Grafted In

Romans 11:17-18 uses the word "graft" a few times but many people do not understand what it means and therefore do not understand what Paul is saying. "¹⁷ And if some of the branches were cut off and you, a wild olive tree, were grafted in their place, and you have become a partaker of the roots and of the fat of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not boast against the branches; but if you boast, were you not supported by the roots, rather than the root being supported by you?"

Grafting is a way to use a strong disease resistant root stock that may not bear much fruit to support a variety that isn't as strong but grows more or better fruit. Sometimes just the root of the strong variety is used. Other times a branch from a strong tree is clipped off and a branch from the more productive variety is grafted in. The success rate of a graft depends on the two varieties being used and it doesn't always work.

When grafting is understood, Paul's point become clear. He is saying that Judaism is the natural tree that God is growing. Some branches were cut off because they rejected the Messiah and we Gentiles, a different variety, were grafted into that tree. As such we benefit from the root and the sap that the root feeds to all the branches. He specifically says we should not think that we Gentiles support the Jews. He also says that, if God cut off some of the unbelieving natural branches to graft in the Gentiles, he can also cut off unbelieving Gentile branches. Later, Paul says that the Jews can be grafted back in easily because it is a tree of their own nature.

It was appropriate that Paul would write this to the church of Rome. They didn't like Jews or Judaism. Shortly after the last of the apostles were gone that church would reject this teaching and decide that they were the tree that God was growing. Immediately they began to drift away from God.

¹ http://chestofbooks.com/gardening-horticulture/Manual-Of-Horticulture/Exercise-XXXVIII-The-Study-Of-Veneer-Grafting.html#.Vke15narSCg