Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
The verse records the claim of a Gentile believer, as a branch from a wild olive tree grafted in contrary to nature, that the natural Jewish branches were broken off so that he might be grafted in among the remnant that remained true to partake of its root and fatness. The natural branches were broken off because of unbelief, disobedience and rejection, failing to bear fruit, while those grafted in stand only by faith and obedience. The true stock into which all are grafted is Christ Jesus, and to be grafted in is to be joined to Him by conversion and faith, receiving life from Him continually, for the graft does not bear the root but the root bears the graft. The saying gives no ground for boasting against the branches or being highminded, but calls for humility and fear, beholding God's severity on those who fell and His goodness if continuance in His goodness is maintained, for if God spared not the natural branches He will not spare the grafted branch either. The breaking off is not final, for the natural branches can be grafted into their own olive tree again if they abide not still in unbelief, and those grafted in bear responsibility to work for their restoration.
The Saying and Symbols
Thou wilt say then is the word of a Gentile believer speaking as a branch of the wild olive tree now grafted in, declaring that the Jewish natural branches were broken off in order that he himself might be grafted in. It is in some places presented as a proud claim of the Gentile that Israel's branches were removed to make room for his own ingrafting. The saying belongs to the wild olive shoot grafted in among the natural branches to partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree.
The noble olive tree is the remnant of Israel that stayed true to the God of their fathers, into which parent stock the Gentiles are grafted contrary to nature. The wild olive tree grafted in among the rest is all believers who now share the privileges once given to ancient Israel, partaking with the remaining branches of the root and fatness of the olive tree. That ingrafting is in among them, not apart from them, so that the grafted branch stands by faith together with those that remain.
The true stock and parent vine into which both are grafted is Christ Jesus, the living vine and foundation and chief cornerstone. Being grafted in is being connected to Christ and His church by conversion, by repentance and receiving Christ as Saviour, with life from the Eternal One invigorating the penitent. In this sense the broken branches are those cut away through impenitence and the fruitless nation separated from Christ, while the grafted-in branches are Gentiles admitted to the true church and any penitent brought in, becoming living branches sharing the life that nourishes the vine and pruned so they can bear fruit. So the seed of Israel who accept Christ are grafted into the true stock by conversion and refuge in Christ, and the work of grafting them in is done through gospel work in their behalf and through a home where converted Jews can find refuge and learn to work for their own people.
The graft does not bear the root but the root bears the graft.
Cause and Historical Setting
The natural branches were broken off because of unbelief, disobedience, impenitence, and rejection of Heaven's purpose. They failed to bring forth fruit, abused the messengers sent to them, and at last lifted the Son and heir upon the cross. They refused to discern the divinity of His mission despite His miracles, ascribed His power to cast out devils to the chief of devils, and acted in pride, blindness, hardness of heart and malice. By this Israel as a nation lost her connection with God and divorced herself from Him.
The breaking off as a nation took place when Christ looked for the last time upon the interior of the temple and declared it desolate. Until then He had called it His Father's house, but as the Son of God passed out from its walls God's presence was withdrawn forever, leaving its ceremonies meaningless and its services a mockery. This followed the nation's rejection of Christ and refusal of His offers of mercy despite His long desire to gather them, so that Jerusalem's judgment came by their own responsibility.
Through this unbelief God's purpose was not turned aside, but believing Gentiles as a new Israel were grafted into the old olive tree. Christ on earth had prepared this by seeking to lead the Jews out of exclusiveness through direct work outside acknowledged Israel, as in the conversion of the centurion and of the Syrophenician woman. Then the time came for active and continued work among the Gentiles when the synagogues were closed against the apostles through bigotry, blindness of mind, hardness of heart, unbelief and malice. Private houses were thrown open for their use and public buildings of the Gentiles were also used to preach the Word, and whole communities gladly received the gospel with grateful hearts and glorified God for the light of an intelligent faith, fulfilling that those who were not God's people would be called His people and receive His mercy.
Those broken off were broken off because of unbelief, while those grafted in stand only by faith. Right to the privileges of the church in every age comes through obedience to God's commandments. Perfect obedience is the evidence of love for God.
