The Mystery of Romans 11: How to Understand 'All Israel Will Be Saved' 罗马书 11 章的奥秘：如何看待“以色列全家得救”

I. Introduction: The Unsearchable Mystery

一、 引言：深不可测的奥秘

In the climax of his magnum opus, the Apostle Paul reaches a profound “mystery” in Romans 11 regarding the relationship between the Church, the Gentiles, and the ethnic people of Israel. To understand this properly, we must view it through the lens of Covenant Theology (which sees God’s people as one continuous vine) rather than modern Dispensationalism (which often posits two separate paths for Israel and the Church).

在使徒保罗的巅峰巨作中，他在《罗马书》第 11 章触及了一个深奥的“奥秘”，即关于教会、外邦人与以色列民族之间的关系。要正确理解这一点，我们必须通过盟约神学（Covenant Theology）的视角（将上帝的子民视为一颗连续的橄榄树），而非现代流行的“时代论”（Dispensationalism，通常认为以色列与教会有两条独立的平行计划）。

How should we understand this? Does “All Israel” refer to every ethnic Jew? Does it refer to the Church as the “New Israel”? Or is it a promise of a future mass conversion? To answer these, we must return to the foundational logic of Romans 9 and the covenantal faithfulness of God.

我们该如何理解这一点？“以色列全家”是指每一个犹太裔血统的人吗？还是指作为“新以色列”的教会？亦或是上帝对未来大规模归信的应许？要回答这些问题，我们必须回到《罗马书》第 9 章的基础逻辑，以及上帝圣约的信实。

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II. The Foundational Distinction: Romans 9:6

二、 基础性的区分：罗马书 9:6

Before approaching the promise of Romans 11, we must anchor our interpretation in Paul’s earlier qualification:

在探讨《罗马书》第 11 章的获救地位之前，我们必须先将我们的解释锚定在保罗早先的定论中：

"But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel."
— Romans 9:6 (ESV)

“但这并不是说神的话落了空。因为从以色列生的不都是以色列人。”
——罗马书 9:6（和合本）

The Distinction: Paul distinguishes between the ethnic descendency (national Israel) and the spiritual seed of promise (the remnant). Throughout history, God has always saved a “remnant chosen by grace” (Rom 11:5) from within the ethnic nation. Any interpretation that ignores this distinction risks falling into the error of universalism or a two-covenant theology.

这一区分： 保罗区分了肉身的后裔（民族意义上的以色列）与应许的属灵真种子（余民）。在整个人类历史上，上帝始终在民族意义上的以色列中拯救那“蒙恩眷选的余民”（罗 11:5）。任何无视这一区分的解释，都有可能陷入普救论或“双重圣约论”的错误之中。

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III. Three Historical Reformed Perspectives

三、 归正神学历史上的三种视角

Within the Reformed tradition, there have been three primary ways to interpret “All Israel”:

在归正神学的传统中，对“以色列全家”通常有三种主要的解释方式：

1. View A: The Spiritual Israel (The All-Elect Church)

Championed by St. Augustine and John Calvin, this view argues that “Israel” in verse 26 refers to the entire people of God—the summation of all elect Jews and Gentiles throughout history. Since a “true Jew” is one inwardly (Rom 2:29), the Church is the spiritual Israel. When the “fullness of the Gentiles” is brought in, the total body of the elect is saved.

1. 观点 A：属灵的以色列（普世教会）

由圣奥古斯丁及约翰·加尔文所支持。此观点认为第 26 节中的“以色列”是指历代以来上帝全体选民的总数，包括所有信主的犹太人和外邦人。既然真受割礼的是在乎心（罗 2:29），那么教会在属灵上就是“真以色列”。当“外邦人的数目添满”时，选民的总数也就达成了。

2. View B: The End-Time Mass Conversion (The National Remnant)

Championed by scholars like John Murray, this view suggest that “All Israel” predicts a future, national turning of the Jewish people to Christ before the Second Coming. This is not “Universalism” for every single Jew, but rather that the Jewish people as a national body will eventually recognize their Messiah once the fullness of Gentiles has come in.

2. 观点 B：末世性的大规模归信（民族性的余民）

由现代归正神学家如慕理（John Murray）推崇。此观点认为“以色列全家”预言了在基督再临之前，会有一场犹太民族大规模地归信基督。这并非指每一个血统上的犹太人都得救，而是指犹太民族作为一个整体群体（National body）最终会转向并承认他们的弥赛亚。

3. View C: The Historical Accumulation of Remnants

This view emphasizes that “All Israel” represents the full collection of every individual Jewish believer saved from the apostolic age to the end of time. God’s faithfulness is displayed in the fact that in every generation, He has preserved a remnant, which together constitutes the “All Israel” of His decree.

3. 观点 C：历代余民的汇总

该观点强调“以色列全家”代表了从使徒时代直到末日，历代所有信主的犹太余民的总和。上帝的信实体现在：在每一个世代，祂都保留了犹太人的余民，这些余民共同构成了祂定旨中完整的“以色列”。

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IV. The Voice of the Great Tradition: From Augustine to Westminster

四、 大公传统的呼声：从奥古斯丁到威斯敏斯特

Throughout the history of the Church, theologians have wrestled with this mystery, finding in it a display of God’s unshakeable faithfulness.

在教会历史上，神学家们不断在这一奥秘中摔跤，并从中发现了上帝那不可动摇之信实的显明。

1. St. Augustine: The Unified Body

1. 圣奥古斯丁：统一的身体

In his masterwork The City of God, St. Augustine emphasized that the distinction between Jew and Gentile is ultimately dissolved in the “one wall” of Christ. He viewed the salvation of “All Israel” as the completion of the city of God.

