Romans 11:13–16

Engrafted branches

I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

At first reading, verses 13 to 16 might seem to be essentially a repetition of the thoughts expressed in verses 11 and 12. And they do have much in common. The “transgression” of verse 11 is picked up by the “rejection” spoken of in verse 15. The “riches for the Gentiles” of verse 12 finds its counterpart in the “reconciliation of the world” in verse 15.

The “greater riches” occasioned by Israel’s “fullness” (verse 12) are compared to nothing less than a resurrection, a “life from the dead” (verse 15).

But Paul’s words here are not mere repetition. He is now changing the focus somewhat in his discussion. Verses 11 and 12 were general remarks addressed to the mixed audience of Jews and Gentiles comprising the Roman readership. Paul now narrows that scope somewhat by turning his attention more directly to the Gentile readers.

Addressing them in the second person, he says, “I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”

Much of this section repeats the rationale previously outlined. But here Paul is personalizing it to show the Gentiles where they fit into God’s strategy. Called by God to be the preeminent missionary to the Gentiles, Paul zealously pursued his ministry to non-Jews in order to win absolutely as many Gentiles as possible for Christ. The greater the number of Gentiles converted, the greater—humanly speaking— would be the Jewish reaction. Almost as a backlash, they would be attracted to the blessings they saw going more and more to their gentile Christian neighbors. Out of envy they too would then be drawn to Christ and his blessings.

Paul earnestly desires the salvation of all his own people and avidly participates in God’s “reverse psychology” plan. However, he never loses sight of the realism instilled by God’s Old Testament prophets when they spoke of only a remnant being saved. Paul is totally committed to gentile outreach, also hoping it will at the same time “arouse my own people,” as he puts it. But he realizes that, at best, his efforts to arouse Jewish “envy” will result in the salvation of only “some of them.” The apostle never envisions the mass conversion of all the biological descendants of Abraham.That realism, however, doesn’t mean that God has gone back on his promises to Israel or that he is not serious about wanting them to be saved. In explaining where Gentiles fit in God’s plan, Paul once more asserts the priority of Israel.

Paul uses two illustrations to describe the status of Israel. The first is drawn from the Old Testament ceremonial laws. A portion of the first grain harvested was to be baked into a loaf and offered to the Lord. God told Moses to command the people, “Present a cake from the first of your ground meal and present it as an offering from the threshing floor” (Numbers 15:20). Offering the firstfruits to the Lord sanctified the rest of the harvest, or as Paul states here, “If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy.”

In our context, however, Paul is using these words not to speak of a God-given grain harvest but of God’s chosen people. If the firstfruits (Abraham and the patriarchs) are holy, then the whole batch (the descendants of Abraham) are also holy. This is not to say that every Israelite was personally “holy,” but that God was seriously concerned about providing “holiness” to all of them through his promised Messiah.

Paul’s second illustration comes from the horticultural world. He says succinctly, “If the root is holy, so are the branches.” The picture here is parallel to the previous illustration.

The priority of the root over the branches and the connection between root and branches suggests to Paul another way of looking at the relationship between God’s chosen patriarchs and their descendants, the Jewish nation. This second, briefer illustration the apostle expands into an extended metaphor, a figure of speech in which he likens “branches” not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles