Romans 11:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But the Apostle assists the weaker side and helps the weary. Consider also how he accommodates the Jews, consoling them only in words.

"For if their rejection," he says, "is the reconciliation of the world." But what benefit is that to the Jews? "What will their reception be, if not life from the dead?" Yet even in this there is no benefit for them unless they are received.

What the Apostle says means this: if God, being angered at the Jews, showed such mercy to others, what will He not grant them after He is reconciled with them?

But as the resurrection of the dead does not depend on their reception, so neither does our present salvation come from them. Rather, they were rejected for their lack of understanding, while we were saved by our faith and by grace from above.

All this can bring them no benefit if they do not show fitting faith.

Therefore do not be high-minded against those who stumbled, and 'do not boast' (Rom 11:18) in blessings that belong to another. For you cannot boast in your fathers. Abraham is not your forefather, though you became his son by faith."

Others, such as blessed Theophylact, understand by life from the dead that flourishing of Christianity which supposedly will occur when the fullness of the Hebrew people enters the bosom of the Church.

But in the Apostle Paul there is not even a hint that before this event a deadening of Christianity must occur. On the contrary, throughout his writings there runs the thought that life abounds in the national Churches composed of Gentiles.

It is simpler and more correct to see here the designation of the completely full disclosure of the salvation accomplished by Christ. The reception of the Jewish people into the bosom of Christ's Church forms the end of the history of the divine economy of human salvation.

Through this the Gentiles received "salvation" in verse 11, "riches" in verse 12, and "reconciliation" in verse 15. They were "grafted in and became partakers of the root and fatness of the olive tree" in verse 17.

The Apostle makes it sufficiently clear that this reconciliation and enrichment is not final. For he adds this exhortation to the Christian from the Gentiles: "Do not be proud," but "fear.

Behold the goodness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but goodness toward you, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you too will be cut off" (vv. 20-22).

Thus, although the initial reconciliation with God is given by faith alone in the merits of Christ, who suffered for us, final reconciliation and justification are given to the one who follows in His steps.

According to the Apostle Paul in Rom 12:1, such a person presents his body "as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God." In short, he reveals faith by works.

Of course, our life is so sinful that we never hope to be justified by our works. We constantly beseech God not to enter into judgment with us.

But this does not mean that we are not obliged to care for works, or that they are not required of us.

Blessed Theodoret interprets the Apostle's words as follows: "If even when they, that is, the Hebrews, did not believe, the Gentiles were received and freed from their former unbelief, then it is clear that, if they wished to believe, nothing else would remain to be accomplished except the resurrection of the dead.

The Lord said this: 'And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached among all nations as a testimony to them; and then the end will come'" (Mt 24:14).

According to John Chrysostom, "the Apostle acts thus so that he may not close the path to faith for the Jews by casting them into despair. Nor does he give those who believed from the Gentiles occasion for high-mindedness, lest they too, becoming proud, suffer loss in the faith.

The Apostle's aim is to destroy high-mindedness in the believing Gentiles, and to suggest to the Jews that they have not fallen completely. For as the Gentiles, having learned modesty, will remain more securely in the faith, so the Jews, brought out of despair, will more readily approach grace."

Explaining the words, "through their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles," St. John Chrysostom says: "These are not Paul's words alone. The parables in the Gospels have the same meaning.

He who made a wedding feast for his son began to call people from the crossroads when those invited refused to come (Mt 22:9). He who planted a vineyard then resolved to give it to other vinedressers when the first killed the heir (Mt 21:38).

The Lord Jesus came to the Jews. Yet despite the great multitude of miracles He performed, they did not receive Him and crucified Him. After this He began to draw the Gentiles to Himself.

By the honor shown to them, He wounded the insensible Jews and persuaded them through mutual emulation to come to Him."

As a faithful messenger of God, the Apostle himself also strives to awaken in all the same spirit of emulation, as he himself testifies in verses 13 and 14.

According to John Chrysostom, he does the same in verse 12, for "here also the Apostle says something pleasing to the Jews. He encourages those of them who have fallen, proving abundantly that they can hope for salvation if they change.

If, he says, so many received salvation when they stumbled, and so many received salvation when they were rejected, then consider what will happen when they turn back. For he did not say, how much more their conversion, or their change, or their correction.

Rather, he said, how much more their fullness, that is, when all come to Christ. By this he indicates that then there will be a greater or full measure of God's grace."

As though continuing this thought, blessed Theodoret writes: "If, says the Apostle, even when they, the Jews, did not believe, the Gentiles were received and freed from their former ignorance, then it is clear that, if they wished to believe, nothing else would remain to be accomplished except the resurrection of the dead.

The Lord also said this: 'And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached among all nations as a testimony to them; and then the end will come'" (Mt 24:14).

If their stumbling served the salvation of the world, what will happen, tell me, who can say, when they rise, turn to faith, and are received by God into their former mercy?

What else, he says, except resurrection from the dead? See Photius in Oecumenius.

To this one may add what blessed Theodoret says: "If, says the Apostle, even when they did not believe, the Gentiles were received and freed from their former ignorance, then it is clear that, if all of them wished to believe, nothing else would remain to be accomplished except the resurrection of the dead.

The Lord also said this: 'And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached among all nations as a testimony to them; and then the end will come'" (cf. Mt 24:14).

St. Chrysostom draws attention to the fact that the unbelief of the Jews is not the cause of the faith of the Gentiles, but only the occasion. Likewise, the belief of all the Gentiles will not be the cause of the Jews' reception, but only the occasion.

The cause of everything is faith. If the Gentiles had no faith, however much the Jews were rejected, this would have been of no benefit to them. The reverse is also true.

He says: "Do not marvel that the Apostle ascribes to the Jews what happened by necessity, that is, the reception of the Gentiles apart from the Jews' will. For he speaks in this way to humble some and counsel others.

Yet if the Jews had been rejected a thousand times, and the Gentiles had not shown faith, the latter would never have been saved. The Apostle's words mean this: if God, being angered at the Jews, showed such mercy to others, what will He not grant when He is reconciled with them?

But as the resurrection of the dead does not come from their reception, so our present salvation does not come from them. Rather, they were rejected for their unbelief, and we were saved by our faith and by grace from above.

All this can bring them not the least benefit if they do not show fitting faith."