And as St. Paul did in the previous questions, pointing out the paradoxes of the law and of the people who were facing a condemnation greater than the natural condemnation, going to the extreme of the covenant he had broken, as he conceded many things, so as not to make his word harsh, this is also what he did in this part, saying:
“I say then, has God rejected his people? God forbid!” (Romans 11:1).
He speaks as a man who has doubts or perplexities, making the words he had said before his motivation, and after pointing out this fearful thing, asking, “Has God rejected his people?” he was able to make them acceptable after they had broken the covenant, and this is what he had tried to show through all the previous words, and which he shows here also. And what did he show? It concerns those who were saved. Although they were few, the promise had been fulfilled. And so he did not say only “the people,” but he added, “which he foreknew.”
Then after that he added the proof that God did not reject his people and did not send them far away from him, as he says: “For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” I am the teacher and the preacher. For he has made it clear that this contradicts what was said before, regarding those who said, “Who has believed our report?” and “All day long I have stretched out my hands to a stubborn and rebellious people,” and “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation.” And he did not content himself with denying that, nor with saying, “God forbid,” but he proves it by repeating this also, by saying:
“God has not rejected his people” (Romans 11:2).
Thus the apostle makes it clear that this is not a proof, but an answer. Notice then the previous proof and the proof that came after, and by these two proofs he proved that he was descended from the Jews. But this would not have happened, if God had rejected them far from Him, and God would not have chosen him from this line and tribe. He entrusted him with the gospel and the affairs of the world, and also with all the mysteries and the whole administration. This then is the first proof, while the second proof is his saying, “His people whom He foreknew,” that is, His people whom He knew well that they were worthy and would accept the faith. For of this people believed three thousand, and five thousand, and countless thousands.
And lest any should say, Are you his people? And because you were called, were the Gentiles called? He added, “God did not reject his people whom he foreknew.” As if he had said, There are three thousand with me, five thousand with me, ten thousand with me. What then? Is this the people? And is the offspring of these Jews limited to three thousand, five thousand, ten thousand, who are as numerous as the stars of heaven and as numerous as the sand of the sea? Do you thus deceive and deceive us, making yourself and the few who are with you a whole people? You have filled us with empty hope, saying that the promise is fulfilled, while all are lost, and salvation is limited to a few? These things are a matter of great boasting and boasting, and we cannot bear such sophistries. So lest they say these things, notice how he presents the solution in the subsequent words, without indicating the contrast, but indicating its solution before the contrast, by means of an ancient story.
5 So what is the solution? “Don’t you know?” He also says, “What does the Bible say about Elijah?” How did he pray to God in the face of the Israelite people? He said, “O Lord God of hosts, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.” [1] But what was the Lord's answer to him?
“I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [2] (Romans 11:3-4).
Likewise:
“At the present time also a remnant has come into being according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5).
What he says means this: God did not reject His people. If He had rejected them, He would not have accepted anyone. Since He accepted some, this means that He did not reject His people. And if He did not reject His people, does this mean that He will accept them all? Of course not, because salvation in the time of Elijah was limited to seven thousand men, while today it is natural for those who believe to be many. But if you do not know this, this is not strange, because Elijah the prophet, that great and prominent man, did not know this. Rather, God arranged this matter, although the prophet was ignorant of it.
But observe the wisdom of the apostle Paul, in his attempt to prove what he says. He implicitly increases their condemnation. Therefore he brings forth the whole testimony of Elijah, in order to ridicule their ingratitude, and to prove that they were ungrateful from of old. For if he had wished to prove only one thing, namely, that the number of the people was small, he would have said that in the time of Elijah there remained seven thousand, whereas now he reads the whole testimony of the prophets from of old. For in every place he endeavours to show that he has not given anything of Christ and the apostles that is heard for the first time, but has given the usual and well-known things. And lest the Jews should say that we killed Christ because he was a deceiver, and persecuted the apostles because they were traitors, he gives the testimony that says, “They killed your prophets and threw down your altars.” And after that, in order not to make his speech heavy, he points out, in addition to the testimony, another reason. He did not mention this testimony, with the intention of accusing them in advance, but because he wants to prove other things. Thus, they have deprived themselves of any reconciliation for everything that they have done before.
