Sunday, April 8, 2012 Lesson #8 The Righteousness of God Revealed - From Faith to Faith I. Reading Lesson: Romans 1:16-17 (These verses set the theme of the whole book) II. III. IV. Review Romans 1:11-12, 13 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Vs. 13 that I might have some fruit among you (Paul s primary purpose, goal) a. To impart a SPIRITUAL gift or gratuity. To establish and strengthen them. b. How was he going to do this? Review Romans 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. a. So: [Strong] houto; in this way (referring to what precedes or follows) ; Paul is going to preach to them as a debtor to them. b. Who was it Paul was ready to preach the Gospel to? 1. To you that are at Rome 2. Who was in Rome? (Verse 7; to all that be in Rome, called to be saints ) 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. a. For I am not ashamed 1. FOR: [Wordstudy] gár; a causative particle standing always after one or more words in a clause and expressing the reason for what has been before, affirmed or implied. (notice how many times this particple is used in verses 16-20) 2. Shame: [Websters] A painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt, or of having done something which injures reputation; or by of that which nature nature or modesty prompts us to conceal. 3. Paul felt no guilt for preaching the Gospel of Christ! Neither should we EVER! WHY? b. For it is the power of God unto salvation, to EVERYONE that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek 1. FOR: assigning a reason again 2. Power: [Wordstudy] dúnamis; from dúnamai (G1410), to be able. Power, especially achieving power. All the words derived from the stem dúna- have the meaning of being able, capable. It may even mean to will. [Strong] force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might 3. OF GOD: Paul assigns the power of the Gospel unto salvation to God! a. Paul knew this by EXPERIENCE! [AT Robertson] He had seen the dynamite of God at work b. 1Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power (same word) of God. 1
4. To everyone that believeth: Paul continues the mention of faith and it being the means of salvation. The Gospel is not the force of God unto salvation until we believe! 5. To the Jew first and also to the Greek: [AT Robertson] The Jew is first in privilege and in penalty. (Romans 2:9) Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile V. Our perspective of the phrase Gospel of Christ What is meant by this phrase? a. Gospel: good news of Jesus Christ. What does the good news encompass? b. Only the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? Is this perspective too narrow? c. [Brad Adams] Not only is the gospel the good news of Jesus death, burial and resurrection. It is the good news of GOD and HIS righteousness, his justness, of man s UN-righteousness and lawless-ness, of God s holy love to man, the incarnation of himself to human flesh in Jesus Christ, his RIGHTEOUS LIFE in the flesh, conforming to all of the righteous laws (demands) of God. His suffering in the flesh of all the temptations of sin, without submitting to them. His willing death upon the cross brought about by the UN-righteousness of man, suffering the death of the cross even separation from God the Father because of the penalty of our sin. (Jesus as a man, had a spiritual relationship with the Father) His satisfying the Father in the work of redemption in paying the penalty of the sins of the whole world. His glorious resurrection to life in a glorified state. His righteous life at the right hand of God as the mediator and intercessor for the human race. The provision of God in Jesus Christ that any man can come to God and be redeemed from his wickedness and be restored to a right relationship with God by and through the RIGHTEOUSNESS of Jesus Christ!!! d. 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. e. Old and New Testaments:: Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. VI. Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. a. FOR: assigning a reason to the Gospel being the power of God. b. Therein: From two Greek words: (NOTICE) 1. en; prep. In, on, at, by any place or thing, with the primary idea of rest. As compared with eis (G1519), into or unto, and ek (G1537), out of or from, it stands between the 2
two; eis implies motion into, and ek motion out of, while en, in, means remaining in place. 2. autós; Self; him, her, it; the same (with the art. preceding it). Self, used as an intens. for emphasis. It sets the individual apart from everything else. 3. IN THE GOSPEL ALONE, is the righteousness of God unto salvation! 4. GREEK INTERLINEAR: for in it the righteousness of God is revealed VII. The Righteousness of God What is meant by this statement? a. The phrase the righteousness of God appears in the scriptures eight times. 1. Five are in the book of Romans: 1:17, 3:5, 3:21, 3:22 & 10:3 2. One is in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (also written by Paul) 3. One is in James 1:20 4. One is in 2 Peter 1:1 b. The word righteousness (dikaiosúne ;) appears 30 times in the book of Romans. c. Define Righteousness: 1. Websters 1828: Purity of heart and rectitude of life; conformity of heart and life to the divine law. 2. Websters 1913: The quality or state of being righteous; holiness; purity; uprightness. 3. Greek Root word: díkaios; fem. dikaía, neut. díkaion, adj. from díke (G1349), right, just. Righteous, just. Used in the neut. tó díkaion, that which is right, conformable to right, pertaining to right, that which is just. This is expected by the one who sets the rules and regulations whereby man must live, whether that be society or God. Therefore, it means that which is expected as duty and which is claimed as a right because of one's conformity to the rules of God or society. 