COL 1: 18

[Eleanor]

It says their own olive tree.. So we are grafted into their own tree?

Yes, the olive tree is the one people of God, both OT and NT (Ro 11:17-23).
They were the only people of God in the OT, the only nation on the olive tree, the beginning of the church (ekklesia, "assembly in the wilderness," Ac 7:38), and whose only destiny now is to be grafted back into that one olive tree IF (not "when) they do not persist in unbelief (Ro 11:23).

Romans 11:24 ESV
For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

"IF (not "when") they do not persist in unbelief" (Ro 11:23).

 

[EarlyActs]

It says their own olive tree.. So we are grafted into their own tree?

Romans 11:24 ESV
For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The important point is that the olive tree is not any one of the race-nations. When he said 'their own,' he did not mean the race-nation; he meant those who believed, but lost their grip. Notice that the tree (the true olive tree) only stands by faith. Did you read the intro of vs 1-4?

It should be easy, by way of background, for the Jewish person to believe, but the obstacles are nearly insurmountable. The veil!

The tricky thing about reading ch 11 is that he has to mention the race-nations out of necessity ("I'm speaking to you gentiles") but there is no race-nation identity to the tree. Likewise, he mentions slave v free, but Christian faith is not confined to one or the other. This prevents revolution, btw, but fosters necessary reform peaceably.

 

[prism]

"IF (not "when") they do not persist in unbelief" (Ro 11:23).

My point of Romans 11: 24 is that we Gentiles are being granted into their own tree, which runs counter to what I have been arguing. That the church is is separate from Israel. Oh well.

 

[Eleanor]

My point of Romans 11: 24 is that we Gentiles are being granted into their own tree, which runs counter to what I have been arguing. That the church is is separate from Israel. Oh well.

Yes, the one olive tree of God's people consisted only of Israelites until the NT. It was "their own tree," the one tree of God's people, from which unbelieving Israel was cut off, and now to which believing Gentiles are grafted in, and to which Israel will be grafted back IF (not "when") they do not persist in unbelief, which they have for 2,000 years now.

 

[Carbon]

Colossians 1:18 (KJV) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Looking at Colossians 1:18, I ask, "How could the church exist in the Old Testament when the incarnation and resurrection had not happened yet?"

Think about Christ being the Alpha and the Omega. That should put your thoughts on the right track.

 

[Carbon]

The NT Church began as described in Acts 2:4.

Christ said said that He will build His church (Matthew 16:18).

Just as the OT church started with Adam and Eve. And the Church, both old and new is the body of Christ.

 

[Carbon]

Study the NT.

There is one olive tree, made up of all true believers, both OT and NT, from which unbelieving Israel has been cut off, while only the believing remnant remains, just as also only a believing remnant of Gentiles are included (Ro 11).

Amen!

 

[Carbon]

Yes, the one olive tree of God's people consisted only of Israelites until the NT. It was "their own tree," the one tree of God's people, from which unbelieving Israel was cut off, and now to which believing Gentiles are grafted in, and to which Israel will be grafted back IF (not "when") they do not persist in unbelief, which they have for 2,000 years now.

Spiritual Israel. Which is both Jews and Gentiles.