Pride & Grace

Romans 11:17-24

Cultivate humility by embracing both justice and grace. Tremble and trust in Christ alone.

“The excision, of which he speaks, could not apply to individuals, whose election is unchangeable, based on the eternal purpose of God.” – John Calvin

“Paul skillfully mixes theology and exhortation in this paragraph. His olive tree metaphor makes an important contribution to our understanding of the people of God. It is notoriously easy to squeeze more theology out of such a metaphor than it is intended to convey. But basic to the whole metaphor is the unity of God’s people, a unity that crosses both historical and ethnic boundaries. The basic point of the metaphor is that there is only one olive tree, whose roots are firmly planted on OT soil, and whose branches include both Jews and Gentiles. The olive tree represents the one people of God.” – Douglas Moo