Christianity's Magnum Opus [re]Visited

Paul's letter to the Romans is one of the most paramount and important works in the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans is often viewed as one of the most comprehensive explanations of Christian doctrine - specifically as it relates to soteriology. It seems as though the trajectory of the letter is Paul outlining the problem we face as human beings, the solution God provides in Jesus, and the implications for those who believe. 

I affirm that the above is mostly true; but think we’ve been reading it wrong. Most of our interpretation of Romans has its inception in the Reformation and is influenced deeply by the Enlightenment and indvidicualistic thinking. Romans (like the rest of the Bible) was written to a very different world that was asking very different questions. 

While we ask the question, “how can I be saved?” the Roman world was asking, “how can Jews and Gentiles be part of the same church?” Romans is written to answer the second question, not the first. The first question is answered within the second; but that’s not the intent or trajectory of the letter. This was clearly displayed in Romans 1:16 when Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." Paul introduces his argument on page one and continues making his point throughout. 

I think that becomes clear if we honestly read the letter. This may seem like an insignificant point, but I don't think it is. There is much theologically that hangs in the balance. Here are a few things to think about as you study it. 

If we read Romans as to individuals... 

• You must be a universalist or at least inclusivist if you want to be consistent. Listen to what Paul wrote in Romans 5:18, "Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people." I'd encourage you to read the entire chapter to get the full scope and gist of what Paul said, but you get his point clearly in v. 18.  Just to be clear, I'd love to be a universalist, but I think there are other scriptures that contradict that line of thinking. 
• You must read that God predestines some to salvation he predestines others to dannation. This is grounded in an interpretation of Romans 9 reintroduced to us in the Reformation. It's a repackaging of Augustine's doctrine of soteriology. But that interpretation relies on us reading Paul's argument as being about how individuals are saved rather than reading his argument about groups of people - Jews and Gentiles. (See Romans 9:24) Try reading it as being to two distinct groups of people and see what type of interpretive difference it makes. It's huge!
• You probably tend to see the gospel as being essentially about your personal justification that, in theory, gets you to heaven. The ironic thing is that heaven is mentioned only two times in the entire letter of Romans (1:18 and 10:6) and in neither of those cases is it talking about "getting to heaven." If that's the point Paul was trying to make, I think we can all agree that he did a poor job doing so.  

When you read Romans as written to groups of people (Jews and Gentikes - see Romans 1:17-18)...

• You can hold onto the biblical doctrine that death is the 'punishment of sin' and the result of life outside of Jesus. That is the reality for both Jews and Gentiles. 
• You see that salvation comes through faith in Jesus for both Jews and Gentiles and that God’s predestining work done through what Jesus accomplished on the cross and through the resurrection - conquering death. This is consistent with the meta-narrative of scripture and gives credence to the reality that we have choice. Adam and Eve did in the beginning, Israel did (as was exhibited in and through a number of different failure), and we do to. Nothing could be more clear from the first to the last page of the Scriptures. 
• You can understand that the work of Jesus is cosmic in scope, ushering in a new creation and new humanity grounded in the arrival of his kingdom. Romans 8 makes it clear that the gospel is not simply about getting people to heaven, but it's about the renewal of ALL CREATION. A faulty view Romans (amongst other passages) has caused us to imagine our greatest hope as escape rather than seeing it as God's renewing work. No, our hope is new creation and resurrection. If we read Romans as being to two different groups of people who are called to unity in the church and under the reign of Jesus, this ultimate hope is preserved and magnified.  

The takeaway? Don’t read Romans as being written to individuals; it’s not. 

If you want more on this, read N.T. Wright and his work on the "New" Perspective on Paul. I put new in parenthesis because I don't think it's new... I actually think it's the oldest and best reading.