11.I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12.Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
 
What an incredible passage of scripture!!! However, to get the most out of it, we have to look at the original Greek words. 
  First, the context of this passage refers to Israel/Jew. Now, in verse 11, the word “stumbled” (ptaio) means sin. And the first time the word “fall” (pipto) is used in this verse it means to ‘fall down’. For example, allowing scripture to interpret scripture, in another Bible passage where the word ‘ptaio’ is used the wise men fell down (pipto) to worship Jesus (Mat2:11). So, the first sentence in Romans 11:11 is asking whether the Jews sinned that they should ‘fall down’—where the definition of ‘fall’ has a connotation of permanency.
  However, because the words “God forbid” follow in the very next phrase of verse 11, we now know the Jewish fall cannot be permanent! Why? Not only because Paul writes “God forbid” the fall be permanent, but also because the entire OT is filled with Israel falling into sin, and then God judges them…yet He never permanently rejects them!! In other words, God promises to scatter Israel for their sin, but also promises to regather them back into their land*! Therefore, there can be no permanent, i.e.forever judgment upon Israel!
  Moving forward. The second and third use of the English word “fall” in verses 11 and 12 (paraptoma) are different than the Greek word ‘pipto’, and according to Strong’s mean ‘sin’, and/or ‘transgression’. Therefore, the use of the word paraptoma directly refers to Israel’s sin, transgression, trespass, or error! So, Romans 11:11 clearly teaches “through their fall” (paraptoma), which means through Israel’s fall into sin--salvation comes to the Gentile. For emphasis, allow me to repeat this marvelous truth: through Israel’s fall into sin, God extended salvation to the Gentiles! As incredible as that truth is…there is still more!
  Next, let’s examine the phrase “for to provoke them to jealousy” at the end of verse 11! The English words “for to” in this passage is a single Greek word “eis”, and simply means “to”. In addition, "eis" has within its definition the meaning of ‘purpose’. Therefore, in Romans 11:11, to add “for to” (eis) to the phrase “provoke them to jealousy” gives us “for to provoke them to jealousy” instructing us the purpose or reason God sovereignly determined salvation to the Gentile. Allow me to repeat myself for emphasis. The word “eis” (“for to”) informs us of the reason or purpose salvation has come to the Gentiles: “to provoke them(Jews) to jealousy”!!!
   Here are two absolutely amazing revelations!
1.The word “provoke” normally has a negative connotation when used in English. For example, “Johnny provoked his little sister to anger by continuing to poke her with his finger!” However, this is NOT the intent of “provoke” in Romans 11:11. The English word “provoke” is the Greek word “parazeloo”, a compound word made up of two Greek words ‘para’ and ‘zeloo’ and Strong’s concordance says it means “to stimulate alongside”.
   However, let’s examine the two Greek words ‘para’ and ‘zeloo’ separately to get an even better understanding of what God is trying to teach us. Once again according to Strong’s, the first word ‘para’ means ‘to be near’ or ‘to come along side of’, or ‘besides something’, as in to come close to in the vicinity of a thing. On the other hand, the second word ‘zeloo’ means ‘to have warmth of feeling for or against” something (Strong’s). Furthermore, depending on the context, the word ‘zeloo’ can also have a meaning of either ‘envy’ or ‘jealous over’, which are also words with an obvious negative connotation.  
  However, because ‘zeloo’ is preceded by the word ‘para’--which if you remember means “to be near” or “to come along side”; therefore the context of the word ‘zeloo’ in Romans 11:11 demands that the definition of the compound words ‘para’ and ‘zeloo’ take on the meaning of “have warmth of feeling for” as opposed to “have warmth of feeling against”. I repeat, the meaning of the Greek word parazeloo in the Romans 11:11-12 context means: ‘to come alongside with warmth to stimulate’ or ‘to motivate’ or ‘to inspire’---from a close proximity!!!! Therefore, the meaning of the phrase: “for to provoke them to jealousy” means the Gentile is to come alongside the Jew—with warmth, sensitivity, and love to stimulate the Jew---to motivate the Jew---to inspire the Jew!
   But…to inspire the Jew to what? Obviously, because salvation came to the Gentile through the fall of the Jew, and because salvation comes only through the Jewish Messiah Jesus (Jn14:6; 1Jn5:11-13; Jn4:22), the Gentile who now possesses his salvation from the fall of the Jew, must return to the Jew to show him the very salvation that came to him through the fall of the Jew---which I repeat, can only mean to show the Jew their salvation, which Biblically is the Messiah Jesus!!!
  Finally, Romans 2:4 declares-“the goodness (kindness) of God leads men to repentance”!! Therefore, in practice, the meaning of the words “the warmth of feeling” for the Jew means the Gentile’s very salvation demands he must return and demonstrate to the Jew acts of goodness/kindness which are specifically designed(Rom15:1,2) to inspire the Jew to lay hold of salvation, i.e.the Messiah, Yeshua. For this reason alone, the Holy Spirit inspired Romans 1:16, which instructs us to take the gospel to the Jew first…which if done correctly will organically lead to my second great revelation**.  
 
