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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
I write (
Epistolary aorist.
Robertson: Rom 15:15 - -- The more boldly ( tolmēroterōs ).
Old comparative adverb from tolmērōs . Most MSS. read tolmēroteron . Only here in N.T.
The more boldly (
Old comparative adverb from
Robertson: Rom 15:15 - -- In some measure ( apo merous ).
Perhaps referring to some portions of the Epistle where he has spoken plainly (Rom 6:12, Rom 6:19; Rom 8:9; Rom 11:17...
Robertson: Rom 15:15 - -- As putting you again in remembrance ( hos epanamimnēskōn humas ).
Delicately put with hōs and epi in the verb, "as if calling back to mind ...
As putting you again in remembrance (
Delicately put with
Vincent: Rom 15:15 - -- I have written ( ἔγραψα )
Rev., I write . The epistolary aorist. See on 1Jo 2:13.
I have written (
Rev., I write . The epistolary aorist. See on 1Jo 2:13.
Vincent: Rom 15:15 - -- The more boldly ( τολμηρότερον )
Not too boldly , but the more boldly because you are full of goodness.
The more boldly (
Not too boldly , but the more boldly because you are full of goodness.
Vincent: Rom 15:15 - -- In some sort ( ἀπὸ μέρους )
See on Rom 11:25. Rev., in some measure , qualifying I write , and referring to some passage i...
Wesley -> Rom 15:15
That is, because I am an apostle of the gentiles.
Rather, "Now I am persuaded, my brethren, even I myself, concerning you"
Of inclination to all I have been enjoining on you
Without my intervention.
to admonish one another.
Clarke -> Rom 15:15
Clarke: Rom 15:15 - -- Nevertheless - I have written - Not withstanding I have this conviction of your extensive knowledge in the things of God, I have made bold to write ...
Nevertheless - I have written - Not withstanding I have this conviction of your extensive knowledge in the things of God, I have made bold to write to you in some sort,
Calvin -> Rom 15:15
Calvin: Rom 15:15 - -- 15.The more boldly, however, have I written to you, etc The excuse follows, and in adducing this, that he might more fully show his modesty, he says,...
15.The more boldly, however, have I written to you, etc The excuse follows, and in adducing this, that he might more fully show his modesty, he says, by way of concession, that he acted boldly in interposing in a matter which they themselves were able to do; but he adds that he was led to be thus bold on account of his office, because he was the minister of the gospel to the Gentiles, and could not therefore pass by them who were also Gentiles. He however thus humbles himself, that he might exalt the excellency of his office; for by mentioning the favor of God, by which he was elevated to that high honor, he shows that he could not suffer what he did according to his apostolic office to be despised. Besides, he denies that he had assumed the part of a teacher, but that of an admonisher, 452
TSK -> Rom 15:15
TSK: Rom 15:15 - -- I have : Heb 13:22; 1Pe 5:12; 1Jo 2:12-14, 1Jo 5:13; Jud 1:3-5
as : 1Ti 4:6; 2Ti 1:6, 2Ti 2:14; Tit 3:1; 2Pe 1:12-15, 2Pe 3:1, 2Pe 3:2
because : Rom 1...
collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Rom 15:15
Barnes: Rom 15:15 - -- Nevertheless - Notwithstanding my full persuasion of your knowledge and your purpose to do right. Perhaps he refers also to the fact that he wa...
Nevertheless - Notwithstanding my full persuasion of your knowledge and your purpose to do right. Perhaps he refers also to the fact that he was a stranger to them.
The more boldly - More boldly than might have been expected from a stranger. The reason why he showed this boldness in declaring his sentiments, he immediately states - that he had been especially called to the function of instructing the Gentiles.
In some sort -
As putting you in mind - Greek, Calling to your "remembrance,"or "reminding"you; compare 2Pe 1:12-13. This was a delicate way of communicating instruction. The apostles presumed that all Christians were acquainted with the great doctrines of religion; but they did not command, enjoin, or assume a spirit; of dictation. How happy would it be if all teachers would imitate the example of the "apostles"in this, and be as modest and humble "as they were."
Because of the grace ... - Because God has conferred the favor on me of appointing me to this function; see the note at Rom 1:5.
Poole -> Rom 15:15
Poole: Rom 15:15 - -- q.d. Though I am thus persuaded of you, or of many of you, yet I thought good to write to you
in some sort or in part, or a little the more boldly...
q.d. Though I am thus persuaded of you, or of many of you, yet I thought good to write to you
in some sort or in part, or a little the more boldly and freely, that I may stir you up to the practise of that which you know already: see 2Pe 1:12,13 3:1 . This he speaks to allay the sharpness of his former reprehensions, and that what he had written might be the better digested; for all men more easily endure to be noted of negligence, than of malice or ignorance. And further he tells them, he could do no less,
because of the grace that was given him of God i.e. because of his apostolical office and authority: see Rom 1:5 12:3 .
Haydock -> Rom 15:15
Haydock: Rom 15:15 - -- I have written to you, brethren, more boldly, &c. St. John Chrysostom admires with what mildness he addresses himself to them, yet puts them in mind...
I have written to you, brethren, more boldly, &c. St. John Chrysostom admires with what mildness he addresses himself to them, yet puts them in mind, that he is the minister, and the apostle of the Gentiles, in which he may have reason to glory, or boast. ---
Sanctifying the gospel of God, preaching it in a holy manner, that the Gentiles may be sanctified by it. (Witham) ---
To be the minister of Jesus Christ among the nations, exercising in their regard the rite of sacrifice, as we read in the Greek, ierourgounta. ---
For I dare not, I shall forbear to speak of any thing but my labours: I need not mention the power of miracles and wonders, which the Holy Ghost hath done by me in many places, from Jerusalem to Illyricum, in places where Christ had not been preached by others. And now having no more place, nor occasion to preach in these countries, when I begin my journey to Spain, &c. by which, it appears, he designed at least to go into Spain. (Witham)
Gill -> Rom 15:15
Gill: Rom 15:15 - -- Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you,.... Or freely, in taking notice of their party contentions and ill usage of each othe...
Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you,.... Or freely, in taking notice of their party contentions and ill usage of each other, and in reproving, advising, and exhorting them; and which he excuses by observing, that it was,
in some sort, or "in part" only; meaning either that it was only in some part of the epistle he had took such a liberty, which is the sense of the Arabic version, which renders it, "in some parts of the oration"; or else that he had regard not to all of them, but to some only, to a part of the church who were most culpable; and did not design a charge against them all, and that what he said should be applied to the whole body; or rather that the boldness and freedom he had taken was bat in some sort, it was but in part: this he says to mitigate it, and that it might not be thought to be so large as it might appear at first; it was but "a little more boldly", that he wrote unto them, as the Syriac renders it; for this clause is not to be read in connection with the word "written", as if the apostle had only wrote of the doctrines of grace in some sort, or in part, for he declared the whole counsel of God, and never kept back anything profitable to the churches: he adds,
as putting you in mind; which is also said to excuse his writing, and the manner of it; he did not take upon him to be their teacher and instructor, to inform them of things they knew nothing of; only to be their monitor, to put them in mind of and refresh their memories with what they had been well instructed and established in before; see 2Pe 1:12;
because of the grace that is given to me of God; meaning not the doctrine of "grace, concerning" which, as the Ethiopic version renders it, he was putting them in mind; nor the internal grace of the Spirit, by which he was inclined and assisted to write unto them; but the grace of apostleship, or that high office, which, by the grace of God, and not because of any merits of his, he was called unto: this he mentions also to excuse the freedom of his writing; since what he did was in consequence of, pursuant and agreeably to, his office as an apostle; and therefore could not have answered it to God, or them, if he had not done it; wherefore he hoped it would be took well by them.
expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Rom 15:1-33
TSK Synopsis: Rom 15:1-33 - --1 The strong must bear with the weak.2 We must not please ourselves;3 for Christ did not so;7 but receive one another, as Christ did us all;8 both Jew...
MHCC -> Rom 15:14-21
MHCC: Rom 15:14-21 - --The apostle was persuaded that the Roman Christians were filled with a kind and affectionate spirit, as well as with knowledge. He had written to remi...
The apostle was persuaded that the Roman Christians were filled with a kind and affectionate spirit, as well as with knowledge. He had written to remind them of their duties and their dangers, because God had appointed him the minister of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul preached to them; but what made them sacrifices to God, was, their sanctification; not his work, but the work of the Holy Ghost: unholy things can never be pleasing to the holy God. The conversion of souls pertains unto God; therefore it is the matter of Paul's glorying, not the things of the flesh. But though a great preacher, he could not make one soul obedient, further than the Spirit of God accompanied his labours. He principally sought the good of those that sat in darkness. Whatever good we do, it is Christ who does it by us.
Matthew Henry -> Rom 15:14-16
Matthew Henry: Rom 15:14-16 - -- Here, I. He commends these Christians with the highest characters that could be. He began his epistle with their praises (Rom 1:8), Your faith is s...
Here, I. He commends these Christians with the highest characters that could be. He began his epistle with their praises (Rom 1:8), Your faith is spoken of throughout the world, thereby to make way for his discourse: and, because sometimes he had reproved them sharply, he now concludes with the like commendation, to qualify them, and to part friends. This he does like an orator. It was not a piece of idle flattery and compliment, but a due acknowledgment of their worth, and of the grace of God in them. We must be forward to observe and commend in others that which is excellent and praise-worthy; it is part of the present recompence of virtue and usefulness, and will be of use to quicken others to a holy emulation. It was a great credit to the Romans to be commended by Paul, a man of such great judgment and integrity, too skilful to be deceived and too honest to flatter. Paul had no personal acquaintance with these Christians, and yet he says he was persuaded of their excellencies, though he knew them only be hearsay. As we must not, on the one hand, be so simple as to believe every word; so, on the other hand, we must not be so skeptical as to believe nothing; but especially we must be forward to believe good concerning others: in this case charity hopeth all things, and believeth all things, and (if the probabilities be any way strong, as here they were) is persuaded. It is safer to err on this side. Now observe what it was that he commended them for. 1. That they were full of goodness; therefore the more likely to take in good part what he had written, and to account it a kindness; and not only so, but to comply with it, and to put it in practice, especially that which relates to their union and to the healing of their differences. A good understanding of one another, and a good will to one another, would soon put an end to strife. 2. Filled with all knowledge. Goodness and knowledge together! A very rare and an excellent conjunction; the head and the heart of the new man. All knowledge, all necessary knowledge, all the knowledge of those things which belong to their everlasting peace. 3. Able to admonish one another. To this there is a further gift requisite, even the gift of utterance. Those that have goodness and knowledge should communicate what they have for the use and benefit of others. "You that excel so much in good gifts may think you have no need of any instructions of mine."It is a comfort to faithful ministers to see their work superseded by the gifts and graces of their people. How gladly would ministers leave off their admonishing work, if people were able and willing to admonish one another! Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets. But that which is every body's work is nobody's work; and therefore,
II. He clears himself from the suspicion of intermeddling needlessly with that which did not belong to him, Rom 15:15. Observe how affectionately he speaks to them: My brethren (Rom 15:14), and again, brethren, Rom 15:15. He had himself, and taught others, the art of obliging. He calls them all his brethren, to teach them brotherly love one to another. Probably he wrote the more courteously to them because, being Roman citizens living near the court, they were more genteel, and made a better figure; and therefore Paul, who became all things to all men, was willing, by the respectfulness of his style, to please them for their good. He acknowledges he had written boldly in some sort -
1. He did it only as their remembrancer: As putting you in mind. such humble thoughts had Paul of himself, though he excelled in knowledge, that he would not pretend to tell them that which they did not know before, but only to remind them of that in which they had formerly been by others instructed. So Peter, 2Pe 1:12; 2Pe 3:1. People commonly excuse themselves from hearing the word with this, that the minister can tell them nothing but what they knew before. If it be so, yet have they not need to know it better, and to be put in mind of it?
2. He did it as the apostle of the Gentiles. It was in pursuance of his office: Because of the grace (that is, the apostleship, Rom 1:5) given to me of God, to be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, Rom 15:16. Paul reckoned it a great favour, and an honour that God had put upon him, in putting him into that office, Rom 1:13. Now, because of this grace given to him, he thus laid out himself among the Gentiles, that he might not receive that grace of God in vain. Christ received that he might give; so did Paul; so have we talents which must not be buried. Places and offices must be filled up with duty. It is good for ministers to be often remembering the grace that is given unto them of God. Minister verbi es, hoc age - You are a minister of the word; give yourself wholly to it, was Mr. Perkins's motto. Paul was a minister. Observe here, (1.) Whose minister he was: the minister of Jesus Christ, 1Co 4:1. He is our Master; his we are, and him we serve. (2.) To whom: to the Gentiles. So God had appointed him, Act 22:21. So Peter and he had agreed, Gal 2:7-9. These Romans were Gentiles: "Now,"says he, "I do not thrust myself upon you, nor seek any lordship over you; I am appointed to it: if you think I am rude and bold, my commission is my warrant, and must bear me out."(3.) What he ministered: the gospel of God;
Barclay -> Rom 15:14-21
Barclay: Rom 15:14-21 - --Few passages reveal Paul's character better than this. He is coming to the end of his letter and is wishing to prepare the ground for the visit that ...
Few passages reveal Paul's character better than this. He is coming to the end of his letter and is wishing to prepare the ground for the visit that he hopes soon to pay to Rome. Here we see something at least of his secret in winning men.
(i) Paul reveals himself as a man of tact. There is no rebuke here. He does not nag the brethren at Rome nor speak to them like some angry schoolmaster. He tells them that he is only reminding them of what they well know, and assures them that he is certain that they have it in them to render outstanding service to each other and to their Lord. Paul was much more interested in what a man could be than in what he was. He saw faults with utter clarity, and dealt with them with utter fidelity; but all the time he was thinking, not of the wretched creature that a man was, but of the splendid creature that he might be.
It is told that once when Michelangelo began to carve a huge and shapeless block of marble, he said that his aim was to release the angel imprisoned in the stone. Paul was like that. He did not want to knock a man down and out; he did not criticize to cause pain; he spoke with honesty and with severity but always because he wished to enable a man to be what he could be and never yet attained to being.
(ii) The only glory that Paul claimed was that he was the servant of Christ. The word he uses (leitourgos,
(a) There was choregia (
(b) There was gumnasiarchia. The Athenians were divided into ten tribes; and they were great athletes. At certain of the great festivals there were the famous torch-races in which teams from the various tribes raced against each other. We still speak of handing on the torch. To win the torch-race was a great honour, and there were public-spirited men who at their own cost would select and support and train a team to represent their tribe.
© There was hestiasis. There were occasions when the tribes met together to share in a common meal and a common rejoicing; and there were generous men who undertook the task of meeting the expense of such a gathering.
(d) There was archetheoria. Sometimes the city of Athens sent an embassy to another city or to consult the oracle at Delphi or Dodona. On such an occasion everything had to be done in such a way that the honour of the city was maintained; and there were patriotic men who voluntarily defrayed the expenses of such an embassy.
(e) There was trierarchia. The Athenians were the great naval power of the ancient world. And one of the most patriotic things that a man could do was voluntarily to undertake the expenses of maintaining a trireme or warship for a whole year.
That is the background of this word leitourgos (
(iii) Paul saw himself, in the scheme of things, as an instrument in the hands of Christ. He did not talk of what he had done; but of what Christ had done with him. He never said of anything: "I did it." He always said: "Christ used me to do it." It is told that the change in the life of D. L. Moody came when he went to a meeting and heard a preacher say: "If only one man would give himself entirely and without reserve to the Holy Spirit, what that Spirit might do with him!" Moody said to himself: "Why should I not be that man?" And all the world knows what the Spirit of God did with D. L. Moody. It is when a man ceases to think of what he can do and begins to think of what God can do with him, that things begin to happen.
(iv) Paul's ambition was to be a pioneer. It is told that when Livingstone volunteered as a missionary with the London Missionary Society they asked him where he would like to go. "Anywhere," he said, "so long as it is forward." And when he reached Africa he was haunted by the smoke of a thousand villages which he saw in the distance. It was Paul's one ambition to carry the good news of God to men who had never heard it. He takes a text from Isa 52:15to tell his aim.
"Ye armies of the living God,
His sacramental host,
Where hallowed footstep never trod,
Take your appointed post."
Constable: Rom 15:14--1Co 1:1 - --VII. CONCLUSION 15:14--16:27
The conclusion of the epistle corresponds to its introduction (1:1-17; cf. 15:14 an...
VII. CONCLUSION 15:14--16:27
The conclusion of the epistle corresponds to its introduction (1:1-17; cf. 15:14 and 1:8; 15:15b-21 and 1:3, 13; 15:22 and 1:13a; 15:27 and 1:14; 15:29 and 1:11-12; and 15:30-32 and 1:9-10). Both sections deal with matters of personal interest to Paul and frame his exposition of the righteousness of God (cf. 1 Cor. 1:1-9; 16:5-24). However in both sections what Paul wrote about himself related to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Constable: Rom 15:14-33 - --A. Paul's ministry 15:14-33
The apostle first gave information concerning his past labors (15:14-21). Th...
Constable: Rom 15:14-21 - --1. Past labors 15:14-21
Paul had been somewhat critical of the strong and the weak in the Roman church (14:1-15:13). He now balanced those comments by...
1. Past labors 15:14-21
Paul had been somewhat critical of the strong and the weak in the Roman church (14:1-15:13). He now balanced those comments by pointing out other strengths in the church beside the faith of his Roman brethren (1:8).
15:14 Paul's knowledge of the church in Rome had come to him through sources other than personal observation (vv. 22-24).
"Goodness" is moral excellence that comes through the working of God's Spirit (Gal. 5:22; cf. Rom. 5:13). Goodness is necessary to apply the truth to life as is knowledge. This was a self-taught church (6:17), and the believers were able to instruct one another. "Admonish" or "instruct" means to inculcate (cf. Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 5:14).
"Morally, they were full of goodness,' intellectually they were complete in knowledge,' and functionally they were competent to instruct one another.'"400
15:15 The apostle gave his readers credit for some knowledge of what he had written in the foregoing chapters. Nevertheless they needed reminding as do all God's people.
15:16 Paul had a special obligation to this primarily Gentile congregation (1:13) since God had sent him to minister to Gentiles primarily. As a priest, it was his duty to bring people to God with the gospel. He regarded the Gentiles who were coming to faith and growing through his ministry as his offering to God. These Gentiles would be acceptable to God as the Holy Spirit set them apart to God as His possession (cf. 1 Cor. 6:11). Positional sanctification is in view rather than progressive sanctification.
15:17-18 Paul had grounds to boast because Gentiles had come to Jesus Christ through his ministry. Notwithstanding he gave all the credit for what had happened to Jesus Christ. He had worked through His servant to bring the Gentiles to obey God in word and deed.
15:19 Signs and wonders, standard biblical phraseology for miracles, accredited the messenger of God and validated the message that he proclaimed (Acts 2:22; 5:12).401 The Holy Spirit enabled people to see the connection between the miracle and the message and therefore to believe the gospel and experience salvation.
Paul's arena of ministry when he wrote this epistle stretched about 1,400 miles from Jerusalem to the Roman province of Illyricum. Illyricum lay on the east side of the Adriatic Sea opposite Italy. This is modern northern Albania, much of Yugoslavia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. There is no record in Acts of Paul having gone there though he may have done so on the second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9) or during the third journey (Acts 21:1-2). Paul's claim to have "fully" preached the gospel means that he had faithfully proclaimed it in that area, not that he had personally delivered it to every individual.
15:20 This verse along with verses 18-19 explains why Paul had not yet been able to visit Rome. His desire to do pioneer missionary work grew out of his zeal to reach as many unsaved people as possible (cf. 1:14). Notice that he went to unreached people with the gospel (Matt. 28:19-20). He did not wait for them to come and enquire about it.
15:21 Paul seems to have found encouragement to pursue this goal in this prophecy from Isaiah, which describes the mission of the Servant of the Lord (Isa. 52:15).
College -> Rom 15:1-33
College: Rom 15:1-33 - --C. LIVING IN UNITY AND HOPE (15:1-13)
These verses form the conclusion of the larger section on Christian liberty in matters of opinion (14:1-15:13)....
C. LIVING IN UNITY AND HOPE (15:1-13)
These verses form the conclusion of the larger section on Christian liberty in matters of opinion (14:1-15:13). The language in both 15:1 and 15:7 shows that Paul still has this subject in mind. The main concern seems to be how the church's handling of such matters affects its internal unity and the integrity of its witness to the watching world. The foundation and the example for such unity, says the Apostle, have been supplied by the redeeming work of Christ.
These verses conclude not only the section on Christian liberty, but also the entire unit on the application of the theological doctrine of the gospel to practical Christian living ("Living the Sanctified Life," 12:1-15:13). It likewise brings to an end the main body of the letter as a whole, and prepares the way for Paul's concluding personal remarks (15:14-16:27).
1. Selfless Service Produces a Unified Witness (15:1-6)
Like much of this section on Christian liberty, these verses are addressed mainly to the strong, which leads Dunn to comment that the primary responsibility for maintaining harmony in the church regarding matters of opinion lies with the strong (2:841). The main hindrance to harmony is the spirit of selfishness, and the key to achieving harmony is to imitate the example of Jesus Christ. Thus Moo sums up these verses as "basically a call to the 'strong' in Rome to follow Christ's example of loving service of others as a means of bringing unity to the church" (865).
15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. The contrast is still between the weak and the strong, and these terms are still limited to the one issue of Christian liberty regarding opinions. The "weak" were described with a different term in 14:1-2, but the basic concept is the same. This is the first time Paul has used any specific term for the strong. (By saying "we who are strong," Paul includes himself in this group.)
The contrasting terms are dunatov" ( dynatos , "able, empowered, possible, strong") and ajduvnato" ( adynatos , "without power, unable, impossible, weak"). The "strong" are those who, because of their better understanding of the implications of Christian faith, are able to do various things (in the category of opinions) with clear consciences. The "weak" are those who are unable to do these same things without violating their consciences.
The word "ought" introduces a moral obligation on the part of the strong, a debt which the strong owe to the weak. Stated positively, the strong "ought to bear with the failings of the weak." The term translated "bear with" (bastavzw , bastazô ) can mean "to bear with, to tolerate, to put up with, to endure," as the NIV renders it here (see also the RSV; NRSV; SH, 394; Barrett, 269). Most of the time in the NT, however, it means "to bear, to carry," as the NIV translates it in Gal 6:2. Most scholars believe it has this latter connotation here, too. Also, the term translated "failings" in the NIV is simply "weaknesses"; the word "failings" has a negative connotation not evident in the Greek.
All in all the NASB translation is better here: the strong "ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength." This is a specific instance of the general principle in Gal 6:2, "Carry each other's burdens." I.e., the strong should not merely tolerate the weaknesses of the weak, but should help them carry the burden of their scruples. How may we - the strong - do this? By trying to understand the weak, and by putting ourselves in their place. We may support the weak, as MacArthur says, "by not being critical or condescending and by showing respect for sincere views or practices that we may not agree with" (2:308). As Godet says, "The strong ought to show his strength, not by humiliating the weak and triumphing in the feeling of his superiority, but by bearing the burden of his weakness with love and tenderness" (468). (See also Hendriksen, 2:469; Moo, 866.)
Why should the strong be the ones required to make this sort of concession? Because, as Lard says, the strong can do so without violating their consciences, but the weak cannot (431).
The negative aspect of the moral obligation of the strong is "not to please ourselves." Here Paul identifies the real key to unity, harmony, and peace within the body of Christ, i.e., selflessness , or the willingness to sacrifice one's personal rights and personal happiness in order to meet the needs of others. This does not mean that we must avoid pleasing ourselves altogether, and it is not a condemnation of pleasure as such. It is rather a condemnation of the hedonistic attitude that puts personal pleasure ahead of everything else, regardless of how this affects others, especially our fellow Christians. (See Hendriksen, 2:470; Cranfield, 2:731.)
The teaching of this verse is exactly the opposite of any kind of "survival of the fittest" doctrine. It is contrary to the general tendency in the fallen world for the strong (at best) to ignore the weak, and (at worst) to exploit them and take advantage of them. As Cranfield points out (2:730-731), our true obligation before God goes against "the tendency of our fallen human nature, which - so far from being to help those weaker than oneself with their burdens - is for the strong to seek to compel the weak to shoulder the burdens of the strong as well as their own."
15:2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. "Each of us" could refer to all Christians (Morris, 497-498), but most likely it refers still to strong Christians, the "we" in v. 1 (Moo, 866-867). Thus "each of us should please his neighbor" is simply the same obligation as v. 1b, stated positively. In this case the "neighbor" is the weak Christian.
The rest of this verse - "for his good, to build him up" - identifies and limits the kind of neighbor-pleasing to which Paul is referring. First, this description distinguishes "neighbor-pleasing" from the sinful "man-pleasing" condemned elsewhere by Paul (Gal 1:10; 1 Thess 2:4; see Eph 6:6 and Col 3:22, NASB). In the latter the contrasting choices are pleasing men and pleasing God ; in such circumstances "man-pleasing" means trying to win someone's favor for one's own personal, self-serving purposes. But here in 15:1-2 the contrasting choices are pleasing ourselves and pleasing others , where "neighbor-pleasing" means that we sacrifice our own desires for the good of the other.
