Romans 11:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Apostle did not say, “You see your merits, you see your labors,” but, “You see the loving-kindness of God.” By this he shows that everything was accomplished by grace from above, and he disposes you to trembling. The very basis of praise compels you to fear. The Master became merciful to you; therefore fear. For the blessings do not remain inalienably yours if you become negligent. Likewise, evil is not inescapable for the Jews if they change. “You also will be cut off,” says the Apostle, if you do not remain in faith.

He did not say, behold your merit, but, behold the goodness of God, for everything is the work of God's grace.

And strive to remain. He did not say, in faith, but, in goodness. That is, until the end of life do what is worthy of God's love for mankind.

If you do not act so, you will be cut off. Thus the Jews also would be grafted in if they did not continue to remain in unbelief.

For God did not first cut them off. Rather, they fell away by themselves and were cut off by their unbelief.

When he says that God did not spare them, he means that God does not show mercy to the Jews, but regards them as unworthy of communion and fellowship with their holy forefathers.

Paul very wisely frightens the Gentile by what happened to the Jews...

The Apostle's discourse is skillfully constructed. He corrects Israel, which had turned aside from what was fitting for it, and urges it toward what is profitable.

He urges Israel to hasten toward its own root through faith in Christ. He says that the Gentiles were honored by God, and he exhorts them to firmness in faith and piety.

For if you remain in such a state, you will remain a noble branch of the holy root. But if you are disobedient, you yourself will be found outside the root.

Therefore, as you tasted the goodness of God in your calling, so you will also taste the severity of God, which He showed toward the fallen people. You will taste the goodness of God on this condition: if you remain in this faith. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

Paul testifies that God is good toward the Gentiles. Although they worshiped idols and were worthy of destruction, He patiently waited for them.

Although they did not seek Him, He called them and forgave them their sins. But toward the Jews God is severe, and He even blinded them, because they rejected the gift of God.

Here Paul has in mind those Jews who, because of their evil thinking, have been blinded forever. Therefore he says that they fell.

Others, whom I mentioned above, did not fall, though they sinned, and Paul shows that they were blinded temporarily. But God was severe toward those who were blinded forever and became apostate.

Now look: God did not spare them, since they did not emulate the faith of their fathers, while He deemed you worthy of loving-kindness and joined you to a root not your own. But if you do not preserve the gift given to you, you will certainly become a stranger to this root.

“If you continue in His goodness,” in the Russian text, “in God’s goodness,” that is, if you remain worthy of God’s goodness. This is clear proof that God’s predestination is not unconditional.

With regard to chapter 4, verse 5, we have already explained that when the Apostle speaks of justification by faith apart from 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 that final justification, both faith and works are equally necessary.

After speaking of the great future calling of the Jews, who were rejected for a time, the Apostle warns the Gentiles not to boast over them. They too can fall from their state of grace if they grow weak in faith and virtue, while the Jews may turn and be saved.

"If the firstfruits, for example from the harvest or the dough, are holy, then the whole is holy, that is, the whole harvest and all the dough; Num 15:17-21. And if the root is holy, namely the patriarchs and forefathers of the Jews, so are the branches" (Rom 11:16). This means that the Jewish people as a whole may still be acknowledged as sacred and holy, as Chrysostom says.

Before your eyes are two examples: an example of God's goodness and an example of God's not sparing, that is, His strict condemnation and rejection of the guilty.

The Jews did not believe and did not obey God's will in this matter. Through this they fell away from the race of God's chosen sons, and God did not spare them.

He did not look at the fact that they had such fathers according to the flesh, or that He Himself had spent so much care upon them. As soon as they became unworthy of His goodness through stubborn unbelief, He immediately rejected them and deprived them of His mercy.