I can just see Paul sitting at a table with only the light from an oil lamp to light his writing. He starts out kind of lukewarm. It's an old, familiar position for him -- all this talk about circumcision. Then he starts to build toward a crescendo and the next thing you know, the chapter begins to read like a dash to the finish line at the end of the 31 verses. He makes his points. He weaves in and out of the rebuttals he perceives could be forthcoming. One by one, he neutralizes them all. And he leaves the Romans with one thought -- it is Paul's hallmark point -- it's grace from God. You can't earn your way into paradise. You just can't do it.
Ah, but the Jews keep hanging onto this notion that the circumcision is their guaranteed ticket that will get them into heaven.The Jews still practiced circumcision -- but Paul is saying they do this for reasons other than an act of faith. Rather, as we read previously in this chapter, the Jews figured that if they continued to uphold the act of circumcision according to the old laws handed down to their ancestors, then God would see them as faithful followers.
And because they were faithful followers, they would get their entry invitation into paradise.
Now, along comes Paul who is telling them that there's something more that they need to do. Circumcision is one thing. If they practice it with faith in their hearts, then they'll be okay. But if they practice it as a kind of "cost of admission," then they're not getting into heaven at all.
Paul brings a new meaning to the word "righteousness." And it's God who is able to make man righteous.
Now comes this concept of grace. It's a new word to expand the vocabulary of the Jewish people. Well, all people actually.
What Paul seems to be trying so hard to do here is integrate the Jewish people and the Gentiles into one believing group of faithful followers. But the first thing that the Jewish people have to do is reconcile this notion of theirs that circumcision makes them more better than the Gentiles.
That's what their ancestors taught them and they believed that's what God expected of them. And if the Gentiles weren't circumcised, then they were somehow flawed only because -- or so it appeared to the Jews -- they had not or would not enter into the same covenant relationship with God that the Jews had done.
And if they hadn't, then they couldn't have God's covenant or blessing.
It was a tremendous hurdle for Paul to get beyond. Fortunately for him, he had the guidance of the Holy Spirit who was putting the words in his mouth.
Paul says in verses 9-18: What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all!
We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
"There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
"All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
"there is no one who does good, not even one.
"Their throats are open graves;
"Their tongues practice deceit.The poison of vipers is on their lips.
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
"Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.There is no fear of God before their eyes."
So out of this rather long list of things gone wrong with sinful man, the last verse says they don't even fear God. That is, there is no reverence and it's this reverence of God that initiates man's godliness.
But in verse 19, Paul says the whole world is accountable to God.
So if the whole world is accountable, Jews and Gentiles alike, how are the Gentiles going to be held accountable since they never had the Mosaic law to obey in the first place?
Read what Paul says in verse 20: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Shame recognition. It's about shame recognition. How many times have I counseled children and had them discover that yes, indeed, they knew they had done something wrong at the point of shame recognition. Children have to learn this; otherwise, it's just white stuff falling out of an overturned glass and cascading onto the floor below. They learn not to tip over the glass of milk -- not that it was purposeful misbehavior -- just something they ought not to be doing. Just hearing that "Oh, for crying out loud" from mom or dad, who had to clean up the mess is often enough for children to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness -- shame recognition.
The law, says Paul, makes us conscious of our sin (verse 20b).
And here comes the gospel message, restated powerfully for the Romans, in verses 21-25: But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The playing field just got leveled. The Jews go to worship on the Sabbath and they sit right next to Gentiles who are also worshiping with them. It's not going to be like it used to be when the Gentiles -- if they were allowed in the synagogue at all -- had to sit somewhere not close to the Jews. The Gentiles were pagans. Probably not even supposed to be in the synagogue.
Now, here comes this guy -- Paul -- who's telling the Jews that they're just like the Gentiles and it doesn't matter whether they're circumcised or not, because it's not like it used to be in the old days.
So this Jesus Christ had come down from heaven. He was the Son of God and he would die on the cross. No more would anyone on the face of the earth need to make a sacrificial atonement on the altar at the temple because Christ's blood was shed for the sins of every man, woman and child on the planet.
