All One in Christ


Romans 11:25-36
25Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27“and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
28As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
31so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.
32For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
35“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

With a rousing doxology of praise and adoration for God, Paul wraps up this section of thought about the salvation of all people with special attention paid to whether there are special favors handed out to the Jews simply because of their ethnicity. As it turns out, there are is no special treatment for one group of people over another when it comes to salvation. The verses that come before the doxology can be a little confusing though. Taken all by themselves it sounds like these verses say the Jews will be saved just because they were born Jewish. This is not the case. The rest of the Scriptures would speak against that idea.

“The interpretation of “all Israel” being every Jewish person could seem at first sight to be the logical understanding of this passage. The context of Romans, however, does not allow for that meaning to stand. A number of Paul’s statements rule out this interpretation. Note, for example, that in 9:27 the apostle cites the verdict of Isaiah regarding unfaithful Israel. The prophet laments, “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.” The term remnant leaves no room for the idea of a mass conversion of all Jews. Or recall that in 11:13, 14 Paul speaks of God’s gracious intent to make Israel envious of the blessings going to the Gentiles. He says, ‘Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.’ When he says ‘some,’ there is no thought of winning them all.”
 Panning, A. J. (1999). Romans (p. 193). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.

As I was reading this passage Paul’s words to the Galatians came up immediately in my mind.

Galatians 3:27-29
27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

When it comes to salvation there is only one thing that matters to God – your relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything else falls away. Your nationality, gender, and social status mean nothing in the eyes of God. Those are all external considerations and have no impact on your eternal disposition. The Jews can be saved just like everyone else; by belief in Jesus as Savior. Paul sees that there are many Jews who have embraced Jesus and he celebrates that fact. There are also many Gentiles who have done the same thing and we all stand before God on equal footing. It is Good News for everyone because ALL are welcome before the throne of God.

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