Introduction
The New Testament contains many exhortations on how followers of Jesus are to live and conduct themselves. One key quality which must characterize all believers is to demonstrate the love of God – we are to love our neighbour as ourselves and even to love our enemies. Some exhortations are addressed specifically to certain categories or classes of believers, typically as related pairs – e.g. husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants, the “weak” and the “strong” etc. However in Chapter 11 of Paul’s letter to the Romans, an exhortation is addressed to only one side of such a dual pair – that of Gentile believers – and that exhortation is in the form of a warning. There is no accompanying exhortation to Jewish believers. Although Jewish believers are alluded to in Chapter 11, for example in vs. 5 (remnant), vs. 7 (chosen), and vs. 16 (first piece of dough), they are not directly addressed.
Paul’s Warning to Gentile Believers in Romans 11
In Romans 11, Paul, as the Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 15:15-16; Gal. 2:8-9; Eph. 3:8), issues a strong warning to Gentile Jesus-followers with respect to their attitude to that portion of physical Israel which has not believed the gospel. Paul here speaks of Israel in terms of three categories:
- The physical descendants of Jacob/Israel – Israel according to the flesh – of which Paul himself is a member, and which he consistently characterizes not only as “His (God’s) people”, but also as “his brethren” (Rom. 9:3; cf. Acts 13:26,38; 22:1; 23:1,5,6; 28:17).
- A subset of physical Israel made up of those who have believed the gospel, which Paul calls “the remnant” – those who “were chosen”, of which he is a part.
- A second subset of physical Israel made up of those who have NOT believed the gospel, which Paul calls “the rest” – those who “were hardened”.
It is important to note that for Paul, Israel is constituted by both the believing “remnant” and the unbelieving “hardened” subsets; both portions belong to “God’s people”, and by use of the passive verbs (were chosen; were hardened) Paul indicates that it was God himself who did the choosing and hardening. Paul further consistently distinguishes between physical Israel and the Gentile believers whom he addresses.
The sections of Romans 11 relevant to this discussion are given below. The text is based on the NASB, with key phrases bolded; an alternative translation is offered for several key words to better suit the context. Such choices are shown in square brackets; the rationale for each is provided in a footnote. Similarly, some clarifying text has been inserted and similarly bracketed and footnoted.
” 11 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew… 5 …there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice…. 7 What then? What Israel is seeking a, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened…”
” 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their [misstep]b salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their [misstep]b is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles.…15 For if their rejection [of the gospel]c is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance [of the gospel]c be but life from the dead? 16 ….if the root is holy, the branches are too. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches;d but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 [Well well!]f They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand [only]f by your [faithfulness.]f Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? “
“ 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of [election]g they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. “
———————— Translation Notes ———————–
a Note the present tense “is seeking”; the hardened portion of Israel continues to seek the Kingdom of God ( cf. Matt. 6:33).
b παραπτώμα = transgression (so NASB) in the sense of false step or misstep; the latter is chosen here as more consistent with Paul’s metaphor of stumbling.
c Since Paul has just emphatically stated that God has not rejected Israel (vs.1,2) “rejection” here must refer to a rejection by Israel rather than of Israel, thus Israel is not the object but the subject of the verb: they have rejected (i.e. not believed) the gospel. This is consistent with vs. 20 “…they were broken off for their unbelief…”
d “the branches” – the use of the article implies that the reference is to all the branches – both the branches that remain and the branches that were broken off.
e καλῶς. The NASB reads “Quite right”. This misses the rhetorical thrust of Paul’s response to the boastful and arrogant claim of his Gentile interlocutor which implies that natural branches were broken off to make room for more worthy Gentile branches. Paul concedes the underlying facts of salvation history but rejects the arrogant attitude as his subsequent response makes clear; a better translation would be something like “Yes, but” or “Well well!”
f πίστει. The NASB reads “faith”. Paul’s focus however is not so much their faith in terms of a creed, but rather their faithfulness to the requirements of the gospel. The context implies that it is only ongoing faithfulness to the gospel that will maintain their life-giving connection to the olive tree, as discussed in the text below.
g ἐκλογην = God’s choice (so NASB). The word “God” is not present in the Greek, thus the better single word implying God as the subject is “election” which entails the qualities of certainty and irrevocability intended by Paul.
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What is Paul Talking About?