Notice then how the condemnation goes beyond the one who condemns. For the accuser is not Paul, nor Peter, nor James, nor John, but the one who is most admired of all, the pinnacle of the prophets. [3] He who struggled so hard for their salvation, even to the point of giving himself up to hunger, he who has not died yet to this day. [4] . So what did he say, “They have killed your prophets and torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.” What could be worse than this brutality? For while they should have pleaded with God for their sins which they had already committed, they wanted to kill this prophet also. All this deprived them of all reconciliation. For these dared to do these things not when there was famine, but when there was plenty, and shame was gone, and the demons were ashamed, and the power of God was revealed, and the king was subjected, and so they went from murder to murder, and killed their teachers, and those who corrected their vision. What then could they say? Were these also traitors? Perhaps they did not know whence they also came? Did they cause you trouble? And the altars, why did you tear them down? Did these also cause you trouble?
Have you seen the many terrible quarrels and the great insults they constantly show? That is why St. Paul says in another place when he wrote to the Thessalonians: “For you also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, as they also have from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and persecuted us, being displeasing to God and hostile to all men.” [5] . And this is what he says here specifically, that they tore down the altars and killed the prophets. But what was God’s response to them? “I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal.” What do these things have to do with what is happening now? Of course they have to do with what is happening now, and in a very big way. Because here it is proven that God has revealed this matter since ancient times through all that he said, “If the number of the children of Israel is as the sand of the sea, a remnant will be saved, because he will finish the word and judge in righteousness. For the Lord will execute a word that is determined upon the earth… Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom.” [6] He also emphasizes the manifestation of this matter, and for this reason he added, saying, “So also at the present time there has been a remnant according to the election of grace.”
Pay attention to each word as it is in its splendor, for the words show the grace of God, and also the gratitude of those who are saved. For when he says only “election,” he means their election, but when he adds the word “grace,” he shows the gift of God.
“And if by grace, it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if by works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (Romans 11:6).
Again he returns to the disputes of the Jews, explaining also that these were deprived of forgiveness or pardon (saying to them): Because you could not say that the prophets had called us, and that God had begged us, or as if you wanted to say: It was enough to attract us, only to urge us to zeal, while the addition of the commandments was burdensome, and therefore we could not come to God, for the prophets asked us for work, and strenuous accomplishments. Nor could you say this either. For how could the Lord ask these things of you, at the moment when this would cover his grace? But he said these things, because he wanted to show that he wanted these with all his heart to be saved. For the salvation offered to them was not easy, but the great glory of God was revealed in his love for mankind. Why then were you afraid to come, since he did not ask you for works? And why do you rebel and argue, while grace is present, and you prefer the law in vain and without reason? For you will not be saved by the law, and you will even abuse this grace. So if you insist that your salvation is achieved by the law, you are withholding the grace of God from you. And later, lest they think this strange, he says beforehand, that there were seven thousand who were saved by grace. And when he says, “So also at this present time a remnant was saved according to the election of grace,” he shows that they were saved according to grace. And not only that, but he also says, “I have kept to myself.” For this is what he shows, that God has provided much.
If this salvation was achieved by grace, why are we not all saved? The answer: Because you do not want to. Because grace, although it is grace, saves those who accept it, and it does not save those who do not want to be saved, but rather turn away from it and always fight and resist it. Do you see how with all this he proves what he says, “But does this not mean proving the untruth of the word of God”? Of course not, but he wanted to show that God’s promise is for those who deserve it, and that these, even if they are few, can be God’s people. He indicated this more strongly at the beginning of the letter, saying, “What if some are not faithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? Certainly not! But let God be true, and every man a liar.” [7] And now he also demonstrates this in another way, showing the power of grace, and that there are always those who are saved and those who are lost.
6 Let us give thanks to God, then, that we are among those who have been saved, for though we could not be saved by works, yet we are saved by the gift of God. But when we give thanks, let us not give thanks in words only, but in deeds and actions. For thanksgiving is true when we do those things by which God is glorified, and when we avoid the old things from which we have been freed. For though we had despised the king, he honoured us instead of punishing us; but if we despise him again when the worst ingratitude has possessed us, we shall rightly be punished with the worst punishment, and much more than before. For our former offence has not shown us to be ungrateful, so much as the offence we direct after the honour we have received, and the great care we have received. Let us avoid then those things from which we have been freed, and we should not give thanks only with the mouth, lest it be said to us, “This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” [8] How then is it not strange that the heavens, which were created for this purpose, praise God with glory, and you do such evils, that God who created you is blasphemed because of you?
