A Warning to Gentiles

A horticulturist wants to nurture healthy, fruitful, and beautiful trees. To that end, he might prune withered, unfruitful branches away. Or he might graft stronger, healthier branches from one tree to another. Obviously, it makes sense for the horticulturist to graft in the best branches he can find. But this logic does not apply to God’s work of “horticulture.” When He chose to graft gentiles into the olive tree of the household of faith, He did not do it because the gentiles came from better stock than the existing “branches,” the Jews. And that is something Paul wants his gentile readers to keep in mind.

“Do not boast against the branches,” the apostle admonishes the gentiles, lest they think the other branches were pruned away only to make room for them. They should never be so “haughty,” for they have no reason to think God extended His call to them because of anything in them. They must always remember that “you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” Simply put, God has called gentiles on the basis of His grace, nothing more. That being so, the gentiles ought to fear, Paul says, because “if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.” The gentiles should remember that before God began to call large numbers of them, He chose to withhold His saving call from the majority of Jews. And they should remember that He can change the focus of His effectual call once more. The Jews were cut off because of unbelief, their stubborn refusal to accept Christ as the Messiah. And so the door was opened for the gentiles, who were no more deserving. They must remember God’s goodness to them and continue in it by faith.

It is vital that we remind ourselves once more that Paul is not speaking of individuals in this difficult passage, and hence he is not inferring that anyone can lose salvation. His use of such expressions as “cut off” has to do with the primary direction of God’s calling, which once was toward Jews (but included some gentiles) and now is toward gentiles (but still includes some Jews). Anyone, whether Jew or gentile, who comes to faith in Christ is saved with certainty. But we must never presume upon the grace of God. Rather, we must show forth the reality of His work in our lives by loving Him and serving Him through all the days He grants us on this earth.