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I’ve shown that navigating Romans in small sections creates doctrinal errors, and obscures the Gospel by allowing Paul’s letter to become a library of proof texts which mascaraed tribalism and hatred. Instead, Romans is an inclusive message of grace and hope for the world. My work is to bring Paul’s Gospel of grace and faith back into view by connecting the ‘tonic notes’ throughout this letter. The result is a message the world desperately needs to hear.

“Now if their trespass (sin-misstep) means abundance for the world, and if their failure means abundance for the Gentiles, how much more will their complete (totality).” (v.12)

I transliterated this from Greek so you can see the inference…namely, that there is a “fullness” a completeness, and totality of inclusion. The big theology lesson of the last three chapters isn’t that God is only saving a tiny sliver of human history who happen to adopt Paul’s new religion, but that God is providentially using the inability of any of us to get right with God, to bring all of us to life (our true life) hidden in Christ and found in God. This goes back to Paul’s thesis in 1:16-17:

“The Gospel is Gods power to save (rescue/heal) everyone (Jews & Greeks). Those who are made right with God by way of faith (thinking it true) will truly live.”

Then Paul begins proving this by first showing how God has given everyone of us up to a debased mind. (1:18-32). The wrath of God is revealed upon all of us, and the Grace of God is revealed upon all of us. The “deep magic” or big theology is NO that wrath goes to the bad ones and grace to the good ones, but that both wrath and grace go to all…by design.

“…our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God…” (3:5)

He never departs from this thesis the whole book, revealing how being made right with God (dikaiosune–justification, righteousness) is not limited to the religious…but includes all who sin.

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (3:23-24)

Just like Paul’s religious audience, so the modern religious audience struggles with this. The religious mind hates the gospel. It refuses to see God as that good. This is proven by the fact that in 2000 years of church history, very few have ever heard this teaching from Romans. I will put the fidelity of this exposition up against that of any popular “talking head”, denominational theocracy, or historical figure. Consider these integral themes from every chapter of Romans:

“when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves” (2:14)

“…our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God,” (3:5)

“…For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.” (4:14-15)

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (5:6)
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (5:8) “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (5:10)

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” (5:18)

“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (6:11)

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (7:25)

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (8:1)  “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (8:31)

“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (9:16)

And today Paul will use an analogy of branches and grafting to bring all these themes to his theological conclusion:

 “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” (11:32)

Paul’s Gospel is consistent throughout this letter, yet religion refuses to teach it. God in His wisdom uses our sin, failure, disobedience, debased mind, confusion, and suffering under His wrath, to bring about, in His time, in His way, an experience of his mercy and grace and love, to all humanity. Faith in Christ is not religion, but seeing and loving him in and as our very life.

This is Paul’s salvation.

The suffering of our world is not meaningless or senseless, it is exactly what happens when we in pride break ourselves off from the love of God. The message is that God himself has undergone the worst suffering possible, by becoming sin itself, for He is wrath itself, so that we can all be found right with God, (righteousness), for He is righteousness itself.

Through that lens, we can understand breaking off and grafting in of branches.

¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. …¹⁴ in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? (Romans 11:13-15)

We can see in this passage Paul’s framework is not the binary mind of religion, but the “bothness” which comes from his Christology. He is explaining how the innies and outies both serve a larger design resulting in the inclusion of all people into the promises that were initially only visible to the Hebrew people, and promised through obedience to the religious law.

“¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” (v.17-18)

It’s easy for the non-religious mind to hear this good news and feel a bit superior to those who are still stuck in religion. Religion seems superfluous and unnecessary. This is a common theme of many today who describe themselves as “Spiritual but not religious“…this understanding in nothing new. Paul is not advocating for either, but showing how each comes to God in a unique way, and that “being grafted in” is the main focus, not how one is brought in, nor if they were born in. He gives credit to the religion that carried the Christology so far, but then goes beyond it to include all others.

Paul’s horticultural metaphor is simple. We are all branches…Christ is the root…religious and non-religious people are different types of olive trees. The natural olive tree’s branches were broken off and they lost the vital sap from the root. In Christ, God “grafted in” non-religious people and now they are growing fruit. As is the root, so is the branch, not because of the branch. That is key.

¹⁶ and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

If the branch can’t make the root thrive, then this message is about what the root does, not what branches do.

“For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²² Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” (v.21-22)

Pastor’s teach this passage as a threat. God is characterized as an impatient sniper waiting for our misstep. That’s preaching cancer. Unbelief doesn’t cause God to cut us off. Unbelief is our refusal to be ourself in God…we are cutting off God. Paul shows God isn’t waiting to “take the shot”, but waiting to graft us back in…again…and again.

“And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.” (v.23)

This is tonic note on his three chapter treatise that

“For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all” (v.32)

And if the non-religious are going to make it, then how much more the religious. (v.24) Read it for yourself. I’ve shown you the scripture, how the same theme comports from early on:

“What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?” (3:3)

What will you believe? 2000 years of church history with paid clergy motivated by money to keep you stuck in their system that robs you of freedom? Or will you finally receive the Good News that God has an amazing way of making it all work out…even for you. I know where Paul stands.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (v.33)