2.This second revelation arises from the first; or said another way, the first revelation gives birth to the second! Therefore, and I repeat, because the fall of the Jew brought salvation to the Gentile, a salvation which demands that the Gentile return to the Jew in order to come close alongside him with warmth, sensitivity, and love to provoke the Jew; to motivate the Jew; to inspire the Jew to recognize the very same salvation that first came to the Gentile through the Jew, means in order to accomplish this great feat requires/demands the Jew and Gentile become inseparably linked! I repeat, the great revelation of Romans 11:11-12 requires that the Jew and Gentile--become one(Eph2:13-15)!!! Therefore, the Gentile needs the Jew, and the Jew needs the Gentile!  
 
  Because of these two revelations, the devil has moved heaven, earth, and hell to inspire antisemitism, and especially “Christian” antisemitism!!
 
  Notice, I didn’t even mention what is undoubtedly the greatest promise found in Romans 11:11-12: “…how much more their fulness”!!! When the Gentile completes his work with the Jew in verse 11—verse 12 declares that the Jew will not only make Jesus their Messiah---but God will pour out His blessing on the earth in such measure that has NEVER--BEFORE---BEEN---SEEN!!!
 
*Eze37:1-14; Is11:11-12. The phrase “second time” in Isaiah 11:11 ensures that God will return Israel to their land…twice! First, under the Medes and Persians under Cyrus(Ezra 1:1,2), and second, when Israel returns to the land in 1948.
 
**And ultimately lands us on the promise of Romans 11:12!
 
Quotebit
Only moderately be impressed by what someone has done, but be more impressed by what someone must do. – Derrick Jackson

 
Quotebit
Only be moderately impressed by what someone has done, but be more impressed by what that someone must do. – Derrick Jackson

