The Power of God

From faith for faith

The righteous walking in his faithfulness

The righteous walking in his faithfulness

what would shame look like in our culture (in context thinking through the Greeks finding it shameful for their God to suffer and die; maybe even Jews who would have thought someone hanging on a tree being cursed.)

Paul is wanting to go be with the believers in Rome. He has just mentioned in vss 13-15 that he wants to connect with Jew, gentile, and those that are in Rome from other parts of the world (barbarians). He wants to reap from all of them and for them, that they would glean from him.

In hearing this, the church in Rome may have squirmed a little bit in their seats. Paul wrote his letter in 58AD. In 49AD Emperor Claudius was so frustrated and angry with the Jews that he expelled them from Rome. In 54AD, Emperor Claudius died and the decree lapsed. The Jews were welcomed back into the city.

Emperor Claudius was so frustrated and angry with the Jews that he expelled them from Rome. In 54AD, Emperor Claudius died and he decree lapsed and so the Jews were welcomed back in.

Amongst the Jews that were expelled were Jews and Jesus following Jews . The Roman authorities didn’t care nor differentiate. So you have the Christian Jews coming back and then you the Christian Gentiles who were in Rome who never left. Not only had Paul heard of their faith throughout the known world, there is a division in the church between Jews and Gentiles/Non-Jews.

He tells them in vs 15, “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”

It’s here, Paul then launches into the importance of the gospel.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Worth revisiting, what is the gospel (good news).

Think about the last good news you got! Just a couple weeks ago we got word that Autumn Ajanovic who was on her third bout with cancer is now cancer free! This was very good news.

Historically, the Evangelion, was the report the herald carried from the battle front to the king/generals telling the victory that had just taken place.

We transgressed the perfect holiness of God by sinning. Sinning is anything that goes against who He is. Coveting, lusting, envy, hate, theft, lying, selfishness, putting anything in higher allegiance than Him. To be with Him, where He is in heaven, our sin must be atoned for.

Death and sin entered into the world when Adam and Eve rebelled and sinned against God by taking of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They thought they knew better.

He put on flesh, He is Jesus, He revealed Himself (He revealed who God is), and took the wrath of God against sin upon Himself on the cross in Jerusalem in 33AD. 3rd day He rose again, like He said, showing Himself victor over sin and death.

A holy and just God could not just let that go. Sin, cosmic treason, must be atoned for… we have to give an account. Sin is so serious it requires the blood of a sacrifice.

He ascended into Heaven and is coming again. The Holy Spirit has now come and indwells all those that believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord.

The implications of this confession for the followers of Jesus is what informs our politics, our neighbor-liness, our families, the way we treat the poor, how we think about those who are different from us… Jesus has so much to say on these things… it’s the gospel that reminds us, I no longer live to myself, but I’m to live for the one that gave His life for me and now lives that I might live unto Him. Turning away from the rhythms of this life, culture, and the masses to follow in the ways of Jesus being conformed into His image.

So this is the good news. Jesus comes, lives, dies, rises again, to those that believe there is not only salvation from hell and eternal separation, but we are saved to goodness, love, joy, and peace deriving from a relationship with God, the lover of our soul, through Jesus Christ.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Now Paul says again,

English Standard Version Chapter 1

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel

He’s not ashamed (deny me before men, culturally abhorrent, religiously odd)

He’s not ashamed (deny me before men, culturally abhorrent, religiously odd)

Why would he be ashamed? It’s good news. But in this day, it was contrary to the ANE mind.

Jew: Anyone who hangs upon a tree is cursed.

English Standard Version Chapter 21

22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.

Their messiah was to rule and reign… he’s supposed to overthrow the Romans. Yet our “messiah”, a jewish carpenter, allows himself to be killed by the Romans?? It could seem plausible that some doubted and would not follow such foolishness.

Greek: In the Greek culture a supreme God would not come and dwell among people… a lesser god, yes. The ultimate deity has nothing to do with humanity. So it’s foolishness to suggest otherwise. Much of the early church dealt with heresies surrounding the trinity because the Greeks could not reconcile that God (all-powerful) would become flesh let alone die and rise again.

Paul is saying, he’s not ashamed of telling others who Jesus is and what that implies.

