How far does the gospel reach?

In this series on the Letter to the Romans, we have already identified the basics of God’s work. Paul wrote extensively of God’s righteousness being revealed in the gospel (Rom 1:16-17). This is not about my righteousness, but about His righteousness. This is not a righteousness that God demands from us, but it is the righteousness that He Himself has already brought about. This righteousness of God is made known in the Gospel.

Paul speaks about this righteousness in detail starting in Romans 3:21. God has brought about His righteousness in Christ. That happened on the cross, that was confirmed in the resurrection (Rom 4:25). Upon this we can now have peace with God (Rom 5:1). God’s work is for us and introduces us to relationship.

Now what is the scope of this gospel, which is called “my gospel” several times by Paul in his letter to the Romans? Well, the range is comprehensive. Paul makes God’s activity in Christ so great that it encompasses all people and the world. Now that is the really good news.

A grievance and a legal judgment

In the following verses from Romans 5, the apostle compares these two: Adam and Christ. This is what the apostle had been working toward in the previous verses. He speaks of Adam’s disobedience and contrasts it with Christ’s obedience. These verses summarize what was just previously clarified by Paul. Verse 12 finds the antithesis in verse 18. Adam and Christ in comparison:

“Accordingly now,
how it came by the one mortification
for all people to the condemnation,
so it also comes through the one legal judgment
for all people to the justification of life.

Because
just as by the disobedience of the one man
who were used as sinners to many,
so also through the obedience of the One
the[selben] many to be used as righteous.”
Rom 5:18-19

The comparisons are clear. What evil entered this world through Adam is more than made good through Christ. This is the effect of God’s work in Christ. Faith means that we consider God’s work to be central. This is not about our faith, or that of other people. This is about the scope of the gospel, and of God’s work. This is what really matters according to Paul.

• Through a grievance it comes to condemnation for all people
  Through a legal judgment it comes to the justification of life for all people
• There is the disobedience of one man (Adam)
  There is the obedience of the One (Christ)

All people – without reservations

Paul carefully builds his argument. We cannot quote verses individually, but they are in context. We can see this in words like “accordingly now, as … so … also”.

Just as the grievance through Adam permeated to all people, just as justification of life is achieved through a legal judgment for all people. No one is exempt.

Those who are convinced that the heaven-and-hell doctrine is true will now cry “Stop!” here. “You can’t do what Paul is doing here. It is too simple. There is nothing more demanded of man at all. You must first believe in Jesus, otherwise God is powerless”. From such remarks it can be read that the doctrine of heaven and hell is deeply anthropocentric. Man and his activity are central in this teaching. Paul, however, is about something else. For him, God and His work in Christ are central. The difference is crucial.

“So … too” means: In the same way. As little as we can somehow limit the effect of Adam’s grievance to a few people, we cannot do it with regard to the effect of the judgment. As the one – so the other. You can’t get anything wrong there. For all people, it comes to condemnation. Even proponents of the heaven-and-hell doctrine will not reject this. But they reject the second part, where it says: “so also by the one judgment there is justification of life for all men” (Rom 5:18).

As the range here, so the range there. If we want to understand the gospel, we must think about it. However, these verses are often left out. What Paul says here blows up simplistic and false ideas like “believe in Jesus or burn in hell forever.” A comprehensive grace is precisely the stone of the stumbling block. The abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17) are here extended by Paul to all people – without distinction. How this happens is not a topic here, but that it happens is a confident statement.

God will one day justify all people and give life.

Paul says: This is how God works. Today, this is still not visible. Paul is speaking here of God’s purpose and goal. That is still in the future. He does not build in doubt or caveats, as the heaven-and-hell doctrine constantly does. Paul says with confidence, “This is how far the good news reaches, that all will be included.

This is the central statement: God will one day justify all people and give life.

Are “the many people” a subset?

When supporters of the heaven-and-hell doctrine are confronted with Romans 5:18, they often reject it. Instead of appreciating the prospect of God’s work, people often try to dismantle the verse. Popular is the reference to the next verse, where it is no longer spoken of “all people”, but of “many people”. It is then concluded that “many” does not mean “all” after all, and thus innumerable people will still be “lost”. That’s how you try to save eternal hell (does it need it?).

This statement misses the context. Romans 5:18 is about the comparison between Adam and Christ and the effect on all people. Clearly, all people are being spoken of here. This cannot be diminished. The comparison does not allow for this.

Verse 19 is no longer about the crowd, but about the comparison between disobedience and obedience. Here Paul makes direct reference to the previous verse when he says “For …”. Verse 18 and 19 are linked to this word.

“For just as through the disobedience of one man, the many were set up as sinners …”
Rom 5:19a

If one wants to clarify what is meant here by “the many”, one should refer to the previous verse. Should the phrase “the many” be somehow limited here? Should some be sinners and others not? That would be nonsensical and outside of Paul’s reasoning. It is clear that the many is a reference to “all people” from the previous verse.

“So also through the obedience of the one, the[selben] many will be established as the righteous.”
Rom 5:19b

As one group goes, so goes the other. “The many” are exactly the same as those just mentioned earlier, otherwise the comparison doesn’t add up. Again, this is a reference to the previous verse. The only possible conclusion would be that now the same “many” sinners are once used as the righteous.

Does God reach all people?

In Romans 5:18 we read clearly that God will one day justify all men. One cannot brush aside Paul’s statements. Again and again, however, I have seen people reject this verse (or other verses with the same wording) because it confuses their understanding of God’s nature and work. Those who have grown up with a vengeful God, who have internalized the doctrine of heaven and hell, find it difficult to imagine a God who is much greater, much more merciful, much more radical than they have been taught.

Whether God reaches all people does not depend on me or you. He can. Anyone who ignores this does not trust God. Consider, for example, the disciples’ question, “Who then can be saved? Then Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but not with God; for with God, all things are possible” (Mark 10:26-27).

Whoever insists on a hell and that everything depends on the human decision (for or against Jesus), not only does not know the Bible, but does not trust God. You have a small god who is bound by human will. Jesus, on the other hand, clearly states that with God all things are possible. Do you trust it?

That God has in mind not just a few believers, but all people, we read here in Romans 5:18, for example, but also in many other places (e.g., Rom 11:32-36; 1 Tim 4:9-11; 1 Cor 15:20-28). Here in Romans, Paul clarifies:

“Accordingly, as it came to condemnation for all men by a grievance, so it comes to justification of life for all men by a legal judgment. “
Rom 5:18