The Rest of the Old Old Story

This Week’s Reading Schedule

Monday, April 30: Romans 1-6
Tuesday, May 1: Romans 7-11
Wednesday, May 2: Romans 12-16
Thursday, May 3: James 1-5
Friday, May 4: Galatians 1-6

Next week we will go back over Romans chapter by chapter, comparing James and Galatians (and the Gospels).

The overall year’s plan is here.

Romans 12

With Romans 12 we leave Paul’s defense and explanation of his Gospel, and we move on to exhortations and teachings.

Romans 12:1-8

I’ve heard it said before that only some Christians are disciples. The rest are not called to the kind of commitment to which Jesus called disciples.

In the book of Acts, Christians are almost exclusively called disciples. "Christian" occurs only twice in Acts; "disciples" is found 30 times. Further, when "Christian" is used, it is used by outsiders, not by the saints themselves (11:26; 26:28).

Passages like Romans 12:1-8 make it clear that there are not disciples and non-disciples in the church except in the same sense that there are Christians and non-Christians in the church. The apostle expects all of us to present ourselves as living sacrifices to God, to have the Holy Spirit, and to exercise spiritual gifts.

As a note, contrary to popular belief, spiritual gifts are primarily for every day life, except perhaps prophecy, which is beneficial for the saints and may be exercised particularly often in the assembly of the disciples (1 Cor. 14).

Romans 12:9-21

This passage speaks for itself. I want to encourage you to read through sections like this slowly, considering how each command applies to your life. This is a powerful section of Scripture, addressing issues that most of us, by nature, struggle with.

Romans 13:1-7

It seems clear to me that most Christians don’t believe this passage. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, both George Bushes, Maggie Thatcher, Vladimir Putin, and even Adolf Hitler were set in place by God.

That may be shocking, but Jesus told Pontius Pilate, who was about to order the crucifixion of the Son of God, that he would have no authority over him if it were not given to him by God (Jn. 19:10-11).

Not only that, but it is very likely that Paul wrote his letter to the Romans while the wicked emperor Nero was in power. Nero reigned from A.D. 54 to 68, and Paul likely wrote Romans around 56-57.

Perhaps evil rulers are a judgment upon a wicked people. Whatever the reason, Paul said what he said, and he calls us to pay taxes and show respect.

We can vote, but the best thing we can do if we want to make an impact on our nation is to pray (1 Tim. 2:1-2; 2 Chr. 7:14).

Romans 13:8-14

I’ve listened to Christians argue back and forth over verse 8 and whether it forbids all debt or whether it’s just a command to make sure you’re not late on your debt payments. Personally, I don’t think debt is the focus of that verse, and if it were, I find either interpretation possible.

I see no precedent, however, in Scripture or church history, that the church ever forbade borrowing money. In fact, it would be hard to argue that the practice of "micro loans" is not an act of great charity and love. (Heaven’s Family also provides grants rather than loans in the case of widows. They also have a web page discussing Jesus’ command to loan money.)

It does appear to me that the early churches forbade the charging of interest. Canon 17 of the Council of Nicea accuses clergy who charge interest of "covetousness and lust of gain."

Verse 10: Paul emphasizes love as the fullness of the Law just as Jesus did (Matt. 22:37-40).

Verse 14: This is a command I memorized long ago. Don’t make provisions for the flesh. Don’t put yourself in tempting situations. Don’t plan on allowing yourself to be enticed by bad situations, greed, etc.

Romans 14

Are we able to remain in fellowship with one another, without condemning one another or giving one another a cold shoulder, when we disagree on things that are not major? Or is disobedience to Romans 14 right at the heart of our practice of denominationalism?

Galatians 5:19-21 calls "selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions" (NET Bible) works of the flesh that will keep us out of the kingdom of heaven.

Note, though, that this is about food laws and other questionable doctrines. This is not about sins like adultery and greed. About those things, Paul says, "Put that wicked one out from among you" (1 Cor. 5:13).

