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Romans 11:21 – The Almighty Gardner

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Will

For if God did not spare the natural branches, Neither will He spare you.

Truth to Learn

God rejected the Jewish people because they refused to believe that Jesus was their Messiah. Since He was willing to do this, He is just as willing to reject Gentiles in the future and deal exclusively with the Jews once again.

Behind the Words

“If” is translated from the conditional particle ei. When used as it is in this verse, it indicates a conditional statement of the first class. In the New Testament there are three classes of conditional statements. The first class condition assumes that the “if clause” is true, the second class condition assumes that the “if clause” is false, and the third class condition makes no assumption about the “if clause.” Therefore, in a first class conditional statement some translators use the word “since,” although it is not required.

The word translated “spare” is pheidomai, which means “to abstain or to treat leniently.”

The second half of this verse starts off with mēpōs in the Greek text. This word is made up of mē, a conditional negative particle and pōs, meaning “somehow, anyhow, in any way, or in some way or other.” Mēpōs is often translated as “lest by any means” or “lest perhaps.” Here it is immediately followed by the Greek word oude, meaning “also not” or “neither.”

The second occurrence of “spare” is again the word pheidomai. In some Greek manuscripts it is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating what might possibly or will probably happen. However, the best Greek texts express it in the future tense, indicating action that will happen.

Meaning Explained

The point that Paul is making is that if God did not spare the natural branches, the Jews, but rejected them as a people, thus turning to the Gentiles and grafting them in, then we should not be arrogant about this. Instead, we should consider our position as God’s chosen ones with reverential fear knowing that God is just as able to reject the Gentiles and turn back to the Jews.

In fact, I believe that this is exactly what God is going to do. If you study Daniel 9:25-29 you will learn about the 70 weeks of years that God has decreed for the Jews. The first 69 weeks cover the time from the decree to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem up to the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. Between the 69^th and 70^th weeks, however, there is a pause, which is where God turns to the Gentiles. This is the church age that we are living in right now. Just before the 70^th week begins, God will rapture the church, removing them from the earth, and will once again deal with the Jews. This ushers in Daniel’s 70^th week, the seven year period called The Tribulation.

During this seven year period, God’s focus will once again be on the Jews, not the Gentiles. In other words, during the tribulation God will reject the Gentile world. That is, He will break them off as branches. At the same time, he will deal directly with the Jewish nation once more, a remnant of them will believe, and He will graft them back into the holy root stock.

Take special note of the fact that this series of verses is not talking about rejecting believers (causing them to lose their salvation). He is talking about rejecting the unbelievers.

Application

God does as He pleases, not as we want Him to do. We need to be humble and in awe of Him. He is Almighty God and we are but His chosen children. Give Him thanks and praise!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:20 – Faith and Fear

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Will

Well said. In unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear.

Truth to Learn

Salvation should not produce pride, but reverential fear.

Behind the Words

“Well said” is translated from the Greek word kalōs, meaning “well, justly, or aptly.” It is as if Paul is agreeing with this objection. We could paraphrase this as “Very well then.”

The words translated “unbelief” and “faith” in this verse are closely related. The word translated “unbelief” is apistia, which is a compound word made up of a, meaning “not or without” and a form of pistis, meaning “faith or belief.” It is based on the verb peithō, meaning “to persuade or to win over.” Hence, pistis is the condition of having been convinced of a truth so that the person now believes the truth. The word translated “faith” is pistis. So you see Paul is making a contrast between the apistia (lack of faith) and pistis (having faith).

“Stand” is from histēmi, meaning “to stand upright, to stand in place, or to stand firm.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, which indicates a past completed action with an ongoing effect, but the emphasis is on the ongoing effect. In other words, in the past we stood because of faith and, as a result, we are in an ongoing condition of standing because of faith.

The word translated “high-minded” is the Greek word, hupsēlophronō, which is a compound word made up of hupselos, meaning “high, in place or character” and a form of phroneō, meaning “to think” or “to be of a certain mind.” In today’s English it means “haughty, arrogant, or puffed up.”

