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Introduction Our working theme of Romans: Romans 1:16-17 CHARTING THE COURSE FOR THIS STUDY: Ø Date Ø Reading Strategies and Themes A. Romans is one of the undisputed books of Paul (Romans 1:1). B. Romans was not written by Paul but by an amanuensis named Tertius (Romans 16:22). Paul also seems to have used a scribe for other letters (1 Cor.16:21; Gal.6:11; Col.4:18; 2 Thess.3:17). 1. “The greeting is in my own hand—Paul” (1 Corinthians 16:21). 2. “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand” (Galatians 6:11). 3. “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you” (Colossians 4:18). 4. “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own
hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I
write” (2 Thessalonians 3:17) C. Did Tertius have literary license in writing down Paul’s words? 1. Did Paul dictate to Tertius who wrote word for word what Paul said? 2. Did Tertius write Paul’s words short hand and if so, how much freedom did he have in the details of the letter? a. That Paul dictated the letter cannot be dismissed on historical grounds because it was common to transcribe precisely. b. Romans is what Paul wanted to say as he himself said it. We cannot be certain whether Tertius recorded Paul’s words in long or shorthand. c. The style of Romans is similar to other Pauline letters. d. Paul’s use of an amanuensis obviously did not present a problem for himself or other Christians in the 1st century and so they shouldn’t present problems for us in the 21st century. e. If Paul’s handwriting was poor, it would make sense to use a professional so that his letters could be more easily read to the churches and copied. D. Paul did not dictate Romans so that Christians in the 1st century would sit down with their own personal copies and read during their private time. Rather, Paul dictated Romans so that it could be read publicly, heard and presumably discussed by others. E. Related questions: 1. How long did it take for Romans to be written? a. “Romans was not written in a day” (Gaffin). b. “It would have required weeks of intensive work during which Tertius must have been made available on a full-time basis.” (Jewett, Kotansky, & Epp, 22). 2. Was Luke one of Paul’s amanuenses? A. Paul
writes asking for prayer for his
upcoming journey to Jerusalem (Romans 15:30-32); he hopes that the offering
collected from the Gentile churches will be accepted there (see Isaiah
60:4-7). B. Paul may hope that the church at Rome
will be a base of ministry to Spain similar to Antioch. C. Paul also writes to deal with the
conflict between Jews and Gentiles and the weaker brother (Romans 14-15:12). D. Romans seems to be is a kind of
outline/syllabus of what Paul intended to preach and teach face-to-face
(Romans 1:13-15). FIRST CENTURY CONTEXT
A. Greek culture; Roman government; Pax Romana; Greek and Roman gods. 1. Emperor Claudius died in 54 AD (Reigned from January 24, 41 AD – October 13, 54 AD). 2. Nero was Emperor (Reigned from October 13, 54 AD – June 9, 68 AD) B. Emperor worship is becoming more prominent. C. It is estimated that 1,000,000 people lived in Rome. At times about 5% of the population was Jewish. 1. At least ten synagogues were in Rome. 2. There were several house churches (five may be implied in Rom 16:5, 10–11, 14–15). D. Christianity was still considered a sect of Judaism and therefore a legal religion (religio licita). READING STRATEGIES/THEMES (WHAT IS ROMANS ABOUT?) A. A word of CAUTION: Don’t read Romans as if Saul’s experience was similar to that of Martin Luther’s. 1. Luther’s conscience tormented him with the question, “How can I be right before God?” 2. While justification is a theme of Romans, Saul did not have an introspective conscience that tormented him like Luther. a. Saul was the poster child for Pharisaical boasting and confidence in the flesh (Phil.3:4-6). b. Paul’s pre-conversion experience was his conviction that the Jewish Sanhedrin was correct in putting Jesus to death for blasphemy. c. Luther did not need to be convinced of his unrighteousness but Saul did! 3. Our main reading strategy will be Romans 1:16-17. B. Another helpful reading strategy, often overlooked, is to remember that before his conversion Saul did not understand what true Judaism was. There was an identity crisis in Judaism, “What is a Jew?” 1. Judaism’s identity crisis is found beginning with John’s baptism (Matthew 3:7) 2. The identity crisis in Romans is found throughout the Gospels (Luke 7:1-10; John 3; 8:39-44; John 10:16; 12:32). a. You must be born again/from above (John 3:3,5). b. Flesh gives birth to flesh; Spirit gives birth to Spirit (John 3:6). c. God loves the world (Jew and Gentile) and whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). d. “Abraham is our father” (John 8:39). i. You are of your father the devil (John 8:44) ii. Do the deeds of Abraham and believe in Jesus! (John 8:56) e. Jesus constantly gave the true interpretation of Moses as opposed to the teachers of the law, “But I say to you…” 3. The Jews thought they knew who they were and who Gentiles/Greeks were but Paul explains that they were wrong (Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:6; 10:12; Galatians 3:26-29; 6:15; Philippians 3:2-3; cf. Jeremiah 9:25-26). C. Paul emphasizes that there is “no distinction” between Jew and Gentile (Romans 3:22-23; 10:12; cf. 1 Cor.12:13; Eph.2:15; Colossians 3:10-11) and argues that faith (not works) is what divides the two groups:
