Romans 11:20

"But if the firstfruits are holy, so is the lump; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though you were a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a sharer in the root and the fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, it is not you who bear the root, but the root you. You say then: The branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. Well: they were broken off because of unbelief. But you stand by faith: do not be proud in your thinking, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Behold, then, the goodness and the severity of God: toward those indeed who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in goodness. Otherwise you too will be cut off, and they, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into the good olive tree, how much more shall these, who are according to nature, be grafted into their own olive tree?" I do not know how those who come from the school of Valentinus and Basilides, failing to hear these things thus spoken by Paul, suppose that there is a nature of souls which is always saved and never perishes, and another which always perishes and is never saved: when Paul plainly says that the branches of the good olive tree were broken off because of their own unbelief, and stood in need of the vengeance of divine severity; and again that the branches of the wild olive — which among them is set down as a nature that is lost — were grafted into the root and fatness of the olive tree. But to those people, indeed, an easy answer may be given by these words. Nevertheless, even to us who say that the nature of all human beings — nay rather, of all rational beings — is one, and equally capable of salvation and, if it be careless, of perdition, an objection can be raised, and it may be said: How then does Paul set down a good olive tree and a wild olive, since surely, if he knew the nature of all to be one, he would not have introduced the example of trees of different kinds? To this, then, it must be said: Just as all bodily matter, though it is beyond doubt of one nature, brings forth diverse species through the qualities that accrue to it — whether of bodies, or of trees, or of grasses — so also, since the nature of all rational beings is one, endowed equally with the liberty of its own free choice, the particular movements of each one, brought forth from the power of free choice, leading the soul subject to them either toward virtue or toward lust, form that soul either into the species of a good tree or of a bad one: so that it is called a good tree, if through the power of free choice it has chosen good things; or is called bad, if it has chosen evil things. And thus each one, according to the movements of his own purpose, will be named either a good olive, if he walks the path of virtue, or, if he pursues the contrary, a wild olive. Hence, finally, the Lord also said in the Gospel: "Either make the tree good, and its fruits good; or make the tree bad, and its fruits bad;" so as to show that a tree is not born good or bad, but becomes so. But now, if something should be added to the liberty of choice which from without either provokes to evils or exhorts to good things through certain ineffable dispensations of divine Providence, this in no way damages the consistency of the solution proposed; for the rational nature has within itself the liberty of choice, vigorous also with respect to these things, by which it can either obey, if it will, the one provoking, or, if it will not, spurn the one exhorting. But what we said — that qualities accruing from without to bodily matter render diverse species, some indeed enduring for a long time, some for a short, and some scarcely lasting not only a few years but sometimes even a few months or days — is to be understood thus. For example: the species of heaven, and of the sun, or the moon, or the stars, have been formed with certain such qualities as suffice to endure until the end of the age, and until they are set free "from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God." But other are the qualities of earthly bodies, and among these too there is much difference. For the bodies of some animals, or of trees, or of birds, can last for very many periods of time; but of others, for few, or for exceedingly few. But if you have understood these things well, let us now pass over from the examples of bodily quality to the quality of the rational nature: and see how some indeed endure many ages in the qualities of blessedness; and others nonetheless spend many ages in the quality of wickedness; some of them remain a short time either in virtues or in wickednesses; others a very short time, others an exceedingly brief time. Of these things, one by one, we men — weighed down as we are by the burden of a corruptible body — can grasp a very slight knowledge, or even none at all. But he who searches all things, even the deep things of God, the Holy Spirit, knows all things, and makes them known to whomever he himself wills to reveal them. For in these matters especially, that is, in the dispensation of the rational nature, that apostolic saying must be uttered: "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." Thus, then, each one, by the power of free choice, becomes either a good olive or a wild olive, either of the Israelite race or of another blameworthy nation, so that it is said of him: "Sinners are estranged from the womb, they have gone astray from the belly: they have spoken false things;" so that they are strangers to the covenants and aliens to the promises of God. And others are cast upon God from the womb, and say: "Upon you was I cast from the womb, from my mother's belly you are my God." But since, as we have