Second, this description - "for his good, to build him up" - limits the extent to which we should go in pleasing our neighbor. Such neighbor-pleasing is not absolute, as if "we are always to defer to the whims and wishes of others" (Murray, 2:197-198). The context shows that Paul is talking about pleasing one's neighbor in areas of opinion where his conscience is threatened by his weak faith. Pleasing the weak "for his good" means "for his spiritual profit or spiritual advantage." It means doing what is necessary to help him maintain a clear conscience in these areas. This includes making an effort to lead the weak out of his unnecessary scruples. As Morris wisely says (498), this verse
. . . does not mean that the weak control the church - that they have only to express a scruple and all rush to conform. That would mean that the church would be permanently tied to the level of the weak and that life and growth would cease. . . . A genuine concern for the weak will mean an attempt to make them strong by leading them out of their irrational scruples so that they, too, will be strong. . . .
15:3 For even Christ did not please himself . . . . Here Jesus is cited as a model for the virtue of selflessness, one which we should imitate. This is also the main point of Phil 2:5-11, which declares that the selfless attitude of the eternal Logos is exhibited in the incarnation, in his accepting the role of a servant, and especially in his submission to the cross. In every way the Logos put the needs and the interests of the lost human race before his own. It was the Father's will that Jesus undergo an unimaginably agonizing death to save us from our sins, and Jesus surrendered his will to that of his Father. (See Heb 10:7; Matt 20:28 [Mark 10:45]; Matt 26:39 [Luke 22:42]; John 4:24; 5:30; 6:38.) When we as Christians relate to one another in this same spirit of selfless service (Phil 2:5), unity and harmony will surely follow (Phil 2:1-4).
Paul cites just one OT prophecy concerning Jesus to illustrate and confirm his spirit of unselfishness: . . . but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." This is taken directly from Ps 69:9b, where David is lamenting that God's enemies are also his enemies and are taking out their hatred of God on him. Paul in effect puts David's words in the mouth of Christ, thus making David's suffering a type of Christ's suffering on the cross. Christ thus declares that, in his submissive life and especially in his substitutionary death, the insults (reproaches, blasphemies) that sinners direct against God are being borne by him. "All the enmity of men against God was directed to Christ" (Murray, 2:199). See Ps 22:6-8; Matt 27:39-44.
The point is that Jesus willingly and unselfishly chose to walk this path of humiliation and suffering for the sake of helpless and ungodly sinners. And if Jesus himself made such a selfless choice, we should all the more be willing to do so for the sake of our weak brothers. Paul is thus making an argument from the greater to the lesser: if the incarnate Son of God went to such an extreme in not pleasing himself, then surely we can "renounce our self-gratification in so unimportant a matter as the exercising of our freedom with regard to what we eat or whether we observe special days" (Cranfield, 2:733). See also Hendriksen, 2:470; Murray, 2:199; Dunn, 2:842-843; Moo, 869.
15:4 The next verse is a parenthesis in which Paul reminds us of the validity of citing OT texts as a basis for ethical exhortation to Christians: For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, . . . "Everything that was written" refers to OT Scripture, and declares that every part of it has meaning and value for those living under the New Covenant. It was written not just to teach us theological truths, but also to be a source of practical instruction for Christians concerning how to live. Paul was thinking mainly (but not exclusively) of OT Scripture when he said, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16-17). See 1 Cor 9:10; 10:6,11; Rom 4:23-25.
In particular, says Paul, the OT was written so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. "Endurance" (uJpomonhv , hypomonç ) is the same as "perseverance" in 5:3; it indicates patient endurance, steadfastness, the ability to bear and to bear up under whatever comes along (see JC, 1:317). "Encouragement" (paravklhsi" , paraklçsis ) has the connotation of "exhortation" in 12:8, but here it means "comfort, consolation, encouragement." "Hope" (ejlpiv" , elpis ) for Christians is the confident and joyful expectation of the future possession of full salvation, as explained under 4:18 and 5:2 (JC, 1:301, 315).
This is a purpose clause, introduced by i{na ( hina , "so that, in order that"). I.e., God intends for us to be taught by the OT Scriptures, to the end that "we might have hope." How does the study of the OT give hope to Christians? Paul says it does so specifically "through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures."
Interpreters are divided as to whether the phrase "of the Scriptures" is meant to modify both endurance and encouragement. Some think it modifies only the latter, which would yield a translation something like this: ". . . so that, with patient endurance, we might have hope by means of the encouragement received from the Scriptures" (see Cranfield, 2:735-736; Dunn, 2:839; Morris, 500). The grammatical structure (a repetition of the preposition diav ( dia ) before "encouragement") supports this view but does not require it. In my judgment the context (Paul's explanation for citing the OT) favors the other view, that "of the Scriptures" refers to both endurance and encouragement. Moule (235) says it means "the patience and comfort taught by the Scriptures." See also Lard, 433; Lenski, 860; Murray, 2:200.
The point is that when we read the OT accounts of and testimony to God's just and faithful dealings with Israel, this reinforces our confidence in God's promises to us through the New Covenant, and thus gives us patience and encouragement in times of personal spiritual doubt and distress. The result of such endurance and encouragement is that our hope - our assurance of salvation - is in turn strengthened. This hope is fortified even further by "reading the OT and seeing its fulfillment in Christ and the church" (Moo, 870). On the relationship between endurance and hope, see 5:3-4; 1 Thess 1:3.
15:5-6 The next two verses are a prayer for God to bless the church with the spirit of unity: May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek text speaks literally of "the God of endurance and encouragement"; the NIV rightly takes this to mean that God is the source of these blessings in the Christian life. The idea is that God by his words and deeds gives us every reason to have patient endurance and to be encouraged even in the bleakest of circumstances, and he gives us knowledge of and access to these words and deeds through his Spirit-inspired Scriptures (see v. 4).
The heart of Paul's prayer is that God "will give you a spirit of unity among yourselves." Just what is the nature of the unity for which Paul prays? "A spirit of unity" (v. 5) and "with one heart" (v. 6) suggest something similar to "live in harmony " (12:16). "With one heart" ("with one accord," NASB) especially points to a harmony on the inward level, a harmony of spirit and attitude that binds the hearts of all Christians together in mutual love and esteem and in a solidarity of spirit and purpose. See Phil 2:2.
But Paul's language here shows that the unity for which he prays is not just a harmonious spirit, but also a unity of faith, i.e., an agreement as to the content of what is believed. "A spirit of unity" is literally "to be of the same mind." This phrase does not necessarily refer to intellectual agreement, since it occurs in the same or similar form in 12:16 and Phil 2:2, where it refers to the general unity of love and purpose. But the reference to the "mind" does leave the door open for the concept of intellectual agreement; and the expression "with one mouth" in v. 6 definitely shows that this is part of what Paul is praying for.
"With one mouth" shows that the church's unity must be on a verbal level, which certainly involves a unity in worship (SH, 396; Dunn, 2:841); but this presupposes a unity of what we believe about the one whom we worship. Lenski says it involves outward agreement wherein all confess "the one same gospel truth" (863).
This prayer for unity regarding what we believe certainly does not prescribe total agreement regarding matters of opinion, since matters of opinion by definition to not require agreement. In reference to opinions, the most Paul can be praying for is that all Christians have the same understanding of the nature of adiaphora or opinions, and of how to handle them with mature faith. But at the very least this prayer is instructing us to seek basic agreement concerning the fundamental truths about God and the gospel, over against the idea that "each man may have . . . the right to his own personal views" about the truths affirmed in God's Word (Lenski, 864).
Paul prays that the church will have such unity "as you follow Christ Jesus," or better, "according to Christ Jesus" (NASB). Some take this to mean "according to Jesus' example" (SH, 396; Murray, 2:201; Dunn, 2:840); others "according to Jesus' will" (Cranfield, 2:737). Paul may have both of these in mind (Lard, 433; Hendriksen, 2:473), but the main point is that Christ Jesus must always be the touchstone of the church's unity. That is, we must never pursue unity just for the sake of unity. God is not interested in unity at all costs, especially at the cost of truth. Those things on which the church is united must correspond to Christ's way, Christ's will, Christ's gospel, and Christ's word as we know it through inspired Scripture.
What is the purpose of seeking this inner harmony and this unity of confessed faith? So that "you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." To glorify God is to acknowledge and declare his greatness before others, and to lead them to do the same (see 1:21; JC, 1:144-145). A church with internal dissensions and conflicting beliefs brings dishonor to God and to Jesus its Head. A church united in heart and mind brings glory to both. See 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:11-15.
Some may raise questions about the description of God as "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." No one will have a problem with calling God "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." But since Jesus himself is divine, i.e., God the Son, how can we speak of "the God of Jesus Christ"? The KJV translates it "God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"; Lard agrees (434). But there is no problem with the language as it stands in the NIV. In his incarnate state as Jesus of Nazareth, the human nature of Jesus was in full submission to God the Father as his God . In John 20:17, speaking to Mary, Jesus refers to God the Father as "my God and your God." Eph 1:17 uses the very phrase, "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ." See also Matt 27:46 (Mark 15:34) and Heb 1:9. There is no conflict between this concept and the divinity of Christ.
2. Through Christ's Selfless Service,
Jews and Gentiles Glorify God Together (15:7-12)
Some see this paragraph as standing alone and serving as a conclusion to the doctrinal body of the letter (Dunn, 2:844). Most, however, see it as belonging to the section on Christian liberty. The main emphasis still seems to be on the unity of the body of Christ, which was being threatened by false approaches to matters of opinion.
The main point is the way the saving work of Jesus has united two groups, the Jews and the Gentiles, into one body and into one voice singing praises to God. This is significant because in the ancient world these two groups would surely have been regarded as the least likely to be reconciled. In the immediate context this serves as another argument from the greater to the lesser. If Christ's selfless service can succeed in unifying such disparate groups as the Jews and the Gentiles, surely we as Christians can do what is necessary to establish accord among strong and weak believers within the church. As Bruce sums it up, we must "follow the example of Christ, who welcomed us without discrimination, and make room for one another without discrimination" (255).
Paul's bringing together of Jews and Gentiles in this paragraph serves other purposes, too. It means that Paul has come full circle in his presentation of the gospel, which in the introduction was announced to be God's way of salvation, "first for the Jew, then for the Gentile" (1:16). It calls attention again to the fact that God's faithfulness to the Jews has always involved his intention to save the Gentiles as well (chs. 9-11). Finally, Paul's citation of OT prophecies concerning the salvation of the Gentiles serves as a transition to his personal remarks about his own mission to the Gentiles (15:14-33).
Some think the reference to Jews and Gentiles at this point supports the view that the weak and the strong in the church at Rome were divided mainly along these lines, with the weak being mainly from the Jews and the strong mainly from the Gentiles (SH, 397; Cranfield, 2:740-741). Others are rightly reluctant to draw this conclusion (Lenski, 866; Murray, 2:204). Even if we think there is a hint in this direction, this discussion of Jews and Gentiles is better explained by the points mentioned above (see Dunn, 2:852).
15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. It seems clear that this paragraph is meant to be the conclusion to the section on Christian liberty (Moo, 874). This verse begins with the conjunction diov ( dio , "wherefore, then"), indicating that the following exhortation is an inference from the preceding discussion (14:1-15:6). The exhortation to "accept" one another also ties this paragraph to this same discussion, since 14:1 uses the same verb to exhort the strong to "accept" the weak. Another link is the stated bases for the two exhortations: accept the weak, "for God has accepted him" (14:3); accept each other "as Christ accepted you" (15:7).
While this exhortation is parallel to 14:1, it also goes beyond it by addressing the entire church and not just the strong. In fact, it has the nature of a general principle that applies to all potential causes of division in the church. The fact that Christ has united Jews and Gentiles together serves as a paradigm for the healing of all divisions. His acceptance of both groups is the reason why we should embrace all believers in full fellowship despite differences that do not affect our common salvation. Paul's point is "that all are to accept those who differ from them" (Morris, 503).
The verse closes with a phrase of purpose: "to the glory of God" (see NASB). The NIV translation, "in order to bring praise to God," captures the general sense. One question is whether this phrase modifies "accept one another," thus in effect giving us a motive for obeying this command (Godet, 470; Cranfield, 2:739-740; Moo, 875), or whether it modifies "as Christ accepted you," indicating the glorious result of his accepting us (SH, 397; Lenski, 867; Murray, 2:204). The word order favors the latter view; but this in effect makes the former true also, since our acceptance of one another is patterned after ("just as") Christ's acceptance of us.
15:8a For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, . . . Here Paul begins to explain how Christ has "accepted you" through the redeeming work performed in his role as the Jewish Messiah. The words "I tell you" introduce "a solemn doctrinal declaration" (Cranfield, 2:740). "Servant" is diavkono" ( diakonos ), which can mean "deacon" or "minister," but is rightly translated here with its basic generic sense, "servant." "Has become" is in the perfect tense, indicating past action (perhaps the incarnation but certainly the atonement and resurrection) with a lasting result; Christ is still "a servant of the Jews" (Morris, 503). "Jews" is literally "circumcision," a term often used for the Jews as a nation (see 3:30; 4:12; Gal 2:8-9). This emphasizes the fact that the Jews were under the covenant God made with Abraham, of which circumcision was the covenant sign (Gen 17:1-14).
That the Logos entered the world in the role of a servant is clear; see v. 3 above, and see Phil 2:7-8, where he is called a "slave" (dou'lo" , doulos ). Jesus says that he "did not come to be served, but to serve" (Matt 20:28; Mark 10:45; see Luke 22:27). He was primarily a servant of the Father himself (Isa 52:13), but in that role he served the lost world by giving "his life as a ransom for many" (Matt 20:28).
Most specifically Jesus performed his redeeming work as "a servant of the Jews." This refers to his role as the Jews' Messiah (the Christ). In order to fulfill this role Christ Jesus came into the world through the Jews (John 4:22; Rom 9:4-5) and for the Jews, i.e., so that the Jews themselves might be the first to receive the gospel of salvation (Matt 15:24; Rom 1:16; 2:10; Gal 4:4-5).
Paul affirms that Jesus became a servant of the Jews "on behalf of God's truth." "Truth" (ajlhvqeia , alçtheia ) here refers to an attribute of God and may better be rendered "truthfulness" (Lard, 434), "fidelity" (Godet, 471; Fitzmyer, 706), or "faithfulness" (Cranfield, 2:740; Dunn, 2:847; Moo, 877). The specific reference is to God's faithfulness to his covenant promises. Everything Christ did as the Jewish Messiah was in fulfilment of what God has been promising to do for his people (both Jews and Gentiles) from the very beginning of his covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3).
15:8b-9a The rest of this section shows how Christ's Jewish Messiahship has affected not only the Jews but the Gentiles as well. Christ was a servant of the Jews to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, . . . Interpreters disagree over the syntax of this segment. All agree that Paul is making two parallel statements, one about the Jews and the other about the Gentiles. The question is, where does the first statement begin? One view is that it begins immediately after "I tell you" in v. 8a, and the two statements are parallel objects of "I tell you." Thus Paul would be saying, "I tell you first that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs. And I also tell you that the Gentiles are glorifying God for his mercy" (see Godet, 471; Cranfield, 2:742-744). This view is attractive because it allows the two phrases "on behalf of [uJpevr , hyper ] God's truth" and "for [ hyper ] his mercy" to be regarded as parallel.
The other view is that the first of the two parallel statements begins with the words "to confirm" in v. 8b. Thus the two statements are parallel objects of the preposition eis (translated "to" but better rendered "in order to"), indicating a double purpose for Christ's Jewish Messiahship. Thus Paul is saying that Christ became a servant of the Jews first of all for the purpose of confirming the promises made to the patriarchs, and also so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy (see SH, 398; Lenski, 868; Stott, 372; Moo, 876).
The point of the second view, which I accept, is to emphasize the obvious fact that the messianic work of Jesus Christ was intended all along to have redemptive results not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles.
The first intended result of Christ's Messiahship was "to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs" (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). This reference to the patriarchs (or "fathers"; see 9:5), along with the very phrase "servant of the Jews," shows that Paul is here referring to promises concerning the Jews themselves. See Gen 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1-5; 17:1-8; 18:19; 22:15-18; 26:3-4; 28:13-15.
Paul has already affirmed that God in his faithfulness has fulfilled all his promises to the Jews as a nation (9:4-5) and as a believing remnant (see the entire discussion in chs. 9-11). Here he says that Christ's work as the Jews' servant has confirmed these promises. This means that he has proved the promises to be reliable and trustworthy, but it means more than this. Christ has confirmed the promises by fulfilling them, by establishing them, by bringing them to realization. What was in the beginning just a promise is now a reality for the Jews.
The second intended result of Christ's Messiahship, and the one Paul emphasizes, was to enable the Gentiles to "glorify God for his mercy." This purpose is seen in the fact that the covenant promises made to the patriarchs included the blessing of salvation for all peoples and nations on earth (Gen 12:3; 17:3-5; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Rom 4:13, 16-17). Though Christ's earthly ministry was conducted almost entirely among the Jews, his "great commission" directs that the gospel be preached to all nations (Matt 28:19; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). By thus including the Gentiles within the scope of his salvation, Christ causes them to glorify God (see v. 6), specifically for having mercy upon them (see 11:30-32).
As Stott summarizes the Messiah's two-fold purpose, "It was in mercy to the Gentiles, as it was in faithfulness to Israel, that Christ became a servant for the benefit of both" (372).
15:9b The rest of this section is a series of four quotes from the OT showing that God all along intended to bring the Gentiles within the scope of his mercy, thus uniting Jews and Gentiles together into one harmonious chorus of praise to God.
The first quote is as follows: . . . as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name." This is a direct quote from Ps 18:49 (LXX, Ps 17:50) and 2 Sam 22:50, except for the omission of "O LORD." In this Psalm David is praising God for giving him victory over his enemies and for making the nations subject to him. In verse 49 he announces that he will sing hymns of praise to the Lord among these nations (i.e., Gentiles), so that the Gentiles may know the true God and join in the praise.
Paul sees in this Psalm an indication of God's plan to include the Gentiles in the Messiah's people. As Cranfield notes (2:795), it is possible that the Apostle sees David's words as foreshadowing his own mission to the Gentiles, a subject he is just about to expand upon (15:14ff.).
The word for "sing hymns" is simply yavllw ( psallô ), which Morris says "referred originally to plucking the strings of a musical instrument; later it appears to have been used of singing with accompaniment and then simply of singing. There is nothing in the Greek to correspond to NIV's hymns ; the translators have assumed (not unreasonably) that it is hymns that would be sung to God" (505, n. 51).
15:10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." This next quotation is the first line of Deut 32:43 (LXX). Deut 32 is a song of Moses celebrating the righteousness of God that takes vengeance on his enemies and saves his people. In this line Moses invites the nations (Gentiles) to join with God's people (the Jews) in rejoicing over this. The key phrase is "with his people," which contemplates Jews and Gentiles praising God with a single voice. Paul sees this as an expression of God's plan to unite the two groups.
15:11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples." This is a close paraphrase of Ps 117:1 (LXX, Ps 116:1). The main point again is the reference to the Gentiles, and the fact that they are invited to sing praises to the Lord, the God of Israel. This is another indication that the work of the Messiah was intended to bring Jews and Gentiles together into one body, so that "his people" (v. 10) along with "all you peoples" (v. 11) may glorify God together for his mercy.
15:12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." This is taken from Isa 11:10, and is closer to the LXX than to the Hebrew text. It is a specific messianic prophecy, "the Root of Jesse" being a title for Jesus. Jesse was David's father; thus this title is equivalent to "the Root of David" in Rev 5:5; 22:16, which refers to Christ. The word translated "root" is rJivza ( rhiza ), which can mean either the root itself or a shoot or sprout that comes forth from the root. In this case "Jesse," standing for the family and dynasty of David (see Luke 2:4), is the root itself; Jesus is the shoot or sprout that springs up from that root (Isa 11:1; 53:2).
The main point is that when "the Root of Jesse" rises up, the Gentiles will rally around him and submit to him and find their salvation in him. The Hebrew text of Isa 11:10 says that "the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples." The LXX interprets the banner or ensign as a symbol of command and authority; thus when the Gentiles rally around this banner (which is Jesus himself), they are submitting to him and he is ruling over them.
The messianic rule of which Isaiah speaks is not a military conquest of rebellious and unwilling foes, but a benevolent embrace of willing subjects for the purpose of bestowing mercy upon them. As a result, "the Gentiles will hope in him," i.e., they will find their salvation in him. The startling thing about this is that the Gentiles will be saved by submitting to the Messiah of the Jews !
Paul has already said as much in vv. 6-8, where he says Christ has become a servant of the Jews "so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy." The OT quotations are designed to reinforce this point by showing that it has always been God's purpose to include the Gentiles within the Messiah's kingdom. More specifically, now that the Jews' Messiah has come, both Jews and Gentiles together have been accepted by Christ into his own body, to the praise and glory of God and his mercy. In view of God's majestic and glorious program for uniting all believers into a single ensemble of praise, how can we refuse to obey the simple command to "accept one another" (15:7)?
3. A Prayer That All Believers May Abound in Hope (15:13)
15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. This last verse of the main body of the letter expresses Paul's desire that all Christians may experience the fullness of the spiritual benefits that come from knowing, understanding, and receiving the gospel of God's grace. As such it draws together many of the main threads that the Apostle has woven into the carefully designed pattern of his doctrinal essay about this gospel. Specifically mentioned are faith, joy, peace, hope, and power.
The first and primary benefit that comes from knowing the gospel is faith itself (10:17). All the other blessings come only "as you trust in him," or literally, "in connection with believing." At the outset Paul emphasized the key role of faith in receiving salvation (1:16-17). Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised for our justification (3:24-26; 4:25), but we cannot receive this justification without faith (3:25-28; 10:9-10). In this verse Paul is reaffirming the central and essential role of faith in the gospel plan of salvation.
Paul prays that we as believers may be filled with joy, peace, and hope, all of which come from knowing that we are justified by faith in the blood of Christ (5:1-2). Peace is first of all the objective state of being reconciled to God (5:1, 10). It is also an attitude of inward tranquility and freedom from worry about salvation (1:7; 8:6); this is the main point in view here. Finally peace is the corporate harmony that exists among brethren (14:17).
Joy is the inward delight and jubilance that keep us excited about being Christians, about being under the blood of Christ, and about living the sanctified life (5:2-3,11; 12:12,15; 14:17). Joy and peace together are "two of the great human desirables," as Dunn says (2:853), and they are available to mankind only through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The last of this trio of related blessings is hope , which is a key aspect of assurance and in many ways is equivalent to it. Assurance is first of all a peaceful confidence about our present relationship with God through Jesus Christ; second, it is a joyful expectation of the future fullness of glory to be received when Christ returns. The latter is the essence of hope.
Knowing that we are justified by faith is the key to such hope or assurance (5:1-2), which is certainly the climactic benefit of the gospel and a frequent subject in Romans (4:18; 5:2-5; 8:20,24-25; 12:12; 15:4,12). That God is here called "the God of hope," i.e., the source of everything that gives us hope, shows how important hope is in the context of the gospel.
Paul's prayer and wish are not just that believers might possess joy, peace, and hope, but that we might be filled to overflowing with these blessings. Since they are linked to faith, they will increase as our faith increases (Luke 17:5). Faith consists of assent and trust (1:16; JC, 1:107-108). Assent increases as we grow in our understanding of what we believe about Jesus and the gospel, and trust increases as we grow in our love for Jesus and in confidence in his promises.
The ultimate means of our being filled to overflowing with joy, peace, and hope is the fifth blessing mentioned in this verse, i.e., power - "the power of the Holy Spirit." Paul has made it clear in Romans that all spiritual growth comes from the power of the indwelling Spirit (2:29; 5:5; 8:3-16,26-27; 14:17; see Gal 5:22-23). Here he prays that the Spirit's power may work within our hearts to make us abound in hope. There could hardly be a more appropriate conclusion to the didactic body of the Epistle to the Romans!
-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV
15:14-16:27 - PART SIX
PERSONAL MESSAGES FROM PAUL
The main body of the Epistle to the Romans (the doctrinal essay, 1:18-15:13) has now been concluded. What follows is a kind of epilogue containing many of the same elements found in the conclusions of Paul's other letters, e.g., personal greetings to individuals, his travel plans, a request for prayer, a wish for peace, a reference to the holy kiss, warnings and exhortations, and a concluding benediction or doxology.
All of these elements are communicated on a very personal level, as Paul addresses the Roman Christians not just in his role as an Apostle (15:15), but also on the level of warm brotherly fellowship (15:14,30; 16:17).
I. PAUL'S MINISTRY AS THE
APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES (15:14-33)
As he begins his conclusion, Paul first of all expresses his confidence in the spiritual maturity of the Christians at Rome, and suggests that the sternness of some of his exhortations is not meant to imply weakness on their part (14-15a). All of his ministry, including the writing of this letter, is carried out in his specific role as the Apostle to the Gentiles, which he regards as a kind of priesthood in which he offers up converted Gentiles as sacrifices pleasing to God (15b-16).
