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Romans 16:17<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI implore you, watch out for those who create divisions and stumbling blocks opposed to the teaching you have learned, and avoid them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Apostle Paul ends his letter to the Roman church with this urgent plea to avoid those who \u201ccreate divisions and stumbling blocks.\u201d Obviously, he doesn\u2019t want the church to be divided, but I believe this final warning is about more than keeping the peace. In fact, I think it\u2019s a reminder to them that \u201cwe are all one in Christ,\u201d and that embracing that reality means avoiding those who want to create the illusion of separation and who preach an \u201cus versus them\u201d gospel message.<\/p>\n What most Christians don\u2019t realize is that one of the main arguments Paul makes in the book of Romans is that God\u2019s plan is to redeem and restore everyone to Godself, regardless of religion, doctrine, belief, or the lack thereof.<\/p>\n In other words, the book of Romans is a manifesto for a Universalist view of salvation. One of the reasons most Christians don\u2019t notice this is that they are taught not to read it that way. Most conservative Bible scholars and teachers are convinced that Romans teaches that God is full of wrath against sinners and the queer community. They read the epistle without realizing that Paul wrote this letter using what\u2019s known as \u201cProsopopeia,\u201d a popular argumentation device used in the First Century by philosophers and teachers to drive home the points they wanted to teach.<\/p>\n This method involves creating an imaginary opponent to debate against, and this is exactly what Paul does in the very first chapter of Romans: he begins by speaking in the voice of his opponent, the Teacher of the Law, and then, in Chapter 2, he rebuts what the Teacher of the Law said by turning everything around and using that logic against those who think this way. (Note: If you\u2019d like to read more about this back-and-forth debate that\u2019s going on all throughout the first half of the book of Romans, I recommend reading the book, Reading Romans Right<\/em><\/a>, which I co-wrote with author Matthew J. Distefano).<\/p>\n In short, Paul\u2019s argument is that both Jews and Gentiles will be saved, and he wraps up his grand debate with these words: \u201cFor God shut up everyone in obstinacy so that he might show mercy to everyone.\u201d <\/em>(Romans 11:32)<\/p>\n Then, after making the game-winning shot at the buzzer, Paul goes on to celebrate his victory by saying this:<\/p>\n \u201cO the depth of God\u2019s richness and wisdom and knowledge! How inscrutable his judgments and untraceable his paths! For \u2018Who has known the Lord\u2019s mind? Or who has become a counselor to him? Who has given him anything in the past and will have it repaid him? Because from him, and through him, and to him is everything; to him be the glory, unto the ages, amen!\u201d <\/em>(Romans 11:33-36)<\/p>\n Clearly, Paul is quite pleased with himself for winning the debate, and he doesn\u2019t bother to hide his joy at the realization that God\u2019s mercy endures forever and that God\u2019s love will save everyone.<\/p>\n So, if that is one of the main points of this letter \u2013 that God\u2019s mercy extends to everyone \u2013 then what do we think Paul means when he warns us at the end of the epistle to avoid those who \u201ccreate divisions and stumbling-blocks opposed to the teaching you have learned?\u201d Perhaps it is those teachers who want to teach that God\u2019s mercy is limited, or that God\u2019s love is only for Christians, or that God plans to save some souls but to damn other souls for eternity.<\/p>\n If Paul crafted the book of Romans as an elaborate philosophical manifesto to establish that God\u2019s love is for everyone, and that there is no separation between God and us, then anyone who denies those things is looking to \u201ccreate divisions and stumbling blocks.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul\u2019s Quantum Gospel unites us with God and with each other. The false gospel separates us from God and divides us from one another.<\/p>\n Quantum Theology: Volume One<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0brings together an extraordinary and diverse group of scientists, mathematicians, theologians, mystics, authors, and cultural commentators to explore one of the most provocative conversations of our time: What happens when Quantum Physics and Theology begin to overlap?<\/p>\n Edited and curated by author Keith Giles, this book explores the intersection between science and faith.<\/p>\n My book,\u00a0\u201cThe Quantum Gospel of Mary and the Lost Gospel of Truth\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>is now available on Amazon.<\/p>\n The book from Keith Giles, \u201cThe Quantum Sayings of Jesus: Decoding the Lost Gospel of Thomas<\/strong>\u201d is available now on Amazon. Order\u00a0HERE><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0 Romans 16:17 \u201cI implore you, watch out for those who create divisions and stumbling blocks opposed to the teaching you have learned, and avoid them.\u201d \u00a0 The Apostle Paul ends his letter to the Roman church with this urgent plea to avoid those who \u201ccreate divisions and stumbling blocks.\u201d Obviously, he doesn\u2019t want the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3089,"featured_media":12164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[260,420,536,416,586],"tags":[39,89,32,421,35],"class_list":["post-12161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cosmic-christ","category-inner-circle","category-mystery","category-non-duality","category-quantum-theology","tag-christ","tag-gospel","tag-incarnation","tag-premium","tag-scripture"],"yoast_head":"\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/833\/2026\/02\/Keith-Quote.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nKeith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has been interviewed on CNN with Anderson Cooper, Coast to Coast Radio with George Noory, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and\u00a0John Fugelsang\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0\u201cTell Me Everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>He co-hosts\u00a0The Heretic Happy Hour Podcast\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>and his solo podcast,\u00a0Second Cup With Keith<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0which are both available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Podbean or wherever you find great podcasts.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"