ROMANS 1-3
I want to make a note
here- since last week’s video I saw the movie AMERICAN SNIPER- I also read more
comments on this subject.
In the video I mentioned how Chris said in his book he
‘hates all Iraqi’s’- now- I read excerpts- as well as what others said.
I want to clarify- some are disputing these claims- so- the
purpose of these posts [on everything] is to GET STUFF RIGHT.
So I want to re-cant that statement [too hard to edit the
video] - being I never read the book- I don’t want to defame Chris.
I also was surprised when I saw the movie- it did a better
job at showing the effects of war- and even showed how Chris had a fellow
soldier who had doubts about what they were doing- from a Christian view.
I thought the movie did indeed do a better job at showing the
questions of war- then some of the commentaries I read.
I should note that earlier today I read Jesse Ventura
calling Chris ‘a liar’.
In the book Chris says he knocked out some seal at a bar
once- who was critical of our wars.
Supposedly he was talking about Ventura.
Ventura said this was a lie- it never happened.
Ventura sued- and won- the book publishers eventually took
that part out of the book.
So- all in all- there is still lots of controversy around
Chris and the movie.
The views I expressed in the video I still hold to- but I
don’t want to attribute statements to Chris if I don’t know for sure that he
made them.
For the next 3-4 weeks I plan on covering the letter to the
Romans- written by the Apostle Paul- Below are excerpts from a commentary I
wrote years ago- try and read the book of Romans the next week or so.
Actually reading thru the bible- in context- is one of the
best habits you can develop.
Rome was the city of influence at the time of Paul- located
just east of the bend of the Tiber river- about 18 miles from the Mediterranean
Sea.
The letter to the Romans- would be read orally to both
Christians and Jews in the city- in the days of the writing of these letters
[which now make up our bible] they were living in an ‘oral’ culture- and the
letters were intended to be read aloud to those in the early Christian
communities [remember- you didn’t have books back then- like we have today- and
the mass production of writing/publishing did not yet exist].
So- Paul was a strategic thinker- and he penned this letter
hoping it would be a ‘shot in the dark’- that is the darkness of sinful man-
The letter to the Romans is the closest thing to a
systematic theology found in the New Testament.
Its impact in church history is great- John Chrysostom- the
great 5ht century preacher- had it read aloud to him- once a week.
Saint Augustine attributes it to his radical conversion- the
story goes he heard some kids singing ‘take up and read’.
He picked up a copy of the letter to the Romans- and history
was changed.
Luther- the great 16th century reformer- was
teaching this letter- as a Catholic priest/scholar- out of Germany- when he
read ‘The just shall live by faith- therein is the righteousness of God
revealed’-
It lead to what we call today ‘The Protestant Reformation’.
A few hundred years later- the Great Methodist founder- John
Wesley- would say his heart was ‘strangely warmed’ while hearing a message at
Aldersgate- and it lead to his conversion- sure enough- the message was from the
letter to the church at Rome.
So- when the great Apostle sat down and penned this ‘arrow’-
hoping it to go forth and have great impact for the Kingdom of God- his hopes
were indeed realized.
Enjoy-
(820) ROMANS
1: 1-16 many believe this letter to be Paul's best, I wouldn’t disagree. The
letters of the New Testament do not appear in chronological order, some feel
this to be a huge obstacle in understanding scripture. I think it helps to know
the times when Paul wrote the letters, but this in itself doesn’t prevent us
from learning scripture. Romans is addressed to the church at Rome and is significant in that Paul did not
‘plant this church’. Unlike the other letters of Paul, he is writing to the
believers with whom he had no strong prior relationship. He roots his gospel in
the historical facts of history and scripture. ‘The gospel of God that the
prophets foretold- Jesus of the seed of David who was proved to be the Son of
God by the resurrection’. Make no bones about it, Paul is coming down strong on
the gospel of Jesus Christ and he positions himself well right at the start.