Paul realizes that his work has produced significant results, but he gives God all the glory (17-19a). Up to the time of this writing, he has concentrated his efforts in the geographical area ranging from Jerusalem to Illyricum, using the strategy of starting new churches in unevangelized areas (19b-21). This has kept him so busy that he has been unable to fulfill his dream of visiting Rome (22).
But the situation is different now. He has accomplished his purpose for this eastern area and is now ready to travel west, stopping off to visit the Christians in Rome on his way to evangelize Spain - an endeavor for which he hopes to enlist the aid of the church in Rome (23-24).
But before he can begin to carry out this plan, he has one other very important task to complete. He must journey to Jerusalem, and deliver the contributions he has collected from the Gentile churches for the poor saints in the Jerusalem church (25-27; see JC, 1:35-36). Then he will head directly to Rome and on to Spain (28-29).
The side trip to Jerusalem is anything but routine, however. Paul anticipates the possibility of serious problems there, including attacks upon him personally from non-Christian Jews, and a reluctance on the part of the Jewish Christians to accept gifts from Gentile Christians. Therefore he urges the Roman brethren to join him in praying that the Jerusalem trip will go well, so that he may subsequently go on to Rome in a joyful spirit (30-32). He prays for God's peace to be with them (33).
Some see this section as the key to Paul's purpose for writing Romans in the first place, or at least the key to "the content and emphases of the letter" (Moo, 885). Some think Paul's long essay is intended to demonstrate his doctrinal orthodoxy to the Roman Christians, showing them the gospel he would preach in Spain as part of his effort to persuade them to back his mission there. Others think Paul is rehearsing the defense he will give in Jerusalem, in case his orthodoxy is challenged in connection with the delivery of the Gentile Christians' gifts to the Jerusalem church. (See JC, 1:40-42; see Dunn, 2:884.)
In my opinion, though, these factors are secondary in Paul's mind as he writes this letter. His main purpose, as explained earlier (JC, 1:44-45), stems from his eager desire "to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome" (1:15).
While the themes of this section definitely overlap the contents of the introduction to the epistle (1:1-17; see Moo, 886), there is significant new information here, as the above summary indicates. We may break it down into paragraphs dealing with Paul's past service (14-22), his future plans (23-29), and his request for prayer (30-33).
A. REFLECTIONS ON HIS PAST SERVICE (15:14-22)
This paragraph gives us important insights, first into Paul as a person, and then into his self-understanding of his apostolic ministry. The former is manifest in vv. 14-15, in the way he deals with his concern that the Christians in Rome might misunderstand the occasionally serious tone of his letter. He has uttered some rather stern rebukes and strong exhortations along the way, and now he wants to make sure that the brethren in Rome do not take these to mean that he had a low opinion of their Christian faith and life. Thus he expresses his own confidence in them and compliments them on their personal maturity as Christians (see 1:8; 16:19). At the same time he wants them not to see him as insensitive and presumptuous but to understand that it is his duty as the Apostle to the Gentiles to address them with authority. (See MacArthur, 2:326; Stott, 377.)
These two verses (14-15), says Hendriksen, thus show us what kind of person Paul was. Specifically, they show Paul to be a man of tact, modesty, prudence, humility, and concern for the feelings of others (2:484).
The other major insight we glean from this paragraph has to do with the way Paul understood the nature of his apostleship. First, as to essence, he saw it in terms of priesthood (v. 16). Second, as to strategy, he saw himself called to be a church planter . I.e., his task was to be a pioneer preacher, commissioned to carry the gospel into the centers of Gentile population, plant churches, and move on (vv. 19-21).
It was this self-understanding that had shaped his past service, and was now shaping his plans for the immediate future.
15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. We must not forget that the just-completed essay on the doctrine of salvation was not written just for the sake of the church at Rome, but was intended by the Holy Spirit to apply to the entire body of Christ in all ages. At times Paul's admonitions seem rather severe, e.g., 6:1-3,15-16; 11:17-22; 13:12-14; 14:1-4,10-16; and in the church as a whole some Christians will feel their sting more than others will.
This is why Paul wants the Christians in Rome to know that he is not necessarily implying that they are personally lacking in these areas. "I myself" translates an emphatic phrase, as does "you yourselves." "As far as I personally am concerned," Paul says, "I am persuaded that you personally are Christians of solid maturity." He knew their good reputation (1:8; 16:19), and he knew some of them on a personal basis. His praise is neither insincere flattery nor oily diplomacy, nor is he apologizing for anything he has said. Dunn rightly notes, though, that the language is "exaggerated, in the way that courteous compliments in the East tend to be" (2:866).
Paul compliments the Roman Christians in three areas. First, he says they are "full of goodness" (ajgaqosuvnh , agathosynç ). This basically refers to a morally upright character, a general goodness of the heart that loves righteousness and opposes all that is evil. "This would be first of all goodwill or the intention to do that which is good," says Spicq ( Lexicon , 1:3). It is not just obedience (16:19), but an obedient heart as well (6:17).
That the Romans were full of goodness is hyperbole, since perfection eludes all. It means, says Morris, that they had a "plentiful supply" of goodness and not just an occasional episode of it (509). The sense is this: "I am fully aware of your spiritual maturity and moral virtue, and I commend you for it" (MacArthur, 2:327). This is indeed a high compliment; at the opposite end of the spectrum would be a church like the one at Corinth as reflected in 1 Corinthians.
Paul next praises the church at Rome for being "complete in knowledge," or "filled with all knowledge" (NASB). This again is hyperbole, since omniscience belongs to God alone. Also, Paul is not saying they had knowledge of every possible topic; his comment is "limited by the subject in hand" (Lard, 439), i.e., the gospel or the Christian faith. Paul is saying that they have a solid and practical understanding of Christian teaching. (The very depth of the essay on salvation which is the heart of this letter shows Paul's confidence in the mature level of their understanding; this is no doctrinal primer!)
Paul's commendation of the Romans' goodness and knowledge together is a rebuke to those Christians who deliberately deemphasize doctrine and focus entirely on loving interpersonal relationships as the essence of Christianity. Virtue and truth are inseparable, as MacArthur says (2:327). The issue is not either-or, but both-and.
In his third compliment Paul declares that the Romans are "competent to instruct one another." Nouqetevw (noutheteô ) means literally to put something into someone's mind, i.e., "to instruct"; but it often means instruction in the sense of "admonish, warn, reprimand, rebuke," especially with reference to moral training (see Col 1:28; see Spicq, Lexicon , 2:548-551). Paul is basically saying that the Roman Christians do not need for him to admonish them, for they are fully capable of admonishing one another.
15:15 I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me . . . . In what sense is this letter somewhat bold (audacious, daring)? Paul is probably referring to those places mentioned above where his admonitions are rather severe. Some think he is being "slightly apologetic" in view of the fact that he was not the one who founded the church in Rome and did not even know most of them (Cranfield, 2:752-753; Bruce, 260; Dunn, 2:857). Such an "apology" is not necessary, however, in view of Paul's general apostolic authority, to which he appeals in v. 15b.
Some may think that Paul had to speak forcefully at times because the Roman brethren's spiritual immaturity made it necessary. But we have just seen that Paul regards them as being not immature but "spiritually strong and well-equipped" (MacArthur, 2:330). Indeed, this is the very point: he has addressed them boldly just because their maturity makes them able to handle such admonitions and to profit from them.
Paul says he is reminding them again of these things, implying the prior knowledge mentioned in v. 14. This "diplomatic exaggeration" (Moo, 888) does not necessarily mean that they already knew everything Paul writes in this letter, but probably means that they knew the fundamental facts of the gospel, the deeper implications of which he is here setting forth. In any case it teaches us this, that although Christians are not supposed to keep focusing on the basics to the neglect of deeper doctrine (Heb 5:11-6:3), there is still a need for us to be periodically reminded even of fundamental truths (2 Tim 2:8-14; Titus 3:1; 2 Pet 1:12; 3:1).
In the last part of this verse Paul declares that he has reminded them of these things somewhat boldly on account of "the grace God gave to me." This grace is the gift of apostleship, his commission to be the Apostle to the Gentiles (see 1:5; JC, 1:77-78). His apostolic authority and apostolic duty are thus the basis or justification for what he has written in this letter and for the authoritative manner in which he has written it.
15:16 Paul now explains the essence of his apostleship. God gave me this grace, he says, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Three words in this verse show that Paul viewed his ministry as a (metaphorical) priesthood . First, he says God's grace has made him a "minister" (leitourgov" , leitourgos ; see 13:6). This word does not always have a religious connotation, but along with its cognates it sometimes refers to priestly service. (This is the word group from which we get the term "liturgy.") The present context, especially the other two words discussed below, shows that Paul has this priestly connotation in mind here. He thus identifies himself as a priestly minister serving Jesus Christ "to the Gentiles," or for the sake of the Gentiles. OT priests interceded with God on behalf of the Jews, but under the New Covenant that service is now performed on behalf of the Gentiles as well.
The second religious or cultic word used here is the verb iJerourgevw (hierourgeô ), translated "priestly duty" in the NIV. (See the words iJerov" [ hieros , "holy"] and iJerovn [ hieron , "sanctuary, temple"].) Most agree that it means "to serve or act as a priest" (AG, 374; Murray, 2:210; Dunn, 2:860; Moo, 890).
Thus Paul says that his specific work as a minister of Christ is to perform the work of a priest, and to do so with reference to "the gospel of God." The latter phrase can mean "by proclaiming the gospel," i.e., by using the gospel as an instrument. Or it can mean "for the cause of the gospel," i.e., to bring about the ultimate purpose sought by the gospel: the salvation of sinners (or in Paul's case, Gentile sinners).
The third word identifying Paul's ministry as a priesthood is "offering," or prosforav ( prosphora ), which in this case means the thing offered or sacrificed to God (see Acts 21:26; Eph 5:2; Heb 10:5, 8). The main work of a priest is to offer sacrifices to God on behalf of sinners, in order to restore them to a proper relationship with God. This is why Paul was called to his priestly ministry, i.e., for the purpose of presenting an offering before God.
What offering does Paul the priest present to God? Literally, "the offering of the Gentiles," i.e., the offering that consists of the Gentiles. As the result of Paul's ministry, converted Gentiles are themselves offered up to God as sacrifices that are well-pleasing and acceptable in his sight (Lenski, 880; Cranfield, 2:756; Dunn, 2:860). This does not mean simply that he leads them to offer themselves as living sacrifices (12:1); in his role as priest, Paul is the one who presents them to God (Stott, 379; contra Morris, 511). Though he does not quote it, Paul may have had in mind the prophecy in Isa 66:19-21, where God says he would scatter the Jews to proclaim his glory to the nations, so that the latter might be brought back to Jerusalem "as an offering to the Lord."
Paul says that this offering is "acceptable to God" because it is "sanctified by the Holy Spirit." Just as OT temple sacrifices had to be ritually clean and acceptable to God, so must NT sacrifices be acceptable to him. In the eyes of the Jews, the Gentiles were considered to be unclean and therefore unacceptable by nature, just because they were not Jews (Acts 10:9-16,28,34-35; 11:1-18). But God makes the Gentiles acceptable to him by sanctifying them through the Holy Spirit. This was done symbolically for all time when God poured out his Spirit on Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:44-47; 11:15-17; 15:8-9); and it is done for every individual Gentile convert when he receives the gift of the indwelling Spirit in Christian baptism (Acts 2:38,39; 1 Cor 12:3). At this point he is initially sanctified or set apart unto God "by the Spirit" (1 Cor 6:11).
Thus the essence of Paul's apostolic ministry is priestly service. The same can be said also of all those who preach the gospel. Paul's priestly offerings were specialized (the Gentiles), but in a real sense "all evangelists are priests because they offer their converts to God" (Stott, 379). Actually, every Christian is a priest and has some sort of sacrifice to offer. The Protestant Reformers rightly spoke of the "priesthood of all believers." The church, says Peter, is "a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 2:5; see 2:9; Rev 1:6; 20:6). These "spiritual sacrifices" are the "sacrifice of praise," or good words (Heb 13:15), and also the sacrifices of good works (Heb 13:16). The purpose of all such sacrifices is to impress others with the saving love of God and to lead them to surrender to him (Matt 5:16; 1 Pet 2:9-12).
15:17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. "I glory" is literally "I have a reason for boasting." In terms of both the quantity and the quality of of his service - winning converts, starting churches, writing books of the Bible! - Paul certainly could have put together a very impressive resume. But he was not interested in bringing glory to himself. He knew that his apostleship as such was a gift of grace (v. 15b), that the gospel is the real power that saves (1:16; 10:17), and that he owed his accomplishments to God's power working through him (v. 19a).
Thus Paul's boasting is not for himself, but for the Lord. He glories only "in Christ Jesus," and only regarding "things pertaining to God" (NASB). In 1 Cor 1:31 and 2 Cor 10:17, citing Jer 9:24, Paul states his philosophy of boasting: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
15:18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done . . . . Christ certainly accomplished many things through Paul, resulting in obedience on the part of many Gentiles. But here Paul reiterates and explains the determination expressed in v. 17, not to call attention to himself or to speak of his accomplishments as if they were his own. He will talk about them, but only as things that Christ has done through him, using him as an instrument. "Not I, but Christ" is his theme. See Acts 15:1-2; 21:19.
Some think Paul's emphasis is on what Christ has accomplished "through me , rather than through someone else" (Moule, 239; SH, 406; Murray, 2:212). This does not seem to be the point, though. The emphasis is on "what Christ has done through me."
Verse 18 ends with the short phrase, "by word and deed" (NASB). The NIV interprets this, as do most scholars, as modifying "accomplished," i.e., as referring to Paul's words and deeds. In this case it is a brief but comprehensive reference to his total ministry. "By word" refers to his preaching and teaching; "by deed" refers to his journeys, his sufferings, his miracles, and his many labors. See 2 Cor 10:11.
It is also possible to take this phrase as modifying "the obedience of the Gentiles," in which case it would mean that Paul's priestly ministry is intended to lead the Gentiles into a life of total obedience, in word and deed. See Col 3:17; 2 Thess 2:17.
15:19a How did Christ accomplish the evangelization of the Gentiles through Paul? He did it by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. He did it first of all by "the power of signs and wonders" (NASB). All three of these words are used elsewhere to refer to miracles (Acts 2:22; 2 Cor 12:12; Heb 2:4; see 2 Thess 2:9; see GRu, 229-231). "Signs" refers to miracles in terms of their purpose, namely, to function as proof or evidence for the validity of an accompanying truth-claim (see GRu, 231-240). They can function thus because they are also "wonders." I.e., because miracles are observable events that are outside the laws of nature (GRu, 244-261), they elicit awe and wonder in those who observe or hear of them. Miracles are also called "powers," referring to their source in the mighty power of God. (Here in 15:19a the word "power" is not referring to the miracles as such, but to the divine power from which they come.)
As an Apostle, Paul had the ability to perform miracles, and used it to attest to the truth of the message he proclaimed. See Acts 14:8-10; 16:16-18; 20:9-12; 28:3-9. These miracles confirmed the authenticity of his apostleship (2 Cor 12:12).
"Through the power of the Holy Spirit" could be saying only that the signs and wonders were done through the Spirit's power, but most (rightly) take it as setting forth a more general reason for the success of Paul's work among the Gentiles. I.e., everything Christ did through Paul was accomplished through the power of the Spirit working in him. This is a comprehensive explanation, since the Spirit's power was indeed the source of the miracles, but was also the source of Paul's inspired preaching and writing, and the source of his apostolic activity in general. (See Murray, 2:213; Cranfield, 2:759; Moo, 893.)
15:19b Having reflected on the source of, essence of, and power behind his ministry as the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul now tells us (in vv. 19b-22) something of the strategy behind it, and how that strategy has affected and is still affecting his choices of where to serve. He says, So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Here he sums up where he has preached the gospel thus far, i.e., within the boundaries of an arc-like span around the northeastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea, reaching from Jerusalem in the southeast to Illyricum in the northwest. "All the way around" translates a single word which literally means "in a circle." Some think this refers to the area surrounding Jerusalem, i.e., "the other countries lying around that city" (Lard, 442; see Godet, 480; Moule, 240). Recent interpreters agree that it refers to the geographical arc (which looks like part of a circle) mentioned above, as the general area within which Paul had thus far traveled and evangelized.
Illyricum (also called Dalmatia, 2 Tim 4:10) was a Roman province consisting of the area lying east of Italy across the Adriatic Sea, and northwest of Macedonia and Achaia. Moo notes that it corresponds roughly to the modern areas of northern Albania, much of Yugoslavia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina (894).
Some have questioned the accuracy of this statement, since the NT does not specifically mention Paul's journeying into either Jerusalem or Illyricum on any of his preaching tours. His ministry did include some time in Jerusalem (Gal 1:17-19; 2:2; Acts 9:26-29; 26:20), although he probably was not preaching to Gentiles there. Also, Acts 20:1-2 states that he traveled throughout the general area of Macedonia, which could have included an excursion into Illyricum.
In any case it is not necessary that we interpret Paul's statement to mean that he pursued his Gentile mission inside the borders of either Jerusalem or Illyricum. He may mean only that these are in general the boundaries up to which he carried the gospel (Cranfield, 2:761-762). Also, it is important to see that he is not talking about a single, chronologically-ordered trip. I.e., he is not saying he started in Jerusalem and wound up in Illyricum. He is speaking rather of the general geographical arc within which he worked. The statement is not a "detailed itinerary, but simply a grand design" (Dunn, 2:869).
What does Paul mean when he says he "fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ" in this area? Literally he says he "fulfilled the gospel" there. This could possibly refer to the content of his preaching, indicating that he left nothing out of his message (see Acts 20:20,27); but that does not seem to be his point here (see Murray, 2:214; Cranfield, 2:762). In this context he is focusing on the places where he preached.
Is he affirming, then, that he has already preached the gospel in every city, town, and village within the Jerusalem-Illyricum arc? No, this would have been physically impossible. The reasonable consensus is a little different, namely, that he "fully proclaimed the gospel" in the entire area named, but only according to the strategy explained in vv. 20-21. I.e., he preached in all the strategic cities and population centers in these provinces, going where no one had yet carried the gospel, and planting new churches which could then take up the task of spreading the Word to the surrounding regions. Thus in terms of his special mission as a trail-blazing, pioneer preacher, he had indeed "fulfilled the gospel" within the described arc.
15:20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. This verse begins with Greek words unfortunately not translated by the NIV, ou{tw" dev (houtôs de ). Houtôs means "thus, in this way." It connects v. 20 with v. 19 by explaining how Paul was able to fully proclaim the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum. I.e., he was able to complete this task because it was his policy always to be covering new ground. As Dunn says, this strategy was "a calculated policy on Paul's part, judged by him to be the most effective way of carrying the message of the gospel as far as he could throughout the gentile world" (2:869).
Paul states his strategy in two ways. First, his goal has been to preach "where Christ was not known," or literally, "not named." That is, he wanted to go into virgin territory where the Gentiles had not yet heard about Jesus and had not had the opportunity to name him as their Savior and Lord (10:9-13; 2 Tim 2:19).
Second, he has made it his practice to concentrate on unevangelized areas "so that [i{na , hina ] I would not be building on someone else's foundation." This was exactly how he had worked in Corinth: "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it" (1 Cor 3:10). Stated in a different way: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow" (1 Cor 3:6).
The consensus is that Paul understood himself to be called "to be a trail-blazer for the gospel, a pioneer missionary, a founder of churches" (Hendriksen, 2:490). His ministry was that of "establishing strategic churches in virgin gospel territory" (Moo, 896). By following this policy, says Dunn, Paul was able "to achieve the greatest missionary expansion with the greatest economy of missionary effort" (2:869).
While this was his general strategy, it was not an absolute rule and did not prevent him from making certain exceptions under special circumstances. For example, he was planning an immediate trip to Jerusalem to deliver the Gentile Christians' offering to the poor saints there (15:25-27). Also, he had long desired to visit Rome (1:9-15; 15:23), and was planning to go there as soon as he completed his business in Jerusalem (15:24,28).
While his planned visit to Rome would clearly be an exception to his usual policy, it was at the same time subordinated to it. The main reason he had not visited there earlier, he says (vv. 22-23), is that he was concentrating on the unevangelized regions in the East. Also, his visit to Rome would be part of a larger plan to begin a pioneer gospel mission in the West, specifically, in Spain (vv. 24,28). Finally, the visit to Rome would be just that: a brief visit (vv. 24,28).
15:21 Paul now cites an OT text which he sees as validating his pioneer-preacher policy. Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand." (The quote is from Isa 52:15, LXX.) This text is about the Servant of Yahweh and is undoubtedly messianic; it prepares the way for the great prophecy of Christ's propitiatory death in Isa 53. Paul cites this verse because the first part of it clearly indicates that Isaiah is talking about the Gentiles: "So will he [the Suffering Servant] sprinkle many nations" (i.e., to purify them; see 15:16).
The Gentiles are the ones "who were not told" about the Messiah, and "who have not heard." The point of the prophecy, however, is that they will see, and they will understand. Paul clearly implies that his own work as the Apostle to the Gentiles is a fulfillment of this prophecy, in that he is the means by which the nations are seeing and understanding.
If Paul derived his self-understanding as the Apostle of the Gentiles from this text, it is easy to see how he made it his policy "to preach the gospel where Christ was not known" (v. 20), since Isaiah speaks of nations "who were not told" and "who have not heard."
15:22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. Paul has already indicated in 1:13 that he had planned many times to visit Rome, but had been prevented from doing so until now. While other factors were also responsible (see JC, 1:97), the main reason why he had not yet been able to go to Rome was the urgent need to preach the gospel to the unevangelized in the Jerusalem-Illyricum arc. "His concern for place after place in that eastern area preoccupied him so that he could not come to Rome, no matter how often he thought of doing so" (Fitzmyer, 716).
B. HIS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE (15:23-29)
But this is all about to change, because Paul sees himself as having completed his trailblazing work in the eastern area. Having done so, he has now formulated a plan for a totally new phase in his missionary work, one that will definitely allow him to spend a short time in Rome. In this paragraph he explains it to the Roman church.
The plan Paul outlines is no small undertaking. His ultimate goal is Spain, in the far western regions of southern Europe. But instead of traveling directly there from Corinth (his location when he wrote this letter; see JC, 1:31), he felt the need to personally present the Gentiles' offering to the Jerusalem church. Only then would he go back westward to Spain, stopping at Rome on the way. Stott (384) calculates that this itinerary would require Paul to travel (mostly by boat) about 3,000 miles: c. 800 from Corinth to Jerusalem, c. 1,500 from Jerusalem to Rome, and c. 700 from Rome to Spain. Such a trip would be long, perilous, and uncomfortable.
15:23-24a But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. Here Paul names two basic factors that have shaped his upcoming travel plans. The first has to do with the completion of his missionary work in the eastern area. "Place" is tovpo" ( topos ), which can also mean "opportunity," a meaning that fits well here. "These regions" are the area described in v. 19b. Paul is simply saying that now that he has laid the foundation for the church there, he is ready to move on to a totally new area. In terms of the strategy affirmed in v. 20, there is no more opportunity for him to pursue his calling here.
The second factor shaping his itinerary is his long-standing desire to visit Rome itself, as described in 1:9-15. "Having been longing" is a rather rare noun that suggests a very strong desire.
The two parts of v. 23 are literally two participial phrases: "no longer having an opportunity" and "having a desire." The NIV properly translates them as dependent clauses. What we would expect next is a main clause in which Paul specifically asserts his intentions, e.g., "I am now planning a trip." But unfortunately (from a grammatical point of view, at least), that main clause never appears. In v. 24a Paul adds one more dependent clause (lit., "whenever I journey to Spain"), and breaks off his sentence without giving us a main clause of any kind.
Some later manuscripts added a main clause ("I will come to you," KJV), but this is not in the original text. Obviously Paul knows that we will understand his point even without a main clause, which we can indeed easily surmise in view of the context. Lard (445) suggests that at the end of v. 23 we can insert, "I purpose doing so"; this completes the thought. The NIV has done the same thing, adding a main clause at the beginning of v. 24, "I plan to do so." But this is not in the original; the next clause, "when I go to Spain," is actually how v. 24 begins. (See the NASB for a literal rendering of vv. 23-24a.)
Verse 24a and v. 28 are Paul's only references to his intention to evangelize Spain. We do not know if he was ever able to do this. The Bible says nothing more about it, but this does not rule out the possibility. Two statements from early Christian writings are sometimes interpreted as affirming that Paul did get to Spain, but these cannot be verified.
The main part of Paul's plan is to go to Spain; his visit to Rome will be but a brief stopover in his journey farther west. Spain, thought to be the location of Tarshish (Jonah 1:3; see 1 Kgs 10:22), was growing in significance as a cultural and commercial area of the Roman empire. This is no doubt why Paul saw it as a logical next step in his plan to evangelize those who had not yet heard.
15:24b In the rest of v. 24 Paul explains to the Christians at Rome the place of his intended visit there in relation to his overall plan. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. First, he says he will just be stopping by "to visit you" as he is "passing through." Both of these terms indicate that his stay in Rome will be "not much more than a stop on his way to his ultimate destination, which is Spain" (Moo, 898). Second, he says he will be able to stay only "for a while," literally, "in part." I.e., it will only be a partial visit compared with what he would prefer.
