A Study on ROMANS

begun 5/9/07.
all verses NKJV unless stated otherwise.

Introductory Remarks.
As Christians, we take into our lives and our hearts the name and word of Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah or "Christ". We call ourselves "Little Christs" to express our desire to emulate the perfect life observable in our Redeemer. The book of Romans is the first book of the New Testament written expressly by someone who did not serve as a disciple of Jesus during His earthly tenure. As such, Paul does not recount stories of Jesus' ministry or miracles from firsthand or secondhand experience, like Matthew, Mark (through Peter), Luke, or John do. He does not record quotations of our Lord as though he heard them. No, Paul writes only through the assumed influence of the Holy Spirit, after a miraculous conversion experience in which he did meet Christ. As such, Paul deserves to be viewed in some respects as simply a great Christian author and thinker, not deified and canonized as though he is some direct authority or vehicle of God Himself. Certainly God inspired him to write, and inspired his writings, but it is difficult to imagine that the Lord Himself moved Paul's pen (more accurately, Paul's scribe's pen) as these thoughts were transformed into ink on paper. As a Christian, if I write today, is it not assumed (unless there is good reason to assume elsewise) that I am under the influence of the Holy Spirit? Yet my words are not canonized with the Torah, the Gospels, and the Prophets as holy scripture. Personally, I have no choice but to believe that, when Paul wrote his epistles to the peoples and churches of his time, he did not expect a council decades later to collect his works and regard them as equal with the existing scriptures. I believe that Paul was an excellent Christian teacher, very much worth studying and applying; but I also firmly believe Paul was a human (even so much as the self-proclaimed "Chief of Sinners"), and I think many Christians forget this and embrace his writings as the sacred words of Jehovah Himself. In this regard, I think it is important, nay, crucial to the Christian seeking to better his or her walk with God to read the letters of Paul with a critical eye and an open heart, to allow the Spirit to move even now in showing us which parts are the most relevant, accurate, and important to bring us closer to Him. May the Lord bless our study, and may the Spirit show us His truth. Amen and amen.

Chapter One.
(1-4) Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
The word "bondservant" immediately throws one a curveball, but the Greek word is doulos which may simply mean "servant" or even "slave"; consider it "servant". Paul introduces himself to us as a servant of Christ, as we all are. He refers to his calling, by Christ Himself, to his position of repute as an apostle. I particularly like the phrase "separated to the gospel of God"; the Greek for "separated", aphorismenos, literally means to be "marked off by boundaries". My best interpretation of this clause would be that Paul considers himself and his ministry specifically gospel-focused; i.e., derived from the gospel, about the gospel, pertinent to the gospel. What gospel? The "gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures...". The "Holy Scriptures" referred to are almost certainly what we now know as the Old Testament. But did those ancient prophets actually promise a "gospel"? Well, recall, the "gospel" (euangelion) is literally the "good news" of Christ's coming. Yes, this good news was foreseen and foreshadowed in the writings of ancient prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi and more. (The word for "promised", proepengeilato, is actually derived from euangellizo.) The rest of this selection simply expounds on this gospel, confirming its subject as Jesus Christ, our Lord. He was born of the seed of David, declared the Son of God with the power of the Spirit of holiness (not the same wording, pneuma 'agiosunes, as "Holy Spirit", pneuma 'agion, but likely the same meaning, as there is little distinction between the terms). The last clause, "by the resurrection from the dead", must be a reference to the confirmation of Christ's Holy power through His physical resurrection.

(5-7) Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Indeed, it is through Christ, the Holy, the powerful, the risen, we receive grace and the ability to be apostles. This gift and responsibility must be used in obedience to God. The next qualification is a bit tricky, as "the faith" is used very abstractly. Shifting to the NIV provides a drastic change (clarification?) in meaning: "Through Him and for His name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." While this is surprisingly simpler, I cannot pinpoint where we leapt from the widespread obedience of the NKJV to the widespread evangelism of the NIV. Never is a word used in the Greek that would imply our grace and apostleship is for the express purpose of converting Gentiles. However, there is a decent possibility that such a word would have been implicit in the Greek, as suggested by the NASB translation: "through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake". The subtlety may lie in the very word "apostleship", which literally comes from the Greek for "dispatching" or "sending off". It may well be implicit that apostleship is the responsibility of converting and training souls. That concluded, part of our responsibility is to call those among all nations to obedience and faith, as we were called.

