Misunderstood and Misapplied
It’s one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. It’s Romans 11:26, and it reads this way:
“And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.’”
It’s the first part of the verse which is in question: “And so all Israel shall be saved.”
A brief definition of the word “Israel” is in order. Biblically, in broad terms, “Israel” refers today to the world’s Jewish population. However, the term should also be understood more specifically as a reference to the nation of Israel itself – therefore both are in view.
So, what of this enigmatic phrase, “And so all Israel will be saved …”? Because it has become so unnecessarily baffling to so many readers of Scripture, it has also become unnecessarily misapplied. The primary misinterpretation of this verse is that every Jewish person who has ever lived will automatically go to Heaven. This unfortunate misinterpretation of Romans 11:26 has led to the equally unfortunate misconception that churches do not need to evangelize Jewish people because they are automatically saved.
Even more, these flawed ideas have advanced 2 faulty theological positions. The first, known as Replacement Theology, espouses the belief that the Church has replaced Israel. The second, which is championed by a segment of Israel-supporting Christians, advocates that there is a separate means to salvation for the Jewish people apart from the shed blood of Christ. Both of these completely miss the mark.
Let us affirm that the notion that anyone can be saved outside of the shed blood of Jesus Christ is heretical, false, and damning. Numerous verses point to Jesus as being the only way of salvation, among them John 3:18, John 3:36, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, and Romans 10:9.
And yet, Romans 11:26 says, seemingly without qualification, that “all Israel shall be saved.” This seems contradictory! Let’s see if we can unravel this enigma.
The Crucial Context
The word “crucial” is redundant; context is crucial in properly understanding any portion of Scripture. So, what’s the context of Romans 11:26?
The context of this verse is the entirety of Romans Chapters 9, 10, and 11. In Paul’s magnificent treatise on the Christian faith (the first 8 chapters of the Book of Romans), he has made the argument that atonement from sin is not to be found in Old Testament sacrificial system, but in the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone. Paul spells this out in 5 groundbreaking verses, Romans 3:21-25 (emphasis added):
“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed.”
With this bold and brilliant proclamation, however, Paul knew he would find himself running afoul of the Jewish people he was so trying to reach. He knew their reply to his monumental declaration would be something similar to the following:
“What are you talking about, Paul? Do you mean to tell us that everything we have been taught by our forefathers has become moot? It was Moses who commanded us to implement the sacrificial system in order to atone for our sins – and this by God’s command. Now, Paul, you’re telling us this is no longer the case … that God has changed his mind. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do!”
Paul wholeheartedly agreed. He knew he had to logically explain to the Jewish people why this seeming change in “salvation requirements” has been so drastic while at the same time assuring the Jewish people that they still had a vital role in God’s plan for the human race.
He set out to do this in Chapters 9, 10, and 11. It was Paul’s way of saying: “You’re right; I agree. Now I’ll explain.”
The Key Phrase
As Paul skillfully navigates his way through Chapters 9 and 10, he understands that his arguments could be misconstrued as if he were espousing the idea that God has rejected the Jewish people. Knowing this could be the thinking of many within the Jewish community, he pre-emptively addresses this false assertion in Chapter 11, verse 1, by asking a pivotal question: “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?”
Paul immediately provides the crucial and decisive answer: “May it never be!” The Greek for “May it never be” is akin to saying, “Don’t even think such a thing! Has God cast away His people Israel? Don’t even permit such a rogue thought to enter your mind!”
The Jewish people could then reply, “Okay, great, so where’s the problem. We have nothing to worry about; we’re on solid footing with God!”
Not so fast. Paul still has important truth to share with his Jewish audience, and this brings him to the key phrase which provides them (and us) with a vital piece of information in his explanation of the “all Israel will be saved” issue. This key 2-word phrase is found in verse 5:
“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”
Did you pick out the key phrase? There are a few candidates here, but the correct one is “a remnant.” That’s it. That’s the key. When talking about Israel and salvation, we’re talking about the remnant of Israel! This is the essential truth believers must grasp: Scripture never teaches that every Jewish person who ever lived would go to Heaven following their time on Earth. No, this honor is reserved for a segment within Israel – an elect group referred to as “a” – or “the” – “remnant.”
Will ‘All’ Israel Be Saved? Part 2. Next Saturday
David Ettinger was born and raised in a Jewish family in New York. After moving to New Mexico as an adult, he suffered through many trials. The nudge of the Holy Spirit caused him to examine his heart and in 1986 he surrendered his life to Jesus and has walked with Him ever since.David holds a BA, and MA, in English from New Mexico State University. He began his journalism career writing for The Roundup, the university paper. After graduation he became the sportswriter for the El Paso Times. He has held many other positions as both writer and editor with major publications. David is active in providing his skills with Zion’s Hope, Inc., in Winter Garden, Florida. His publications include Lifeway publications, Single Parent magazine (Focus on the Family), Zion’s Fire magazine, and Real Life magazine. In addition, he served as managing editor for Zion’s Fire and Real Life. David’s book, Overcomers: 30 Stories of Triumph from the Bible, is available online. David is proud of his son and grandson. Please read his testimony here, on his website.
Featured Image by Charles Woodruff using chatgpt.com
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