And the blood of Christ was shed for Jew and Gentile alike. We only have to believe in Jesus Christ who brought God's righteousness to us all. It justifies us -- all of us who have faith in Jesus Christ (verse 26).
So how do we get some of this faith? It that's all it takes is faith, where does it come?
Paul brings this promise from God in verse 30: [S]ince there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
And here comes the big question at the end of this chapter: Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law (verse 31).
Discussion:
It seems to me that Paul was anticipating an accusation in this last verse. That accusation could come from false apostles running around Rome telling the believers that Paul is telling them they didn't have to obey the law anymore.
In fact, a similar message had been misinterpreted in Corinth and it took some doing for Paul to get in there and explain what he meant.
As we get further into this letter to the Romans, we will get a fuller explanation of Paul's explanation of this position.
When it comes to sin, do you think there are some sins that are worse than others? For instance, do you think it's more wrong to kill someone than it is to commit adultery? Or maybe more sinful to rob a bank than it is to tell lies about someone? These are sins against the 10 Commandments and yet we tend to think of some sins as being more serious than others.
Truth is, we are all sinners. And our sins are sometimes perceived as bigger ones; sometimes smaller ones. But we need to let the blood of Christ wash over us and cleanse us from our sins. All of them.
Think about how important it is to wrap our hearts around this notion of Christ's atonement for us -- especially in this season of Lent. Do we hang onto our guilt and shame so that Christ can't get across the barrier we've put between him and our sin?
Forgiveness is ours for the asking. God promised. It is so. Believe it.
We pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of salvation that is mine because you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. All my sins. The big ones and the little ones.
Please help me see that in your eyes, a sin is a sin and I pray that you will help me get away from this keeping score that I've been doing. I pray that you will send your Holy Spirit into my heart to clean out all the cobwebs of misguided thinking so that I can let you into every nook and corner of my heart and my soul.
I pray that you will be with me as I go through this day and I thank you for your guidance and care and love. I pray that you will surround all those I love to keep them safe.
I pray that you will seat good Christian leaders into places of governance throughout the world. I thank you for all your blessings. Amen.
##
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
BIBLE STUDY: Romans 2:1-29
In this chapter, Paul outlines how God is going to inflict judgment. And he raises the question again about circumcision. This was an important pillar of faith for the Jewish people -- maybe even the one significant difference between the Jews and the Gentiles.
But it wasn't the act of circumcision itself, but rather, the significance of that act. Circumcision meant that the Jewish person had a covenant relationship with God that went all the way back to antiquity.
Paul opens this chapter with instructions about how God judges people -- and it doesn't have much to do with whether or not they are circumcised either.
Paul says that people ought not to judge others. When they do this, they are also condemning themselves because humanness brings with it this inability to lead lives free of sin. That is an important criteria God uses when he judges us. Paul brings a warning here that we condemn ourselves when we accuse other people of sin, because we, too, are sinners.
So unless we're perfect, we should just be quiet about what other people are doing wrong. Useless tattling is annoying. It's annoying to us as earthly parents, and apparently it's hugely annoying to God. Listen to verse 3: So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?
Then, in verse 4, Paul tells the Jews to not misconstrue God's kindness and patience because these kindnesses are meant to bring people to redemption. My Concordia Study Bible has a footnote that explains it this way: The Jews had misconstrued [God's] patience to be a lack of intent to judge. (p. 1718)
Paul, having the authority to speak about such matters, wants the believers in Rome -- Jews and Gentiles alike -- to just stop it!
He says they are stubborn and have an unrepentant heart and because they are apparently keeping score of the wrongs that other people are doing, they are storing up God's wrath that will come down on their heads when the day of judgment comes for all people.
In verse 6, Paul warns: God will give to each person according to what he has done.
Wow! What happened to the God who paved the way to salvation by his grace?