4. Righteousness: [Wordstudy] dikaiosúne ; noun from the root word díkaios (G1342), which means just, righteous. Justice, righteousness. It is the essence of tó díkaion, that which is just, or díkaios, of him who is just or righteous. The súne ending makes this an abstraction. Righteousness fulfills the claims of díke, (expected behavior or conformity, not according to one's own standard, but according to an imposed standard with prescribed punishment for nonconformity) which, in the case of the believer, are God's claims; and in the case of the nonbeliever, the claims of that higher authority which a person adopts as his own standard. Dikaiosúne, righteousness, is thus conformity to the claims of higher authority and stands in opposition to anomía (G458), lawlessness. 5. Thus, the righteousness of God is the conformity to the claims of higher authority of God! God s ability to conform to his own supreme law! 6. AT Robertson described it as; A righteousness of God (dikaiosune theou). Subjective genitive, a God kind of righteousness, one that each must have and can obtain in no other way save from faith unto faith (ek pisteo s eis pistin), faith the starting point and faith the goal (Lightfoot) 7. [Strong] equity(of character or act); specifically (Christian) justification 3
8. [Thayer] state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God VIII. IX. Is revealed a. [Wordstudy] Literally, to remove a veil or covering exposing to open view what was before hidden. To make manifest or reveal a thing previously secret or unknown How it is revealed: From Faith to Faith a. From faith to faith Misconception! Does this mean what we normally hear taught! What is Paul really saying here? (recognize varied opinions here) 1. Remember WHO Paul was writing to: Verse 7; Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints 2. Remember his purpose in writing to them: Verse 11; For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established 3. Paul wanted them to exercise their faith with him! Verse 12; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 4. Verses 16-17 declares the subject matter that Paul wanted to impart to the Roman Christians to establish them! b. Note Romans 1:17 (NIV) 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. c. AT Robertson; from faith unto faith (ek pisteo s eis pistin), faith the starting point and faith the goal d. Faith: [Strong] persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation e. The reference to Habakkuk 2:4, AS IT IS WRITTEN; Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live (hayah) by his faith. 1. Hebrew Word: hạ ya h: A verb meaning to be alive, to live, to keep alive. This verb is used numerous times in Scripture. It is used in the sense of flourishing f. Greek word live (the just shall live) 1. [Wordstudy] To live, intrans. The Attics rarely used this verb except in the pres. and imperf., supplying the other tenses from bióo (G980), to spend one's existence, simply to pass one's life, from which is derived our word "biography," the narrative of how one spent his life. 2. [Thayer] to live, the enjoy real life, to pass life, in the manner of the living and acting g. Other Scriptures with same language and word: 1. Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 2. Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 4
h. Other scriptures with similar wording: 1. From glory to glory ; 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. a. Paul is speaking concerning the ministration of the Spirit. b. ****Barnes: It properly means to look in a mirror; to behold as in a mirror. The mirrors of the ancients were made of burnished metal, and they reflected images with great brilliancy and distinctness. And the meaning is, that the gospel reflected the glory of the Lord; it was, so to speak, the mirror - the polished, burnished substance in which the glory of the Lord shone, and where that glory was irradiated and reflected so that it might be seen by Christians. There was no veil over it; no obscurity; nothing to break its dazzling splendor, or to prevent its meeting the eye. Christians, by looking on the gospel, could see the glorious perfections and plans of God as bright, and clear, and brilliant as they could see a light reflected from the burnished surface of the mirror. So to speak, the glorious perfections of God shone from heaven; beamed upon the gospel, and were thence reflected to the eye and the heart of the Christian, and had the effect of transforming them into the same image. This passage is one of great beauty, and is designed to set forth the gospel as being the reflection of the infinite glories of God to the minds and hearts of people. c. Our spiritual growth from beholding one glory to another. 2. From strength to strength ; Psa 84:5-7 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. 3. [Brad Adams] As believers, we are first made alive by faith and we continue to live by our faith! We go from one act of faith to another and we spend our existence flourishing!! Paul s intent was to preach the Gospel unto them that they might by one act of their faith to another in the preached Gospel have more of the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ revealed unto them,thereby establishing and strengthening both he and them. Oh, how this is needed today among the people of God! We must live from faith to faith!! This was Paul s intension for the Roman Christians! X. 5