But even though his visit in Rome will be brief, he hopes to accomplish two things. First, he will attempt to persuade the church in Rome to assist him in his mission to Spain. The word translated "assist me on my journey" is propevmpw (propempô ), which could mean just "accompany, escort" (Acts 20:38; 21:5); but it more likely means "help on one's journey with food, money, by arranging for companions, means of travel, etc." (AG, 716). It is used several times in the NT in the latter sense (Acts 15:3; 1 Cor 16:6,11; 2 Cor 1:16; Titus 3:13; 3 John 6). It suggests at least that Paul was expecting the Roman Christians to give him substantial aid for the remainder of his journey to Spain. It may be that he was even hoping they would become a "supporting church" for his mission there, perhaps by providing him with a missionary recruit to help him in his work, as Philippi had sent Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25-30).
The other thing Paul hoped to accomplish by his visit with the Roman Christians was to "enjoy their company" in Christian fellowship. The word used here literally means "to be filled full"; it is appropriate to interpret it (as does the NIV) to mean something like "filled full with the pleasure of your company." He has already said (1:12) that he knows a visit with the brethren at Rome would be an encouragement to him (JC, 1:95-96). This is true even though he could be there only "for a while."
15:25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. Here Paul informs his Roman brothers that there is still one more thing he has to do before making his journey to Rome and Spain. He is just now beginning a trip to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21; 20:16), to deliver money collected from the Gentile churches during his third missionary journey, to help the poor Christians in the Jerusalem church. In this way he would be "serving the saints" (NASB).
The word for "serving" is diakonevw (diakoneô ), the verb form of diakoniva ( diakonia ). These words can have the general sense of serving or ministering to others' needs (see 16:1), or they can signify a more specific kind of service. As we have seen, diakonia in 12:7 probably refers to benevolent work in the church, just as diakoneô refers here to the collection taken for the poor in Jerusalem.
"Saints" is a word used for all Christians (see 1:7; JC, 1:85); here it refers specifically to the poor saints in Jerusalem (v. 26).
Ten or eleven years earlier, Paul (along with Barnabas) had already carried an offering to the Jerusalem church, sent by the church at Antioch (Acts 11:28-30; 12:25). The occasion then was a famine, and the motivation was simply Christian love.
What was the purpose of this present offering? First, there is no doubt that Paul encouraged this offering simply as an act of benevolence, as a way of helping the poor (Gal 2:10) in the spirit of Christian love (2 Cor 8:8,24). There is no indication that there was another widespread famine in the Jerusalem area at this time, but there did seem to be quite a number of poor saints there who needed continuing help.
Second and more significantly, Paul apparently regarded this offering as a concrete symbol of the unity and interdependence of Gentiles and Jews under the banner of the gospel of Christ. He has already written at length about this interdependence in ch. 11, and he will refer to it again in v. 29. By encouraging the Gentile Christians to contribute to this collection, Paul was hoping to get them to acknowledge their dependence on the Jews for salvation and to give them a token of their gratitude in return. In this way he "intended to establish good relations between the Jewish Christian mother-community in Jerusalem and the newly founded Gentile Christian churches" (Fitzmyer, 720).
15:26 After the initial general reference to his Jerusalem trip in v. 25, Paul now states its purpose explicitly: For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. "Macedonia and Achaia" refer, of course, to the churches in these two areas. Other areas had also participated in the collection, but these are the ones he had been working with most recently.
Macedonia lay southeast of Illyricum, across the Adriatic Sea from Italy's boot heel. It was bordered by the Aegean Sea on the east and Achaia on the south. Its main cities included Berea, Philippi, and Thessalonica (the capital). Achaia lay south of Macedonia as the end of a peninsula jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea. Athens and Corinth were its major cities. Both Macedonia and Achaia were part of pre-Roman Greece.
The Christians in these areas, says Paul, were "pleased" or delighted to participate in Paul's collection for the poor in Jerusalem. Though Paul had urged them to give (1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8:7,24), he made it clear that it was not a matter of necessity but of free and cheerful choice (2 Cor 8:8; 9:5,7). This free and cheerful spirit in which the gifts were given is indicated in the word "pleased"; Paul thinks this point is important enough to repeat the word in v. 27a. As v. 31b indicates, he hopes the gifts will be received by the Jerusalem church in a similar spirit.
The word translated "contribute" is koinwniva (koinônia ), which literally means "fellowship, participation, sharing in." The same word is used for this collection in 2 Cor 8:4; 9:13, where it is translated "sharing." Since money earned as salary or wages is indeed "coined life," when one gives his money to help meet the needs of others, it is truly an act of fellowship, of sharing one's very life with the recipient of the gift. Thus the very nature of benevolent giving (as an act of fellowship) made Paul's collection an ideal means of drawing the early Jewish and Gentile Christians closer together.
"The poor among the saints" rightly indicates that only some of the Christians in Jerusalem were poor. This had been true from the beginning, and the other Christians in the church there had always been ready to help them (Acts 4:34-37; 6:1). What is significant here is that so many Gentile Christians were willing to do the same.
15:27 This verse indicates why the Gentile Christians were so eagerly pleased to help the poor saints in Jerusalem: They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. Here for the first time Paul indicates that the main thing at stake in this collection was the relation between Jews and Gentiles in the church. The Gentile Christians were happy to share with the Jewish Christians (at Jerusalem), because they felt they owed it to them. Literally Paul says "they are debtors," using the same word he used of himself in 1:14 (JC, 1:99-100). This is not a legal debt but a moral obligation, a debt of gratitude. The Gentiles owed this debt to the Jews because of what the latter had done for them.
Paul explains the debt in the rest of the verse. The Gentiles, he says, "have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings." The "spiritual things" of which Paul speaks are the blessings of salvation, and his point is that the Gentiles must remember that "salvation is from the Jews" (John 4:22; see Rom 11:11,17; 15:8). It was through the Jews that the Savior came into the world (9:5), and in this sense all Christians owe an unpayable debt to the Jews. Also, it was from Jerusalem, through the early Jewish Christians, that the gospel was first proclaimed and from which it spread into all the earth (Acts 1:8; see Isa 2:3-5; Micah 4:2-5). This resulted in "an obligation on the part of the gentile churches to those through whom the stream of salvation-history blessings had flowed to them" (Dunn, 2:873). As MacArthur says (2:347), "On the human level, all Gentile Christians owe their spiritual lives to the Jewish apostles, prophets, teachers, and evangelists who first proclaimed the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ."
Although the collection obviously could never begin to be equivalent to the spiritual gifts the Gentile Christians had received through and from the Jewish Christians, it was nevertheless fitting and proper for the former to give back a gift of material things as a way of expressing their gratitude. Indeed, they ought to do so; they "owe" it to them - again in terms of moral obligation.
The word translated "share" is leitourgevw (leitourgeô ) (the verb form of leitourgos in 15:16), which indicates that the collection was an act of servanthood and an act of worship. See 2 Cor 9:12, where Paul refers to this contribution as "the ministry [ diakonia ] of this service [ leitourgia ]" (NASB).
15:28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. Having explained his imminent trip to Jerusalem (vv. 25-27), Paul now returns to the main point he was making in v. 24, about his planned trip to Rome and then to Spain. He will make the latter trip only after he has finished the business about the collection, i.e., after he has delivered it to the Jerusalem church in person.
At this point Paul adds a participial phrase that most find difficult to understand. It explains what, to Paul, was involved in completing the task of delivering the collection. He describes this act as, literally, "having sealed to them this fruit." "This fruit" is the collection itself, but in what sense is it "fruit"? This may mean that it was the fruit of Paul's own labor, i.e., of the effort he expended in raising these gifts. More likely Paul means it was the fruit produced among the Gentiles as a result of the spiritual blessings sent forth to them by the Jerusalem Christians (Cranfield, 2:775; Murray, 2:219).
The difficult question is, what does Paul mean when he says that he will seal this fruit to the Jerusalem church? To place one's seal upon something means to put one's unique identifying mark upon it in order to guarantee its authenticity. The NIV interprets Paul's sealing action here in terms of safe delivery. I.e., Paul travels along with the collection in order to make sure that the Jerusalem church receives it. This is probably not the point, since Paul had many trusted helpers who could have done this. Thus the NIV translation is off the mark.
Some take the concept of the seal here in its most basic sense, i.e., as a mark of identification. Sometimes an image taken from tenant farming is cited: "When the tenant farmer delivered the harvested fruit or produce to the owner, the sacks were marked with the farmer's seal as an identification of its source." Thus "the seal was an official mark of ownership used in deliveries, and sealing was the last act before delivery" (Fitzmyer, 723). Lenski rejects such an explanation, saying that ownership of the collection is not the issue (893).
The most likely meaning is that Paul put his seal on the collection in the sense that he attested and certified to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem that this money was a gift of genuine love from their Gentile brethren. He made this long and arduous trip to Jerusalem just to make sure that the Jewish Christians understood the significance of the gift as an instrument that was meant to join them and their Gentile brothers together in a bond of Christian fellowship.
Once this has been accomplished, Paul says, "I will go on by way of you to Spain" (NASB). The NIV's "visit you on the way" is literally "through you," i.e., through Rome. This is another indication that his visit to Rome was going to be brief and was secondary to his purpose of taking the gospel to Spain (see v. 24).
15:29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. Here Paul expresses a measure of confidence that he will finally be able to fulfill his longing to visit Rome, once the Jerusalem task is completed. "I know," he says; "I will come," he says. We know from the book of Acts that he did indeed go to Rome, though not exactly according to his original plan.
In any case, he was sure that when he came, it would be with the full blessing of Christ. That is, he knew that Christ's blessing would be upon him, and he knew that he would be able to bestow the fullness of Christ's blessing upon them (see 1:12).
C. HIS REQUEST FOR PRAYER (15:30-33)
Despite the confidence expressed in v. 29, Paul is still somewhat apprehensive about his trip to Jerusalem, especially about how he and the contribution would be received there. Thus he closes this section of the letter with a request for prayer concerning his announced itinerary.
15:30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. This is surely more a personal plea than an authoritative command (see 12:1). It is an urgent plea; the word for "urge" (parakalevw , parakaleô ) often has the connotation of pleading and begging. The language shows that Paul feels a serious need for the intercessory prayer of his brethren.
Paul names two bases for his appeal. First, he pleads for prayer "by [diav , dia ] our Lord Jesus Christ." This may be a reference to the authority by which he makes his request (Moo, 909), but more likely he is just appealing to the fact that he and his Roman brethren both worship the same Lord (" our Lord"): "I urge you, as one Christian to another . . . ."
The other basis for his appeal is "the love of the Spirit." This is no doubt the Holy Spirit, but it is not clear just how the Spirit and the love (ajgavph , agapç ) are related. Grammatically it could mean the Spirit's love for us: "The Spirit's love should incite to prayer" (Murray, 2:221). Also, it could mean our love for the Spirit (MacArthur, 2:350). Most likely, though, it means the love which the Holy Spirit imparts to us as part of his sanctifying work, and which is one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). It is "that love between Christians which is the effect of the Holy Spirit's indwelling" (Cranfield, 2:776; see Morris, 523; Dunn, 2:878; Moo, 909). I.e., Paul is saying, "If you really love me - and Spirit-filled Christians should love one another - you will pray for me."
Paul beseeches his brethren not just "to pray," but to strive or struggle along with him in prayer. The word for "struggle" is sunagwnivzomai (synagônizomai , cf. "agonize"). This is a combination of agônizomai , which means "to engage in a contest, to fight, to struggle, to wrestle, to strive"; plus syn , "along with" (AG, 15, 791). Paul's use of the term here does not necessarily imply struggling against someone or something, though we may be tempted to think of Jacob's wrestling with God (Gen 32:24-30) and of every Christian's struggle against evil powers (Eph 6:10-12).
To what struggle does Paul refer? Quite possibly he is thinking of the struggle he anticipates in Jerusalem, where he expects to meet with resistance from both his unbelieving Jewish enemies and the Jewish Christians (see v. 31). The NIV suggests this meaning; it pictures Paul beseeching the Christians at Rome to march alongside him in this struggle, not by their physical presence but by their prayers for him (see Dunn, 2:878).
The other possibility, which is more likely, is that the struggle to which Paul refers is the praying itself, in which case he is not talking about ordinary, casual prayer but earnest, forceful, and persistent prayer like that of Jesus in Gethsemane (see Cranfield, 2:777). Thus he "calls for prayers into which one puts his whole heart and soul as do the contestants in the arena" (Lenski, 895).
It may be incidental, but there is a Trinitarian framework in this verse. Paul pleads with the Romans to pray (1) to God the Father, (2) through the Lord Jesus Christ, and (3) through the love of the Holy Spirit (see also vv. 18-19). It should be noted that the prayer is directed to God the Father, not to the Son nor to the Spirit.
15:31 Now Paul instructs the saints at Rome to pray for two things in particular: Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, . . . The "unbelievers in Judea" are the unbelieving, unconverted Jews in Jerusalem and the whole surrounding area. Paul was well known to them as a former leader among the Jews (see JC, 1:27-28) and was considered to be a betrayer of his people and his religion, and the Apostle was well aware of their hostility toward him (Acts 13:45,50; 17:5-8,13; 18:12-17; 19:9; 20:3). They had already tried to kill him (Acts 9:29; 14:19), and would do so again (Acts 23:12-15). Thus "Paul realized fully that he was walking into a den of lions" (Lenski, 895). He was not afraid to die, but he wanted to live in order to fulfill his plans to evangelize Spain (Acts 20:24; see Phil 1:21-25).
Paul specifically requests that his brethren pray that he might "be rescued" from the unbelieving Jews. The word for "rescue" (rJuvomai , rhyomai ) can mean "to protect or preserve from harm," but often it has the connotation of delivering or rescuing someone from a peril that has already come upon him. At the time Paul wrote this letter he may already have known that he was going to be captured and bound by the Jews in Jerusalem; it was certainly made clear to him shortly after this (Acts 20:22-23; 21:10-14). Thus he may be requesting prayer that God will literally rescue him out of this certain captivity.
As a matter of fact, this is the way it happened. If Paul was praying and asking for prayer that he not be captured at all, then his prayer was not answered. If he was praying and asking for prayer that he be delivered from his Jewish enemies after they had captured him, then this prayer was definitely answered - but not necessarily in any way that Paul could have anticipated. He was in fact rescued from his Jewish captors, but only by becoming a prisoner of the Roman government.
Paul's other specific prayer request is that the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem ("the saints," vv. 25, 26) would accept the offering he was bringing to them. This is not just a prayer that all will go well in a general way (contra Cranfield, 2:778), but a prayer that the existing tension between Paul and his Gentile converts on the one hand, and the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem on the other hand, would not lead to a rejection of the offering but instead would break down that very tension and unite them all in true brotherhood. Many of the Jewish Christians still could not get used to the idea that God would accept the Gentiles (unless they first submitted to the Law of Moses; Acts 15:1-5); and they were suspicious of Paul's gospel, regarding it as negative toward Jews and the Law (see Acts 21:20-21). Therefore they might think that accepting the contribution would be an endorsement of Paul's gospel and thus a compromise of their beliefs. Paul requests prayer that none of this will happen, and that the offering will be accepted in the right spirit.
15:32 [S]o that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. While Paul's main concerns were his safety and a congenial acceptance of the offering, he did have a secondary concern, one relating to his planned trip to Rome. If the first prayer was not answered, Paul knew that he might not get to Rome at all; and even if that one was answered but the second one was not, his heart would be heavy and his visit to Rome would be tainted with melancholy. Thus he requests fervent prayer for these two things, "so that" (i{na , hina ) he may indeed be able to come to Rome, and to come with joy.
If this does happen, says Paul, it will be "by God's will." This does not mean the decretive will of Calvinist determinism (contra Murray, 2:223), according to which God unconditionally and unilaterally decrees and determines everything that happens. It may refer only or at least partly to the permissive will of God (GRu, 313-317), by which God in his sovereignty allows historical events to unfold according to human free will choices. Or it may refer to God's purposive will (GRu, 304-310), according to which God intervenes via his special providence in order to accomplish certain purposes, particularly in answer to prayer (see GRu, 376-378).
Paul knew that his itinerary was subject to God's will in these senses (Acts 16:6-10; 18:21; Rom 1:10; 1 Cor 4:19; 16:7). So in this case, he knew God either could allow his adversaries' evil purposes to unfold as they may, or could intervene in the historical process in answer to prayer and cause positive results to occur. Either way, he knew it would be God's will - either permissive or purposive. And either way, he knew it would all work together for good (8:28).
The fact is that Paul did get to go to Rome and visit with the brethren there (Acts 28:15), but not according to his own plan. His plan was to stay there for a short time and "be refreshed" by his visit with the brethren, in a kind of "R & R" mode. He was looking forward to Rome as being "like a lovely, quiet harbor; he sees himself storm-tossed and battling during the period ahead of him and longs to reach Rome, the quiet haven, to drop anchor there for a while and - come to rest" (Lenski, 896). It did not happen this way, though. Instead, he came to the city as a prisoner of the Roman government, and was under house arrest for two years (Acts 28:16,30).
We are not specifically told what happened after these two years, but it is almost certain that he was released (see Gaertner, Acts , 429-431). Perhaps at that time he was at last able to "be refreshed" with the Roman Christians.
15:33 After his request for prayer in his own behalf by the church at Rome, Paul cannot close this section without himself uttering a prayer on their behalf. Thus he says, The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Paul has just recently spoken of God as the God of endurance and encouragement (v. 5), and the God of hope (v. 13). Now he calls him the "God of peace" (see also 16:20; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 4:9; 1 Thess 5:23; Heb 13:20), i.e., the God who bestows upon believing sinners a state of peace and reconciliation with himself (5:1), a feeling of peace and tranquility within (8:6; 15:13), and a relationship of peace and harmony among brethren (14:17).
In view of his own anticipated tensions in Jerusalem, Paul has just requested prayer from the Roman brethren that God would make his trip to Jerusalem a peaceful one. Thus it is appropriate that he should pray for the same "God of peace" to be with the saints in Rome also. For God to "be with" someone means that he is present to them in all his loving power in order to bless and to protect. On "Amen," see 1:25 (JC, 1:154).
McGarvey -> Rom 15:15
McGarvey: Rom 15:15 - --But I write the more boldly unto you in some measure, as putting you again in remembrance [Thus suggesting that the matter of his Epistle was not whol...
But I write the more boldly unto you in some measure, as putting you again in remembrance [Thus suggesting that the matter of his Epistle was not wholly new to them: comp. 2Pe 1:12-13], because of the grace [i. e., apostleship: comp. Rom 1:5 ; Rom 12:3 ; Gal 2:9 ; Eph 3:7-11] that was given me of God ,
expand allIntroduction / Outline
Robertson: Romans (Book Introduction) The Epistle to the Romans
Spring of a.d. 57
By Way of Introduction
Integrity of the Epistle
The genuineness of the Epistle is so generally adm...
The Epistle to the Romans
Spring of a.d. 57
By Way of Introduction
Integrity of the Epistle
The genuineness of the Epistle is so generally admitted by scholars that it is unnecessary to prove it here, for Loman, Steck, and the Dutch scholars (Van Manen, etc.) who deny it as Pauline are no longer taken seriously. He wrote it from Corinth because he sent it to Rome by Phoebe of Cenchreae (Rom_16:2) if chapter 16 is acknowledged to be a part of the Epistle. Chapter 16 is held by some to be really a short epistle to Ephesus because of the long list of names in it, because of Paul’s long stay in Ephesus, because he had not yet been to Rome, and because, in particular, Aquila and Priscilla are named (Rom_16:3-5) who had been with Paul in Ephesus. But they had come from Rome before going to Corinth and there is no reason for thinking that they did not return to Rome. It was quite possible for Paul to have many friends in Rome whom he had met elsewhere. People naturally drifted to Rome from all over the empire. The old MSS. (Aleph A B C D) give chapter 16 as an integral part of the Epistle. Marcion rejected it and chapter 15 also for reasons of his own. Renan’s theory that Romans was a circular letter like Ephesians sent in different forms to different churches (Rome, Ephesus, Thessalonica, etc.) has appealed to some scholars as explaining the several doxologies in the Epistle, but they cause no real difficulty since Paul interjected them in his other epistles according to his moods (2Co_1:20, for instance). That theory raises more problems than it solves as, for example, Paul’s remarks about going to Rome (Rom_1:9-16) which apply to Rome. Lightfoot suggests the possibility that Paul added Rom_16:25-27 some years after the original date so as to turn it into a circular letter. But the MSS. do not support that theory and that leaves Rom_15:22-33 in the Epistle quite unsuitable to a circular letter. Modern knowledge leaves the Epistle intact with occasional variations in the MSS. on particular points as is true of all the N.T.
The Time and Place
The place is settled if we accept Rom_16:1. The time of the year is in the spring if we combine statements in the Acts and the Epistle. He says: " I am now going to Jerusalem ministering to the saints" (Rom_15:25). In Act_20:3 we read that Paul spent three months in Corinth. In II Corinthians we have a full account of the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. The account of the journey from Corinth to Jerusalem is given in Acts 20:3-21:17. It was in the spring between passover at Philippi (Act_20:6) and pentecost in Jerusalem (Act_20:16; Act_21:17). The precise year is not quite so certain, but we may suggest a.d. 57 or 58 with reasonable confidence.
The Purpose
Paul tells this himself. He had long cherished a desire to come to Rome (Act_19:21) and had often made his plans to do so (Rom_1:13) which were interrupted (Rom_15:22), but now he definitely plans to go from Jerusalem, after taking the contribution there (Rom_15:26), to Rome and then on to Spain (Rom_15:24, Rom_15:28). Meanwhile he sends this Epistle that the Romans may know what Paul’s gospel really is (Rom_1:15; Rom_2:16). He is full of the issues raised by the Judaizing controversy as set forth in the Epistles to Corinth and to Galatia. So in a calmer mood and more at length he presents his conception of the Righteousness demanded by God (Rom_1:17) of both Gentile (Rom_1:18-32) and Jew (Romans 2:1-3:20) and only to be obtained by faith in Christ who by his atoning death (justification) has made it possible (Romans 3:21-5:21). This new life of faith in Christ should lead to holiness of life (sanctification, chapters Romans 6-8). This is Paul’s gospel and the remaining chapters deal with corollaries growing out of the doctrine of grace as applied to practical matters. It is a cause for gratitude that Paul did write out so full a statement of his message. He had a message for the whole world and was anxious to win the Roman Empire to Christ. It was important that he go to Rome for it was the centre of the world’s life. Nowhere does Paul’s Christian statesmanship show to better advantage than in this greatest of his Epistles. It is not a book of formal theology though Paul is the greatest of theologians. Here Paul is seen in the plenitude of his powers with all the wealth of his knowledge of Christ and his rich experience in mission work. The church in Rome is plainly composed of both Jews and Greeks, though who started the work there we have no way of knowing. Paul’s ambition was to preach where no one else had been (Rom_15:20), but he has no hesitation in going on to Rome.
JFB: Romans (Book Introduction) THE GENUINENESS of the Epistle to the Romans has never been questioned. It has the unbroken testimony of all antiquity, up to CLEMENT OF ROME, the apo...
THE GENUINENESS of the Epistle to the Romans has never been questioned. It has the unbroken testimony of all antiquity, up to CLEMENT OF ROME, the apostle's "fellow laborer in the Gospel, whose name was in the Book of Life" (Phi 4:3), and who quotes from it in his undoubted Epistle to the Corinthians, written before the close of the first century. The most searching investigations of modern criticism have left it untouched.
WHEN and WHERE this Epistle was written we have the means of determining with great precision, from the Epistle itself compared with the Acts of the Apostles. Up to the date of it the apostle had never been at Rome (Rom 1:11, Rom 1:13, Rom 1:15). He was then on the eve of visiting Jerusalem with a pecuniary contribution for its Christian poor from the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, after which his purpose was to pay a visit to Rome on his way to Spain (Rom 15:23-28). Now this contribution we know that he carried with him from Corinth, at the close of his third visit to that city, which lasted three months (Act 20:2-3; Act 24:17). On this occasion there accompanied him from Corinth certain persons whose names are given by the historian of the Acts (Act 20:4), and four of these are expressly mentioned in our Epistle as being with the apostle when he wrote it--Timotheus, Sosipater, Gaius, and Erastus (Rom 16:21, Rom 16:23). Of these four, the third, Gaius, was an inhabitant of Corinth (1Co 1:14), and the fourth, Erastus, was "chamberlain of the city" (Rom 16:23), which can hardly be supposed to be other than Corinth. Finally, Phœbebe, the bearer, as appears, of this Epistle, was a deaconess of the Church at Cenchrea, the eastern port of Corinth (Rom 16:1). Putting these facts together, it is impossible to resist the conviction, in which all critics agree, that Corinth was the place from which the Epistle was written, and that it was despatched about the close of the visit above mentioned, probably in the early spring of the year 58.FOUNDER of this celebrated church is unknown. That it owed its origin to the apostle Peter, and that he was its first bishop, though an ancient tradition and taught in the Church of Rome as a fact not to be doubted, is refuted by the clearest evidence, and is given up even by candid Romanists. On that supposition, how are we to account for so important a circumstance being passed by in silence by the historian of the Acts, not only in the narrative of Peter's labors, but in that of Paul's approach to the metropolis, of the deputations of Roman "brethren" that came as far as Appii Forum and the Three Taverns to meet him, and of his two years' labors there (Act 28:15, Act 28:30)? And how, consistently with his declared principle--not to build on another man's foundation (Rom 15:20) --could he express his anxious desire to come to them that he might have some fruit among them also, even as among other Gentiles (Rom 1:13), if all the while he knew that they had the apostle of the circumcision for their spiritual father? And how, if so, is there no salutation to Peter among the many in this Epistle? or, if it may be thought that he was known to be elsewhere at that particular time, how does there occur in all the Epistles which our apostle afterwards wrote from Rome not one allusion to such an origin of the church at Rome? The same considerations would seem to prove that this church owed its origin to no prominent Christian laborer; and this brings us to the much-litigated question.