(8-12) First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established - that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Paul immediately imparts the idea of Jesus as mediator between holy God and sinful man, by saying that he gives thanks to God "through Jesus Christ". It is only because of Christ's sacrifice and atonement that we are able to make contact with the Almighty Father. There are two critical points in this section of text, similar in theme, worth taking to heart for believers. The first point is that Paul extols the Christians in Rome for having a faith worth speaking of, yet not above being prayed for. The faith shown in this Roman people was certainly admirably strong, but a close look emphasizes this further. Saying their faith was "spoken of" makes it sound as though it was being brought up in casual conversation in the marketplaces or homes, but the Greek word used, katangelletai, has the connotation of the faith being proclaimed and declared. These believers were not underground Christians known only by word-of-mouth, their love of Christ was public knowledge. Even more, Paul does not even use the word "earth" or such for the reach of this proclamation of faith; the Greek phrase literally reads "the whole of the cosmos". It is not a stretch to say that the faith of this Christian collective was among the strongest and most ardent of its time, and perhaps all time; and yet, even with such an incredible faith on their side, Paul prayed for this group of believers every single time he prayed. That is worth taking serious notice of. Our faith as Christians can never be strong enough, never be solid enough, never be sound enough that it does not merit lifting up in prayer. Our faith can and will never be perfect; it will never, I think, move mountains as Christ assured us it could. No matter how devoted we are as Christians, we are too fallen as humans. Think of the great men and women of faith over the years who have fallen away from their beliefs. Think of the great number of lesser believers - pastors, deacons, clergy - who have recanted their faith. To become so comfortable in our faith that our souls become bored and stagnant is to beg the devil to come and reap our spirits. Satan is watching us, waiting for us to stop praying for our faith. We must always pray for ourselves and our fellow believers, that we might not succumb to his antagonism. The second point to be extracted from these verses is that while the faith of the Roman contingent was never good enough, it was still certainly able to do good. Paul expressed a strong desire to be able to visit the Christians in Rome personally, to "impart [...] some spiritual gift". While it may be unclear what Paul meant precisely by "spiritual gift", he wanted to ensure the Roman believers were "established"; the Greek word is sterichthenai, which has the literal meaning of making firmly fixed. One might think of Paul as wanting to solidify the foundation of the believers' faith for future generations; however, this is not in the connotation of the word. The word used expresses more directly concern for the believers existing now, that they should be fixed solidly in their faith. Yet Paul does not criticize the believers' faith as too weak or shallow; to the contrary, part of his desire to visit is to be encouraged himself by their strong faith. While our faith as Christians may not be perfect and can always be strengthened, it can still strengthen the faith of others. In the body of Christ, it is a poor mental picture to think of different believers as being on different levels or steps of faith, with the higher always pulling up the lower. It is more right to think of us as equals all seeking to push each other higher. Faith is not a discrete numerical scale, with some believers at a 7 and some at a 3; faith is an intangible goal to be constantly pursued and pressed toward.

(13-15) Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
Here, Paul simply excuses himself for being unable to visit the believers in Rome before, reiterating his desire to enhance their faith as well as be nurtured by it himself. When Paul calls himself a debtor, I can only imagine that he is recalling his years of persecuting believers of all nationalities and backgrounds, and viewing his service and ministry as his vindication for these atrocities. Since he served under the government, his past was undeniably known to this group of believers particularly, and so he assures them that he has come fully around to faith in Christ and is ready to share the good news even in Rome itself.

(16-17) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Continuing, Paul tells us about the power of the gospel of Christ which he now preaches. It is through this good news that God grants salvation to those who believe in Him, and through no other method than through Christ can that be accomplished. This gospel "is the power of God to salvation". The gospel is the power! And, while Jesus came and lived among Jews, the gospel is by no means solely for them. All who believe are welcome to receive salvation through the power of the gospel. Paul then returns to the key matter of faith. I am intrigued by the phrase "from faith to faith" (Greek ex pisteos eis pistin, perhaps also renderable "out of faith into faith"). This verse seems to me to state that, in the believer's life and walk, having some faith leads to more faith - that true faith naturally renews itself over the course of a Christian's walk. The word "faith" is the same word, as we make progress in the very same faith. Our faith does not change, but is continually refreshed and strengthened if we, as the just should, live by it. What happens in this progressing faith that comes from the gospel of Christ? In the gospel, "the righteousness of God is revealed". We learn more about the just and merciful nature of our Lord, and we receive the capacity to be closer to it. Our goal as humans is to be like God as much as possible, and the growing of our faith allows us to become continually closer to Him and His righteous ways.

