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Romans 1.5-16
October 25th 2020
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From verses 1-15 of Romans we are given an introduction from Paul and even through the verses are introductory we learned last week (from verse 3-4) that sometimes there are hidden gems in such.
So, Paul wrote
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
And now add something about his authority as author, saying, and speaking of Jesus
5 By whom we (the apostles) have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
Paul is pretty consistent in his letters to appeal to his apostolic authority. In Galatians 1:12 he wrote, speaking of his apostolic call:
“For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Though Paul says “we,” here it is probably meant in the singular of himself while including all who were called by Christ into the apostleship and it is not uncommon for one from a group in authority to describe themselves in the plural.
Again – “By whom we (the apostles) have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
We have received this grace and the accompanying apostleship “for the purpose of obedience to the faith among all nations for his name,” is another way to say:
“We have received it “in order to” produce or present the gospel to the world for His name,” meaning for his purpose and cause.
And having addressed and confirmed his apostleship he adds now
6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
I was called and now you, believers at Rome, have also been called of Jesus Christ.
I love that he adds that they too, along with him, have been called and have apparently received the call. That has been going on for centuries on end – people being called to Jesus Christ and people like you and me receiving the call.
And we have learned by now that the call and reception of it has a purpose beyond the salvation of the individual, which is the initial blessing, but continues forth in maturity and growth that leads to seeing God (and others) over the self, which equals “suffering” which is the price for bearing Christian fruit in this world.
Now Paul officially opens up the letter with a standard greeting and says at verse 7
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
To all that be in Rome who bear the Christian name. This is who Paul writes the following and I thank God that the letter was preserved for our benefit and edification in these centuries to come.
Paul adds, “beloved of God.”
We know that God is love and God loves all. So, what is the distinction here? The word love is agape and the word beloved is agapetos and it best means dearly loved or dearly beloved.
In antiquity it is usually a word used in a romantic sense. We love our friends and family, but our “beloved” is the one our heart is given to is a most devoted way.
When Paul describes the saints at Rome as “beloved by God,” he is saying that God especially loves them who have received his Son by faith, just like we “dearly belove” one person uniquely to the way we may love others.
That is the uniqueness of being a Christian – we become God’s family by and through adoption – and are “loved dearly” by him.
We might even experience this among ourselves as children of God where we love our non-believing friends and family, but “dearly love” those we know who are of the faith from the heart.
I truly love my siblings and extended family but I dearly love you true believers – those who seek Him in Spirit and truth and love God above all things.
So, it is agape love extreme – agapetos – and it is really a privilege to know God loves his children in this sense.
“Called to be saints.” Really better, called to become saints. The word translated to saints here is “hagias” and that word means holy which in many cases in scripture means “separated from the common and seen for sacred use.”
What a great way to see our identity in Him – as “beloved and separated from the common for sacred use.”
He loves human beings, his creations, that are common. Those who have no desire for him and who, as part of the world community, join with the rest and live their lives the best they can or the way they want.
That is the common humanity in scripture – what those who are not of God are and therefore do not what God wants.
But his beloved is called to become holy – separated out from among the common – and for the reasons mentioned a minute ago.
When it comes to the world my body, my flesh and will are of the lowest common denominator and relate to the most common things. Without God I would be mingling with the most basic elements of this world, warring and living like a Viking – no pretense to what I am here.
But once I heard the call and was received by faith into His family, obtaining a new identity in and through Christ Jesus, I came to discover, in time, what “becoming a saint,” becoming holy and separated meant, and once that identity and description took hold, he was able to then do His works through me, like a vine pushing spirit nutrients to an extending branch.
All him in and through me. But it was very important for me to realize my identity was not who I was born in the flesh, but was instead what He had for me once I relinquished self and embraced him.
What Paul says here is really a radical idea as “separated from the common to a sacred use” as it refers to the Hebrew word, kadosh, which was used anciently and applied to everything that was set apart to the service of God, the temple, the sacrifices, to the utensils, the garments of the priests, and to the priests themselves.