For WHAT CLASS of Christians was this Epistle principally designed--Jewish or Gentile? That a large number of Jews and Jewish proselytes resided at this time at Rome is known to all who are familiar with the classical and Jewish writers of that and the immediately subsequent periods; and that those of them who were at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Act 2:10), and formed probably part of the three thousand converts of that day, would on their return to Rome carry the glad tidings with them, there can be no doubt. Nor are indications wanting that some of those embraced in the salutations of this Epistle were Christians already of long standing, if not among the earliest converts to the Christian faith. Others of them who had made the apostle's acquaintance elsewhere, and who, if not indebted to him for their first knowledge of Christ, probably owed much to his ministrations, seemed to have charged themselves with the duty of cherishing and consolidating the work of the Lord in the capital. And thus it is not improbable that up to the time of the apostle's arrival the Christian community at Rome had been dependent upon subordinate agency for the increase of its numbers, aided by occasional visits of stated preachers from the provinces; and perhaps it may be gathered from the salutations of the last chapter that it was up to that time in a less organized, though far from less flourishing state, than some other churches to whom the apostle had already addressed Epistles. Certain it is, that the apostle writes to them expressly as a Gentile Church (Rom 1:13, Rom 1:15; Rom 15:15-16); and though it is plain that there were Jewish Christians among them, and the whole argument presupposes an intimate acquaintance on the part of his readers with the leading principles of the Old Testament, this will be sufficiently explained by supposing that the bulk of them, having before they knew the Lord been Gentile proselytes to the Jewish faith, had entered the pale of the Christian Church through the gate of the ancient economy.
It remains only to speak briefly of the PLAN and CHARACTER Of this Epistle. Of all the undoubted Epistles of our apostle, this is the most elaborate, and at the same time the most glowing. It has just as much in common with a theological treatise as is consistent with the freedom and warmth of a real letter. Referring to the headings which we have prefixed to its successive sections, as best exhibiting the progress of the argument and the connection of its points, we here merely note that its first great topic is what may be termed the legal relation of man to God as a violator of His holy law, whether as merely written on the heart, as in the case of the heathen, or, as in the case of the Chosen People, as further known by external revelation; that it next treats of that legal relation as wholly reversed through believing connection with the Lord Jesus Christ; and that its third and last great topic is the new life which accompanies this change of relation, embracing at once a blessedness and a consecration to God which, rudimentally complete already, will open, in the future world, into the bliss of immediate and stainless fellowship with God. The bearing of these wonderful truths upon the condition and destiny of the Chosen People, to which the apostle next comes, though it seem but the practical application of them to his kinsmen according to the flesh, is in some respects the deepest and most difficult part of the whole Epistle, carrying us directly to the eternal springs of Grace to the guilty in the sovereign love and inscrutable purposes of God; after which, however, we are brought back to the historical platform of the visible Church, in the calling of the Gentiles, the preservation of a faithful Israelitish remnant amidst the general unbelief and fall of the nation, and the ultimate recovery of all Israel to constitute, with the Gentiles in the latter day, one catholic Church of God upon earth. The remainder of the Epistle is devoted to sundry practical topics, winding up with salutations and outpourings of heart delightfully suggestive.
JFB: Romans (Outline)
INTRODUCTION. (Rom. 1:1-17)
THE JEW UNDER LIKE CONDEMNATION WITH THE GENTILE. (Rom. 2:1-29)
JEWISH OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. (Rom 3:1-8)
THAT THE JEW IS S...
- INTRODUCTION. (Rom. 1:1-17)
- THE JEW UNDER LIKE CONDEMNATION WITH THE GENTILE. (Rom. 2:1-29)
- JEWISH OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. (Rom 3:1-8)
- THAT THE JEW IS SHUT UP UNDER LIKE CONDEMNATION WITH THE GENTILE IS PROVED BY HIS OWN SCRIPTURE. (Rom 3:9-20)
- GOD'S JUSTIFYING RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, ALIKE ADAPTED TO OUR NECESSITIES AND WORTHY OF HIMSELF. (Rom 3:21-26)
- INFERENCES FROM THE FOREGOING DOCTRINES AND AN OBJECTION ANSWERED. (Rom 3:27-31)
- THE FOREGOING DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ILLUSTRATED FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. (Rom. 4:1-25)
- THE BLESSED EFFECTS OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. (Rom 5:1-11)
- COMPARISON AND CONTRAST BETWEEN ADAM AND CHRIST IN THEIR RELATION TO THE HUMAN FAMILY. (Rom 5:12-21)
- THE BEARING OF JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE UPON A HOLY LIFE. (Rom 6:1-11)
- WHAT PRACTICAL USE BELIEVERS SHOULD MAKE OF THEIR DEATH TO SIN AND LIFE TO GOD THROUGH UNION TO THE CRUCIFIED SAVIOUR. (Rom 6:12-23)
- SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. (Rom. 7:1-25)
- CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE ARGUMENT--THE GLORIOUS COMPLETENESS OF THEM THAT ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. (Rom. 8:1-39)
- THE BEARING OF THE FOREGOING TRUTHS UPON THE CONDITION AND DESTINY OF THE CHOSEN PEOPLE--ELECTION--THE CALLING OF THE GENTILES. (Rom. 9:1-33)
- SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED--HOW ISRAEL CAME TO MISS SALVATION, AND THE GENTILES TO FIND IT. (Rom. 10:1-21)
- SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED AND CONCLUDED--THE ULTIMATE INBRINGING OF ALL ISRAEL, TO BE, WITH THE GENTILES, ONE KINGDOM OF GOD ON THE EARTH. (Rom. 11:1-36)
- DUTIES OF BELIEVERS, GENERAL AND PARTICULAR. (Rom. 12:1-21)
- SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED--POLITICAL AND SOCIAL RELATIONS--MOTIVES. (Rom 13:1-14)
- SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED--CHRISTIAN FORBEARANCE. (Rom. 14:1-23)
- SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED AND CONCLUDED. (Rom 15:1-13)
- CONCLUSION: IN WHICH THE APOSTLE APOLOGIZES FOR THUS WRITING TO THE ROMAN CHRISTIANS, EXPLAINS WHY HE HAD NOT YET VISITED THEM, ANNOUNCES HIS FUTURE PLANS, AND ASKS THEIR PRAYERS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THEM. (Rom. 15:14-33)
- CONCLUSION, EMBRACING SUNDRY SALUTATIONS AND DIRECTIONS, AND A CLOSING PRAYER. (Rom. 16:1-27)
- WHY THIS DIVINELY PROVIDED RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NEEDED BY ALL MEN. (Rom 1:18)
- THIS WRATH OF GOD, REVEALED AGAINST ALL INIQUITY, OVERHANGS THE WHOLE HEATHEN WORLD. (Rom 1:18-32)
TSK: Romans (Book Introduction) The Epistle to the Romans is " a writing," says Dr. Macknight, " which, for sublimity and truth of sentiment, for brevity and strength of expression,...
The Epistle to the Romans is " a writing," says Dr. Macknight, " which, for sublimity and truth of sentiment, for brevity and strength of expression, for regularity in its structure, but above all, for the unspeakable importance of the discoveries which it contains, stands unrivalled by any mere human composition, and as far exceeds the most celebrated productions of the learned Greeks and Romans, as the shining of the sun exceeds the twinkling of the stars." " The plan of it is very extensive; and it is surprising to see what a spacious field of knowledge is comprised, and how many various designs, arguments, explications, instructions, and exhortations, are executed in so small a compass....The whole Epistle is to be taken in connection, or considered as one continued discourse; and the sense of every part must be taken from the drift of the whole. Every sentence, or verse, is not to be regarded as a distinct mathematical proposition, or theorem, or as a sentence in the book of Proverbs, whose sense is absolute, and independent of what goes before, or comes after, but we must remember, that every sentence, especially in the argumentative part, bears relation to, and is dependent upon, the whole discourse, and cannot be rightly understood unless we understand the scope and drift of the whole; and therefore, the whole Epistle, or at least the eleven first chapters of it, ought to be read over at once, without stopping. As to the use and excellency of this Epistle, I shall leave it to speak for itself, when the reader has studied and well digested its contents....This Epistle will not be difficult to understand, if our minds are unprejudiced, and at liberty to attend to the subject, and to the current scriptural sense of the words used. Great care is taken to guard and explain every part of the subject; no part of it is left unexplained or unguarded. Sometimes notes are written upon a sentence, liable to exception and wanting explanation, as Rom 2:12-16. Here Rom 2:13 and Rom 2:15 are a comment upon the former part of it. Sometimes are found comments upon a single word; as Rom 10:11-13. Rom 10:12 and Rom 10:13 are a comment upon
TSK: Romans 15 (Chapter Introduction) Overview
Rom 15:1, The strong must bear with the weak; Rom 15:2, We must not please ourselves; Rom 15:3, for Christ did not so; Rom 15:7, but rece...
Overview
Rom 15:1, The strong must bear with the weak; Rom 15:2, We must not please ourselves; Rom 15:3, for Christ did not so; Rom 15:7, but receive one another, as Christ did us all; Rom 15:8, both Jews and Gentiles; Rom 15:15, Paul excuses his writing; Rom 15:28, and promises to see them; Rom 15:30, and requests their prayers.
Poole: Romans 15 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 15
MHCC: Romans (Book Introduction) The scope or design of the apostle in writing to the Romans appears to have been, to answer the unbelieving, and to teach the believing Jew; to confir...
The scope or design of the apostle in writing to the Romans appears to have been, to answer the unbelieving, and to teach the believing Jew; to confirm the Christian and to convert the idolatrous Gentile; and to show the Gentile convert as equal with the Jewish, in respect of his religious condition, and his rank in the Divine favour. These several designs are brought into on view, by opposing or arguing with the infidel or unbelieving Jew, in favour of the Christian or believing Gentile. The way of a sinner's acceptance with God, or justification in his sight, merely by grace, through faith in the righteousness of Christ, without distinction of nations, is plainly stated. This doctrine is cleared from the objections raised by Judaizing Christians, who were for making terms of acceptance with God by a mixture of the law and the gospel, and for shutting out the Gentiles from any share in the blessings of salvation brought in by the Messiah. In the conclusion, holiness is further enforced by practical exhortations.
MHCC: Romans 15 (Chapter Introduction) (Rom 15:1-7) Directions how to behave towards the weak.
(Rom 15:8-13) All to receive one another as brethren.
(Rom 15:14-21) The writing and preachi...
(Rom 15:1-7) Directions how to behave towards the weak.
(Rom 15:8-13) All to receive one another as brethren.
(Rom 15:14-21) The writing and preaching of the apostle.
(Rom 15:22-29) His purposed journeys.
(Rom 15:30-33) He requests their prayers.
Matthew Henry: Romans (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans
If we may compare scripture with scripture, and take the opinion ...
An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans
If we may compare scripture with scripture, and take the opinion of some devout and pious persons, in the Old Testament David's Psalms, and in the New Testament Paul's Epistles, are stars of the first magnitude, that differ from the other stars in glory. The whole scripture is indeed an epistle from heaven to earth: but in it we have upon record several particular epistles, more of Paul's than of any other, for he was the chief of the apostles, and laboured more abundantly than they all. His natural parts, I doubt not, were very pregnant; his apprehension was quick and piercing; his expressions were fluent and copious; his affections, wherever he took, very warm and zealous, and his resolutions no less bold and daring: this made him, before his conversion, a very keen and bitter persecutor; but when the strong man armed was dispossessed, and the stronger than he came to divide the spoil and to sanctify these qualifications, he became the most skilful zealous preacher; never any better fitted to win souls, nor more successful. Fourteen of his epistles we have in the canon of scripture; many more, it is probable, he wrote in the course of his ministry, which might be profitable enough for doctrine, for reproof, etc., but, not being given by inspiration of God, they were not received as canonical scripture, nor handed down to us. Six epistles, said to be Paul's, written to Seneca, and eight of Seneca's to him, are spoken of by some of the ancients [ Sixt. Senens. Biblioth. Sanct. lib. 2] and are extant; but, upon the first view, they appear spurious and counterfeit.
This epistle to the Romans is placed first, not because of the priority of its date, but because of the superlative excellency of the epistle, it being one of the longest and fullest of all, and perhaps because of the dignity of the place to which it is written. Chrysostom would have this epistle read over to him twice a week. It is gathered from some passages in the epistle that it was written Anno Christi 56, from Corinth, while Paul made a short stay there in his way to Troas, Act 20:5, Act 20:6. He commendeth to the Romans Phebe, a servant of the church at Cenchrea (ch. 16), which was a place belonging to Corinth. He calls Gaius his host, or the man with whom he lodged (Rom 16:23), and he was a Corinthian, not the same with Gaius of Derbe, mentioned Acts 20. Paul was now going up to Jerusalem, with the money that was given to the poor saints there; and of that he speaks, Rom 15:26. The great mysteries treated of in this epistle must needs produce in this, as in other writings of Paul, many things dark and hard to be understood, 2Pe 3:16. The method of this (as of several other of the epistles) is observable; the former part of it doctrinal, in the first eleven chapters; the latter part practical, in the last five: to inform the judgment and to reform the life. And the best way to understand the truths explained in the former part is to abide and abound in the practice of the duties prescribed in the latter part; for, if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, Joh 7:17.
I. The doctrinal part of the epistles instructs us,
1. Concerning the way of salvation (1.) The foundation of it laid in justification, and that not by the Gentiles' works of nature (ch. 1), nor by the Jews' works of the law (ch. 2, 3), for both Jews and Gentiles were liable to the curse; but only by faith in Jesus Christ, Rom 3:21, etc.; ch. 4. (2.) The steps of this salvation are, [1.] Peace with God, ch. 5. [2.] Sanctification, ch. 6, 7. [3.] Glorification, ch. 8.
2. Concerning the persons saved, such as belong to the election of grace (ch. 9), Gentiles and Jews, ch. 10, 11. By this is appears that the subject he discourses of were such as were then the present truths, as the apostle speaks, 2Pe 1:12. Two things the Jews then stumbled at - justification by faith without the works of the law, and the admission of the Gentiles into the church; and therefore both these he studied to clear and vindicate.
II. The practical part follows, wherein we find, 1. Several general exhortations proper for all Christians, ch. 12. 2. Directions for our behaviour, as members of civil society, Rom 13:1-14. 3. Rules for the conduct of Christians to one another, as members of the Christian church, ch. 14 and Rom 15:1-14.
III. As he draws towards a conclusion, he makes an apology for writing to them (Rom 15:14-16), gives them an account of himself and his own affairs (Rom 15:17-21), promises them a visit (Rom 15:22-29), begs their prayers (Rom 15:30-32), sends particular salutations to many friends there (ch. 16:1-16), warns them against those who caused divisions (Rom 16:17-20), adds the salutations of his friends with him (Rom 16:21-23), and ends with a benediction to them and a doxology to God (Rom 16:24-27).
Matthew Henry: Romans 15 (Chapter Introduction) The apostle, in this chapter, continues the discourse of the former, concerning mutual forbearance in indifferent things; and so draws towards a co...
The apostle, in this chapter, continues the discourse of the former, concerning mutual forbearance in indifferent things; and so draws towards a conclusion of the epistle. Where such differences of apprehension, and consequently distances of affection, are among Christians, there is need of precept upon precept, line upon line, to allay the heat, and to beget a better temper. The apostle, being desirous to drive the nail home, as a nail in a sure place, follows his blow, unwilling to leave the subject till he has some hopes of prevailing, to which end he orders the cause before them and fills his mouth with the most pressing arguments. We may observe, in this chapter, I. His precepts to them. II. His prayers for them. III. His apology for writing to them. IV. His account of himself and his own affairs. V. His declaration of his purpose to come and see them. VI. His desire of a share in their prayers.
Barclay: Romans (Book Introduction) A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS OF PAUL The Letters Of Paul There is no more interesting body of documents in the New Testament than the letter...
A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS OF PAUL
The Letters Of Paul
There is no more interesting body of documents in the New Testament than the letters of Paul. That is because of all forms of literature a letter is most personal. Demetrius, one of the old Greek literary critics, once wrote, "Every one reveals his own soul in his letters. In every other form of composition it is possible to discern the writercharacter, but in none so clearly as the epistolary." (Demetrius, On Style, 227.) It is just because he left us so many letters that we feel we know Paul so well. In them he opened his mind and heart to the folk he loved so much; and, in them, to this day, we can see that great mind grappling with the problems of the early church and feel that great heart throbbing with love for men, even when they were misguided and mistaken.
The Difficulty Of Letters
At the same time there is often nothing so difficult to understand as a letter. Demetrius (On Style, 223) quotes a saying of Artemon, who edited the letters of Aristotle. Artemon said that a letter ought to be written in the same manner as a dialogue, because it was one of the two sides of a dialogue. In other words, to read a letter is like listening to one side of a telephone conversation. So when we read the letters of Paul we are often in a difficulty. We do not possess the letter which he was answering; we do not fully know the circumstances with which he was dealing; it is only from the letter itself that we can deduce the situation which prompted it. Before we can hope to understand fully any letter Paul wrote, we must try to reconstruct the situation which produced it.
The Ancient Letters
It is a great pity that Paulletters were ever called epistles. They are in the most literal sense letters. One of the great lights shed on the interpretation of the New Testament has been the discovery and the publication of the papyri. In the ancient world, papyrus was the substance on which most documents were written. It was composed of strips of the pith of a certain bulrush that grew on the banks of the Nile. These strips were laid one on top of the other to form a substance very like brown paper. The sands of the Egyptian desert were ideal for preservation, for papyrus, although very brittle, will last for ever so long as moisture does not get at it. As a result, from the Egyptian rubbish heaps, archaeologists have rescued hundreds of documents, marriage contracts, legal agreements, government forms, and, most interesting of all, private letters. When we read these private letters we find that there was a pattern to which nearly all conformed; and we find that Paulletters reproduce exactly that pattern. Here is one of these ancient letters. It is from a soldier, called Apion, to his father Epimachus. He is writing from Misenum to tell his father that he has arrived safely after a stormy passage.
"Apion sends heartiest greetings to his father and lord Epimachus.
I pray above all that you are well and fit; and that things are
going well with you and my sister and her daughter and my
brother. I thank my Lord Serapis [his god] that he kept me safe
when I was in peril on the sea. As soon as I got to Misenum I got
my journey money from Caesar--three gold pieces. And things
are going fine with me. So I beg you, my dear father, send me a
line, first to let me know how you are, and then about my
brothers, and thirdly, that I may kiss your hand, because you
brought me up well, and because of that I hope, God willing, soon
to be promoted. Give Capito my heartiest greetings, and my
brothers and Serenilla and my friends. I sent you a little picture
of myself painted by Euctemon. My military name is Antonius
Maximus. I pray for your good health. Serenus sends good
wishes, Agathos Daimonboy, and Turbo, Galloniuson."
(G. Milligan, Selections from the Greek Papyri, 36.)
Little did Apion think that we would be reading his letter to his father 1800 years after he had written it. It shows how little human nature changes. The lad is hoping for promotion quickly. Who will Serenilla be but the girl he left behind him? He sends the ancient equivalent of a photograph to the folk at home. Now that letter falls into certain sections. (i) There is a greeting. (ii) There is a prayer for the health of the recipients. (iii) There is a thanksgiving to the gods. (iv) There are the special contents. (v) Finally, there are the special salutations and the personal greetings. Practically every one of Paulletters shows exactly the same sections, as we now demonstrate.
(i) The Greeting: Rom_1:1 ; 1Co_1:1 ; 2Co_1:1 ; Gal_1:1 ; Eph_1:1 ; Phi_1:1 ; Col_1:1-2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:1 .
(ii) The Prayer: in every case Paul prays for the grace of God on the people to whom he writes: Rom_1:7 ; 1Co_1:3 ; 2Co_1:2 ; Gal_1:3 ; Eph_1:2 ; Phi_1:3 ; Col_1:2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:2 .
(iii) The Thanksgiving: Rom_1:8 ; 1Co_1:4 ; 2Co_1:3 ; Eph_1:3 ; Phi_1:3 ; 1Th_1:3 ; 2Th_1:3 .
(iv) The Special Contents: the main body of the letters.
(v) Special Salutations and Personal Greetings: Rom 16 ; 1Co_16:19 ; 2Co_13:13 ; Phi_4:21-22 ; Col_4:12-15 ; 1Th_5:26 .
When Paul wrote letters, he wrote them on the pattern which everyone used. Deissmann says of them, "They differ from the messages of the homely papyrus leaves of Egypt, not as letters but only as the letters of Paul." When we read Paulletters we are not reading things which were meant to be academic exercises and theological treatises, but human documents written by a friend to his friends.
The Immediate Situation
With a very few exceptions, all Paulletters were written to meet an immediate situation and not treatises which he sat down to write in the peace and silence of his study. There was some threatening situation in Corinth, or Galatia, or Philippi, or Thessalonica, and he wrote a letter to meet it. He was not in the least thinking of us when he wrote, but solely of the people to whom he was writing. Deissmann writes, "Paul had no thought of adding a few fresh compositions to the already extant Jewish epistles; still less of enriching the sacred literature of his nation. He had no presentiment of the place his words would occupy in universal history; not so much that they would be in existence in the next generation, far less that one day people would look at them as Holy Scripture." We must always remember that a thing need not be transient because it was written to meet an immediate situation. All the great love songs of the world were written for one person, but they live on for the whole of mankind. It is just because Paulletters were written to meet a threatening danger or a clamant need that they still throb with life. And it is because human need and the human situation do not change that God speaks to us through them today.
The Spoken Word
One other thing we must note about these letters. Paul did what most people did in his day. He did not normally pen his own letters but dictated them to a secretary, and then added his own authenticating signature. (We actually know the name of one of the people who did the writing for him. In Rom_16:22 Tertius, the secretary, slips in his own greeting before the letter draws to an end.) In 1Co_16:21 Paul says, "This is my own signature, my autograph, so that you can be sure this letter comes from me" (compare Col_4:18 ; 2Th_3:17 ).
This explains a great deal. Sometimes Paul is hard to understand, because his sentences begin and never finish; his grammar breaks down and the construction becomes involved. We must not think of him sitting quietly at a desk, carefully polishing each sentence as he writes. We must think of him striding up and down some little room, pouring out a torrent of words, while his secretary races to get them down. When Paul composed his letters, he had in his mindeye a vision of the folk to whom he was writing, and he was pouring out his heart to them in words that fell over each other in his eagerness to help.
INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS
The Epistle That Is Different
There is an obvious difference between PaulLetter to the Romans and any other of his letters. Anyone coming from, say, a reading of the Letters to the Corinthians, will immediately feel that difference, both of atmosphere and of method. A very great part of it is due to one basic fact--when Paul wrote to the Church at Rome he was writing to a Church with whose founding he had had nothing whatever to do and with which he had had no personal contact at all. That explains why in Romans there are so few of the details of practical problems which fill the other letters. That is why Romans, at first sight, seems so much more impersonal. As Dibelius put it, "It is of all Paulletters the least conditioned by the momentary situation."
We may put that in another way. Romans, of all Paulletters, comes nearest to being a theological treatise. In almost all his other letters he is dealing with some immediate trouble, some pressing situation, some current error, some threatening danger, which was menacing the Church to which he was writing. Romans is the nearest approach to a systematic exposition of Paulown theological position, independent of any immediate set of circumstances.
Testamentary And Prophylactic
Because of that, two great scholars have applied two very illuminating adjectives to Romans. Sanday called Romans "testamentary." It is as if Paul was writing his theological last will and testament, as if into Romans he was distilling the very essence of his faith and belief. Rome was the greatest city in the world, the capital of the greatest Empire the world had ever seen. Paul had never been there, and he did not know if he ever would be there. But, in writing to such a Church in such a city, it was fitting that he should set down the very centre and core of his belief. Burton called Romans "prophylactic." A prophylactic is something which guards against infection. Paul had seen too often what harm and trouble could be caused by wrong ideas, twisted notions, misguided conceptions of Christian faith and belief. He therefore wished to send to the Church in the city which was the centre of the world a letter which would so build up the structure of their faith that, if infections should ever come to them, they might have in the true word of Christian doctrine a powerful and effective defence. He felt that the best protection against the infection of false teaching was the antiseptic of the truth.