There were ‘other gospels’ [Galatians] that were circulating and at times might
have even outnumbered Paul's message! The Jewish sect from Jerusalem who embraced both Jesus and the law
were very influential in Paul’s day. When Paul combats a legalistic gospel, at
times he is running ‘neck and neck’ with the Judaizers. Paul will make a
foundational statement that will run true thru out the rest of the New
Testament. ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is the power of
God unto Salvation to everyone who believes. For in it is the righteousness of
God revealed’. Now, I have hit on this theme before, but it is so fundamental to
the rest of this study that we need to spend some time with it. I always
wondered why so many Evangelicals, and scholars, could not ‘rightly divide’
this biblical doctrine. I am speaking of ‘Righteousness by faith’ as being the
root of all other ‘Salvation’. What I mean is many have confused the doctrine
of ‘the salvation of the righteous’ with the salvation of the sinner. The
reason why the gospel is one of salvation, is because this is the tool that God
has ordained to administer ‘righteousness- justification’ to the believer. When
God ‘saves- delivers’ a sinner from an ‘unjust state of being’ this act can be
called ‘being saved’ [Ephesians 2]. Also thru out the scriptures you have
people who are ‘just- righteous’ who experience ‘continual salvation’ because
of the fact that they are righteous. This doctrine can be called ‘the salvation
of the righteous’. David in Psalms says ‘the righteous cry and the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles’ ‘The salvation of the righteous is
from the Lord’. Peter speaks of God delivering the ‘just- righteous’ from
wrath. Both Lot and Noah are said to have been
‘saved’ because they were righteous. The whole point here is as we progress
thru Romans Paul will use the term ‘salvation’ and ‘righteousness’. Whenever
[chapter 10] you have a combining of the righteous [believers] calling, crying
out to God for ‘salvation’ it needs to be understood that this does not mean
‘salvation’ in the sense of the initial act of justification. While the two are
closely related, the testimony from scripture does make a distinction. So Paul
shows us that the reason the gospel is Gods power ‘unto salvation’ is because
this is the way God chose to ‘make people just’. Paul will spend a few chapters
[3 and 4] laying the foundation of righteousness by faith. But first he will
argue his case for why all men need to have this righteousness. [ see entry #
704 for more comments on ‘the salvation of the righteous’]
(821) ROMANS
1:17-21 ‘for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against unrighteousness
of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness’. Now, we have already established
the ‘mode’ by which the gospel ‘saves’ us. Once we believe in the gospel, it
immediately, and progressively ‘saves’ us. The immediate act of justification
can be described as ‘getting saved’. But there is also a large amount of
scripture that speaks of ‘continual and future salvation’. Now Paul begins
showing us how this salvation works. He says ‘the wrath of God is revealed
against unrighteousness’ the previous verses showed how the believer is made
righteous. So we are ‘delivered from the wrath to come’ [Thessalonians] ‘saved
by wrath thru his life’ [Romans 5:9] ‘he will appear from heaven the second
time to bring salvation to those who look for him’ [Hebrews] and many other
verses testify of this theme. Paul is showing us one aspect of this ‘ongoing,
future’ salvation by saying ‘see, since Gods wrath is promised to come upon the
unrighteous, once you believe with the heart unto righteousness, you then
become someone who is off the radar screen from wrath’ [John 3- the wrath of
God abides on the unbeliever, but the believer is in a state of ‘no
condemnation’]. This understanding will be important as we get to the later
chapters in Romans. Now I also want to share a somewhat ‘unique’ interpretation
of the following verses ‘that which may be known of God is manifest IN THEM
[some say ‘to them]; for God hath showed it unto them [not necessarily meaning
‘showed it to them from created things’!] For the invisible things of him [his
attributes! Invisible stuff] from the creation of the world [since the
beginning of time, that is since God created all things he has imbedded a
witness of himself into all creation; ‘all creation groans and travails’ Paul
will attribute ‘human like’ characteristics to all creation. In essence all
creation has this testimony and yearning for God in it] are clearly seen [not
with the natural eye, but thru this ‘imbedded testimony of Gods attributes that
he has placed in all creation’] being understood by the things that are made
[not understood by ‘looking at the things that are made’; creation. But
actually being understood ‘by them’] so that they are without excuse’. The
normal way of seeing these verses says ‘God has left a witness of himself thru his
creation. All people are without excuse because they can see his creation and
know he is’. Now, is this concept true? Of course! David says ‘the heavens
declare the glory of God and the firmament SHOWETH his handiwork’. The only
problem is ‘all men can’t see!’ I don’t mean to be trivial here; I want to show
you that if you read this passage like I just taught it, that it basically is
saying ‘since the beginning of Gods creation he has left man without excuse. He
has always revealed his inner attributes to man. The witness of moral law and
conscience is imbedded in the creation. All men ‘hold’ [possess] the ‘truth’
[this inner moral witness] in unrighteousness, therefore they are without
excuse’. I don’t want to be a contrarian simply for the sake of being one. But
if you see what I just told you, this fits in with Paul’s understanding of
salvation. God’s wrath is revealed against all unrighteousness, yet those who
say ‘that’s not fair, God made us this way!’ have no excuse, because God gave
all men [and creation] an inner witness that they could have acted on- ‘when
they knew God, they glorified him not as God but became vain in their
imaginations’. All men have at one time ‘known God’ even those who have never
seen Gods testimony from creation! Therefore they are without excuse.
