Romans 11.20b-Gentile Christians Are Not To Think Arrogantly That They Are Superior To The Jews But Are To Reverence God
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday July 26, 2009
Romans: Romans 11:20b-Gentile Christians Are Not To Think Arrogantly That They Are Superior To The Jews But Are To Reverence God
Lesson # 373
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 11:1.
This past week we studied Romans 11:19, in which Paul once again employs a diatribe style by presenting an argument of a hypothetical Gentile Christian who seeks to justify assuming arrogant superiority over both saved and unsaved Jews.
We also noted Romans 11:20, in which Paul answers the argument of his hypothetical Gentile Christian by first acknowledging the fact that unsaved Jews were rejected by God for their unbelief in His Son Jesus Christ.
However, he then reminds his hypothetical Gentile Christian that he stands by his faith in Christ.
This morning we will complete our study of Romans 11:20 by noting Paul’s prohibition to those Gentile Christians who might think they are superior to the Jews to stop thinking arrogantly about themselves but to have reverence for God.
Romans 11:1, “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”
Romans 11:2, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?”
Romans 11:3, “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.”
Romans 11:4, “But what is the divine response to him? ‘I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.’”
Romans 11:5, “In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice.”
Romans 11:6, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”
Romans 11:7, “What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened.”
Romans 11:8, “Just as it is written, ‘GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.’”
Romans 11:9, “And David says, ‘LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.’”
Romans 11:10, “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.’”
Romans 11:11, “I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.”
Romans 11:12, “Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!”
Romans 11:13, “But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry.”
Romans 11:14, “If somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.”
Romans 11:15, “For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”
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.”
Romans 11:17, “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.”
Romans 11:18, “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.”
Romans 11:19, “You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’”
Romans 11:20, “Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear.”
“Do not be conceited” is composed of the negative particle me (mhv) (may), “not” and the accusative neuter plural form of the adjective hupselos (u(yhlov$) (hoop-say-los) and the second person singular present active imperative form of the verb phroneo (fronevw) (fron-eh-o).
The adjective hupselos functions like an adverb and thus means “arrogantly” whereas the verb phroneo means, “to think in a particular manner,” thus together these two words mean “to think arrogantly.”
The verb’s meaning is negated by the negative particle me, which denies any idea of Paul’s Gentile Christian readers in Rome thinking arrogantly.
Paul’s Gentile Christian readers in Rome would be thinking arrogantly if they thought that they merited their salvation or that God thought that they merited their salvation more than Jews.
They would be thinking arrogantly if they disobey Paul’s prohibition that appears in the apodasis of a first class condition in Romans 11:18.
Romans 11:18, “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.”
Arrogance originated with Satan (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-19).
To be arrogant is to make unwarrantable claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights whereas arrogance is the offensive exhibition of assumed or real superiority and is overbearing pride.
Arrogance is having an attitude of superiority with regards to others and regarding others with contempt, as if they were unworthy of any intercourse with them.
In Romans 11:20, Paul is prohibiting the Gentile Christians from thinking arrogantly about themselves in the sense of thinking they are superior to the Jews because God accepted them and rejected the Jews for their unbelief in Christ.
Romans 11:20, “Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear.”
“Fear” is the the verb phobeo (fobevw) (fob-eh-o), which does not denote a fear of judgment or punishment since Paul is speaking to Gentile Christians that are eternally secure but rather denotes reverence and respect for God and awe of Him with the implication of worshipping Him.
Paul is prohibiting any Gentile Christians who might be thinking arrogantly in the sense of assuming arrogant superiority over the Jews since they were accepted not based upon their own merits but on the merits of Christ and their faith in Him.
Therefore, in the adversative clause in Romans 11:20, Paul is saying instead of thinking yourself superior to the Jews I command you to have reverence and respect for God so that you worship Him for saving you through faith in His Son!
Paul is commanding Gentile Christians who might think themselves superior to Jews to stop thinking arrogantly and to have an attitude of deep respect and awe for the Lord since He saved them through faith in His Son and not based upon their own merits.
Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”
Paul is commanding his Gentile Christian readers who might think themselves superior to the Jews to stop thinking arrogantly and instead be in “awe” of God in the sense of possessing an overwhelming feeling of reverence and admiration for Him for saving them by faith in Christ.
He is commanding his Gentile Christian readers who might think themselves superior to the Jews to stop thinking arrogantly and instead be filled with admiration, amazement and awe of God for saving them not based upon their own merits but on the merits of Christ.
He wants them instead of thinking themselves superior to the Jews to have a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear and love for God because He did not save them on their own merits but because of their faith in Christ meaning that they were saved based upon the merits of the object of their faith, Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul is commanding his Gentile Christian readers in Rome who might think themselves superior to the Jews to stop thinking arrogantly and commands them to worship Him in the sense of contemplating how He has dealt with them in grace.
They are to lovingly ascribe praise to Him for what He is, both in Himself, His Son’s Finished Work on the Cross and in His ways because He did not save them based upon their own merits but based upon His grace policy and faith in His Son.
They are to bow their souls and spirits in deep humility and reverence before Him because He did not save them because they were better than the Jews but rather He saved them based upon His grace policy and faith in His Son.
Paul is commanding his Gentile Christian readers who might think they are superior to the Jews to stop thinking arrogantly and instead respond in their minds, emotions and body to who and what the Father is and what He has accomplished for them at the Cross.
Psalm 95:6-7, “Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.”