The Book of Romans pt 3

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 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.”

In my former blog post I talked about the Gospel according to the prophets. I mentioned how if you read the prophets, you can't really tell heads or tails about two comings of Christ, whether the Messiah was supposed to suffer or reign as King, that the Gospel would entail death and resurrection, or many other details that we think of as "the Gospel" today. It is all kind of a mishmash, and many details are just simply not there unless you're specifically looking for them. How do we make sense of all of this from the Old Testament?

Well, Paul does try to spell it out for the Romans. In this section of the epistle, Paul encourages the Church in Rome because their faith has been heard of throughout the world. He has not yet visited them, yet he has heard of their faith. It is mentioned later in Romans that Paul hopes to stop by Rome while traveling up to Spain. However, there isn't any significant historical evidence (that I've seen) that would say Paul ever made it to Spain. I believe it was Martin Luther that said 13 of the 12 apostles have their graves in Spain. It was a joke.

On a more serious note, the reason why Paul desires so much to visit Rome is mentioned here: "I am obligated to the Greeks and non-Greeks, both the wise and the foolish." We like to think of Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles, but it seems like Paul first and foremost went to the Jews. In verse 16 Paul even mentions that the Gospel is to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. When I read Acts, I see Paul engaging debates in the synagogues and among the devout in the marketplaces. This brings up a couple questions to me: why would Paul be the apostle to the Gentiles and yet go straight for the synagogue, and what are the devout doing in the marketplaces?

The marketplace was not a place to get your groceries. It can be likened to a modern day mall. This is where people gathered and socialized. It was where you have an orgy of the senses. You go to behold the merchandise. You go to "meet" other people. Buying, selling, and trading were not the only things that take place in the marketplaces. This isn't a place for the devout. However, it does seem like in the places where culture and societies are most shaped, there is where we find the Jews. I'm not going to say any more than that currently.

So Paul wants to speak to the Church in Rome - some of which is Gentile and some of which is Jewish - and give an expression of what this power of God is. We will be diving into the power of God in resurrection when we reach chapter 6 of Romans. For now, lets examine the simple and brief statements made about the "righteousness of God." When I read this last (about 2 weeks before writing this) I had to stop when I reached this point.

Paul makes the statement that the Gospel shows forth the righteousness of God.

Yeah, I got that. I've heard that before.

What I haven't ever heard preached, nor exposited, was the next statement: a righteousness that is by faith from first to last... It makes sense when we're talking about the faith that we as humans have in Jesus Christ for salvation. It makes sense that there is the belief about Jesus, but that isn't enough and needs to be turned inward to a belief in Jesus. I've heard that message. I got to hear it a lot.

What I hadn't heard is what Paul is implying. Paul is making this statement about God. The righteousness of God is displayed in the Gospel - a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. Does anyone else see my conundrum? What does it mean that God's righteousness is also bound up in faith? Can we logically say that when we're talking about a man's righteousness we're talking about his faith in God, but when we're talking about God's righteousness we're talking about something else entirely?

And what happened to the definition of righteousness being about doing what is right or wrong? If you do the right thing you are righteous. If you do the wrong thing, you are not righteous. This is what I was taught in youth group. Paul flips the tables and says, "Righteousness is from faith and faith alone." He doesn't even mention doing the right thing.

But still, what does it mean that God's righteousness is bound by faith?

It sounds funny.

I didn't toss the idea aside right away. I think what is being expressed here is practical. Have you ever noticed how Jesus never once took credit or glory for Himself? His words were Spirit (John 6:63). He did nothing except what His Father had told Him (John 5:19). Jesus always defers the glory to another part of the Godhead. He never takes it up for Himself. He never promotes Himself. The Father promotes Him, and the Spirit promotes Him, but Jesus never speaks on His own account.

I wonder if this is what it means that righteousness is by faith.

When we can defer everything over to God, then we have obtained righteousness. When our deeds are no longer our own deeds, but we only do the things that the Father has shown us through Jesus Christ and our deeds are proven by the Spirit, then we have obtained this faith unto righteousness. We no longer brag unless it is boasting in the Lord. Everything has now been brought down to death so that it might be raised to life by God. If God doesn't give life, then it remains dead.

What would this imply for community?

We no longer take up a name. We continue to give credit and honor and glory to those around us. We boast in the God that is displayed in the faces of those whom we've surrounded ourselves with. We don't speak high and lofty things, but we remain humble. We take no glory in self, but glory in God alone - even when we esteem the godliness or statements of another brother/sister.

Faith is not simply taking a belief and making it personal. I can't simply say that I have believed in the Lord Jesus and now I am saved. Faith isn't enough. Belief won't sustain. The evidence that my faith has led to righteousness is that I defer any glory or self-satisfaction away from self and toward God. I guess this even gets into the debate of why God has laws. Does following the Law spelled out in the 5 books of Moses bind us? Is it oppression to obey God? The paradox is that God gives these laws that "constrain" us in every human sense, but we find the more we place ourselves under that Law we find freedom. It is freedom to not commit adultery or look at other women with lust. It is freedom to not boast about myself. It is freedom to not hate. It is freedom to love my enemies, bless those who curse me, and pray for those who mistreat me. It isn't oppression; it is freedom.

And thus I conclude that faith without works is dead. If our faith in God only goes to the depths of believing that the Bible is true and that Jesus died and rose again, but lacks the gumption to work out our salvation, then we have not truly been born again. Paul is right when proclaiming that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. I think this verse goes hand-in-hand with 1 John 3:3, "All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure."

Anyone who has this hope of the Gospel that the prophets have spoken - there is a time when the antichrist will rule and oppress the people of God and the consummation of the age will be the return of Jesus and the Millennial Kingdom established here on Earth where nations will war no more against each other - will purify themselves just as Christ Himself is pure. To know the whole scope of it is liberating. To know the end from the beginning is empowering. We don't need to be afraid. This gives us something bigger to live for. We're in the midst of something larger than anything else the world has to offer us. This is a cosmic redemption that we get to be a part of. We actually get to help God in redeeming all of creation.

That is the power of God unto salvation: when we don't even fear death because we are so convinced of our own resurrection. Isn't that what Hebrews defines faith as? Assurance of things hoped for; conviction of things unseen? Our own resurrection from the dead and the seal of the Holy Spirit is enough for us to be eternally assured. This is what constitutes faith. We'll continue to look into faith as we reach Romans 4 and 5 and discuss Abrahamic faith. Until then, I think that this is a good foundation to start upon.