Romans 11 22

Romans 11:22 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.

Romans 11:22 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.

Romans 11:22 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.

Romans 11:22 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.

Romans 11:22 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.

Romans 11 verses

Romans 11 22 Meaning

Romans 11:22 unveils two balanced attributes of God: His profound goodness (towards those who believe and remain in Him) and His just severity (towards those who rejected Him, specifically the disobedient Israelites in this context). The verse issues a direct warning to the grafted-in Gentile believers, reminding them that their continued standing in God’s favor is conditional upon their perseverance in faith and not falling into presumption, lest they too face the consequence of being "cut off," similar to the unbelieving Jewish branches.

Romans 11 22 Context

Romans 11:22 is a pivotal statement within Paul's sustained theological argument in Romans 9-11, which addresses God's continuing faithfulness to Israel, despite their widespread rejection of Jesus as Messiah. Paul uses the metaphor of an olive tree to illustrate the relationship between Israel and the Gentile believers. The natural branches (unbelieving Israelites) have been broken off due to unbelief, while wild olive branches (Gentiles) have been grafted into the root (the covenant promises made to Abraham, see Rom 11:17-18). The immediate preceding verses (Rom 11:19-21) caution the Gentile branches against boasting over the broken-off natural branches, emphasizing that they stand only by faith and can also be removed if they do not continue in faith. Verse 22 functions as a concise summary and reinforcement of this warning, highlighting the conditional nature of their continued standing and the dual nature of God’s dealing with humanity: goodness for the obedient and severity for the disobedient. Historically, this addresses potential Gentile arrogance or supersessionism within the early Christian community, reminding them of God's sovereign choice and judgment.

Romans 11 22 Word analysis

• Behold (ἰδέ - ide): This imperative particle serves as a strong attention-grabber, urging the audience to look closely, understand, and consider deeply the profound truth about to be revealed. It underscores the importance of Paul's summary.
• therefore: Connects back to the preceding argument, especially the olive tree analogy in verses 17-21, indicating a logical conclusion or summary drawn from it.
• the goodness (χρηστότητα - chrēstotēta): Denotes kindness, benignity, moral excellence, and generosity. It describes God's inherent character that extends favor, mercy, and grace to His creation, particularly to those who embrace Him in faith. This attribute enables the inclusion of Gentiles into His covenant family.
• and severity (ἀποτομίαν - apotomian): Meaning harshness, cutting off, decisiveness, or strictness. It describes God's absolute righteousness and justice in dealing with sin and unbelief, leading to the necessary judgment and exclusion of those who reject His way. This directly relates to the "cutting off" of unbelieving Israel. The term evokes the cutting action within the olive tree metaphor.
• of God: Refers to the ultimate divine authority, the unchanging nature and character from whom both attributes proceed. Both goodness and severity are inherent to God's just and loving being.
• on them which fell (ἐπὶ τοὺς πεσόντας - epi tous pesontas): Lit. "upon the fallen ones." Refers specifically to the Israelites who stumbled due to their unbelief in Christ and were "broken off" from the spiritual benefits and privileges of the Abrahamic covenant. It signifies spiritual decline or rejection.
• severity: Reiterates that God’s justice was enacted upon unbelieving Israel, a demonstration of His holiness that cannot tolerate continued disobedience.
• but toward thee (ἐπὶ δὲ σέ - epi de se): Refers to the Gentile believers who have been grafted into the spiritual olive tree by faith. The address is singular ("thee") emphasizing the personal nature of the warning to each individual Gentile believer and the church composed of them.
• goodness: This emphasizes that the Gentile believers' present position is solely due to God’s gracious kindness and mercy, not their inherent worthiness.
• if thou continue (ἐὰν ἐπιμείνῃς - ean epimeinēs): A crucial conditional clause. "Continue" means to remain, abide, persist, or persevere. It implies active, sustained faith and faithfulness. This shows that the Gentile's privileged status is not guaranteed permanently regardless of their conduct, but is contingent upon their steadfastness in God’s goodness (i.e., walking in the faith, not abusing the grace, not becoming arrogant).
• in his goodness: Remaining in God’s grace and the favor extended to them, which requires humility, faith, and obedience, not self-righteousness or presumption.
• otherwise (ἐπεὶ δὲ καί - epei de kai): Signals the alternative consequence if the condition is not met.
• thou also shalt be cut off (σὺ καὶ ἐκκοπήσῃ - su kai ekkopēsē): A strong warning. "Cut off" is passive voice, indicating divine agency. It uses the same horticultural imagery of the olive tree from verses 17-21, warning that Gentile believers, if they do not persist in faith, face the same fate as unbelieving Israel – removal from their privileged position and spiritual benefits. This signifies a loss of fellowship and covenant blessings.

• "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God": This phrase encapsulates God's character as simultaneously loving and just. These attributes are not contradictory but perfectly balanced within His divine nature, allowing Him to show immense grace while also executing righteous judgment. This balance is critical to understanding God's dealings with both Israel and the Gentiles.
• "on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness": This contrasts God's actions. Severity upon those who fell due to unbelief, and goodness bestowed upon those (Gentiles) who accepted Him. This directly illustrates the consequences of faith versus unbelief within the framework of God's dealings. It underlines the concept of salvation and judgment being a response to human choice.
• "if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off": This passage represents a significant warning against presumption. It makes explicit the conditional nature of the Gentile believers' inclusion and salvation, dependent on their ongoing, active faith and humble adherence to God's grace. It clearly demonstrates that God’s election does not nullify personal responsibility and that a fall from grace is a real possibility for those who neglect persistent faith.

Romans 11 22 Bonus section

This verse provides an important theological balance against either viewing God as solely benevolent without justice, or solely severe without grace. It depicts a God who is both deeply loving and immaculately holy. For the early church, and for believers today, this passage serves as a bulwark against the dangers of supersessionism (the idea that the church has completely replaced Israel and God is done with Israel) and triumphalism, particularly for Gentile believers. It highlights that no one is immune to God's just judgment if they abandon the faith or persist in unbelief and arrogance. This implies that while initial salvation is by grace through faith, continued walk in salvation requires enduring faith, a concept known as perseverance of the saints. The "cutting off" spoken of here can be understood as a loss of the current covenant privilege and spiritual standing, reminding believers of the seriousness of living consistently with their profession of faith.

Romans 11 22 Commentary

Romans 11:22 is a powerful exhortation serving as a concluding warning to Gentile believers within Paul’s extended discussion of Israel’s rejection and future restoration. It mandates a humble understanding of their standing by contrasting God's kindness towards them with His severity shown to unbelieving Israel. The core message is that God's two primary attributes, goodness (leading to inclusion through faith) and severity (leading to exclusion due to unbelief), are perfectly balanced and will be consistently applied. Therefore, the Gentiles' present favor is not an absolute, unconditional guarantee of eternal security if they fail to persevere in the very faith that grafted them in. It serves as a stark reminder against spiritual arrogance and encourages continuous vigilance and humility in the Christian walk, demonstrating that continued fellowship with God is a relational reality requiring an ongoing commitment. This is a crucial passage against a form of 'easy belief' and promotes a view of faith that entails active, persistent adherence to God’s gracious provision.