Of course, it was applied to the Jews as a people who were separated from other nations, and then to the prophets among the Jews themselves who were separated and consecrated to God.
These things were all a type for the believers and followers of Christ to come.
In the early church, believers were called out and separated from the common idolators and Jews to be the Bride of Christ. A very distinct and emphatic call.
In the world today, Christian are continually called to become holy and separated from the common as the Body of Christ on earth, salt and light, preservers of spiritual good in this dark world. “Cities set on a hill, as it were, “ fire not hidden under a bush but set on a candlestick to give light to all that are in the house.
It stands to reason that when this is applied to Christians today that we are unique relative to our purpose and place in this world.
For some this means something relative to ministry and mission. But for most of us, I think this speaks directly to personal characteristics and traits. Meaning, if the common world is proud, then those who
are called out would be humble.
If the common world is selfish, then those called out would be selfless and sacrificial.
And on and on and on.
Our LDS friends have embraced the term “Saints” and the idea of being “called out from the common” rather effectively but it is institutionally applied and does not always convey a sense of true holiness as the very elements of the common world often embody them.
The calling out does not necessarily relate, in other words, to external activities of human life, like refraining from coffee and tea and beer but in the heart relative to pride, and faith, and love. Paul continues at verse 7
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Grace to you and peace to you,” which are terms he uses 18 times in scripture. Grace means favor and is the highest expression in the New Testament of God’s care and benevolence. Of course, peace literally means a state of non-war.
The words are important – very important – relative to our call as “beloved believers” called out from the common elements of this world, which is constantly at war with one thing or another.
Yeshua said it best when he said:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives give I this unto you. Let NOT your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Paul frequently appeals to peace in the lives of those to whom he writes as it is wonderful blessing, gift to possess in the human experience.
If you are not at internal peace, perhaps you might want to reassess your relationship with this world.
And then he adds his favorite way to address God, saying:
Grace to you and peace from . . . God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am not going to read the thirteen times in Paul’s introductions to his epistles where he describes “God as our father and Jesus Christ as our Lord” while never mentioning the Holy Spirit once.
But I do want to hit on some highlight passages where Paul and others take the time to describe God to us as the Father – alone. There are 11 of them including:
Romans 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1st Thessalonians 3:11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
1st Thessalonians 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
2nd Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
Revelation 1:6 speaking of Yeshua says: And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1st Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
1st Corinthians 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
2nd Corinthians 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Back to the first seven verses to me it is interesting that they are one continual sentence in the manuscript evidence we have.
Okay, at this point Paul starts to warm the epistle up, but the content all the way to verse 16 is still introductory. And he says:
8 First, (which I think refers to him saying, “before I get into what I want to say), I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
This statement suggests that the church at Rome was especially faithful in-so-much that their faith, Paul says, “is spoken of throughout the whole world.”
This is a way to say that the faith of the Christians at Rome was celebrated or known, and Paul says, “throughout the whole world.”
Of course, the believers there were in the capital of the Roman empire and its influence was surely felt everywhere.
And while Romes wickedness was certainly known all over that part of the world, Paul says so was the faith of the believers.
The phrase, “the whole world,” here means “the whole world and/or universe” as the Greek is kosmos.
Is this statement true?
Literally, its not. The faith of the believers in Rome in that day was not known by the Natives in Australia or indigenous peoples of Iceland.
The funny thing about this is I have argued this with some zealous biblical literalists who ask:
“How do you know?”
In my estimation this sort of thinking does nothing for the faith. Paul is obviously using a Hebrew form of hyperbole when he says, “their faith is known throughout the whole world.”
He has made such hyperbolic statements before, which was common to a Jew. But reason tells us that this does not make the statements true and literal.
He is speaking of the Roman Empire, and perhaps, a bit beyond – but not the whole world EVEN though that is what it says.
Okay, verse nine
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
Pretty self-explanatory. (verse 10)
10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
He was asking God if his earnest desire to see them would be granted.
