HOLY ROOTS HAVE HOLY BRANCHES

Romans 11:16-21 For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee.

What a wonderful lesson is found in these few verses. Here, Paul explains the relationship between the Jew and Gentile nations, and their individual relationships with God, and, in doing so, recites a very good lesson for all Christians today. The law regarding the first fruit is explained in many places of God's holy word - God's law that was given to the Jewish nation through their leader, Moses. The first portions of all increase were to be dedicated to God. Whether it was the first of the grain harvests, the first born of their livestock, or the first of the food, which they prepared for themselves and their families --- these "first fruits" belonged to God.

The first fruits were considered the holy portion that was to be consecrated, or set apart, for God. With these offerings properly made, the rest of the harvest, as well as the rest of the lump of bread dough, was also made holy, that is, made suitable for the children of Israel to store and consume as food. The idea was that any increase that came to each Jew was a gift from God; therefore, He was to receive His portion first. Exceptions were made for the first born of Jewish children and cattle. God took, for His portion, the entire tribe of Levi, their children and their cattle, instead of the children and cattle of the other tribes of Israel. With a good biblical cyclopedic index, God's laws regarding the first fruit can be thoroughly studied.

The lesson text says that only after the first fruit of the lump of dough is made holy, by its consecration to God, is the remainder of the lump made holy. It is the holiness of God's portion that makes the whole lump holy and acceptable for its intended use. So, the example says, the branch of the tree is made holy only after the root becomes, and remains, holy. From a horticultural standpoint, the health, fruitfulness, and the very survival of a tree, and its branches, depends entirely upon the sturdy health of its root system to furnish necessary nutrition. It is with these thoughts that Paul begins, by analogy, to explain the relationship of Jews to Gentiles and their individual, but equal, relationship with God within the church of Christ.

Very learned bible scholars have written much about the examples used in the lesson text. Various applications have been given to the terms first fruit, lump, olive tree, (and) roots. Applications such as God, God's holy word, Abraham, Jacob, Jesse, David, Jesus, and His church have all contained some reasonable, and believable, comparisons that teach very good lessons. However, this we know. These terms are all references to things that contain the power to feed and sustain other dependent things. This we also know. The church (or possibly churches) in Rome, to whom Paul was writing, was made up of both Jewish and Gentile converts, a fact that is very evident from the content of his letter. It is evident that a serious problem existed between these two groups of Christians within the church. Chapters 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11, deal extensively with the subject problem.

Historians confirm that many Jews were taken captive to Rome and later, for reasons that seem rather vague, they were released. A great number remained in Rome, rather than return to their homeland. It was probably from this segment of Jews that, by pure gospel teaching, were converted to Christianity. The majority of the city of Rome was inhabited by Gentile nations, from which converts were also made. These two groups made up the church of Christ in Rome. At what time, and by whose gospel teaching, these converts were made is highly controversial. We do know that their were strangers of Rome (Acts 2:10) in Jerusalem, when the first gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ was preached, and the church of Christ had its beginning. This could have been the initial source of the seed planted in Rome.

Due to the fact that the church was made up of these two nationalities, it is evident that both "sides" attempted to bring into the teaching of the church, some of their own cultural practices. It is for sure that contention existed over these differences. Neither party seemed to be willing to accept the ethnic rituals or opinions of the other, as part of their common worship ceremony, or as a part of their personal conduct of life. The reconciling point that Paul seems to allude to, and the biblical teaching that should resolve all such ideological differences is that, through Abraham, all received the promise of salvation from God. Not only was Abraham's name to become great, but also a new land would be given to his seed (the Promised Land). He and his family would be blessed, and their enemies would be cursed. And finally, here is the most important promise of all, given to Abraham: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Although many of the promises made to Abraham were restricted to himself and his Jewish heritage, the final promise of eternal salvation was made, not only to the Israelites, but also to all families of the earth.

This scriptural fact, the apostle, Peter, quotes, even at a time in his ministry when he, himself, did not realize God's plan of salvation would extend to all people of the world. His quotation was, And in thy Seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed (Acts 3:25b). Later on, Peter, with the conversion of Cornelius, realized that all people of the earth were to receive the universal blessing promised to Abraham. Luke quotes the inspired Peter as saying, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him (See Acts 10). Also, Paul, called to be the apostle to the Gentiles, quotes the promise made to Abraham in his epistle to the churches of Galatia. He said that all Christians are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they, which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham (See Gal. 3:7-9). In other words, it is not one's heritage, but one's faith that justifies a person to God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

This rather lengthy study was considered necessary in order to give meaning to the lesson text. It was extremely important to establish two factual circumstances that existed at the time this epistle was written. First, there was, without doubt, contention that existed within the church in Rome between the two ethnic factions that made up its congregation. And, second, God's plan of salvation was extended to all people of the earth, regardless of any geographical, political, or physical differences, including differences in ethnic background. Indeed, as Paul begins this admonition to the Christians in Rome he writes, For there is no respect of persons with God (Rom. 2:11).

