Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 11 · Section 3 · Subsection 28
Quest. 27. Whether toward the end of the world the whole nation of the Iewes shall be converted.
1. One opinion is, that by all Israel, where the Apostle inferreth, v. 26. and so all Israel shall be saved, we are to vnderstand, totum populum Dei, all the people of God, consisting as well of the conuerted Gentiles as Iewes: and that the Apostles meaning onelyonly is, that euen vntounto the ende of the world, subinde aliqui ex Iudaeis convertuntur, continually some of the Iewes should be conuerted: thus Melancthon, Calvin, Hyperius, Osiander: and that all Israel is to be taken in that sense, both for the company of beleeving Gentiles, and Iewes, as the Apostle vnderstandeth it, Galath. 6.16. Peace be vponupon you, and merciemercy, and vponupon the Israel of God: Theodoret is of opinion, and so also Augustine epist. 59.
But in this sense, 1. the Apostle had vttered no great mysterie, seeing in all ages some of the Iewish nation hauehave beene and are still conuerted. 2. and againe the Apostle intendeth to minister some speciall consolation here to the Iewes, in the hope of their future conversion, which vnlesse it were more generall, then in conuerting of some, as it was then, the whole nation should hauehave beene depriued of a speciall comfort, Mart. Pareus. 3. and seeing in the former verse, in these words, obstinacie is come partly vponupon Israel, this word is taken in the litterall sense, for the nation and people of Israel, it were hard to vnderstand it in an other sense here. 4. and further the Apostle giueth this as a reason, why he bringeth in this mysterie: that the Gentiles should not insult ouer the Iewes: therefore it had not beene to his purpose, if he had not opened some secret concerning the speciall calling of the Iewes, Tolet annot. 18.
2. Pererius produceth Chrysostome and Thomas to be of opinion, that generally all the Iewes should be called in the ende of the world: as Chrysostome, vponupon the 12. verse of this chapter, shewing what the fulnes and plenitude of the Iewes saith, vniuersi ad fidem accessuri sunt, all vniuersally shall come vntounto the faith: and Thomas also consenteth, non particulariter aliqut tantum salvabuntur, &c. sed vniversaliter omnes, not onelyonly some particular men shall be called as now, but vniuersally all: to this opinion Scotus and Caietan, seeme to encline in their commentaries here: But Pererius seemeth to mistake Chrysostomes opinion which was not that the vniuersall nation of the Iewes should be called: for he saith here no otherwise, but thus, & nunc multi crediderunt, multi que rur sus credituri sunt, both many hauehave beleeved alreadie, and many againe shall beleeue, &c. there shall be a more frequent calling of the Iewes, and greater number, then before: but that none of the Iewes should remaine vncalled, it cannot be thought: like as when the fulnes of the Gentiles came in, yet many among them continued still in their vnbeleefe.
3. Some doe thinke that in the end of the world many of the Iewes shall be conuerted by the preaching of Henoch and Elias: Gregor. hom. 12. in Ezech. Theodoret, Lyranus vponupon this place: Hyppolitus addeth further, in that oration of the ende and consummation of the world, which goeth vnderunder his name, that the Iewes at the first shall be most addicted to Antichrist, Gens Hebraeorum potissimum chara erit Antichristo, the nation of the Hebrews shall be most deare vntounto Antichrist: but these are but humane fansies, that Henoch and Elias should come in their owne persons to preach in the ende of the world to the Iewes; that prophecie of the comming of Elias before the Messiah, was fulfilled in the preaching of S. Iohn Baptist; as our Blessed Sauiour expoundeth, Matth. 11. and if the Iewes should be so much addicted to Antichrist, expecting him for their Messiah their conuersion should be thereby so much the more hindered: it is also vnlike that the Iewes, which are no idolaters to this day should cleaue vntounto Antichrist, that shall be, and now is a manifest idolater.
4. Wherefore leauing these vncertaine conceits, the truth is this, that toward the ende of the world, before the comming of Christ, the nation of the Iewes shall be called, though not euerie one of that nation in particular; the reasons of which opinion are these.
1. The testimonies here by S. Paul produced out of the Prophets must not be vnderstood onelyonly of some particular Iewes, but of the whole multitude, that vngodlinesse shall be turned away from Iacob, &c. and Origen fitly alleadgeth that prophesie, Hosh. 2.7. I will returne to my first husband, for at that time was I better then now.
2. This is the meaning of that propheticall vision, Rev. 7. how that there were sealed … the tribes of Israel an 144. thousand, which prophecie is litterally vnderstood, and so Chry…. expoundeth it of the generall conversiō of the Iewes: for they are distinguished frō the other number of the nations, that was sealed, v. 9. as Pareus well obserueth.
