The Good Olive Tree

Romans 11:16–24 NKJV

16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

This can be one of those challenging passages but it doesn’t need to be. I believe it becomes challenging to us if we don’t take care as we read to carefully consider what Paul is saying.

The issue for most is “how do I reconcile

Romans 8:28–30 NKJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

with

Romans 11:22 NKJV

22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

So how do we reconcile these ideas? We find both in God’s Word. And as I’ve said before we must resist the temptation to take the truth we find most acceptable and reject the opposing idea. This will lead to imbalance at best and out right heresy at worse. So we must reconcile them. Either in our own understanding through the guidance of the Holy Spirit or we must accept that they are reconciled in heaven and trust that although we can’t reconcile them in our minds that God has reconciled them.

In order to help us in this endeavour of reconciliation I think it would be helpful for us to establish a few things that we know first.

1. Paul is speaking in general terms about Israel Gentiles and the church. What do I mean by that? Not all Israel has been cut off the olive tree, not all Gentiles have been ingrafted in and not all of the visible church is the true elect church of God. Many a person has gone off track from these verses by taking these terms to specifically. In fact many times in the epistles The church is addressed as a whole and assumed to be all true genuine believers even though the writer clearly knows and understand that they are not all true believers.

2. The main purpose of Paul in the context of this passage is to silence any boasting among the Gentile believers in their blessed position in which they find themselves against the Israelites who are unbelieving.

3. The reasons given for being cut off from the olive tree and staying in the tree.

Romans 11:20 NKJV

20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.

Paul has not introduced a system of works here where violators will be cut off. He is true to the rest of this letter and the rest of the New Testament in teaching salvation through faith alone.

I believe that these are evident truths and this is where I began in my study of this passage and I found it helpful in interpreting it and I hope that you will also find it helpful.

If the Root Is Holy So Are the Branches

Paul uses two images here to show that God is not finished with Israel and there is still hope for her salvation.

Romans 11:16 NKJV

16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

The first is the of the offering of the first fruits. The first fruit of the harvest was to be offered to God and by doing this the rest of the harvest (or in this case the dough to make the bread) was sanctified.

This is the concept behind tithing by the way. Not that I give God and little and he give me a lot back. Rather that by offering the first fruit to God the rest is “sanctified” set apart or made holy.

The second image is the root and the branches. If the root is holy the so are the branches. From this image Paul spend the rest of this passage teaching about the church and Israel.

So what are these images representing?

The first fruits are either Israel’s patriarchs or the early church as the first believers of Christ. Either way the image works as the early church has its foundation in Abraham Isaac and Jacob.

The root most likely represents Abraham as the one who received the promise of the Seed that would bless all families of the earth.

The lump and the branches refer to the whole family of God both natural descendants of Abraham as well as Gentiles engrafted.

So if the first fruits are or if the root is holy that is is Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the first believers in Christ (who were Israelites) are holy or sanctified, then so are Israel. Not that they are all righteous and justified as we know that many are lost and cut off. But they are holy in the since that they are set apart as God’s special people. Israel is still special to God as a nation and God still has intentions for them. And for this reason Paul warns.

Do Not Boast Against the Natural Branches

I would just like to make a point here. There is a lot of hate against Israel today. People are very divided in their views about Israel. Do not get on the wrong side of that divide. Israel is God’s chosen nation. I believe that the promise to national Israel still stands that God will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. God has set national Israel apart and He still has a plan for them.

Now there is also a movement within the church which would exalt Israel and Judaism to the point of going back to the old ways of the Law. This is also an imbalance.

Now I don’t believe that Israel can do no wrong. Of course they are just as capable of sin and evil as anyone else. And still the majority of Israel has rejected Christ. However, this should lead us to pray for Israel. Pray for their salvation as Paul gave us example. And because when they are accepted in Christ the whole world receives a blessing.

But Paul specifically warns here about boasting against Israel. That is boasting by saying “Israel use to be God’s people but now we are God’s people.” Don’t think yourself to be better than Israel or speak poorly of Israel.

Why?

Romans 11:17–18 NKJV

17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

1. because as Gentile believers We were grafted into Israel. We have been brought into the commonwealth of Israel and made fellow citizens. So to speak poorly of Israel is to speak poorly of ourselves.

Ephesians 2:11–22 NKJV

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The Wild Branches Can be Cut Off

The olive tree represents the people of God of who Abraham is the root Israel as a nation the first and natural branches which grew into the church as the early Christians came to faith and as the Gentiles were ingrafted in.

Romans 11:19–22 NKJV

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

So what is Paul saying here? Is this contradicting everything that Paul has told us? Didn’t Paul say that nothing could separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord?

Let go back to something Paul said in ch 9.

Romans 9:6 NKJV

6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,

Many of those who where Israel nationally were cut off of the olive tree of the people of God. As a result many gentiles were able to be ingrafted into the tree. but the tree represents the visible church or the visible people of God. Among the visible church there are many have made professions of faith, they go to church they participate in church functions, They enjoy the fatness of the olive tree. But they are not all the true church who are in the visible church. These are dead branches which will be cut off unless they believe. There is the true elect of God and there are others who are part of the church but are not the elect. The proof of your election is “if you continue in His goodness” “If you stand by faith” If you fall away because of unbelief or fail to continue in the goodness of God then you will be cut off because you were never the elect.

1 Corinthians 15:1–2 NKJV

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

If you do not hold fast to the word which was preach then your faith was vain or empty.

So how do you know?

2 Peter 1:5–10 NKJV

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

So there is a very real warning in our passage. We are proving our election. By continuing in faith and by continuing in the goodness and grace of God and by growing in godly character we confirm our election and calling.

But just as Gentiles can be cut off from the olive tree Paul says that Israelites can be grafted back into the tree.

The Natural Branches Can Be Grafted Back Into the Tree

So Paul brings us back to a missional perspective.

Romans 11:23–24 NKJV

23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

If Israel does not continue in their unbelief but rather they repent and come to Christ accepting their Messiah, then they will be grafted back into the olive tree who’s root is Abraham and is their natural tree. It is a very natural thing for an Israelite to come to Christ. But the blindness must be removed from their eyes. We must pray for the salvation of Israel. Pray that they would be grafted back into the olive tree.

We see the way that they must come is no different than any other. They must come by faith. We must all come by faith. Genuine faith, life changing faith, lasting faith.