And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
και εκεινοι δε εαν μη επιμεινωσιν τη απιστια εγκεντρισθησονται δυνατος γαρ ο θεος εστιν παλιν εγκεντρισαι αυτους
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 6 commentaries
By the example of what happened to the Gentiles, he inspires the Jew with courage to be grafted in by faith, and encourages him with hope in the power of God. “God is able,” he says, “to graft them in.” He does everything that exceeds our hopes.
But they also, if they do not remain in unbelief, will likewise be grafted in. Thus by these two sayings addressed to them, he resolved the election that he had introduced. For although God chose, He also rejected, showing that those who were chosen are not thereby holy in such a way that, if they sin, they will not also undergo rejection and reproach. Likewise, those who have been cut off are not finally rejected. For if they repent, they will obtain mercy. “They also,” he says, “if they do not remain in the same unbelief, will be grafted in.” For God is able, through cleansing in baptism, to graft them in again.
"And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in." It befits the righteousness of God to separate you again from their root, if you, beyond hope, were deemed worthy to be joined to it and afterward did not preserve the grace given. It also befits Him to join them again to the root, if they have been freed from unbelief.
The Apostle also spoke beautifully concerning the Jews: "they will be grafted in." For unbelief separated them completely, just as faith joined the Gentiles to the root.
"For God is able to graft them in again." The Apostle proved the ease of the matter from the power of God. He sets forth an example that is not foreign or ancient, but near and recent. He calls them themselves as witnesses of this and says: Rom 11:24, "For if you were cut out of the olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a good olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"
This is the Master’s law, because the Master gave it to the divine apostles.
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.
"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a Gentile, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a partaker of the root and richness of the olive tree, do not boast over the branches" (Rom 11:17-18). Developing this comparison in detail, the Apostle urges the Gentile to take heed to himself. For as the Jews were broken off from the tree of the Church of Christ because of unbelief, so he too may be cut off for the same unbelief. Conversely, the Jews, as natural branches of the good olive tree, can again be grafted into it through faith (Rom 11:19-24).
God both shows mercy and rejects, according to the disposition of human free will. He shows mercy to those who are obedient in heart, and rejects the disobedient. Yet while we are here on earth, God's rejection is not final. It is always corrective.
God rejects in order to bring a man to his senses by that very rejection, and to draw him to Himself. However rejected someone may be, as soon as he comes to his senses and runs to God, God again receives him into mercy.
So it will be with the Jews. If they cast off their unbelief and cease from obstinacy, God will again receive them into His own family, into the company of the saved, the chosen, and the holy.
Chrysostom says: "Do you see the power of freedom? Do you see the authority of the will? Nothing is unchangeable, neither your good, O Gentile, nor his evil, O Jew. Do you see how the Apostle raised up the despairing Jew and humbled the self-confident Gentile?
"You, O Jew, when you hear of severity, do not despair. You, O Gentile, when you hear of goodness, do not trust in yourself. He did not spare you and cut you off in order that you might desire to return. To you He showed grace so that you might remain.
"The Apostle did not say, 'in faith,' but 'in goodness,' that is, so that you may do what is worthy of God's love for mankind. Faith alone is not required. Do you notice how the Apostle does not allow the fallen to lie still, nor the others to think highly of themselves?
"On the contrary, he stirs the former to emulation. From the example of the Gentiles he shows the Jew the possibility of standing once more in the place of the Gentile, since the Gentile has taken the Jew's place in advance.
"He frightens the Gentiles, so that they may not exalt themselves over the Jews, by the example of the Jews and by what happened to them. He gives courage to the Jew by what was done for the Greek. You also will be cut off, the Apostle says to the Gentile, if you grow careless.
"The Jew was cut off, but he will be grafted in if he is zealous, because you too were grafted in. The Apostle acts very wisely in directing the whole discourse to the Gentile. In his usual way, by striking the stronger, he corrects the weaker.
"Then, so that the order of his reasoning may not be disputed, he takes his proof from the almighty power of God. Although the Jews were cut off and rejected, and although others took their place, they must not despair for all that.
"For God is able, he says, to graft them in again. God is able to do even what is beyond hope. But if you require proofs from experience, you have a most sufficient example in yourself."
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 16 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS