Everyone means everyone

As you know by now I’m not a fan of totalizing language. It tends to be hyperbolic and frequently less than useful and occasionally misleading. However, there is a time for it and this is one of those times. In today’s Romans text we read Paul saying that “everyone” who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is one of the times when the totality is actually meant. In many places we read Paul banging home the truth that God wants a relationship with every human being. He uses the language of his day to help his readers see this. When Paul says there is “no distinction between Jew and Greek” (Romans 10:12 NRSV) he is covering every human being that is. In this rubric there are only two kinds of people – Jews and Greeks, or non-Jews – so if there no distinction between the only two groups of people, there is no distinction. Full stop.

This is hardly news to most of you reading this far but I wanted us to further consider the limitless nature of God’s call and I also talked about how everyone is called to pass along the good news, the gospel. Paul used the language of “preaching” but the proclamation of the news that God loves us all cannot be limited to only preachers, professional, semi-professional or other. We are all called to be ready to explain why we are the way we are and why we believe what we believe.

Everyone means everyone.

Knox Presbyterian Yes, everyone (to download, right click and select “Save Link As . . .”)

St. Mark’s Presbyterian Yes, everyone (to download, right click and select “Save Link As . . .”)

Blessings,