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==The wild olive branch==

==The wild olive branch==

The church in Rome was begun as a Jewish fellowship, started by those who returned from [[Pentecost]] in [[Jerusalem]],<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202%20;&version=9; Acts 2]</ref> not by an [[apostle]]. As these Jewish believers evangelized, many Gentile believers joined them. Around 50 AD [[Claudius]] banished many Jews from Rome,<ref>Barclay, John M. G.; Hooker, Morna Dorothy and McMurdo, John Philip (ed.) "Early Christian Thought in Its Jewish Context" (Cambridge University Press; 2007) ISBN 0-5210-4412-X</ref> leaving the church entirely Gentile. Twelve years later [[Nero]] invited the Jews back to stimulate trade. However the Gentiles refused to allow the Messianic Jewish believers back into the church,<ref>Fitzmyer, J. A. ''Romans'', (Anchor Bible Commentary, New York: Doubleday, 1993)</ref><ref>Keck, Leander E. "The New Interpreter's Bible" (Abingdon Press, 2003) ISBN 0-6870-6347-7</ref> as a starting point on your studies.  שועל (talk|contribs) 13:03, 22 November 2008 (EST)  having concluded that Claudius' rejection signified God's rejection, which is probably the first appearance of [[Replacement Theology]].<ref>[http://fp.thebeers.f9.co.uk/olive.htm ''The Olive Tree and the wild olive branch''] "The Wild Olive Branch" Accessed 18 February 2008</ref>

The church in Rome was begun as a Jewish fellowship, started by those who returned from [[Pentecost]] in [[Jerusalem]],<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202%20;&version=9; Acts 2]</ref> not by an [[apostle]]. As these Jewish believers evangelized, many Gentile believers joined them. Around 50 AD [[Claudius]] banished many Jews from Rome,<ref>Barclay, John M. G.; Hooker, Morna Dorothy and McMurdo, John Philip (ed.) "Early Christian Thought in Its Jewish Context" (Cambridge University Press; 2007) ISBN 0-5210-4412-X</ref> leaving the church entirely Gentile. Twelve years later [[Nero]] invited the Jews back to stimulate trade. However the Gentiles were reluctant to allow the Messianic Jewish believers back into the church,<ref>Fitzmyer, J. A. ''Romans'', (Anchor Bible Commentary, New York: Doubleday, 1993)</ref><ref>Keck, Leander E. "The New Interpreter's Bible" (Abingdon Press, 2003) ISBN 0-6870-6347-7</ref> having concluded that Claudius' rejection signified God's rejection, which is probably the first appearance of [[Replacement Theology]].<ref>[http://fp.thebeers.f9.co.uk/olive.htm ''The Olive Tree and the wild olive branch''] "The Wild Olive Branch" Accessed 18 February 2008</ref>

[[Paul]]'s [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%209-11;&version=9; letter to the Roman church] addresses this matter, and he urges them to remember that they are like a "wild olive tree, grafted in" among the Jews, and warns them against "conceit", particularly as it is the Jewish root which supported their Christian branch. ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2011:17,18,25;&version=9; Romans 11:17,18,25]) Paul begins his epistle with the exhortation to the Roman church that they must accept that the gospel was for the "Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).

[[Paul]]'s [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%209-11;&version=9; letter to the Roman church] addresses this matter, and he urges them to remember that they are like a "wild olive tree, grafted in" among the Jews, and warns them against "conceit", particularly as it is the Jewish root which supported their Christian branch. ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2011:17,18,25;&version=9; Romans 11:17,18,25]) Paul begins his epistle with the exhortation to the Roman church that they must accept that the gospel was for the "Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).