Verse 14: When Paul says nothing is unclean of itself, he is talking about food. Again, Jesus told us what is unclean of itself in Mark 7:18-23. Selfishness, anger, sexual immorality, jealousy can all defile us.

Verse 17: Such a great verse and worth memorizing:

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (NASB)

Romans 15:1-13

This passage is a continuation of chapter 14. Don’t be fooled by the chapter divisions. That’s why it’s good to read through an entire letter at once. You get the whole thing in context.

If you had stopped at the end of chapter 14, you’d have thought you were reading something brand new here!

Romans 15:14-33

Paul says he’s hoping to go to Spain. The writers in the early churches after the time of the apostles seemed to all believe that he made it there and perhaps even to England.

It’s interesting to me that Paul doesn’t want to work where others have already labored. It’s not his gift. He’s a builder of the church, the building of God. He doesn’t remodel. I’ve known men like that, with real power from God. I, on the other hand, much prefer to work where someone has already laid a foundation.

Romans 16

An introduction to the book of Romans I read mentioned that the extensive greetings at the end of Romans are only found in his letters to cities he had not been to! The other is Colossae (see ch. 4).

They suggested this was to build repoire. He was establishing that though he hadn’t been there, he was on intimate terms with some who were there. He didn’t need that with churches like the Philippians and Ephesians.

The five house churches that introduction claims he is addressing are:

• Prisca and Aquila’s: vv. 3-5
• Aristobulus’: v. 10
• Narcissus’: v. 11
• Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and those with them: v. 14
• Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas, and the saints with them: v. 15

Verses 17-18: Paul has very harsh words for those who would divide the body of Christ. It is easy to assume that he is talking about Judaizers, those who preached circumcision, because he has battled with them so much (all of Galatians, Php. 3:2-3). It also fits in the context of the entire letter. So that conclusion is very likely, but can’t be certain.

This Week’s Reading Schedule

Monday, April 30: Romans 1-6
Tuesday, May 1: Romans 7-11
Wednesday, May 2: Romans 12-16
Thursday, May 3: James 1-5
Friday, May 4: Galatians 1-6

Next week we will go back over Romans chapter by chapter, comparing James and Galatians (and the Gospels).

The overall year’s plan is here.

Romans 7

Romans 7 is the law of sin and death. When you read "the law of sin and death" in 8:2, don’t mistake it for some mysterious law that we don’t understand or that hasn’t been explained. Romans 7 explains it thoroughly.

The Law is good, but we are not. Due to the sin in our body, we can’t keep the Law. The Law of Moses is not deficient, we are.

The Law exposes the sin in us by proving us violators of its commands. The result of this is death because that is the penalty of the Law.

That is the Law of sin and death.

A lot of people and even some Bible translations, such as the NIV, understand "the flesh" to mean "the sinful nature." I think things are a lot simpler than that. I think Paul means our bodies. Our bodies long for comfort, food, reproduction, and security. We struggle to survive, we defend ourselves, and we selfishly long for our own gain. Those are all natural things, but we are not natural creatures. We are spiritual creatures, and we are called to follow Jesus Christ in a way that is completely antithetical to the desires of the body. Thus, the apostle Paul writes:

I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, lest having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:27)

And again:

Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal. 5:24)

But how do we do that when Paul has just told us we are unable to do that through the Law?

Romans 8

What the Law could not do, God did … (Rom. 8:3)

Romans 8:2 says that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death (which was explained in Romans 7). The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is explained in the next ten verses. Jesus is sent as an offering for sin, condemns sin in the flesh, and the righteous requirement of the Law (not the Law itself, but the fullness of the Law, its righteous requirement) is fulfilled in those who walk by the Spirit rather than by the desires of their body.

That’s why it’s so important to distinguish that the Old Covenant was the covenant of the flesh for an earthly people, an earthly Israel. Now, though, the New Covenant is a covenant of the Spirit, in which every member has the Spirit (Acts 2) and knows God (Jer. 31:31-34). Grace has come, the power of the sin in our flesh is broken, and we can walk by the Spirit and thus live out the righteous requirement of the Law.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Rom. 8:11, NASB)

There’s so much more to cover here, but we’ll wait until next week and just touch on a couple things.