Well folks, just because God is a gracious God, it doesn't mean you can sin on purpose and pray for forgiveness in advance of sinning.
No indeed. If you are a true believer and have faith in your heart, you are going to lead a life that resists sin. Not that you can ever be perfect, but you can be as good as you can be. And God is not in any mood to be all that gracious to lazy Christians, it seems to me.
So even though you aren't ever going to buy your way into heaven with your good behavior, your faith will lead you to God's grace because you will always be trying to resist sin.God notices such things.
Don't think for one minute that he isn't paying attention to each and every thing that we do as we go through our days. Take a look at what the Holy Spirit -- through Paul -- says in verses 9-11: There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
Okay -- so put that gun away. You aren't going to rob anybody! And cancel that date with your lover. Stay home with your spouse instead. And for crying out loud, quit all that gossiping. You know that God doesn't want to hear you talking about other people. While you're at it, go through your purses or pockets and put all those pens back in your desk where they belong. The company you work for is not in the business of supplying you with pens, however cheap they are.
Think about these words from verse 13: For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Just in case the Jews might have thought they were okay in feeling their self-righteousness, Paul goes after that way of thinking. Oh, for sure, he knew exactly how that mind-logic got wrapped around their heads because he had been a self-righteous Jew himself at one time, back in the old days.
In our present day, we would say something like "pot can't call the kettle black."
The monologue in verses 17-24 clearly is aimed at this kind of self-righteous thinking. Paul takes dead aim at how the Jews had wrapped their self-righteousness around their "uppitiness."
Paul puts the Jews on notice that it isn't going to fly with him, and it isn't going to fly with God either: Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law th embodiment of knowledge and truth -- you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? you who preach against stealing, doyou steal?You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Uh oh! Now Paul is saying that the Jews are leading the Gentiles into a really big sin against the Holy Spirit: blasphemy. That would be big trouble, indeed.
They can just forget all about this big deal they're making about circumcision. See, the Jews had been holding onto circumcision because it represented a covenant relationship with God.
It meant that they, as a Jew, had sealed this covenant and because of this, had received a pledge from God. This pledge was a blessing, they thought, that guaranteed God's kindness and favor with them. Now, here comes Paul who's telling them they've got it all wrong. Can you see where the Jews would have been very upset with Paul? Paul is telling the Jews that they'd better be really careful because circumcision doesn't mean a thing unless they are living their lives by the law of Moses.
If they aren't, then it doesn't matter if they're circumcised or not. They're the same kind of lawbreakers that the pagans, otherwise known as Gentiles, are.
Well, how dare Paul tell them that! Just who does Paul think he is, anyway?
Paul is about to tell them in verse 29: No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.
So that's who Paul is -- God's spokesperson. And Paul was not about the let the Jews forget it.
Discussion: Paul has never met the people in Rome as of this writing. So, as a stranger and as a missionary, what are some other common grounds that he might have used as a strong point in his meeting of the minds with the Jewish believers in Rome?
Keep in mind that these probably were the same Jews who had been present at Pentecost and had witnessed the mighty visuals that God brought to earth during those Pentecostal moments of wonder.
This is not the first time that Paul has argued against circumcision for the Jewish believers.
Why do you think that this seems to be Paul's first confrontation of Jewish beliefs?
We pray: Oh, Spirit of the Living God, I pray that you will fill my heart with your love and joy so that I will be able to resist Satan and all the sin that he desires I fall into. I pray that you will keep me strong.Help me to remember that you have your eyes on me when you look toward the earth, and I pray that you will lift my eyes to the heavens to behold your kindness.
I thank you for all your blessings in Quint's and my life. I pray that you will show us how best to use those blessings to grow your kingdom here on earth.
I pray for all the men and women who serve in our armed forces. Please keep them strong and safe until they are home again reunited with their loved ones.
I pray for my sister, "Cookie," who is in the final days and weeks of her life here on earth from the cancer that has invaded her body. I pray that she will continue to embrace her excitement of coming home to you and also being reunited with our mother and brothers and father. I pray that you will remove the fear of her journey from this earth from her.