Warning Against Boasting Pride
The boast that others were removed to make room for oneself gives no ground for pride toward the branches, for being high-minded, or for despising the Jews and the agencies placed in the church, but calls for humility and fear. The natural branches were broken off because of unbelief and rejection of Heaven's purpose, while the one grafted in from a wild olive, contrary to nature, into the remnant that stayed true and shares its root and fatness, stands only by faith. The graft does not bear the root but the root bears the graft, so there is no cause to despise the Jews, among whom are mighty men who will proclaim the truth with power. Even where tares are among the wheat and evils are seen among Sabbath-keepers, there is to be no disparaging of the church, but a work of purification that makes it a bright light.
The grafted branch must behold both the goodness and the severity of God, severity on those who fell and goodness toward itself if it continues in His goodness. That continuance means fearing always and confessing and forsaking sins and not hardening the heart, with right to the church's privileges in every age coming through obedience to God's commandments and perfect obedience as evidence of love. For if God spared not the natural branches, He will not spare the grafted branch either, and it also shall be cut off if it leaves His goodness.
The same cutting off applies to professed people now, for branches will be cut off and others raised up in their stead to bear fruit and work to God's glory, so they must be careful and daily rise above darkness. Those who are stubborn and rebellious, who wound hearts and remain a dead weight, without vital godliness and unsanctified by the truth they profess, will be purged out and disfellowshipped from the camp, while others who had not heard will embrace the truth and take their places. Remaining and bearing fruit requires keeping close to Jesus with fasting and prayer to get victory over the powers of darkness, with childlike simplicity, pressing petitions to the throne and holding on by living faith.
The passage belongs to the revelation of God's will that it is a great privilege to understand and know, giving reason to increase in faith and righteousness and to grow up in Christ the living Head. It leads into praise of the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge and unsearchable judgments and ways past finding out. At the same time it holds the deep mystery of the Jews' rejection and the Gentiles' calling, which finite beings comprehend little, understood progressively as God opens His Word and communication of intelligence grows. It holds a beautiful truth all may understand together with doctrine requiring deep thought, to be received as fully inspired and never misinterpreted, misapplied, or weakened as lightly inspired.
Restoration and Work for Jews
The broken branches are not beyond recovery, for if they do not remain in unbelief they can be grafted again into their own olive tree and into the parent stock, since God is able to reunite them with the true stock. Belief in Christ works transformation of character, so that in humility they may stand on the right platform and bear fruit to the glory of God. Their disconnection came through failure to fulfill God's purpose and to discern the divinity of Christ's mission despite miracles wrought among them as His own chosen people, even ascribing His power to cast out devils to the chief of devils. The gospel preached to them would have proved their salvation and made them members of the royal family manifesting the riches of His grace through succeeding ages, but as a nation they rejected Christ and refused His offers of mercy and were cut off that Gentiles might be grafted in, yet the cutting off is not final and it is still their privilege to become partakers with the Gentiles of the salvation of God.
The whole chapter outlines a work for the Jews that must be studied carefully and must not be ignored. It is to be done with special wisdom and in all wisdom and righteousness, clearing the King's highway and giving them every opportunity of coming to the light. That labor in behalf of the Jewish people is to be given all possible encouragement and help and not bound about with many forbiddings. The Lord will work through men of different nationalities to reach their fellow countrymen by seizing opportunities as they come. Part of the call is to provide a home where converted Jews can find refuge and learn to work for their own people, since many of the seed of Israel who now accept Christ are cut off from their own people yet may be grafted into Christ and taught and restored as natural branches.
Those Gentiles who have been gathered in and grafted into the place of branches broken off are responsible and are to be interested in the salvation of the nation broken off, with special efforts to proclaim the gospel to them as children of the heavenly birth. There is no ground for being highminded or for despising the Jews, but reason to fear, for unbelief broke the natural branches off and faith alone keeps the grafted Gentile standing. Among the Jews the Lord has mighty men who will proclaim the truth with power, and many Jews will also come to the light. If they receive Christ as their Saviour there is power in the gospel message that they may again be grafted in.
Church Identity and Unity
Gentile believers grafted into the old olive tree become the Israel of God, a new Israel joined to the old and made one with the original branches, so that God's purpose was not turned aside by Jewish unbelief and malice. Through faith in the gospel they are gathered into God's people, fulfilling what Hosea foretold that those who were not God's people would be called His people and receive His mercy. Christ on earth prepared this gathering by leading the Jews out of exclusiveness through direct work outside acknowledged Israel, as in the conversion of the centurion and of the Syrophenician woman. When bigotry, blindness of mind, hardness of heart, unbelief and malice closed the synagogues against the apostles, the time came for active and continued work among the Gentiles, with private houses thrown open and public buildings of the Gentiles used for preaching, and whole communities gladly receiving the gospel with grateful hearts and glorifying God for the light of an intelligent faith. As thus joined to the old tree, they keep the seventh-day Sabbath sanctified by God as a perpetual sign and covenant with Israel, to be observed forever as a memorial of creation and rest.
