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Do Jews have to be “out” for Christians to be “in”?

It’s a question that sits at the heart of how many people have understood the Apostle Paul—and it has shaped centuries of Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism.

In this episode, we take a fresh look at Romans, focusing on Paul’s olive tree imagery in chapter 11.

Did Paul really believe that Jews who do not believe in Jesus were removed from God’s covenants?
Or is that a reading shaped more by later theological assumptions than by Paul himself?

Walking carefully through the text, this episode explores:

What Paul actually says in Romans 11:17–24
The meaning of the Greek phrase en autois (“among them”)
Why “broken” may not mean “broken off” (ekklaō)
The difference between ekklaō and ekkopto
Paul’s warning to Gentile believers against arrogance
Why Paul’s olive tree is not a zero-sum story

Along the way, we challenge a deeply ingrained assumption that, for Paul, Jewish belonging to God’s covenant depends on belief in Jesus in the same way it does for non-Jews.

Instead, a different picture emerges—one in which:

Jews remain connected to God’s covenantal promises
Gentile believers are grafted in among them, not in their place
And both are sustained by the same root

This is not replacement theology.
And it’s not dual-covenant theology.

It’s a reexamination of Paul’s own words—on their own terms.

This episode draws from Olive Tree Affirmation #7—part of a larger framework designed to help Christians articulate a faithful, biblical relationship with the Jewish people without falling into antisemitism or replacement theology.

Learn more about the Olive Tree Campaign and the Olive Tree Affirmations at www.bridgebuildersforum.com/olivetree

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Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians"

The Weird Apostle
Ryan's book places the Apostle Paul in his Jewish and Greco-Roman context.

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