The Long Reach Of God - Romans 11:16-32

Romans 11:16-21 "If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 

Introduction:

I can recall as a child the many games of kickball that my sister and I would play. We would occasionally kick the ball high in the air, resulting in it becoming lodged in a tree. We could call upon my dad to come out and helps us get the ball. He would take a long board or pole and tap the ball to get it down on the ground for us to resume our game. As a child, I marveled at how my dad could do such things, it seemed nothing was to distant or too difficult for him to reach. 

As we turn to Paul's analogy of the olive tree in Romans 11:16-32, we are introduced to His redemptive program to save all kinds of people out of the nations and Israel. Olive trees were valuable in Israel. They came to signify Israel and its land (Judges 9:8-9; 2 Kings 18:32; Psalm 52:8; Psalm 128:3; Isaiah 24:13; Jeremiah 11:16; Hosea 14:6; Zechariah 4:11-12). Jesus preached on a Mountain side known as the "Mount of Olives" due to its copious amount of these trees (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:3; Luke 9:29,37; 21:37). 

Olive leaves are first mentioned in Genesis 8:11 to refer to the dove that brought back an olive branch in its beak to Noah. The bringing of this olive branch signified that God's wrath was done. The ark of safety designed by God had protected Noah, his family and the animals. Henceforth olives would come to represent God's favor, redemption and grace. It is no wonder that the olive was cultivate for its uses in ceremonial anointing of priests, prophets kings; oil for lamps; baking and a host of other uses. 

Whenever olive trees became unfruitful, the people came to discover that by cutting off branches from wild olives trees and grafting them onto cultivated trees, the wild branches would help the cultivated tree become fruitful again. Once the sap from the cultivated tree worked its way through the branches, both branches and tree functioned together. It is this imagery and backdrop that Paul uses in conveying how God's redemptive program is working to redeem the distant and difficult to reach. Let's briefly consider what we find in Romans 11:16-32.

God can reach the most distant.   Rom 11:16-21

Let’s play a game of: “who am I”. In this game, I will mention a pre-conversion testimony from the Bible and see if you the reader can guess the identity of the person in question.

1).  I was a pagan that lived over half my life in a very secular city, committed to the darkness, until God found me. 

2). I was wanted for 1st degree murder and went into hiding, lived a double life, nearly forgotten, until God found me and changed my life. 

So who are these two mystery people? The first was Abraham, who originally a gentile, was called by God out of ancient Babylonia and then became circumcised. He became the patriarch of the Jewish nation (Joshua 24:2-3) Now what about the second mystery person?  If you guessed Moses, you were right. Moses was raised in Pharaoh's household. Though Jewish by birth he was raised to be Egyptian in thought. God would call him to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt  (Exodus 2:11-15; 3:1-6).

Now to put this on a personal level: Do you have a son, daughter, relative that is far away from God? As long as they have life within them, they are still prime candidates for being reached by God. If God can reach people who were seemingly distant like Abraham and Moses, He can reach anyone. God is reaching out to the nations. But now notice secondly....

God can reach the most difficult.   Rom 11:22-29

Let's try one more round of "who am I". 

1). I endorsed the sacrificial killing of my own son and became addicted to murder, detested God and engaged in the occult. I became a powerful man, and then was found out, locked in prison and hit rock-bottom. I should had died, but God found me. This first mystery person was none other than Manassah, a Jewish King, in 2 Chronicles 33.

2). I was a troubled soul, possessed by seven demons. The day was no different than night to me, then He called my name and turned my life around. Believe it or not, this is the testimony of Mary Magdalene, the first person to see Jesus post-resurrection.  (Mary, Lk 8:2).

3). I was most devoted to my religion, and yet made it my life’s purpose to wipe out Christianity. I was a cynical and skeptical. Then Jesus came to me and turned my life inside out. If you guest the Apostle Paul, you were right! (Acts 9). 

As we summarize Paul's point in these verses, we find it in Romans 11:22, 25-26  For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

When we look at Israel today, though some are converting to Jesus the Messiah, it seems that, by-and-large, there are very few Jewish people coming to the Lord. Yet scripture testifies again and again that God will save the multitude of Jewish people at the end of this age. Take for instance a glimpse of this truth in Revelation 7:4 "And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel." The consequence of this world-wide evangelistic effort during the Great Tribulation will be the conversion of many people. We read on in Revelation 7:9 "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands." In this prophetic vision captures only a small portion of Jewish people whom God will touch by His grace at the end of history. At the end of this tribulation period, Christ will return to earth and many more multitudes of the Jewish nation will become converted (see Romans 11:25-26). 

What do we glean from these verses?  The application is this: never judge ability to save a person tomorrow by seemingly impossible circumstances today. So now notice the closing thought of today's post...