(822) ROMANS
1:21-32 the scripture says that all creation ‘knew God’. The indictment is
‘there is no excuse’. The previous verses proved that God not only made man,
but that because man was made in Gods image, he therefore had an ‘inner
imprint’ of his maker inside him. Now man chose to ‘change the image of God
into that of animals’. Man could not escape this inert desire to worship, this
thing in him that said ‘there’s more to life than simple flesh’. So he didn’t
just become an atheist [though that’s what they would have you believe] but
they became ‘changers of Gods image’. They came up with an alternative
‘religion’. Scripture says they changed God's image into that of an animal
[idolatry] and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator.
Evolution was Darwin ’s
feeble attempt at ‘changing the image of God into that of animals’. How so?
Modern man was too enlightened [after all we had the enlightenment!] to
actually go out and make an image of an animal and bow to it. Instead he bought
into the idea that he evolved from animals. Scripture says we are made in Gods
image, evolution says ‘we are made in the image of an animal’. Men did not
‘like to retain God in their knowledge’. They had to have some controlling
worldview, they came up with one. Now Romans says God gave them up to become
like that which they chose to worship. Man was designed to worship God, in
seeking and going after God they would become more like him. When man chooses
to empty his mind from the creator, God allows him to fill it with what he
wants. He receives a ‘reprobate mind’. He fixates on the animal instincts that
are a natural result of ‘worshipping four footed beasts’. Now man has no choice
but to be formed into the thing that he worships. Paul is here telling us that
man became immoral as a result of his own choice to eradicate God from his
thoughts. Man received the just recompense of his choice. At the end of the
chapter Paul closes with ‘they know that those who do these things are worthy
of death’. Once again the idea of judgment ‘the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven’. Paul’s summary; Man is unrighteous. God is righteous in punishing man.
Man chose to become like this. The only way to escape an inevitable meeting
with wrath is to ‘become righteous’. This is accomplished thru believing the
gospel. When you believe you become righteous and are no longer on Gods radar
screen for judgment.
[One note on Evolution- In the future I hope
to cover various views on Evolution- and explain some of the objections that Christian’s
have- are actually not good arguments. For instance- in the creation account- Genesis
1- we read that the ‘waters brought forth life’- we see that in the creation
account itself- there are progressive acts- God ‘made man’ from the dust- do Christians
object to ‘the dirt’? No. We don’t argue ‘no- we weren’t made from dirt! - God
made us’! True- but God can use progressive acts- and materials- that are
‘base’ in his creative acts- see?]
(823) ROMANS
2:1-13 ‘Therefore thou art inexcusable, o man, whosoever thou art that
judgest’. Now, this chapter will run with the theme ‘who do you think you are
to judge, you do the things that you say are wrong’. Yikes, this type of
preaching convicts us all. But we need to understand that Paul is saying a little
more [well, a lot more!] than this. Here’s where we need to do some history.
This letter is addressed to believers in Rome ,
those ‘called to be saints’. Paul is also giving one of his strongest defenses
of his theology, he realizes that a large Jewish population are also at Rome [Acts 28]. By the
time of this letter the lines are being drawn between ‘Paul’s gospel’ [the true
gospel] and the ‘Jewish law gospel’ coming from the Judaizers out of Jerusalem . The main fight
is over whether or not Gentile believers need to be circumcised and come under
the law in order to ‘be saved’ [Acts 15]. Now the mentality of the Jewish mind
was ‘we have been given Gods precepts [true] and because we are the inheritors
of the law and moral standards of God, this puts us in a better class than the
Gentiles’ [false]. In essence the law was supposed to reveal mans sin to
himself, it was to show us our need for a Savior. But in the legalistic mind it
created enmity between Jew and Gentile. This is what it means when Paul writes
the Ephesian letter and says ‘the middle wall of partition has been removed in
Christ’ this ‘middle wall’ is referring to the law and how it divided Jew and
Gentile. So here Paul is saying ‘you Jews who are trusting in the fact that you
were the recipients of the law, who use the law as a measuring rod to justify
yourselves. This measuring rod was actually given to show you your sin. Did it
never occur to you that the very fact that the ‘rod’ says “don’t commit
adultery, don’t steal” that these things are actually sins that you yourselves
do [the legalistic Jews]. And yet the very rule [law] of God that you are using
to justify yourselves, this law you actually break!’ Now you are beginning to
