Romans (I)

Background

In one sense the book of Romans is very difficult for several reasons

I believe Paul is trying to describe something he doesn’t perfectly understand

Romans 11:33–36 (NIV)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

There are may parts and perspectives but little discussion on how those parts work together.

Great minds have disagreed over the years because Paul sets up tensions and doesn’t resolve them.

There’s a tension between mercy and justice. There’s a tension between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Let it be

The gospel

Unity: We all find ourselves fallen before God

In the Roman church, and really the entire church, there is division between jews and gentiles.

Paul argues there shouldn’t be because of 3 things: 1. We are all equally far from God 2. God’s people have always been marked by faith 3. In God we are all part of the same sacred family

We are all equally far from God

The New International Version (Chapter 2)

5 because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” u 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

Here’s the problem. Paul goes on to say that no one does good, no one seeks after God, and through the law no one gains eternal life

The New International Version (Chapter 3)

10 There is no one righteous, not even one;

11 there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.”

So in His nature God repays all for what they’ve done and the righteous will be given eternal life because of their seeking, but NO ONE SEEKS. Not even you Jews who had the law and prophets.

The New International Version (Chapter 3)

1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

The New International Version (Chapter 3)

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.

Side note about contradictions: In a teaching on contradiction RC Sproul said, a contradiction is something that is true and false at the same time, in the same place, in the same manner. The bible contains 0 contradictions.

Whether you are Jew or Gentile, Galilean or Roman, your works will be measured by God and you will be found lacking because Jew or Gentile we are all under the power of sin. (You know that)

2. God’s people have always been, and will always be marked by faith

God’s people were never merely a physical lineage; Joshua and Rehab

The New International Version (Chapter 4)

9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

Circumcision was always about the heart

The New International Version (Chapter 2)

27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

The New International Version (Chapter 9)

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! d Amen.

6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” g 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.

3. In God we are all part of a sacred family

The New International Version (Chapter 4)

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” o He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

And we should bare with one another: So we are all one big happy family but who’s right?

The New International Version (Chapter 14)

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

The New International Version (Chapter 15)

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

Vision

There should not be division in the church over disputable matters. Dates, times, celebrations, food, wine, family history, cultural differences - NONE OF IT SHOULD DRIVE US APART. Because we are more alike than we are different.

1. We are all equally far from God - Whether it’s bitterness, gossip, murder, pride, or any other evil we’ve all severed our relationship with God and we desperately need Him to reconcile us.

2. God’s people have always been marked by faith - The way back to God for all of us is faith. Believing in the work of Christ and being faithful to our Lord.

3. In God we are all part of the same sacred family - We are all children of Abraham, we are all brothers and sisters of Christ, we are all children of God and therefore He is our inheritance.

For all of us, the diagnosis, the prescription, and the life after are all the same.

The vision is simple: that the church would start to act like we are all a lot more alike than we are different