said, the liberty of choice always remains to this nature, it is possible that one who is of the Israelite nation, and a branch of the good olive tree, should fall into unbelief and be broken off; and again that another who had chosen to be of a blameworthy and sinful nation, and on this account was called a branch of the wild olive, should, if he turns to the faith (for he has within himself the liberty of his own choice, by which he can be converted to the good), be grafted into the good olive tree through faith, and become a sharer of the root and fatness of the olive tree. But this root some name Abraham, others Seth, others set down some one of the fathers of good desert. I, however, know no other root that is holy, and no other holy firstfruits, save our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the firstfruits of all, or the "first portion" (delibatio), as we have it in the present passage of the Apostle, according to what is said elsewhere of him: "Who is the firstborn of all creation." For into this root everyone who is saved is grafted, and from this holy firstfruit the whole lump of the human race is sanctified: and truly, as a holy root he supplies the fatness of holiness to the branches that remain in him, while through his Holy Spirit he gives life to those who cling to him, cultivates them by the word, makes them flourish with wisdom, and causes them to bear rich fruits in the fullness of all virtues: so that it too may say of them: "But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God." For indeed, if the branches that were broken off were broken off because of unbelief, and those who stand, stand by faith: who else will there be in whom they stand, except Jesus Christ? And who else is he from whom they were broken off through unbelief, except the very one in whom they did not believe? Therefore always, whoever came as a stranger to the faith, or to the manner of life of Israel, was being grafted into Christ, who was the true Israel. Especially, however, from the time of his coming, much wild olive is grafted into this root, or into its branches — that is, into the apostles and prophets of God — so that those who are grafted into them may become partakers of the root and of the fatness of Christ. After this the Apostle teaches us not to exalt ourselves against the root, or against the Israelites who are the broken branches, nor to insult them: because we do not bear the root, but the root bears us. For we have nothing that we have not received. And if we have received it, why do we boast as though we had not received it? Then next, as though against certain persons more shamelessly insulting and saying: "If the branches were broken off — well and good: they were broken off because of unbelief, so that I, who believed, might be grafted in" — the Apostle, restraining these, says: They indeed were broken off through unbelief, and you have been grafted in through faith, and you stand in faith; but remember that "everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled;" and therefore "be not high-minded," do not utter lofty and elevated things. For although you stand in the root, and stand well, yet fear, seeing that others also, whom you insult, once stood there where you now stand: and you, when you were not there, were transplanted from elsewhere to the root of this olive tree, and it is possible for you also to sin. For by this very thing, that you are proud and exalt yourself, you already sin: and know that "if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you." But after this, this man who is proud and insults the fallen is imbued by the Apostle with deeper meanings of humility; and it is said to him: You who say these things, "behold the goodness and severity of God:" and when you behold his severity toward the branches that were broken off, you must fear lest perhaps you too, while you are proud and insult the fallen, may yourself, by sinning, incur that severity of God with which he presses hard upon sinners. For his goodness abides in those who have abided in goodness. "Otherwise," by the same ordering, "you also," if you do not abide in goodness, "shall be cut off: and they, if they do not abide in unbelief, shall be grafted in." For it is not impossible for God "to graft them in again," if they withdraw from the unbelief through which they were broken off: since indeed it seems easier to restore to its own root the branches of its own tree than to graft in branches from another. But as for what he said, "from the natural wild olive," and again, "shall be grafted according to nature into its own olive tree," we ought to understand the nature of the olive or of the wild olive according to what we expounded above, namely that freedom of choice has made the nature of each one either that of a wild olive or of a good olive. It should certainly be observed that those who have fallen from their own olive tree are said to be broken off; but those who are grafted in from the wild olive, if they sin again, are said not to be broken — which would surely be lighter — but to be cut off. In which indeed the severity of God is vehemently indicated, if, after someone who was a wild olive, and gathered from the forest of sinners, has been brought to the root of faith and holiness, he should again put forth the bitter sap of wickedness. But let not even this escape us in this passage, that the Apostle has not set forth the comparison of the olive and the wild olive in the order which obtains among farmers. For they are accustomed rather to graft the olive into the wild olive, and not the wild olive into the olive: but Paul, by apostolic authority, changing the order, fitted the things to the causes rather than the causes to the things.