3. Beza and Gryneus doe much vrge the frequent numbers of the Iewes in Asia and Africa, who beeing dispersed among the Gentiles, yet remain a people distinct by themselues, and are not mingled with the nations, where they solourne: which is an euident argument, that they are thus preserued of God for some speciall purpose.
4. Of this opinion also, that in the ende of the world there shall be a generall calling of the Iewes, are diuers of the fathers: as Chrysostome in the place before alleadged, and homil. 12. de verb. Dom. likewise Hilarius, lib. 11. de Trinit. and Origen here hath this saying, If …o this ende, blindnes came vponupon Israel, that the fulnes of the Gentiles might come in, sine dubio cum ingressa fuerit plenitudo gentium, caecitas cessabit, without doubt, when the fulnes of the Gentiles is come in, then the blindnes of the Iewes shall cease, &c.
But it will be thus obiected against the vniuersall calling of the Iewes.
1. Obiect. It is not to be conceiued, that all Israel should be so saued, as that none of them should perish: therefore these words must not be taken in the literall sense, All Israel shall be saued.
Ans. It is not necessarie in these generall speaches to vnderstand eueryevery one in particular: like as where the Scripture saith, All flesh shall see the saluation of God: and, all shall be taught of God: and, God will hauehave all men to be saued: these sayings must be restrained, ad vniversitatem definitam, to the vniuersalitie defined and determined of God, and not so enlarged, as to comprehend all in generall: Martyr: like as where the Apostle speaketh of the entring and comming in of the fulnes of the Gentiles, yet many remained vncalled: so not withstanding this generall calling of the Iewes, some may continue in their vnbeleefe still: thus Haymo well expoundeth, plenitudo haec non ad numerum cunctorum pertinet, sed ad numerum à De… praesinitum, this fulnes doth not belong vntounto the number of all, but vntounto the number determined of God.
2. Obiect. Our blessed Sauiour saith, Luk. 18.7. The Sonne of man, when he commeth, shall be find faith in the earth? if there shall be at Christs comming such scarcenes of faith, it is not like, that there shall be such a multitude of beleeuing Iewes.
Ans. 1. Lyranus answeareth, that detecta falsitate Antichrist, when the falshood of Antichrist shall be detected, then the Iewes shall be called: so faith in his opinion shall faile vnderunder Antichrist, but it shall flourish afterward, the Iewes beeing called: but the fayling of faith, which Christ our blessed Sauiour speaketh of, shall be at his comming, and as it were immediatly before it: therefore the calling of the Iewes can not be after this fayling.
2. Pet. Martyr thinketh it may be thus, that after the calling of the Iewes, there may grow some carnall securitie againe among them: but that is not like, that the Iewes beeing newly conuerted, should so soone decline and fall away from their integritie: it is more like, they shall be most zealous: Lyranus thinketh, that they shall be so constant in the faith of Christ, that they shall not refuse to die for the same.
3. Pareus giueth this solution; that although there shall be in the ende of the world a multitude of beleeuing Iewes, yet their number shall be but small, in respect of the vnbeleeuing Gentiles. To this last solution, this further may be added; that the fayling of faith, which Christ prophesieth of, must be specially vnderstood of the Gentiles, where Christ had beene preached, and beleeued vponupon: that euen there, where it was most likely, that faith should hauehave beene, none shall be found: for when the Iewes shall be called, faith shall waxe very faint and cold among the Gentiles.
Thus hauehave I shewed, what is the most probable opinion concerning the calling of the Iewes: wherein, as we expect a more frequent and generall vocation of that nation, then hitherto hath beene seene, so yet we acknowledge a mysterie still, which can not fully be revealed, how, when, and in what number the Iewes shall be called, vntill we shall see the same performed: and so Origen resolueth well, quis autem sit iste omnis Israel, &c. but who this all Israel is, and what shall be the fulnes of the Gentiles, God onelyonly knoweth, and his onelyonly Sonne, and they which are his friends, &c. Of this question, briefly handled here, I remember, that some twentie yeares since I writ a speciall Treatise, intituled, De vniversali Iudaeo… vocatione, wherein, though in some other points, as concerning Elias and Henochs corporall presence in heauen, I hauehave altered my former iudgement, yet in this question of the Vniuersall calling of the Iewes, I resolue still, as there I maintained, that the Apostles propheticall prediction here can not otherwise be vnderstood, then of their generall calling.