“What About the Branches?”

Recently, my friend Jim and I were on Rick Fry’s podcast, Inside the Man Box. The topic was the diversity within the Christian family that stretches from annihilation on one end and universalism on the other. Jim and I are on the end of Universal Redemption (universalism).

During the conversation, Rick asked, “What about the branches?” While we addressed that briefly, I don’t feel we did it any justice. So I’d like to flesh out my thoughts here.

There are a couple of places in the New Testament that refer to branches — John 15 and Romans 11. We’ll address John first, which is the passage I believe Rick was meaning. In John 15, Jesus said — 

“I’m the true vine, and my Abba is the vine grower 2who cuts off every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, but prunes the fruitful ones to increase their yield. 3You’ve been pruned already, thanks to the word that I’ve spoken to you. 4Live on in me, as I do in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself apart from the vine, neither can you bear fruit apart from me. 5I’m the vine; you’re the branches. Those who live in me and I in them will bear abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6Those who don’t live in me are like withered, rejected branches, to be picked up and thrown on the fire and burned. 7If you live on in me, and my words live on in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8My Abba will be glorified if you bear much fruit and thus prove to be my disciples” (John 15.1-8; TIB; adapted).[1]

Before I say anything else, let me say that this is a hard passage to reconcile with Universal Redemption. It just is. In fact, if I may be so bold, it’s best used on the annihilation side of the spectrum (and has been). The passage states the branches will be “thrown on the fire and burned.” If anyone has ever burned any wood, one generally burns the wood until there’s only ash left — the wood is completely burnt away.

But, let’s look a little deeper.

First, we’ve been conditioned to see certain things in scripture that just aren’t there. In this instance, when Jesus said the branches are put in the fire, we’ve been taught that this is another way of saying people will be sentenced to hell and suffer eternal conscious torment (ECT). That’s simply not the case. The metaphor is to take a branch that’s not producing fruit, cut it out of the vine, let it wither away, die, and then burn the branch until it’s consumed. After the branch is turned to ash, there’s no reason to continue to burn it, because there’s nothing left to burn. Again, this isn’t about hell and ETC, it’s more in the vein of annihilation; the branches are fully consumed in the fire.

However, there’s something more. 

Notice, secondly, that the “branches” are in Christ. Christ is the vine and Abba God is the vine grower who “cuts off every branch in me that doesn’t produce fruit” (verse 2). Jesus reiterates this a few verses later, “I’m the vine; you (the disciples) are the branches” (verse 5). That is, the branches are already in Christ! Are we going to contend that there are parts of Jesus that need to be cut out and destroyed? I certainly hope not! So we can’t really push this metaphor too far or we bring into question our Christology.

I think, then, that this passage may be talking about the quite literal fire that was then about to come upon Israel, i.e., the war with Rome from 66 - 73 CE that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE. The people who reject Jesus, especially after following the Way for a while, might return to first century Judaism and get caught up in the war with Rome. If that’s the case, then this passage from John 15 is very reminiscent of Hebrews 10.29 (cf., 6.4-8). I addressed that passage in my series on Hebrews 10 and Ultimate Redemption and I encourage you to read that as I go into a lot more depth than I do in this post. Again, returning to first century Judaism and getting caught up in the war with Rome may be going on here in John 15. Then again, maybe not. Like I said above, it’s a touch passage and I won’t pretend it isn’t.

Now let’s turn our attention to Romans 11 where Paul fleshes out the metaphor of branches a little more.

Paul starts off the chapter by asking rhetorically, “[Has] God rejected the chosen people? Of course not!” (v. 1). He states that, “If the first part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, the whole batch is holy” (v. 16a) and if the vine (Christ) is holy, then so are the branches (Israel; v. 16b). But some of the natural branches (i.e., some of Israel) were broken off so that the wild branches (Gentiles) could be grafted into the vine (Christ; v. 17).

However, that was only for a season:

“And those (some of Israel who had been “broken off”) who did not accept the Messiah — if they come to believe — will be regrafted: God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you (Gentiles) were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated tree (Christ), how much more readily will they, the natural branches (some Israelites who had been “broken off”), be grafted into their own olive tree (Christ)” (vv. 23-24).

In the next verses he makes it very clear, “[Blindness] has come upon part of Israel only until the full number of Gentiles enter in, and then all Israel will be saved” (vv. 25-26).

Paul continues —

“With respect to the Good News, they (some of Israel) are enemies of God because of you; with respect to their call, however, they’re beloved by the Most High because of their ancestors. 29For God’s gift and call are irrevocable. 

“30Just as you were once disobedient to God and now have received mercy through Israel’s disobedience, 31now they (some of Israel) have become disobedient — since God wished to show you mercy — that they too may receive mercy. 32God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience in order to have mercy on everyone” (vv. 28-32; emphasis added).

So some of Israel, the original “branches,” were only cut off from the vine (Christ) for a season and then they, like the wild branches (everyone else) will be (were) grafted back into Christ because God has “mercy on everyone” and God’s “gift and call are irrevocable.” As Paul stated a few verses before — 

“[Does] (some of Israel’s) stumbling mean that they are forever fallen? Not at all! Rather, by their transgressions salvation has come to the Gentiles, to stir Israel to envy. 12But if their transgression and their diminishment have meant riches for the Gentile world, how much more will their fulfillment be! … For if their rejection has meant reconciliation for the world, what will their acceptance mean? Nothing less than life from the dead” (vv. 11-12, 15; emphasis added).

All of this ties back into what we said at the end of the podcast. Jesus prayed — 

… that all may be one, as you, Abba, are in me and I in you; I pray that they may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 22I’ve given them the glory you gave me that they may be one, as we are one — 23I in them, you in me — that they may be made perfect in unity. Then the world will know that you sent me, and that you loved them as you loved me (John 17.21-23; TIB; adapted).

That is, because of the work of Christ, all people are (or, if you prefer, will one day be) one with God and Christ and each other.

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In the Love of the Three in One,

Br. Jack+, LC

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[1] Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations and references — and scripture quotations marked (TIB) — are taken from The Inclusive Bible. Copyright © 2007 by Priests for Equality. Used by permission.