1. The striking thing about Paul (Jesus and John the Baptist) is that he lumps Jews and Gentiles into the left hand column. What Paul says of Jews is remarkable: a. “you have no excuse…you who judge practice the same things” (Rom.2:1). b. “tribulation and distress for every soul…the Jew first” (Rom.2:9). c. “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Rom.2:24). d. “Are we better than they? Not at all…” (Rom.3:9). e. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23). 2. For Paul (and Jesus), the great division is not Jew and Gentile but faith. 3. For Paul, anything that takes away from faith in Christ takes us back to the First Adam, death and condemnation (cf. Galatians). D. The Jewish/Judaizing heresy argued that the distinction between Jew and Gentile was flesh + works instead of faith (Acts 15:1,5):
1. Note especially the Pharisees attitude toward prostitutes and tax collectors versus Jesus’ attitude (Matthew 9:11-13; Luke 18:9-17). 2. Note especially the Jewish attitude toward Samaritans versus Jesus’ attitude (cf. John 4). a. Jews in Jesus’ day called the Samaritans “the foolish people” and Shechem was called the “City of Fools.” b. There was a rabbinic saying, “May I never set eyes on a Samaritan” and “May I never be thrown into company with him.” E. For Paul, membership in the new humanity is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Only by believing in Jesus can we cross over from death to life (cf. the Gospel of John). 1. The Jewish identity crisis affected the early church (Acts 10-11; Galatians) a. The church was “huddled” in Jerusalem until the great persecution (Acts 8:2). i. Philip went to Samaria (Acts 8:2-24). ii. The Samaritans received Christ and were baptized (Acts 8:12). iii. The Apostles in Jerusalem went to Samaria and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). iv. Philip is led by the Spirit to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:25-40). b. Saul is converted and becomes an Apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9). c. Cornelius goes to Peter (opposite of the church going to Cornelius!) (Acts 10). i. Peter shares the Gospel with Cornelius and the Holy Spirit fell upon those listening (Acts 10:44). ii. The circumcised believers are amazed because Gentiles received the Spirit (Acts 10:45). iii. Cornelius is baptized (Acts 10:47-48). iv. Those who were circumcised took issue with Peter (Acts 11:2-3). d. Circumcised men in Jerusalem accept Peter’s “Good News” and glorify God – at least for the time (Acts 11:18). “So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.” (Acts 11:19) 2. Paul taught that God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 3:29-30; 10:11-13; 15:8-12)! F. Paul’s correction about the new humanity leads to several key questions throughout Romans: 1. What advantage has the Jew (3:1)? 2. Are we better than they (Romans 3:9)? 3. Do we then nullify the Law through faith (Romans 3:31)? 4. Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase (Romans 6:1)? 5. What about God’s promises made to the physical descendants of Abraham? (Romans 9-11) a. What shall we say then? (Romans 9:30) b. Why? (Romans 9:32) c. God has not rejected His people, has He? (Romans 11:1) d. They did not stumble so as to fall, did they? (Romans 11:11) G. Some theologians (E.P. Sanders, James Dunn, N.T.
Wright) argue that Second Temple Judaism was not a “works salvation” but a
religion of grace alone like Christianity. [1]
b. 1st century “Jews” were not “in” if they were trusting in their own flesh (boasting they were better than Gentiles and other sinners) and if they rejected Jesus. c. Jesus referred to unbelieving Jews as children of the devil (John 8:44). i. Nicodemus had to be born again if he was to see and enter the kingdom of God. ii. Saul the “Hebrew of Hebrews” had to be converted! d. That some Jews in the 1st century A.D. did not understand God’s grace is seen in the Pharisees and lawyers who did not submit to John’s baptism,
e. see additional comments in “Introduction to Galatians” “Luther misread Paul in the light of his experience with post-medieval Catholicism. Catholicism of Luther's day urged the securing of God's favor by good works. Luther then read this Roman Catholic view back on to first century Judaism. But Luther completely misunderstood first century Judaism. First century Judaism was not a religion of meritorious works; rather it was a religion of grace and mercy from which good works flow. In fact, first century Judaism balanced grace and works as much as Luther himself wished to do. We must stop reading Paul with Lutheran glasses. We must stop seeing first century Judaism through reactionary sixteenth century Protestant binoculars.” (James Dennison’s summary of the New Perspective in “The Eschatological Aspects of Justification”). |
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