The Meaning in the Book of Romans

The Book of Romans explains “Salvation” in “Lord Jesus Christ Alone” from chapter 1 to the conclusions in chapter 11.

Chapters 12 onwards till chapter 16 deals mostly with New Testament gifts, teachings & doctrines to the church.

The focus is salvation till chapter 11 and is greatly missed or misinterpreted at large across Christianity (please read both sides alongside the verses quoted & ‘judge for oneself which matches the written verses and facts presented as it is’).

Here are some “missed” facts:

(i) The word eternal hell or everlasting punishment is “not” found in the entire book of Romans (please let me know if you find it)

(ii) Thus to use the verses in Romans to claim that Paul is referring to eternal Hell or everlasting punishment is to add words he never used for these verses which he was inspired to write

(iii) Amazingly, Paul wrote about the rejection, cutting off of unbelieving Israel but still warned not to be ignorant of this Mystery that despite all these judgment, God will still save “all” (not some or believing) Israel” only:

“And so all Israel will be saved, as it has been written:

“The One Delivering will come out of Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

And this is the covenant from Me to them,
when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26 – 27)

(iv) Israel’s temporal casting away (including some ‘separated away from His Presence during an age’ or ‘age-during destruction*’ from His Presence together with Gentile wicked too) causes the ‘reconciling of the world’:

“For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be if not life out from the dead?” (Romans 11:15)

*”who shall suffer justice — destruction age-during — from the Face of the Lord, and from the glory of His strength,” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

Let us notice that “their rejection” is for the “Reconciliation” of the “world” But it doesn’t end there. Their “acceptance” (too eventually) is mentioned in this verse (Romans 11:15) to mean ‘life from the dead’ (—-> leading to “immortality”) agreeing to this verse:

“but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,” (2 Timothy 1:10)

(v) God is able to do “both” the “cutting off” and “grafting in again” (His ‘Kindness’ vs His ‘Severity’):

“For if God did not at all spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.

Behold therefore the kindness and severity of God: severity indeed upon those having fallen, but kindness of God toward you, if you continue in the kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

And even they, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” (Romans 11:21 – 23)

Ultimately, the “Secret” (Mystery) that He Saves “all” Israel (Romans 11:26) eventually is mentioned just three verses later meaning that these Judgment of ‘severity’ (‘cutting off’) is ‘not’ eternal but for a time period only (which we see from elsewhere in Scripture to be defined as an ‘age’, e.g. Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9).

(vi) The fact that God has chosen to do the ‘Kindness’ ultimately ‘saving all Israel’ at the appointed time is revealed as a secret or mystery which we should “not” be ignorant of (i.e. we should not remain in the state of not knowing about it):

“For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you may not be wise in yourselves: A hardening in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles may come in.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it has been written:

“The One Delivering will come out of Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

And this is the covenant from Me to them,
when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25 – 27)

To” not” know about it is said to be ‘wise in our own selves’ or conceit (Romans 11:25); It is clearly mentioned that though a ‘part of Israel’ was ‘hardened’ (verse 25) but yet, ‘all Israel’ will be ‘saved’ including these once hardened ones (verse 26); Deep.

(vi) Enemies and Beloved

“For as regards the gospel, they are enemies on account of you; but as regards election, beloved on account of the patriarchs.” (Romans 11:28)

These ‘hardened’ ones are then explained to be ‘enemies’ of the Gospel but yet also ‘beloved’ too (thus making sense of their ‘temporal hardening as enemies’ & ‘being Saved as beloved’ among as ‘all Israel’ later too according to the Mystery revealed prior).

The “gifts” (of Salvation & other things) as well as their “calling” (as part of ‘all Israel’) is thus “irrevocable” as God has purposed to ‘save all Israel too’ highlighting the beautiful ‘Sovereignty of God’ in determining all these:

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)

(vii) Next, apostle Paul mentions this ‘analogy’ of God Saving the believing Gentiles (“you”) too in like manner & generalising this Scriptural justification of binding ‘all to disobedience (first)’ with the intent of His Will to show ‘Mercy to this same All’ thereafter as follows:

“For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy by the disobedience of these,

so these also now have been disobedient for your mercy, so that they also now may have mercy shown them.

For God has bound up all in disobedience, that He may show mercy to all.” (Romans 11:30 – 32)

(viii) Mercy?

Yes, God’s Mercy both “Saves” and stops or “triumphs” over “Judgment” (ending any Judgment sentence) as it is written too elsewhere that:

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5)

“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13)

Let us notice also that apostle James immediately states that even for -the judgment without Mercy-type, Mercy will still triumph over it! (in the verse above —> oh, the depth!)

(ix) Apostle Paul’s exclamations of Glory to God after Declaring this Mystery of ‘all Israel to be saved’ & the amazing outworking of God’s Will alone to apply it to “all” (likewise) concludes this Romans’ topic regarding “Salvation” (highlighting His Glory to the ‘ages’ into which all of these it is to be fulfilled):

“O, the depth of riches,
both of wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable His judgments,
and untraceable His ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been His counselor?”

“Or who has first given to Him,
and it will be recompensed to him?”

For from Him and through Him and unto Him are all things.

To Him be the glory to the ages! Amen.” (Romans 11:33 – 36)

*Declaring “unto Him” (a return) are “all things” too (Romans 11:36). Deep.

The above seems to explain the ‘how & why’ according to God’s Will alone the following verse may be understood as well agreeing ‘perfectly’ with it:

“Who (God) will** have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

**Will (a ‘verb’ in this verse and ‘not’ a Noun refuting completely the common ‘non-scriptural availability claim’).

Conclusion:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;” (Ephesians 2:8)

Salvation is a free irrevocable Gift of God through Lord Jesus Christ to believers first (experiencing the reward of age-during life) and will eventually apply to “all men” past the age-during punishment /judgment first (Matthew 25:46).

“Trustworthy is the saying, and worthy of full acceptance.

For to this we toil and strive, because we have hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

Command and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9 – 11)

(“All men” is a different phrase used from ‘believers’ in the same verse above meaning the latter is the subset of the former & God is the Saviour of both).

Lord Jesus Christ is such a Beautiful Saviour, isn’t He?