All as individuals are to be grafted into the one parent stock, which is Christ Jesus, brought out step by step from the world upon the platform of Bible truth. Those so grafted into the tame olive tree bear fruit of the genuine tree under His continual watchcare and providence embracing all their ways, giving clear and decided confidence in His leadings still. A life consecrated to the service of God is developed and beautified in its individuality, for no person can sink his individuality in that of another. There is to be unity in diversity, with complete unity as mind blends with mind yet no two of the same mold, just as no two leaves of the same tree are precisely alike, leaving abundant room for all in harmonious diversity to act the part assigned them without belittling those whose gifts or character differ.
Those who minister in word and doctrine are branches grafted into the same parent stock and must not stand apart from each other as independent branches, but work together in unity advancing with the light God has given. The boast that the natural branches were broken off that the grafted branch might be grafted in is corrected by the truth that those broken off were broken off because of unbelief while those grafted in stand only by faith and partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree. It therefore forbids boasting against the branches and being high-minded and commands fear, for if God spared not the natural branches He will also not spare the grafted branch if it leaves His goodness. Applied to the present church, there is to be no disparaging of the church and of the agencies God has placed in the church, even though there are tares among the wheat and evils are seen in the body of Sabbath-keepers, but the work is purification that makes the church a bright light in a dark place.
After the fruitless Jewish nation as a fruitless branch was separated from Christ, the Gentiles were grafted into the living vine and became living branches sharing the life that nourishes the vine. The vine was removed from Israel's reach and replanted beyond the wall, where its stem could not be harmed, yet its branches still hung within reach so that grafts could be joined to it. Those joined must remain connected to Christ by faith and are pruned so they can bear fruit.
Personal Union and Fruit
The grafting spoken of is personal union with Christ, in which a sinner as a dry, lifeless branch renounces self and is joined to Christ by faith and obedience to become a living branch. That union is a relation of complete dependence, for life is received from Christ personally and continually, and no branch can draw its life from another branch. Christ guards the bond, while the one joined to Him must preserve it by continual, earnest effort and resist every effort to separate the soul from Christ.
This preserving is by a course of obedience in which one warned by the errors of others refuses to repeat sin and determines to climb upward rather than descend to sin and degradation. The upward choice is to walk in the right way and press on in the upward path even when born of a wicked father, surrounded by temptations to follow in his steps and by surrounding wickedness, with few counselors to encourage in the right way and without Christian parental influences. In that path grace is given to do what is right in the Lord's sight, and the one thus grafted from the wild olive into the good olive becomes a chosen vessel.
A branch grafted into a stock bears the same kind of fruit as the stock to which it is joined, so those joined to Christ bear the fruit Christ bore. This requires the Spirit of Christ, giving evidence by drawing life from the stock and bearing fruit exactly like it, revealed in words and actions at all times as to what the truth is doing for the soul. To be thus grafted in is to put away all that is harsh and coarse and rough in character, with no harsh speeches, careless words and acts, masterful spirit, or acting as a sinner, and to express the goodness, mercy, compassion, tenderness and lovingkindness of God in words, deportment, character and works, so that character and works harmonize with divine truth and watchers glorify the Father in heaven. Such faithful witness matters in the closing period of earth's history, for many have never had the light, are deceived by their teachers, and have not received the mark of the beast, and the Lord continues to work with them and will not withdraw grace until they are convicted of the truth and trample upon the evidence given to enlighten them, while those who hold the truth must hold it in righteousness and show that they receive nourishment from the parent stock.
Counterfeit grafting still bears wild fruit, for when seed is grafted onto a wild olive it bears wild olives. Errors and human theories grafted in take the place of truth, and their fruit is wild, bringing centuries of darkness and ignorance in contrast to God's Word as the tree of life. Merely joining truth outwardly to an unrenewed nature leaves one as a wild vine, for without a faith that works by love and purifies the soul, selfish and inherited tendencies remain in control and the fruit leads to death. So also unkind, selfish conduct bears the bitter fruit of the wild olive tree, not the fruit of branches abiding in the vine.
