Discovery Questions

• Read Rom 11:23-36. Consider reading it in two different translations.
• Summarize in your own words what this section is about.
• What do you gravitate to in this passage? Why?
• What does this tell you about God?
• What does this tell you about people?
• On the premise that this is God’s Word, what changes would you have to make in your thinking or actions?
• Who in your life needs to hear this?

Directed Questions

• Read Rom 11:23-36.
• Respectable scholars have some different ideas of who "all Israel" is in this passage (v. 26): ethnic Jews; those with faith like Abraham’s (Rom 4); a remnant of Messianic Jews; or symbolically, the Church. Neither Grace Fellowship nor our denomination (the EFCA) requires members to hold a particular view on this, and we encourage extending grace to those who disagree with our personal views.
• Which view do you hold (if any)? What in our passage pushes you toward that view? (Please avoid critiquing or debating.)
• Regardless of which view is most accurate, what about this passage is fairly clear?
• What other questions does this passage raise for you?
• How do we handle v. 28? (Facilitator: After some discussion, you might mention Rom 9:1-3; 10:1.)
• How does God's future plan for Israel affect us? This is interesting theology, but does it have any impact on us?
• Reread vv. 33-36. Do we sometimes withhold praise and obedience because we don't fully understand what God is doing? Discuss praising and obeying in that circumstance.
• What are some reasons to love the Word of God?