remainder of the nation. It is false to fact and to true interpretation to make the apostle's

"present season" mean the year 1913; he meant the time then before him, while God's

mercy still lingered, and before "wrath came upon them to the uttermost."  The

"remnant" and the "rest" are again contrasted in verse 7. If we leave out of our reckoning

the divine argument of these first seven verses, we shall be unable rightly to understand

what follows. Who are meant by "they" who "stumble" in verse 11? Who are meant by

"them" who are "cast away" in verse 15? The nation of Israel, say some, and saying so

dispose of the whole question in one sweep, arguing to their own satisfaction that Israel

was set aside some years before Acts 28:

Keeping in mind what we have already seen, we shall perceive that those who

"stumbled" and were "cast away" were the "rest," and that the remnant according to the

election of grace maintained the position of the people before God for the time. This is

clearly stated in verse 17. If they are right who have attempted to discredit the teaching

concerning Acts 28: being the time when Israel was set aside, they ought to read in

Rom. 11: 17, 18 that the olive tree was cut down at the root, or plucked up by the roots, at

this time. What do we find, however? Something different from what we might have

expected. The bulk of the apostasizing nation is spoken of as "some of the branches," the

remnant according to election being still considered as the olive tree still rooted, into

which the Gentiles were grafted. That is to say, that no change, other than the lopping off

of "some of the branches," and the grafting in of others, had as yet taken place. A tree is

not cut down nor destroyed by the cutting off of "some of the branches," and the fact that

into that tree other alien branches had been grafted betokened life--yea the word is "root

and fatness of the olive tree."

You ask, Why were the branches broken off?  The Scripture says, "because of

unbelief." Those addressed by the apostle "stood by faith" and were warned that just as

these of Israel had forfeited their peculiar privileges through unbelief, so the Gentiles

during this same period would also lose the like privileges in the same way. This does

not refer to "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus," for "nothing" could separate from

that, it refers to dispensational privilege. The difference between standing in grace and

dispensational privilege is clearly seen by reading Rom. 3: 1, 2 and 9. "What advantage

then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way." This is

purely a question of dispensational privilege. "What then? are we better than they? No,

in no wise." This is a matter of sin and salvation.

Israel's "advantage" and "profit" are given at length in Rom. 9: 4, 5; these were

forfeited through unbelief, and are in view in Rom. 11: Mercy rejoices against judgment

throughout this chapter, dark though it may appear. The stumbling of Israel was not "that

they should fall," but that salvation might come unto the Gentiles. The God Who cut out

"some of the branches" "is able to graft them in again." Election is written large over this

wonderful people. Jacob was chosen instead of Esau, without any reference to "either

good or evil" (Rom. 9: 11). The remnant stood by faith during the trying period covered

by the Acts, because they were "the election," the Gentiles believed because "afore

prepared unto glory" (Rom. 9: 23, 24) and the ultimate destiny of "all Israel" (11: 26) is

based upon the selfsame elective grace.