In What Way Will All Israel Be Saved?

All Israel Will Be Saved

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[e] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is[f] my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”[g]

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[h] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

In chapters 9-11 Paul teaches on how God's salvation applies the Jewish people which he refers to as "Israel".  Paul was Jewish, converted to Christianity when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and then was called by Jesus to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. But, as he mentions in chapter 9, this doesn't mean that he has given up on his Jewish brothers and sisters.  More importantly God hasn't give up on them.  God called Abraham, Issac and Jacob to be his chosen ones to reveal the Messiah to the world.  His gifts and call irrevocable.    

In this chapter Paul says something very interesting.  He says, "Israel has experienced a hardening until the full number of Gentiles come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved." So what does Paul mean when he says, "All Israel will be saved."  This is a topic has been much debated among scholars.  Does this mean every single Jewish person will be saved?  Does Israel mean "ethnic" Israel, or "spiritual" Israel.  

I think the way in which he uses this term is not referring to "spiritual" Israel? Why? Because that is not the context of the passage. He is clearly referring specifically the ethnic Jewish people from which he came.  And I don't think he means every single Jewish will come to faith in the Messiah, just as not every single Gentile will come to faith in Jesus.   So what then can we conclude?

1. God desires all people to be saved both Jews and Gentiles.

2. The only way to be saved is through God's mercy and grace through His Son, Jesus.   

3. Why some reject God's grace and some receive it by faith, it is a difficult topic.  Paul uses the phrase "the elect" to indicate those who are "called", and the phrase, "those who have been hardened" to indicate those who reject God's calling.    

F.F. Bruce New Testament Scholar writes, "Even as the apostasy of Israel did not extend to every last Jew, so the salvation of Israel will not extend to every last Jew; Paul is speaking of the “mass” of Jews when he says all Israel. “All Israel is a recurring expression in Jewish literature, where it need not mean ‘every Jew without a single exception’, but ‘Israel as a whole.’” (Bruce)

Rather than worrying about who is saved and who is not, we should spend more time reaching out to people of all ethnicities.  Paul says in Galatians 3:28, "In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, but all are one in Christ."  In heaven there will be no Jews and Gentiles only sons and daugthers of God. If that is the case then why don't we live out that reality now.  It will be a great testimony to our world!