Therefore, not only the blasphemer will be punished, but you also. For the heavens do not praise God with voice, but they prepare others for this praise when they look at them; yet it is said that the heavens speak the glory of God. So all who live a life of virtue in a pure way, even if they are silent, glorify God, because through them others also glorify Him. For God is not glorified by the heavens to the same extent as He is by a pure life. When we discuss with the Greeks, we do not present to them heaven, but men, who behaved worse than beasts, but were transformed and became equal to the angels. And when we speak of this transformation, we shut their mouths. For man is much better than heaven, and can become more beautiful than the beauty of heaven. For they had looked at heaven for many years, but it did not convince them much, while the apostle Paul, although he preached for a few years, attracted the whole world.
In truth, he carried a soul that was no less than heaven, and was able to attract everyone. As for our souls, they are not equal in value, not even to the earth, while the value of his soul is equal to heaven. Because heaven still retains its limits and its law, while the loftiness of the soul of St. Paul surpassed all the heavens, and his soul entered into fellowship with Christ Himself. And its beauty had reached a great extent, so much so that God chose it for election, because the angels were amazed at the beauty of the stars when they were created, while the Apostle Paul was pleased with God, saying: “This is a chosen vessel for me.” [9] This sky is often obscured by clouds, but the soul of the Apostle Paul was not obscured by any trial. Rather, in winter it appeared more brilliant than the sunrise at noon, before the clouds appeared. Because the sun that illuminates the soul of St. Paul, did not let its rays be obscured by the accumulation of trials, but rather shone brighter. That is why he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” [10] .
Let us then be like St. Paul, for nothing is worth more than the soul, neither this heaven nor the sun nor the whole world, for these things came about for our sake, and it is not we who came about for them, if we would have our souls become like St. Paul’s soul. Let us prove ourselves worthy, for these things came about for our sake. For if we appear unworthy of these things, how shall we become worthy of the kingdom? Likewise, those who live to blaspheme God are unworthy to see the sun, nor to enjoy the creatures that glorify God. For the son who despises his father is unworthy to enjoy the service of the servants who honor him. Therefore, these will enjoy great glory, but we will suffer the torments of hell and be worthy of punishment. What misery, that the universe, which was created for the freedom of the glory of the children of God, should change its form, while we, who were created for the children of God, are led to destruction by our great indifference, we who, because of us, the universe should enjoy this great glory?
And so that this does not happen, as much as we have a pure soul, let us keep it that way, or better yet, let us increase its splendor, while we must not despair because of our impure souls. “Come, let us reason together,” says the Lord, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.” [11] But when God makes promises, you should not doubt, but do those things by which you can obtain these promises. Have you done countless evils and sinned? What does that matter? Why have you not yet gone to hell, the place where no one can acknowledge or confess their sins? Your struggle is not over yet, but rise up with determination in the arena, and you can triumph over all defeats in the final round. You are not yet in the place of the rich man, to hear, “Between us and you there is a great gulf.” [12] The bridegroom has not come yet, and no one will be afraid and withhold oil from you. You can still buy it and save it, and no one will say, “It is not enough for us, but.” [13] For those who sell it are many: the naked, the hungry, the sick, and the imprisoned. Give food to the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick, and the oil will come in abundance from its sources.
The day of judgment has not yet come. Make the most of the time, and pay off your debts. Say to someone who owes you a hundred baths of oil, “Take a bill… and write fifty.” [14] Do the same with money, with speech, and with everything else, following the example of that steward. And these things advise yourself and your relatives. For you are still the master of the situation and can say so, so you do not need to beg another for these things, but you can advise yourself and others. But when you pass into the next life, you will not be able to do any of these things properly. For you who have taken so long and have been of no use to yourself or to others, how can you obtain this grace when you stand before the just Judge?
7 Let us therefore gather all these things together, and earnestly seek our salvation, and not neglect the opportunity of the present life. For it is possible that we may be made acceptable to God in the last moments of our life. It is possible that we may be honored or pleased by our covenant with God. But how and in what way? This will happen if you leave a will for that needy person with your heirs, and leave him a portion of all your wealth. Did you give him food while you were in this life? At least, since you will die and will no longer be a master, you must give to the needy from what you have. The Lord is a lover of mankind, and does not require you to be exact in everything. To feed the needy person, and to give him generously while you are still in this present life, is an example of a strong desire for a great reward. If you have not done this, at least go to the second thing, that is, leave him a portion of your wealth, make him a partner with your heirs, with your children. But if you hesitate to do this, consider that your heavenly Father has made you an heir to Him (i.e., the Father), and has put an end to your greed. What defense will you offer, when you do not make that needy one [15] A partner with your children, He is the One who made you a partner in the kingdom of heaven, and was sacrificed for you? And although it is certain that everything He did was not with the aim of making you repay Him, but rather everything He did was by way of grace, yet after all these good deeds, you became indebted.