The verse records the claim of a Gentile believer, as a branch from a wild olive tree grafted in contrary to nature, that the natural Jewish branches were broken off so that he might be grafted in among the remnant that remained true to partake of its root and fatness. The natural branches were broken off because of unbelief, disobedience and rejection, failing to bear fruit, while those grafted in stand only by faith and obedience. The true stock into which all are grafted is Christ Jesus, and to be grafted in is to be joined to Him by conversion and faith, receiving life from Him continually, for the graft does not bear the root but the root bears the graft. The saying gives no ground for boasting against the branches or being highminded, but calls for humility and fear, beholding God's severity on those who fell and His goodness if continuance in His goodness is maintained, for if God spared not the natural branches He will not spare the grafted branch either. The breaking off is not final, for the natural branches can be grafted into their own olive tree again if they abide not still in unbelief, and those grafted in bear responsibility to work for their restoration.
The Saying and Symbols
Thou wilt say then is the word of a Gentile believer speaking as a branch of the wild olive tree now grafted in, declaring that the Jewish natural branches were broken off in order that he himself might be grafted in. It is in some places presented as a proud claim of the Gentile that Israel's branches were removed to make room for his own ingrafting. The saying belongs to the wild olive shoot grafted in among the natural branches to partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree.
The noble olive tree is the remnant of Israel that stayed true to the God of their fathers, into which parent stock the Gentiles are grafted contrary to nature. The wild olive tree grafted in among the rest is all believers who now share the privileges once given to ancient Israel, partaking with the remaining branches of the root and fatness of the olive tree. That ingrafting is in among them, not apart from them, so that the grafted branch stands by faith together with those that remain.
The true stock and parent vine into which both are grafted is Christ Jesus, the living vine and foundation and chief cornerstone. Being grafted in is being connected to Christ and His church by conversion, by repentance and receiving Christ as Saviour, with life from the Eternal One invigorating the penitent. In this sense the broken branches are those cut away through impenitence and the fruitless nation separated from Christ, while the grafted-in branches are Gentiles admitted to the true church and any penitent brought in, becoming living branches sharing the life that nourishes the vine and pruned so they can bear fruit. So the seed of Israel who accept Christ are grafted into the true stock by conversion and refuge in Christ, and the work of grafting them in is done through gospel work in their behalf and through a home where converted Jews can find refuge and learn to work for their own people.
The graft does not bear the root but the root bears the graft.
Cause and Historical Setting
The natural branches were broken off because of unbelief, disobedience, impenitence, and rejection of Heaven's purpose. They failed to bring forth fruit, abused the messengers sent to them, and at last lifted the Son and heir upon the cross. They refused to discern the divinity of His mission despite His miracles, ascribed His power to cast out devils to the chief of devils, and acted in pride, blindness, hardness of heart and malice. By this Israel as a nation lost her connection with God and divorced herself from Him.
The breaking off as a nation took place when Christ looked for the last time upon the interior of the temple and declared it desolate. Until then He had called it His Father's house, but as the Son of God passed out from its walls God's presence was withdrawn forever, leaving its ceremonies meaningless and its services a mockery. This followed the nation's rejection of Christ and refusal of His offers of mercy despite His long desire to gather them, so that Jerusalem's judgment came by their own responsibility.
Through this unbelief God's purpose was not turned aside, but believing Gentiles as a new Israel were grafted into the old olive tree. Christ on earth had prepared this by seeking to lead the Jews out of exclusiveness through direct work outside acknowledged Israel, as in the conversion of the centurion and of the Syrophenician woman. Then the time came for active and continued work among the Gentiles when the synagogues were closed against the apostles through bigotry, blindness of mind, hardness of heart, unbelief and malice. Private houses were thrown open for their use and public buildings of the Gentiles were also used to preach the Word, and whole communities gladly received the gospel with grateful hearts and glorified God for the light of an intelligent faith, fulfilling that those who were not God's people would be called His people and receive His mercy.
Those broken off were broken off because of unbelief, while those grafted in stand only by faith. Right to the privileges of the church in every age comes through obedience to God's commandments. Perfect obedience is the evidence of love for God.
