Romans

1
Romans

• Pauls Primary Theological Tractate

2
Romans Unique Status

• Paul was not the founder of the Roman church and
  had not yet visited it (110-15)
• letter is not directed to any problems found in
  the Roman church
• deals with ethical and theological problems
  abstractly
• Paul uses the letter to explain his understanding
  of the gospel
• namely, that salvation has come to all people
  Jew and Gentile equally
• through faith in Christ apart from works of the
  law.

3
An interesting question

• Why did Paul develop his views more thoroughly
  than in any other writing
• in a letter to a church he didnt found and had
  never visited
• Paul was about to travel to Jerusalem to take up
  a collection for the poor Christians there.
• Spent 3 months in Corinth toward end of his 3rd
  Missionary journey (57 CE) from where he wrote
  this book.

4
Purpose of the book

• he planned to travel by Rome to Spain to take the
  gospel there (1525-31)
• he suggests he would like to use Rome as a base
  of operations (110-15)
• something of a missions fund-raising letter
• wanting to convince them that he is worthy of
  their support

5
Historical Context

• no one knows when Christianity was first
  introduced into Rome very early
• Possibly introduced into its synagogues by Jews
  who were converted at Pentecost
• Roman Jewry was large, diverse and very
  influential
• An interesting historical connection to Roman
  history

6
Claudius and the Jews

• In 49 CE, the emperor Claudius expelled Jews from
  Rome because
• The Jews constantly made disturbances at the
  instigation of Chrestus (Suetonius)
• Acts 182 refers to Paul meeting Aquila who had
  come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because
  Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome.

7
Chrestus and Christus

• many historians believe Seutonius mistook the
  name Christus (Christ) for Chrestus
• if so, this expulsion touches directly upon the
  writing of the book of Romans
• When the gospel of Christ was preached in Jewish
  synagogues in Rome, it created a great
  disturbance.
• Claudius expelled all Jews from the city
• When he died in 54 CE, Jews began to return.

8
The Return of the Jewish Christian

• in the absence of Jewish Christians, churches in
  Rome were under the control of Gentile Christians
• When Jewish believers returned, this caused
  considerable tension
• Paul may also have written Romans to declare the
  reconciling power of the gospel
• power of God for salvation . . . to the Jew
  first and also to the Greek (116).

9
Overview of the BookI. Introduction

• introduction with elaborate salutation (11-7)
• personal testimony of Pauls desire to visit Rome
  (18-15)
• a climactic formulation of the gospel (116-17)
• salvation is a free gift of God received wholly
  by faith
• this is the primary thesis for the book which
  Paul develops after he establishes some groundwork

10
II. The Universal Need 118-320

• before developing this thesis, Paul demonstrates
  the guilt of all humanity
• both Gentiles (118-32)
• and Jews (21-320)
• Paul argues for the impossibility of attaining
  salvation apart from grace since all are under
  sin (39)
• 118 the wrath of God is revealed against all
  ungodliness . . .
• 126 God gave them up to degrading passions . .
  .
• the wrath of God is essentially Ok, have it your
  way.

11
III. Righteousness is a Gift (321-425)

• A. God has atoned for sin through the death of
  Jesus and credits to sinners righteousness by
  faith (321-28)
• B. The example of Abraham demonstrates that faith
  has always been Gods means of reconciling
  humanity to God (41-25)

12
IV The Results of Justification

• Justification results in a life of peace and
  confidence before God (51-839)
• Christs death for sinners assures them of Gods
  unfathomable love (51-11)
• Christs ability to save is greater than Adams
  ability to condemn (512-21)
• Through baptism, believers are raised to newness
  of life and called to contend against sin (61-14)

13
IV. Results of Justification continued

• believers are no longer slaves of sin, they are
  called to pursue godly lives (615-76)
• justified sinners are not morally perfect, but
  must still contend with sin (77-25)
• the spirit of God is at work in the lives of
  Christians, raising them from death to life and
  making them Gods dear children (81-17)
• All creation awaits the future hope of redemption
  (818-30)
• nothing can separate believers from the love of
  God in Christ (831-39)

14
V. A Divine Mystery (91-1136)

• Israels rejection of the Gospel results in the
  salvation of Gentiles and eventually Israel
• God chose a remnant by grace from within Israel
  to bear the promise of salvation (91-29)
• the remaining Jews who rejected the gospel did so
  knowingly (930-1021)
• Salvation of both Jew and Gentile The Olive Tree
  Illustration (111-36)