(18-25) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. There are a few things, mostly simple, worth noticing in this next section. The most immediate is that Paul shifts from God's revealed righteousness to his revealed wrath without shifting the verb used for "revealed", apokaluptetai. One thinks of righteousness and wrath as being revealed in different ways, righteousness more inwardly and wrath more outwardly, but Paul implies that both come from God in the same manner. Perhaps the best way to consider this is that both wrath and righteousness have outward and inward results. As God's righteousness is revealed, attitudes and actions conform to His thoughts and statutes; as His wrath is revealed, attitudes and actions are allowed to conform to human desires. God gives those who reject Him over to themselves and their sinful wills, and this is but a portion of His wrath - with a far worse fate to be revealed yet if they should not accept His mercy. Next, Paul asserts that all humankind must answer to God or some concept thereof, because God has made Himself knowable to all people. The nature of God and "God-ness" are evident in the Lord's creation, there for anyone with discerning eyes to see; and the created should have a sort of innate ability to see the traces of the Creator. Even without the Bible, the Word of God, the teachings of Christ, or the pull of the Holy Spirit, any being with a mind ought to be to look around and know that God is. God designed man with the default of knowing and believing in Him; only by foolishly going against this divinely given nature can man deny the existence of his Maker. Sadly, this is precisely the choice of many individuals throughout history, a lament which Paul expounds on in the subsequent verses. He claims that those who have rejected God knew that He existed in some capacity or other, but elected not to glorify and praise Him. O, how awful must it be, to know that God exists and yet to not submit oneself to Him! This is the downfall of the human soul - when a man loses sight of God and focuses on himself and his own ideas. Once that focus shift has taken place, faith is all but destroyed and Satan makes his strike to quash the voice within that cries out for the Creator. Paul alludes to this when he writes that they, that is, the unbelieving, "became futile in their thoughts" and then "their foolish hearts were darkened". The first step is the human loss of faith and rationality, but the finishing blow comes from elsewhere, with the devil darkening the heart. Paul reminds and warns us that it is those who build themselves up in the wisdom of this world who become true fools, and sacrifice the glory of God their Creator. The Greek word used, exellan, literally means to exchange one thing for another; these unbelievers literally trade in the incorruptible glory of God for the corruptibility of fallen humanity. Paul even states that this renders them, in image, as no higher than a bird or other animal. Reflect on this; a man voluntarily gives away the glory of God for the image of corruptibility. I almost believe this would suggest that when a man chooses no longer to believe in God, he literally forfeits his own soul! Recall when God, at the time of creation, made man in His image, that is, with a soul; no other creature has this imprint of the Creator. But foolish and faithless men have the ability to exchange the glory of God, perhaps meaning their very soul, for a likeness akin to soulless beast and bird. This idea opens a very problematic can of theological worms, though, and so the idea of the losing of one's soul is almost certainly not what is being implied. Soul retained or not, Paul continues saying that God honors the wish of the wicked by letting them take control; He "gave them up" - a better translation of paredoken would be "gave them over" - to their self-centered, sinful human desires, to do with themselves and their bodies as they saw fit. He did not force them into sin, He simply acknowledged their decision to embrace it.