Warning Against Boasting Pride
The boast that others were removed to make room for oneself gives no ground for pride toward the branches, for being high-minded, or for despising the Jews and the agencies placed in the church, but calls for humility and fear. The natural branches were broken off because of unbelief and rejection of Heaven's purpose, while the one grafted in from a wild olive, contrary to nature, into the remnant that stayed true and shares its root and fatness, stands only by faith. The graft does not bear the root but the root bears the graft, so there is no cause to despise the Jews, among whom are mighty men who will proclaim the truth with power. Even where tares are among the wheat and evils are seen among Sabbath-keepers, there is to be no disparaging of the church, but a work of purification that makes it a bright light.
The grafted branch must behold both the goodness and the severity of God, severity on those who fell and goodness toward itself if it continues in His goodness. That continuance means fearing always and confessing and forsaking sins and not hardening the heart, with right to the church's privileges in every age coming through obedience to God's commandments and perfect obedience as evidence of love. For if God spared not the natural branches, He will not spare the grafted branch either, and it also shall be cut off if it leaves His goodness.
The same cutting off applies to professed people now, for branches will be cut off and others raised up in their stead to bear fruit and work to God's glory, so they must be careful and daily rise above darkness. Those who are stubborn and rebellious, who wound hearts and remain a dead weight, without vital godliness and unsanctified by the truth they profess, will be purged out and disfellowshipped from the camp, while others who had not heard will embrace the truth and take their places. Remaining and bearing fruit requires keeping close to Jesus with fasting and prayer to get victory over the powers of darkness, with childlike simplicity, pressing petitions to the throne and holding on by living faith.
The passage belongs to the revelation of God's will that it is a great privilege to understand and know, giving reason to increase in faith and righteousness and to grow up in Christ the living Head. It leads into praise of the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge and unsearchable judgments and ways past finding out. At the same time it holds the deep mystery of the Jews' rejection and the Gentiles' calling, which finite beings comprehend little, understood progressively as God opens His Word and communication of intelligence grows. It holds a beautiful truth all may understand together with doctrine requiring deep thought, to be received as fully inspired and never misinterpreted, misapplied, or weakened as lightly inspired.
Restoration and Work for Jews
The broken branches are not beyond recovery, for if they do not remain in unbelief they can be grafted again into their own olive tree and into the parent stock, since God is able to reunite them with the true stock. Belief in Christ works transformation of character, so that in humility they may stand on the right platform and bear fruit to the glory of God. Their disconnection came through failure to fulfill God's purpose and to discern the divinity of Christ's mission despite miracles wrought among them as His own chosen people, even ascribing His power to cast out devils to the chief of devils. The gospel preached to them would have proved their salvation and made them members of the royal family manifesting the riches of His grace through succeeding ages, but as a nation they rejected Christ and refused His offers of mercy and were cut off that Gentiles might be grafted in, yet the cutting off is not final and it is still their privilege to become partakers with the Gentiles of the salvation of God.
The whole chapter outlines a work for the Jews that must be studied carefully and must not be ignored. It is to be done with special wisdom and in all wisdom and righteousness, clearing the King's highway and giving them every opportunity of coming to the light. That labor in behalf of the Jewish people is to be given all possible encouragement and help and not bound about with many forbiddings. The Lord will work through men of different nationalities to reach their fellow countrymen by seizing opportunities as they come. Part of the call is to provide a home where converted Jews can find refuge and learn to work for their own people, since many of the seed of Israel who now accept Christ are cut off from their own people yet may be grafted into Christ and taught and restored as natural branches.
Those Gentiles who have been gathered in and grafted into the place of branches broken off are responsible and are to be interested in the salvation of the nation broken off, with special efforts to proclaim the gospel to them as children of the heavenly birth. There is no ground for being highminded or for despising the Jews, but reason to fear, for unbelief broke the natural branches off and faith alone keeps the grafted Gentile standing. Among the Jews the Lord has mighty men who will proclaim the truth with power, and many Jews will also come to the light. If they receive Christ as their Saviour there is power in the gospel message that they may again be grafted in.
Church Identity and Unity
Gentile believers grafted into the old olive tree become the Israel of God, a new Israel joined to the old and made one with the original branches, so that God's purpose was not turned aside by Jewish unbelief and malice. Through faith in the gospel they are gathered into God's people, fulfilling what Hosea foretold that those who were not God's people would be called His people and receive His mercy. Christ on earth prepared this gathering by leading the Jews out of exclusiveness through direct work outside acknowledged Israel, as in the conversion of the centurion and of the Syrophenician woman. When bigotry, blindness of mind, hardness of heart, unbelief and malice closed the synagogues against the apostles, the time came for active and continued work among the Gentiles, with private houses thrown open and public buildings of the Gentiles used for preaching, and whole communities gladly receiving the gospel with grateful hearts and glorifying God for the light of an intelligent faith. As thus joined to the old tree, they keep the seventh-day Sabbath sanctified by God as a perpetual sign and covenant with Israel, to be observed forever as a memorial of creation and rest.
