Paul said that Israel has not been cast away. However, the following translation seems to indicate that He had cast them AWAY:
"For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" (Ro.11:15; KJV).
This translation of Paul's words here directly contradicts what Paul said earlier, that the Lord "has not cast away" national Israel. A better translation is this one:.
"For if their having been cast aside has carried with it the reconciliation of the world, what will their being accepted again be but Life out of death? (Ro.11:15; WNT).
The words "cast aside" here are translated from the Greek word
apobole, and a form of that word (
apoballo) is translated
"throwing aside" in the following verse:
"And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus" (Mk.10:50; NKJV).
A blind man named Bartimaeus was sitting and begging in Jericho when the Lord Jesus entered that city. Bartimaeus cried out, saying, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me" (v.48). The crowd told him to stand up because Jesus was calling him. This motivated him to "throw aside" his outer cloak which was spread out before him to collect alms and to rise and to come to the Lord.
Bartimaeus did not "cast away" his garment, but instead he cast it aside in order to facilitate his movement of rising. And the same is true in regard to the Lord and national Israel. Since they would not come to Him in faith He would temporarily cast aside Israel as his agent in order to bring the truth of God to the Gentiles by Paul.
And that explains the following verses directed at the Gentile believers:
"For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief" (Ro.11:30).
Due to the unbelief of national Israel Paul was made the "apostle to the Gentiles" and his preaching the "gospel of grace" to the Gentiles resulted in their "obtaining mercy".
Now that I have answered that perhaps you will answer a simple question for me about this verse:
"For if their having been cast aside has carried with it the reconciliation of the world, what will their being accepted again be but Life out of death? (Ro.11:15; WNT).
Who has been cast aside?