Over the past several months I have written about the horrendous tragedy of ‘Christian’ anti-semitism. There are other types of Jew-hatred that I could have included in these tidbits, but I decided to primarily focus on the persecution of the Jews done in the name of Christ!* Considering the current war in Israel, as well as the riots in our country, I believe this is a God-inspired moment for this tidbit.
  Because I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, I attempt to derive my thoughts, words, and actions from its revelation on both good and evil. Therefore, my previous tidbits have tried to explain the question “How could Christians have persecuted, and even murdered Jews?” My answer is completely spiritual: anti-semitism is inspired by Satan--period!!! We can use our capacity to reason about anti-semitism all we want, but the bottom-line foundational cause of Jew hatred is Satan—who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy(Jn10:10)!
  In this tidbit, I offer the Apostle Paul’s behavior as an example of what to do when encountering Stiff-necked Jews, or Jews who will not convert. I’m sure you must know by now that, unlike historical “supposed” Christians, Paul does not encourage either Jew-hatred or murdering Jews!! So, let’s begin!
  Acts13:44-47(KJV):
44.And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45.But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46.Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47.For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
  The context of this passage is that Paul and Barnabus were sent out by the Church at Antioch to preach the gospel. At a particular synagogue in Acts 13:16, they began preaching the history of Israel—which is part of the gospel! Paul calls the Jews in this synagogue “children of the stock of Abraham” in verse 26, which informs us that these people to whom he was speaking were Jews. Then he weaves Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection into his history in verses 30-35. When he concludes, the Jews leave but the Gentiles encourage them to return and preach again on the next Sabbath. When the next Sabbath finally arrived, the crowds were so large that the Jews were filled with envy, and began “contradicting and blaspheming”(13:45) the two men’s preaching. Now…pay really close attention to the climax found in Acts 13:46-47(see above).
  First, being filled with a spirit of boldness, the two apostles rebuke the blasphemous Jews declaring: “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you.” This incredible statement agrees with Romans 1:16 and Romans 2:9-10, which teach that the gospel is to go to the Jew first. The word “first” in verse 46 teaches a calling to a specific order---on the contrary, it does not refer to some mythical, fabricated, enhanced Jewish nature**! All humans have equal natures because we are created in God’s image and likeness(Gen1:26-28). Therefore, the word “first” refers to a ‘different calling’, or a unique purpose sovereignly determined by God, i.e.chosenness.
   Second, because the Jews rejected Paul’s gospel presentation, he presents them with an intensely profound judgment: “But seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” On the contrary, unlike many historic supposed Christian fathers, Paul did not curse these Jews, and then round up as many friends as possible and begin slaughtering “the stiff-necked rebels”! NO! He simply says, “We turn to the Gentiles”, which means Paul politely walked away and took the gospel to the Gentiles!
  And last, Acts 13:47 is the foundation, i.e.the inspiration for Paul’s conclusion to go to the Gentiles. First, he declares, the “Lord commanded”. In other words, he begins with the Word of God! Second, But, what Word of God? The Old Testament prophecy found in Isaiah 49:6 and 42:6; was also used in the context of Luke 2:32(25-27) regarding Simeone, where he is called a “just and devote” man, whom God promised--using the two Isaiah promises--that he would not see death until he had “seen the Lord’s Christ”, i.e.Jesus.
  So…what exactly is this profound promise first mentioned in the Isaiah passages?
 
That God would make the Messiah Jesus…a light to the Gentiles!!!***
 
  Isaiah 49:6 and Isaiah 42:6 both teach that God will make the Messiah, i.e.Jesus, the light to the Gentile nations. Incredibly however, Paul raises this truth in the context of the Jews's refusal of the gospel in Acts 13:46,47; which immediately refers to the extraordinary principle in Romans 11:11, which teaches that through the fall of the Jew, salvation is given to the Gentile.
  In other words, in Acts 13:46,47 Paul uses his experience of Jews resisting the gospel as an example that: 1.the gospel is to go to the Jew first; and 2.God sovereignly used the rebellion of the Jew to call the Gentile into relationship with Him!! 3.The Jewish Messiah is a light to the Gentiles through the Jew, i.e.the promises given to the Jew!
  Remember, God declared of Israel i.e.the Jew, in Romans 9:4, “to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the temple service, and the promises!” And in Romans 9:5, the very next verse, the Holy Spirit adds to the list of gifts in 9:4, “the fathers”, i.e.the Jewish Patriarchs--Abraham, Issac, and Jacob; as well as the Messiah, i.e. Jesus Christ!!! In other words, Romans 9:4,5 covers everything that God ‘FIRST’ gave to Israel, i.e.the Jew…but not only to the Jew! Remember this little truth about Romans 9:4,5: To the Jew; For the Jew; Through the Jew; For the world!
  Therefore, the Gentile can receive God’s gifts through the Jew---by way of Christ Jesus(2Cor1:20)!
 
Three concluding points:
1.Paul’s behavior in Acts 13:46,47 is a ‘sign’ to every person, everywhere, at all times! This is how you react to those who resist the gospel!
2.Just imagine…what if the ‘Christian anti-semites’ had understood these great truths before persecuting the Jews? A secondary question is, How did they not know this?
3.As crazy as it may sound to even have to write this, BUT---"You don’t kill people who reject Jesus!!!”  “And you especially don’t kill people who reject Jesus…in the Name of Jesus!!!” And one more, “And you especially, especially don’t kill Jews who reject Jesus…in the Name of the Jewish Jesus!”
  Only Satan can inspire this kind of irrational thinking and demonic behavior!
 
On the contrary, Jeremiah 14:20 offers God’s mercy (answer) for ‘Christian anti-semitism’: “We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.”
 
 
*A total and complete oxymoron!
**Anti-semites believe the word “chosen” regarding Israel means Jews are better than others.
***“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”  -Is49:6
 
 
 
Quotebit
The Bible is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed. -Patrick Henry