy of the Gentiles they might be saved.

If the Jews did not keep the law, the arrival of Christ through grace was necessary (Rom 11:12); therefore our Lord, by grace, is forgiving transgressions. But not all Jews received Christ nor the grace from him, but the remnant; and the others, as if striving to never be saved, pushed the grace onto the Gentiles. And through their transgression they bestowed riches upon the world, that is, the multitude of the saving ones. If God enriched the Gentiles who turned back, how could there not be something greater and a most perfect wealth for the world, if the Jews, having recognized their lack, were given the fullness, so that both the Gentiles and the Jews might run together toward perfect piety? For it is the custom of the apostle to speak of the system that is filled with piety and knowledge of God.

The patriarchs, the lawgiver, and the prophets are indeed the firstfruits and the root; but the whole Jewish nation is the bud and the branches (Rom 11:16). What is this, and thus all Israel will be saved (Rom 11:25-26)? Just as we say that the whole world and all the Gentiles are being saved because there are those approaching by faith from everywhere and from all the Gentiles, so also all Israel will be saved; 'all' does not mean everyone indiscriminately, but either those being overtaken by Elijah or those scattered throughout the whole world who are about to approach by faith.

What is called such a thing is this (Rom 11:30-32): if the former disobedience did not hinder the faith of the Gentiles, then neither for the Jews is the power of exclusion from repentance being shut away regarding the future. And the 'so that they also might be shown mercy' does not indicate that they sinned for this reason in order to be shown mercy as you are, but that even those sinning are worthy to be shown mercy as...

And you too. Just as God handed them over to sufferings of dishonor and God blinded the minds of the unbelievers, we do not receive the word as if God were doing evil, but as one permitting men to do what they want through the freedom of self-determination; so also now, what God shut all up to unbelief must be understood: that He allowed those wishing to disobey to continue disobeying, permitting through the whole man to do what he wants with what he has under his own power. Thus God shut all up to unbelief, that is, He continued to permit disobedience, not so that He might condemn those remaining in sins, but so that, perceiving through time those things of which they sin, and having recognized and turned back, He might have mercy on them. Or perhaps what He shut up to unbelief is instead of Him reproving the disobedient, and just as He closed off from them all defense, so that they might sense that they are saved not from works, but from the philanthropy and mercy of God (Rom 11:8).

Lest anyone might think the word of the exhortation to be human, He showed that it is through grace, and He says and teaches. Since therefore arrogance, in which the Romans are most strongly held, is a most terrible disease, it is proposed to them to be moderate toward the best state of humility, following the teaching of the Spirit. He who, knowing the arrogance of the disciples' human nature, washed their feet, was training them to be humble, so that, not participating in grace and having made signs, they might not be puffed up by grace and fall from the gift (Rom 12:3).

To each, He says, as God distributed a measure of faith, instead of saying as each He measured grace according to his faith (Rom 12:3). Whether prophecy, He says, according to the proportion of faith (Rom 12:6-8). This has been stated incompletely; for it is lacking in the saying 'whether prophecy' that we show the grace in prophecy so that it may be such: having diverse gifts, whether prophecy, whether service, whether teaching. Those having prophecy, we show the grace in prophecy; those having service, in service; those having teaching, in teaching; and each in the ministry in which he is entrusted. Prophecy, then, is previously the revelation of unseen things, whether of those coming, or of the old, or of the present things.