Branches in New Orleans

Currently I am spending vast amounts of time listening to some very smart people, and a few who like to think they are very smart, discuss their recent scholarship.  This morning I heard a great take on Paul's use of the olive tree metaphor.  The passage in Romans, mainly 11.24, speaks of wild olive branches being grafted into a natural tree.  The issue was brought by Mark Nanos that the verse is commonly translated as "broken off" or "cut off" as in the branches are completely removed.  This runs contrary to agricultural practice, which Mark went into from 1st c. sources, and helps form a misunderstanding of the argument Paul is making.  Now, Paul is not farmer and his metaphor does not work in actual tree pruning.  But  that is not the point.

The point Paul is stating is the state of Gentile converts.  Not the state of Israel, which is referenced as the branches that are "broken off."  Paul is commenting on inclusion of Gentiles into the tree, which is Israel in Christ.  Paul does not go into the state of "Jews," "Judaism," "Israel," in modern terms, as one single group, but continues his thought that salvation has come to all through the Christ event, rendering the church the Israel in Christ.  I was challenged by the argument to reconsider the role of the olive tree metaphor in Paul.  I think many of the older ideas about Paul's view of Israel, and Jews, are often not looked at close enough, and are simply brushed over with only a note about Paul's opposition to Judaism.  We cannot disregard the multiplicity of understandings, ideas, and meanings as to what it meant to be a first century Jew.  Modernity cannot be projected back on to the first century.

Well, I'm off to yet another session.  I'm sure much more will come up as the conference continues.  And a lot of books are being added to "the list."