Verses 16-25: These verses rejoice in our inheritance, and refers to our life here as the sufferings of the present time, which he says are well worth it.

Verses 26-27: The Spirit prays through us. That’s understood different ways by different Christians, but we should all learn to rely on the Spirit when we pray.

Verse 28 has been a watchword for me over the last nine months. I had to ask myself if I really believed it. I was diagnosed with acute leukemia last June. Without intervention, I’d have been dead in under a month. I received four rounds of chemotherapy, had a minor heart attack induced by a fever while I had perilously low blood counts, and received a bone marrow transplant in January. (See my blog for details.)

From the beginning, I had to say, "This is not only acceptable, but it is God’s highest and best for me, and this is what I want above all else." For me, it was a wonderful affirmation that God had really planted faith in my heart, and the experience was joyous, wonderful, and full of suffering.

All things really do work together for good if we love God and are called according to his purpose.

Verses 29-30: The subject of predestination is addressed in the section below (chapters 9-11). We’ll talk more about these two verses next week. For now, just see that the apostle has said clearly that it is those that God foreknew—knowing their choice, not choosing for them—that he predestined. He did not predestine them to choose, but he predestined those who answered his call to be glorified and inherit immortality with Christ.

Verses 31-39: For those that repent, believe, and experience the grace of God, the reward is incredible, despite the suffering of this present times. Such are justified, which means that the are in good covenant relationship with God, and he is for them.

Many of us are slow to believe that God is really for us. Paul drives the idea home for nine verses. Can you imagine how empowering this would be if we all believed it?

One note: Recently I heard a youth pastor talking about verses 37-39, where Paul says nothing can separate us from the love of God. The youth pastor’s focus was entirely upon sin, and he claimed that even sin could not separate us from God.

Of course, there is some truth to this. God loved us and sent his Son while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8). Sin doesn’t separate us from God’s love, but the Scriptures are clear that sin will separate us from God (Isa. 59:2).

There is nothing in verses 37-39 that talks about sin. You can separate yourself from God by continuing in sin. You can die spiritually by living according to the flesh (Rom. 8:12) and be kept from the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).

Instead, verses 37-39 talks about beings: principalities, powers, created things. God is for us, and no one can lay a charge against us when God has justified us. They cannot drive us away from God if we will lean on his mercy and walk by his Spirit (see 1 Jn. 1:7-2:2).

Romans 9-11: God’s Choices

In chapters 7 and 8, Paul has completed his exposition of his Gospel by faith. One topic remained. Why the Gentiles? Why would the Gospel not only come to the Gentiles but come primarily to the Gentiles?

It is important to keep this topic in mind as you read these three chapters.

It seems like the subject of these three chapters would be impossible to miss. Paul returns to it over and over, hardly deviating at all.

But tradition is strong, and here we will need to discuss "Calvinism" because you will run into it. Calvinism teaches the following five points (which spell out TULIP):

1. Total Depravity: Man is so depraved that he cannot even believe or make a choice to be saved.
2. Unconditional Election: God chooses certain individuals, the elect, based on no conditions at all (which makes his choice effectively random).
3. Limited Atonement: Jesus only died for the elect, not everyone else.
4. Irresistible Grace: If God calls a person to be saved by grace, that person will believe and will be saved because God will give them the gift of faith.
5. Perseverance of the Saints: The elect will not only believe and be saved, but they will continue to the end as well. (Those who do not continue to the end are not part of the elect.)

Five-point Calvinism, the belief in all five of these points, is a widespread but minority viewpoint in Protestant circles, but something like this was believed by both Martin Luther (who wrote a booklet on it called The Bondage of the Will) and John Calvin, though the five points of Calvinism were not written out until around a century after Calvin’s death.

