The Jew’s devotion to the law and circumcision, in particular (cf. Acts 15), unknowingly rejected the only solution to the sin problem. They had a hardened heart condition that refused God’s righteousness and desired to establish their own righteousness. This yoke they wore was unbearable, yet they attempted to place the same yoke on Gentile converts (cf. Acts 15:10).
Verse 11 opens with the question, “So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous (ESV). In other words, while it was not their purpose to fall, their stumbling over God’s plan of redemption through Christ led to their fall as a nation. Any Jew brought back was dependent on personal choice. This was true of Jews and Gentiles. Since the Jew had the law and the Gentiles did not, the law stood as a barrier between them. When the law was taken out of the way, Christ created “one new man” from Jews and Gentiles by the cross and brought peace where hostilities existed (Eph. 2:15). The promise of Abraham granting blessings to all nations came through His seed, i.e., Christ. But, it did not happen overnight. The very offer of sonship to Gentiles angered the Jewish nation. This is not referring to Jewish conversion to Christ because they were jealous of the attention given to the Gentiles. The opposite is true. The more Paul turned to the Gentiles, the more devotion and demand was given to the law. We see this reaction when Paul spoke to God-fearing Gentiles (Acts 13-14). In Acts 22:21, Paul told the Jerusalem Jews that God had told him to go to the Gentiles and they immediately threw off their cloaks, and scooped up dust in the air, shouting, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live” (Acts 22:22-23, Rom. 10:19).
Paul, then, contrasts their fall and defeat to the riches of the world and the Gentiles and set their riches over against the fullness of Jewish loss or defeat. Paul is not referring to Jewish salvation, but speak of their fall and defeat, whereas the riches of the Gentiles are set beside it to emphasize that as the Gentile world received “riches,” the Jewish world received full and complete defeat as a nation. It makes no sense to refer to the fullness of Jewish salvation, here. The Scriptures support the view that the overthrow of the Jewish era and the temple opened the door for the inauguration of a new age — the kingdom age.
Paul was hoping that his preaching the gospel to the Gentiles would have a positive effect on the Jews and stir them to prove themselves and study the evidence for Christ and become His disciples. I would suggest a contrast is made between the Jewish nation who will be fully defeated and “some of them” (individually) who may be saved (v. 13-14).
Paul reasons from three possible conditions. First, if the rejection of the Jewish nation means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean? The intended answer is an effect so much greater, and so he offers the answer; “life from the dead.” Second, if the dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is the whole lump. Exodus 23:19 reads, “The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.” When these first fruits were brought to the priest, the harvest became holy to the people or devoted to its purpose. Likewise, when God accepted the first fruits of the gospel harvest (“Jews first, then Gentiles”), the whole nation was holy or set apart to be His people. Third, he reasons that if the root is holy, so are the branches. In each case, the question moves to a small unit of measurement to a greater measurement. Bringing a “sheaf” of the first fruits (Lev. 23:9-10), made the whole harvest holy. Likewise, he moves from the condition of the root below to the entire branches above. If the root is holy, so are the branches.
This last figure is taken in verse seventeen to elaborate on the opportunities of Jews and Gentiles. He envisions some branches broken off (Jews) because of unbelief and where they were broken off, a wild olive shoot (Gentile) was grafted in to share in the nourishing root (v. 17). Being a part of the tree should not cause one to be puffed up with arrogance because the root supports all the branches, including the one grafted. Paul wants the Gentiles to appreciate their place in the tree but to remember that they can be broken off just like the unbelieving natural branch. So, the explanation for their place in the tree remains, “you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you” (v. 21). Being allowed a place in the tree or being broken off is dependent on grace (kindness of God) and individual faith (v. 21-23) and continuance in His kindness. God’s kindness is not arbitrarily offered to individuals but to those who believe and continue in His kindness. His severity, however, is seen when he cuts off any branch, whether natural or a grafted wild olive branch if they continue in unbelief. This is not a permanent condition for which no remedy exists. The grace of God is always available so that even if a natural branch was broken off because of unbelief, it can be easily grafted in, again.
We must not make the mistake of making more out of this illustration than was intended by the author. Many diverse views have been exchanged over many years that have nothing to do with Paul’s point. Whether natural or grafted branches, you will be cut off because of unbelief. One’s continued connection to the tree and the root’s source is dependent on them and that can change from being attached or being severed.