I will point out first that it is by no means my own idea to omit the added word “them” from Romans 11:32.
Bibles older than the KJV do this, for example the Douay – Rheims (First Published by the English College at Douay A.D. 1609 & 1610 and THE NEW TESTAMENT First Published by the English College at Rheims A.D. 1582) reads, Romans 11:32 “For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all.”
Geneva Bible (1560): Romans 11:32 “For God hath shut up all in unbelief, that he might have mercy on all.”
Some other Bibles that omit the word they from Romans 11:32 are as follows:
Weymouth New Testament (1903): Romans 11:32 “For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy.”
Darby’s version (1890): Romans 11:32 “For God hath shut up together all in unbelief, in order that he might shew mercy to all.”
American Standard Version (1901): Romans 11:32 “For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.”
World English Bible (The World English Bible is a Modern English update of the American Standard Version of 1901): Romans 11:32 “For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.”
Paul is not saying in verse 32 that the Jews alone were shut up in “apeitheia” [from apeithes -- meaning unpersuadable, i.e. contumacious or disobedience]. He is telling the Gentiles that their own fleshly relatives as well as the Jews are in that same situation and therefore one not any better than the other. This point thus was well suited to his addressing the high-mindedness of these Gentile Christians.
Yes indeed: Romans 11:33-36 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Paul’s Gentile audience had every reason to agree with this as they could readily see in it that God brings the pride of men low, showing such pride up as worthless, even for the Jews. Certainly, then, if they failed to humble themselves he would also humble them.
Romans 11:1 “I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”
The word here translated “cast off” carries with it a sense of wholeness as in the case of every individual of the nation, and thus if true would not allow for a remnant to be saved out of fleshly Israel as was being done among Gentile nations. Paul thus was able to point to himself as proof that such an idea could not be true.
Romans 11:2-4 “God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Even at times when God allowed the people of Israel to be punished for their disobedience, there was yet a remnant of faithful. Many of these faithful had become dispersed among the Gentile nations. Paul is thus telling the Gentiles that these faithful are there and must be searched out because they will be willing to listen. They are the “Lost Sheep of the House of Israel”. And therefore despite the vicious persecution by so many Jews who lived among the Gentiles, these “Lost Sheep” needed the Good Shepherd to rescue them. And the Good Shepherd now does this through his Body, of which these Gentiles are a part.
Bear in mind that (Luke 16:16) “The law and the prophets were until John: from that time the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and every man entereth violently into it.” These faithful no longer would have prophets coming to them as before to call them back together. Now this would be done through the preaching work of the Body of Christ. The Gentiles to whom Paul was talking were a part of that body and as such it was their responsibility to go forth in the preaching work of Christ, carrying the Word of God’s grace in Jesus, to gather all the faithful, not of the Gentiles only, but certainly also of those who God first knew.
We have a good example of how it works in the captivity to Babylon. We can see in that example how a faithful remnant is refined and conditioned to repentance as if by fire before God sends the liberator to them. Cyrus the Persian was the bird called from out of the surmising at that time to deliver that remnant. But there in the first century as is also true now, that liberator is Christ Jesus, working through the church of his body of believers, preaching the word of the dispensation of grace.
And so it is: Romans 11:5-6 “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.”
God’s grace elected and yet today elects a precious few from among the Jews, even as from among the Gentiles. These sheep-like ones, willing and ready to hear the call of their master, are searched out to come into his fold where they receive rest from their burdens and refreshment for their souls.
It is at this point where it becomes really confusing for many. As we read on, many get their ideas that all in the stupor eventually have their eyes opened and come to repentance. But this is simply not the case. Romans 9:21-22 “Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? 22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:”
Many of these remain to destruction, today the same as then: Romans 9:23-24 “that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory, 24 even us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?”
Here is the regenerated Israel of God, and it is not the fleshly Israel: Romans 9:25-27 “As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved. 26 And it shall be, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God. 27 And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved:” (Ephesians chapter two details this new nation, as also Galatians chapters 3 and 4; and 1 Peter chapter two.)
Christ was the seed that was left. There is no seed outside of Christ. Romans 9:28-29 “for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short. 29 And, as Isaiah hath said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah.
Romans 9:33 “even as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.”
Due to length I will continue this later.