The Occasion Of PaulWriting To Rome
All his life Paul had been haunted by the thought of Rome. It had always been one of his dreams to preach there. When he is in Ephesus, he is planning to go through Achaea and Macedonia again, and then comes a sentence obviously dropped straight from the heart, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome" (Act_19:21 ). When he was up against things in Jerusalem, and the situation looked threatening and the end seemed near, he had one of those visions which always lifted up his heart. In that vision the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, Paul. For as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome" (Act_23:11 ). In the very first chapter of this letter Pauldesire to see Rome breathes out. "I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you" (Rom_1:11 ). "So, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome" (Rom_1:15 ). It might well be said that the name Rome was written on Paulheart.
When he actually wrote the Letter to the Romans, the date was sometime in the year A.D. 58, and he was in Corinth. He was just about to bring to its completion a scheme that was very dear to his heart. The Church at Jerusalem was the mother Church of them all, but it was poor, and Paul had organized a collection throughout the younger churches for it (1Co_16:1 ; 2Co_9:1 ). That collection was two things. It was an opportunity for his younger converts to put Christian charity into Christian action, and it was a most practical way of impressing on all Christians the unity of the Christian Church, of teaching them that they were not members of isolated and independent congregations, but of one great Church, each part of which had a responsibility to all the rest. When Paul wrote Romans he was just about to set out with that gift for the Jerusalem Church. "At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem with aid for the saints" (Rom_15:25 ).
The Object Of PaulWriting
Why, then, at such a moment should he write?
(a) Paul knew that the journey to Jerusalem was not without its peril. He knew that he had enemies there, and that to go to Jerusalem was to take his life and liberty in his hands. He desired the prayers of the Roman Church before he set out on this expedition. "Now I appeal to you brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judaea" (Rom_15:30-31 ). He was mobilizing the prayers of the Church before he embarked on this perilous undertaking.
(b) Paul had great schemes simmering in his mind. It has been said of him that he was "always haunted by the regions beyond." He never saw a ship at anchor but he wished to board her and to carry the good news to men across the sea. He never saw a range of mountains, blue in the distance, but he wished to cross them, and to bring the story of the Cross to men who had never heard it. At this time Paul was haunted by the thought of Spain. "I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain" (Rom_15:24 ). "When I have completed this [that is, when he had delivered the collection to the Church in Jerusalem] I shall go on by way of you to Spain" (Rom_15:28 ).
Why this great desire to go to Spain? Rome had opened up that land. Some of the great Roman roads and buildings still stand there to this day. And it so happened that, just at this time, there was a blaze of greatness in Spain. Many of the great figures who were writing their names on Roman history and literature were Spaniards. There was Martial, the master of the epigram. There was Lucan, the epic poet. There were Columella and Pomponius Mela, great figures in Roman literature. There was Quintilian, the master of Roman oratory. And, above all, there was Seneca, the greatest of the Roman Stoic philosophers, the tutor of the Emperor Nero, and the Prime Minister of the Roman Empire. It was most natural that Paulthoughts should go out to this land which was producing such a scintillating galaxy of greatness. What might happen if men like that could be touched for Christ? As far as we know Paul never got to Spain. On that visit to Jerusalem he was arrested and he was never freed again. But, when he was writing Romans, that was his dream.
Paul was a master strategist. He had an eye for the layout of territory like a great commander. He felt that by this time he could move on from Asia Minor and for the time being leave Greece behind. He saw the whole west lying in front of him, virgin territory to be won for Christ. But, if he was to launch a campaign in the west, he needed a base of operations. There was only one such base possible--and that was Rome.
That was why Paul wrote this letter to Rome. He had this great dream in his heart and this great plan in his mind. He needed Rome for a base for this new campaign. He was aware that the Church in Rome must know his name. But he was also aware, for he was a realist, that the reports which reached Rome would be mixed. His opponents were not above spreading slanders and false accusation against him. So he wrote this letter to set out for the Church at Rome an account of the very essence of his belief, in order that, when the time came for action, he might find in Rome a sympathetic Church from which the lines of communication might go out to Spain and the west. It was with such a plan and such an intention, that in A.D. 58 Paul sat down in Corinth to write his letter to the Church at Rome.
The Layout Of The Letter
Romans is at once a very complicated and a very carefully constructed letter. It will therefore help us to find our way through it, if we have in our minds an idea of its framework. It falls into four definite divisions.
(i) Rom 1-8, which deal with the problem of righteousness.
(ii) Rom 9-11, which deal with problem of the Jews, the chosen
people.
(iii) Rom 12-15, which deal with practical questions of life and
living.
(iv) Rom 16 , which is a letter of introduction for Phoebe,
and a list of final personal greetings.
(i) When Paul uses the word "righteousness," he means a right relationship with God The man who is righteous is the man who is in a right relationship with God, and whose life shows it.
Paul begins with a survey of the Gentile world. We have only to look at its decadence and corruption to know that it had not solved the problem of righteousness. He looks at the Jewish world. The Jews had sought to solve the problem of righteousness by meticulous obedience to the law. Paul had tried that way himself, and it had issued in frustration and defeat, because no man on earth can ever fully obey the law, and, therefore, every man must have the continual consciousness of being in debt to God and under his condemnation.
So Paul finds the way to righteousness in the way of utter trust and utter yieldedness. The only way to a right relationship with God is to take him at his word, and to cast oneself, just as one is, on his mercy and love. It is the way of faith. It is to know that the important thing is, not what we can do for God, but what he has done for us. For Paul the centre of the Christian faith was that we can never earn or deserve the favour of God, nor do we need to. The whole matter is one of grace, and all that we can do is to accept in wondering love and gratitude and trust what God has done for us.
That does not free us, however, from obligations or entitle us to do as we like; it means that for ever and for ever we must try to be worthy of the love which does so much for us. But we are no longer trying to fulfil the demands of stern and austere and condemnatory law; we are no longer like criminals before a judge; we are lovers who have given all life in love to the one who first loved us.
(ii) The problem of the Jews was a torturing one. In a real sense they were Godchosen people, and yet, when his Son had come into the world, they had rejected him. What possible explanation could there be for this heart-breaking fact?
The only one Paul could find was that, in the end, it was all Goddoing. Somehow the hearts of the Jews had been hardened; but it was not all failure, for there had always been a faithful remnant. Nor was it for nothing, for the very fact that the Jews had rejected Christ opened the door so the Gentiles would bring in the Jews and all men would be saved.
Paul goes further. The Jew had always claimed that he was a member of the chosen people in virtue of the fact that he was a Jew. It was solely a matter of pure racial descent from Abraham. But Paul insists that the real Jew is not the man whose flesh and blood descent can be traced to Abraham. He is the man who has made the same decision of utter yieldedness to God in loving faith which Abraham made. Therefore, Paul argues, there are many pure-blooded Jews who are not Jews in the real sense of the term at all; and there are many people of other nations who are really Jews in the true meaning of that word. The new Israel was not a racial thing at all; it was composed of those who had the same faith as Abraham had had.
(iii) Rom 12 is so great an ethical statement that it must always be set alongside the Sermon on the Mount. In it Paul lays down the ethical character of the Christian faith. The fourteenth and fifteenth chapters deal with an ever-recurring problem. In the Church there was a narrower party who believed that they must abstain from certain foods and drinks, and who counted special days and ceremonies as of great importance. Paul thinks of them as the weaker brethren because their faith was dependent on these external things. There was a more liberal party, who had liberated themselves from these external rules and observances. He thinks of them as the brethren who are stronger in the faith. He makes it quite clear that his sympathies are with the more liberal party; but he lays down the great principle that no man must ever do anything to hurt the conscience of a weaker brother or to put a stumbling block in his way. His whole point of view is that we must never do anything which makes it harder for someone else to be a Christian; and that that may well mean the giving up of something, which is right and safe for us, for the sake of the weaker brother. Christian liberty must never be used in such a way that it injures anotherlife or conscience.
(iv) The fourth section is a recommendation on behalf of Phoebe, a member of the Church at Cenchreae, who is coming to Rome. The letter ends with a list of greetings and a final benediction.
Two Problems
Rom 16 has always presented scholars with a problem. Many have felt that it does not really form part of the Letter to the Romans at all; and that it is really a letter to some other Church which became attached to Romans when Paulletters were collected. What are their grounds? First and foremost, in this chapter Paul sends greetings to twenty-six different people, twenty-four of whom he mentions by name and all of whom he seems to know very intimately. He can, for instance, say that the mother of Rufus has also been a mother to him. Is it likely that Paul knew intimately twenty-six people in a Church which he had never visited? He, in fact, greets far more people in this chapter than he does in any other letter, and yet he had never set foot in Rome. Here is something that needs explanation.
If Rom 16 was not written to Rome, what was its original destination? It is here that Prisca and Aquila come into the argument. We know that they left Rome in A.D. 52 when Claudius issued his edict banishing the Jews (Act_18:2 ). We know that they went with Paul to Ephesus (Act_18:18 ). We know that they were in Ephesus when Paul wrote his letter to Corinth, less than two years before he wrote Romans (1Co_16:19 ). And we know that they were still in Ephesus when the Pastoral Epistles were written (2Ti_4:19 ). It is certain that if we had come across a letter sending greeting to Prisca and Aquila we should have assumed that it was sent to Ephesus, if no other address was given.
Is there any other evidence to make us think that chapter sixteen may have been sent to Ephesus in the first place? There is the perfectly general reason that Paul spent longer in Ephesus than anywhere else, and it would be very natural for him to send greetings to many people there. Paul speaks of Epaenetus, the first-fruits of Asia. Ephesus is in Asia, and such a reference, too, would be very natural in a letter to Ephesus, but not so natural in a letter to Rome. Rom_16:17 speaks about difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught, which sounds as if Paul was speaking about possible disobedience to his own teaching, and he had never taught in Rome.
It can be argued that the sixteenth chapter was originally addressed to Ephesus, but the argument is not so strong as it looks. For one thing, there is no evidence that the chapter was ever attached anywhere except to the Letter to the Romans. For another thing, the odd fact is that Paul does not send personal greetings to churches which he knew well. There are no personal greetings in Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians, and Philippians, all of them letters to churches he knew well; whereas there are personal greetings in Colossians, although Paul had never set foot in Colosse.
The reason is really quite simple. If Paul had sent personal greetings to churches he knew well, jealousies might well have arisen; on the other hand, when he was writing to churches he had never visited, he liked to establish as many personal links as possible. The very fact that Paul had never been in Rome makes it likely that he would try to establish as many personal connections as possible. Again, it is to be remembered that Prisca and Aquila were banished by edict from Rome. What is more likely than that, after the trouble was over, six or seven years later, they would return to Rome and pick up the threads of their business after their stay in other towns? And is it not most likely that many of the other names are names of people who shared in this banishment, who took up temporary residence in other cities, who met Paul there, and who, when the coast was clear, returned to Rome and their old homes? Paul would be delighted to have so many personal contacts in Rome and to seize hold of them.
Further, as we shall see, when we come to study chapter 16 in detail, many of the names--the households of Aristobulus and Narcissus, Amplias, Nereus and others--well suit Rome. In spite of the arguments for Ephesus, we may take it that there is no necessity to detach chapter sixteen from the Letter to the Romans.
But there is a more interesting, and a much more important, problem. The early manuscripts show some very curious things with regard to Rom 14-16. The only natural place for a doxology is at the very end. Rom_16:25-27 is a doxology, and in most good manuscripts it comes at the end. But in a number of manuscripts it comes at the end of Rom 14 ; two good manuscripts have it in both places; one ancient manuscript has it at the end of Rom 15 ; two manuscripts have it in neither place, but leave an empty space for it. One ancient Latin manuscript has a series of section summaries. The last two are as follows:
50: On the peril of him who grieves his brother by meat.
That is obviously Rom_14:15-23 .
51: On the mystery of the Lord, kept secret before his passion
but after his passion revealed.
That is equally clearly Rom_16:25-27 , the doxology. Clearly, these summaries were made from a manuscript which did not contain chapters fifteen and sixteen. Now there is one thing which sheds a flood of light on this. In one manuscript the mention of Rome in Rom_1:7 and Rom_1:15 is entirely omitted. There is no mention of any destination.
All this goes to show that Romans circulated in two forms--one form as we have it with sixteen chapters, and one with fourteen chapters; and perhaps also one with fifteen chapters. The explanation must be this. As Paul wrote it to Rome, it had sixteen chapters; but Rom 15-16 are private and personal to Rome. Now no other letter gives such a compendium of Pauldoctrine. What must have happened was that Romans began to circulate among all the churches, with the last two local chapters omitted, except for the doxology. It must have been felt that Romans was too fundamental to stop at Rome and so the purely local references were removed and it was sent out to the Church at large. From very early times the Church felt that Romans was so great an expression of the mind of Paul that it must become the possession not of one congregation, but of the whole Church. We must remember, as we study it, that men have always looked on Romans as the quintessence of Paulgospel.
FURTHER READING
Romans
C. H. Dodd, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans (MC; E)
A. M. Hunter, The Epistle to the Romans: The Law of Love (Tch; E)
W. Sanday and A.C. Headlam, Romans (Sixth edition, in two volumes, revised by C. E. B. Cranfield) (ICC; G)
Abbreviations
ICC: International Critical Commentary
MC : Moffatt Commentary
Tch: Torch Commentary
E: English Text
G: Greek Text
Barclay: Romans 15 (Chapter Introduction) The Marks Of The Fellowship (Rom_15:1-6) The Inclusive Church (Rom_15:7-13) The Words Reveal The Man (Rom_15:14-21) Plans Present And Future (Rom...
The Marks Of The Fellowship (Rom_15:1-6)
The Inclusive Church (Rom_15:7-13)
The Words Reveal The Man (Rom_15:14-21)
Plans Present And Future (Rom_15:22-29)
Open-Eyed Into Danger (Rom_15:30-33)
Constable: Romans (Book Introduction) Introduction
Historical Background
Throughout the history of the church, from postapos...
Introduction
Historical Background
Throughout the history of the church, from postapostolic times to the present, Christians have regarded Romans as having been one of the Apostle Paul's epistles.1 Not only does the letter claim that he wrote it (1:1), but it develops many of the same ideas and uses the same terminology that appear in Paul's earlier writings (e.g., Gal. 2; 1 Cor. 12; 2 Cor. 8-9).
Following his conversion on the Damascus Road (34 A.D.), Paul preached in Damascus, spent some time in Arabia, and then returned to Damascus. Next he travelled to Jerusalem where he met briefly with Peter and James. He then moved on to Tarsus, which was evidently his base of operations and from which he ministered for about six years (37-43 A.D.). In response to an invitation from Barnabas he moved to Antioch of Syria where he served for about five years (43-48 A.D.). He and Barnabas then set out on their so-called first missionary journey into Asia Minor (48-49 A.D.). Returning to Antioch Paul wrote the Epistle to the Galatians to strengthen the churches that he and Barnabas had just planted in Asia Minor (49 A.D.). After the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), Paul took Silas and began his second missionary journey (50-52 A.D.) through Asia Minor and on westward into the Roman provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. From Corinth, Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians (51 A.D.). He proceeded to Ephesus by ship and then on to Syrian Antioch. From there he set out on his third missionary journey (53-57 A.D.). Passing through Asia Minor he arrived in Ephesus where he labored for three years (53-56 A.D.). During this time he wrote 1 Corinthians (56 A.D.). Finally Paul left Ephesus and travelled by land to Macedonia where he wrote 2 Corinthians (56 A.D.). He continued south and spent the winter of 56-57 A.D. in Corinth. There he wrote the Epistle to the Romans and sent it by Phoebe (16:1-2) to the Roman church.
The apostle then proceeded from Corinth by land clockwise around the Aegean Sea back to Troas in Asia where he boarded a ship and eventually reached Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, the Jews arrested Paul and imprisoned him (57 A.D.). He arrived in Rome as a prisoner and ministered there for two years (60-62 A.D.). During this time he wrote the Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon). The Romans freed Paul, and he returned to the Aegean area. There he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus, experienced arrest again, suffered imprisonment in Rome a second time, wrote 2 Timothy, and died as a martyr under Nero in A.D. 68.2
We know very little about the founding of the church in Rome. According to Ambrosiaster, a church father who lived in the fourth century, an apostle did not found it (thus discrediting the Roman Catholic claim that Peter founded the church). A group of Jewish Christians did.3 It is possible that these Jews became believers in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) or at some other time quite early in the church's history. By the time Paul wrote Romans the church in Rome was famous throughout the Roman Empire for its faith (1:18).
Purpose
Paul wrote this epistle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for several reasons.4 He wanted to prepare the way for his intended visit to the church (15:22-24). He evidently hoped that Rome would become a base of operations and support for his pioneer missionary work in Spain and the western portions of the empire that he had not yet evangelized. His full exposition of the gospel in this letter would have provided a solid foundation for their participation in this mission.
As Paul looked forward to returning to Jerusalem between his departure from Corinth and his arrival in Rome, he was aware of the danger he faced (15:31). He may have written the exhaustive exposition of the gospel that we have in Romans to set forth his teaching in case he did not reach Rome. From Rome his doctrine could then go out to the rest of the empire as others preached it. Paul may have viewed Romans as his legacy to the church, his last will and testament.
Another reason for writing Romans was undoubtedly Paul's desire to minister to the spiritual needs of the Christians in Rome even though they were in good spiritual condition (15:14-16). The common problems of all the early churches were dangers to the Roman church as well. These difficulties included internal conflicts, mainly between Jewish and Gentile believers, and external threats from false teachers. Paul gave both of these potential problems attention in this epistle (15:1-8; 16:17-20).
Paul also wrote Romans as he did because he was at a transition point in his ministry, as he mentioned at the end of chapter 15. His ministry in the Aegean region was solid enough that he planned to leave it and move farther west into new virgin missionary territory. Before he did that, he planned to visit Jerusalem where he realized he would be in danger. Probably therefore Paul wrote Romans as he did to leave a full exposition of the gospel in good hands if his ministry ended prematurely in Jerusalem.
"The peculiar position of the apostle at the time of writing, as he reviews the past and anticipates the future, enables us to understand the absence of controversy in this epistle, the conciliatory attitude, and the didactic and apologetic elements which are all found combined herein."5
The great contribution of this letter to the body of New Testament inspired revelation is its reasoned explanation of how God's righteousness can become man's possession.
The Book of Romans is distinctive among Paul's inspired writings in several respects. It was one of the few letters he wrote to churches with which he had had no personal dealings. The only other epistle of this kind was Colossians. It is also a formal treatise within a personal letter.6 Paul expounded on the gospel in this treatise. He probably did so in this epistle rather than in another because the church in Rome was at the heart of the Roman Empire. As such it was able to exert great influence in the dissemination of the gospel. For these two reasons Romans is more formal and less personal than most of Paul's other epistles.
The Epistle to the Romans is, by popular consent, the greatest of Paul's writings. William Tyndale, the great English reformer and translator, referred to Romans as "the principle and most excellent part of the New Testament." He went on to say the following in his prologue to Romans that he wrote in the 1534 edition of his English New Testament.
"No man verily can read it too oft or study it too well; for the more it is studied the easier it is, the more it is chewed the pleasanter it is, and the more groundly [sic] it is searched the preciouser [sic] things are found in it, so great treasures of spiritual things lieth hid therein."7
Martin Luther wrote the following commendation of this epistle.
"[Romans] is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes."8
Message9
Throughout the history of the church Christians have recognized this epistle as the most important book in the New Testament. The reason for this conviction is that it is an exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Luther called Romans "the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel." Coleridge, the English poet, declared it to be "the most profound work in existence." Frederick Godet, the French commentator, described it as "the cathedral of the Christian faith."10
To appreciate the message of this book it will be helpful first to consider Paul's presuppositions. He based these, of course, on Old Testament revelation concerning cosmology and history.
First, Paul assumed the God of the Old Testament. He assumed God's existence and full deity. He believed that God is holy and just. He also held that God is the creator, sustainer, and sovereign ruler of the universe.
Second, Paul's view of man is that he is subject to God's government of the universe. Man has received a measure of freedom from God, so he can choose to pursue sin. However, if he does so, he is still in the sovereign hand of God. God can allow the consequences of his sins to have their effects on him both now and forever. Man is also in authority over the rest of the material creation (Gen. 1:28). What man has experienced, the material creation also has experienced and reflects as a result of man's action.
Third, Paul's view of history was that of Old Testament revelation. The important historical events for Paul were those in his Scriptures.
Adam was the first man. He rebelled against God's authority. The result was threefold: the practical dethronement of God in the minds of Adam's descendents, the degradation of humanity, and the defilement of creation. This is a very different view of history from what evolutionists and humanists take. Man has lost his scepter because he rebelled against God's scepter.
Two other individuals were specially significant in history for Paul as we see in Romans: Abraham and Jesus Christ. God called Abraham to be a channel of blessing to the world. Christ is the greatest blessing. Through Him people and creation can experience restoration to God's original intention for them.
These are Paul's basic presuppositions on which all his reasoning in Romans rests. Romans is not the best book to put in the hands of an unsaved person to lead him or her to salvation. John is better for that purpose. However, Romans is the best book to put in the hands of a saved person to lead him or her to understand and appreciate our salvation.
We turn now to the major revelations in this book. These are its central teachings, the emphases that distinguish Romans from other books of the Bible.
First, Romans reveals the tragic helplessness of the human race. No other book of the Bible looks so fearlessly into the abysmal degradation that has resulted from human sin. If you read only 1:18-3:20, you will become depressed by its pessimism. If you keep reading, you will conclude from 3:21 on that we have the best, most optimistic news you have ever heard. This book is all about ruin and redemption. Its first great revelation is the absolute ruin and helplessness of the human race.
Paul divides the ruined race into two parts. The first of these is the Gentiles who have the light of nature. God has given everyone, Gentiles and Jews, the opportunity of observing and concluding two things about Himself: His wisdom and power. The average person as well as the scientist concludes that Someone wise must have put the natural world together, and He must be very powerful. Nevertheless having come to that conclusion he turns from God to vain reasonings, vile passions, unrighteous behavior, envy, murder, strife, deceit, insolence, pride, and perverted conduct. Just read today's newspaper and you will find confirmation of Paul's analysis of the human race.
The other part of the ruined race is the Jews who, in addition to the light of nature, also had the light of Scripture. Paul observed that in spite of his greater revelation and privilege the Jew behaves the same way as the Gentile. Yet he is a worse sinner. Having professed devotion to God and having claimed to be a teacher of the Gentiles because of his greater light he disobeys God and causes the Gentiles to blaspheme His name. Paul concluded, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (3:10). "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (3:23).
The second major revelation of Romans is the magnificence of the divine plan of salvation. This plan centers on Jesus Christ whom Paul introduced on the very first page of his letter (1:3-4). God declared to everyone that the Jesus of the Gospels is His Son by resurrecting Him.
Two words describe Christ's relation to the divine plan of salvation: manifestation and propitiation. The righteousness manifested in Him is available to people through His propitiation. God's righteousness is available to everyone because Jesus died as the perfect offering for sin. The righteousness we see in Jesus in the Gospel records is available to those who believe that His sacrifice satisfied God (3:21, 25).
We can also describe God's relation to the plan of salvation with two words: holiness and love. The plan of salvation that Romans expounds resulted from a holy God reaching out to sinful humanity lovingly (3:22, 24). This plan vindicates the holiness of God as it unveils God's gracious love (chs. 9-11).
Man's relation to the plan of salvation is threefold. It involves justification, the imputation of God's righteousness to the believing sinner. It also involves sanctification, the impartation of God's righteousness to the redeemed sinner. Third, it involves glorification, the perfection of God's righteousness in the sanctified sinner. In justification God lifts the sinner into a relationship with Himself that is more intimate than we would have enjoyed if we had never sinned. In sanctification God progressively transforms the sinner into the Savior's image by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. In glorification God finally restores the sinner to the place God intended for us to occupy in creation.
The creation's relation to the plan of salvation is twofold. God restores creation's king, man, to his intended position. Second, creation realizes all of its intended possibilities that sin has denied it.
Let us note next some of the lessons of this book. What did God want us to learn from it?
First, Romans calls us to measure ourselves by divine rather than human standards. We sometimes evaluate ourselves and one another by using the criteria that our age sets or that we set. However to know our true condition we must use the criteria that God sets. This standard reveals that we are all guilty before God. This is one of the great lessons that Romans teaches us.
Second, Romans calls us to live by faith rather than by sight. God did not come any closer to mankind in the incarnation of Christ than He ever had been. Yet in the incarnation the nearness of God became more obvious to people. In the resurrection the Son of God became observable as the Son of God to human beings. All the glories of salvation come to us as we believe God. Romans contrasts the folly of trying to obtain salvation by working for it with trusting God, simply believing what He has revealed as true.
Third, Romans calls us to dedicate ourselves to God rather than living self-centered lives (12:1). This is the reasonable response to having received salvation. We should give ourselves to God. God's grace puts us in His debt. Paul did not say that if we fail to dedicate ourselves to God we are unsaved. Rather he appeals to us as saved people to do for God what He has done for us, namely giving ourselves out of love. When we do this, we show that we truly appreciate what God has done for us.
On the basis of these observations I would summarize the message of Romans in these words. Since God has lovingly provided salvation for helpless sinners through His Son, we should accept that sacrifice by faith and express our gratitude to God by dedicating our lives to Him.
In conclusion let me suggest an application of the message of Romans.