see the context. And not only were they breaking the law, but at the same time
they were saying to Paul's Gentile churches ‘unless you get circumcised, you
are not accepted with God’. The Gentile believers were actually born of God and
stopped doing the things that the law commanded them not to do. They were
‘fulfilling the law by nature’. So Paul is really rebuking this hypocritical
mindset that said to the Gentile believers that they weren’t saved. And at the
same time the ‘judgers of the law’ were actually breaking the law, while the
Gentle converts were keeping it by nature! In this context verse one means a
lot. Now to an important verse ‘for not the hearers of the law are just before
God, BUT THE DOERS OF THE LAW SHALL BE JUSTIFIED’. Just the fact that this
statement is made by Paul in this letter is amazing. Paul will spend lots of
time in this letter saying ‘those who try and become justified by keeping the
law are missing it’. He will go over and over again stating that trying to
become righteous by works and law keeping are futile. Yet here he says ‘the
doers of the law SHALL BE JUSTIFIED, not the hearers’. Keep in context what I
just showed in the beginning of the chapter. The New Testament has a theme that
I have hit on before [read the Hebrews 11 commentary on this site]. The theme
is ‘men are justified’ [declared legally righteous] by faith. This faith also
‘sanctifies’ [which can also be called ‘justified’ a sort of progressive
justification. James uses this in his letter. Paul says in Galatians ‘having
begun in the Spirit [legal justification] are you now made perfect by the
flesh’ [law keeping]. Now the New Testament teaches that God wants people to
actually ‘be righteous’. Johns 1st epistle uses this as the marker
of whether or not you are a child of God ‘by this we know… those that do what
is righteous are born of God, those that do evil are not’. In Jesus judgment
scenarios ‘those that have DONE good are raised to life, those that have done
evil to damnation’. So Paul in essence is saying ‘God ‘justifies’ [using the
term in a ongoing- futuristic sense] the righteous, not the ones who only hear
the law [the Jewish legalists] but those who by nature do it’ [Paul’s gentile
converts]. Got it? This distinction is very important. One of the historic
reasons why the Protestant and Catholic churches are divided is over this
issue. The Catholic Pope [Leo] who initially condemned Luther did so on grounds
like this. The Pope who succeeded Leo re-read all of Luther’s documents, in an
honest effort to bridge the schism, and came to the same conclusion. Now I like
Luther and side with him more so than the Pope, but one of the problems was
some of Luther’s writings seemed to say ‘Justification is solely by faith
[true] therefore sin hardily’ [false]. Now Luther didn’t intend to come off
this way, but that’s the way it sounded. So the Catholic doctrine fell more on
the side of ‘Gods grace makes you righteous, God cant declare people actually
righteous until they actually are righteous’ this is called the ‘Legal fiction’
argument. They said Luther’s idea was a ‘legal fiction’. In essence some of
what the Catholic scholars were saying was correct. Now God does declare us
righteous at the moment of belief, before we actually ‘become totally righteous
in practice’. But the error of the Catholic argument saying ‘God cant declare you
righteous until you are’ was missing the point. When God says ‘you are
righteous’ then you are! God doesn’t lie. But I understand the Catholic point.
I think Paul understood it too. In this chapter Paul says ‘not the hearers of
the law, but the doers shall be justified’.
(824) ROMANS
2:14- 3:18- Paul says ‘you are called a Jew and are confident that you are a
teacher and an instructor of the law’. Read my Hebrews commentary, chapters 5
and 6. It is interesting that Paul understood the teaching role that the Jewish
nation was to play among the Gentile nations. In Jesus parables he also hits on
these themes. Hebrews says ‘when the time has come [the appointed time of
Messiah- Galatians 4] that you ought to be teachers, you have need to be taught
the first principles again’. Here Paul tells them they are proud to be the
‘possessors’ of the Old Testament, yet thru their disobedience to it the name
of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles [ouch!] Paul fully acknowledges the
privileged role that Israel
had, he himself was brought up with this ‘elitist/intellectual’ mindset. But
here Paul rebukes them for not fully living up to the law. ‘Well brother, how
could they live up to it? Paul himself says that this is impossible.’ If they
carried thru with the receiving of Messiah, which their law spoke and testified
of, then truly they would have been fulfilling the law as new creatures in
Christ. In essence their indictment is ‘you never fully followed thru with your
own law’! Now Paul will flatly say that circumcision and being the guardians of
the law profit nothing. That the ‘circumcision of the heart’ is what matters.
