What is it about Paul s letter to the Romans that prompted Martin Luther to describe it as the most important piece in the New Testament? Luther calls it purest Gospel. 1 What is there about this letter that opened Martin Luther s eyes to what he later described as a living, unshakable confidence in God s grace? 2 1 http://www.ccel.org/l/luther/romans/pref_romans.html 2 http://www.ccel.org/l/luther/romans/pref_romans.html
In Luther s preface to his collected writings in Latin, he wrote: 3 I did not love, no, rather I hated the just God who punishes sinners. In silence, if I did not blaspheme, then certainly I grumbled vehemently and got angry at God. 3 Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther's Latin Works (1545) by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483 1546. Translated by Bro. Andrew Thornton, OSB
I said, "Isn't it enough that we miserable sinners, lost for all eternity because of original sin, are oppressed by every kind of calamity through the Ten Commandments? Why does God heap sorrow upon sorrow through the Gospel and through the Gospel threaten us with his justice and his wrath?" This was how I was raging with wild and disturbed conscience. I constantly badgered St. Paul about that spot in Romans 1 and anxiously wanted to know what he meant. That passage from the first chapter of Romans which Martin Luther was referring to is where Paul wrote:
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20 For since the creation of the world God s invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Martin Luther hated God for angrily condemning us for being unable to measure up to God s perfect standard of justice and righteousness. [Luther 1]
At last, however, by the mercy of God, Luther s eyes were opened and what caught his attention was the verse, also in the first chapter of Romans, just before where Paul writes about God s wrath v. 17 reads as follows: 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
Luther writes, I began to understand that in this verse the justice [the righteousness] of God is that by which the just person lives by a gift of God, that is by faith. All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates. So what is the Gospel? The gospel begins with the fact that we are all sinners.
23 You see, [writes Paul in Romans chap 3] all have sinned, and all their futile attempts to reach God in His glory fail. Paul is quick to add, however, that we are saved. 24 Yet they [ and that includes you and me, we] are now saved and set right by His free gift of grace through the redemption available only in Jesus the Anointed.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to bear the punishment for our sins, our guilt, through His death on the cross. Reading from Romans chapter 6 verse 6: 6 We know this: whatever we used to be with our old sinful ways has been nailed to His cross. So our entire record of sin has been canceled, and we no longer have to bow down to sin s power.
Continuing to read from v.10: 10 When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. 11 In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God. The same Spirit of God that raised Jesus back to life this same Spirit of God now lives inside of you.
Reading from chapter 8 of Paul s letter to the Romans: 11 If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you. And continuing with v. 14: 14 If the Spirit of God is leading you, then take comfort in knowing you are His children. 15 You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear.
The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God s own family. That s why we call out to Him, Abba! Father! as we would address a loving daddy. 16 Through that prayer, God s Spirit confirms in our spirits that we are His children.
[video I am a child of God] The fall of humanity into sin and disobedience began with the devil s seemingly innocent question which he posed to Eve:
Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden? No, replied Eve. 2-3 We can eat from the trees in the garden. It s only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, Don t eat from it; don t even touch it or you ll die.
Casting doubt on God s truthfulness, the devil then proceeded to tempt Adam and Eve to go against what God commanded. 4-5 The serpent told the Woman, You won t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you ll see what s really going on. You ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil. [Genesis 3] Believing the devil s lies, Adam and Eve disobeyed God. And humankind has lived ever since with the catastrophic results. Adam and Eve brought sin into the world because they fell prey to the devil s temptation to distrust the goodness of God.
12 Consider this: [Paul writes in Romans 5, v. 12] sin entered our world through one man, Adam; and through sin, death followed in hot pursuit. Death spread rapidly to infect all people on the earth as they engaged in sin. 17 If one man s sin brought a reign of death that s Adam s legacy how much more will those who receive grace in abundance and the free gift of redeeming justice reign in life by means of one other man Jesus the Anointed.
How do we receive this free gift of redeeming justice? [Quoting from Eugene Peterson s translation of Romans 10:9-13] It s as simple as: Say[ing] the welcoming word to God Jesus is my Master embracing, body and soul, God s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That s it. You re not doing anything; you re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: God has set everything right between him and me! 11-13 Scripture reassures us, No one who trusts God like this heart and soul will ever regret it.
It s exactly the same no matter what a person s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. Everyone who calls, Help, God! gets help. We call out to God: Help me. Save me. Give me faith to believe in You. Faith [writes Martin Luther] is a work of God in us, which changes us and brings us to birth anew from God (cf. John 1).
