Romans 11:30-32

“For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.” vs. 32

While Paul is to be cherished and admired for his remarkable apostolic ministry, we can’t help but wish that his writings were easier to understand. Sometimes we have particular difficulty as he explains his insights on God’s relationship to the Jews. He obviously cared deeply about his people, and wanted to clarify their place in salvation history.

The problem is that the nuances of his argument are difficult to follow, and sometimes his conclusions seem obscure. We wonder if there wasn’t an easier way for him to get his point across. Of course some biblical interpreters love the difficulty, especially since they get to show off their expertise, even if only a few know what they’re talking about!

But even if we don’t like digging in commentaries or using AI to get at the meaning of Paul’s words, we can often get the sense of what he’s saying, and here as always, his focus is on grace and mercy. Even though all people are good and created in God’s image, they are also all broken. Disobedience is common to all! 

The good news is that God’s mercy extends to all, and there are no exceptions. All humanity is both good and broken. Perhaps the best news we can wring from this is that there is hope for all. Restoration and new life are in our future! Praise God!

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with obscure and difficult passages in the bible?