Meaning Explained

Paul starts off this verse with “Well said.” It is as if Paul is agreeing with the objection expressed in the previous verse. He goes on to state the part that he does agree with, and then he will give a word of caution about this type of thinking.

Paul agrees that the Jews were rejected for not believing and that we stand because we believe. But he then gives this warning, “Do not be high-minded, but fear.” His warning is that we should not become arrogant, thinking that we are something special because God chose to graft us into the olive tree; instead, we should be filled with reverential fear. Paul will explain why in the next verse.

Because we believe that we are sinners and that Jesus Christ gave his perfect, sinless life on our behalf, God has declared us to be as righteous as Christ. Through this righteousness we are seen by God as sinless, He has adopted us as His sons and daughters, and we are guaranteed eternal life instead of eternal damnation in hell, which is what we deserve because of our sinfulness. We would not have believed these truths and we would not be partakers of His holiness had the Jews accepted Jesus as the Messiah when He offered Himself to them.

Because of our sin nature, we are prone to believe ourselves something special because of God’s free gift of salvation. And, because others rejected God’s truth, we are prone to believe that they are less than we are.

Application

Let us once again take stock of our own unworthiness and the blessing of God’s grace. Let our gratefulness be shown in giving all we have to and for Him. Let us humble ourselves before our Lord and Master, for He is worthy!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:19 – Pride or Humility

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Will

You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."

Truth to Learn

When we read Scripture we need to receive God’s truth in humility, being careful not to filter it through our pride.

Behind the Words

The words “You will say” are from ereō, meaning “to say or to declare.” It is expressed in the future tense, active voice (action performed by the subject), and indicative mood (action that actually occurs). Paul is not saying “you could say” or “you might say,” rather he is saying “you will say.”

“Might be grafted in” is from the Greek verb egkentridzō, which is a compound word made up of en, meaning “in” implying a fixed position and kentridzō, meaning “to make a puncture.” Thus we see that egkentridzō means “to insert by making a puncture or a small opening.” This is precisely the process that is performed when a branch is engrafted to a root stock. The root stock is carefully cut open with a small incision and the branch, after having been sharpened on one end, is inserted into the opening. The verb is expressed here in the passive voice (action done to the subject) and subjunctive mood (implying that the action is possible or probable).

Meaning Explained

Paul is now stating what he expects will be a response from proud Gentiles, so that he can counter it in the following verse. Paul knows the heart of sinful man and is certain that his readers and hearers will react to what he is saying. He knows they will say, “But, the other branches were broken off just so we could be grafted in. It appears that it was God’s purpose to reject those unbelieving Jews so that He could save us Gentiles. Therefore, we must be more important than the Jews; they were taken out of their place and we have been put in.”

This sort of reasoning, however, assumes that God now considers the Gentiles more important than the Jews; otherwise, He wouldn’t have rejected the Jews, would He? This type of reasoning is sinful and selfish. It is, in fact, the very same attitude that the Jews had before they were rejected, believing that they were better than the Gentiles because they were God’s chosen people. In the next verse Paul will give a stern warning about such thinking.

We see this type of thinking today, particularly in Christians who believe they’ve earned their salvation. They are proud of the fact that they believed and have been saved as a result, thinking that they are somehow better than the unsaved because they were smart enough or had faith enough to believe. When we realize that our salvation is totally God’s work, we become aware of the fact that we don’t deserve this salvation and become humbly thankful, giving God ALL THE GLORY!

the twenty-four elders will fall down before the one sitting on the throne and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and they will cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:10-11)

Application

Are you proud of the fact that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? Or are you humbled by the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ has chosen you to be His?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:18 – No Proud Branches

Posted on August 27, 2018 by Will

do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, notice that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Truth to Learn

We should not boast about ourselves or our position, because it is God who is responsible for who and what we are.

