The Conciliation of the World

In Romans 11:11-15 we read the following:

I am saying, then, Do they not trip that they should be falling? May it not be coming to that! But in their offense is salvation to the nations, to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if their offense is the world’s riches and their discomfiture the nations’ riches, how much rather that which fills them! Now to you am I saying, to the nations, in as much as, indeed, then, I am the apostle of the nations, I am glorifying my dispensation, if somehow I should be provoking those of my flesh to jealousy and should be saving some of them. For if their casting away is the conciliation of the world, what will the taking back be if not life from among the dead?

In this passage Paul used the expressions “the world” and “the nations” interchangeably. That this is the case is further evident from the fact that Paul was careful to maintain a distinction between “the nations”/”the world” and the unbelieving majority within the nation of Israel (to whom Paul referred by the use of the words, “they,” “their,” “them” and “those of my flesh”). Paul was, in other words, contrasting those who comprise “the world”/”the nations” with the majority of those who comprised the nation of Israel in his day (some of whom Paul hoped to “be saving” by provoking those of his flesh to jealousy).

When, therefore, Paul referred to “their casting away” in v. 15, he had in mind the casting away of the majority of those who comprised the nation of Israel in his day. And when he referred to “the conciliation of the world,” he had in mind the conciliation of the nations.

Moreover, it should be emphasized that when Paul referred to “the world” and “the nations” in the above passage, he wasn’t referring to the relatively few people among the nations who are members of the body of Christ. The body of Christ consists (primarily) of people who are “of” the nations (with regard to their ethnicity), but “the nations” of which Paul wrote in the above passage are comprised of all people who aren’t Jewish. In fact, Paul elsewhere used the expression “the world” to refer to those among the nations who are outside the body of Christ (and of whom human society is primarily comprised; see, for example, 1 Cor. 2: 12; 5:9-13; 6:2; cf. Phil. 2:15; Col. 2:20).

The noun translated “conciliation” in v. 15 is katallagē. The terms from which this word is derived are the preposition katá (“down”) and the verb allássō (“to change”); hence, the elements of this word are translated as “down-change” in the CLNT Keyword Concordance.

In 1 Cor. 7:11, the verb form of this word (katallassó) is applied to what happens when a wife who is separated from her husband returns to him, to live with him again (and is thus no longer separated from him). We can therefore understand the term “conciliation” to refer to the relational change that occurs when one individual or party in a relationship ceases to be separated (in some sense) from the other. That this is how the term should be understood in Rom. 11:15 is evident from the fact that it’s contrasted with a state of affairs involving the “casting away” of the majority of Israelites. The noun translated “casting away” (apobolē) implies a relational separation of some sort.

It’s further evident that what Paul referred to as “the conciliation of the world” is a state of affairs that was made possible by “their casting away.” In other words, when Paul wrote that ”their casting away is the conciliation of the world,” the idea being communicated is that “the conciliation of the world” depends on the “casting away” of the majority of Israelites, and is a state of affairs that will continue only for as long as the “casting away” continues/remains in effect. This means that what Paul referred to as “the taking back” in v. 15 (i.e., the taking back of those “cast away”) cannot occur as long as “the conciliation of the world” continues. In other words, since “the conciliation of the world” is a state of affairs that depends on “their casting away,” it must end before “the taking back” can occur.

But what, exactly, is “the conciliation of the world?” Answer: Based on what Paul says in the immediate context, it’s evident that this state of affairs involves “salvation” (“riches”) being made available to “the nations” (collectively), apart from the mediation of the nation of Israel. And in light of what Paul goes on to write in verses 16-24, I think it’s reasonable to conclude that the “conciliation of the world” refers to a position of divine favor in which God has placed the nations, collectively.

As argued in my study, “An Analysis of Paul’s Olive Tree Parable” (https://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2017/03/an-analysis-of-pauls-olive-tree-parable.html), the “cultivated olive tree” of Romans 11:16-24 represents a position of divine favor (for it is in this tree that God’s “kindness” – rather than his “severity” – is being experienced; see Rom. 11:22). The “natural boughs” that remain in the olive tree represent the chosen, believing Jewish remnant (Rom. 11:5-7), while the boughs that have been “broken out” represent the majority of Israelites (who have been “cast away” by God, and are thus experiencing God’s “severity”). The “wild olive” bough that was “grafted into the cultivated olive tree” represents the nations, collectively (who, while grafted in, are experiencing God’s kindness). And just as we read in Rom. 11:15 that “their casting away is the conciliation of the world,” so we read that the broken-out natural boughs were removed so that the wild olive bough could be grafted in (v. 19). Thus, the grafting in of the “wild olive” bough (the nations) into the “cultivated olive tree” (the position of divine favor) represents “the conciliation of the world.”

