A Wild Olive Tree Grafted In Romans 11:17

Paul the apostle asked the people in Rome, “if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?”, and he added, “For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” In chapter eleven and verse seventeen of Romans, Paul told the people in Rome how they were, “a wild olive tree, ... grafted in among them” where we read:

And if some of the branches be broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

The verse begins, “And if some of the branches be broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, ...” Paul began with the words, “and if some” which means “and whether certain ones” “of the branches” or “pertaining to the young tender shoots” “be broken off” which means “are cut off”, “and you” which refers to “the believing readers in Rome”, “being a wild olive tree” or “belonging to the oleaster tree”. Paul considered whether the original “branches” which represented “Israel” were “cut off and the believing people in Rome were as “a wild olive tree”.

The verse continues, “... were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree;”. Paul added the words, “were grafted in” which means “to cut into for the sake of inserting a scion, to inoculate and ingraft” “among them” or “by and with the people from Israel”, “and with them partake” which means “to participate with others in anything as a joint partner” “of the root” which refers to “pertaining to that which springs from a sprout or shoot, an offspring or progeny” “and fatness” or “repletion through the plumpness and riches” “of the olive tree” which means “pertaining to the fruit or berries of the tree”. Paul continued his idea of the believers in Rome being “inoculated and ingrafted” into that which was began with Israel and thereby repleting and benefiting from the fruit thereof.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how Israel was the initial recipient of the “gospel of Jesus Christ”, however, as a whole, they rejected Him. They were the original “olive tree”, and when they refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah, God allowed the other “nations” of the world to receive His Son. God desires for everyone to be saved, and He “ingrafted” the “Gentile” nations into “Israel” His chosen people. Lest those who read these words glory in themselves, let them remember they have been “grafted in” as a “wild olive tree” and may enjoy a relationship with God.

Next time Paul tells his readers in Rome, “boast not against the branches”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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