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LESSON 6 • The Letter to the Romans
“That You Might Believe and Have Life In His Name” (John 20:31)
Preparation for New Testament Survey, March 12, 2006
The Letter to the Romans
INTRODUCTION
Paul had been preaching throughout the East, “from Jerusalem to Illyricum” (15:19), always in places no one else had gone (15:20). Now he has completed that circuit and was planning his mission to the West, toward Spain (15:24).
Paul’s long-held dream was to visitRome, the capital of the world (1:10-13; Acts 19:21)! When the situation looked threatening in Jerusalem and the end seemed near, the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11).
In anticipation of this visit, Paul writes this letter by way of introduction. Most scholars agree this letter was written during the winter of A.D. 56-57 while inCorinth in the home of his friend and convert, Gaius (16:23). He dictated this letter to his friend, Tertius (16:22).
Before he could go to Rome, Paul first had some unfinished business to complete – the distribution of the funds that had been collected from the Greek churches. This project had been dear to his heart. The Greek churches had contributed for the poverty-stricken Christians in Judea and when Paul wrote Romans, he was just about to set out for Jerusalem with that gift (1 Cor. 16:1; 2 Cor. 9:1; Rom. 15:25). This collection was more than an expression of Christian generosity. It was a symbol of Jewish-Gentile solidarity in the body of Christ.
Rome was about two-thirds of the way from Jerusalem to Spain. He wanted to use Rome as a base of operations in theWestern Mediterranean, much as he had used Antioch as a base in the East. But Paul’s plan did not work out as he intended. He did indeed visit Rome, but it was not until three years later and then he came not as a tourist but as a prisoner.
Romans, of all Paul’s letters, comes nearest to being a theological treatise of the gospel as he understood and proclaimed it. Independent of any immediate situation or crisis, Romans became more of a systematic exposition of Paul’s own theological convictions. Of all the Pauline Epistles, the one which has the closest affinity with Romans is Galatians. The arguments which are pressed on the churches of Galatia are expounded more systematically in Romans.
MONDAY
It is plain from the terms Paul uses to address the Christians in Romethat the church of that city was no recent development. According to Acts 2:10-11, the crowd of pilgrims who were present in Jerusalem on Pentecost included “visitors fromRome (both Jews and converts to Judaism).” Even a casual reading of Romans portrays the fact that the church in Rome was a mixed community with Gentiles in the majority (1:5, 13; 11:13). The conflict that existed between these groups was not primarily ethnic (different races and cultures), but theological (different convictions about the status of God’s covenant and laws, and about salvation).
In the salutation (1:1-7), what is the significance of the terms Paul used to establish his credentials (i.e., servant of Christ Jesus, apostle, set apart for the gospel)?
List all the facts you learn about the gospel and its purpose from this salutation (1:2-5).
Paul felt Jesus Christ had entrusted him with the gospel. He felt compelled to be a good steward of this trust (1:14-17). In verses 16-17, Paul defines the central theme of this letter. The way of getting right with God had been provided by God himself and comes via faith. Consider Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of this text:
“It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary message of God’s wonderful plan to rescue everyone who trusts Him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what scripture has said all along, ‘The person in right standing before God by trusting Him really lives.”
Think on the significance of this statement, “the person in right standing before God by trusting Himreally lives.”
As you study Romans, establish a working definition of three important terms used regularly in this letter - “faith,” “salvation,” and “righteousness.”
Who are the people with whom God gives up and who are deserving of His wrath (1:18-32)?
TUESDAY
How does God’s judgment of men differ from our judgment of one another (2:1-16)? Outline from this section the characteristics pertaining to “God’s righteous judgment.”
Paul’s words in 2:17-29 must have been devastating to the Jews. The Jews were certain they stood in favor with God as (1) descendants of Abraham; (2) keepers of the law; and (3) because they wore the badge of circumcision. Paul was quickly establishing his conviction that to be a real Jew was not a matter of pedigree, but of character. Faith is intensely personal. There is no royal lineage or holy bloodline in God’s kingdom. List the seven heat-seeking accusations he launches in this section to describe their legalism and self-righteousness.
Having dealt with the problem of pedigree, Paul now turns his attention to the most sacred badge of the Jew–circumcision. It was the single most distinguishing feature of the covenant people and the most obvious boundary line which divided Jew from Gentile (Gen. 17:9-14). Yet, rather than see circumcision as a sign of submission, the Jews viewed it as a sign of superiority. Their confidence that circumcision secured the Israelite’s salvation was wrong (1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 5:6; 6:15).
And so Paul asks the question, “did God accept Abraham before or after he was circumcised?” (4:9-12). Abraham was accepted by God in Gen. 15 and circumcised in Gen. 17. Fourteen years separated the two events!
On the other hand, Paul does not turn back on the importance of “covenant.” In his redefinition of what it means to be a Jew, 2:28-29 is clearly central to this discussion. The circumcision God desires is not an outward sign, but an inward transformation. This concept was not unique to Paul (Lev. 26:41; Deut.10:16; 30:6). The contrast between “gramma” (letter or code) and “pneuma” (Spirit) sums up Paul’s portrayal of the differences between the old and new covenant.
A proper translation of 2:29 could be: “the Jewishness of such a man comes not from men but from God.”The word “Jew” actually means “praise” and Paul is stating that praise is not a matter of human applause, but of divine approval.
WEDNESDAY
For sixty-one verses we have sat with Paul in a darkened room as he exposed the blatant unrighteousness of much of the ancient Gentile world (1:18-32); the hypocritical righteousness of moralizers (2:1-16); and the confident self-righteousness of Jewish people who boast of God’s law but break it (2:17-3:8). And so the way is open to the conclusion - NO ONE IS RIGHTEOUS.
