Holy Dough, Holy Branches

The unique relationship between the disobedience of the ethnic nation of Israel that led to God's judicial denunciation, the preservation of a godly seed within the Jewish nation AND the salvation of some Gentiles, has been the ideas of the Apostle in Romans 11:11ff.  In verses 16 to 24 Paul turns to a couple important metaphors to advance our understanding of the Truth being taught.  This is the passage:

“If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.” (Romans 11:16–24, ESV)

Paul mixes his metaphors, to our chagrin, which forces us to do some hard thinking. Important to our understanding is the answer to the question: "Who is the dough?  Who are the firstfruits?  What is the lump?  Who are the branches?"  The answer to this question, I would argue, is the interpretative key to the rest.  Whether we are talking about the "dough" or the "lump" (or "root") we are talking about something that is a base, a source, progenitor that produces "firstfruits"/ "branches" and the like.  The propositional truth is not difficult to understand.  Stated inversely: "Good trees produce good fruit."   So Paul appears to be saying if you recognize that the fruit is good and holy, then the thing that produced it must also be good and holy.

OK, so there would be some that say, "Because we see a remnant, chosen by grace, therefore this must prove that the stock (or better: the nation) from which they were drawn from is holy."   This, in the minds of these interpreters^[1] sets up an expectation for great things to come to that nation.   The root might also be the patriarchs.[2]  But Paul elsewhere bases the promises, not on the existence of a nation, but on the Patriarchs themselves.  For example:

Romans 9:5 (ESV), "To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen."

Romans 11:28 (ESV), "As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers."

 Most convincing is this Deuteronomic reference: “Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” (Deuteronomy 10:15–16, ESV).  Dr. Moo notes in addition that " Jewish authors referred to the patriarchs as the “root” (e.g., 1 Enoch 93.5, 8; Philo, Who Is the Heir? )."^[3]

Based upon this clear Old Covenant expectation and contextual evidence I would argue that the principle that Paul is teaching relates, not to the nation generally.  Stated otherwise, I think we could paraphrase Paul by saying, “This piece of dough, the remnant chosen by grace, is holy because the whole lump (the Patriarchs) are holy. Inversely if the root (the Patriarchs) are holy then so will be their branches (the elect), their offspring.  If you read the nation of Israel as a whole into this equation then you are forced to make speculative conclusions as does the ESV Study Bible:  "As Paul has already explained in Romans 9–10, it does not follow from this that every Jewish person will be saved, but it does indicate that God will be faithful to his promises (9:6) and seems to imply that in the future many more Jews will be saved."^[4]

Paul then states what we know: some of the branches have been broken off. These CANNOT be the same "branches" as in verse 17!  As bizarre as that seems, we are obliged to believe that Paul sees the branches that were the godly seed of Abraham as different than the branches that disbelieved, that rejected the Messiah.  Natural branches (v21) will be broken off, not branches according to the promise.  

Now the argument that he makes is not new to us.  He writes, "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches . . .."^[5]  This is no different than what he has said, "through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles."^[6]

So let me summarize, two points are being established:

1. The offspring of the Patriarchs is holy; and

2. "Gentiles as wild shoots were grafted into the olive tree and now share in the root (the promises made to the patriarchs)."^[7]

Now Paul is going to apply this truth to the Gentile Church he is writing: “do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” (Romans 11:18, ESV).

To be continued . . ..  (Fortunately Paul got the keel of the ship evened out and there is no more rough roads by mixing metaphors J )

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Previous Blogs on this topic:

1	God Will Never Reject Those He Has Chosen	Romans 11:1-6
2	The Cooperation of God in the Choice to Reject Him	Romans 11:7-10
3	Proof That Israel is Not Condemned	Romans 11:11
4	When Fullness Doesn't Mean Full and All Doesn't Mean All	Romans 11:12
5	Christ.  Reconciliation for the Gentile. New Life for the Jew.	Romans 11:13-15
6	Holy Dough, Holy Branches	Romans 11:16-18

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^[1] Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : a theological survey (p. 170). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

[2] "When narrowly defined, are Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites. These three figures are referred to collectively as the patriarchs of Judaism, and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal age." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarchs_(Bible)

^[3] Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : a theological survey (p. 170). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

^[4] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2176). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ro 11:17–18). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ro 11:11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[7] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2176). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.