Romans 11:17 – God’s Holy Fruit
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,
Truth to Learn
God works contrary to the natural ways of man to produce fruit which will bring glory only to Him.
Behind the Words
“Branches” is from klados, which refers to a branch that has been broken off from a tree or bush.
The verb translated “broken off” is ekklaō, made up of ek, meaning “out” and klaō, meaning “to break.” We see here another of Paul’s play on words between klados and ekklaō.
The words “a partaker with them” are from the Greek verb sugkoinōnos, which is made up of sun, meaning “together with” and koinōnos, meaning “a partner.” Hence, this word refers to “one who shares things in common with others.”
Meaning Explained
The illustration here is of a cultivated olive tree into which branches from a wild olive tree were grafted and thus the engrafted branches produced fruit from the nurturing of the roots. In reality, however, a husbandman would not do this. Instead, he would take branches from a fruitful, cultivated olive tree and graft them into a wild, unfruitful tree stock to produce fruit. You see, a wild olive tree produces very little fruit and what it does produce is small and bitter. But a cultivated tree produces a greater quantity and better quality fruit. In nature it is only when the good branches are grafted into the fruitless rootstock that good fruit is produced. But, as Paul will tell us in verse twenty-four, this engrafting is “contrary to nature.” That’s the way God does things.
So why does Paul talk about an olive tree in which the fruitfulness comes from the root and not the branches? It is to show the supernatural quality of holiness. It is not produced in the branches; it is produced in the root, God Himself. Paul says that some of the branches of the holy tree were broken off. This may be a reference to:
The LORD called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken. (Jeremiah 11:16)
This refers to the Jews who rejected the Messiah when He first came. Paul then says that “you,” referring to individual Gentiles, who were of a fruitless, wild olive tree, were grafted in among the remaining branches (the few believing Jews, among whom were the apostles). He points out that the result of the grafting is that the branches, both the natural branches and the engrafted ones, now share in the blessings and holiness of the root.
Paul is emphasizing two things here. The first is that the Gentiles did not attain holiness (fruitfulness) apart from the holy root. And the second thing is that the Gentiles were included in the church only because, and after, the Jews rejected God’s offer.
Application
Thank you, Lord, for grafting me into the holy olive tree. May I produce fruit worthy of the King, from your working in and through me!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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