Romans 9:6-8 – Not All Israel is Israel

But Romans 3:3 also raised the key question:

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

Not all Jews have believed, but does this mean that God will go back on His promises? After all, He did choose Israel as His people, and He made definite covenants with them. Can the unbelief of some cause God to break His word?

If these advantages the Jew had didn’t serve the intended purpose, does it mean God’s faithfulness to His people is annulled? The Jew failed; doesn’t that mean God failed?

Paul answered in Romans 3:4,

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

In other words, certainly not!

Whenever there’s a question as to whether God’s right or man’s right, always act on the basis that God is right and every man is a liar. This is what David said to God, in effect, in Psalm 51:4: “The complete truthfulness of all You say must be defended, and You must be vindicated every time You are called into question by sinful man.” Our sins only serve to confirm the truthfulness of God’s words.

God’s promise to send Israel the Redeemer was not defeated by their willful disobedience and rejection. All His promises for the future of the nation will be fulfilled to His glory in spite of their unbelief.

Romans 9 picks up that same question again.

After listing Israel’s privileges in Romans 9:4–5, Paul asks whether Israel’s unbelief means God’s Word has failed.

His answer is No. God’s Word has not lost its effect. Israel’s unbelief does not cancel God’s promises.

This leads to the statement in 9:6: “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.”

Now, Paul’s not redefining Israel as the church here.

He’s explaining why Israel’s unbelief doesn’t overturn God’s promises. God never promised that every Israelite in the flesh would receive the blessing. The Old Testament already taught this. John the Baptist taught it, and Jesus taught it. Paul’s simply applying it.

Romans 2 showed that being a Jew outwardly is not enough; true Jewishness involves the heart. Romans 9 shows the same principle at the national level: being Israel in the flesh doesn’t guarantee receiving Israel’s promises.

Romans 3:31 also helps:

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

See, faith doesn’t cancel the law; it establishes it. Likewise, Israel’s unbelief doesn’t cancel God’s promises; it confirms the need for faith.

Romans 4 adds another layer.

If inheritance came through the law, then faith would be void and the promise meaningless.

If those who seek God’s blessing, particularly the blessing of justification, can inherit it based on lawkeeping, then faith is made void and the promise made of no effect. Faith is set aside because faith is believing, while law is doing; therefore, the promise would be worthless because it would be based on conditions that no one would ever be able to meet.

Therefore, the promise must come by faith. This applies to Abraham, to Israel, and to us today. God’s Word is effective only when received by faith.

So Romans 9:6 must be read in this greater context.

Paul’s not saying Israel’s been replaced. He’s saying not all physical Israel receives the promise, because the promise is given through faith, not flesh, through the natural physical genes, or through the law.

Romans 9 explains Israel’s present unbelief.

Romans 10 explains how they stumbled at Christ. Romans 11 explains that they’re not cast away and will be restored by grace through faith.

Romans chapters 9 to 11 are not revisiting the church’s salvation. Romans 3–5 already settled that. Romans 5–8 explained who we are in Christ—and Paul never calls us Israel. Romans 9–11 explain Israel’s salvation: why they’re not saved now, how they will be saved, and how God’s promises remain intact.

Romans 9:6 simply states the foundational truth: that not all Israel receives the promise; only those who believe, but either way God’s Word stands firm.

At the end of Romans 3, Paul asks, “Do we then make void the law through faith?” He answers the same way again, “God forbid.”

We’re justified by faith without the law, but faith doesn’t make the law meaningless. The law still had a purpose. Romans 4:14 explains this as well, saying,

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

If inheritance came by the law, faith would be pointless.

So faith doesn’t void the law—but if inheritance came by the law, that would void faith, you see. Paul’s establishing the necessity of faith, even for Israel.

So when we reach Romans 9, the question is: If Israel has all these blessings, what happened? Has God’s word failed? Paul says no. Israel lacked faith, stumbled at faith, and rejected Christ—but God will bring them back, and they will be saved by grace through faith.

