The preaching text this weekend, from the Narrative Lectionary, is Romans 5:1-11. This PowerPoint is my visual meditation on the text. I begin by framing Paul's worldview in the hostile divide between Jews and Gentiles. Then I summarize Paul's argument in chapters 1-4. Finally, I visually walk through 5:1-11. We have been called to a ministry of reconciliation. We are ALL in this together. Peace.

1. Romans 5:1-11

3. Wallofhostility
GOOD BAD

4. GOOD BAD
GOD’S
CHOSEN
LAW-ABIDING
FOLLOWERS
“those people”
Wallofhostility

5. GOOD BAD
gentiles
Wallofhostility

6. The gods of “the gentiles”

7. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness
suppress the truth.
Romans 1:18 (NRSV)

8. Therefore God gave [the gentiles] up in the lusts of their hearts to
impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because
they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served
the creature rather than the Creator…
Romans 1:24–25 (NRSV)

9. Romans 2:1 (NRSV)
1 Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you
judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn
yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.

10. since ALL have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God; they (ALL) are now
justified by his grace as a gift, through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Romans 3:23–24 (NRSV)

11. Then what becomes of boasting?
It is excluded…
Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God
of Gentiles also?
Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one;
and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of
faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
Romans 3:27–30 (NRSV)

12. Therefore…
Romans 5:1

13. since we are justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have obtained access to this grace in
which we stand;
and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory
of God.
Romans 5:1–2 (NRSV)

14. And not only that,
but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance, and
endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, and
hope does not disappoint us,
because God’s love has been poured into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given
to us.
Romans 5:3–5 (NRSV)

25. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—
though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to
die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners
Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been
justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from
the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely,
having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more
than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:6–11 (NRSV)

26. GOOD BAD
GOD’S
CHOSEN
LAW-ABIDING
FOLLOWERS
“those people”
Wallofhostility

27. GOOD BAD
GOD’S
CHOSEN
LAW-ABIDING
FOLLOWERS
“those people”
Wallofhostility