Essentially, God has brought the nations, collectively, to a place of standing before him that’s characterized by the enjoyment of his “kindness” (rather than the suffering of his “severity”). As we’ll see a little later, the conciliation of the world means that God is not responding to the offenses of the nations as he did in previous eras (and as he will do, in the future). That is, God is graciously refraining from responding to the offenses of the nations with indignation (hence God’s kindness is said to be on the nations rather than his severity). However, as Paul makes clear in Rom. 11:22-28, this present state of affairs is only temporary:

Perceive, then, the kindness and severity of God! On those, indeed, who are falling, severity, yet on you, God's kindness, if you should be persisting in the kindness: else you also will be hewn out. Now they also, if they should not be persisting in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were hewn out of an olive wild by nature, and, beside nature, are grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much rather shall these, who are in accord with nature, be grafted into their own olive tree!

For I am not willing for you to be ignorant of this secret, brethren, lest you may be passing for prudent among yourselves, that callousness, in part, on Israel has come, until the complement of the nations may be entering. And thus all Israel shall be saved, according as it is written,

Arriving out of Zion shall be the Rescuer. He will be turning away irreverence from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them Whenever I should be eliminating their sins.

As to the evangel, indeed, they are enemies because of you, yet, as to choice, they are beloved because of the fathers.

Again, it is Israel’s “casting away” (their removal from the position of divine favor) that made “the conciliation of the world” possible. Since Israel’s “casting away” (which is equivalent to what Paul referred to as “callousness, in part, on Israel has come”) will continue “until the complement of the nations may be entering” (which likely refers to the last of the gentiles entering into the body of Christ) – and since the conciliation of the world depends on the casting away of Israel – it follows that “the conciliation of the world” will continue until the body of Christ has been completed. 

We also know that, during the lifetime of the last members of the body of Christ, the snatching away of the body of Christ will occur (1 Thess. 4:15-17; 1 Cor. 15:50-53). And when the body of Christ is removed from the earth, the “faith” by which the “wild olive” (the nations, collectively) is said to “stand” (Rom. 11:20) – and through which it is currently “persisting in the kindness” of God (v. 22) – will cease to be, and the “wild olive” bough will consequently “be hewn out” of the olive tree. Then, the kindness of God that is currently on the nations will be replaced by God’s “severity.”

The dispensation of the conciliation

Having considered the meaning of what Paul wrote in Romans 11:11-15, let’s now consider what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 and 6:1-2. In the first part of v. 18 we read the following:

“Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself through Christ…”

In this verse, the pronoun “us” includes not only those to whom Paul wrote this letter, but all who are in the body of Christ. This fact is in accord with what we read in Rom. 5:9-10, where we read the following:

Much rather, then, being now justified in His blood, we shall be saved from indignation, through Him. For if, being enemies, we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son, much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life. Yet not only so, but we are glorying also in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we now obtained the conciliation.

As believers, our conciliation to God – i.e., the position of divine favor that we’ve been granted by God – is based on our justification (which is inseparably connected with our having received the holy spirit [v. 5]). It’s because our conciliation to God is based on our justification that it’s said to be “through the death [God’s] Son” (for the first element of the evangel through which we’re justified is the fact that “Christ died for our sins”).

God has conciliated believers to himself through Christ in that, having believed the evangel of our salvation, we’ve been “sealed with the holy spirit of promise…for the day of deliverance” (Eph. 1:14). Thus we read that “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the holy spirit which is being given to us” (Rom. 5:5). It is by virtue of having been given God’s spirit that we are “now justified in his blood” (Rom. 5:9). And those who have received this spirit and thus been justified are those to whom God “by no means should be reckoning sin” (Rom. 4:4-8), and who thus “may be having peace toward God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1-2).

The words “by no means” in Rom. 4:8 are, I believe, significant. For we who are in the body of Christ (who have been “justified gratuitously in God’s grace” such that, “where sin increases, grace superexceeds”), it’s impossible for us to do anything (or fail to do anything) that could result in God reckoning sin to us. The forgiveness of offenses/sins we’ve received (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 2:13-14) is permanent, and cannot be revoked (in contrast with this, we know that the forgiveness of offenses for believing Israelites outside of the body of Christ is conditional; see, for example, Matt. 6:15-16 and Mark 11:25-26). Similarly, there is nothing we can do (or fail to do) that can result in our ceasing to be justified by God (Rom. 8:1), for our justification involves being “sealed with the holy spirit of promise.”

Having considered what it means for believers to have been conciliated to God through Christ, let’s now consider what Paul went on to write in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 and 6:1-2:

“Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself through Christ, and is giving us the dispensation of the conciliation, how that God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the conciliation.

For Christ, then, are we ambassadors, as of God entreating through us. We are beseeching for Christ's sake, “Be conciliated to God!” For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God's righteousness in Him.

Now, working together, we are also entreating you not to receive the grace of God for naught. For He is saying, ‘In a season acceptable I reply to you, And in a day of salvation I help you.’ Lo! Now is a most acceptable era! Lo! Now is a day of salvation!