It kills the old Adam, makes us completely different people in heart, mind, senses, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it. What a living, creative, active powerful thing is faith! Baptism signifies what happens in each of us when we accept by faith what God accomplished for us when He raised Jesus from the dead.
Reading from Romans chap 6: 3-5 That s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we re going in our new gracesovereign country. [video Back to the Garden]
To any one who says: "Faith is not enough. You must do good works if you want to be virtuous and get to heaven." Paul replies: 8-9 For it s by God s grace that you have been saved. You receive it through faith. It was not our plan or our effort. It is God s gift, pure and simple. You didn t earn it, not one of us did, so don t go around bragging that you must have done something amazing. No matter how hard I try, my best attempt at being good can never measure up to what a holy and just God requires. Salvation only comes by faith in God s faithfulness to live up to His promise of salvation.
Seeking salvation by any other means than God has provided through what Jesus did on the cross accomplishes nothing. Salvation is God s gift to you and me. You cannot earn your own salvation. Nor can you buy it. Salvation is not for sale. God s forgiveness is not for sale. Back in his day, Martin Luther took a stand against the selling of what were called indulgences. such as you see pictured here. This indulgence dating back to 1480.
Indulgences were certificates prepared by the church which people could buy for themselves as a kind of confession insurance. The purchase of an indulgence insured you against punishment for sin in case you died suddenly or forgot to confess something. You could also buy an indulgence on behalf of the dead to release them from punishment for their sins in purgatory. During Martin Luther s time these indulgences were being sold by the church in order to collect money for building St. Peter s in Rome.
Condemning the selling of indulgences as shameless blasphemy, Martin Luther put together a list of 95 theses or points of argument against the selling of indulgences. Martin Luther was a professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, So following the university s practice at that time, Luther nailed his list of 95 theses on the door of All Saints Church as well as on the doors of other churches in Wittenberg.
By doing so, he was posting a challenge to anyone who would wish to publicly debate him over his arguments against the sale of indulgences. Luther s 95 Theses were eventually copied, reprinted, translated and distributed throughout Germany and Europe. And have been credited with beginning the Protestant Reformation. [video Luther 2]
Be on guard against those who would dilute the power of the Gospel by making it about anything other than faith in Jesus Christ. Paul concludes his letter to the Christians in Rome with this warning: Keep up your guard against anyone who is causing conflicts and enticing others with teachings contrary to what you have already learned. If there are people like that in your churches, stay away from them. 18 These kinds of people are not truly serving our Lord Jesus the Anointed; they have devoted their lives to satisfying their own appetites. With smooth talking and a well-rehearsed blessing, they lead a lot of unsuspecting people down the wrong path. [Romans 16:17-18]
Beware of anyone who tempts you to doubt God s promises and preaches salvation by any other means than through Jesus Christ alone. We are saved not by works, not by money, but only by God s grace. If doing good won t save me, then why should I do good? As a follower of Jesus, the reason why I want to do good is not out of fear of damnation. But instead I want to do good out of my love for God and gratitude for what Jesus did in securing my salvation on the cross. Because I have accepted God s gift of grace, His Spirit lives inside of me both as the promise of His saving grace, and also to empower me to do good.
After telling the Christians in Ephesus that we are saved by grace received through faith. Paul goes on to add in verse 10 of the second chapter of Ephesians: 10 For we are the product of His hand, heaven s poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago. Four years after posting his 95 theses, in 1521, Martin Luther was put on trial before the Emperor, Charles V. At the trial before the Emperor, Martin Luther was asked to recant [= to renounce] his views on indulgences. But Luther refused to do so, arguing that unless he could be convinced from Scripture, he could not and would not recant. "Here I stand. [He replied] I can do no other. God help me!" [video Luther 3]
After the trial, the Emperor issued an imperial edict calling for Luther s arrest as a notorious heretic. For this reason we forbid anyone from this time forward to dare, either by words or by deeds, to receive, defend, sustain, or favour the said Martin Luther. On the contrary, we want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic, as he deserves, Luther maintained that salvation is by faith alone without reference to good works, alms, penance, or the sacraments. 4 Luther had challenged the absolute authority of the Pope over the church by arguing against the sale of indulgences as authorized by the Pope. He had also challenged the authority of the Church by maintaining that all Church doctrines not supported by Scripture should be discarded. 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/diet_of_worms
But in his letter to the Christians in Rome didn t Paul tell believers to submit to those in authority over us? Recall from Romans chapter 13: It is important that all of us submit to the authorities who have charge over us because God establishes all authority in heaven and on the earth. 2 Therefore, a person who rebels against authority rebels against the order He established, and people like that can expect to face certain judgment.