Behind the Words

The word translated “boast” is the Greek word katakauchaomai, which is a compound word made up of kata, meaning “against” and a form of kouchaomai which means “to boast.” Hence, this word means “to boast against.” Webster defines the word “boast” as “To brag, or vaunt one's self; to make an ostentatious display, in speech, of one's own worth, property, or actions.” Katakauchaomai is expressed here in the middle person (indicating action done to oneself), and the imperative mood (indicating a command). It is preceded by the word mē, a conditional negative particle. As we have pointed out previously, word order in Greek is used for emphases. The fact that mē precedes katakauchaomai indicates emphasis on mē. Therefore, we could translate this as “Stop boasting about yourself!” We could paraphrase it as, “Get out of the habit of boasting about yourself against the branches!”

“Support” is from the Greek word bastadzō, which is derived from basis, meaning “foot.” Bastadzō refers to “lifting something up and placing it on a solid footing.” As it is used here, it refers to something that is providing both support and sustenance.

Meaning Explained

Paul is talking metaphorically about an olive tree; a tree which gets its holiness from the root. In the previous verse he talked about the natural branches being broken off and the Gentiles being grafted in. Obviously, the tree represents God’s family. It began with the Jews (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and from this tree came the Messiah, Himself.

Paul will declare in verse twenty that the branches that were broken off were broken off because of unbelief. That is, the Jews were rejected because they did not believe the Messiah when He came. And because of their unbelief, the gospel was subsequently proclaimed to the Gentiles (by the Apostles, who were Jews).

Paul now warns us Gentile believers not to boast against the Jews. What he is saying is, in effect, “Don’t consider yourselves more worthy than the Jews, who were rejected.” The reason he tells us not to boast is because we are not the ones who sustain the root (God), but it is the root that sustains and supports us. You see, we didn’t graft ourselves into the tree, God engrafted us. We were not of the original family of blessing (the Jews), and we have done nothing to make ourselves worthy of being included in their blessings.

Remember that it is God who is the author and finisher of our faith. He chose us, we did not choose Him. He is the one who declared us righteous; we did not earn our righteousness. Without God’s action we are nothing and we are destined for Hell because of our lack of righteousness. We have absolutely nothing to boast about.

Application

Let me ask you, “Have you ever met a proud Christian?” That’s a contradiction of terms, isn’t it?

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may lift you up in due time, (I Peter 5:6)

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:17 – God’s Holy Fruit

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Will

And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,

Truth to Learn

God works contrary to the natural ways of man to produce fruit which will bring glory only to Him.

Behind the Words

“Branches” is from klados, which refers to a branch that has been broken off from a tree or bush.

The verb translated “broken off” is ekklaō, made up of ek, meaning “out” and klaō, meaning “to break.” We see here another of Paul’s play on words between klados and ekklaō.

The words “a partaker with them” are from the Greek verb sugkoinōnos, which is made up of sun, meaning “together with” and koinōnos, meaning “a partner.” Hence, this word refers to “one who shares things in common with others.”

Meaning Explained

The illustration here is of a cultivated olive tree into which branches from a wild olive tree were grafted and thus the engrafted branches produced fruit from the nurturing of the roots. In reality, however, a husbandman would not do this. Instead, he would take branches from a fruitful, cultivated olive tree and graft them into a wild, unfruitful tree stock to produce fruit. You see, a wild olive tree produces very little fruit and what it does produce is small and bitter. But a cultivated tree produces a greater quantity and better quality fruit. In nature it is only when the good branches are grafted into the fruitless rootstock that good fruit is produced. But, as Paul will tell us in verse twenty-four, this engrafting is “contrary to nature.” That’s the way God does things.

So why does Paul talk about an olive tree in which the fruitfulness comes from the root and not the branches? It is to show the supernatural quality of holiness. It is not produced in the branches; it is produced in the root, God Himself. Paul says that some of the branches of the holy tree were broken off. This may be a reference to:

The LORD called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken. (Jeremiah 11:16)

This refers to the Jews who rejected the Messiah when He first came. Paul then says that “you,” referring to the Gentiles, who were of a fruitless, wild olive tree, were grafted in among the remaining branches (the few believing Jews, among whom were the apostles). He points out that the result of the grafting is that the branches, both the natural branches and the engrafted ones, now share in the blessings and holiness of the root.

Paul is emphasizing two things here. The first is that the Gentiles did not attain holiness (fruitfulness) apart from the holy root. And the second thing is that the Gentiles were included in the church only because, and after, the Jews rejected God’s offer.

