Romans 11:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

NASB: See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too will be cut off.

CSB: Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

NLT: Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

In the previous verse, Paul warned the Gentile Christians that the only reason they had a place in the family of God was because of their faith in Christ. Without that faith, God was just as likely to "prune" them from His tree as He did to the Jewish people who refused to believe in Jesus. Their status was absolutely not on the basis of their own good works (Romans 3:10, 20) or anything other than the grace of God (Romans 11:6).

Paul now wants to make sure his readers don't miss these two pillars of God's nature. He is simultaneously kind and uncompromising, based only on a person's faith in Christ. God is holy, so He must be firm toward those who have fallen by their lack of faith in Christ. God is kind to the Gentile Christians because of their faith in Christ. They must continue in God's kindness by continuing to trust in Christ. Without faith in Christ, God will cut them off, as well.

Context is crucial in any passage, but this verse is particularly easy to misunderstand when read by itself. The issue at hand is not being "cut off" from eternal salvation, as the following verses will show. God had "cut off" some of Israel for their rejection of Him, and "grafting in" Gentiles. Paul is still referring to "the Gentiles" as a group, as much as to Israel as a nation. If "the Gentiles" act as coldly and stubbornly towards God as Israel had, God is more than willing and able to deem them "cut off" and suffer as a result. The context here is not about eternity, but the relationship and communion with God. Similar themes are explored in passages such as Hebrews chapters 3 and 4.

Romans 11:11–24 describes why God has hardened Israel in her unbelief in Christ. It is to make room on God's figurative olive tree for the Gentile Christians. The old branches of unbelieving Jews have been broken off for now, and the new branches have been grafted in to the root. In turn, the salvation of so many Gentiles will provoke Israel to jealousy, drawing her back to God through faith in Christ when He removes the hardening of her unbelief. When that happens, after enough Gentiles have believed, the old branches of Jewish believers will be grafted back into the tree.

In Romans 11, Paul concludes his exploration of God's plan for His chosen people Israel. It's true that as a nation, Israel has rejected faith in Christ, but a remnant of Israelites has believed in Jesus. God has hardened the rest in unbelief, but will bring Israel back to faith when enough Gentiles have come to Him through Christ. Then many Israelites will trust in Christ, as well, and God will renew His covenant with His people. Paul concludes this section with a powerful poem or hymn about God's independence and how He is beyond our full comprehension.

Romans 11 concludes Paul's discussion about God's plan for the Israelites begun in Romans 9 and 10. Paul insists that, though Israel as a nation has rejected Christ, a remnant of Jewish Christians exists by God's grace. God has hardened the rest in their unbelief until enough Gentiles have come to Him through Christ. Then God will release Israel to believe in Christ and restore His covenant with her as many individual Jews come to faith in Christ, as well. Paul stands in awe of God's vast and unknowable mind and complete ownership of all things.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.