(26-32) For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Paul further details the wickedness embraced by those who choose man over God. The "natural use" referred to must be viewed as a veiled mention of sexual behavior, when you consider the context of both man and woman leaving each other's "natural use". However, for personal reasons, I very much like the phrasing "natural use" over a more sexuality-driven phrasing, but I will not explain why - here is not the place for such a tangential discussion. Lust in general is a sin, as pointed out by Christ Himself, but lust for a person of one's own gender is a compounded heap of wickedness. I would not think it a stretch to imagine that the problem Paul is trying to get at here would be that both men and women forsook the "natural use" of sex, namely to be enjoyed in monogamous love and to further life, and simply engaged in sexually stimulating acts with whoever they felt like, of same or opposite gender. For this lustful voracity, the wicked received "in themselves the penalty of their error which was due". A well-churched Christian might be quick to taut this as a proclamation of AIDS and other such STDs! I would not immediately make that leap, though I could not say with any certainty exactly what this physical penalty might be. Either way, God "gave them over to a debased mind"; the Greek word for "debased", adokimon, is literally used to describe something of unacceptable quality - something illegal, unapproved, unsatisfactory, generally not good enough to meet some established standard. The mind of the wicked does not meet the same standard of quality as the mind of the believer. Paul then throws out a plethora of terms describing what sort of nature is maintained by the unrighteous, and we will examine each one. The first one may be sexual immorality, although not every text includes this. If Paul did include this term, the immediate implication is that it is a quick reference back to the type of unhindered lustfulness he just finished condemning. Other matters condemned throughout the old testament, such as incest and adultery, are certainly included. I would readily interpret the phrase as meaning "uncontrolled lust". Next is wickedness, a broad term, but likely meaning "vice" and a general lack of principle or character. Then we have covetousness or greed, a sinfully strong desire for what someone else has. Maliciousness (Greek kakia) mostly just compounds "wickedness". Then there is the problem of envy, which is distinct from greed in that it is simply malice toward someone due to something they have, not necessarily the desire to have it yourself. Murder seems a fairly easy one for most people to avoid, until you remember Christ's caution that anger and hatred are equal with murder in the heart. A more fitting translation of strife (Greek eris) would be the quality of being "quarrelsome", subject to foolish squabbles and arguments; of this we are certainly all guilty sometimes. The Greek for deceit, dolos, provides a very interesting description; it most literally means "bait", as for fish. The style of deceit implied, then, is cunning treachery, fooling someone into acting in a way beneficial to you. Evil-mindedness is fairly general, covering those with generally bad disposition, those who contrive plans in their heads involving such other wickedness as we are examing. Of course, the act of whispering is not wrong, but the connotation is one of slander and gossip, which ought to be entirely avoided. If something is so private that it must be hidden from others with a whisper, perhaps is it best to leave it unsaid. The meaning is similar for backbiters, literally down-talkers, those who speak ill of others. There is ambiguity around the word God-haters as to which party is actually doing the hating. The translation could just as easily read "hated by God"; however, this would be completely out of place with the context, as we are dealing with mindsets or actions of the wicked. The term violent could be translated also into ill-tempered, reckless, short-fused, or agitative; this is one of many, many places the Bible lauds the critical importance of self-control in anger management. Proud here is synonymous with arrogant, full of oneself to the point of a feeling of superiority. How can we stand to be prideful when we remember that without God, we are nothing? A swelling of pride (or a desire for it) often leads to a boastful manner, which only compounds the problem of pride and makes it more difficult to abandon. Another sweeping term used by Paul is inventors of evil things, who can conjure up thoughts of impurity never before known to mankind. It is truly sad to see that, as fallen a world as we are, we never cease to find a way to fall farther from that perfect creation we once knew. Of course, being disobedient to parents is nothing new at all, but such arrogant rebelliousness is never appropriate in the eyes of the Lord (excepting, of course, when the parents are misguiding and full of wickedness themselves). With the world the way it is, many become confused or led astray as to exactly what right and wrong are; this breeds the undiscerning, who simply cannot understand righteousness. The word untrustworthy is worth a more critical look; the Greek word, asunthetous, means not only someone is not to be trusted but moreover someone who does not wish to be trusted, someone who enters into no covenants or promises. The next wicked tendency is also worth an examination. A Christian familiar with "love" in the Bible might expect the term unloving to be based on agape or philia, but neither one appears here. Paul uses the term astorgous, meaning something such as "void of affection" - cold-hearted and cruel, as a villian like Vayne Solidor might well be described. Unmerciful, on the other hand, is fairly straightforward. Such a person will not pity his debtor nor forgive his offender, but spares nothing for his own desires. This concludes our considerably exhaustive discussion of sinful characteristics, but Paul leaves us with one more verse, which states two things. First, those who engage in these wicked behaviors do so even knowing that God disapproves and that they will be judged by His holy power. Second, those who adopt a lifestyle of wickedness fully endorse the sinful deeds of others, again with full knowledge that God's judgment will fall on them as well!