For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.
Parallel translations
- WEB for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
- KJV For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
- NKJV For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
- NASB for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
- NLT For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare proud, unbelieving Gentiles either.
Overview
Paul reinforces the warning: God's removal of unbelieving Israel proves he shows no partiality and will likewise judge presumptuous Gentiles. This sobering logic undercuts any sense of automatic security based on present privilege. It calls believers to persevering faith rather than complacency.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Jer 49:12For this is what the LORD says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, can you possibly remain unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for you must drink it too.
- Jer 25:29For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of Hosts.’
- 2 Pet 2:4–9For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- Rom 8:32He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- Rom 11:19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
- Jude 1:5Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe.
- Rom 11:17Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root,
- 1 Cor 10:1–12I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 11:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.