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February 2010

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Do not be arrogant

Romans 11:17If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Here Paul is speaking about the Jews being the original root, the people that Gold had chosen and the people God foreknew (v2). The Gentiles are then excluded but through the unbelief of the Jews, the Gentiles by grace are offered a chance to be grafted into the tree, as a wild olive shoot. We can now enjoy the nourishing sap from the root. This again speaks to me of the riches of the old testament and we should never presume that because there is a new covenant that the old testament is of no use. Jesus says he did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfil the law.

Then Paul goes on to speak about the branches being cut off so that we could be grafted in. And he says but we should not be arrogant. Arrogance is of the flesh and confidence is of the Lord. Pride is the difference. Arrogance is confidence + pride, whereas spiritual confidence has no place for pride. Pride puffs up and is about me, me me. It by default makes no room for Christ. It takes up space in our heart where the Holy Spirit should reside.

Paul leaves off with a warning saying “:if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either”. Does this mean we can be cut off? It would seem to say so. This will require more study as there are other verses where Paul says I am convinced that neither death nor … shall separate us from  the love of Christ. These apparent contradictions are not contradictions, and we need to read everything in context. Some good food for study.

Having looked at some commentaries, I found this which makes sense:

And here again it appears more evident, that the discourse is addressed generally to the body of the Gentiles, for the excision, of which he speaks, could not apply to individuals, whose election is unchangeable, based on the eternal purpose of God. Paul therefore declares to the Gentiles, that if they exulted over the Jews, a reward for their pride would be prepared for them; for God will again reconcile to himself the first people whom he has divorced. (ccel.org)

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