Significant numbers of Christians over the
years have had difficulty understanding the image of the olive tree the
apostle Paul uses in Romans 11. If you doubt this, consult any combination of online commentaries. You’ll quickly see interpretations differ wildly.
For those who wonder why something like this
matters enough to merit an entire blog post, bear in the mind that
Romans 11 speaks of the future place in God’s purposes of his earthly
people, the nation of Israel. An increasing number of Christians are convinced
all God’s promises to Israel are fully realized in the Church, and that the “Israel”
of which the Old Testament speaks is actually … well … us.
How you understand the olive tree is all
tied up in that.