Paul’s not in any way saying Israel’s promises now belong to Gentiles. He’s saying that being Israel in the flesh, of the bloodline, doesn’t guarantee receiving Israel’s promises, and works under the law don’t guarantee them or salvation either, and Romans 4 already taught this.

Romans chapters 9–11 deal with Israel’s salvation—New Covenant territory.

Paul shows that:

– God will not save Israel by their works

– God will not save Israel merely because they’re Israel in the flesh, descendants of Abraham

– God will save Israel by grace through faith

Romans 10 explains how Israel stumbled at Christ.

The Messiah came as prophesied for so long. They expected Him, yet rejected Him when He came in Jesus and died on the cross. They stumbled at the need for faith instead of law‑keeping.

Romans 11 explains that although not all Israel receives the promises now, Israel is not cast away. God will keep His covenants—adoption, glory, service, and kingdom blessing—but through grace and faith, within the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant offered no provision for grace; the New Covenant does.

Romans 3–4 explain how individuals are saved by grace through faith.

Romans 9–11 explain how Israel will be saved by grace through faith. They weren’t saved then. Paul’s knowledge of the mystery allows him to explain why Israel isn’t saved now, how they will be saved and when they’ll be saved.

By Romans 8, we know who we are in Christ—and Paul never uses the word Israel to describe us. So when someone claims they’re Israel, or spiritual Israel, we ask: Where does Scripture say that? Because Romans never does, and neither do any of Paul’s epistles.

In Romans chapters 5–8, Paul never mentions Jew or Gentile because there is no Jew or Gentile in the Body of Christ, as we see in Galatians 3:28,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

So when he begins speaking about Israel in Romans 9, the subject has clearly shifted.

He’s no longer talking about the Body of Christ. Many people jump into Romans chapter 9 without understanding chapters 1–8, and they end up trying to find their salvation here, usually by trying to make the church replace Israel. That always creates confusion.

Paul uses the word Israel here because he’s speaking about the nation—the people who came from Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. Jacob’s twelve sons became the nation. So an Israelite is a member of that nation. Not every Jew today is an Israelite in the national sense.

Jews living in other countries may call themselves Israelites, but if they’re not citizens of the nation of Israel, they’re not Israelites. Yet those living in the land are Israelites in the national sense.

This matters because Romans chapters 9–11 deal with Israel’s national covenant promises, their kingdom, their land, their adoption, and their glory.

The New Covenant was made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, as we see in Jeremiah 31:31, Ezekiel 37, Hebrews 8:8 and other places. So Paul uses Israel intentionally.

Everywhere in Romans 9–11, Israel refers to the nation promised something they’ve not yet received.

If we try to make us, ourselves, we in the Body of Christ, Israel in these chapters, we end up placing ourselves among the unbelieving, fallen, not‑yet‑saved Israel Paul’s describing. It simply doesn’t work.

This is why Romans 9:6 is so important. It’s the hinge verse used by those who claim the church is Israel. Again, Romans 9:6 says,

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

Before explaining the phrase more deeply, notice the key point: Not all Israel is Israel. Yet Romans 11:26 says, “All Israel shall be saved.”

What’s going on?

Well, Romans 9 describes Israel’s unbelief; Romans 11 describes Israel’s future salvation. Same subject, different timing.

Romans 9 explains Israel’s present condition; Romans 11 explains Israel’s end.

In this phrase, “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel”, the wording is difficult, and many translations try to “clarify” it by adding their own interpretation and ideas that are not in the text. For example, some paraphrased Bible translations say, “Not all descendants of Israel are God’s people,” which is just not what Paul wrote.

We need to stick with the text.

When facing a hard passage, we should step back and remember the big picture.

Romans chapters 9–11 deal with Israel’s salvation, unbelief, promises, covenants, and future restoration. So when Paul says Israel, we need to ask: Which Israel?

You see, there are multiple “Israel” categories in Scripture. We have:

– Israel, the Northern Kingdom

– Believing Israel

– Unbelieving Israel

– Fallen Israel

– Standing Israel

– Jews in the Body of Christ (although no longer Jews spiritually)

– National Israel in the land

– Israel under the Old Covenant

– Israel under the New Covenant

So when Paul says Israel without qualifying which one, we’ve got to determine which group he means.

