Will all Israel be saved?
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The short answer Settled
Paul says so. Israel's blindness is partial, and it lasts until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Then all Israel will be saved, which God calls His covenant with them. Even now Israel is beloved for the sake of the fathers, because God's gifts and calling are irrevocable. Paul does not say how many "all" includes; he says what will happen to the Israel he has been discussing.
Blindness in part, until
Paul tells Gentile believers a mystery so they will not be wise in their own opinion: "blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (). Two limits sit in one sentence. The blindness is "in part," not total. And it lasts "until," not forever. The verse does not say by itself what follows, but it does not allow Israel's present blindness to be called the permanent state of all Israel.
All Israel will be saved
Paul continues: "And so all Israel will be saved" (). He explains it from Scripture: the Deliverer "will turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (), "For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins" (). The people are named Jacob, the saving act is God taking away their sins, and God calls it His covenant with them. Paul carries the same Israel beyond its present blindness to salvation by God's own act.
Enemies, yet beloved
Paul holds two truths about Israel together: "Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers" (). Then he gives the reason the second still stands: "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (). Israel's present opposition to the gospel does not cancel the love Paul says God still has for them.
Headed toward mercy
Paul compares Gentile believers with Israel. "For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy" (), "even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy" (). He sums it up: "For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all" (). Paul does not stop Israel's story at disobedience.
The usual objection
The objection says Israel has been set aside as a nation for good. Israel's present unbelief is the end of God's dealings with that people, and "all Israel" means the church, so this passage promises Israel no future salvation.
But Paul has used "Israel" for his own people all through Romans 9 to 11, and here he names them Jacob again. He gives their blindness a limit, calls their salvation God's covenant with them, grounds their beloved standing in God's irrevocable calling, and directs their disobedience toward mercy.
The words behind it
| Word | Where | Form | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἀπὸ μέρους ... ἄχρι οὗ apo merous ... achri hou, "in part ... until" (575, 3313, 891) | Prepositional phrase, then a time clause | The blindness is limited in extent and in time. | |
| πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται pas Israel sothesetai, "all Israel will be saved" (3956, 2474, 4982) | Future passive indicative | States what will happen to the Israel under discussion. | |
| ἀγαπητοὶ διὰ τοὺς πατέρας agapetoi dia tous pateras, "beloved for the sake of the fathers" (27, 1223, 3962) | Adjective with a preposition of cause | The ground of Israel's beloved standing. | |
| Ἀμεταμέλητα ametameleta, "irrevocable" (278) | Adjective, introduced by "for" | The reason the beloved standing still holds. | |
| ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθῶσιν hina kai autoi eleethosin, "that they also may obtain mercy" (2443, 846, 1653) | Purpose clause, aorist passive subjunctive | Mercy is the stated purpose of Israel's present condition. |
No textual variants affect the conclusion.
This study checks the Greek Received Text against the Majority Text, and the written Hebrew against its traditional reading. If a difference could change a conclusion, this note explains it. Otherwise it says that none does.