15
VI. New Characteristics of Life in Christ
(121-1513)

• Christians are transformed persons, endowed with
  unique gifts for ministry (121-8)
• specific Christian virtues (129-1513)
• new life in Christ (129-21)
• loyalty to ruling authorities (131-7)
• love of others (138-10)
• expectation of the fulfillment of salvation
  (1311-14)
• being gracious to fellow believers who differ on
  matters not essential to salvation (141-1513)
• VII. Conclusion Pauls plans to visit Rome and
  final greetings (1514-1627)

16
(excursus) The Righteousness of God

• key to understanding Romans occurs in 8
  critical passages.
• dikaiosyne is either righteousness or
  justification
• is not fundamentally a legal term but relational
• not put in legal good standing
• but made to stand in good relationship to
• In OT used to show Gods faithfulness to the
  covenant
• Pauls conversion showed him that God imparts
  this not on the basis of human activity but by
  grace alone.

17
NT Wright on Pauls Gospel

• The doctrine of justification by faith is not
  what Paul means by 'the gospel'. It is implied by
  the gospel when the gospel is proclaimed, people
  come to faith and so are regarded by God as
  members of his people. But 'the gospel' is not an
  account of how people get saved. It is the
  proclamation of the lordship of Jesus
  Christ....The gospel' is the announcement of
  Jesus' lordship, which works with power to bring
  people into the family of Abraham, now redefined
  around Jesus Christ and characterized solely by
  faith in him. 'Justification' is the doctrine
  which insists that all those who have this faith
  belong as full members of this family, on this
  basis and no other.

18
Jesus is coming . . .

• plant a tree!

19
Jesus is Coming . . . plant a tree!

• Early believers were not very interested in what
  happened after they die.
• very interested in the final new creation
• new heavens, new earth
• both joined together
• resurrection of the body creating new human
  beings to live in a new world
• Paul saw the aim of Christianity not to get you
  to heaven as somewhere detached from earth
• heaven is not the end of the world!

20
Romans 818-27 Future Glory

• verses often get passed over in commentaries
  something of a distraction
• We know Romans is really about how people get
  saved and into heaven
• why is he talking about creation groaning and
  travailing . . . awaiting redemption here?
• lets go from the call to holiness in 13-17 and
  the assurance of salvation in 28-39.
• skip over this difficult section
• missing a key feature for Paul

21
Glory to be revealed

• Paul is talking about a glory to be revealed to
  us (v. 18 eis emas)
• Whole creation is under the influence of the fall
  (820-22, Gen, 3, rabbinic legend)
• v. 19 the cosmos is on tiptoe with expectation
  for Gods glory to be revealed
• glory Gods rule over the whole creation with
  healing and restorative justice
• This physically and morally corrupt creation was
  not Gods original intention

22
The Great Statement

• v. 21 the creation itself will be set free from
  the slavery that consists in corruption
• set free to obtain the freedom from slavery when
  Gods children are glorified.
• what he means is that when Gods people are given
  resurrection bodies, they will be set in glory
• will serve as Gods image-bearing children with
  rule over creation
• have the task of putting all things in this world
  to right
• to be fruitful and look after the garden.
• when humans are put to right, creation will be as
  well.
• this is the ultimate goal and creation eagerly
  awaits it.

23
Our Responsibility in the Present

• Pauls critique of the Jews is that they failed
  to see that God originally called them was to
  rescue the whole human race.
• a similar misreading happens with Paul
• we know Paul is concerned with salvation etc.
• but dont often understand that salvation is not
  being whisked away to heaven but affects this
  whole created order
• creation is eagerly looking forward to it

24
Concentric Circles of Groaning

• in the following passage, Paul describes several
  concentric circles of groaning
• the world is groaning like a woman in labor- 22
• the church is groaning longing for resurrection
  of the body v. 23
• the Spirit is groaning within us with words too
  deep for articulate speech (v. 26).
• our calling is to take responsibility for our
  world in prayer - even groaning
• involves a view of the world as initially good
  (tov)
• but now spoiled and awaiting a redemption we will
  provide

25
The Redemption of the Earth

• Romans reframes the Jewish story of creation and
  redemption in light of the Christ events
• the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt,
  the giving of the law and land is all fulfillment
  of Gods promise to Abe (Gen 15)
• God was faithful to the covenant
• Pauls phrase Gods righteousness.
• Looking back from Rom. 818-27, we realize the
  whole story is not about me and my sin
• but about how God kept covenant by providing an
  exodus to beat all exoduses!