I pray for peace for her daughters and her grandchildren. I especially pray for safe travels for her daughter Karen who is making the long journey from Kuwait to be with her mother.
I pray for strength for her daughter Robin who has been lovingly ministering to Cookie's needs for months and months.
I pray for all who are experiencing marital strife. Please fill the hearts of these couples with love so that they can be reunited within the framework of a Christian marriage and bring them to your house where they can worship and praise you as they ought to.
I ask all these things in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.##
But it wasn't the act of circumcision itself, but rather, the significance of that act. Circumcision meant that the Jewish person had a covenant relationship with God that went all the way back to antiquity.
Paul opens this chapter with instructions about how God judges people -- and it doesn't have much to do with whether or not they are circumcised either.
Paul says that people ought not to judge others. When they do this, they are also condemning themselves because humanness brings with it this inability to lead lives free of sin. That is an important criteria God uses when he judges us. Paul brings a warning here that we condemn ourselves when we accuse other people of sin, because we, too, are sinners.
So unless we're perfect, we should just be quiet about what other people are doing wrong. Useless tattling is annoying. It's annoying to us as earthly parents, and apparently it's hugely annoying to God. Listen to verse 3: So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?
Then, in verse 4, Paul tells the Jews to not misconstrue God's kindness and patience because these kindnesses are meant to bring people to redemption. My Concordia Study Bible has a footnote that explains it this way: The Jews had misconstrued [God's] patience to be a lack of intent to judge. (p. 1718)
Paul, having the authority to speak about such matters, wants the believers in Rome -- Jews and Gentiles alike -- to just stop it!
He says they are stubborn and have an unrepentant heart and because they are apparently keeping score of the wrongs that other people are doing, they are storing up God's wrath that will come down on their heads when the day of judgment comes for all people.
In verse 6, Paul warns: God will give to each person according to what he has done.
Wow! What happened to the God who paved the way to salvation by his grace?
Well folks, just because God is a gracious God, it doesn't mean you can sin on purpose and pray for forgiveness in advance of sinning.
No indeed. If you are a true believer and have faith in your heart, you are going to lead a life that resists sin. Not that you can ever be perfect, but you can be as good as you can be. And God is not in any mood to be all that gracious to lazy Christians, it seems to me.
So even though you aren't ever going to buy your way into heaven with your good behavior, your faith will lead you to God's grace because you will always be trying to resist sin.God notices such things.
Don't think for one minute that he isn't paying attention to each and every thing that we do as we go through our days. Take a look at what the Holy Spirit -- through Paul -- says in verses 9-11: There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
Okay -- so put that gun away. You aren't going to rob anybody! And cancel that date with your lover. Stay home with your spouse instead. And for crying out loud, quit all that gossiping. You know that God doesn't want to hear you talking about other people. While you're at it, go through your purses or pockets and put all those pens back in your desk where they belong. The company you work for is not in the business of supplying you with pens, however cheap they are.
Think about these words from verse 13: For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Just in case the Jews might have thought they were okay in feeling their self-righteousness, Paul goes after that way of thinking. Oh, for sure, he knew exactly how that mind-logic got wrapped around their heads because he had been a self-righteous Jew himself at one time, back in the old days.
In our present day, we would say something like "pot can't call the kettle black."
The monologue in verses 17-24 clearly is aimed at this kind of self-righteous thinking. Paul takes dead aim at how the Jews had wrapped their self-righteousness around their "uppitiness."
Paul puts the Jews on notice that it isn't going to fly with him, and it isn't going to fly with God either: Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law th embodiment of knowledge and truth -- you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? you who preach against stealing, doyou steal?You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Uh oh! Now Paul is saying that the Jews are leading the Gentiles into a really big sin against the Holy Spirit: blasphemy. That would be big trouble, indeed.
They can just forget all about this big deal they're making about circumcision. See, the Jews had been holding onto circumcision because it represented a covenant relationship with God.