Application

Thank you, Lord, for grafting me into the holy olive tree. May I produce fruit worthy of the King, from your working in and through me!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:16 – Set-apart by Him

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Will

For if the first-fruit is holy, the dough is also; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Truth to Learn

Like the believing Jews, we are set-apart by God for His use.

Behind the Words

The word “first-fruit” is from the Greek word aparchē, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and a form of archomai, meaning “to begin.” This word refers to that part of something that is taken from the beginning or the first part.

The word translated “dough” is the Greek word phurama, which is the noun form of the verb phuraō, meaning “to break,” or “to dissolve,” or “to knead.” In this case it refers to a mass of dough that has been kneaded in preparation for baking.

“Holy” is from the word hagios, which means “set apart as something special.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has just been telling us that it was because of His rejection of the unbelieving Jews that God turned to the Gentiles. He is now going to show us that although the Jews as a nation were rejected, it was a few believing Jews who were the beginning of the church.

In the Old Testament, the “first-fruit” was the part of the crop that ripened first and was to be offered to God before partaking of the remainder of the crop. It was a way for the Jews to signify that the entire crop came from God. Even though man planted it, God alone caused the seed to germinate, God alone provided the rain and caused the plant to grow, and God alone caused the fruit to form and ripen. This current verse seems to be a reference to Numbers 15:20, 21 which says:

You shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough as a heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it up. Of the first of your dough you shall give to the LORD a heave offering throughout your generations.

I believe that Paul’s reference in the current verse is to the fact that it was a few Jews who were the first to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. And it was first to the Jews that the glorious message of His resurrection was announced. These Jewish believers were holy. That is, they were “set apart,” set apart from the world of unbelievers and set-apart to God for His use and for His glorification.

If these first few Jews were set-apart by God, so also will the remainder of the church be set-apart. Likewise, Paul refers to the root of an olive tree as being holy which causes the remainder of the tree, the branches, to be holy (set-apart). Paul will now use this metaphor of the olive tree to show us why we are totally dependent on God for His blessing and favor.

Application

Remember what Paul has been teaching us, that we are not the ones responsible for our salvation and the blessings that come from it. God, as we are told in Hebrews 12:2, “is the author and finisher of our faith.” He is the one who caused us to believe; hence, we are not the authors of our faith, He is. We do not cause the plants to grow and produce seed, God does. We are totally dependent on God for all of life and especially for spiritual (eternal) life. This should not make us proud; instead, it should humble us in the presence of Almighty God who chose us.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:15 – Again, God’s Choice

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Will

For if their rejection is a reconciling of the world, what is their acceptance if not life from the dead?

Truth to Learn

God decides whom He will chose and whom He will reject.

Behind the Words

“Rejection” is a translation of the Greek word apobolē, which is made up of apo, meaning “away from” and a form of balō, meaning “to throw.” Literally, it means “to cast away” or “to discard.”

“Reconciling” is from katallagē, which is derived from the verb katallassō. This word is made up of kata, used as an intensifier, and allassō, meaning “to change.” It is used in the New Testament to express a change, or reconciliation, from a state of being enemies to one of being friends.

The word translated, “acceptance” is the Greek word proslēpsis. It is made up of pros, meaning “to or toward” and a form of lambanō, which means “to take or to receive.” Thus proslēpsis means “to receive to oneself.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is nearly a restatement of verse 12, the difference being one of viewpoint and causation. In verse 12 Paul talked about the “fall” of the Jews, that is, the “falling by the wayside” as a result of unbelief on their part. It was not so much the actions or deeds of the Jews as it was their lack of faith. In the current verse Paul refers to their “being cast away,” which is an action of God in His sovereignty. Because of their lack of faith, God chose to cast them aside. But, as always, God had a purpose in casting them aside. His plan in turning from the faithless Jews was to have His message delivered to the Gentiles. However, this turning from His chosen people is not a permanent condition.

Paul says that if the casting away of the Jews by God resulted in the rest of mankind believing in His Word and being reconciled to God, then their being received back by God in the future will mean that they will have been brought back to life.