26
The Redemption of the Earth

• Rom 812-17 speaks of Christians being led by
  the spirit and not being led back to slavery
• like Israelites not being led back to Egypt
• presence of God in their midst (pillar of fire)
• Just as the fire assures Israel they are Gods
  firstborn son (a great slogan)
• we cry Abba, Father (815) the same Spirit
  bears witness that we are Gods children
• as children, we are also heirs of God (817)

27
Our Inheritance heaven or earth?
28
Inheritance Heaven or Holy Land?

• What is our inheritance?
• too many Christians would reply heaven
• this is not what Paul says at all!!
• the inheritance is the whole renewed restored
  creation!
• the whole restored world is Gods promised land
  on the analogy of the OT Geschichte
• this is how Paul retold the Exodus story
• it is the ground-plan for a fully biblical view
  of creation and our responsibility

29
Possible Questions

• If one day God renews creation, great!
• But we dont have resurrection bodies yet
• what can we do to help creation in its present
  state of groaning?
• And isnt it presumptuous to think there is
  anything I can do at all?
• Wouldnt it be better to simply wait for God to
  come and straighten this world up?

30
Our Responsibility, Our Eschatology

• Pauls understanding of the resurrection Gods
  future has come to meet us in the present
• what God intends to do in the end he has begun in
  the resurrection of Jesus
• We are not like 1st Cen. Jews waiting the great
  eschatological event
• we are with early Christians who
• celebrate the end-times event in Christ
• looking forward to part two when what happened at
  Easter will be completed.

31
We are agents of the end.

• Should we do anything other than wait?
• personal holiness, social justice, environment
• Paul would say, yes!
• Resurrection means Gods remaking of creation has
  already begun
• we live today in the light of that coming future
• with our bodies (our piece of creation) it means
  we live in holiness
• we cannot say, God will give me a new body
• Ill just wait til then and live like I please.

32
The Logic of Holiness

• Paul would say
• because God has already begun the ultimate work
  of new creation
• by baptism and faith, you also have left behind
  the old creation of sin and death
• by Gods spirit, you have resurrection power also
  to live in the present resisting sin
• allows you to live a fully human life at last.
• light of the initial resurrection of Jesus and
  the final resurrection of all of us shapes life
  in the present

33
Gods good creation

• by applying that logic to creation we see
• God will renew one day the whole created order
  the way he resurrected Jesus body
• he will do this by setting over it his own
  image-bearing creatures
• who reflect Gods glory thus bringing Gods
  saving justice into the world
• and put the world to rights making the desert
  blossom like a rose.

34
Agents of Renewal

• We must be agents of Gods renewal
• we cannot sit by social injustice and wait for
  God to correct it
• we cannot sit by and watch rivers being polluted
  and wait for God to correct it.
• we cannot sit by and watch our own bodies destroy
  themselves with the pollution of sin and wait for
  God to correct it.
• the logic of salvation is that we live between
  the initial resurrection and the final
  resurrection
• first sets the stage to help us seek the second.
• knowing God is able to bring all things to
  perfection

35
Our Inheritance heaven or earth?
36
Jesus is coming!

• plant a tree!
• counterintuitive to the point of being funny!
• to many Christians, the 2nd coming is the point.
• the whole world will be done away with when Jesus
  snatches up his people to be with him in heaven.
• Why plant a tree?

37
The Second Coming

• not a snatching of Christians from the world
• but a restoration of the world under Gods rule
• Thy kingdom come, thy will be done one earth as
  it is in heaven.
• Paul never gives support to the notion that the
  world is destined to be thrown in the trash
• but that all things both in heaven and on earth
  will be summed up in Christ.
• Eph. 110 and Col 115-20
• I Cor. 15 speaks of Gods plan to remake all
  creation

38
The Final Picture

• Pauls understanding is not of Christ scooping
  believers out of earth for heaven
• but of God outfitting believers now to live into
  a coming restoration of the whole planet
• Rev. 21 has image of new Jerusalem coming down
  out of heaven as a bride (read 211-5)
• We shouldnt sing, When Christ shall come with
  shout of acclamation, and take me home but and
  heal the world.

39
What we do now

• resurrection means that what we do now matters
  into Gods future (I Cor 1558)
• as Paul says, our labor is not in vain.
• What we do for Christ and in Christ by the power
  of the Spirit
• is not wasted
• it will last and be enhanced in Gods new world

40
The Resurrection means

• The resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the
  Spirit mean that we are called to bring real and
  effective signs of Gods renewed creation to
  birth even in the midst of the present age. . .
  The ancient mandate to look after the garden is
  dramatically reaffirmed. The resurrection of
  Jesus is the reaffirmation of the goodness of
  creation, and the gift of the Spirit is there to
  make us the fully human beings we were supposed
  to be, precisely so that we can fulfill that
  mandate at last.

41
Jesus is coming!

• What are we waiting for?
• Lets go plant those trees!