Verse 25. For I do not desire you not to know this mystery, brethren, lest ye be wise of yourselves, for blindness shall be from a part of Israel, until the fulfillment of tongues shall come.

What he previously speaks of for reasons, he now offers as the providential will of God, communicated to him by revelation. For when he says that he wants to proclaim a mystery to them, he makes it known that this proclamation is something hidden, unknown to the mind; and when he promises to proclaim this, he makes it clear that it is revealed to him from above. But if it is revealed from above, it means that such is the will of God, that what happens should be as he declares. "Mystery here he calls the unknown, says St. Chrysostom, the unknown and hidden, in which there is much that is miraculous and incomprehensible. So also in another place He says: "Behold, I say unto you, For we shall not sleep, but we shall be changed" (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51)." Blessed Theodoret adds to this: "Mystery is that which is known not to all, but to those who are trusted. Why does the Apostle say: I want to make known to you what mystery we know about the subject of our discourse (by revelation)." What is this mystery? For blindness was from a part of Israel. "From part means: either not completely, not forever, but only for a certain time, or that not all have been subjected to this blindness because of unbelief, but that there are believers, or both together, that some have believed, and some remain blind, but in them one should not despair; they also will believe afterwards, when the blindness has fallen from their eyes. He called the condition of the unbelieving Jews blindness, because in fact they had a veil over their minds, because of their addiction to the law, and did not allow them to see about Christ the Lord, because they did not believe through error. Errors will be dispelled, and they will believe. When? When the fulfillment of tongues shall come. The blindness of Israel will continue until "all the Gentiles foreknown by God" (Blessed Theophylact) enter the fold of faith. "And when the Gentiles have received the preaching, they also will believe, when the great Elijah comes and declares to them the doctrine of the faith. This also the Lord said in the Holy Gospel: Elijah will come and arrange all things (cf. Matt. 17:11)" (Blessed Theodorite). St. Ambrosiastes writes: "The Jews were stricken with blindness only for a time, and of them only those who, zealous for the law, did not see that the blessings promised by God had come in Jesus Christ the Lord and were being proclaimed. Thus they are blinded by irrational zeal, and, thinking that the law of works must never cease, they are zealous for the Sabbath. By such a stumbling block they are blinded in part, so that they may be tormented for their unbelief, seeing how the Gentiles gladly take advantage of their unbelief and enter into the inheritance of Abraham's promise. But when the full number of the Gentiles has entered, then the blindness of their minds will fall from the eyes of their minds, and they will be able to believe, and they will believe. The spirit of stupefaction, which brings blindness upon them, will depart from their hearts and restore freedom to their good will. Their unbelief is not from wickedness, but from error: they will be corrected and saved."

The Apostle communicates such a revelation to the brethren, that is, to the entire assembly of believing Romans, both Jews and Gentiles, and informs them in order to be wise about themselves. Perhaps this wishes to save them from the trouble of investigating and solving the perplexity that lies ahead regarding the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, as it were, so that you do not rack your brains over this and do not mistakenly come to false conclusions, which, however, will seem true to you and thus swell you. Or thus: the Romans were more educated than others, and it was natural for them to give themselves a certain advantage over others, especially when they were enlightened by faith, which imparted views embracing all things from the beginning to the last days and for all eternity. The Apostle also says: so that you do not dream of yourselves, as if you already know everything, I tell you the amazing, ineffable and unknown mystery of God's providence for all people in the rejection of the Jews for a time and in the calling of the Gentiles. Understand and humble yourselves (see: Gennadius in Ecumenia). Blessed Theodoret seems to have had a similar thought when he wrote: "Lest you, considering yourselves very reasonable, should therefore form a high opinion of yourselves."

Verses 26–27. And thus all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, He shall come from Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away wickedness from Jacob. And this is the covenant of Me unto them, that I shall take away their sins.

And so, — and how, he does not say, but gives us to understand from the flow of speech. The blinding of Israel to the full number of the Gentiles. Consequently, when this number comes, then the blindness will fall from the eyes of Israel, they will see the truth, they will believe in the Lord the Savior, and thus they will be saved. "All Israel, instead of the greater part, will turn away from their sins and turn to the Lord" (Ecumenios). As they said during the preaching of the Apostles: all Israel does not believe, meaning the majority, the masses; so in the last days it will be said: all Israel was saved by converting to the true faith, also because of the majority of those who believed. Those who are saved are always the elect, whether from the Gentiles or from the Jews, and not all from this or that kind of people. All Israel, perhaps, means in the Apostle all believers, whoever they may be; for they are actually Israel. Blessed Theodoret thinks so: "The Apostle calls believers all Israel, whether they be Jews, who have a natural affinity with Israel, or pagans, who are united to Israel by affinity of faith."

"Since what the Apostle preaches is important, he brings as a witness the Prophet, who says the same thing. He does not give evidence that blindness occurred, since this is obvious; but that the Jews will believe and be saved, is testified to by Isaiah, who exclaims and says: "He will come from Zion to deliver, and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (St. Chrysostom).

The Prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of Christ the Savior, calling Him the Deliverer or the Deliverer, and saying that He would come from Zion, that is, from among the very children of Israel, and would turn away wickedness from Jacob, who was the first to be called Israel. To turn away wickedness means: to make him pious, that is, to teach faith, to provide grace, to sanctify and present to God a sincere believer. In the time of the Apostles, ungodliness was turned away from many, many Israelites by faith in the Lord and the grace of the Holy Spirit, — from many, but not from all, the mass of the people remained in impiety. Inasmuch as the prophet Isaiah emphatically asserts that the Deliverer, when he comes, will turn away wickedness from Jacob without restraint, and this has not yet come to pass, it will certainly come to pass: for the prophetic word cannot lie. It will come to pass that wickedness will be turned away from all Jacob; but as this cannot be done while he is blinded, there will be a time when this blindness will fall away, and Israel will be saved, becoming truly godly. This is what the Apostle wanted to confirm with the above prophecy. But lest anyone misinterpret the words of the Prophet and say that this abhorrence of wickedness means that the Israelites will become completely faithful to the law given to them, and not that they will be sanctified by faith and grace, the Apostle quotes other words of the same Prophet, showing what this abhorrence of wickedness will consist in. And this is the covenant of Me, when I take away their sins. The essence of this covenant and sign, by which you can understand that the promised things have been fulfilled, is: when I take away their sins. "I will take away — I will not forgive only the guilt, but I will make them clean, having expelled their sins from them. "It is evident that this word means the cleansing of sins, which is given by baptism" (Blessed Theodorite). This is the essence of the covenant, this is the sign when it will be fulfilled: I will turn away ungodliness from Jacob! How is this not yet the case, it must be added again, just as not all the Israelites have yet believed and been baptized, and therefore their sins still lie upon them, and the prophetic word cannot lie; then it will certainly happen.

St. Chrysostom says: "The Apostle points here to the sign of salvation, lest anyone take it and add it to times past. Not then, he says, this will be accomplished when they are circumcised, offer sacrifices, and do other lawful works, but when they receive remission of sins. And if this was foretold and had not yet been fulfilled in the Jews, they had not yet received the remission of sins through baptism; then it will certainly be fulfilled." St. Ambrose adds: "The Lord does not immediately condemn (and reject) unbelievers, but awaits their conversion, knowing that they also can come to the knowledge of God."

The prophetic words — before: this is their covenant — are taken from the 59th chapter of the prophet Isaiah (verses 20-21); and the last words, "When I take away their sin," are taken from the 27th chapter (verse 9) of the same Prophet. But, even if the Apostle took words from different prophets, he composed one prophecy, and that would have been correct; for power is not in words, but in thought. The prophetic spirit is one and the same with the Apostolic, and the Apostles see the pronouncements of all the Prophets as one proclamation.

Стих 28. По благовествованию убо врази вас ради: по избранию же, возлюблени отец ради.

Из всего сказанного выходит, что если смотреть на иудеев по отношению их к Евангелию, то они враги. Чьи? Божии, как вслед за сим и возлюбленные они — тоже Божии. Поколику они противятся Евангелию, и враждуют как на благовестников, так и на верующих, и чрез то Божиим противятся распоряжениям, — потолику и Бог не благоволит к ним, отверг, не пощадил, отсек от маслины, как негодные ветви. И это вас ради, язычники, — чтоб вы вошли в ограду веры и спаслись. Так и пребудет, пока вы все войдете. Этим внушает Апостол язычникам: видите, как возблаговолил к вам Бог! «Поелику вы призваны, иудеи стали упорнее. Однако же Бог и при этом не прекратил вашего призвания, но ожидает, пока взойдут все имеющие уверовать из язычников. Тогда уже взойдут и иудеи» (святой Златоуст).

А что это действительно будет, заключать следует из того, что хотя теперь иудеи за свое неверие не пользуются действительными благодеяниями Божиими, но поелику они принадлежат к избранному роду, — такому, который из всех языков выбран Богом и Себе усвоен; то Бог ради сего избрания, которого удостоены они ради отцов своих великих, не вконец отвратился от них, не вконец отверг их, но продолжает Отечески воззревать на них и готов опять принять их, как только уверуют. Таким образом они не перестают быть возлюбленными Богу, ради отцов своих, в силу избрания родоначальников их, а в них — и их самих. Этим внушает Апостол иудеям: видите, как любит вас Бог, что, несмотря на ваше неверие и противление Ему, все еще не отвергает вас вконец, а ждет вашего обращения. Видите также, что «добродетели предков нимало не пользуют вам, если сами не веруете» (святой Златоуст). Итак, спешите к вере, чтоб не истощилось Божие ожидание и вы не подпали конечному отвержению. «Апостол не перестает утешать иудеев словами, дабы привлечь их» (святой Златоуст).

Стих 29. Нераскаянна бо дарования и звание Божие.

Это приводит Апостол как основание убеждения в сказанном. Нераскаянна — не раскаявается Бог и не отменяет, что даровал и кого призвал. Напоминает первоначальное избрание народа иудейского. Сколько было родоначальников из потомков Ноя и сколько народов образовалось из них по столпотворении?! Но из всех их Бог избрал только Еверов род (см.: Быт. 10, 21, 24–30), и его не весь, а только взял из него одного Авраама, от которого и произвел Себе особый народ. Этот народ и есть избранный, имевший особое звание и предназначение и пользовавшийся столькими благодеяниями и дарованиями: ему дан закон, к нему посланы Пророки, для него явлены знамения и чудеса. И после всего этого возможно ли, чтобы Бог вконец отверг его?! Нет; кого избрал Бог, того будет наказывать исправительно, будет лишать милости Своей на время, но вконец не отвергнет его. Ибо иначе Он и не избрал бы его, если бы предвидел, что он когда-нибудь окончательно сделается недостойным милости Его. Иудеи имели свои недостатки, и имеют; но из всех народов никто не мог лучше их исполнить намерения Божии о спасении людей. Предвидел сие Бог и избрал их. Если же избрал, то не отверг вконец, несмотря на то, что в настоящее время они являются достойными отвержения и отвержены. Это только на время. После опять возвратится к ним то, что первоначально для них предназначено.