Romans 9:1-20 is perhaps the leading passage to which Calvinism appeals. We need to look at that quickly.

Paul really does argue in Romans 9:1-20 that God can do whatever he wants. If God only wanted to save some random people and send the vast majority of humanity to hell, he would have the right to do that as the creator.

But is that what God wants? Is that what Paul is saying?

God could save only chihuahuas and St. Bernards along with their human owners. Romans 9:1-20 would be an effective argument that he has the right to do that, but is that what Paul was talking about?

Paul was not talking about chihuahuas and St. Bernards. Neither was he talking about God randomly choosing who would be saved, while everyone else would die with no hope whatsoever of ever believing. Such an idea is contrary to everything we read about God.

• [God] wants everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:4)
• The Lord is … patience with us, not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9)
• [Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

Romans 9 to 11 have nothing whatsoever to do with God randomly choosing who should be saved. It has to do with God hardening the Jews and showing mercy to the Gentiles.

It is this that Paul is justifying. God has the right to do anything, but God doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t choose St. Bernards and their owners, nor does he choose individuals randomly. He chose Gentiles over Jews for a time period so that the mercy he has shown to the Gentiles would result in mercy for the Jews as well when the fullness of the Gentiles have come in.

Romans 9-11: One Tree, One Israel, One Elect

I need to make one other point. In these chapters there is only one tree, not two. There is only one elect, not two.

There is not a Christian tree and a Jewish tree.

Paul describes one tree, and that tree had Jewish branches which were broken off. Gentile branches were grafted in. The Jewish branches can be grafted in again, but the discarded branches do not constitute a second tree.

This is clear in Romans 9-11, but it is even clearer in Romans 2:28-29:

He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. Instead, he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter.

I mentioned several times as we went through the Gospels that Jesus had warned of this.

The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation that will produce the fruits of it. … When the chief priests and Pharisees had heard [Jesus'] parables, they knew that he was talking about them. (Matt. 21:43,45)

If a Jew wants to be among the elect, he needs to be grafted back into the tree whose branches are now primarily Gentiles. That tree is spiritual, new covenant Israel, whose circumcision is of the heart and of the spirit. That tree once had fleshly Israelites as its branches, but no longer.

This Week’s Reading Schedule

Monday, April 30: Romans 1-6
Tuesday, May 1: Romans 7-11
Wednesday, May 2: Romans 12-16
Thursday, May 3: James 1-5
Friday, May 4: Galatians 1-6

Next week we will go back over Romans chapter by chapter, comparing James and Galatians (and the Gospels).

The overall year’s plan is here.

Romans, Galatians, and James Intro

I believe it is a good idea to read the apostles’ letters an entire letter at a time. They are, after all, letters, and not actual books. Romans, the two Corinthian letters, and Hebrews are too long for me to ask you to do that, but I do recommend it. For the rest of the letters, I will schedule them that way.

Romans, Galatians, and James are at the heart of a controversy that’s been brewing for 500 years. It was so bad during the Reformation that Martin Luther called James’ letter an epistle of straw (lit., "a right strawy epistle") in the introduction to his German New Testament.

To this day, skeptics and opponents of our faith cite the "differences" between Paul and James on faith and works as evidence that the Bible contradicts itself.

I want us to read those three letters this week, and I want to show you the misunderstandings that make Paul and James seem to contradict. Specifically, I want to show you the passages in Romans and Galatians that Protestant denominations ignore and often don’t believe.

Too often, extreme efforts have been made to reinterpret James’ words to make them sound like Paul’s, rather than paying attention to the many places where Paul’s words sound just like James’ words. The truth that we must face is that in most Protestant denominations you can be labeled a heretic for saying word for word what James said: "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone" (2:24, NASB).

When we can’t quote the Bible without being labeled a heretic or asked to reword what we said, that’s a problem.

Today, by simply paying attention to what Paul said, and with the help of the Christians who were in the churches that Paul started, we are going to make that problem right.

