Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 1:14-15 (New Living Translation)

14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

Paul writes about his efforts to preach the Good News, the Gospel that Jesus is the savior of the world. Paul writes similar words in some of his other letters, but the emphasis is the same.

Jesus Christ is for everyone in the world, all mankind.

That doesn’t make an instant affect on most of us today, but we need to consider the time at which it was written. The time had regional, tribal, national religions and gods. There were Egyptian gods, Roman gods, Greek gods, and so on. Paul reminds us that Jesus Christ is not a family, tribal, or national religion. Jesus Christ is the savior of all mankind.

To Americans, I have a warning. It is easy for non-Americans to see Christianity as an American religion. It is easy for Americans to portray Christianity as American. Let’s be careful.