It meant that they, as a Jew, had sealed this covenant and because of this, had received a pledge from God. This pledge was a blessing, they thought, that guaranteed God's kindness and favor with them. Now, here comes Paul who's telling them they've got it all wrong. Can you see where the Jews would have been very upset with Paul? Paul is telling the Jews that they'd better be really careful because circumcision doesn't mean a thing unless they are living their lives by the law of Moses.
If they aren't, then it doesn't matter if they're circumcised or not. They're the same kind of lawbreakers that the pagans, otherwise known as Gentiles, are.
Well, how dare Paul tell them that! Just who does Paul think he is, anyway?
Paul is about to tell them in verse 29: No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.
So that's who Paul is -- God's spokesperson. And Paul was not about the let the Jews forget it.
Discussion: Paul has never met the people in Rome as of this writing. So, as a stranger and as a missionary, what are some other common grounds that he might have used as a strong point in his meeting of the minds with the Jewish believers in Rome?
Keep in mind that these probably were the same Jews who had been present at Pentecost and had witnessed the mighty visuals that God brought to earth during those Pentecostal moments of wonder.
This is not the first time that Paul has argued against circumcision for the Jewish believers.
Why do you think that this seems to be Paul's first confrontation of Jewish beliefs?
We pray: Oh, Spirit of the Living God, I pray that you will fill my heart with your love and joy so that I will be able to resist Satan and all the sin that he desires I fall into. I pray that you will keep me strong.Help me to remember that you have your eyes on me when you look toward the earth, and I pray that you will lift my eyes to the heavens to behold your kindness.
I thank you for all your blessings in Quint's and my life. I pray that you will show us how best to use those blessings to grow your kingdom here on earth.
I pray for all the men and women who serve in our armed forces. Please keep them strong and safe until they are home again reunited with their loved ones.
I pray for my sister, "Cookie," who is in the final days and weeks of her life here on earth from the cancer that has invaded her body. I pray that she will continue to embrace her excitement of coming home to you and also being reunited with our mother and brothers and father. I pray that you will remove the fear of her journey from this earth from her.
I pray for peace for her daughters and her grandchildren. I especially pray for safe travels for her daughter Karen who is making the long journey from Kuwait to be with her mother.
I pray for strength for her daughter Robin who has been lovingly ministering to Cookie's needs for months and months.
I pray for all who are experiencing marital strife. Please fill the hearts of these couples with love so that they can be reunited within the framework of a Christian marriage and bring them to your house where they can worship and praise you as they ought to.
I ask all these things in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.##
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Romans 1:1-32 (NIV)
Martin Luther considered Paul's letter to the Romans as the purest nugget of Christian faith. Luther felt so strongly about this that he thought everybody ought to memorize the letter. (Concordia Study Bible, page 1713)
Though there are, no doubt, differing opinions as to where Paul was actually sitting when he wrote this letter, most scholarly thinkers hold to the notion that Paul was in Corinth, or possibly Cenchrea which is a port city about six miles from Corinth (Romans 16:1).
He had gone to Corinth to collect the monies that were being held for the poor folks in and around Jerusalem. While Paul really really wanted to go to Rome to meet with the new churches there, he also knew that he was challenged by the need to go to Jerusalem first.But the churches in Rome had needs too and Paul wanted to minister to those needs of faith.
The year 57 A.D. seems likely for this letter. There were churches in Rome; had been there since that whole exciting event at Pentecost when they were present and received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
These Romans then brought the message of salvation back to Rome and established churches there, meeting safely in peoples' homes.
Except for moments of history, I'm not sure that it's all that important to know what month, what address, and who would be journeying to Rome with this letter. By that I mean that the power and beauty of the message itself is far more important to me than the minute details of Paul's itinerary. But that's just my point of view. Others will hold a different view that would propel them to discovering the names of Paul's hosts if they could, and that's fine too.
Paul introduces himself in the very first sentence of this letter. He very quickly reiterates the fact that Jesus Christ is the very personage of God who was promised to mankind through he prophets of old.
