RE-CAP: When Paul speaks of "branches," "he is talking about either individuals or nations specifically, but only about the masses of Jew and many Gentiles."
and
God has ceased to call many Jews, instead extending His call mainly to Gentiles, "grafting in" those who believe on Christ.
RESUMING: It is unnatural to graft wild olive branches into a cultivated tree. The Jews were natural branches in that they were "set-apart ones," part of the people to whom God gave great gifts and blessings (Rom.9:4-5). But these things constituted only the outward call to faith. In His providence, God has now chosen to allow most Jews to remain in their sin and to call many Gentiles to faith in Christ. And so, the Gentiles came out of their spiritual darkness and became partakers "of the root and fatness of the olive tree.," As Paul put it earlier in Romans, they became spiritual children of Abraham, the father of the faithful (4:13-18).
CORAM DEO
We Gentiles ought to consider again the blessings we enjoy as we partake of the "the root and fatness" of the household of faith: adoption by God, the presence of God, the covenants, the law, worship, divine promises, a magnificent heritage (Rom. 9:4-5), and much more. Let’s take time today to thank God for grafting us to His olive tree.
In Christ,
Janet Irene Thomas
Playwright/Director/Screen Writer
Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
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