Chapter 1
The apostle Paul, thus far in the book of Romans (chapters 1-7), has established, contrary to his readers’ opinion, that there is no shame in the gospel as he has explained it to them. In fact, in the gospel is found the power of God for what we’ve called salvific righteousness, the power to save both Jews and Gentiles; that is by faith. This discovery of Paul is really nothing new at all. In fact, Paul tells his readers that in the gospel, God reveals throughout history that His righteousness, granted to people by faith in Him, has always been the pathway to life for both the Jews of old first, and then to the Gentiles of today. (1:16-17)
There is a monumental incorrect assumption here that Paul’s readers are holding that compels him to write what does. So what is it that is so embarrassing for Paul’s readers that it makes them believe that the gospel is something for which he or they should be ashamed? Of course, it is too early in the letter to know, but it is the carrot with which Paul leads his readers for the first seven chapters.
Paul has opened a can of worms here at the very beginning of his letter, which his readers are quite aware of, but we, on this end of the conversation, must read further into the letter to fully understand. By the time we have read chapters 1-7, we will understand the context and background for what he explains to his readers in chapters 9-11. So he begins with that task in mind here in chapter 1.
Paul has told us that God’s righteousness is not the only revelatory event that has occurred in history. He also tells us that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. And then Paul directs those very words to the Jewish Roman readers to whom he writes, the very ones who Paul describes as being "consumed with passion for one another, committing shameless acts with one another; men with men and women with women." (1:18-32)
Chapter 2
So ungodly is their behavior, “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of them.” (2:24) And Since Paul’s Jewish readers “know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, and in spite of the fact that Paul is thankful that their faith is proclaimed all over the world (1:8), these Jewish believers are still “without excuse and fall under God’s judgment.” (2:1) Paul definitely wants to point out to his Jewish readers, contrary to what they think, that just because they are of the Jewish nation, that identity does not exonerate them from the judgment to be reckoned to them for their behavior (2:3). To their surprise Paul informs them that God doesn’t play favorites (2:11) with the Jews, and does not show partiality between the Jews and the Gentiles. To their surprise and amazement, Paul says, “there will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.” (2:9-11) Paul says bluntly to his Jewish readers that the Jews are not as exclusively special to God as they think they are. What a shock!!
Chapter 3
Paul anticipates that this news will so rattle his readers, that he addresses their concern before they can formulate the question for themselves [1]; If the Jews are no longer preferable to God, “Then what advantage has the Jew?” “Or what is the value of circumcision?” If circumcision is supposed to save us, then why does God condemn us for our behavior that is unfaithful to the law? (3:7) If Jews become unfaithful, then does God become unfaithful in condemning us? What’s the use of us being who we are in keeping the law then, if when we fail, God fails? This is an excellent question for a thinking person.
Paul answers that question by pointing out to his Jewish readers that they have the wrong idea about God and man. Paul's Jewish readers have failed to understand that
“both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as he has already charged" (3:9)
Paul's readers have failed to understand that man, all men, including the Jews, “because of their hard and impenitent heart they, (including the Jews along with the Gentiles), are storing up wrath for themselves on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.” So, in reality, the Jews are no better off than the Gentiles, (3:9) because God will judge the secrets of both hearts, Jews first and then Gentiles.(2:16) It's important to Paul to correct their thinking. And its necessary for the Jews to understand their rightful place right there alongside the Gentiles.
Paul then also reminds his readers that the righteousness of God has been revealed in the gospel, the one for which his is not ashamed. Then he clearly explains what exactly that gospel is for his readers. He encapsulates what he has already told his readers saying,
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all (even the Jews) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (3:21-26)
Chapter 4
Paul again anticipates a reaction of astonishment at his words, and again attempts to provide his readers with more solid evidence that righteousness has been manifested and established apart from the law. His evidence includes two of the most prominent people in the ancient history of the Jewish nation.
Since his readers are to understand that righteousness cannot be gained by the law, as they currently think, Paul takes them back to their origins and asks what their lineage teaches on this topic of righteousness? (4:1) He asks them to think about what they learn about this matter in terms of Abraham, their forefather? And what does David say about it?
Regarding Abraham, Paul helps his readers understand one; that Abraham, by God’s grace, was reckoned righteous by faith before the law was even in existence, thus proving that it really is possible to be declared righteous apart from the law, by God’s grace. (4:10-11) And two; it was to Abraham and his offspring that God, by His grace, made the promise to bless all Gentiles and that “he would be heir of the world not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith” by God’s grace. (4:13)
Regarding David, Paul helps his readers understand that David actually defines what the “blessing” that God promised Abraham and his offspring (Jewish nation) is intended to be for the Gentiles. In defining "the blessing", Paul then quotes Psalm 31:1-2 in saying that the blessing is “forgiveness of sin.” According to the promise of Genesis 12:1-2 then, all Gentiles of the world will be included in God’s plan to provide forgiveness of sin, since,“ through Abraham and his offspring all Gentiles will be blessed.”
Paul specifically states that this blessing, “forgiveness of sin” is not exclusive to the circumcised Jews, but now also available to all the uncircumcised Gentiles of the world. (4:9) This is radical news to Jewish ears. Righteousness that depends on faith for everyone is now equivalent to the promise God made to Abraham depending on God’s grace for everyone, not just the Jews. (4:16) Outlandish!! Yet, Abraham is living (and dead) proof because he was
“fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised and that is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness.” (4:21-22) “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring.” (4:16)
Chapter 5
Paul continues to surge ahead to further establish the depths of sinfulness of both the Jewish nation and all other nations of the earth (Gentiles) as he traces the root of all sin, all death, all judgment and all condemnation back to one man, the originator of all mankind, Adam. (5:12-21) Paul’s point is that sin has been around almost since the beginning of time, certainly much longer than the law which was introduced much later in history by Moses.