In this passage, Paul explicitly addresses the Gentile Jesus-followers in Rome. He does not address Jewish Jesus-followers. He warns Gentile believers concerning their attitude to “unbelieving” Israel – the larger part of Israel that has not accepted the gospel. In verses 18-25 Paul makes seven (!) warning statements, paraphrased as follows:
- Do not be arrogant/boastful toward the branches (vs. 18a)
- It is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you (vs. 18b)
- You stand (only) by your faithfulness (vs. 20a)
- Do not be conceited, but fear (vs. 20b)
- If God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you (vs.21)
- If you do not continue in His kindness you will be cut off (vs.22b)
- Be not wise in your own estimation (vs. 25)
What might initially be understood as a positive statement: “you stand by your faith/faithfulness” (vs. 20a), is in reality a warning which is clarified by supplying the word “only”. That Paul intends vs. 20a to be read as a warning is supported by its connection to vs. 21-22. The warning in vs. 22 to “continue in God’s kindness” means that the Gentile believer must demonstrate a living faith (James 2:17,26) by attitudes and actions that are motivated by and reflect God’s own kindness to him; in other words faithfulness in word and deed to the requirements of the gospel. When he stands before the King it will be futile to claim that he is a believer if his deeds or lack of deeds demonstrate that he was unfaithful to the gospel (Matt. 7:21-23).
Paul is concerned about a serious error which is taking hold among Gentile believers in Rome. That error supposes that God has rejected His people Israel, that He is instead choosing a people from among the Gentiles to replace or supersede Israel, and that such chosen Gentiles must therefore be more worthy than rejected Israel.
Paul’s argument in refuting this error involves, either explicitly or implicitly, the following points:
- It is contrary to the God’s Word (11:1-2, alluding to Psalm 94:14).
- It misunderstands God’s purposes as implying preferring Gentiles above Israel (11:17-24).
- It misrepresents God as breaking His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel (11:28b).
- It maligns God’s character (11:29).
- It undermines their own assurance of salvation which derives from being connected to and sharing in the promises to Israel – not in replacing Israel (11:21, 22c).
Paul describes this erroneous understanding as arising from Gentile arrogance over against Israel, and that such conceited presumption as to God’s purposes places them in jeopardy of being cut off from the life-giving root. Paul emphatically corrects this mistaken notion, teaching that, on the contrary, God loves and will always continue to love His people Israel regardless of what they do or do not do. Yes they will be disciplined and punished for persistent unrepentant sin, but God’s election is irrevocable. Paul had already stressed in Romans 3:1–4 that the faithfulness of God cannot be nullified by the unbelief of some. Paul’s argument in Romans 9 similarly emphasizes that it is the electing call of God as being the fundamental reality that determines Israel’s status as “children of promise”, independent of anything they do or fail to do:
” For though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice (ἐκλογην) would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls (καλοῦντος) ” (9:11).
Because the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is faithful, He will accomplish the ultimate salvation of his people Jacob/Israel. As long as that day has not yet arrived, God – through Israel’s current rejection of the gospel – continues to call “those who are/were far off” (Acts 2:39, Eph. 2:11-13), so that in the age to come Gentiles will join a restored Israel in praise of the one God: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” (Rom. 15:10).
The Seriousness Of Paul’s Warning
The seriousness of Paul’s warning passage is captured in the last half of verse 22:
” 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. “
The last half of verse 22 can be paraphrased as “…if you do not continue in His kindness you will be cut off.” Thus, being “cut off” is the consequence for the Gentile believer who ignores Paul’s warning. The word “cut off” (ἐκκοπήσῃ) has more drastic implications than the word “broken off” (ἐξεκλάσθησαν) used of the unbelieving natural branches. In OT usage “cut off” in this context means a final rejection and exclusion from the people of God. For example Numbers 15:30-31 states:
” But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be on him. “
The Brenton translation of the LXX renders the final phrase as: “…that soul shall be utterly destroyed, his sin is upon him.”
What does Paul mean by “continuing in God’s kindness”? The immediate context suggests that it involves the opposite of being arrogant, conceited or presumptuous, particularly with regards to unbelieving Israel. For a Gentile “believer” to claim that God has chosen him to replace unbelieving Israel because God has rightly judged them as worthy of rejection would amount to a denial of the covenant love of the God whom he thinks he serves, as well as an attempt to misappropriate God’s particular gifts given to Israel alone (Rom. 9:4-5). Paul’s triple reference in verse 22 to God’s “kindness” links back to his usage of this term in Romans 2:3-4:
” 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? “
Reading the noted passages in Chapters 2 and 11 together clarifies Paul’s meaning in 11:22 that “continuing in God’s kindness” involves the Gentile believers’ recognition of and repentance from wrongful attitudes, judgments and deeds – particularly towards Israel – and that lack of such corrective action would place such Gentile believers at risk of coming under the righteous judgment of God and being excluded from the company of those who are saved.