We are only going to touch on things this week, but we will go back next week and read Romans again, looking at it more indepth, taking the entire week to read it, and comparing Galatians and James.

Romans Introduction

Most introductions I’ve read to Romans suggest that the church was not yet organized there. Paul writes to "all who are beloved of God in Rome" (v. 7, NASB), not to the church at Rome. One introduction I read counted five house churches in Romans 16 and suggests they were Paul’s targeted audience.

The key issue I want to point out is that Paul was answering charges about his Gospel. We see it first in Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel." We get a hint of it again in 3:8, "As it is slanderously reported and some affirm that we say." But above all we see it in the careful explanation of his Gospel and his attempt to exactly explain the role of faith in it. No other letter, not even Galatians is so carefully crafted to explain how salvation can be by faith. Galatians is an answer to those who wanted Christians to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. Romans is an explanation of Paul’s preaching of faith first, an exposition of the role of the Law second.

Romans 1

We saw in Acts that the apostles were primarily witnesses to the resurrection, which was their proof that Jesus was the Son of God. Paul sticks to that theme in verse 4.

Verses 16-17: Note the reason that Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for salvation, and the righteousness of God is revealed in it from faith to faith. In other words, when people believe Paul’s Gospel, they become righteous through the Spirit. The righteousness of God is revealed in them, meaning it can be seen (cf. 1 Jn. 3:7). That is the first and foremost power of the Gospel, before even miracles.

Verses 18-32: Paul powerfully justifies the wrath of God against the ungodly. Notice, though, that the ungodly are those who turn away from the Creator and worship false gods. Their unrighteous deeds, including homosexuality, which is emphasized here, are the symptoms of their ungodliness.

Romans 2

Paul freely goes after hypocrisy in this chapter, to everyone (vv. 1-3) and to the Jews in particular (vv. 17-24).

He warns that judgment will be without partiality and fair, even taking into account the extent of each person’s knowledge. He also warns that we will be judged by our works, not by our claims to know the Law (or even have faith), and that eternal life will be given to those who pursue it "by perseverance in doing good" (v. 6, NASB).

I’ve heard many reasons why Paul didn’t mean what he says here, but since we’re going to be reading all of Romans and Galatians anyway, let’s reserve judgment. Let’s see if we have to change Paul’s words into some other meaning, or whether we can simply take him at his word and know that there really is a judgment based on works, with eternal life as the reward, for us as well as for everyone else (Matt. 25:31-46; Jn. 5:28-29; 2 Cor. 5:10).

Romans 3

What is Paul saying about the benefit of being a Jew? He is saying that having been entrusted with the oracles of God, they have an advantage. They should be open to the commands of Christ, which are simply the fullness—the original, spiritual intention—of the Law of Moses, written on our hearts and carried out by the Spirit of God.

But the Law is only a revelation. It brings the knowledge of sin. (Paul is tipping his hand here; he won’t explain this fully until ch. 7.) The works of the Law will not justify because no one keeps the Law. We’ve seen as we’ve looked at Psalms that even King David, who cried out to God to regard his clean hands, also cried out for mercy for his many sins.

There is a different route to righteousness, Paul says (vv. 21-22). It is revealed in those who have faith, and if it is revealed, then it is not simply God regarding us as righteous, but God actually producing righteousness in us (again, see 1 Jn. 3:7).

At the end of this chapter (vv. 23-30) there is a discussion of God justifying us by faith. The word "justify" here is the word "righteous" in verb form. There has been much debate about its meaning. I am not qualified to resolve that debate, but I can point out that we have already seen that the Gospel actually produces righteousness in us. We cannot continue to be hypocrites as described in Romans 2.

Once we’ve settled that in our minds, the word "justify" definitely has a connotation of "right standing with God" that has nothing to do with behavior. We do not begin by having to earn God’s approval, but we begin simply by faith, coming to God and standing in good relationship with him.

Paul explains that this is justification apart from the works of the Law. He explains further in chapter 4.

Romans 4

The first few verses of this chapter describe a great blessing: How blessed is the one to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

But who is that one?