在其巨著《上帝之城》中，圣奥古斯丁（St. Augustine）强调犹太人与外邦人的区分最终在基督这一“中间隔断的墙”被拆毁后消解了。他将“以色列全家”的救赎视为上帝之城的最终完满。

"Neither is it to be doubted that the Jews are to be saved... For what is 'All Israel' but the whole multitude of the elect?"
— St. Augustine, City of God

“毫无疑问，犹太人必将得救……因为‘以色列全家’除了那全体选民的大群之外，还能是什么呢？”
—— 圣奥古斯丁，《上帝之城》

2. Westminster Larger Catechism: The Calling of the Jews

2. 威斯敏斯特大要理问答：犹太人的归回

Reformed orthodoxy has often nurtured a specific hope for the ethnic Jewish people. The Westminster Larger Catechism includes this hope in its teaching on the Lord’s Prayer (“Thy Kingdom Come”):

归正正统神学通常对犹太民族抱有一种特殊的指望。《威斯敏斯特大要理问答》在论及主祷文（“愿祢的国降临”）时，包含了这一盼望：

"We pray... that the gospel be propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in..."
— Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 191

“我们祷告……愿福音传遍天下，犹太人被召归主，外延的外邦人得以填满……”
—— 威斯敏斯特大要理问答，第191问

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V. The Metaphor of the Olive Tree

四、 橄榄树的隐喻

Paul uses the striking image of an olive tree to illustrate his point. The root is holy (the patriarchs/covenants), and while some “natural branches” (unbelieving Jews) were broken off due to unbelief, “wild olive shoots” (Gentiles) were grafted in.

保罗使用了橄榄树这一醒目的意象来阐述他的观点。根是圣洁的（先祖与圣约），虽然有些“原本的枝子”（不信的犹太人）因不信被折下来，但“野橄榄枝子”（外邦人）却被接了上去。

"And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again."
— Romans 11:23 (ESV)

“而且他们若不是长久不信，仍要被接上，因为神能够把他们重新接上。”
——罗马书 11:23（和合本）

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VI. Fulfillment, Not Replacement

六、 成全而非替代

Reformers generally avoid the term “Replacement Theology” (Supersessionism), preferring “Fulfillment Theology.” The Church does not simply “replace” Israel as a separate entity; rather, the Church is the continuation and expansion of all that Israel was promised to be.

归正学者通常避免使用“替代神学”（Replacement Theology）这一术语，而倾向于“成全神学”（Fulfillment Theology）。教会并非简单地作为一个独立实体“替代”了以色列；相反，教会是旧约以色列圣约应许之发展的延续与成全。

Dimension	Reformed/Orthodox View
Path to Salvation	Must repent and believe in Jesus Christ alone; no other path.
Geopolitics	Focus is on returning to Christ, not necessarily to a Mid-East nation.
Faithfulness of God	God’s calling of Jews proves He never abandons His covenant promises.
Role of Gentiles	Saved to provoke Israel to “jealousy” (longing for their Messiah).

维度	归正神学/正统视角
得救方式	必须悔改并信靠耶稣基督，别无他路。
地理与政治	重点是回到基督里，并不必然要求回到中东的地理以色列国。
上帝的信实	预定犹太人最终归主是为了证明上帝绝不废弃祂的圣约承诺。
外邦人的角色	外邦人得救是为了激起犹太人的“发愤”（对弥赛亚的渴求）。

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VII. Sola Gratia: The Only Way of Salvation

七、 唯独恩典：救赎只有一条路

Regardless of which interpretation of “All Israel” one holds, we must maintain two ironclad biblical rules:

无论持哪种对“以色列全家”的解释，我们都必须坚持两条铁律：

1. No Separate Covenant: There is no “Zionist” or ethnic path to God apart from Jesus Christ. No one is saved by their bloodline, but only by the precious blood of the Lamb.

1. 没有另一份圣约：除了耶稣基督之外，没有任何“锡安主义”或民族性的道路可以通向上帝。没有人能靠着血统得救，唯有靠着羔羊的宝血。

1. Sola Fide (Faith Alone): The “grafting in” occurs solely through faith and repentance. God’s plan for Israel is not a political one, but a redemptive one—to bring them back to the Messiah they once rejected.

1. 唯独信心 (Sola Fide)：“接上去”的工作完全是借着信心与悔改达成的。上帝对以色列的计划不是政治性的，而是救赎性的——即带领他们回到那位他们曾拒绝过的弥赛亚面前。

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VIII. Conclusion: The Irrevocable Call

八、 结语：永不后悔的选召

The mystery of Romans 11 is not a special privilege outside of Christ, but a display of God’s sovereign rescue in the graveyard of history. Whether “All Israel” refers to the spiritual reality of the whole Church or a future national turning, the glory remains the same: God is faithful even when we are faithless.

罗马书 11 章的奥秘绝不是在基督之外的特殊优待，而是上帝在历史的废墟中展现其主权拯救的大能。无论“以色列全家”是指普世教会的属灵实相，还是指未来民族性的回转，其荣耀都是一致的：纵然我们失信，上帝依然信实。

"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."
— Romans 11:29 (ESV)

“因为神的恩赐和选召是没有后悔的。”
——罗马书 11:29（和合本）

We look forward with hope to that day when the full number of God’s elect—the “All Israel” of His divine purpose—stand before the throne together, celebrating the sovereign grace that conquered both Jewish and Gentile rebellion.

我们存着指望，期待着那一天：上帝所拣选的一满之数——即祂神圣旨意中的“以色列全家”——共同站在宝座前，颂赞那征服了犹太人和外邦人悖逆的主权恩典。