And Paul reiterates to the Romans (in verses 5-6) that he comes ...through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
In verse 7, Paul addresses this letter to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.
Paul uses the word "saints" throughout his writings to mean Christians. Christians are saints because they have been named as righteous or holy by God, and they become even more so because of their welcoming the Holy Spirit into their hearts.
Paul wants the Romans to know that their faith is well known throughout the world and that he was praying for them every day. Paul also lets them know that if there's any way -- any possible way at all -- he would truly relish the idea of coming to Rome to worship with them and minister to them.
In verse 11, Paul says that he hopes to bring them "some spiritual gift" to make them strong.
In verses 16-17, we find the golden nugget of the New Testament that becomes a repeating theme in all of Paul's writings: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."Keep in mind that Paul uses the word "righteous" to mean having a right relationship with God.
In the very next verse, Paul says that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven to all the godless people and these godless people deny themselves the truth about God. That truth about God is very plain -- it's not hard to figure out at all -- because God makes it very plain. Since the very creation of the earth, God has made his truth known -- this truth is centered around his eternal power and divine nature. There is no excuse for not knowing this, but rather, godless people deny God's nature. For those godless people, there is God's wrath -- this is not a human anger but rather, a kind of disgust for this rejection that leads God to turn the godless people out to pursue their sins.
These are the people who Paul says in verse 25: They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised.
It reminds me of something a professor once said to a theology class I was in: "You worship the god at whose altar you bow."
If that "altar" is bags and bags of riches, then you have made wealth your idol.
If you are a workaholic, then you have made your job your idol.
And just in case the Romans didn't quite get the full idea of what he was talking about, Paul describes the ungodless in this way: They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Discussion: If you embrace God in all his glory and live your life to be near him and feel his presence everywhere you go, then you know what Paul means by "righteous." On the other hand, if you feel a distance from God, like you aren't really all that connected, then you know that in your heart too. So how would you resolve that feeling of not being righteous?
Of these faith practices, which are the ones you exercise strongly and which are the ones you need to work on?
Prayer
Weekly worship and praise with other believers
Daily reading of God's word
Each and every one of us, because of our humanness, needs to exhibit great care that we do not make anything or anyone an idol. God is first -- everything else comes after that.
Re-read the final verses of this first chapter and compare it to what Christ said in John 10:27-30 -- My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.
How does this message from Christ compare to Paul's comment in verse 24: Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
Satan lurks around here on earth. We must remain steadfast and vigilant to resist all temptations that Satan puts before us. We must choose God and know that the truth of God is that he is far more powerful than Satan.
We pray: Dear heavenly Father, I pray that your truth will rest upon me so that I can follow you alone.
I pray that you will give me the strength to deny Satan any entry whatsoever in my heart.
I pray that you will strengthen all our children and their spouses and also our grandchildren. Please keep them all safe in your tender care so that they continue to welcome your truth.
I pray that you will keep Quint in the safety of the palm of your hand, and for myself as well, as we go through our lives together.
I thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to redeem me from all my sins. As I go through this preparation time of Lent, help me be mindful of this tremendous sacrifice that you have made for me and for all mankind, so that our sins will be washed away in the precious blood of Christ.
I pray that you will keep me close to you so that you will not have to come looking for me. Keep me near you. And I thank you so much for caring where I am and what I am doing. Amen.
Though there are, no doubt, differing opinions as to where Paul was actually sitting when he wrote this letter, most scholarly thinkers hold to the notion that Paul was in Corinth, or possibly Cenchrea which is a port city about six miles from Corinth (Romans 16:1).
He had gone to Corinth to collect the monies that were being held for the poor folks in and around Jerusalem. While Paul really really wanted to go to Rome to meet with the new churches there, he also knew that he was challenged by the need to go to Jerusalem first.But the churches in Rome had needs too and Paul wanted to minister to those needs of faith.