In view of the greatness of the salvation that God has provided as Romans reveals, we, as Paul, have a duty to communicate this good news to the world (1:14-17; Matt. 28:19). We do this both by lip and life, by explanation and by example (8:29). Our living example will reflect death to self as well as life to God (6:13).
Constable: Romans (Outline) Outline
I. Introduction 1:1-17
A. Salutation 1:1-7
1. The writer 1:1
...
Outline
I. Introduction 1:1-17
A. Salutation 1:1-7
1. The writer 1:1
2. The subject of the epistle 1:2-5
3. The original recipients 1:6-7
B. Purpose 1:8-15
C. Theme 1:16-17
II. The need for God's righteousness 1:18-3:20
A. The need of all people 1:18-32
1. The reason for human guilt 1:18
2. The ungodliness of mankind 1:19-27
3. The wickedness of mankind 1:28-32
B. The need of good people 2:1-3:8
1. God's principles of judgment 2:1-16
2. The guilt of the Jews 2:17-29
3. Answers to objections 3:1-8
C. The guilt of all humanity 3:9-20
III. The imputation of God's righteousness 3:21-5:21
A. The description of justification 3:21-26
B. The defense of justification by faith alone 3:27-31
C. The proof of justification by faith from the law ch. 4
1. Abraham's justification by faith 4:1-5
2. David's testimony to justification by faith 4:6-8
3. The priority of faith to circumcision 4:9-12
4. The priority of faith to the promise concerning headship of many nations 4:13-17
5. The exemplary value of Abraham's faith 4:18-22
6. Conclusions from Abraham's example 4:23-25
D. The benefits of justification 5:1-11
E. The universal applicability of justification 5:12-21
IV. The impartation of God's righteousness chs. 6-8
A. The believer's relationship to sin ch. 6
1. Freedom from sin 6:1-14
2. Slavery to righteousness 6:15-23
B. The believer's relationship to the law ch. 7
1. The law's authority 7:1-6
2. The law's activity 7:7-12
3. The law's inability 7:13-25
C. The believer's relationship to God ch. 8
1. Our deliverance from the flesh by the power of the Spirit 8:1-11
2. Our new relationship to God 8:12-17
3. Our present sufferings and future glory 8:18-25
4. Our place in God's sovereign plan 8:26-30
5. Our eternal security 8:31-39
V. The vindication of God's righteousness chs. 9-11
A. Israel's past election ch. 9
1. God's blessings on Israel 9:1-5
2. God's election of Israel 9:6-13
3. God's freedom to elect 9:14-18
4. God's mercy toward Israel 9:19-29
5. God's mercy toward the Gentiles 9:30-33
B. Israel's present rejection ch. 10
1. The reason God has set Israel aside 10:1-7
2. The remedy for rejection 10:8-15
3. The continuing unbelief of Israel 10:16-21
C. Israel's future salvation ch. 11
1. Israel's rejection not total 11:1-10
2. Israel's rejection not final 11:11-24
3. Israel's restoration assured 11:25-32
4. Praise for God's wise plans 11:33-36
VI. The practice of God's righteousness 12:1-15:13
A. Dedication to God 12:1-2
B. Conduct within the church 12:3-21
1. The diversity of gifts 12:3-8
2. The necessity of love 12:9-21
C. Conduct within the state ch. 13
1. Conduct towards the government 13:1-7
2. Conduct toward unbelievers 13:8-10
3. Conduct in view of our hope 13:11-14
D. Conduct within Christian liberty 14:1-15:13
1. The folly of judging one another 14:1-12
2. The evil of offending one another 14:13-23
3. The importance of pleasing one another 15:1-6
4. the importance of accepting one another 15:7-13
VII. Conclusion 15:14-16:27
A. Paul's ministry 15:14-33
1. Past labors 15:14-21
2. Present program 15:22-29
3. Future plans 15:30-33
B. Personal matters ch. 16
1. A commendation 16:1-2
2. Various greetings to Christians in Rome 16:3-16
3. A warning 16:17-20
4. Greetings from Paul's companions 16:21-24
5. A doxology 16:25-27
Constable: Romans Romans
Bibliography
Alford, Henry. The Greek Testament. 4 vols. New ed. Cambridge: Rivingtons, 1881.
...
Romans
Bibliography
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_____. Talking to God: What the Bible Teaches about Prayer. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1995.
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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable
Haydock: Romans (Book Introduction) THE
EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE,
TO THE ROMANS.
INTRODUCTION.
After the Gospels, which contain the history of Christ, and the Acts of...
THE
EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE,
TO THE ROMANS.
INTRODUCTION.
After the Gospels, which contain the history of Christ, and the Acts of the Apostles, which contain the history of the infant Church, we have the Epistles of the Apostles. Of these fourteen have been penned on particular occasions, and addressed to particular persons, by St. Paul; the others of St. James, St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude, are called Catholic Epistles, because they are addressed to all Christians in general, if we except the two latter short epistles of St. John. --- The epistles of St. Paul contain admirable advice, and explain fully several tenets of Christianity: but an humble and teachable mind and heart are essentially requisite to draw good from this inexhaustible source. If we prepare our minds by prayer, and go to these sacred oracles with proper dispositions, as to Jesus Christ himself, not preferring our own weak judgment to that of the Catholic Church divinely inspired, and which he has commanded us to hear, and which he has promised to lead in all truth unto the end of the world, we shall improve both our mind and heart by a frequent and pious perusal. We shall learn there that faith is essentially necessary to please God; that this faith is but one, as God is but one; and that faith which shews itself not by good works, is dead. Hence, when St. Paul speaks of works that are incapable of justifying us, he speaks not of the works of moral righteousness, but of the ceremonial works of the Mosaic law, on which the Jews laid such great stress as necessary to salvation. --- St. Peter (in his 2nd Epistle, chap. iii.) assures us that there were some in his time, as there are found some now in our days, who misconstrue St. Paul's epistles, as if he required no good works any more after baptism than before baptism, and maintaining that faith alone would justify and save a man. Hence the other apostles wrote their epistles, as St. Augustine remarks in these words; "therefore because this opinion, that faith only was necessary to salvation, was started, the other apostolical epistles do most pointedly refute it, forcibly contending that faith without works profiteth nothing." Indeed St. Paul himself, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, (Chap. xiii. 2.) positively asserts: if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. --- This epistle, like most of the following, is divided into two parts: the first treats of points of doctrine, and extends to the eleventh chapter inclusively; the second treats of morality, and is contained in the last five chapters: but to be able to understand the former, and to practise the latter, humble prayer and a firm adherence to the Catholic Church, which St. Paul (1 Timothy chap. iii.) styles, the pillar and ground of truth, are undoubtedly necessary. Nor should we ever forget what St. Peter affirms, that in St. Paul's epistles there are some things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and the unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter chap. iii. ver. 16.) (Haydock) --- St. Paul had not been at Rome when he wrote this epistle, which was in the year fifty-seven or fifty-eight, when he was preparing to go to Jerusalem with the charitable contributions and alms, collected in Achaia and Macedonia, for the benefit and relief of the poor Christians in Judea, and at Jerusalem; and after he had preached in almost all places from Jerusalem even to Illyris, Illyrium, or Illyricum. See this Epistle, chap. xv. It was written in Greek. It is not the first in order of time, though placed first, either because of the dignity of the chief Christian Church, or of its sublime contents. --- The apostle's chief design was not only to unite all the new Christian converts, whether they had been Gentiles or Jews, in the same faith, but also to bring them to a union in charity, love, and peace; to put an end to those disputes and contentions among them, which were particularly occasioned by those zealous Jewish converts, who were for obliging all Christians to the observance of the Mosaic precepts and ceremonies. They who had been Jews, boasted that they were the elect people of God, preferred before all other nations, to whom he had given this written law, precepts, and ceremonies by Moses, to whom he had sent his prophets, and had performed so many miracles in their favour, while the Gentiles were left in their ignorance and idolatry. The Gentiles, now converted, were apt to brag of the learning of their great philosophers, and that sciences had flourished among them: they reproached the Jews with the disobedience of their forefathers to God, and the laws he had given them; that they had frequently returned to idolatry; that they had persecuted and put to death the prophets, and even their Messias, the true Son of God. St. Paul shews that neither the Jew nor the Gentile had reason to boast, but to humble themselves under the hand of God, the author of their salvation. He puts the Jews in mind, that they could not expect to be justified and saved merely by the ceremonies and works of their law, thought good in themselves; that the Gentiles, as well as they, were now called by the pure mercy of God: that they were all to be saved by believing in Christ, and complying with his doctrine; that sanctification and salvation can only be had by the Christian faith. He does not mean by faith only, as it is one particular virtue, different from charity, hope, and other Christian virtues; but he means by faith, the Christian religion, and worship, taken in opposition to the law of Moses and to the moral virtues of heathens. The design of the Epistle to the Galatians is much the same. From the 12th chapter he exhorts them to the practice of Christian virtues. (Witham)
====================
Gill: Romans (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS
Though this epistle is in order placed the first of the epistles, yet it was not first written: there were several epistles ...
INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS
Though this epistle is in order placed the first of the epistles, yet it was not first written: there were several epistles written before it, as the two epistles to the Thessalonians, the two to the Corinthians, the first epistle to Timothy, and that to Titus: the reason why this epistle stands first, is either the excellency of it, of which Chrysostom had so great an esteem that he caused it to be read over to him twice a week; or else the dignity of the place, where the persons lived to whom it is written, being Rome, the imperial city: so the books of the prophets are not placed in the same order in which they were written: Hosea prophesied as early as Isaiah, if not earlier; and before Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and yet stands after them. This epistle was written from Corinth, as the subscription of it testifies; and which may be confirmed from the apostle's commendation of Phoebe, by whom he sent it, who was of Cenchrea, a place near Corinth; by his calling Erastus, the chamberlain of the city, who abode at Corinth, 2Ti 4:20, and Gaius his host, who was a Corinthian, Rom 16:23, 1Co 1:14, though at what time it was written from hence, is not so evident: some think it was written in the time of his three months' travel through Greece, Act 20:2, a little before the death of the Emperor Claudius, in the year of Christ 55; others, that it was written by him in the short stay he made at Corinth, when he came thither, as is supposed, from Philippi, in his way to Troas, where some of his company went before, and had been there five days before him: and this is placed in the second year of Nero, and in the year of Christ 56; however, it was not written by him during his long stay at Corinth, when he was first there, but afterwards, even after he had preached from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum: and when he was about to go to Jerusalem, with the contributions of the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, to the poor saints there, Rom 15:19. The persons to whom this epistle was sent were Roman saints, both Jews and Gentiles, inhabiting the city of Rome; of which city and church; See Gill on Act 28:14; Act 28:15; by whom the Gospel was first preached at Rome, and who were the means of forming the church there, is not very evident Irenaeus, an ancient writer, says a, that Peter and Paul preached the Gospel at Rome, and founded the church; and Gaius, an ecclesiastical man, who lived in the time of Zephyrinus, bishop of Rome, asserts the same; and Dionysius; bishop of the Corinthians, calls the Romans the plantation of Peter and Paul b: whether Peter was ever at Rome is not a clear point with many; and certain it is, that the Apostle Paul had not been at Rome when he wrote this epistle, at least it seems very probable he had not, by several expressions in Rom 1:10; and yet here was a church to which he writes, and had been a considerable time; for their faith was spoken of throughout the world, Rom 1:8; and when the apostle was on the road to this city, the brethren in it met him, Act 28:15. The chief design of this epistle is to set in a clear light the doctrine of justification: showing against the Gentiles, that it is not by the light of nature, and works done in obedience to that, and against the Jews, that it was not by the law of Moses, and the deeds of that; which he clearly evinces, by observing the sinful and wretched estate both of Jews and Gentiles: but that it is by the righteousness of Christ imputed through the grace of God, and received by faith; the effects of which are peace and joy in the soul, and holiness in the life and conversation: he gives an account of the justified ones, as that they are not without sin, which he illustrates by his own experience and case; and yet are possessed of various privileges, as freedom from condemnation, the blessing of adoption, and a right to the heavenly inheritance; he treats in it concerning predestination, the calling of the Gentiles, and the rejection of the Jews; and exhorts to the various duties incumbent on the saints, with respect to one another, and to the world, to duties of a moral and civil nature, and the use of things indifferent; and closes it with the salutations of divers persons.
Gill: Romans 15 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 15
The apostle in this chapter pursues his exhortation to mutual affection and forbearance, notwithstanding their different ...
INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 15
The apostle in this chapter pursues his exhortation to mutual affection and forbearance, notwithstanding their different sentiments about the use of meats, and observation of days; excuses his writing so freely to them, which they might bear with, in consideration of his being an apostle, especially an apostle of the Gentiles, and which office he magnified and fulfilled everywhere; gives them the reasons why he had not as yet been with them though he greatly desired it, encourages them to expect, a visit from him; and concludes with earnestly entreating them that he might have a share in their prayers: and first, as an inference from what he had said in the preceding chapter, he lays it down as a duty incumbent on himself, and all that were strong in the doctrine of Christian liberty, to bear with the infirmities of weak Christians, and not please themselves, but others, Rom 15:1, which he enforces, from the usefulness of it, it being for the good and edification of others, Rom 15:2, and from the example of Christ, who pleased not himself, Rom 15:3, and which is proved from a passage of Scripture in Psa 69:9, the pertinency of which passage, and the citation and application of it to Christ and the present case, are vindicated from this consideration, that whatever was written in former times, was for the use of the saints under the Gospel dispensation, Rom 15:4, and that the exhortation might have its effect upon them, be puts up a prayer to God for them, that such a temper of mind might be in them, which would be for the glory of God, Rom 15:5, and then he repeats his exhortation, Rom 15:7, that they would affectionately receive one another; which he urges by the example of Christ, who had received them to the glory of God; and that they might glorify him, and this was one way of doing it: and that this argument might have the greater weight with both parties, he observes, that Jesus Christ had a special regard to the Jews, and was their minister, sent unto them to fulfil the promises made unto their fathers, and had received them; and therefore though they were weak, they were not to be despised, grieved, and offended, Rom 15:8, and as for the Gentiles, it was a clear case that God had had long ago a design of mercy to them, and that they were to be, and were now received by Christ, and so under obligation to glorify God for his mercy; and therefore not to be judged and condemned, though they did not conform to the ceremonial law; and this he proves in Rom 15:9, from several passages of Scripture in Psa 18:49, and closes this argument he had so long insisted on with a prayer to God for them, that they might be in the exercise of faith and hope; and, in the exercise of those graces, be filled with joy and peace, Rom 15:13, and in order to prevent an objection that might be made to these prayers and exhortations of his, that they suggested that they were wicked and ignorant men, devoid of affection, and knew not how to behave to each other, nor to exhort one another, the apostle softens such a resentment, by calling them brethren, and by expressing his persuasion of their abundant goodness, knowledge, and abilities, Rom 15:14, and excuses the freedom he took with them by observing, that he only acted the part of a monitor, Rom 15:15, and the rather this freedom might be allowed him, on account of the great gifts bestowed upon him, qualifying him to be an apostle of Christ; and especially as he was an apostle of the Gentiles and so their apostle, Rom 15:16, and on account of his office, gifts, and usefulness, he had reason to glory; though through Christ only, and in things relating to God, and not himself, Rom 15:17, when he takes an occasion to enlarge on his ministry, and magnify his office; partly from the end and success of it, bringing the Gentiles to the obedience of Christ, Rom 15:18, and partly from the means and causes of such success the preaching of the word, working miracles, and the power of the Holy Ghost; and from the extent of it, reaching from Jerusalem to Illyricum, Rom 15:19, and from the difficulty which attended it, he preaching in places where the Gospel was never preached before, and which he chose to do, Rom 15:20, and which was necessary to be done, according to a prophecy in Isa 52:15, which he cites, Rom 15:21, and observes, that it was his preaching in these many and distant parts that was the reason of his not having been with the saints at Rome, Rom 15:22, but now gives them reason to expect his coming; partly because he had finished his travels in those countries, and partly because of the vehement desire he had to see them, Rom 15:23, and besides, an opportunity seemed to be offering, he intending to take a journey to Spain, when it would lie in his way to come to Rome, and be for his advantage, Rom 15:24, in the mean while he informs them what he was engaged in, to carry the contribution of the Macedonian and Asian churches to Jerusalem, for the poor saints there, Rom 15:25, on which contributions he enlarges, showing not only who made them, and for whom, but the source and spring of them, they arose from their good will and pleasure, Rom 15:26, and yet they were debtors, and under obligation to do what they did; it was but a piece of justice and equity, since those churches had received of the spiritual things of the Jews, Rom 15:27, and as for his coming to them, he acquaints them of the time that it would be, when he had finished the above service and labour of love, and when he should come into Spain, as he had before signified, Rom 15:28, and of the manner in which he should come, of which he was fully persuaded, as that it would be with the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, Rom 15:29, and then with great importunity desires them to pray for him, and that very earnestly, Rom 15:30, particularly that he might be delivered from his enemies in Judea, and that the saints there would accept of what he brought them from the Gentiles, Rom 15:31, and that, if it was the will of God, he might come to them and be refreshed with them, Rom 15:32, and then closes the chapter with a salutation of them, or a wish that the God of peace might be with them, Rom 15:33.
College: Romans (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION
I. ROMANS: ITS INFLUENCE AND IMPORTANCE
God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path (Ps 119:105), and no part of it shine...
INTRODUCTION
I. ROMANS: ITS INFLUENCE AND IMPORTANCE
God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path (Ps 119:105), and no part of it shines more brilliantly than the book of Romans. The truth of God's Word sets us free (John 8:32), and Romans teaches us the most liberating of all truths. God's Word is sharp and piercing like a sword (Heb 4:12), and no blade penetrates more deeply into our hearts than Romans. Overall the book of Romans may be the most read and most influential book of the Bible, but sometimes it is the most neglected and most misunderstood book. The Restoration Movement has tended to concentrate especially on the book of Acts, which is truly foundational and indispensable. But Romans is to Acts what meat is to milk. We need to mature; we need to graduate from Acts to Romans.
In 1 Cor 15:3-4 Paul sums up the gospel as these three truths: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised up again on the third day. The reality of the historical facts of the Savior's death and resurrection is stressed over and over in the book of Acts. Romans, however, is an exposition of the meaning of these facts. In the language of 1 Cor 15:3, Romans focuses not on "Christ died," but on the next three words: " for our sins ." Acts explains what salvation consists of and how we may receive it. Romans does the same, but carries the explanation to heights and depths that thrill and satisfy the soul, providing it with an experience that is at the same time intellectual, spiritual, and esthetic.
The unparalleled ability of Romans to convict sinners and to motivate Christians is well attested. The comment of Sanday and Headlam (v) has often been noted: "If it is a historical fact that the spiritual revivals of Christendom have been usually associated with closer study of the Bible, this would be true in an eminent degree of the Epistle to the Romans." Leon Morris (1) concurs: "It is commonly agreed that the Epistle to the Romans is one of the greatest Christian writings. Its power has been demonstrated again and again at critical points in the history of the Christian church."
The role of Romans in Augustine's conversion is well known. In his Confessions he tells how a discussion of Christian commitment with two of his friends brought him under strong conviction, filling him with remorse for his sins of sexual immorality and a sense of helplessness to overcome them. Later he and his friend Alypius went into the garden, taking along a copy of Paul's writings. Augustine went off by himself to weep over his sins. While doing so, he reports, "I heard the voice as of a boy or girl, I know not which, coming from a neighbouring house, chanting, and oft repeating, 'Take up and read; take up and read.'" He took this as a sign from God to open the book of Paul's writings and read the first passage that met his eyes. He quickly returned to where Alypius was sitting and the book was lying. When he opened it, the first words he saw were these from Rom 13:13-14: "Not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." This experience and these words gave him what he needed to turn completely to Christ. He says, "No further would I read, nor did I need; for instantly, as the sentence ended, - by a light, as it were, of security infused into my heart, - all the gloom of doubt vanished away."
Godet (1) declares that "the Reformation was undoubtedly the work of the Epistle to the Romans." Morris (1) agrees: "The Reformation may be regarded as the unleashing of new spiritual life as a result of a renewed understanding of the teaching of Romans."
Insofar as the Reformation depends on the work of Martin Luther, this is surely the case. Luther confesses how in 1519 he had an ardent desire to understand the epistle to the Romans. His problem was the way he had been taught to understand the expression "the righteousness of God" in Rom 1:17. To him it meant the divine justice and wrath by which God punishes sin, which did not sound very much like gospel . "Nevertheless," he says, "I beat importunately upon Paul at that place, most ardently desiring to know what St. Paul wanted." Finally, by the mercy of God, he began to understand this expression in a totally different way, i.e., as the righteousness of Christ that God bestows upon the sinner and on the basis of which the sinner is justified. The effect on Luther was electrifying: "I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates." This new understanding of this one verse - Rom 1:17 - changed everything; it became in a real sense the doorway to the Reformation. "Thus that place in Paul was for me truly the gate to paradise," says Luther ("Latin Writings," 336-337).
Luther's regard for Romans is clearly seen in this well-known paragraph from his famous preface to this epistle:
This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament, and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. We can never read it or ponder over it too much; for the more we deal with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes ("Preface," 365).
These words, first published in 1522, were echoed almost verbatim by the English reformer William Tyndale, in his prologue to his 1534 English translation of the New Testament. He says, "This epistle is the principal and most excellent part of the New Testament, and most pure . . . gospel, and also a light and a way in unto the whole Scripture." He also recommends learning it by heart and studying it daily, because "so great treasure of spiritual things lieth hid therein."
The Swiss reformer John Calvin echoes some of Tyndale's thoughts in his own commentary on Romans (xxix): "When any one gains a knowledge of this Epistle, he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture."
Working indirectly through Luther's preface, the book of Romans had an effect on John Wesley similar to the way it influenced Augustine and Luther. In his journal Wesley recounts his own search for personal victory over sin and assurance of salvation based on trust in the blood of Christ alone. He tells what happened to him on May 24, 1738:
In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation: And an assurace was given me, that he had taken away my sins, even mine , and saved me from the law of sin and death ( Works , I:103).
Modern scholars and expositors seem unable to praise the letter to the Romans highly enough. Philip Schaff has said, "The Epistle to the Romans is the Epistle of the Epistles, as the Gospel of John is the Gospel of the Gospels" ("Preface," v). "This is in every sense the greatest of the Epistles of Paul, if not the greatest book in the New Testament," declares Thiessen ( Introduction , 219). Newell (375) says Romans is "probably the greatest book in the Bible." "If the apostle Paul had written nothing else, he would still be recognized as one of the outstanding Christian thinkers of all time on the basis of this letter alone," say Newman and Nida (1). This familiar praise comes from Godet (x):
The pious Sailer used to say, "O Christianity, had thy one work been to produce a St. Paul, that alone would have rendered thee dear to the coldest reason." May we not be permitted to add: And thou, O St. Paul, had thy one work been to compose an Epistle to the Romans, that alone would have rendered thee dear to every sound reason.
Godet adds, "The Epistle to the Romans is the cathedral of the Christian faith" (1).
Others add even higher praise. Batey (7) says, "Paul's epistle to the Romans stands among the most important pieces of literature in the intellectual history of Western man." "It is safe to say that Romans is probably the most powerful human document ever written," declares Stedman. Some might think this honor should go to the U.S. Constitution or to the Declaration of Independence. "But even they cannot hold a candle to the impact the Epistle to the Romans has had upon human history" (I:1-2). Boice avows: "Christianity has been the most powerful, transforming force in human history - and the book of Romans is the most basic, most comprehensive statement of true Christianity" (I:13).
Commentators often quote this statement from Coleridge: "I think St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans the most profound work in existence" ( Table Talk , 245). Many will certainly agree, but to Coleridge such profundity was not altogether a virtue. For him it meant that Romans "undoubtedly . . . is, and must be, very obscure to ordinary readers" (ibid., 245-246). Indeed, some think that the Apostle Peter may have been referring to Romans in 2 Pet 3:16. But at the same time, perhaps paradoxically, Newell is correct when he says (vii), "There is no more simple book in the Bible than Romans, when one comes to know the book, its contents, its message, its power."
Scholars praise Romans as the clearest statement of the gospel of salvation. As noted above, Luther called it "the purest gospel." Nygren agrees (3): "What the gospel is, what the content of the Christian faith is, one learns to know in the Epistle to the Romans as in no other place in the New Testament." Cranfield says Romans is "the most systematic and complete exposition of the gospel that the NT contains" (I:31). The Restoration scholar Moses Lard (xx) concurs: "It is the whole gospel compressed into the short space of a single letter - a generalization of Christianity up to the hight [sic] of the marvelous, and a detail down to exhaustion." In Stott's words (19), Romans is "the fullest, plainest and grandest statement of the gospel in the New Testament."
Scholars also praise Romans for its unparalleled presentation of the essence of Christian doctrine . In his preface to Romans (380) Luther says that in Romans we "find most abundantly the things that a Christian ought to know, namely, what is law, gospel, sin, punishment, grace, faith, righteousness, Christ, God, good works, love, hope, and the cross; and also how we are to conduct ourselves toward everyone." Thus it seems that Paul "wanted in this one epistle to sum up briefly the whole Christian and evangelical doctrine." Schaff declares it to be "the heart of the doctrinal portion of the New Testament. It presents in systematic order the fundamental truths of Christianity in their primitive purity, inexhaustible depth, all-conquering force, and never-failing comfort. It is the bulwark of the evangelical doctrines of sin and grace" ("Preface," v).