God can reach you. Your response?  Rom 11:30-32 

In Romans 11:30-32, God reminds us through the pen of Paul that His calling to His people Israel as the chosen nation of his inheritance has not been revoked. God doesn't lie (Titus 1:2) nor break promises. It is then in Romans 11:32 we find two classes of people: believers and unbelievers. Those who by God's gracious call have responded versus those who have freely and knowing rejected God's well-meant-offer of forgiveness. This same sort of arrangement is found in Romans 5:18 "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men."

These verses are not speaking of some crass universalism in which all men will be saved. Instead, this refers to all those who willingly reject Christ of their own accord because they loved darkness rather than light (John 3:17; 3:36) and all of those who, because of God's grace calling them, freely respond to the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9). God's long reach extends to the most distant and difficult. If you but trust in Him who is reaching out to you, you too can be graved into that wondrous tree, that vine, the Lord Jesus Christ (see John 15).  

Evaluating The Roman Catholic Church's Teaching On Mary In Light Of The New Testament

Matthew 1:18-25 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus."

Introduction:

The above opening passage from Matthew's Gospel represents the first mention of Mary in the New Testament. In today's post we want to compare what the New Testament has to say about Mary to that of the Roman Catholic Church's teaching about her. The standard reference work for understanding the Roman Catholic Church's positions on various doctrines is the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" (from hereon abbreviated "CCC"). This document can be found online at http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

The purpose of this post is to simply compare what the Roman Catholic Church teaches in light of the New Testament. In as much as the Roman Catholic Church has much to say on Mary (much of which, as will be seen, differs from the New Testament), the one thing that can be said of non-Catholic Christian groups is that too-little is taught about Mary. It is hoped that in noting the various New Testament texts on Mary, both extremes (saying too much or saying too little) might be corrected and clarified.

Evaluating The Roman Catholic Church's Teaching On Mary In Light Of The New Testament

The CCC (Catechism of The Catholic Church) states the following about Mary in paragraph 971: "All generations will call me blessed": 

"The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs.... This very special devotion ... differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.” CCC paragraph 971.

Does the Roman Catholic view match with the New Testament? Without a doubt Mary does play a special role in God's overall plan to bring His Son into the world. However, when it comes to feasts, prayers to Mary and the high devotion offered to her by devout Roman Catholics, what do we find the New Testament saying to such matters?

Matthew 1:18-25, which we saw at the beginning of this post, asserts Mary as being the recipient of the angelic proclamation of the Savior's incarnation. The parallel passage in Luke's Gospel mentions Mary as well in Luke 1-3. As important as Mary is, we see no mention of such Roman Catholic doctrines as Mary's perpetual virginity, immaculate conception or any reference to her somehow functioning in a co-redeemer role. If anything, Mary, like other believers and non-believers for that matter, needed a Savior. 

In John 2:1-11 we see Mary appearing at the Wedding of Cana - the scene of Jesus first public miracle. It is in John's account of this first miracle that we find Mary receding into the background. Other passages involving Jesus' public ministry such as Matthew 12:46 and Mark 3:21,32 present Mary playing an ever diminishing role in comparison to Jesus. By the time we arrive at the crucifixion scene in John 19:25, we find Mary standing with the Apostle John at the feet of Jesus. Just like everyone else, Mary is beholding Jesus as the Savior. We never see any sense in which Mary is made an object of devotion, a co-sharer in Christ's redemptive work nor receiving prayers. 

The final time we see Mary is in Acts 1:14. Out of all the places the New Testament would have a chance to elevate Mary, surely it would be in the Book of Acts. Yet, Mary is mentioned but in passing and we never see mention of her again in the events of the early church reported in the Book of Acts.  

Whenever Roman Catholics practice the use of "Rosary Beads", in their prayers we find the following statement made about Mary:

"Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee (you). Blessed art thou (are you) among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy (your) womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

Such a statement developed over centuries of post-biblical church tradition. In Roman Catholic teaching, the church and its traditions are viewed as equal in authority to the Old and New Testament scriptures. Such practices as the Rosary are considered appropriate - on the Roman Catholic view. Yet, whenever we look at the practices of the early Christians within the New Testament (as observed in the texts above), we find consistent devotion to only one Person - the Lord Jesus Christ, and His equality to the Father. There are all sorts of statements regarding worship and praise to One God revealed in the three Persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. However, we do not find any such statements with respect to Mary. 