Just when we wonder if there is any light to be found, Paul throws open the shutters and announces “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known” (3:21).
The words “just,” “justify,” and “justification” are used in both the Old and New Testaments to refer to relationships. When a person is justified, he is made right either with his fellow man or with God. The terms “sanctify” and “sanctification” implies the making of something (a process complete or incomplete). It carries the idea of holiness. Sanctification and justification are not two separate actions occurring at different times, but both are part of the process of salvation.
In chapter 4, Paul supplies an Old Testament precedent for his teaching that justification comes by faith and not by works. He chooses Abraham, Israel’s most illustrious patriarch (Gen. 12-25; Heb. 11:8-12), supplemented by David, Israel’s most illustrious king, to show that justification by faith is God’s one and only way of salvation. We are called to believe in God who makes the impossible possible (4:18-25).
Having just shown that Christ’s death brings both justification and sanctification (5:1-11), Paul now traces the story of how Adam landed us in the human dilemma – first sin, then death. In contrast, Paul outlines how that by one act of obedience, Jesus brings righteousness and eternal life to all who diligently seek Him (5:12-21). Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life!
Baptism was an adult rite in the early church, occurring at the moment when a person confessed faith in Christ and it served as a public declaration that one wanted to leave his/her sinful ways and become identified with Christ (Tit. 3:4-6; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:13). God ordained this act of faith to be a necessary and practical response (Mt. 28:18-19; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38;22:16). In a very clear and straightforward manner, Rom. 6:3-4 affirms that baptism is the time when we are united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and thus the time when we experience our own death to sin and resurrection to a new life (4:24; 8:11; 10:9).
THURSDAY
Sin puts you in prison and locks you behind the bars of guilt, shame, deception, and fear. The only way to be set free is to serve its penalty. For sin, the penalty is death. Someone has to die, either you or a heaven-sent substitute.
People in dire poverty often offered themselves as slaves to someone in order to be fed and housed. It is the same with spiritual slavery (6:15-23). Paul called this becoming “slaves to righteousness” and was referring to obedience.
What is the point of his example of marriage in chapter 7:1-6? To whom are you married and what is the fruit in your life?
One of the strange, odd facts of life is our fascination with the forbidden thing. Throughout 7:7-25, Paul probably has the events of Genesis 3 in mind. But beyond that, Paul is bearing his very soul and is describing the inner conflict of a Christian living in two worlds.
Where do we turn for guidance (8:1-17; Habakkuk 2:18-20)? Our Christian life is to be initiated, directed, enriched, and sustained by the Holy Spirit (8:1-17; Jn. 7:37-39;14:15-25). What are the consequences of the Spirit’s presence in your life?
It is God who takes even that which is adverse and painful and brings profit out of it. We must know that God is at work in our lives (8:28-39).
It’s hard not to notice Paul’s sudden and sharp transition from the heights of triumphant assurance (8:37-39) to the depths of an unfulfilled longing (9:1-5). Chapter 9:6 provides the thesis for chapters 9-11. Central to this discussion is the designation of “adoption” rather than “natural son-ship.” This helps bring out the sense of election more clearly. It is impossible to deny this whole section is a condemnation of the Jewish way and attitude toward religion.
Prophet after prophet saw that at no time was all of Israel faithful to God. They realized there was always a remnant left who had not forsaken their loyalty or compromised their faith (Amos 9:8-10; Micah 2:12; 5:3; Zeph. 3:12-13; Jere. 23:3; Ezek. 14:14-22; Isa. 6:9-13; 7:3; 8:2, 18; 9:12; 20:21). On four separate occasions Luke records in Acts how the Jews’ rejection of the gospel led to its offer to and acceptance by Gentiles (Acts 13:46; 14:1; 18:6; 19:8-10; 28:25-28). Paul concludes this entire (11:33-36) section not in despair, but in a hymn of adoration at the wisdom and mercy of God. God is in control. He keeps His promises and He will extend mercy to His people.
FRIDAY
From doctrine Paul now turns almost by reflex to practice – how one lives flows quite naturally out of what one believes (Jn. 13:17). There is no greater incentive to holy living than a contemplation of the mercies of God (12:1). Paul called for a radically different type of lifestyle. Diversity will exist in the church and God gives believers a variety of spiritual gifts (12:3-13; 1 Cor. 12-14; Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Pet. 4:10-11).
It is interesting that Paul follows the discussion about our submission to governing authorities (13:1-7) with our responsibility to love (13:8-14). This instruction fits right within the tradition of Jesus’ teaching (Mt. 5:43;7:12; 22:37-40; Mk. 12:28-34; Jn. 13:34). Isn’t it interesting that the most important law is to love?
In chapters 14 & 15, Paul specifically addressed the issues of meat eating and holy days to establish principles which are to govern the exercise of Christian liberty in the social context of differing opinions. What are the abiding principles you glean from this section?
How would you describe the “driving focus” and motivation of Paul’s life and ministry (15:14-33)? What would someone say is your major ambition in life?
Emil Brunner in his commentary on Romans called Romans 16 “one of the most instructive chapters of the New Testament because it encourages personal relationships of love in the church.” As we have already alluded, the Roman Christians were diverse in race, rank, and gender. Of the 24 names given in verses 3-16, six are women. There were Jewish and Gentile members. Thirteen names related to the imperial household. The beauty of all this is the unity that existed in the Roman church. How was this unity displayed?
Close this study with Paul’s doxology as your prayer (16:25-27).
© 2006, Pleasant Valley Church of Christ
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