Romans Study no. 2 Chapter 1:17 Romans 1;17 introduces a theme that Paul develops in Romans: the righteousness of God. He states that the good news has power because it reveals the righteousness of God. Let s look at the other places in Paul where this phrase is used. Rpm 1 17 16 For I am not ashamed of the good news of Messiah, for it is the power 1 of God to salvation 2 for everyone who is believing, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 3 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The righteous shall have Life out of faith." 4 21 But now 5 the righteousness of God apart from the law 6 is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through the faithfulness of Messiah Jesus 7, to all and on all who are exercising faith. For there is no difference; Romans 10:1-4 10 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 2 Corinthians 5:21 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus said Matthew 6:33 1 Power dunamis, supernatural ability. 2 Salvation is more than the New Birth. To a Jew, salvation was the all-inclusive deliverance from Israel s enemies. The fundamental idea contained in soteria is the removal of dangers menacing to life and consequent placing of life in conditions favorable to free and healthy expansion. Sanday and Headlam. 3 The good news itself is a powerful unveiling of God s righteousness which brings about deliverance (salvation) 4 Three key words in Romans: Righteousness, Faith and Life. 5 But now marks the introduction of a new section. God s righteousness in judging sin has been clarified, but now His righteousness in saving men through Messiah is unveiled. 6 Apart from Law - It is important to see that Paul is saying that a righteousness of God is being unveiled which has nothing to do with human performance. And, that the Old Covenant bears witness to this unveiling. 7 Some scholars argue for through the faithfulness of Messiah Jesus rather than through faith in Messiah Jesus.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. There is an unique revelation of God s righteousness in the New Covenant a righteousness demonstrated by God sending Jesus to deal with our sins and to change our nature. As men and woman who have become New Creations in Christ, we have had our nature changed from iniquity to righteousness. Christ has become our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). But now Paul turns to the fate of those who reject God and suppress his truth. Notice that they suppress the knowledge they have, not that they don t have knowledge. The creation itself testifies to the reality of God. Observe that the first step away from God is relying on one s mind or understanding. By itself, human reason can no more be guaranteed to tell us which way tog than a compass in a room full of magnets (N.T. Wright). The heart. v. 21; The heart was seen by many ancient thinkers as the centre of motivation (N.T. Wright). Paul teaches that man is spirit, soul and body. Our recreated human spirit, in which the Spirit of God dwells, in the real person, what Peter calls the hidden person of the heart (1 Pet. 3:4). It can be helpful to say it this way: I am a spirit; I have a soul and I live in a body. When we, in our spirits walk in agreement with the Spirit of God within us, our hearts are upright and pure; When we agree with our mind, will, emotions and body we walk in unbelief which will lead us to disobedience and self-centered living. God gave them over. v. 24, 26, 28. The mind and heart resisting the truth leads to physical sins (v. 24-27) In v. 24, 26, 28 Paul uses a word to describe the outworking of God s wrath: paradidomi. to give into the hands of another (Thayer s Lexicon). The more men rebelled, the more God took His hand off of them and gave them into the hands of another the god of this age. Later, Paul will describe this as the Law of sin and death. (Rom. 8:1-10). The three uses of this verb describe God s wrath: God lets sin run its course and those who reject Him harvest what they have sown. Throughout our history, men and woman who responded to God found favor with Him and walked with Him. This godly line is described in Hebrews 11. In Romans it is exemplified by Abraham. The Lie.
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the Lie 8, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks the Lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Ephesians 4:23-25 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that you have put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put off from yourselves the Lie, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. The Lie as that there is meaningful, fulfilling life in independence from God and that serving God will deprive you of a rich, rewarding life. That God withholds from you the wisdom that you need to become a god-like being. In other words, he tells us that we are not in the image and likeness of God but if we will listen to him we can find real life. Homosexuality. Paul here indicates that one of the first fruits of suppressing and rejecting the knowledge of God after the heart and mind are darkened is worshipping the creation in the form of homosexual behavior. Such clear distortions of the creator s male-plus-female intention occur in the world indicate that the human race as a whole is guilty of a character-twisting idolatry (N.T. Wright). When men and women listen to the voice of the creature, rather than the voice of the creator it leads to distortion in the human community. A debased mind. A mind that is wasted on unimportant matters; useless occupation; a mind that fails the test; they disapproved of God so God let their mind become disapproved and incapable of discerning truth. Chapter two, v. 1-16 To the Jews who know the Law and can see that the pagans are wrong: It is not knowing the Law that makes a Jew under the Old Covenant right, but rather actually doing it. The Law which had been given based on the faith of Abraham and was to be the foundational principle of the Old 8 The Lie: there is life and meaning apart from God. You are the best one to determine what is good and what is evil. There is hidden wisdom that God is withholding from you that will make you god-like. Or, so the devil made Eve to believe.
Covenant had degenerated into an outward rule-book and rituals rather than a life to be walked out in faith, as Abraham did. The Jews felt that they at least knew what was right, even though, as Paul points out they couldn t keep the Law either. The Judgment Seat of Messiah. 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": This is a theme which many would like to avoid, yet it is frequently mentioned in Paul s letters: Romans 14:10-12 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of the Messiah. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus the Messiah, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: The True Circumcision. Circumcision was the seal of the Old Covenant. Jewish proselytes were circumcised to enter the company of Israel. Some misguided Jews felt that the Gentiles should be circumcised, but this was the New Covenant and the seal of the New Covenant was water baptism. (Rom. 2 25-29) Deuteronomy 30:6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Messiah Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, Colossians 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Messiah.