These two verses taken together demonstrate the dichotomy of election. From the human perspective it refers to the judicial action taken against man for his rejection of God. But from the heavenly perspective, it refers to God’s casting them away so they cannot believe. In either case it is only action on God’s part that brings them back.

In the following verses Paul will give a stern warning to the Gentiles that their current state of blessedness as a people is just as tenuous as that which the Jews had, and that it can be revoked by God as well. This is NOT referring to individual revocation of the blessing, but corporate rejection. Paul is not saying that God will “take back” salvation from individuals (Paul has already shown that God can’t do this). He is saying that God rejected the Jews as His chosen race and one day will take them back as His people.

Application

Individuals cannot lose their salvation once God has chosen them as the elect. However, because the Jews as a nation turned from God, He turned from them. In these last days of the church we see the Gentiles turning from God just as the Jews had earlier. It is only a matter of time before God casts the Gentiles aside and the world will be judged. In the midst of that terrible judgment, called The Great Tribulation, God will once again turn to the Jews and the remnant will be saved. And God will get all the glory and praise which only He deserves!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:14 – It May be a Way

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Will

if somehow I may provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy and might save some of them.

Truth to Learn

Preaching the Gospel message may evoke an emotional response in others, and it also might provoke them to salvation.

Behind the Words

The word translated, “if” is the Greek word ei, which is a conditional conjunction. That is, it ties two thoughts together (conjunction) with a relationship that is not definite but conditional. It is most often translated as “if,” but in cases like this it can be translated idiomatically.

“Somehow” is from a single Greek word, pōs. This is an interrogative adverb. As such, it usually forms a question, like “how?” “in what manner?” “by what means?” or “is there a way?” Context and usage, however, sometimes indicate that this is not being used to form a question, but a statement.

The context here does not indicate that Paul is asking a question. Therefore, we could combine the conceptual ideas of these two words, ei and pōs, and paraphrase this verse as, “because it may be a way for me to provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy …”

Meaning Explained

This is one of those verses which sounds so awkward in English that it is difficult to understand exactly what Paul is saying. In order to understand this better we can temporarily take out the parenthetical expression from the previous verse and then put these two verses together, paraphrasing the first part of the current verse. Then we would have,

For I speak to you Gentiles because it may be a way that I might provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and perhaps save some of them.

Paul has said that he considers his calling to be the Apostle to the Gentiles as an honor and a great responsibility. One of the reasons that he is so determined to carry it out to the fullest is because it might also provoke some of his fellow Jews to jealousy and they might, through this jealousy, seek the truth of Christ and become saved themselves.

Paul had been accused by his fellow Jews of deserting his brothers in the flesh and of defecting to “the other side.” In defense of his actions, Paul started out chapter ten of this letter with:

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation. (Romans 10:1)

He then opened up the current chapter proclaiming that God has not completely turned away from the Jews. And in defense of that, he reminds everyone that he is a Jew himself.

I say then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1)

He is now showing that God has not deserted the Jewish people, and he believes that he may be a channel of God’s salvation even to the Jewish people by preaching the gospel message to us Gentiles.

Application

You may not have the spiritual gift of evangelism, but that doesn’t release you from the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel message. Oh, that we all cared as much as Paul about proclaiming the message of salvation to the unsaved!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:13 – Service Honors

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Will

But I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of the Gentiles, I honor my ministry,

Truth to Learn

Service to God is a great privilege and an honor, which should humble us now and forever.

Behind the Words

Many translations of this verse start off with the word “For” which is translated from the Greek word gar. However, there is significant evidence in favor of the Greek word de, meaning “and” or “but” rather than gar.

The word translated “honor” is the Greek word doxadzō, (from which we get our word doxology) which means, “to consider glorious or full of honor.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses Paul said that the gospel message has gone out to the Gentiles because of the stumbling of the Jews. He has been speaking about the Jews and he knows that those who hear his message will become more focused on the problems of the Jews than on their own relationship with God and responsibility to serve Him.