But I hear that some infect your number, and destroy the praise of a distinguished name by their corrupt conversation; whom you yourselves, even as being lovers and guardians of your own praise, should rebuke and check and correct. For what a disgrace is suffered by your name, when one spends his days in intoxication and debauchery, another returns to that country whence he was banished, to perish when arrested, not now as being a Christian, but as being a criminal! I hear that some are puffed up and are arrogant, although it is written, "Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee." Our Lord "was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth." "I am not rebellious," says He, "neither do I gainsay. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to the palms of their hands. I hid not my face from the filthiness of spitting." And dares any one now, who lives by and in this very One, lift up himself and be haughty, forgetful, as well of the deeds which He did, as of the commands which He left to us either by Himself or by His apostles? But if "the servant is not greater than his Lord." let those who follow the Lord humbly and peacefully and silently tread in His steps, since the lower one is, the more exalted be may become; as says the Lord, "He that is least among you, the same shall be great."

That humility and quietness are to be maintained in all things. In Isaiah: "Thus saith the Lord God, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is the stool of my feet. What seat will ye build for me, or what is the place for my rest? For all those things hath my hand made, and all those things are mine. And upon whom else will I look, except upon the lowly and quiet man, and him that trembleth at my words? " On this same thing in the Gospel according to Matthew: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Of this same thing, too, according to Luke: "He that shall be least among you all, the same shall be great." Also in the same lace: "Whosoever exalteth himself shall be made low, and whosoever abaseth himself shall be exalted." Of this same thing to the Romans: "Be not high-minded, but fear; for if God spared not the natural branches, (take heed) lest He also spare not thee." Of this same thing in the thirty-third Psalm: And He shall save the lowly in spirit." Also to the Romans: "Render to all what is due: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour; owe no man anything, except to love another." Also in the Gospel according to Matthew: "They love the first place of reclining at feasts, and the chief seat in the synagogues, and salutations in the market, and to be called of men Rabbi. But call not ye Rabbi, for One is your Master." Also in the Gospel according to John: "The servant is not greater than his lord, nor the apostle greater than He that sent himself. If ye know these things, blessed shall ye be if ye shall do them." Also in the eighty-first Psalm: "Do justice to the poor and lowly."

You ought to thank God for his gift in Christ and not insult them but rather pray that, if their wickedness has led to your salvation, they too might return to their roots. Then you will please God who has shown you mercy, for he called you so that by making them jealous of you he might bring them to grace as well.

"Well," he praises what they said, then he alarms them again by saying, "Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou art grafted in by faith."

So here another encomium, and for the other party an accusation. But he again lays their pride low by proceeding to say, "be not high-minded, but fear." For the thing is not matter of nature, but of belief and unbelief. And he seems to be again bridling the Gentile, but he is teaching the Jew that it is not right to cling to a natural kinsmanship. Hence he goes on with, "Be not high-minded," and he does not say, but be humble, but, fear. For haughtiness genders a contempt and listlessness. Then as he is going into all the sorrows of their calamity, in order to make the statement less offensive, he states it in the way of a rebuke given to the other as follows:

Some interpreters, who do not understand this passage and do not consider the reason for which or the people to whom the apostle is speaking, think that the pursuit of wisdom is forbidden by this text. But if this is so Paul will seem to contradict himself in the eyes of these interpreters, since here he is forbidding what elsewhere he asks of the Lord, that the Ephesians and others may receive.

Here he proves that the Gentiles were not chosen in place of the Jews because the Jews sinned, but for the faith which the Gentiles displayed. So where he seems to cast down the Gentile, there he shows that the fall of the Jews was inexcusable. But he corrects both groups. You, Gentile, will say that the branches were broken off so that you might be grafted in? Yes, they were broken off, but by their own unbelief, and not because God owed you that honor: for "you stand by faith," having been grafted into the root. Therefore "be afraid," because the grafting in is not a matter of nature, but of faith.

Then when he says, well, he excludes the objection.

First, he assigns the reason why the Jews fell away and the gentiles were promoted, saying: well, i.e., it is good that God permitted branches to be broken off, so that you might be grafted in, but consider the cause of the breaking off of the branches. It is because of unbelief, i.e., because they refused to believe in Christ, they were broken off: for you are among unbelievers and destroyers (Ezek 2:6); if I speak the truth, why do you not believe me? (John 8:46). But you, O gentile, stand by faith, i.e., by believing in Christ, through whom you have obtained grace: for in faith you stand (2 Cor 1:23); I preached to you the Gospel, in which you stand, by which you are saved (1 Cor 15:1).

Second, he gives an admonition, saying: be not highminded, i.e., do not presume on yourself beyond yourself: not minding high things, but consenting to the humble (Rom 12:16); Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty (Ps 130:1); but fear, lest you too be broken off because of unbelief: blessed is the man that is always fearful: but he that is hardened in mind, will fall into evil (Prov 28:14); the fear of the Lord drives out sin (Sir 1:27).