Homilies on Romans — Homily 19

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting

Rom. XI. 7

What then? Israel has not obtained that, which he seeks for; but the election has obtained it and the rest were blinded.

He had said that God did not cast off His people; and to show in what sense He had not cast them off, he takes refuge in the Prophets again. And having shown by them that the more part of the Jews were lost, that he might not seem to be again bringing forward an accusation of his own, and to make his discourse offensive, and to be attacking them as enemies, he takes refuge in David and Isaiah, and says,

Ver. 8. According as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber. [[Isaiah 29.10]]

Or rather we should go back to the beginning of his argument. Having then mentioned the state of things in Elijah's time, and shown what grace is, he proceeds, What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks for. Now this is as much what an accuser would say, as what one who was putting a question. For the Jew, he means, is inconsistent with himself when he seeks for righteousness, which he will not accept. Then to leave them with no excuse, he shows, from those who have accepted it, their unfeeling spirit, as he says, But the election has obtained it, and they are the condemnation of the others. And this is what Christ says, But if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Wherefore they shall be your judges. [[Luke 11.19]] For to prevent any one from accusing the nature of the thing, and not their own temper, he points out those who had obtained it. Hence he uses the word with great propriety, to show at once the grace from above and the zeal of these. For it is not to deny free-will that he speaks of their having obtained (as by chance, Gr. ἐ πέτυχε ) it, but to show the greatness of the good things, and that the greater part was of grace, though not the whole. For we too are in the habit of saying, so and so chanced to get (same word), so and so met with, when the gain has been a great one. Because it is not by man's labors, but by God's gift, that the greater part was brought about.

And the rest was blinded.

See how he has been bold enough to tell with his own voice the casting off of the rest. For he had indeed spoken of it already, but it was by bringing the prophets in as accusers. But from this point he declares it in his own person. Still even here he is not content with his own declaration, but brings Isaiah the prophet in again. For after saying, were blinded, he proceeds; according as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber. Now whence came this blinding? He had indeed mentioned the causes of it before, and turned it all upon their own heads, to show that it was from their unseasonable obstinacy that they had to bear this. And now he speaks of it too. For when he says, Eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, he is but finding fault with their contentious spirit. For when they had eyes to see the miracles, and were possessed of