The United Church: A Brief Look at Romans 5:18-21

What is Christian unity?

Paul did not write Romans merely to pontificate on broad theological concepts, but rather to push his divided audience toward unity. Our insistence on turning this great letter into a treatise on individual salvation has obscured Paul’s larger message to the Church.

In this brief look at Romans 5:18–21, the author explores the underlying Jewish-Gentile divide that prompted Paul to write Romans in the first place and, in doing so, attempts to shed light on the principal purpose of the entire letter.

The United Church addresses such controversial subjects as ethnic divisions, the Law of Moses, God’s continuing purpose for Israel, and Paul’s atonement theology. Seeking to dispel the fog of modern theological presuppositions left by two thousand years of debate and development, this short work provides a detailed evaluation of a frequently misunderstood passage of Scripture.