Romans 11:17 KJV
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
While my thoughts this morning are not so much devotional as educational still they are, for me, beneficial.
I realized this morning that this chapter has to be viewed as speaking to a people as a whole and not to individuals in particular. The context of the chapter is the setting aside of the nation of Israel and the grafting in of the Gentiles. It is obvious that the chapter does not teach that no Jew can be saved in this age. Even though God has set aside His work with the Jews as a whole people, still individual Jews do come to trust Christ, as Paul serves as an example. And though God has "grafted in" the Gentiles it is also obvious that this does not mean that every Gentile man and woman is born again.
The significance of this is that this chapter must not be misunderstood to mean that individuals who have been saved can be cut off from the grace they once experienced in salvation.
Verse 21 must not be misunderstood to mean that a born again Gentile must fear that God will not save him.
Verse 22 must not be misunderstood to mean that a born again Gentile would be cut off from salvation if he does not continue in goodness.
I am once again reminded of some of the early basics of Bible study. In order to rightly divide the Word of God we must know
Who the writer is
To whom he is writing and
The circumstances under which he is writing.
Otherwise serious errors might be preached. Seems so simple yet we disregard these rules all of the time. The result is terrible misinformation and sometimes some serious consequences to would be followers of the Lamb of God.
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
While my thoughts this morning are not so much devotional as educational still they are, for me, beneficial.
I realized this morning that this chapter has to be viewed as speaking to a people as a whole and not to individuals in particular. The context of the chapter is the setting aside of the nation of Israel and the grafting in of the Gentiles. It is obvious that the chapter does not teach that no Jew can be saved in this age. Even though God has set aside His work with the Jews as a whole people, still individual Jews do come to trust Christ, as Paul serves as an example. And though God has "grafted in" the Gentiles it is also obvious that this does not mean that every Gentile man and woman is born again.
The significance of this is that this chapter must not be misunderstood to mean that individuals who have been saved can be cut off from the grace they once experienced in salvation.
Verse 21 must not be misunderstood to mean that a born again Gentile must fear that God will not save him.
Verse 22 must not be misunderstood to mean that a born again Gentile would be cut off from salvation if he does not continue in goodness.
I am once again reminded of some of the early basics of Bible study. In order to rightly divide the Word of God we must know
Who the writer is
To whom he is writing and
The circumstances under which he is writing.
Otherwise serious errors might be preached. Seems so simple yet we disregard these rules all of the time. The result is terrible misinformation and sometimes some serious consequences to would be followers of the Lamb of God.
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