Romans 11:5

Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Roman church regarding the current spiritual condition of Israel, drawing a direct parallel to Elijah’s era. He notes that just as God preserved a faithful few in the past, He is currently preserving a specific group of believers.

The words — The Greek term λεῖμμα (leimma) literally means a remnant, referring to a small surviving portion. It appears alongside νῦν (nun), translated as present, to mark the verse’s specific temporal focus.

The thread — This concept of a preserved minority appears in Romans 9:27 and is linked to divine election in Romans 9:11. The mechanism of this preservation is later clarified in Ephesians 1:5 as predestination for adoption.

Why it lands — The text requires readers to acknowledge that current salvation is strictly a product of divine choice. It forces the conclusion that any claim to merit contradicts the nature of grace itself.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.