He says if the gentiles, who have no historical attachment to the law, if they
do by nature the things in the law then they are ‘spiritually circumcised’ [set
apart unto God]. But if the circumcised do not obey the law and character of
God [thru the new birth] then it profits nothing. I want to note the strong
disconnect between the way Paul speaks about natural Israel and her heritage, and how
some in the American church present her. Paul, who himself is a Jew, makes it
very clear that Israel
is in a state of ‘danger’ by not receiving Messiah. Though he will admit their
special place and role in history, yet he refuses to exalt her in her natural
‘state’ [of being]. Now Israel ’s
response to Paul [which by the way Paul interjects himself. I want to make a
note here. Paul will give ‘both sides’ of the argument in his letters. He will
say things like ‘and you will say to me such and such’. He actually try’s to add
both sides of the conversation in his letters. Recently there has been some
discussion on whether or not we can really understand the New Testament without
fully knowing all the background and history of the letters. Some have said
just knowing the letters are like
hearing only one side of a phone conversation. To be honest this isn’t really
true. The writers of the letters and the gospels lived in an ‘oral culture’.
This is why Paul himself gives instructions on his letters being read- as
opposed to saying ‘pass the letters around for everyone to personally read’.
The point is we can understand a whole bunch of scripture just by reading it!]
Now Israel
asks ‘what good is the whole thing, why even have Jews or circumcision or any
history with God at all’? Paul realizes that his whole argument for law and
circumcision meaning nothing without a changed heart, that some would respond
back like this. He in turn says ‘the law and all the history of Israel with God
were very important! It was Gods way of getting his prophetic word [oracles] to
man’. In essence God chose to ‘start a conversation’ with Abraham and extend it
forward to his children. Over a long history of God interacting with Israel , God
would speak thru prophets and ‘wise men’ and these prophetic words were being
recorded [meticulously by the way!]. God would reveal himself and his purpose
of Messiah thru these writings that came from this relationship [though rocky!]
that he had with Israel .
Now Paul will say ‘does their unbelief negate Gods promise’? No! Let God be
true and every man be a liar. The fact that Israel as a nation were ‘not
believing’ in their Messiah, didn’t effect the actual power of the Messiah to
be believed on among the Gentile nations. A couple of things here;
dispensational theology teaches that the Kingdom of God
has been postponed until Christ’s return. I think this contradicts Paul's
argument. Paul said Israel ’s
unbelief could not negate the full purpose of God. The fact that Jesus rose
from the dead and is presently seated at God’s right hand proves this. Also
Paul will teach later in this letter that the actual reason why salvation has
gone out to the gentiles is because Israel rejected Messiah. In essence
Israel ’s
unbelief could not negate what God purposed to do all along.
(825) ROMANS
3:19-31 ‘Now we know that what things the law says, it says to those who are
under the law… that every mouth may be stopped and all the world becomes guilty
before God’. One of the questions that arise as a response to Paul’s gospel is
‘if the law cannot make us righteous, then why even have it’? Paul will
consistently teach the concept that Gods intention for the law was simply to
reveal mans sin to him. Man would have this ‘form’ of the law written on stone
tablets and as he tried to live up to God’s standards he would come to the
proper diagnosis that all men are sinners. This diagnosis would then lead him
to a place of faith in Jesus. After he believes in Jesus he then fulfills the
law naturally, out of having a new nature ‘yea, we establish the law’ [3:31 ]. I have found it interesting
over the years to teach people this. To explain to sincere people, church
goers. To say ‘did you know the bible says that no man can be saved by trying
to obey Gods Ten Commandments’? I will always explain that this doesn't mean
that God wants us to break them! But when we come to the Cross we by nature
keep them. These verses lay down the foundation of ‘justification by faith’. He
that believes is righteous. To declare Jesus righteousness for the remission of
sins that are past. Having faith ‘in His Blood’. Both Jews and Gentiles need to
be made righteous thru faith/belief in Jesus. I want to establish this fact in
your mind. Paul without a doubt describes this experience as being ‘justified
by faith’. This is the same as saying ‘believing with the heart unto
righteousness’. Later on [chapter 10] this needs to be understood when parsing
the verses that say ‘with the heart a man believes unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation’ many are confused about this, to
get it right you need to see that Paul spends much time early on establishing
the fact that ‘those who believe unto righteousness’ are justified by faith
already!
Below are just a few clips from Romans 1-3- I hope to hit on these in
the video.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from
faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Romans 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in
them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of
the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even
his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Romans 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by
nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law
unto themselves:
Romans 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their
hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean
while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it
saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all
the world may become guilty before God.
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is
manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no
difference:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God;
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that
are past, through the forbearance of God;
Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness:
that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law?
of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law.
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