So, he is about to tell the Gentiles that he is sharing this with them for a couple of purposes. The first is to provoke his fellow Jews to jealousy as he will point out in the next verse. The other purpose is to warn the Gentile Christians not to be too complacent and proud, because their salvation is a gift just as the salvation of the Jews is a gift, which he will point out later in this chapter.

But he now explains why he is making such statements directly to the Gentile believers. It is because Paul was called specifically to be an Apostle to the Gentiles. This is evident by what God said to Ananias in Acts 9:15 when God sent him to place his hands on Paul (then called Saul) to restore his sight. When Ananias resisted God’s call, claiming Saul to be a persecutor of the church, God said:

Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

In the current verse Paul then says, “I honor my ministry.” This is a much misunderstood statement. Paul is not bragging about his ministry, but is saying that he considers his calling as the Apostle of the Gentiles both a great honor and a great responsibility. He says that he believes that the calling which he has received is one of great importance and as such he will not rest until he has fulfilled it completely. Paul is not claiming to be proud of his ministry. He is humbled by the high calling to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Application

Is that how you feel about the ministry that God has called you to? Do you know what ministry God has called you to? As part of the body of Christ, we each have a responsibility (a calling). You have not been saved just to spend eternity in Heaven. You have been saved to serve, and you should be serving in the responsibility to which you have been called. If you are serving in the body of Christ simply because you have been asked to do something, perhaps you should pray and ask God if you are serving where He wants you to serve.

When we are serving where God wants us, as Paul did, we will see our service as a great honor and we will glorify God in it!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:12 – How Rich We Are!

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Will

Now if their fall means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Truth to Learn

Because of the failure of the Jews to listen to and follow God, the offer of salvation has come to the Gentiles.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “fall” is paraptoma, which we saw in the previous verse, meaning “to fall by the wayside.”

“Riches” is translated from ploutos, which refers to “riches or wealth, either in money or possessions.”

The word translated “loss” is the Greek word hēttēma, which refers to “a state that is worse than the former state.” Therefore it could easily be translated as “loss or failure.” Paul is saying, that which the Jews lost has become riches for the Gentiles.

“Fullness” is from the Greek word plērōma, which is from the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill completely.” Hence, we see that plērōma refers to the condition of being completely filled up. Here it probably refers to the fullness of the remnant of the Jews to be saved in the last days before the return of Christ.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we talked about how the stumbling of the Jews resulted in the gospel message being sent to the Gentiles. This is the picture that Jesus portrayed in Matthew 22:1-10 where he told the parable of the wedding. Those who were invited by the king did not care to come, so he sent his army to destroy them and invited the strangers from all parts to come to the wedding. That is precisely what happened to the Jews. They refused to come to the Messiah, so God invited the Gentiles to partake of the riches of His grace.

In the previous verse Paul said that it was their “falling by the wayside” that resulted in salvation coming to the Gentiles. He uses the same word in this verse indicating that it has produced riches (the riches of salvation) for the world. It is because the Jews stumbled and fell by the wayside that the Gentiles have received the riches of God’s blessing, that is, salvation and the righteousness of God. He then follows this up with the expression, “and their loss means riches for the Gentiles.”

But then Paul turns this around. He says that if the stumbling and loss of the Jews resulted in blessing to the Gentiles, how much more so will their fullness be. In other words, Paul is projecting to a future time when the remnant of Israel will believe. With the zeal and ardor that the Jews possess, as well as their mastery of the Old Testament and their knowledge of God, imagine how they will spread the message!

Oh, that we in the Church had the zeal and tenacity that the Jews have always had. That, coupled with the truth of the gospel, could produce a wildfire of revival!

Application

We Christians take our salvation too lightly. We forget that the combined riches of the whole world cannot even come close to the price of eternal blessing in the presence of Almighty God. It is a priceless treasure that has been given to us, not because we deserve it in any way, but because God chose to give it to us. But the church today is beginning to resemble the Jews of Jesus’ time. We have become complacent and have placed greater value in following the rules and traditions of our denominations than in following and being obedient to Christ. So, let me ask you, my friend, who do you resemble, your church or your Savior?

In God's service, for His glory,