Clearly, it is the person who believes.

But how do we reconcile this with all the other verses we’ve been reading about God’s judgment and works and about hypocrisy? And, when we get there, how do we reconcile this with James 2, where James appeals to Abraham to say what is apparently the exact opposite?

There are two things that must be taken into account. I’ll bring them out now so you can see them as we progress.

• Faith produces real, lived-out righteousness in the person who has it, AND it brings mercy from God. "IF we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from every sin" (1 Jn. 1:7).
• These statements about faith apart from works address the BEGINNING of our Christian walk. The statement about works and eternal life in Romans 2 address the END of our Christian walk. You will see that Paul is absolutely consistent about this distinction.

Finally, for chapter 4, don’t miss verse 16. It is by faith so that it might be by grace. This is crucial. I have defined grace for you a couple times before. Grace is what removes sin’s power over us (Rom. 6:14) and teaches us to live righteously, godly, and soberly (Tit. 2:11-12). Faith brings both mercy (forgiveness) and grace. Grace is visible in a righteous life (Rom. 1:17, "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith"), and the one does not exist without the other (again, see 1 Jn. 3:7).

Verse 25 is crucial, too, but we will cover that next week.

Romans 5

In verses 1-2 we see Paul speaking of the beginning of our Christian walk again. We obtained our "introduction" by faith into the grace by which we stand. In other words, faith, apart from works, brings us into the grace that delivers us from the power of sin (Rom. 6:14) resulting in a people zealous for good works (Tit. 2:11-14).

In verses 6-11 we see the difference between the beginning and end of our Christian walk even clearer. Only, rather than tying the beginning to faith and grace and the end to works and judgment, he ties the beginning to Christ’s death and the end to Christ’s life (vv. 9-10 especially).

In verses 12-14, the death being spoken of is spiritual death, which we are born with, and which we are delivered from when grace comes (Eph. 2:1-6). Thus, we are baptized into his death and raised up to newness of life (Romans 6:3).

In verses 15-21, the difference between the gift of Jesus Christ and the transgression of Adam is that one gives life, the other death.

Romans 6

We have talked repeatedly about baptism being the initiation rite into the New Covenant. There our old self is buried, and we rise to our new life in Christ. In verses 1-7, Paul makes it clear he considers that transformation real and powerful. He pointed to it as proof of his Gospel in 1:17!

In verses 8-11 Paul speaks of our new life in Christ. I think he says it clearer in Galatians 2:20:

I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live. Yet the life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Verses 15-23 is a warning to those who would use the grace of God as a license for sin. Sin results is death (vv. 16,23). We turn our members over to righteousness, and we obtain a result. That result is holiness, and the outcome of holiness is eternal life (v. 22; Heb. 12:14).

As a result, you see again how Paul differentiates between the beginning and end of our Christian life. We enter into grace by faith. We then live by faith and by the life of Jesus Christ, which we can do because we have the Spirit of God and sin is no longer master of us (Rom. 6:14).

There is an end of our Christian life, too, and that depends on our continuing to the end. The gift of God that produces grace and holiness will result in the outcome of eternal life at the end of our Christian life. Turning our members over to sin, will result in death. Paul says that even more directly in Romans 8:12-13 and Galatians 6:7-9.

We modern Christians are in desperate need of the power that brings us into fellowship with God, a real grace that makes us "his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Eph. 2:10). Because so often we do not have it, we have developed a theology of faith alone, which ignores the judgment awaiting us, to try to manufacture an invisible grace where there is no visible grace. Where grace abounds, the righteousness of God will be revealed, not just talked about.

We do enter the Christian life by faith alone, which brings us into grace so that sin’s power is broken and so that we can walk in the Spirit. When Paul talks about the end of our Christian life, however, he does not talk about faith but eternal life as the reward of the good works that we have persevered in (Rom. 2:5-8; Gal. 6:7-10) and as the outcome of holiness (Rom. 6:22).