The Gentile Church’s Rejection of Paul’s Warning
The seriousness and ongoing applicability of Paul’s warning to Gentile believers has been amply demonstrated in the history of the Christian Church. About a century after Paul wrote, the Christian Church including its leadership had come to be dominated by Gentiles, and the very error Paul warned against began to be taught by the church. It did not take long for the “Church Fathers” to boast of having replaced Israel, and their anti-Jewish rhetoric became more hateful and vitriolic as time went on. A few representative statements are given below:
Justin Martyr (c. 100-165) – “For the true spiritual Israel … are we who have been led to God through this crucified Christ.” (Dialogue With Trypho 11, Ante-Nicene Fathers (ANF) 1:200).
Irenaeus (c. 130-200) – “For inasmuch as the former [the Jews] have rejected the Son of God, and cast Him out of the vineyard when they slew Him, God has justly rejected them, and given to the Gentiles outside the vineyard the fruits of its cultivation.” (Against Heresies 36.2, ANF 1:515).
Hippolytus (c. 205) – “ And surely you [the Jews] have been darkened in the eyes of your soul with a darkness utter and everlasting….” (Treatise Against the Jews 6, ANF 5.220).
Lactantius (c. 304–313) – “ For unless they [the Jews] did this [repent], and laying aside their vanities, return to their God, it would come to pass that He would change His covenant, that is, bestow the inheritance of eternal life upon foreign nations, and collect to Himself a more faithful people out of those who were aliens by birth….On account of these impieties of theirs He cast them off forever.” (Divine Institutes 4.11, ANF 7.109).
John Chrysostom (344-407) – “The Jews are the most worthless of all men. They are lecherous, rapacious, greedy. They are perfidious murderers of Christ. They worship the Devil. Their religion is a sickness. The Jews are the odious assassins of Christ and for killing God there is no expiation possible, no indulgence or pardon. Christians may never cease vengeance, and the Jew must live in servitude forever. God always hated the Jews. It is essential that all Christians hate them…” (Against The Jews).
Martin Luther – What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews?…First, their synagogues should be set on fire…. And this ought to be done for the honor of God and of Christianity in order that God may see that we are Christians, and that we have not wittingly tolerated or approved of such public lying, cursing, and blaspheming of His Son and His Christians.… When you lay eyes on or think of a Jew you must say to yourself: “Alas, that mouth which I there behold has cursed and execrated and maligned every Saturday my dear Lord Jesus Christ, who has redeemed me with his precious blood; in addition, it prayed and pleaded before God that I, my wife and children, and all Christians might be stabbed to death and perish miserably. And he himself would gladly do this if he were able, in order to appropriate our goods”…Such a desperate, thoroughly evil, poisonous, and devilish lot are these Jews….(On The Jews and Their Lies, in Luther’s Works, Volume 47; Translated by Martin H. Bertram, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971).
John Calvin – Their [the Jews] rotten and unbending stiffneckedness deserves that they be oppressed unendingly and without measure or end and that they die in their misery without the pity of anyone. (Ad Quaestiones et Objecta Judaei Cuiusdam Responsio; from “The Jew in Christian Theology” by Gerhard Falk, McFarland and Company, Inc., Jefferson, NC and London, 1931).
Of course there were many exceptions to the above, both among church leaders and ordinary believers, who attempted to protect and assist the Jews when they were persecuted, at times risking their own lives. Accounts of such believers and their acts of love and mercy are abundantly documented elsewhere.
Conclusion
It is difficult to comprehend how the “Church Fathers” could claim to be followers of Jesus, and teachers and preachers of God’s Word, while vilifying and promoting the hatred of Israel/the Jews and boasting that they themselves as the Gentile Church were the new “Spiritual Israel” whom God had chosen to replace the old rejected “Fleshly Israel”. And Luther and Calvin – in spite of their commitment to “sola scriptura” – were apparently blind to the Scriptures regarding Israel; they not only repeated the un-Christian teachings of the “Fathers” concerning Israel but even advocated their persecution and destruction. Paul’s warning in Romans 11 to the Gentile believers did not fit their theologies and was thus explained away and ignored, but with what consequences?
The almost 1900 years of “Christian” teaching that the Jewish people collectively and for all time are guilty of committing the unforgivable sin of “deicide” – killing God – thus deserving the most severe punishment, has led to centuries of hatred, violence and murder of Jews in “Christian” lands. One notable example is that of the Crusaders who slaughtered Jews throughout Europe as they travelled to the “Holy Land”; when they finally reached Jerusalem they herded Paul’s brothers the Jews into their synagogue and then set it ablaze while singing hymns, to the glory of God. The more recent example is the Nazi Holocaust, which was materially facilitated by the anti-Jewish teachings of the Church especially those of Luther sampled above. Will those “Christians” who advocated no mercy, receive mercy? Will those who declared that the Jews did not deserve forgiveness, receive forgiveness? What will the King say when those leaders, teachers and preachers appear before His throne (Matthew 25:31-46)?