I used to believe that the reason we pray is to help ourselves accept the will of God in our lives.
I justified this by saying that God will do what He wants and wills and no amount of prayer will change that.
I still believe that, and so maintain that one of the main reasons we pray is to say the line after our requests, “not my will but thine be done.” And then to accept his will, whatever it may be.
However, you may recall in our verse by verse teaching of 2nd Thessalonians that Paul wrote:
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
It was here that I realized that perhaps, in the freewill economy of our Good God, his hands are tied relative to intervention in some cases, unless by and through the FREEWILL prayers of others, he is given cosmic license to act??
In other words, because God grants human beings the freewill to choose good or evil, maybe he has to be hands off in cases of evil expression. To be otherwise would make his despotic or lawless.
But perhaps if people freely choose to pray for His hand in the lives of others, if they pray that God will be with a family traveling through a third world country, let’s say, then perhaps because of those freewill petitions he is able to intervene, in some cases – if he chooses, and allows for safe passage?
This insight changed my mind on prayer, and allowed me to see it as having the potential to actually liberate God, through some unexplainable way, so that he can intervene in evil without destroying the principles of freewill. Something to think about. In any case, Paul adds at verse 11:
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
“I want to come and be with you and impart some spiritual gift to the end that you may be established.”
Some commentators believe that Paul was talking about coming to them and by the laying on of “apostolic hands” he would given them spiritual powers to do miracles and such.
I’m not sure that this is the natural flow of the words – though it’s possible.
What Paul adds in verse 12:
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Helps us to discern verse 11, and he seems to be saying that he desired to be among them and impart spiritual insights, and blessings in accordance with his apostolic call, to encourage them in their growth as believers and that he, too, wanted to partake in that experience.
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
He adds at verse 13, as he does often in his epistles to other places
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto – which means he was hindered,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
That last line seems to mean that Paul wanted to come and enjoy fellowship with them and while there help others come to faith in that vicinity as he had done before in other places.
And then speaking of his work in other places among all peoples, he adds at verse 14
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
When he says, “I am debtor,” this does not mean that they had given him something and he was in debt to them but that he had “an obligation” to reach out to them, both Greek and Barbarians, to the wise and unwise, (verse 15)
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
Meaning, that in this sense, and as far as the door of opportunity allowed, he was also ready to “preach the Gospel to them that are also in Rome as he had done in other places.”
This closes all the perfunctory stuff of his introduction where he has proven his deep interest and care for the believers at Rome.
Now he will enter into a more deliberate message to the audience and he begins with verse 16.
This is truly the book of Romans.
So after Paul has mentioned his work among the Greek and Barbarians, and the wise and the unwise, in sharing the Gospel with them. Let’s read verses 16 as Paul now writes:
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.
Paul has admitted to being an apostle and called to reach out to all of every land, but especially the Gentiles.
When he would get to a place he would always reach out to the Jews first, in their synagogues.
They were his brethren but they had rejected him as one of their own, regarding him not as an apostle but as an apostate.
After reaching out to them he would go to the Greeks, who had long established philosophies that still affect the world, and he was mocked by them while simultaneously being beaten, persecuted, stoned and regarded overall as a fool, or as he says himself in 1st Corinthians 4:13, as “the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things.”
In connection to his going to all peoples as he wrote above, he now says:
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.”
Why isn’t Paul ashamed of the Gospel of Christ? He tells us, saying:
“for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
The Gospel, or the Good News, (and sometimes referred to as the glad intelligence or the happy annunciation) is that Christ came into the world, paid for sin through his death, and rose again proving the payment complete and accepted.
Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because he knew that it was the means by which the World was reconciled to God, it was the glorious announcement, and he spent his life proclaiming it to all who would here as a means to “save some.”
Save some from what? 1) the coming destruction and save some 2) to the Kingdom of God.
I would suggest that the relationship between “shame for the gospel of Christ” is directly related to our faith and trust that it is the way God saves people from sin and to His Kingdom.