Yes, Paul teaches us to be respectful of and submit to authority, but [and I m quoting here from the commentary included in the The Voice translation of Romans 13] Paul s counsel here is not a blanket approval of any and every government that may arise in a broken world. When obedience to the truth of God as contained in Scripture puts us at odds with the powers that be we have no choice but to obey God rather than human authority.
As Peter replied to the High Priest and Council of elders in response to their strict orders to stop teaching in Jesus name 29 If we have to choose between obedience to God and obedience to any human authority, then we must obey God. As Peter would later write [reading from 1 Peter 3:14-17] 14 Even if you should suffer for doing what is right, you will receive a blessing. Don t let them frighten you. Don t be intimidated,
15-16 but exalt Him as Lord in your heart. Always be ready to offer a defense, humbly and respectfully, when someone asks why you live in hope. Keep your conscience clear so that those who ridicule your good conduct in the Anointed and say bad things about you will be put to shame. 17 For if it is the will of God that you suffer, then it is better to suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is wrong. Luther went into hiding for the next 10 mos., during which time he translated the entire Bible into the ordinary German of his day. What transformed this timid fearful monk into the brave priest who refused to back down against an emperor and a pope over the sale of indulgences?
What gave Luther that living, unshakeable confidence in God's grace? It is the same power that transformed an angry young Pharisee named Saul into the Apostle Paul whose message of good news continues to move our hearts still today.
Concluding his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul sends them this brief hymn of praise to God: 25 Praise God! [Paul writes] He can make you strong by means of my good news, which is the message about Jesus Christ. For ages and ages this message was kept secret, 26 but now at last it has been told. The eternal God commanded his prophets to write about the good news, so that all nations would obey and have faith.
27 And now, because of Jesus Christ, we can praise the only wise God forever! Amen. It was in the winter of 57-58 when Paul wrote his letter to the believers in Rome. He was just concluding his third missionary journey, and was spending the winter in Corinth. Luke s account in Acts chapter 20 takes place a few months later - in the spring of 58 - just as Paul was about to set sail for Jerusalem. Preparing to board the ship to head to Jerusalem, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church to meet him in Miletus. He spoke to them of his commitment to preaching the Gospel, and shared with them his concerns about what hardships lay ahead.
As their time together drew to a close, Paul told them:. 24 I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the good news of God s grace. Paul s letter to the believers in Rome was written not long before he was to board the ship bound for Jerusalem. Paul asks the Christians in Rome to pray for his onward journey to Jerusalem: Pray that I will be rescued from those who deny and persecute the faith in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem will meet the approval of all the saints there.
32 If that happens, then my journey to you will be filled with joy; and, if God wills, I can rest and be refreshed in your presence. 33 I pray the God of all peace will be with you all. Amen. There are times in our lives when we don t know what to expect. We pray God s will be done, and we hope for what we believe would be the best outcome.
Three years after having written his letter to the Romans, Paul did finally arrive in Rome. But he came not as a free man. Instead he came as a prisoner of Rome, kept under house arrest until his appeal could be heard by Caesar. In Jerusalem, Paul had been beaten by a mob and arrested. He lived under the constant threat of assassination. Because he was a Roman citizen, he appealed to Caesar, requiring him to be sent to Rome. While on the journey to Rome, he was shipwrecked and bitten by a poisonous snake.
Throughout Paul s missionary journeys, his life had been anything but easy, as he himself explains (2 Cor. 11) 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. During those years of house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote the letters we now refer to as Colossians, Ephesians and Philippians. After all that Paul had been through he could still write to the believer in Philippi, telling them:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
What gave the Apostle Paul and Martin Luther such unshakeable faith in the face of difficulty and hardship? After all Paul had been through, he still could rejoice. He still put his confidence in God. The power of God in us is all that can keep our faith unshakeable even when difficulties come. Perhaps, what you are thinking is I want to believe, but my faith is weak.
In his introduction to Paul s letter to the Romans, accompanying his German translation of the Bible, Martin Luther gave the following advice: 5 Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or can do. God knows we are weak and cannot save ourselves, so all he requires of us is to ask. Like the father in Mark s Gospel who was desperately seeking Jesus help for his son: I do believe; [he told Jesus] help me overcome my unbelief! Lord, help my unbelief. Increase my faith. 5 Martin Luther's Definition of Faith: An excerpt from "An Introduction to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans," Luther's German Bible of 1522
[video Even if]