The year 57 A.D. seems likely for this letter. There were churches in Rome; had been there since that whole exciting event at Pentecost when they were present and received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
These Romans then brought the message of salvation back to Rome and established churches there, meeting safely in peoples' homes.
Except for moments of history, I'm not sure that it's all that important to know what month, what address, and who would be journeying to Rome with this letter. By that I mean that the power and beauty of the message itself is far more important to me than the minute details of Paul's itinerary. But that's just my point of view. Others will hold a different view that would propel them to discovering the names of Paul's hosts if they could, and that's fine too.
Paul introduces himself in the very first sentence of this letter. He very quickly reiterates the fact that Jesus Christ is the very personage of God who was promised to mankind through he prophets of old.
And Paul reiterates to the Romans (in verses 5-6) that he comes ...through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
In verse 7, Paul addresses this letter to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.
Paul uses the word "saints" throughout his writings to mean Christians. Christians are saints because they have been named as righteous or holy by God, and they become even more so because of their welcoming the Holy Spirit into their hearts.
Paul wants the Romans to know that their faith is well known throughout the world and that he was praying for them every day. Paul also lets them know that if there's any way -- any possible way at all -- he would truly relish the idea of coming to Rome to worship with them and minister to them.
In verse 11, Paul says that he hopes to bring them "some spiritual gift" to make them strong.
In verses 16-17, we find the golden nugget of the New Testament that becomes a repeating theme in all of Paul's writings: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."Keep in mind that Paul uses the word "righteous" to mean having a right relationship with God.
In the very next verse, Paul says that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven to all the godless people and these godless people deny themselves the truth about God. That truth about God is very plain -- it's not hard to figure out at all -- because God makes it very plain. Since the very creation of the earth, God has made his truth known -- this truth is centered around his eternal power and divine nature. There is no excuse for not knowing this, but rather, godless people deny God's nature. For those godless people, there is God's wrath -- this is not a human anger but rather, a kind of disgust for this rejection that leads God to turn the godless people out to pursue their sins.
These are the people who Paul says in verse 25: They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised.
It reminds me of something a professor once said to a theology class I was in: "You worship the god at whose altar you bow."
If that "altar" is bags and bags of riches, then you have made wealth your idol.
If you are a workaholic, then you have made your job your idol.
And just in case the Romans didn't quite get the full idea of what he was talking about, Paul describes the ungodless in this way: They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Discussion: If you embrace God in all his glory and live your life to be near him and feel his presence everywhere you go, then you know what Paul means by "righteous." On the other hand, if you feel a distance from God, like you aren't really all that connected, then you know that in your heart too. So how would you resolve that feeling of not being righteous?
Of these faith practices, which are the ones you exercise strongly and which are the ones you need to work on?
Prayer
Weekly worship and praise with other believers
Daily reading of God's word
Each and every one of us, because of our humanness, needs to exhibit great care that we do not make anything or anyone an idol. God is first -- everything else comes after that.
Re-read the final verses of this first chapter and compare it to what Christ said in John 10:27-30 -- My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.
How does this message from Christ compare to Paul's comment in verse 24: Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
Satan lurks around here on earth. We must remain steadfast and vigilant to resist all temptations that Satan puts before us. We must choose God and know that the truth of God is that he is far more powerful than Satan.
We pray: Dear heavenly Father, I pray that your truth will rest upon me so that I can follow you alone.
I pray that you will give me the strength to deny Satan any entry whatsoever in my heart.
I pray that you will strengthen all our children and their spouses and also our grandchildren. Please keep them all safe in your tender care so that they continue to welcome your truth.
I pray that you will keep Quint in the safety of the palm of your hand, and for myself as well, as we go through our lives together.
I thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to redeem me from all my sins. As I go through this preparation time of Lent, help me be mindful of this tremendous sacrifice that you have made for me and for all mankind, so that our sins will be washed away in the precious blood of Christ.
I pray that you will keep me close to you so that you will not have to come looking for me. Keep me near you. And I thank you so much for caring where I am and what I am doing. Amen.
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