Comments and Discussions

I really appreciate this comment — you’re raising the exact questions that actually get to the heart of Romans 11, and you’re right that this passage deserves more precision than a surface-level reading.

Let me try to respond directly to what you asked.

First, the “branches” are not every human being. In Romans 11, Paul is speaking about people in relation to God’s covenant promises — specifically Israel and the Gentiles. The natural branches are ethnic Israel, those who came from Abraham. The wild branches are Gentiles who are grafted in. But even here, Paul is not speaking merely about ethnicity — he is speaking about participation in the covenant through faith.

This is why Paul earlier says in Romans 9 that not all Israel is Israel. There is a distinction between physical Israel (by birth) and true Israel (those who share Abraham’s faith). So the branches are best understood as those who stand in relation to the covenant — some outwardly, some inwardly.

That leads into your second question: how do we become branches?

Israel became branches by covenantal calling — God chose them as a nation. Gentiles become branches by being grafted in through faith. But here’s the key distinction: being connected outwardly to the covenant is not the same as sharing in its life inwardly. Some branches were part of the covenant structure, but they were not rooted in faith. So when they are “broken off,” it’s not that they lost something they internally possessed — it’s that they were never drawing life from the root in the first place.

That ties into your question about how “bad branches” can come from a good root. The root — God’s promise fulfilled in Christ — is perfectly good. The issue is not the root producing something defective. The issue is that not every branch is actually receiving life from the root. Faith is the means by which that life is received. Without faith, a person may be externally connected (through religion, identity, or heritage), but not internally alive. That is exactly what Paul is addressing with Israel — they had the law, the promises, and the covenants, but pursued righteousness as if it were by works rather than by faith.

Regarding the elect — Paul is speaking primarily at a corporate level in Romans 11. He’s explaining what is happening with Israel as a people and Gentiles as a people. But within that, there is clearly an individual reality: only those who believe truly partake of the life of the root. So yes, the elect are those who share in the promise by faith, but Paul’s warning is not framed as “the elect might lose salvation.” Instead, it’s a warning against assuming that outward belonging guarantees inward participation.

You also asked about physical Israel versus spiritual Israel, which is a crucial distinction. Paul’s argument across Romans 9–11 is that God’s promises have not failed, because they were never intended for ethnic Israel alone, but for those who share Abraham’s faith. Physical Israel served as the historical vehicle of the promise, but the fulfillment is found in those who are in Christ. At the same time, Paul does not dismiss ethnic Israel — he holds out hope for their inclusion, but again, only through faith.

So what is the warning in Romans 11 actually about?

It is not a warning that a true believer might suddenly lose salvation. It is a warning against pride, presumption, and self-reliance. Paul is essentially saying: if you (whether Jew or Gentile) abandon faith and begin to rely on identity, works, or religious standing, you are stepping into the same position as those who were broken off. The issue is not weakness or struggle — it is replacing faith with self-sufficiency.

Finally, regarding modern-day Israel — I agree with you that clarity is important, especially given current events. But Romans 11 is not primarily a geopolitical statement. It is a theological explanation of how God’s covenant purposes are being fulfilled in Christ. The olive tree is not a nation-state; it is the sphere of God’s covenant life, and participation in it has always been, and still is, by faith alone.

So in summary, the passage is not about believers losing salvation, but about the danger of abandoning the very principle by which anyone stands — faith in Christ. The root has always been grace, and the only way to remain is to continue in that grace by faith.

This article was very weak and surface-level. I don't mean to be mean, because the bottom line of the security of the true believer in Christ is something we share. What I am saying is, who are the branches? Is it that every human being ever conceived a branch? How do we become branches? Christ is the root, we agree, but how did the bad branches get to be bad from a good root and vine? Is the passage speaking of the elect of God? Paul also said that not all Israel is Israel. Is this talk about the physical nation of Israel and the spiritual Israel? At such a time as this, when the world news is trained on the modern-day nation of Israel, clarity here would be most desired.

Hope to hear from you.

Thanks Lois for your insight. I get where you’re coming from, and I agree that there may have been practical health reasons behind some of those dietary laws—especially in an ancient context where there was no refrigeration, limited cooking methods, and higher risk of disease. In that sense, avoiding certain animals probably did make practical sense at the time.

That said, when we look at the New Testament, it seems clear that something shifted—not in the nature of the animals, but in how God relates to His people.

Take Peter’s vision in Acts 10. He sees all kinds of animals—clean and unclean—and God tells him, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Peter initially resists, which shows how deeply ingrained the dietary laws were. But God corrects him. And while the vision ultimately points to the inclusion of the Gentiles, it still involves food categories being declared clean by God Himself.

Then in Acts 15, during the early church council, the apostles specifically discuss what requirements Gentile believers should follow. If dietary laws were still binding, that would have been the perfect place to reinforce them—but they don’t. Instead, they give only a few basic guidelines for the sake of unity, not as a continuation of the Levitical system.

So even if someone today chooses to avoid certain foods for health or personal conviction, that’s completely fine. But the key point is: it doesn’t seem to be something meant to be followed as a law under the New Covenant.

At the end of the day, this feels like a personal choice, not a universal command. If it works for you, that’s great—but it’s probably best not to impose it on others as though it’s still a requirement from God.

Regarding the dietary laws in Leviticus: They are there for health reasons. God created the unclean animals for a purpose, to be scavengers on the earth and in the seas. People say, "since Jesus' death and resurrection we can eat anything now". What changed? Did the functions of those animals change? I think not. They are STILL scavengers? They are STILL unclean and unhealthy to eat. This has nothing to do with "righteousness". It is just common sense. I haven't eaten any of God's "unclean" meats of any sort for 25 years. I recommend the books, "Gods Keys to Health and Happiness" written by a Baptist minister in 1976. Also, Jordan Rubin's latest book, The Biblio Diet".
Thousands upon thousands of people have been relieved of health issues by following God's dietary laws.

[…] Believers Are Not Waiting for a Breakthrough – The Gospel Central […]

Hi Joy,

So good to hear from you! Here's a blog on how to minister. 🙂

https://thegospelcentral.org/2024/11/08/you-can-start-ministering-healing-today/

and you can read https://thegospelcentral.org/tag/healing/ which are all my blogs on healing/

This is amazing! I am a Board certified clincical chaplain who has received many physical healings and even some emotional healings along the way. My husband has had two cancer healings. I feel we should be offering to pray with people for their healings but don't know best way to stark. I prayed about it, then found you article above. It does not tell me how to minister in this way, however.

Here's the blog on Malachi 3.

https://thegospelcentral.org/2025/10/31/what-malachi-3-really-says-about-tithing/

Hi Steve, Thanks for your comment.
Fortunately for you, I have written a blog on that topic too. .

Also you can read the list of all topics on tithing here.

Take a look at Malachi 3:8. This prophet tells Israel that they have robbed God in their tithes and offerings. Better re-write the above and consider the entire Old Testament, not just the verses that support your inaccurate interpretations.