The opening words of today's passage are a good example of Paul's intensity and skill in argumentation. These traits have frequently made his language somewhat unclear. Did Paul mean that the "Law and the Prophets" - the Old Testament, the Old Covenant - only communicated an abstract and intellectual knowledge about God's justice, but did nothing to bestow that justice on those who responded to God by good God-fearing lives? Given the rest of his theological thought, he would almost certainly reject such a narrow interpretation of what he meant. He is, rather, thinking of two ways to God - a Jewish way, guided by the Old Testament, and a Gentile way, without the Old Testament. Both ways are united in Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate meaning of any way that leads to God. The way of the Jews was the Old Testament - that is what ultimately will guide them to God, and to Jesus. The Gentiles were called upon to accept Jesus without the benefit of the Old Testament.

Ultimately Paul is calling for tolerance, a tolerance still not always manifested even in those who claim to be Christians.