Although there are numerous applications made to these passages by learned scholars, this seems to be one that is simple, understandable, and teaches a lesson that is always needed in the church of Christ, in order that it might continue to grow in spirit and number as God intended. If the (good) olive tree represents Abraham, and God's promise that, in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed, then it follows that this promise was fulfilled in Jesus, the Son of God. It was through the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension back into heaven, that the kingdom of God was established. It is over this body, His church, which Jesus reigns today from His throne in heaven. Then the church of Christ is the kingdom through which God's plan of salvation was to be offered to all families of the earth. It came into existence on the Day of Pentecost, existed during the days Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, and exists now, only because Jesus Christ existed then and continues to exists today. The spiritual nourishment that feeds the church of Christ today is this promise of eternal salvation found in, and only in, the body of Jesus. It is Jesus' church because it was His sacrifice by which it was established.

Then it follows that the branches come from two different trees. One is the good olive tree, mentioned in the lesson text but fully described in the following verse 24 of this chapter of Romans. The other tree is mention in the lesson text as being a wild olive tree. It seems logical that the natural (good) branches represent the Jewish descendents of Abraham while the wild branches represent the non-Jewish people of Gentile nations. It was to these natural branches (the Jewish nation) that God's plan of salvation was first offered on the Day of Pentecost, and later, with the conversion of Cornelius, salvation was offered to the wild branches (the Gentile nations).

The branches that were broken off,were the Jewish people that rejected Jesus as the Son of God. To say that they were broken off indicates that some external force broke them off. However, verse 20, following the lesson text, tells us that they were broken off because of unbelief. The lesson text also tells us that the wild branches, that obeyed God's call to salvation, were, in effect, grafted in among them, and just as the natural branches were fed by the root system of the good olive tree, so were those that were engrafted. We can conclude that both the good branches, the Jews that were baptized into the body of Christ, and the wild branches, the Gentiles that also obeyed God's call to salvation, were equal recipients of God's promise to Abraham - the promise that in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. This was the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation, that, in Christ, all people of the earth could have the hope of eternal salvation.

With a biased knowledge of God's word, many Jewish Christians struggled with the fact that they were on equal footing with the Gentile converts to Christianity. For approximately 1,500 years, since the Law of Moses was given on Mount Sinai, the Jews were a special, privileged people that God had called for the purpose giving His Son, Jesus Christ, human heritage through whom He was born into the world. The children of Israel had their own religion through which they were to worship God; their own priests, tabernacle, religious celebrations, sacrifices, indeed, their own law by which both their civil and religious lives were governed. Although there were a few proselytes allowed into their Jewish family, the door was not open for the world to join themselves into their religion. The Jewish leaders, no doubt, were responsible for accepting, only by invitation, those few Gentiles that did convert to Judaism.

It appears, that in the early church of Christ, the Jewish converts were reluctant to give up the superiority they enjoyed under the Law of Moses. They appeared to demonstrate this by requiring Gentile converts to observe certain Jewish customs. When this practice was condemned, and corrected by the teaching of Paul and other inspired preachers of God's word, the Gentile converts appeared to gloat about this fact. Paul also recognized this and, likewise, admonished the Gentile Christians of Rome. In the lesson text, he told them to boast not against the (good) branches. They were not to brag, or even to believe, that the branches (unbelieving Jews) were broken off that I (we) be grafted in. This was not God's plan. They were cut off because of unbelief. In order to correct the erring, arrogant attitude of the Gentile Christians, Paul admonishes them to be not high-minded, but fear. They were to fear that God would purge them from the good olive tree just as the unbelieving Jews were broken off - take heed lest He also spare not thee.

What a great lesson for the Christians at Rome. All members of the church of Christ are to be equal in the sight of each other,

just as they are in the eyes of God. There is to be no ethnic distinctions; discrimination is not to be tolerated; other than the oversight of elders, the church is to be made up of Christians that are equal to each other, and that equality is not in authority, but in servitude. Christians do not feed the root, but are fed by it. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, God is the source of all spiritual nourishment by which all of His obedient children are fed. He is the Root, and Christians are the branches. God is holy; abiding in Him, we will also be holy. All Christians today are to heed the same admonition Paul delivered to the erring Christians of Rome: Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee.

With an understanding found in the lesson text, the following verses can be easily understood, and the admonishing application made to each of us today. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree (Rom. 11:22-24)?