As is the case with Paul’s use of the word in Romans 11:11-15, the “world” of which we read in v. 19 refers to the nations, collectively. In other words, it is the nations that God was, in Christ, “conciliating to Himself,” and “not reckoning their offenses to them.” However, Paul then states that he and his fellow ambassadors were “beseeching for Christ’s sake, ‘Be conciliated to God!’” But if “God was in Christ, conciliating the world to himself,” then how can the people of the world still be in need of being conciliated to God?

This apparent contradiction is, I believe, resolved when we understand that there is a difference between the nature of the world’s conciliation to God and the nature of the believer’s conciliation to God. Before I get into this difference, it should be emphasized that both “the conciliation of the world” and the conciliation of believers to God involves being granted a position of divine favor, and involves God’s “kindness” (rather than his “severity”) being “on” those who’ve been conciliated.

In 2 Cor. 5:19, Paul explains this position of divine favor for the world as one in which God is “not reckoning their offenses to them.” The same could be said concerning the believer (for God is not reckoning our offenses to us). To better understand what Paul meant by “not reckoning their offenses to them,” we need to understand what it would mean for God to be reckoning the offenses of the world to them. If God was reckoning the offenses of the world/nations to them right now, he would be bringing his indignation upon the world. In other words, the world would currently be going through what Paul referred to elsewhere as “the coming indignation” (1 Thess. 1:10).

So what differentiates the conciliation of believers to God and the conciliation of the world/the nations to God? Answer: The believer’s conciliation to God is based on our justification, and is thus permanent. Our offenses will never be reckoned to us by God. It is, I believe, for this reason that we’re said to have “obtained the conciliation” (Rom. 5:11). The conciliation of the believer is a blessing that, by virtue of our justification, belongs to us. Thus we read that “we shall be saved from indignation, through [Christ]” (Rom. 5:9), and that “God did not appoint us to indignation, but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9).

In contrast with the conciliation of the believer (which is based on our justification), the conciliation of the world is not a blessing that each individual gentile can be said to have “obtained.” For unbelievers, the conciliation is only a temporary state of affairs that they’re able to enjoy because of the conciliation of believers to God. This means that unbelievers are only able to continue enjoying this blessing because the body of Christ remains present on the earth. As long as believers are on the earth (and people are still being added to the body of Christ), God cannot bring his indignation upon the world. The conciliation of the world will, therefore, continue only until the body of Christ is snatched away (after which time God will be reckoning offenses to the world).

But how can it be the case that God isn’t reckoning offenses to those among the nations who aren’t yet justified? Answer: We know that unjustified sinners are storing up for themselves “indignation in the day of indignation and revelation of the just judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5, 8; cf. 9:22), and are “children of indignation” (Eph. 2:3) on whom “the indignation of God is coming” (Eph. 2:3; 5:6; Col. 3:6). However, God is not yet reckoning offenses to them. For if he was, he would, at this time, be judging the world. In Romans 3:5-6 we read the following:

“Now if our injustice is commending God's righteousness, what shall we declare? Not that God Who is bringing on indignation is unjust! (As a man am I saying it.) May it not be coming to that! Else how shall God be judging the world?”

Here, “judging the world” is an example of God “bringing on indignation.” When God begins judging the world and thus “bringing on indignation” (which he isn’t doing yet), he will be reckoning the offenses of the world’s inhabitants to them. In other words, for God to be reckoning offenses to the world is for him to be bringing his indignation upon the world. Those who are, at the present time, storing up for themselves “indignation in the day of indignation and revelation of the just judgment of God” will have their offenses reckoned to them during “the day of indignation” (for, again, their present conciliation to God – which involves their offenses not being reckoned to them by God – is conditional; unlike those in the body of Christ, it’s not based on their justification). 

Conclusion

The conciliation of the world is a state of affairs that involves the world being in a position of favor with God, and coincides with Israel’s “casting away” (Rom. 11:15). During this time of world-conciliation, God’s kindness (rather than his severity) is on the nations, collectively. This is in accord with what we read in Romans 11:30-32:

“For even as you [the nations] once were stubborn toward God, yet now were shown mercy at their [Israel’s] stubbornness, thus these also are now stubborn to this mercy of yours, that now they [Israel] also may be shown mercy. For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all.”

After the body of Christ has been completed (and “the complement of the nations” has thus come in), Christ – our “Rescuer out of the coming indignation” (1 Thess. 1:10) – will “extricate us out of the present wicked eon” (Gal. 1:4). This future event – i.e., the snatching away of the body of Christ – is what will bring an end to the conciliation of the world (resulting in the divine “kindness” that is presently on the nations being replaced by God’s “severity”). However, by bringing an end to the conciliation of the world, God will then be able to begin the “taking back” of his covenant people, Israel (which God will do by removing the callousness that is presently on the majority of Israelites).

Until then, God will continue showing favor to the world by withholding his indignation (and, therefore, not reckoning their offenses to them). It’s for this reason that Paul was able to declare the following in 2 Cor. 6:2: “Lo! Now is a most acceptable era! Lo! Now is a day of salvation!”