I would further suggest that Paul had zero doubt that this was the way and therefore he had no reservations about it being preached to Jew and Greek – no matter the price or cost.
When we are young in the faith and uncertain of its efficacy, our strength is minimal, and the tendency to be ashamed for the Gospel of Christ is commensurate with our under-developed faith.
That is expected and often serves to help us rely more upon Him as a result.
Paul has been through a lot at this point, and unlike Peter, was far more advanced in his personal devotion to the Good News.
Not to judge Peter – he represents most of us at some point in our walk – but by the time he wrote his letter Paul was not ashamed as he knew (understood, comprehended) that the Gospel:
“is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Paul calls this Good News here, the Gospel of Christ. I think this speaks to the glorious results that came about because of the Messiah and his birth, life, death and resurrection, which, we remember, was “to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness.”
Yet he persevered, knowing that it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
“Is the power of God to salvation.”
What a statement. “The Gospel is the way in which God Almighty exerts his power in the salvation of men.”
(Repeat this)
Over the years I have met several people who ask:
“Why the blood? Why the life of Jesus sacrificed? Why didn’t God, if he is Almighty, just decide to forgive us all. I mean, he created us and gave us the ability and character flaws to commit sin? Why not use the same power that he used to create us to save us – without involving all this Jesus and the cross stuff?”
And so in the face of this passage, where Paul is speaking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and says plainly that “it is the power of God to salvation,” we too might ask, Why? Why is the Gospel the power of God to salvation?
My thoughts on this are of course limited but I have really put a lot of time into the question over the years and can only conclude that God is not a despotic sovereign, and that he operates on principles of fair equity and goodness, and because of this he had to, in the face of His Holiness, establish a justifiable means by which he could exercise his power to redeem human beings created in his image from the effects of sin and its net result, death.
This means was for Him to have a human son who would freely choose to live in perfect holiness while in flesh, and then to offer himself up, the only human not deserving of death, for the sins of the world.
That his shed blood, “wherein is life,” had the capacity to cleanse the world of its sin. All the world.
And that by and through this Good News the power of God to redeem us from eternal alienation resides.
But Paul does not stop there, he says:
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation,” and then adds, “to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Where the sin was taken care of for the whole world as scripture clearly states, the power of God to salvation, can ONLY be defined as when someone is
saved from sin AND to God,
from separation from God to unity with him
And then (in that day) being saved from the coming destruction
is only and always based on faith on His Son. So, understand, the passage:
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation, (meaning eternal life in the presence of God) “to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Where the Good News reaches out and blesses all people everywhere with the reality of what Yeshua did for the sin of the world, the power of God to salvation (meaning again, eternal life) is extended to those of faith, (as Paul says) “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
This is God’s plan and means of exercising his power, not man’s. It’s establishment was based on Him and the works of His Son, not us, but “the power of GOD to salvation” it is meted out on the two-lane highway of God working with humans, through faith, which might be seen as our decision to believe and receive the Good News as fact.
The idea is that by and through faith in His Son all believers, as Peter writes in 1st Peter 1:55 “shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,” and that none who choose to believe would ever be lost or separated again.
This I believe.
As the apostle to the world of all peoples, he adds that this power of God to salvation to all who believe is extended to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
That was the order. The Jews were the Nation through whom the Messiah came and was promised, they were the ones who would be wiped out at the end of the age and his coming for having rejected him, and the Apostles were sent to them first, even in the case of Paul, to proclaim what God had done through His Son as a means to save them.
But as prophesied, the Good News was also for the Greek. And Paul’s message to them, and us, was to have faith.
That message remains the same ever since – believe and be saved. Believe and be reconciled to God. Believe and have eternal life.
I tell my daughters and I will tell you, never, ever let go of your faith and trust in the simple Gospel message – that God sent his only begotten son to live, die and resurrect as a means to reconcile the world to Himself and to create in the faithful an eternal family.
Be good, or fall into sin, succeed in life fail in every part of it – but never, ever let go of your faith, a faith Paul mentions again in the next verse which we will cover next week.
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