But though these things are thus, and since you receive the grace, not to repay him, yet he crowns you, while he takes from what is his. Give then to that needy man (Christ) money which is no longer of any use to you, especially since you are not yet master (of this money), and he will give you the kingdom which will be always useful and profitable, and in addition to the kingdom he will give you the things of this present world. For if he becomes a partaker of the inheritance of your children, he will relieve them of their orphanhood, and will nullify their plots, and will repel their arrows, and will shut the mouths of slanderers. And if they cannot yet keep the covenants, Christ will keep them, and will not let them be broken. But if he allows this to happen, he will pay or pay what is written in the covenants or agreements with great generosity, and that from what is his, for the honor of the covenant is in not breaking it. So let him (the needy) become your heir, and Christ will justly repay you for all you have done here.
But some of the wretched, wretched ones, who, though they have no children, cannot bear to do this (that is, to make Christ their heir), but would rather distribute what they possess to parasites, hypocrites, and so-and-so, than to give to Christ, who has made them so happy. Is there anything more strange than what these people do? For no one can compare such people with any of God’s creatures, for he cannot say anything of value about their stupidity and insensibility, nor can he find any image to express their madness and depravity. What forgiveness will these have, then, since they did not feed Christ while he was alive, and when they were ready to pass to him, they did not give even a small part of their possessions, over which they had no power, but they acted in hatred and enmity, and did not even give to the poor those things which had become useless to them? Haven't you seen how many of these people didn't deserve this end? [16] But they died suddenly? While God has given you the ability to talk about your wealth and everything in your house.
What justification then will you give, when you have received this grace from Christ, and then betray this favor, and stand outside the circle, against the faith of your fathers? For those, when they were alive, sold everything and laid it at the feet of the apostles. [17] But you, even when you are near death, give a certain portion of your wealth to those who are in need. It is better, of course, and this is a great act of generosity, to alleviate poverty while you are in this present life. And if you do not want to do this, at least when you die do something noble. This is not a model of strong love for Christ, but it is a model of a small love. For even if you have not yet acquired the first place among the sheep, it is not a small thing to be at least among the sheep, and not among the goats, nor on the left. But if you do not do even this, what justification will save you, when not even the fear of death will make you a lover of people, nor will money be of any use to you, since it will be useless later, nor is it a justification for wanting to leave an insurance for your children?
Therefore I beseech you, while you are still in this life, to leave the greater part of your wealth to those in need. But if some are so small-minded that they cannot bear to do this, at least let them be loving to those in need. For when you were in this life, you dealt with things as if you were immortal; but now, since you know that you are mortal, at least now give up your belief that you are immortal, and as a mortal think of your own, or rather think as one who will always enjoy eternal life. For though what is to be said is a matter of distress and of dread, yet it must be said, The Lord God is numbered with your servants. Will you free the servants? Then Christ has freed from hunger, from want, from prison, and from nakedness. Are you terrified to hear these things? Then it will be more dreadful if you do not do them while you are in this life, and of course this talk makes you shudder. But when you are transferred there (that is, to eternal life), you will hear things more terrible than these, and you will see torments that are unbearable, and what will you say? To whom will you turn? Whom will you call to be a helper and a supporter? Is it Abraham? But he will not hear. Are those wise virgins? Nor will they give you oil. Is it your father? Is it your grandfather? Not one of these has the power to overturn that judgment, not even a great saint.
Think, then, of all these things, of Him who alone has the power to tear up the bond that is against you, and to quench that flame. Let you implore Him and beseech Him, and let Him henceforth be kind to you and help you, and provide Him with food and clothing always, so that you may depart from here with good hope, and when you arrive there into eternal life, enjoy eternal good things. And may we all obtain them by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
[1] 1 Kings 10:19.
[2] 1 Kings 18:19.
[3] He means the prophet Elijah.
[4] Here it refers to Elijah's ascension to heaven in a chariot of fire.
[5] 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15.
[6] Romans 9:27-29.
[7] Romans 3:3-4.
[8] Isaiah 13:29.
[9] Acts 15:9.
[10] 2 Corinthians 9:12.
[11] Isaiah 18:1.
[12] Luke 26:16.
[13] Matthew 9:25.
[14] Luke 6:16.
[15] Christ, glory be to Him, meant when He said: “As you did it to the least of these, you did it to me.”
[16] Any chance to prepare before they die.
[17] See Acts 4:34.