Romans 11:1–36: Grafted In: The Olive Tree and the Mystery of Israel
From Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio by KFUO Radio
June 9, 2026 · 58 min
About this episode
The episode discusses Romans 11:1–36, exploring the relationship between Gentile Christians and Israel, and the implications of Paul's teachings.
If you are a Gentile Christian, you are a wild branch grafted into someone else's tree. But what of the original covenant? God has not abandoned His people. Though many have fallen away, he kept a remnant by grace, and Paul himself is the proof. But what does Paul mean when he says, "all Israel will be saved"? This is one of the most debated passages in the letter, and getting it wrong has real consequences. The Rev. John Lukomski, pastor emeritus and co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 11:1–36. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ…
People in this episode
Host: Rev. Dr. Phil Booe
Guest: Rev. John Lukomski
Topics covered
- Gentile Christians
- covenant
- Israel
- Paul's letter
- justification by faith
- struggles of Christians
Keywords
- Romans 11
- grafted in
- olive tree
- mystery of Israel
- covenant
- remnant
- forgiveness
- law
- sin
- salvation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: KFUO Radio, St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN
Books & works: Romans
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