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Everyone has a theological framework of belief. We each make conclusions about God. The spectrum comprises those who are certain that God exists and those who are certain no God exists. Most people fall somewhere in between with a lot of unanswered questions. This spectrum of diverse understandings and experience also comprised the audience of Paul’s letter to the Romans, and is similar in makeup to our modern Super Bowl crowd. Last week we began this series endeavoring to re-open this letter to “pãsin” (everyone), not solely the Jewish or Christian believers (1:8), but as Paul says; “considering Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians” (v.13,14).

Today we ask: “What was Paul so eager to share with all these people?” If you answered “Gospel” you only get partial credit. But what is Paul’s Gospel? How would it help this community? How do we give a theology course to an audience so diverse? I’m fairly sure it’s not by shredding the unbeliever and pitting them against believers in a FUBU diatribe. Paul is excited to share the Gospel because both the religious and irreligious are in equal state of captivity. He has Good News that frees all comers.

I ask that you bear with me picking through the nuances of the Greek because this effort will reveal how English translators have taken the liberty to insert words and biases that don’t exist in the original manuscripts. To be fair, translation does require some insertions. Words or conjunctions with multiple meanings are selected in favor of the translators biases toward doctrine. (ESV, KJV–>Reformed, NIV, NASB–>evangelicalism, Message, NLT–>those who ski in jeans). It’s like FOX and CNN reporting on the same news event. I’m seeking the best possible definitions for the ten dollar seminary terms that Paul employs in this letter without doctrinal eisegesis. Not an easy task but you’ll learn how as we go.

Are you willing to hear more of the story?

This series is not intended to titillate the Calvinist, or justify an Arminian, because no such argument existed when Paul wrote this. There was no T.U.L.I.P, no ESV, no Gospel Coalition, no courses in systematic theology, there wasn’t even a New Testament. We must lay down our insistence that our team has the air tight interpretation. We start with a diverse group of Christ curious followers with a lot of questions.

Paul starts the conversation to “all comers?”

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

Consider how our Super Bowl audience might interpret this if it were a commercial instead of He gets us. What is the gospel? What is salvation? What is belief? What is righteousness? The terms in these two verses trigger assumptions within each of our theological frameworks, but we are seeking Paul’s framework as we move through his letter. “He gets us” might open up the conversation, but Paul takes us the opposite direction from evangelicalism.

The Greek word “pisteũo” means (trust, entrust, think to be true, to be persuaded ) is often translated as believe. The English translation “everyone who believes” is misleading, and triggers an assumption which Paul deconstructs. Our Platonic mind divides the audience into believers and unbelievers, and that distinction sets in motion a train with a hundred theological boxcars.

My thesis is that Paul makes no distinction between “innies” and “outies” until chapter eight. May I also address how Reformed bible scholars interpret “panti” (all or everyone) they cleverly say; “Paul means ‘all without distinction, NOT all without exception’.” While this generates theological blood flow that props up their doctrine of limited atonement, it mistakenly justifies doctrines which sound and function nothing like Jesus.

How could Paul’s doctrine undermine Christ’s without deforming one’s Christology?

I submit for your consideration the other side of the watershed, namely, “All means all.” In the Greek, the structure reads “panti tõi pisteúonti” transliterated “everyone the believing” where believing is the present, active participle which means believing is present and ongoing action. This verse is in the dative case, which means the word “everyone” is the indirect object of this ongoing action which is “believing“…i.e…”the believing of everyone.” Next, this phrase uses the words “eis soterian” (into salvation) which has multiple meanings most of which are not (for) but (into, in, or toward, or in regard to) salvation which means (rescue, deliverance, to make safe).

So what does all this mean?

My best interpretation is that Paul is saying “I’m not ashamed of the Gospel, for (gar not eis) it is God’s power of salvation within the believing of everyone…” He’s saying the Good News is that the belief we all have leads us toward salvation (which he later qualifies), “to the Jew first and Greek“. His funnel to all comers is purposefully wide and inclusive of all religious and irreligious diversity, it is not exclusionary. Paul then builds upon this same framework for a later clarification about how that works in Christ.

Keven, are you implying “All roads lead to heaven?” My answer to this triggered religious mind is to underscore Paul’s thesis, namely: “No roads lead to Heaven.” Paul’s Good News is that NO RELIGION saves anyone (Judaism as archetype), no one gets to heaven…Paul flips the script…salvation has come to us.

In our Super Bowl audience, it’s only the religious mind that needs convincing that everyone believes. Everyone else accepts that we all believe something even if that belief is different for us all. Only the religious insist everyone believes in their particular way. I take the time for this ninja level exposition in order to not leave behind our religious brothers and sisters. Since Paul starts there, we must too. We all believe…but differently.

What if the Super Bowl ad said: “We boldly bring you this Good News…the power of God is rescuing everyone in their beliefs, both religious and otherwise.” This would be truly Good News to everyone except the religious, just as it is in your hearing now. Paul doesn’t stop there, he builds a case…he qualifies these opening remarks…so I ask you not to stop here either. Go with me in this exploration.

Paul is not establishing a new religion. Salvation for Paul is freedom from religion. Salvation is not “Going to heaven when we die” but the realization that God is not far from any of us and is revealed amidst a million experiences. This really is good news, unless we have made an idol of our religion or become excited about doctrines and traditions which mask our unloving heart toward others. This is what Paul meant when he said:

“For in (the Gospel), the righteousness (right-ness or fairness or Just-ness) of God is revealed out of faith into faith, as it is written, “The one righteous out of faith, will live (again, truly).”

The Greek, unlike our minds, is free from 2000 years of doctrine. We all believe something but none of us got it right. We are all faithing imperfectly. Paul’s Good News is that God shows up (revealed) in and despite our pathetic faith systems in a million different ways. Paul’s thesis is that God reveals Himself this way because He is fair (just/righteous) toward everyone. God is revealed (in every molecule of the cosmos) and when we gain eyes to see it, that’s when our life truly begins…and that’s where Paul starts this letter.