How a Bible App Revealed the Hidden Chapters of Romans
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A local Calvinist and a non-Calvinist both had surprising encounters with the book of Romans, when they both realized that there were chapters they had never read before.
The Calvinist, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was browsing through his Bible app when he accidentally scrolled up and saw a chapter number he had never noticed before.
"I thought Romans started at chapter 9, where Paul talks about God's sovereignty and predestination. That's the only chapter I ever read and memorized," he said.
The Calvinist said he was curious to see what the other chapters were about, so he started reading from the beginning of Romans. He was amazed to discover that Paul wrote about a lot of things that he had never heard of before, such as justification by faith, the righteousness of God, the love of Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
"I realized that I had been missing out on a lot of important truths and doctrines that Paul taught," he said. "I also realized that I had been taking Romans 9 out of context and ignoring the rest of Paul's argument. I learned that God's election is not arbitrary or unfair, but based on his mercy and grace. I also learned that God's purpose is not to exclude or condemn anyone, but to include and save everyone who believes in Jesus. I felt humbled and grateful for God's amazing grace and love."
In related news, a non-Calvinist who saw the Calvinist's post on social media decided to mock and ridicule him for his ignorance.
He wrote a sarcastic review of the Calvinist's discovery, but as he was writing, he realized that there was a ninth chapter of Romans, a chapter he had never heard of in his church.
He opened his Bible app and searched for Romans 9. He was shocked and disturbed by what he read.
He saw that Paul wrote about God's sovereign choice of some for salvation and others for reprobation, using examples from the Old Testament and answering objections with Scripture. He also saw that Paul concluded by showing that God's plan of salvation includes both Jews and Gentiles.
"This can't be true," he said. "This can't be what Paul meant. This can't be what God is like. This can't be the gospel. This can't be the Bible."
The non-Calvinist then deleted his review and closed his Bible app, feeling confused and conflicted.
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