You don’t want to miss the GB teaching this week. It is the 7th teaching in our series titled, “The Fullness Formula: God’s Call to Israel and the Nations Together”.
Today, Ariel focuses in on The Olive Tree—Holy Root, Holy Branches and Holy Fruit—from Romans 11:16-23. Paul’s audience in Rome had Jewish believers and gentile followers of Yeshua. In order to grasp the full meaning of the Olive Tree parable, we need to put ourselves “in their shoes,” and imagine how they—especially the gentiles to whom this section is addressed-- would have heard the apostle’s teaching.
Ariel helps us to define the different elements of this tree, of its branches and root. This Olive Tree is a “people tree”: it’s alive, it’s organic, it’s expansive and we are all grafted into it together by the covenant promises of God.
Who, or what, is the ROOT?
Who are the branches?
What does it mean that branches were broken off?
What does it mean that others were grafted in?
Not understanding and defining these terms accurately has led the church to great confusion, replacement theology, and a tragic history of anti-semitism. Let’s go through these verses together and take the time to make sure our understanding of the text is biblically sound, fitting the context of Paul’s ministry to Jews and gentiles in the Roman empire. Let’s take His warning not to be arrogant seriously. WATCH!
