You asked

how do other new testament figures like paul address the relationship between jews and gentiles?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Romans 11:17-18

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree; don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you don’t support the root, but the root supports you.”

The Apostle Paul is writing to believers in Rome, a mix of Jewish and Gentile Christians, around the mid-1st century CE. In this part of his letter, he is wrestling with the question of Israel's present rejection of Jesus as Messiah and God's ongoing faithfulness to them, while also explaining the inclusion of Gentiles into God's plan.

How does Paul's imagery of the olive tree challenge any sense of superiority or independence within a community made up of diverse backgrounds?

Then — the setting

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome from Corinth, likely in the mid-50s CE. The community was a diverse mix of Jewish and Gentile believers, facing internal tensions regarding their respective roles and standing before God. Jewish believers might have felt displaced by the growing Gentile majority, while some Gentile believers might have developed a sense of superiority, believing they had replaced Israel. Paul's olive tree metaphor directly addresses the latter, warning Gentile believers against arrogance by reminding them of their dependent relationship to Israel's historical covenant with God.

Across the Testaments

This passage is in the New Testament, and Paul's argument is deeply rooted in Old Testament themes of God's covenant with Israel and the promise of blessing for all nations through them (e.g., Genesis 12:3). Paul is wrestling with how God's faithfulness to Israel (the cultivated olive tree) continues even as many individual Jews have not accepted Jesus, while Gentiles (the wild olive branches) are now included. The Old Testament often speaks of Israel as God's vine or olive tree (e.g., Isaiah 5:1-7, Jeremiah 11:16), signifying their special covenant relationship. Paul reinterprets this imagery to show that the inclusion of Gentiles is not a replacement of Israel, but an extension of God's saving work that still acknowledges and relies on Israel's foundational role and ongoing election.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Galatians 3:28
Paul states that in Christ, distinctions like 'Jew or Gentile' are overcome, emphasizing unity.
Ephesians 2:11-16
Paul describes Gentiles, once far off, being brought near and made one with Jews through Christ's sacrifice.
Acts 15:1-21
The Jerusalem Council addresses the practical implications of Gentile inclusion in the early church without requiring circumcision.

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