All as individuals are to be grafted into the one parent stock, which is Christ Jesus, brought out step by step from the world upon the platform of Bible truth. Those so grafted into the tame olive tree bear fruit of the genuine tree under His continual watchcare and providence embracing all their ways, giving clear and decided confidence in His leadings still. A life consecrated to the service of God is developed and beautified in its individuality, for no person can sink his individuality in that of another. There is to be unity in diversity, with complete unity as mind blends with mind yet no two of the same mold, just as no two leaves of the same tree are precisely alike, leaving abundant room for all in harmonious diversity to act the part assigned them without belittling those whose gifts or character differ.
Those who minister in word and doctrine are branches grafted into the same parent stock and must not stand apart from each other as independent branches, but work together in unity advancing with the light God has given. The boast that the natural branches were broken off that the grafted branch might be grafted in is corrected by the truth that those broken off were broken off because of unbelief while those grafted in stand only by faith and partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree. It therefore forbids boasting against the branches and being high-minded and commands fear, for if God spared not the natural branches He will also not spare the grafted branch if it leaves His goodness. Applied to the present church, there is to be no disparaging of the church and of the agencies God has placed in the church, even though there are tares among the wheat and evils are seen in the body of Sabbath-keepers, but the work is purification that makes the church a bright light in a dark place.
After the fruitless Jewish nation as a fruitless branch was separated from Christ, the Gentiles were grafted into the living vine and became living branches sharing the life that nourishes the vine. The vine was removed from Israel's reach and replanted beyond the wall, where its stem could not be harmed, yet its branches still hung within reach so that grafts could be joined to it. Those joined must remain connected to Christ by faith and are pruned so they can bear fruit.
Personal Union and Fruit
The grafting spoken of is personal union with Christ, in which a sinner as a dry, lifeless branch renounces self and is joined to Christ by faith and obedience to become a living branch. That union is a relation of complete dependence, for life is received from Christ personally and continually, and no branch can draw its life from another branch. Christ guards the bond, while the one joined to Him must preserve it by continual, earnest effort and resist every effort to separate the soul from Christ.
This preserving is by a course of obedience in which one warned by the errors of others refuses to repeat sin and determines to climb upward rather than descend to sin and degradation. The upward choice is to walk in the right way and press on in the upward path even when born of a wicked father, surrounded by temptations to follow in his steps and by surrounding wickedness, with few counselors to encourage in the right way and without Christian parental influences. In that path grace is given to do what is right in the Lord's sight, and the one thus grafted from the wild olive into the good olive becomes a chosen vessel.
A branch grafted into a stock bears the same kind of fruit as the stock to which it is joined, so those joined to Christ bear the fruit Christ bore. This requires the Spirit of Christ, giving evidence by drawing life from the stock and bearing fruit exactly like it, revealed in words and actions at all times as to what the truth is doing for the soul. To be thus grafted in is to put away all that is harsh and coarse and rough in character, with no harsh speeches, careless words and acts, masterful spirit, or acting as a sinner, and to express the goodness, mercy, compassion, tenderness and lovingkindness of God in words, deportment, character and works, so that character and works harmonize with divine truth and watchers glorify the Father in heaven. Such faithful witness matters in the closing period of earth's history, for many have never had the light, are deceived by their teachers, and have not received the mark of the beast, and the Lord continues to work with them and will not withdraw grace until they are convicted of the truth and trample upon the evidence given to enlighten them, while those who hold the truth must hold it in righteousness and show that they receive nourishment from the parent stock.
Counterfeit grafting still bears wild fruit, for when seed is grafted onto a wild olive it bears wild olives. Errors and human theories grafted in take the place of truth, and their fruit is wild, bringing centuries of darkness and ignorance in contrast to God's Word as the tree of life. Merely joining truth outwardly to an unrenewed nature leaves one as a wild vine, for without a faith that works by love and purifies the soul, selfish and inherited tendencies remain in control and the fruit leads to death. So also unkind, selfish conduct bears the bitter fruit of the wild olive tree, not the fruit of branches abiding in the vine.