I was thinking what is that in our context. How might the gospel and the implications of the gospel make us look foolish or be ashamed? It implies we are saving ourselves sexually for marriage (people are shamed for that). It implies that I’m generous with my time and resources for others (that it’s not just about me… that’s counter cultural). It means that I get to know and speak up for those that don’t have a voice (those issues and situations that are too difficult to solve), it means (like Jesus) I’m going to seek a greater empathy for those that I dislike the most. It means that whoever I think my enemy is, I’m going to love them (ouch).

These are a few gospel implications and ways that we might experience shame by the gospel… where we and Paul both say… I’m not going to be ashamed of it… why??

English Standard Version Chapter 1

for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Salvation to those that believe it (Jew first (promise to Abraham), Greek (Acts: Cornelius), )

He’s saying to the Greeks, this is a very Jewish gospel. God initiated this plan of salvation through the Jewish nation. Beginning in Abraham, God was going to bring about a great nation where they would be His people and He would be their God. They weren’t to be an evangelizing people, but bring to bear to weight the reality of God upon all the surrounding nations as they loved and served YHWH. They failed. But through their failure, salvation came to you and to me (non-Jews).

It’s now available though to all who believe.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Subtly (or not so), Paul is saying to the Graeco-Roman followers of Jesus… God started initially with the Jews… you can’t just dismiss them. God loves them too, He started with them (thinking about the division between Jews and Greek followers of Jesus).

The Epistle to the Romans C. The Theme of the Letter (1:16–17)

But this same phrase introduces another recurring motif of Romans: the availability of God’s “power for salvation” for “all who believe.” This phrase occurs four other times in Romans (3:22; 4:11; 10:4, 11), in each case with particular reference to the breaking down of barriers between Jew and Gentile

Through Jesus we find the hope and needs satisfied that we look for in the world. We’re really looking for Jesus… acceptance, love, peace, forgiveness, grace, mercy… it’s all found in Jesus. It’s so wonderful when we experience in one on relationships with each other, but truly it derives from God. Until we have experienced and know God, all of those other things will fall short and not satisfy.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

“For in” what? Salvation. In salvation we see righteousness of God… or God’s right-ness is revealed.

God’s right-ness is revealed from His faithfulness for our reception of faith (quote from Habakuk 2:4); We are right before God because of the faithfulness of Jesus to fulfill the Law.

It’s revealed in His faithfulness. God has been so faithful. He’s done all that He said He would do. From the promise in to the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic covenant, to the promises in the psalms and prophets… God has been faithful. He is just and right.

It’s from Him being faithful that we understand what faith is. Our faith is derived from His faithfulness. Because He is faithful, it’s from His faithfulness it is our reception of faith (quote from Habakuk 2:4); We are right before God because of the faithfulness of Jesus to fulfill the Law.

From His faithfulness for our reception of faith (quote from Habakuk 2:4); We are right before God because of the faithfulness of Jesus to fulfill the Law.

The Epistle to the Romans C. The Theme of the Letter (1:16–17)

Barth argues that the first “faith” refers to God’s faithfulness, and the second the faith of the individual person.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,

but the righteous shall live by his faith.

The Epistle to the Romans C. The Theme of the Letter (1:16–17)

Pauline (and NT) faith is not (primarily) agreement with a set of doctrines but trust in a person

It is the gospel, good-news, of Jesus Christ that gives us direction and understanding. Meditate on it. Think about what Jesus has done, what He has said, and let it impact your life. The church in Rome at this time is suffering from division, arrogance, and an unholy approach to viewing their Jewish brothers and sisters.

What do you hold to now that is not informed by the gospel. Do we seek the saving of the unborn but couldn’t care any less for the immigrant, the convict, homeless, or addict? Does the gospel inform our work ethic and behavior at our place of employment, or do we just do the bare minimum because that’s what everyone else is doing? Do we allow the gospel to inform our relationships (family, bf, gf, marriage, etc), time, talents, or our treasure?

Paul admonishes us… it’s the gospel that is power of God for salvation to those that believe. We know we believe because we are not just hearers of the word but doers… we live by His faithfulness as it informs and enables our faith, producing works that are the fruit of salvation. Not salvation itself but the fruit of salvation.

Let us continue to reflect, prayer, and consider the implications of the gospel in our lives. Allow it to conform your heart to the heart of God.

*This is the outline of the book as we look at the whole of it. Sin, redemption, jew, greek, righteous living (those following Jesus)