Even those who wrongly make the church Israel still acknowledge Paul’s distinction between the Israel that receives the promises and the Israel that does not receive the promises.

They call the first “spiritual Israel” (believing Israel) and the second “flesh Israel” (unbelieving, merely physical Israel). This distinction is real for sure—but it applies within Israel, not between Israel and the church.

Paul says that being Israel in the flesh doesn’t guarantee receiving Israel’s promises, and works under the law don’t either.

Only believing Israel—Israel with faith—receives the promises.

This is exactly what Romans 2 taught: you can be Israel in the flesh and still not be a “true Jew.” Romans 9 applies the same principle to Israel’s national promises.

Romans 9–11 show that Israel will be saved by grace through faith, just as Romans 3–5 explained how individuals are saved by grace through faith.

In Romans 5–8, Paul never mentions Jew or Gentile because there is no Jew or Gentile in the Body of Christ, as we saw a moment ago. So when Romans 9 suddenly begins speaking about Israel, the subject has clearly changed.

He’s no longer talking about the Body of Christ but about national Israel and their covenant promises.

We just can’t skip Romans 1–8 and jump straight into Romans 9 and try to find the church here, and certainly not by trying to make the church replace Israel, which creates utter confusion.

Just to make the point again, Romans 3–4 explained how individuals are saved by grace through faith.

Romans 9–11 explain how Israel will be saved by grace through faith, because they were not saved then when Paul wrote that. Paul’s knowledge of the mystery allows him to explain why Israel is not saved now, how they will be saved, and even when.

2 Corinthians 5:17 explains that the Body of Christ is a new creature. It’s not taken from Israel, and it’s not a remnant or a continuation of anything. It only contains saved people, and no one ever leaves it. We enter the Body of Christ only when the Spirit baptises us into Christ by faith in the gospel. 1 Corinthians 12:13 states,

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

A person can sit in a church building and call themselves Christian, but unless they’ve believed the gospel, they’re not in the Body. Because the Body is always a complete group of saved people, it can never be called a “remnant.” This alone shows why Romans 9:6 can’t be describing the church.

Those who claim Romans 9:6 makes the church “Israel” usually read the verse as:

“They are not all Israel in the flesh who belong to spiritual Israel.”

This creates a “spiritual Israel” made of Jews and Gentiles, which they then identify as the church. But this interpretation collapses when compared with Romans 11:26, which says,

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written…

It also collapses when placed against Romans 11:5,

Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace, and the many prophecies promising Israel’s future restoration.

To make Romans 9:6 teach church‑replacement, they must reinterpret or deny those passages—making the Word of God “of none effect,” the very thing Paul preaches against.

Hard passages should be interpreted by clear passages, not the other way around. The New Covenant prophecies, Jesus’ kingdom teaching, Hebrews’ “city to come,” and Revelation’s restored Israel all speak plainly of a future national restoration. Romans 9–11 must fit that larger picture.

So what does Romans 9:6 mean when Paul says:

“They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.”

How can someone be “of Israel” and yet not “Israel”?

Paul gives three answers:

Firstly, lack of belief.

An Israelite in the flesh who doesn’t believe can’t receive the promises. Romans 9:8 explains:

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Jesus taught the same truth in John 8:39–44, where He debated with the scribes and Pharisees who claimed kinship to Abraham. They boasted in the fact that Abraham was their father and to them that was the path to salvation and the blessings promised to Abraham by God. However, the Lord Jesus pointed out that although they were Abraham’s descendants [his seed], they were not his children. Jesus even told them in verse 44, “Ye are of your father the devil”.

Being Abraham’s physical seed doesn’t guarantee receiving the promise.

Secondly, being in the body of Christ.

A person can be “of Israel” in the flesh yet belong to the Body of Christ. Paul himself is an Israelite, yet he’s part of the new creature, the Body of Christ. In that sense, he’s “of Israel” but not counted within Israel’s prophetic program.

Thirdly, the remnant of Israel.