Not only has sin been around before the law, almost since the beginning of the human race, but death, judgment and the condemnation that results from sin has also been around just as long before the law, and Paul wants his readers to know that they are part of that human race and are just as affected by that sin even though the law did not exist at the time sin entered the world. (5:13)
But there is good news! Paul wants to announce to his readers, regardless of whether or not the law was in existence when sin entered the world, that there is is remedy to the death and condemnation caused by sin.
Even though Paul repeats three times the Jewish nation being in a state of weakness, ungodliness, sinfulness and animosity toward God, he does provide good news. He says,
while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (5:6)
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (5:8)
while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (5:10)
The good news in all of this is that apart from the law, by the death of God’s Son, the Messiah, God has reconciled them to Himself and they can now “rejoice in God through their Lord Jesus Christ, through whom they have now received reconciliation.” (5:11)
Paul then recaps his argument with the general theological conclusion (5:11-18) regarding Adam and Jesus, saying,
“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men (both Jews and Gentiles), so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men (both Jews and Gentiles).”
Paul then feels the need to restate his premise in another way,
For as by the one man's disobedience the many (both Jews and Gentiles) were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many (both Jews and Gentiles) will be made righteous.
So, now having introduced and established the shocking and shame-producing fact that the Jews are just as guilty of sin and are under the same judgment for their sin as the Gentiles from the beginning of time, apart from the law, he now introduces the affects of the law after it came into existence. (5:18-21) These effects affect all men, both Jews and Gentiles.
Paul basically says to them that, even without the law, everyone is guilty of sin, both Jews and Gentiles from long ago. He has already told his readers as much when he said earlier (3:23) that “all (both Jews and Gentiles) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. He has also already said (2:29) that "there will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil" (both Jew and Gentile).
So, if everyone is already affected by sin, what is the purpose of the law? Paul explains.
“Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (5:20-21)
So, the purpose of the law was to increase sin. Hmmm….
Chapter 6
So, once again Paul anticipates a reaction from his readers and preempts their objection by introducing their question into the debate before they have the chance to ask it. Paul asks it for them…if it’s true that wherever sin increases, God’s grace increases all the more, then “are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (6:1) Shouldn’t we keep on with our sinning so that God’s grace might continue to flow?
Paul’s response is one of 10 very emphatic “BY NO MEANS” responses to his own rhetorical questions that he uses in his letter. Paul basically the dead cannot live. It s unnatural. So could it be that the point Paul desire to make is that just as unnatural is the sin in which the Roman Christians continue to participate (1:18-32), it is equally unnatural to desire to continue to participate in those unnatural human relationships (1:26).
It is interesting to note that by Paul’s repetitive use of “present yourselves”/presenting your members” (6:12 three times, 6:16, 6:19 twice), it seems clear that he is making a clear reference to his readers’ behavior to which he has previously referred in the first chapter where he also references “the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves”, “in the dishonorable passions and lusts of their hearts to impurity.” Paul, here is making no allowances for the Roman Christians to continue in their unnatural behavior. The desire to do so is itself unnatural. They blaspheme God’s name by their behavior!
Chapter 7
Since Paul is talking to those who know the law (7:1), he now moves his discussion to the how that law “increases sin.” (5:20) He has previously stated that before the law was in the world, sin already was, and that “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory” apart from the law (3:23). Now that the law is in the world, Paul now describes its work as “deceiving and producing all kinds of covetousness” and that “sinful passions aroused by the law, are working in their members to bear fruit for death.” (7:5, 8, 11)
So, again, by describing the law as “arousing sinful passions and working in their members,” Paul could be referencing once again his Jewish Christian readers' behavior in chapter 1 where Paul says, “women exchanged natural relations with men for those that are contrary to nature and men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men.” (1:26-27) So Paul is extremely emphatic that BY NO MEANS should they continue their behavior by erroneously thinking that increasing their outward behavior would increase Gods grace.
In fact, Paul goes on to indicate that because the law also works inwardly, which Paul delights in (7:22), and because the law wages war against the physical flesh, (even within the Jewish believers) that law holds people captive to sin (even the Jews). So, in reality there is no choice for his readers, they are destined to sin because the war within the inner being is between “the desire to do what is right,” and “the evil sin that dwells within.” (7:18-20) Without the ability to do what is right (7:18), Paul describes the his readers in need of deliverance.(7:24) And even though, Paul finds deliverance in God through Jesus Christ, he still is resolved to the basic reality that with their mind, people serve the law of God, but with their flesh, they serve the law of sin. That is the captivating reality of life that Paul wants his readers to realize, both Jewish and Gentile.
After discussing how the law imprisons the human race, both Jews and Gentiles, that leads to death for both Jews and Gentiles, Paul caps off this entire section (chapters 1-7) by using a play on words to explain the axiom of the general human existence in subjection to that law (7:21). He says,
“I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.”
After that depressing news, Paul, personifying the human experience throughout this section, expresses the agony of that experience with an emotional outburst,
“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Paul clearly answers that question of deliverance with, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” So, it is important to see how Paul has built his argument, i.e. that the gospel of salvific righteousness by faith is available to both Jews and Gentiles as both Jews and Gentiles have been condemned to death from the beginning of time. But “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
In my next blog, we will look at exactly why Paul is thankful to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We will see that it is a matter of The Sin In Man as opposed to The Man In Sin.
[1] Questions are an important feature in Romans. Paul uses over 80 questions in his letter to move his premise forward.
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