Romans 11.16b-Paul Uses Root-Branches Metaphor To Illustrate That God Has Not Rejected Israel And That Israel Will Be Regenerated In The Future
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday July 15, 2009
Romans: Romans 11:16b-Paul Uses Root/Branches Metaphor To Illustrate That God Has Not Rejected Israel And That Israel Will Regenerated In The Future
Lesson # 368
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 11:16.
Last evening we studied the first metaphor that appears in Romans 11:16, which illustrates Paul’s assertion in Romans 11:2-6 that God has by no means rejected Israel forever and his assertion in Romans 11:11-15 that there will be a future national regeneration of Israel.
In the first metaphor that appears in Romans 11:16, the first piece of dough is analogous to the patriarchs and in particular Abraham and the lump is analogous to the saved biological descendants of Abraham through Sarah who are believers.
The first metaphor appears in a first class conditional statement and illustrates Paul’s assertion in Romans 11:2-6 that God has by no means rejected Israel forever and his assertion in Romans 11:11-15 that there will be a future national regeneration of Israel.
This evening we will note the second metaphor in the passage, which also illustrates Paul’s assertion in Romans 11:2-6 that God has by no means rejected Israel forever and his assertion in Romans 11:11-15 that there will be a future national regeneration of Israel.
Romans 11:16, “If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.”
“If” is the conditional particle ei (ei)) (i), which introduces a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that the root (Abraham) is holy.”
The responsive condition would say: “Of course we agree because it is taught in the Old Testament Scriptures.”
The apodasis is “(then) the branches (born-again Israel) are also.”
Paul is not attempting to prove that his protasis is true rather he is saying with the first class condition that we agree that it is taught in the Scriptures that the root, which is analogous to Abraham, is holy.
The first class condition would then persuade them to respond to the conclusion that the branches, which are analogous to born-again Israel, are as well.
Like the first metaphor, the second illustrates Paul’s teaching that God has not rejected the nation of Israel forever and that in the future she will experience a national regeneration and restoration.
Like the lump of dough in the first metaphor the branches in the second metaphor refer to the saved biological descendants of Abraham through Sarah, the nation of Israel.
Therefore, Paul’s audience would have to come to his conclusion if they submit to this line of argumentation.
He wants them to come to his line of argumentation because he does not want them to be prejudiced against the Jews because of their rejection of Christ and to think that they are superior to the Jews.
Therefore, it is essential that they agree with him on this point since it will help them to understand that God has planned a future for the nation of Israel and has not rejected her as a national entity.
He is also attempting to build unity between Jew and Gentile Christians.
Romans 11:16, “If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.”
“The root” is the articular nominative feminine singular form of the noun rhiza (r(ivza) (hrid-zah), which refers to the patriarchs, especially, Abraham as indicated once again by Paul’s statements in Romans 11:17-24.
Romans 11:17-24, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?”
As we noted earlier in our study of the “first portion” in this passage, “the branches” (klados) refer to the biological descendants of Abraham who like Abraham had faith in the Lord.
This is indicated in that they are on the olive tree in contrast to the “branches broken off” in Romans 11:17, which refers to the unsaved biological descendants of Abraham.
This is indicated by the statement in Romans 11:20 “they were broken off for their unbelief.”
In Romans 11:17-24, “the branches” are connected to an “olive tree,” which in the Old Testament was a figure for the nation of Israel (See Jeremiah 11:16-17; Hosea 14:4-6).
Thus, “the branches” of the “olive tree” is a reference to born-again Jews since the latter is used in Jeremiah 11:16-17 and Hosea 14:4-6 as a figure for Israel and unbelieving Jews are broken off.
Now we know that the Jews originated from Abraham and that branches originate from the root of a tree.
Therefore, “the branches” are analogous to born-again Jews and since they come from “the root,” then rhiza, “root,” which parallels aparche, “the first portion” must refer to Abraham as well.
Further indicating that rhiza, “the root” is a reference to Abraham is Paul’s statement in Romans 4:16 where he teaches that the patriarch is the spiritual “father” or “progenitor” of both Jews and Gentiles who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
“Holy” is the adjective hagios (a^gio$), which describes the root that is analogous to Abraham, as having been “set apart as sacred or consecrated to God or by God for His use exclusively.”
Abraham was set apart for God’s use exclusively the moment he trusted in the Lord (Genesis 15:6).
Romans 11:16, “If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.”
“The branches” refers to the saved biological descendants of Abraham through Sarah since the word parallels “the lump” in the first metaphor, which we have already established refers to saved Jews.
“Too” is the “adjunctive” use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which indicates that “in addition to” the root, which is analogous to Abraham, the branches, which are analogous to the saved biological descendants of Abraham by Sarah, are holy as well because like Abraham they had faith in the Lord.
Therefore, from our study of Romans 11:16 we can see that this passage is composed of two first class conditional statements and each contains a metaphor that illustrates Paul’s assertion in Romans 11:2-6 that God has by no means rejected Israel forever.
He also uses these metaphors to further illustrate his assertion in Romans 11:11-15 that there will be a future national regeneration of Israel.
The first is the first piece of doughlump metaphor and the second is the rootbranches metaphor.
The first piece of dough and the root parallel each other and are analogous to the patriarchs and in particular Abraham.
The lump and the branches also parallel each other and are analogous to the biological descendants of Abraham through Sarah who like them had faith in the Lord.
These two metaphors illustrate Paul’s teaching that God has not rejected the nation of Israel forever and that in the future she will experience a national regeneration and restoration and prevent Gentile prejudice towards the Jews.