Page 13 - October 2025 - Truth & Tidings

However, the effect of their fall was that resulted in the availability of salvation to
salvation has been made available to the the world as a whole, surely the restora-
Gentiles. God also intended that the sal- tion of Israel to God’s favour will be like
vation of Gentiles would stir up jealousy a resurrection in which both Jews and
on the part of the Jews (see Acts 22:18-22). Gentiles will participate. Resurrection is
One thing stands out in the Book of the used in a figurative sense in this verse.
Acts, and that is that most of the persecu- Paul proceeds, “If the part of the dough
tion came from the Jews. In Romans 11:12 offered as firstfruit[s] is holy, then the
Paul writes, “Now if the fall [transgres- whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so
sion] of them be the riches of the world, are the branches” (v16 NIV). The word
and the diminishing of them the riches of “firstfruits” appears eight times in the NT.
the Gentiles; how much more their ful- However, this is the only time in which it
ness?” While most translations change appears in the singular form. The reason
the word “diminishing” to “failure,” I feel for this is that Paul is referring to one
that the KJV has the correct idea. There is a person, namely, Abraham, as being the
contrast between “diminishing” and “ful- firstfruit.
ness” in this verse. Paul is stating that if, Abraham was the father of the Jewish
out of the nation, only a remnant is saved, nation. In Genesis 15:5, God said to Abra-
how much greater will be the result when ham, “Look now toward heaven, and tell
Israel, nationally, is saved? the stars, if thou be able to number them:
In the next paragraph (vv13-24), Paul is and he said unto him, So shall thy seed
writing particularly to the Gentile read- be.” In verse 6 we read, “He [Abraham] be-
ers (v13), and states that, although his lieved the LORD, and he counted it to him
responsibility as an apostle was toward as righteousness” (ESV). Since Abraham
the Gentile nations (Gal 2:7), he still had was justified by faith, all his seed, through
a burden for his own nation. The word Isaac, were counted “holy” before God.
translated “I magnify” literally means “to Paul illustrates this, likewise, with the fig-
glorify.” However, I suspect that Paul is ure of the root and the branches. Don’t read
saying that he “extended the bounds” of into this statement that all of Abraham’s
his responsibility because of his zeal for seed were saved people. All that Paul is
the salvation of the Jews. indicating is that they were brought into
There are two main responses to the a position of favour with God (Rom 9:3-5).
preaching of the gospel. We either reject Israel, nationally, had been brought into
it or receive it. Paul’s hope was that, a position of advantage over the Gentile
although the Jews, generally speaking, nations, because God had entrusted them
were violently opposed to the gospel, with the Law of Moses, as well as the
some, in seeing the effect of the gospel on other favours of Romans 9:3-5. In our next
the lives of Gentiles, would receive it for chapter we will see that they could only
themselves (v14). Paul is not claiming that benefit from these advantages if they trod
he can save people, but he longed to play a the same path of faith as Abraham. All I
part in his Jewish brethren trusting Christ. will draw to your attention at this point is
In verse 15, Paul emphasizes what that in 11:17 some of the branches would
he taught in verse 12. If the temporary be broken off, and that because of unbelief
“casting away” of Israel, nationally, has (v20; see also 9:6-8).

301
TruthandTidings.com I October 2025 301