Romans chapters 9–11 reveal a third group: the remnant—believing Israel. This remnant is not the Body of Christ and not unbelieving Israel. It’s the group that receives Israel’s promises after our present dispensation of grace is over and after enduring the great tribulation to come. This is true spiritual Israel, new‑covenant Israel.

Romans 9:7 continues the sentence from verse 6:

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Abraham had more than one child, but only the child of promise received the inheritance. Likewise, not all physical Israel receives the promise—only the believing remnant.

God never promised that every Israelite in the flesh would receive the blessing. He promised that Israel—the believing remnant—would.

And Romans 11 declares that this remnant will one day be all Israel, all restored and all saved by grace through faith. There’ll be no unbelieving Israel at that time.

Romans 4 already showed that Abraham did not receive the inheritance through circumcision. He was uncircumcised when God counted him righteous. So circumcision doesn’t give the promise. All of Abraham’s seed were circumcised, but not all were children of the promise.

Romans 2:28-29 declares that circumcision is of the flesh, and we read,

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Circumcision is of the flesh, and Genesis 17 shows this clearly. God required Abraham’s whole household to be circumcised, including Ishmael, Abraham’s son through the bondwoman Hagar.

Abraham pleaded with God in Genesis 17:18,

And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

But God answered that the everlasting covenant would be established with Isaac, the son Sarah would bear, the son of promise. Ishmael would be blessed and become a great nation, but he would not receive the covenant. Both sons were circumcised, yet only one was the child of promise. Paul uses this to show that fleshly descent doesn’t guarantee covenant blessing.

Romans 9:7 quotes Genesis 21:12, where Isaac is already born, and Ishmael mocks him. Sarah demands that Ishmael be cast out, and God confirms her words: “In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” God instructs Abraham to send out the bondwoman and her son. Ishmael will be blessed, but Isaac is the covenant heir. Paul uses this history to teach Israel that the promise is not after the flesh because Ishmael is also of Abraham after the flesh but doesn’t receive the promise.

Genesis 21 also shows that Isaac himself is the key to Israel’s promises.

Paul’s not talking about Abraham’s one‑seed teaching in Galatians, nor about the Body of Christ; he’s talking about Isaac—the literal covenant heir. That means Romans 9 simply can’t be about the church, and it can’t be about Islam. The Ishmael/Isaac divide still defines Judaism and Islam today.

The point is simple: the promise is not of the flesh. Abraham produced Ishmael by his own effort, not by faith.

Israel later tried to obtain righteousness by the law and by their flesh. But the fathers teach otherwise. God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was always based on promise, faith, and grace, never by the works of the flesh.

Now to Romans 9:8, which explains verse 6:

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

“Children of the flesh” are physical Israel—like Ishmael. “Children of the promise” are believing Israel—like Isaac.

This is Paul’s interpretation of the Old Testament story. Not all Israel receives the promise. Not all Abraham’s seed receives the promise. Only those who receive it by faith.

This is the same truth Jesus taught.

Many claimed Abraham as their father, but Jesus said in John 8:39-40,

If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

The Lord gave a very clear example of the difference between them and Abraham. Jesus had come into the world, the long-prophesied Messiah, speaking nothing but the easily verified truth. They were offended and stumbled over His teaching, and so they tried to kill Him. Jesus points out that Abraham did not do this. He took his place on the side of truth and righteousness.

He told unbelieving Israel they would die in their sins if they rejected Him.

So to summarise, Romans 9 is not making Gentiles into Israel. It’s explaining how God’s Word to Israel still stands even though many Israelites are in unbelief. God never promised that every Israelite in the flesh would receive the blessing. He promised that Israel—the believing remnant—would. And He’ll fulfil that promise by grace through faith when Christ returns.

Romans 9 shows Israel’s present unbelief.

Romans 10 shows how they stumbled at Christ.

Romans 11 shows their future restoration.

Isaac—the child of promise—teaches Israel how God will save them: not by flesh, not by works, but by promise, through faith, and grace.

Until the next episode, where we move to Romans 9:9-13, may God bless you in the knowledge of Him.