For if God hath not spared the natural branches, fear lest perhaps also he spare not thee.
ει γαρ ο θεος των κατα φυσιν κλαδων ουκ εφεισατο μηπως ουδε σου φεισεται
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Then, intending to depict their misfortune in a sorrowful way and to make his speech less unpleasant, he presents it as a warning to the Gentile. After saying, “For if God did not spare the natural branches,” he did not continue, “He will not spare you either.” Instead he says, “lest perhaps He also not spare you.” Thus, by removing harsh expressions from his speech and urging the believer to be active, he draws the Jews in and humbles the Gentiles.
The Jews were sons of the patriarchs by nature, yet through unbelief they were broken off. How much more should you, who were grafted in, fear whether God will spare you if you fall.
After grace will come judgment, and the Judge will examine how you used what was given by grace (see Isa 2:4; Isa 51:5; Ezek 18:30; Lk 12:48; 3 Ezra 16:67).
For if God did not spare those natural branches, that is, the children of Abraham themselves, because they sinned, how will He spare you if you sin? For behold, you have been grafted in, since you have been called by name children of Abraham.
For if kinship by nature brought them not the slightest benefit, because they did not have the same disposition, then all the more you, if you do not preserve grace, will become a stranger to the root.
With regard to chapter 4, verse 5, we have already explained that when the Apostle speaks of justification by faith without works, he means the justification given in baptism.
He does not mean the justification that will be given at Christ's judgment, which will be final. For this final justification, both faith and works are equally necessary.
The necessity of distinguishing these two kinds of justification is especially clear from what is said below in chapter 11.
The Apostle says that the Israelites, except for the remnant preserved "by grace, and not by works" in verse 6, "were hardened" in verse 7. They "fell and were diminished" in verse 12, were "rejected" in verse 15, and were "broken off" in verse 17.
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.
Having spoken of the future great destiny of the Hebrews who were rejected for a time, the Apostle exhorts the Gentiles not to boast before them at all.
For they too can fall away from their gracious state if they weaken in faith and virtue, while the Hebrews may turn and be saved.
"If the firstfruits," for example from the harvest or the dough, "are holy, so also is the whole," that is, the whole harvest and all the dough; see Num 15:17-21.
"And if the root is holy," meaning the patriarchs and forefathers of the Hebrews, "so also are the branches" (Rom 11:16). That is, the Hebrew people in its fullness may still be recognized as sacred and holy (Chrysostom).
"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you," the Gentile, "being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches" (Rom 11:17-18).
Developing this comparison in detail, the Apostle exhorts the Gentile to take care for himself. For as the Hebrews were broken off from the tree of Christ's Church because of unbelief, so he too can be cut off for the same unbelief.
Conversely, the Hebrews, as natural branches of the good olive tree, can again be grafted into it through faith (Rom 11:19-24).
He calls the Jews natural branches because they descended from the patriarchs, their forefathers, to whom the promises were given, and to whose race they were given.
The promises were extended to this race on condition that the persons composing it remain in one spirit with the patriarchs, their forefathers, in faith toward God and obedience to His commands.
So it is. Those who believed and obeyed the Gospel are, as you see, partakers of the promises and abide in God's mercy, like their fathers.
Those who do not believe and stubbornly resist God's will in this matter are deprived of the promises and excluded from the race of their fathers. They have become of a different spirit from those fathers.
God did not look at the fact that they descended from such great fathers and from such a blessed race. He rejected them when, by their unbelief, they became unworthy of mercy.
For there is no partiality with God. Each receives according to what he is worth, either mercy or lack of sparing.
Behold, you, a Gentile, believed and for this were received into the blessed race of God, the race of those being saved.
Reason and keep in mind that if God rejected those whose race He had as His own, and which He had so carefully guarded until now, because of unbelief, then much more will He not spare you.
You are of another race, received from outside into the race of God. If you weaken in faith, or waver in it, or behave unworthily of it, He will not spare you.
Keep this in mind and fear. Fear losing the blessing of which you have been counted worthy, and being deprived of God's mercy.
"Unbelief made the Jews alien to the root. Faith joined you to the root and made you a partaker of its fatness. Therefore one must not be high-minded, but fear and tremble.
Fear what? Fear losing this spirit of faith and therefore being deprived of God's mercy. For if kinship by nature brought them not the least benefit when they did not have one and the same disposition with their fathers, then much more will you become alien to the root if you do not preserve grace" (blessed Theodoret).
"And rightly so. For if God, because of unbelief, cut off those who were worthy by the advantages of their fathers, and to whom the promise of adoption by God had even been given, what will He not do to those who were so exalted without any advantages, if they waver in faith or become proud?
For they were honored not at all according to worthiness" (Ambrosiaster).
The Apostle's meaning in the words, "lest He also not spare you," is that He certainly will not spare you. Yet he expressed himself so irresolutely and hesitantly either in correspondence with the word "fear."
For fear is usually revealed by unresolved expectations: lest such a thing happen, lest one suffer this or that. Or he speaks this way to soften in words the severity of the sentence; see Oecumenius.
Thus he leaves the readers to understand it for themselves. St. Chrysostom also says: "Having said, 'For if God did not spare the natural branches,' the Apostle did not continue, 'neither will He spare you.'
Instead he says, 'lest He also not spare you.' Thus, excluding harsh expressions from his discourse, he makes the believer careful, draws the Jews, and humbles the Gentiles."
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 15 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS