STUDIES IN ROMANS Wim de Leeuw van Weenen INTRODUCTION Firstly, the aim of these studies is to increase our understanding of the Gospel message by following Paul s line of reasoning as closely as possible, carefully exploring and following the logic of his arguments. THE CHURCH It is apparent that the church in Rome already existed, but it is not known who founded it. It could still be an unstructured church: this letter is written to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints ; the greetings at the end (16:3-16) are addressed to several house-churches and groups; no mention of any of the other apostles. Probably the church(es) arose from travelling or migrating Christians ( visitors from Rome were already mentioned in Acts 2:10), without a clear doctrinal foundation. Paul hadn t been to Rome at that time, but from the greetings at the end of the letter we can see he knew many of them. Prisca and Aquila were back in Rome, with a church in their house (16:3-5). THE APOSTLE Where Paul founded churches (according to Acts): 1st journey: in South Galatia (the heartland of present-day Turkey); 2nd journey: after visiting the South Galatian churches, in Macedonia and Achaia (Greece); 3rd journey: mainly in Ephesus (West Turkey; also travelling before and after to various churches). After this long stay in Ephesus, Paul travelled via the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to Corinth, where he stayed for three months (Acts 20:1-3). It appears that he wrote Romans at that time. (Rom 15:17-23) Paul generally founded churches in the bigger and more important cities and wanted to reach one big region after another. Now there was no more place for him to work in these regions, 1 Paul was looking towards new mission areas (as far as Spain) and wanted just to pass through Rome, as he didn t want to build on someone else s foundation. Therefore Paul s plans were (15:24-29; also 1:10-15): 1. to go to Jerusalem to take the contributions of the churches to the poor; 2. to visit Rome in passing (to win their support for his further travels); 3. then, to go to Spain, a new area to preach the gospel. Did these plans really happen? THE CITY The city of Rome, at that time, had an estimated population of one million (possibly even four). Large numbers of Jews were living in Rome (about a dozen of synagogues in Rome at that time). About AD 50, Claudius (Claude) exiled all the natural-born Jews from Rome (compare Acts 18:2 about Prisca and Aquila), probably also Christians had to leave Rome. This could have robbed the churches of many of their leaders. After Claudius death (AD 54) many of the Jews returned. This letter is written in the mid fifties. Nero had just begun to rule (AD 54-68). Persecutions against the Christians had not yet begun. 1 'From Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.' Illyricum is in the area of former Yugoslavia. Studies in Romans (Wim de Leeuw van Weenen) Page 1
OUTLINE OF ROMANS Introduction greetings and introduction 1:1-17 theme: the gospel explained Doctrinal basis Sin (all mankind is guilty) Gentiles (Ch. 1b) Jews (Ch. 2 + 3a) 1:18-3:20 all men (Ch. 3b) Salvation (righteousness by faith) by faith - it s a gift (Ch. 3c) Abraham - by faith (Ch. 4) peace with God (Ch. 5a) 3:21-5:21 Christ and Adam contrasted (Ch. 5b) Sanctification freed from sin (Ch. 6) freed from law (Ch. 7) 6:1-8:39 freed from death, victorious (Ch. 8) Israel s position election is God s decision (Ch. 9) righteousness by faith (Ch.10) remnant of Israel (Ch. 11a) 9:1-11:36 olive tree (Ch. 11b) Practical Service 12:1-15:13 duties and liberties Epilogue 15:14-16:27 plans and personal greetings Studies in Romans (Wim de Leeuw van Weenen) Page 2
THE LETTER This is Paul s most systematic letter, and much more comprehensive than Galatians, containing a clear explanation of the Gospel message and its implications for Christian life. There were both Jews and Gentiles in the church, who apparently needed to be taught clear apostolic doctrinal foundations. As a result, the church throughout the centuries has been blessed with this clear and logical statement of the basics of the gospel. Because it changed great men, it changed church history. The letter was probably taken to Rome by Phoebe, a deaconess of the church in Cenchrea (16:1), the port of Corinth. THEME Salvation and righteousness only by faith. See 1:16-17, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. CONTENTS (1:1-17) INTRODUCTION Greeting (1:1-7) Paul (1:1): a servant of Christ Jesus lit. a slave 2, indicating his total submission to Christ called to be an apostle apostle = sent one, messenger 3 set apart for the gospel of God Cf Pharisee = separated one; holy! (1:2-4) This gospel is promised by God through his prophets and concerns his Son, who: as to his human nature was a descendant of David; through the Spirit was the Son of God; by his resurrection from the dead is Jesus Christ, our Lord. (1:5) We received grace and apostleship... First grace and then apostleship to call people from among all Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. Compare 15:18-19 leading the Gentiles to obey God ; 16:26 might believe and obey him ; Acts 6:7 became obedient to the faith. Bringing to obedience is an important aspect of the gospel, often neglected. It also makes it clear that Paul didn t preach a gospel of cheap grace, which opens the way to licence. (1:7) Saints (sanctified, holy ones); a normal name for believers! How we ought to be (1 Pet 1:15-16). 4 2 Gr doulos. 3 Gr apostolos = someone who has been sent ; a delegate or a messenger; the corresponding Hebrew word indicates someone given full authority, for some particular purpose and for a limited time. Otto Betz. Apostle. The Oxford Companion to the Bible, Edited by B.M. Metzger & M.D. Coogan (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), 41. 4 1 Pet 1:15-16,... be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy Studies in Romans (Wim de Leeuw van Weenen) Page 3
Paul s longing to visit Rome (1:8-15) First Paul thanked God because their faith was reported all over the world. He remembered them always in his prayers and prayed that God at last would open the way for him to come to them. He opened his heart to them to show his love and his desire to see them: that I may impart to you some spiritual gift (vs 11); that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other s faith (vs 12; Paul s humility was able to express his need for encouragement); that I might have a harvest among you (vs 13; NASB some fruit); eager to preach the gospel also to you (vs 15). He felt even bound (lit. a debtor) to preach the gospel: both to Greeks and non-greeks 5 o possibly, to the civilised and the uncivilised o even Rome had an (imitation) Greek culture both to the wise and the foolish Theme: The gospel is the power of God (1:16-17) The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Jew and Gentile 6 ). God s righteousness is by faith everyone who believes & righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith (NASB) you can t earn it (not a righteousness by works), you have to believe it Quoting Hab 2:4, The righteous will live by faith. Also in: Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38. Compare 2 Cor 5:21 (Christ made sin for us, we made righteousness). 1:18 TO 3:20 BOTH JEW AND GENTILE ARE GUILTY The Gentile is guilty (1:18-32) 7 (1:18-20) In contrast (after: a righteousness from God is revealed; v 17), the wrath of God is being revealed... against all the godlessness and wickedness of men. Wrath of God a holy revulsion and powerful rejection; not to confuse with human wrath In their wickedness they even suppress the truth (dodging the consequences of the truth). Which truth? The knowledge of God.... what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. Although God s eternal power and divine nature are invisible qualities, since creation they have been clearly seen, revealed in what he has made. (Compare argument presented in the Psalms) 8... so that men are without excuse. 5 Gr barbarois, which should here be understood as people from other cultures and languages, rather than the negative word barbarians. 6 The original here and in many other places reads Greek, but this must be interpreted as non-jewish or Gentile, as many translations render. This contrasts with the use of this word in v 14. 7 First, Paul explains that the Gentile is under the wrath of God. Cf gospel for Jew and Gentile, v 16. 8 (Ps 19:1-4) The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (...) Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world. Cf (Ps 14:1) The fool says in his heart, There is no God. Studies in Romans (Wim de Leeuw van Weenen) Page 4
(vs 21) They knew God but they: neither glorified him as God, nor gave thanks to him. (vs 23) Instead they: exchanged the glory of the immortal [incorruptable] God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (Cf The folly of idol making in: Is 40:19-20; 41:7; 46:5-7) Because they thought they knew better and refused to accept God above them they worshipped something below them, as if it was above them. The logical mind realises that (vs 21-22)... their thinking became futile; their foolish hearts were darkened; they became fools (although they claimed to be wise). N.B. Their sin is: not acknowledging God (Cf v 20)... a. as the power behind creation, b. in his divinity, his Godhead, his divine nature (all different translations of the same abstract word). It is more convenient for them to worship images, or created things (vs 25). This worship is applicable to the Greek-Roman culture. Idolatry in our culture is different; our images can be; science (or mind); money; human body (sex, sports) etc. Compare these things with the following verses about the results of idolatry. 1. (vs 24) Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts. Because of their sin - mentioned in the former verses - God judged them and gave them over. The punishment is: more sin! God gave them over to: o sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity; o the degrading of their bodies; They exchanged the truth of God for a lie Worshipped and served created things 2. (vs 26-27) Because of this God gave them over to shameful lusts. Unnatural (lit. against nature) relations men/men and women/women; penalty for their perversion (these relations or idolatry?). 3. (vs 28) Furthermore... God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. (v 29-31)Filled with... a horrible catalogue of bad behaviour resulting from depraved thinking. At the time, many were looking for philosophical, reasonable answers on moral issues. Even that s a depraved mind (not wise but foolish). Can we see the same signs and processes in our present-day society? They know it s wrong. (v 32) They know God s decree: such people deserve death. Still they continue to do these very things; and approve of those who practise them. Mass psychology; to silence your conscience you have to live in a group in which others accept your behaviour and you have to encourage others to act like yourself a slippery slope in its final stages. Therefore, it is clearly stated that the Gentile 9 is guilty, not just because of the sins mentioned in the latter parts but in the first place and fundamentally because of not accepting the Creator, in his eternal power and divine nature (1:20). 9 Although Paul spoke so far about men in general, the picture he painted is clearly that of the Gentiles. Studies in Romans (Wim de Leeuw van Weenen) Page 5