In summary then, whenever we survey the Bible, we discover the following about Mary:

A. Mary was never an exalted figure, but was shown respect due to her carrying the humanity of the Lord. 

B. Second, despite her special role, Mary's influence diminishes with every appearance in the Biblical record. 

C. Third, Mary passes off the Biblical record in quiet obscurity. 


D. Fourthly, the Apostles and early church leaders never sanctioned feasts, celebrations or devotion to Mary. 

Closing Thoughts:

Thus, when compared to Roman Catholicism, the Bible paints a different picture from the teaching and theology espoused by the Roman Catholic Church. In the quotations from Roman Catholic sources concerning Mary, we find a highly venerate woman, receiving prayers and occupying a central role in Roman Catholic devotion and practice. 

Mary's role certainly was important in God's plan of redemption, since she was the vessel through which the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ would be conceived by way of the virginal conception by miracle of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, Mary was also in need of a Savior, just as much as all other human beings. We must be sure not to say too little about Mary, nor say too much and exalt her to a level that is inappropriate nor detracting from the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we focus on Jesus and seek to know Him (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

Orthodoxy, Heterodoxy, Heresy

Daniel 2:43 "And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery."

What happens when you mix iron and clay
When Daniel was interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the Colussus or Large statue, he got to a part in the dream where the statue's feet was made of a mixture of iron and clay.  In the next verse, Daniel explains that the final kingdom to rise up before the return of Jesus Christ will have two properties: partially strong and partially brittle. 

Defining Orthodoxy
When examining any belief system to determine its adherence or non-adherence to the gospel, three terms can be used: Orthodoxy, Heterodoxy and Heresy.  In thinking on the properties of iron and clay, orthodoxy can be likened unto iron: something that is strong, reliable, consistent.  Orthodoxy comes from two Greek words: "ortho" meaning "straight" and "dokeo" meaning "thinking, thought".  So a Christian who holds to an orthodox understanding of the Bible, Christ and Salvation (note: our use of "orthodox" here is not to be confused with how the term is employed by the Eastern Orthodox Church), is holding straight and parallel with the teaching of scripture. 

Defining Heresy
Heresy represents another end of the spectrum.  It can be likened unto clay, since it is subject to constant change and moves in response to the preferences of men.  Heresy comes from a Greek word meaning "opinion".  Thus, a heresy is a belief system that claims to be Christian, however it is utterly "un-orthodox" in its views of the Bible, Christ and Salvation.  Heresies contain no redemptive value and over time end up producing there own literature that completely replaces the Bible. (i.e Mormonism for example) 

Defining Heterodoxy
There is a third class of belief system that functions much like the part of Nebuchadnezzar's vision, in that it mixes together elements of sound orthodoxy (i.e iron) and unsound heresy (i.e clay).  Heterodoxy comes from two Greek words: "hetero" meaning "of a different kind" and "dokeo" meaning "thinking, thought".  A heterodox belief system occupies a wide range of territory between orthodoxy and heresy.  Heterodoxy will usually be sound in at least one of the three major areas of the Bible, Jesus Christ or salvation, while retaining heretical elements in at least one of those same areas.

Understanding how Orthodoxy, Heterodoxy and Heresy are related
If we were to picture all three on a scale, we could picture them accordingly:
Heresy--------Heterodoxy----------------------------------------Orthodoxy

Heterodoxy is dangerous because while claiming to be orthodox, it finds comfort in retaining beliefs that are not taught in the Bible.  As seen in the above diagram, heterodoxy can cover the chasm between orthodoxy and heresy.  Depending on the amount of "iron" to that of "clay", some forms of heterodoxy will seem closer at times to true biblical Christianity than others.  However, as can be noted also in the diagram above, the manner in which heterodoxy drifts will lead to an abandonment of the Gospel if not corrected.

Where do we place Roman Catholicism on this scale?
As we have examined Roman Catholic belief and practice for the past two weeks, we have noted that at some points, Roman Catholic belief does hold to "iron" truths revealed in scripture, such as:
1. The Trinity
2. Christ's Deity and Humanity
3. The Inspiration of the Bible

However there is a lot more "clay" or heretical elements not taught anywhere in the Bible, including:
1. The Co-redeemer role and elevation of Mary
2. The cult of the saints
3. The equality of tradition and the Majesterium to Biblical authority
4. Salvation by faith plus baptism, which maintained to adherence to the Roman Catholic sacramental system
5. The departure from the Gospel, thus compromising the legitimacy of its claim to be the mission of Christ to the world
6. The sacramental system's function as a substitute Jesus in the application of salvation
7. Addition of other books to the 66 inspired books of the Bible

Other teachings could be mentioned, but as it can be plainly seen, Roman Catholicism is a heterodox system.  Its departure from the Gospel makes it even more dangerous to remain a part of, since its "clay" content cannot be supported by scripture.  Its system is ultimately brittle.  Only Christianity that adheres to salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone of the Bible alone for the glory of God alone can be deemed orthodox, biblical Christianity.