Modern writers agree. "The truth laid down in Romans forms the Gibraltar basis of doctrine, teaching, and confession in the true evangelical church," says Lenski (8). Moo says the Puritan writer Thomas Draxe described Romans as "the quintessence and perfection of saving doctrine." Moo agrees: "When we think of Romans, we think of doctrine" (I:1). Lard (xx) calls Romans Paul's "great doctrinal chart for the future." Newman and Nida (1) declare that "above all else, the appeal of Romans is its theology ."
Concerning its doctrinal content, MacArthur lists 49 significant questions about God and man that are answered by Romans, e.g., How can a person who has never heard the gospel be held spiritually responsible? How can a sinner be forgiven and justified by God? How are God's grace and God's law related? Why is there suffering? MacArthur points out that these key words are used repeatedly in the epistle: God (154 times), law (77), Christ (66), sin (45), Lord (44), and faith (40).
Which of these assessments is correct? Is Romans the crowning presentation of the Christian gospel ? Or is it the grandest statement of Christian doctrine ? Actually, it is both. Romans is the theology of the New Testament; it is also the definitive statement of the gospel. In this epistle doctrine and gospel merge, and the result is a spiritual feast for Christians.
Boice (I:10) advises that "it is time to rediscover Romans." Actually, it is always time to "rediscover" Romans, and down through the history of Christianity individuals have been doing just this. The results have been earth-shaking. It can and does happen over and over, in the lives of individuals, in congregations, in the Church at large. F.F. Bruce (60) has well said, "There is no telling what may happen when people begin to study the Epistle to the Romans."
II. THE AUTHOR OF ROMANS
The epistle to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul (1:1). In the past a few critics challenged this, but without any real basis in fact. Today, as Cranfield says, "no responsible criticism disputes its Pauline origin" (I:2). Romans was quoted by the earliest Christian writers (Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin), and was attributed to Paul by name by Marcion in the mid-second century. Since the time of Irenaeus (late second century) writers have explicitly and regularly viewed it as Pauline.
Though composed and dictated by Paul, the letter was actually written down by a Christian scribe named Tertius, who inserted his own greeting in 16:22.
A. PAUL'S JEWISH BACKGROUND
It is not necessary to go into the details of Paul's life, except for a few facts that are important in view of the content of the epistle, which relates especially to the distinction between law and grace. One relevant fact is Paul's Jewish background, which he proudly avowed: "I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin," a "Hebrew of Hebrews" (11:1; Phil 3:5; 2 Cor 11:22). Though born in Tarsus, he was reared in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3), the capital of Judaism.
Paul's education included strict and thorough religious training in the contents of the Old Testament - especially the Law (Torah) - at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Gamaliel was one of the most famous and most revered of all rabbis. His knowledge of the Law was so great that he was practically identified with it, being given the title "the Beauty of the Law." A saying recorded in the Talmud declares, "Since Rabban Gamaliel died the glory of the Law has ceased." "Under Gamaliel," says Paul, "I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers" (Acts 22:3). "Thoroughly" translates
Paul's zeal for God and commitment to his Law was total (Acts 22:3; Gal 1:14). He was a Pharisee (Acts 23:6; Phil 3:5), which he properly identified as "the strictest sect of our religion" (Acts 26:5). The glory of the Pharisees was the Law; they were devoted to akribeia in its interpretation and observance (Dunn, I:xl). Thus Paul not only knew the Law but also devoted himself to scrupulous obedience to its commandments (Acts 26:4-5; Phil 3:6).
This probably means that he was a legalist in the proper sense of that word, i.e., one who sought acceptance by God on the basis of his obedience to the Law. This is implied in the way he contrasted his pre-Christian life (Phil 3:6) and his Christian life (Phil 3:9). This is also the way Pharisees are generally pictured in the Gospels.
Paul's zeal for the Law was expressed perhaps most vehemently in his fanatical persecution of the earliest Christians, all converted Jews whom he no doubt regarded as traitors to God and his Law (Phil 3:6). See Acts 7:58; 8:3; 9:1-2; 22:4-5; 26:9-11; Gal 1:13; 1 Tim 1:13.
B. PAUL'S CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY
The second relevant fact about the Apostle Paul is his conversion. The details need not be recounted here. What is important is that the one who converted him to Christianity was no human preacher, but was Jesus himself (Gal 1:15-16). Also, the gospel he preached was not taught to him by a human teacher; he received it by direct revelation from Jesus (Gal 1:11-12). The result was that Paul's conversion, his change, his turnaround, was complete. Whereas before he was totally committed to the Mosaic Law as a way of life and salvation, once converted he was just as totally committed to the gospel of grace.
As a Christian Paul set himself in complete opposition to everything he had stood for as a Pharisee. He now understood the way of law to be futile (10:3). He saw that his former legalistic approach to salvation was, as Murray says, "the antithesis of grace and of justification by faith" (I:xiii). Thus when Paul presents the classic contrast between law and grace in Romans, he speaks as one who knew both sides of the issue from personal experience and from the best teachers available. As Murray says, he is describing "the contrast between the two periods in his own life history, periods divided by the experience of the Damascus road" (I:xiv).
It is no surprise that Paul's preaching of the gospel and his condemnation of law-righteousness turned the Jews completely against him, even to the point that they tried to kill him (Acts 9:29; 13:45; 14:2, 19; 17:5-8; 18:12; 2 Cor 11:24-26). His opponents included "false brothers" (2 Cor 11:26), the Judaizers, or Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah but still clung to the Law of Moses.
In spite of all of this upheaval, Paul did not turn against the Jews as such. He still regarded them as his beloved brothers according to the flesh (9:1-3; 10:1), and as blessed by God in an incomparable way (3:1-2; 9:4-5). In fact, a major aspect of the teaching in Romans is an explanation and a defense of God's purpose for his Old Covenant people, the Jews (see especially chs. 9-11).
C. PAUL'S COMMISSION AS
THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES
The last detail about Paul's life that is relevant here is his call and commission to be the Apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 26:17). His appointment as an apostle (1:1) invested him with the full authority of Jesus Christ and with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that his teachings are truly the Word of God (1 Cor 2:6-13; 1 Thess 2:13). When we read the book of Romans, we must understand it to be nothing less than this.
Also, Paul's appointment as the apostle to the Gentiles (1:5) completely governed his thoughts and deeds from that point on. As a Jew and a Pharisee, he had no doubt shared the typical Hebrew aversion to anything Gentile; and he had no doubt gloried in the Jews' exclusive position as God's chosen people. Thus when God revealed to him the mystery of the Gentiles - that it had been his plan all along to include Gentiles in the people of the Messiah (Eph 3:1-10), Paul was overwhelmed with awe and joy. He unhesitatingly opened his heart to the very people he had once despised. This was another complete turnaround in his life, and he devoted himself totally to his new mission.
Paul's role as apostle to the Gentiles had a direct bearing on his relationship with the Roman church and his letter to them. Paul tells us that he had often desired to visit Rome, in order to preach the gospel and have some converts there, "just as I have had among the other Gentiles" (1:13). But since there was already a church in Rome, God's Spirit directed him into other Gentile areas in Asia Minor and the Greek peninsula first (15:17-22). But now he has covered this territory with three lengthy tours of missionary service (15:19). Thus he is ready to launch out into a totally new area, namely, Spain; and his journey there will take him through Rome, as he announces in this epistle (15:23-24).
Throughout the epistle to the Romans, Paul writes with the full conciousness of his mission to the Gentiles and of the Gentiles in his audience. One point that he clarifies in the letter is the relation of the Gentiles to the Jews with respect to salvation.
III. TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING
Immediately after his baptism Paul began to preach Christ in Damascus (Acts 9:19-20), but soon went away into Arabia (Gal 1:17), which may have been the time he received his revelation from Jesus Christ (Gal 1:12). He went from there back to Damascus, then to Jerusalem (Gal 1:17-18) and elsewhere, and ultimately to Antioch (Acts 11:25-26).
From Antioch Paul launched his first missionary trip among the Gentiles (Acts 13:1-3), which was followed by two more. While in Ephesus on his third journey, "Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. 'After I have been there,' he said, 'I must visit Rome also'" (Acts 19:21). He shortly departed for Achaia (Greece) and arrived in Corinth, where he stayed for three months (Acts 20:1-3). This was approximately twenty years after his conversion, and ten years after the beginning of his first journey.
Corinth was the farthest point of his third trip, whence he retraced his steps back toward Ephesus. He stopped at Miletus instead, and traveled from there on to Jerusalem, with the goal of arriving by Pentecost (Acts 20:16-17). One main reason for the trip to Jerusalem was to deliver the money he had collected from the (mostly Gentile) churches in Galatia, Macedonia, and Greece, to help the poor (mostly Jewish) saints in Jerusalem (1 Cor 16:1-4; Rom 15:25-26). Though "compelled by the Spirit" to go to Jerusalem, he was apprehensive about what might happen to him there (Acts 20:22-23).
It was in the midst of this final journey, during the three months Paul spent at Corinth, that he most likely wrote the letter to the Romans. He was apparently staying at the house of Gaius (16:23), one of his converts at Corinth (1 Cor 1:14). The letter was carried to Rome by Phoebe, a Christian from the church in nearby Cenchrea (16:1).
The exact date of the writing of Romans is calculated in relation to the overall chronology of Paul's life and work. There is no unanimity on this chronology, though the differences of opinion are minor. Everyone agrees that the Apostle's stay in Corinth must have been in late winter and/or early spring, since he planned to set out from there and arrive in Jerusalem by Pentecost. Most agree also that this would have been in the middle or late 50s. Thus Romans was probably written early in A.D. 56, 57, or 58.
IV. RECIPIENTS OF ROMANS:
THE CHURCH IN ROME
Rome was the largest and most important city in the Roman Empire in Paul's day. Its population was probably over one million. Of this number, it is estimated that forty to fifty thousand were Jews, with as many as fifteen identifiable synagogues (Dunn, I:xlvi; Edwards, 9).
How the church in Rome originated is not known. There is no real evidence that Peter founded it, contrary to a common tradition. Some say that Rom 15:20 shows this could not have been the case. Here Paul says that he does not intend to "be building on someone else's foundation." The fact that he did plan to visit Rome and work there implies that no apostle had been there yet (MacArthur, I:xviii; Moo, I:4).
One very common speculation is that the Roman church was probably started by Jews and proselytes from Rome who were in the audience that heard Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10), and who were among the converts baptized that day. Upon returning to Rome, they would have established the church there. If so, and this seems very likely, then the first Christians in Rome were converts from Judaism.
Another likely speculation is that Christians from other churches, perhaps some of Paul's own converts from his earlier work in Tarsus and Antioch and Asia Minor, were among those who started the Roman church and helped it to grow. Perhaps some of Paul's acquaintances named in Romans 16 were among this group. Such a scenario is highly probable, given the importance of Rome and the constant travel to and from that city.
Thus the church in Rome would have begun not as the result of some formal missionary effort, but by residents converted while traveling (e.g., Acts 2:10) and by Christians moving there from other places. Their own evangelistic efforts would certainly have focused on the synagogues of Rome, following the pattern of evangelism reflected in the book of Acts. This would have resulted in converts not only from Judaism but also from among Gentile "God-fearers" who were commonly attached to the synagogues (Dunn, I:xlvii-xlviii).
The epistle to the Romans is addressed "to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints" (1:7). The main question about these saints is the relative number of Jews and Gentiles among them. In answering this question, scholars usually begin with one solid historical fact, and then draw conclusions based on inferences and a bit of speculation. This has led to the following scenario, for which there is considerable consensus among commentators today.
The one fact is that the Roman emperor Claudius issued a decree that expelled all Jews from Rome. This is recorded in Acts 18:2, and is also mentioned by the Roman historian Suetonius. The exact date of the decree is somewhat unclear, but the best calculation is A.D. 49. The reason for the decree is stated thus by Suetonius: "Because the Jews at Rome caused continuous disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, (Emperor Claudius) expelled them from the city" (cited in Fiensy, Introduction , 224). Though we cannot be certain about this, most scholars agree that "Chrestus" is just a mistaken spelling of "Christus," and that the decree had to do with Jesus Christ.
In what way would Christ be instigating disturbances among the Jews in Rome? It is inferred that this refers to conflicts among the Jews stemming from Christian evangelism in the various synagogues. Because there was a wide diversity among the Jews and synagogues in Rome, it is concluded that some were more receptive to Christianity than others, and that this must have led to disputes among them. The resulting unrest was apparently unpleasant enough for Claudius to order all Jews to leave the city. It is also assumed that his decree did not make a distinction between unbelieving and believing Jews; thus even the Jewish Christians had to leave, e.g., Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:2). After the decree the Roman church thus would be composed almost entirely of Gentiles. (See Donfried, "Presuppositions," 104-105.)
When Claudius died around A.D. 54, the decree was no longer enforced, and Jews and Jewish Christians were free to return to Rome. Some think, however, that they were still forbidden to assemble publicly (Wiefel, "Community," 92-94). The results for the church would have been twofold. First, the problem with public assembly may have forced the Christians to set up a number of "house churches," a possibility that seems to be confirmed in Rom 16:5, 14, 15. Second, the returning Jewish Christians would find the Roman church dominated by the Gentile Christians, if not in number then certainly in power and influence (Wiefel, "Community," 94-96).
Thus the saints in Rome, to whom the letter is addressed, were almost certainly a mixture of Jewish and Gentile Christians, though there is no way to tell which group had the larger number. If the circumstances outlined in the above scenario are correct, however, it is safe to assume that there was tension if not conflict among the two groups. Wiefel refers to "quarrels about status" ("Community," 96). Bruce says, "It is implied in Romans 11:13-24 that the Gentile Christians tended to look down on their Jewish brethren as poor relations" ("Debate," 180). Dunn speaks of "at least some friction between Gentile and Jew" within the house churches, with the Jews being in a minority and feeling themselves vulnerable (I:liii).
What is obvious is that in the epistle Paul addresses both groups, with some passages being specifically directed toward the Jewish Christians and some toward the Gentile Christians (see Moo, I:10-11; Murray, I:xviii-xix). Some say the letter as a whole is directed mainly to the Jewish saints; others say it was mainly intended for the Gentiles.
Hendriksen is surely right, though, when he says that regarding the main point of Romans this whole question is really irrelevant, since it applies equally to both groups (I:23). All are sinners (3:9, 23), no one will be saved by law (3:19-20), and all are equal recipients of the grace that is in Christ Jesus (3:24; 4:11-12). Hendriksen stresses Rom 10:12-13, "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
V. THE OCCASION OF THE WRITING
What were the circumstances that prompted Paul to write his epistle to the Romans? We have already noted that he wrote the letter during his three-month stay in Corinth on his final mission trip. What sorts of things were going through his mind that led him to write it at that particular time?
We are fortunate that Paul reveals his mind to us in certain statements of his desires and plans in chapters 1 and 15. These statements show us what occasioned the writing of Romans.
One main consideration was Paul's immediate travel plans, as they related to his all-determining calling as apostle to the Gentiles (15:15-24). He refers to his "priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God" (15:16). For twenty years he had been preaching in the eastern and northeastern sections of the Mediterranean area, and had covered it well. "So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum," he says, "I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ"; so now "there is no more place for me to work in these regions" (15:19, 23). Thus he decided to change his focus to the northwestern section, Spain in particular (15:24, 28). In his mind he was already planning his trip to Spain.
But first he had to go to Jerusalem (15:25-31). His purpose for doing this was to deliver the funds he had been collecting from the Gentile churches "for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem" (15:26). He wanted to do this personally, to make sure that the funds were properly received (15:28). To this end he asked the Roman Christians to offer two specific prayers for him (15:30-31).
First, he knew that he still had many enemies in Jerusalem among the Jews especially. He knew that some of these enemies had already tried to kill him. Thus he really was not sure what dangers he might be facing in Jerusalem. Nevertheless he was determined to go (Acts 20:22-23), so he requested that the Roman Christians "pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea" (15:31). He was not afraid of losing his life; he just did not want his newly-formed missionary plans to be aborted (Acts 20:24; Rom 15:32).
Second, Paul was not really sure how the offering from the Gentile churches would be received by the Jewish saints in Jerusalem. There were still a lot of suspicions and misunderstandings between the two groups, mostly about the relation between the Old and New Covenants and the role of the Mosaic Law in the life of the Christian. Thus the money he was bringing to the poor in Jerusalem was not just an act of charity, but was also a symbol of unity between the two main factions in the church. Thus Paul was anxious that it might be received in the proper spirit, so he asked the Romans to pray "that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there" (15:31).
Thus Paul was ultimately bound for Spain, after an initial trip to Jerusalem. But there was a third item in his itinerary: an intermediate stop in Rome itself (Acts 19:21; 23:11), a place he had never been. So he announced to the Christians in Rome that on his way to Spain he would stop and visit them (15:23, 24, 28). This was something he had longed to do for many years and had even made plans to do (1:11, 13; 15:23), but had "often been hindered from coming to you" (15:22; cf. 1:13).
Paul had many reasons for wanting to visit the church in Rome. For one thing, he wanted to enlist their help for his mission to Spain. "I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there," he says (15:24). But he had other reasons that predated his plans for Spain. For example, he seems simply to have desired to visit with the Christians there: to have fellowship with them, to enjoy their company, to be spiritually refreshed by them (15:24, 32), and to be encouraged by them (1:12). After all, he knew quite a few of them personally (16:3-15).
Paul's principal longstanding reason for wanting to visit Rome, though, was his desire to preach the gospel there. "I am obligated," he says, "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 at Rome" (1:14-15). By this means or by some accompanying means he would be able to "impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong" (1:11). This would also enable him to "have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles" (1:13).
No wonder that Paul says he was praying "that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you" (1:10).
These are the immediate circumstances that prompted Paul to write the epistle to the Romans. But a simple presentation of these facts does not in itself answer the question of exactly why he wrote the letter. What was his purpose for writing? What did he hope to accomplish by writing this particular letter? This is the subject of the next section.
VI. THE PURPOSE OF ROMANS
The question of Paul's purpose for writing the epistle to the Romans is very controversial; there is much disagreement about it. Everyone agrees on the facts described above relating to the occasion for the writing. The problem is that these facts have to be assessed in view of the contents of the main body of the letter, 1:18-15:13. The question is not just why he wrote a letter to the Roman church, but why he wrote this specific letter with this particular content. Why does he write "such a lengthy and involved discussion to a largely unknown congregation"? (Dunn, I:lv).
There are two basic approaches to this question. The older and more traditional approach is that the historical circumstances as described in the previous section were not particularly relevant with regard to Paul's decision to write the letter. Neither Paul's own plans nor the state of the Roman church presented him with a pressing need or occasion that required him to write. Thus unlike his other letters, Romans is more or less non-occasional. It is regarded rather as a kind of timeless theological essay on the essence of Christianity. As Sanday and Headlam describe this view, "the main object of the Epistle is doctrinal; it is rather a theological treatise than a letter; its purpose is to instruct the Roman Church in central principles of the faith, and has but little reference to the circumstances of the moment" (xl).
The more recent approaches to the purpose of Romans take the opposite view, that it is "a situational letter rather than a doctrinal treatise" (Jewett, "Argument," 265). Paul was not simply writing an essay detached from his circumstances, but was specifically addressing a particular situation that needed his attention at that time. Thus Romans is just as much an occasional letter as 1 Corinthians or Galatians.
Those who take the latter approach usually go in one of two directions. Some emphasize that Paul wrote the letter to fulfill certain needs of his own, relating to his trip either to Jerusalem or to Spain. Others say that Paul wrote mainly to meet the needs of the Roman church at that particular time.
It is possible, of course, that Paul had more than one purpose for writing Romans, as Cranfield says: "It is surely quite clear that Paul did not have just one single purpose in mind but rather a complex of purposes and hopes" (II:815). Dunn (I:lx) and Moo (I:20) agree.
A. ROMANS IS A DOCTRINAL ESSAY
Now we shall go into a bit more detail concerning the possibilities outlined above. The first view is that Paul was not addressing a specific situation but was writing a timeless doctrinal essay. In its most extreme form this view says that Romans is a complete systematic theology, a compendium of Christian doctrine. Shedd (viii) calls it " an inspired system of theology , . . . a complete statement of religious truth." Romans is so "encyclopædic in its structure" that one "need not go outside of this Epistle, in order to know all religious truth."
More recently Bornkamm has taken a similar view, describing Romans as Paul's "last will and testament" - "a summary of his theology in light of the impending danger in Jerusalem" (Donfried, "Presuppositions," 103). Bornkamm says ("Letter," 27-28), "This great document . . . summarizes and develops the most important themes and thoughts of the Pauline message and theology and . . . elevates his theology above the moment of definite situations and conflicts into the sphere of the eternally and universally valid."
Many writers agree that Romans was not occasioned by some immediate need or crisis but was a kind of doctrinal essay. Nygren says (4), "The characteristic and peculiar thing about Romans, differentiating it from the rest of Paul's epistles, is just the fact that it was not, or was only in slight degree aimed at circumstances within a certain congregation." Lenski (10-12) agrees.
Most who take this non-occasional view, however, say that it is an exaggeration to call Romans a full-blown systematic theology. "If Romans is a compendium of theology," says Morris (8), "there are some curious gaps." (See also Moo, I:1; Hendriksen, I:25; W. Williams, 19-20.) It is a doctrinal essay, to be sure, but one that is more focused and limited in its scope.
Just what is the focus of this doctrinal essay? The most common view is that it has to do with the doctrines of salvation, i.e., that Romans is a summary or synopsis of Paul's gospel . Morris says that Paul probably thought his three-month, pressure-free sojourn in Corinth was a good time to bring together the timeless teachings that had crystallized in his thinking during his twenty years as a preacher. Thus he sets forth "a summary of the gospel and its consequences as he understood them" (pp. 18-19). Cranfield likewise says it is likely that Paul "was conscious of having reached a certain maturity of experience, reflection and understanding, which made the time ripe for him to attempt, with God's help, such an orderly presentation of the gospel" (II:817).
Vincent summarizes this whole approach quite well when he says that Romans "is distinguished among the epistles by its systematic character. Its object is to present a comprehensive statement of the doctrine of salvation through Christ, not a complete system of christian doctrine" ( Word Studies , III:x). As Hendriksen says (I:25), "Romans is not really 'a complete compendium of Christian Doctrine.' If it had been Paul's intention to draw up such a document, he would surely have included far more material." The specific doctrine he deals with is one needed not just in Rome but by all people in all times: " the manner in which sinners are saved ." (See Edwards, 3.)
The idea that Romans is a kind of doctrinal essay focusing on the general doctrine of salvation is correct, in my opinion. However, I do not think it is wise to separate it too sharply from the occasion or circumstances discussed in the last section. I question W. Williams' approach, for example, when he says (19), "The Epistle to the Romans is a discussion of the relation of the Gentile world to God's plan of salvation," and in the next sentence says, "This discussion was incidental to the apostle's circumstances." In my opinion this is a false choice. It is an essay on salvation, but its purpose was definitely related to the circumstances at that time, as we shall see below.
B. ROMANS WAS OCCASIONED
BY PAUL'S IMMEDIATE NEEDS
The second major approach to the purpose of Romans is that it was occasioned by the various circumstances relating to Paul's immediate plans in relation to his mission. In other words, it was designed to meet needs that Paul felt in his own life at the time. As Jervell says, "Its raison d'être does not stem from the situation of the Roman congregation, but is to be found in Paul himself at the time of writing" ("Letter," 54).
The main idea here resembles the modern practice of churches requesting that prospective ministers send a tape recording of one of their sermons. In this case Paul takes the initiative and sets forth in writing a "sermon" or a lengthy presentation of his gospel. He does this because he needs to introduce himself to people who are not familiar with him or with what he preaches. Or, he does this because his enemies are spreading false rumors about what he preaches, and are misrepresenting his gospel especially as to what he says about Jew-Gentile relations. Thus Romans is not just a presentation but also a defense of Paul's gospel.
This is how Moo explains the purpose of Romans. The various circumstances that he faced "forced Paul to write a letter in which he carefully rehearsed his understanding of the gospel, especially as it related to the salvation-historical questions of Jew and Gentile and the continuity of the plan of salvation" (I:20). Bruce agrees that it was "expedient that Paul should communicate to the Roman Christians an outline of the message which he proclaimed. Misrepresentations of his preaching and his apostolic procedure were current and must have found their way to Rome" ("Debate," 182). (See Stuhlmacher, "Purpose," 236.)
Why was it crucial for Paul at this particular time to write such a presentation and defense of his gospel? The answer is that it was necessary in order to facilitate his immediate plans. For one thing, he was on his way to Jerusalem with the offering for the poor saints, and was apprehensive about how this would turn out. Thus some contend that in this letter Paul was rehearsing what he was going to say in Jerusalem in defense of himself and in an effort to seal Jew-Gentile unity. He sent the product to the Roman church in a letter, asking them to pray for him and the upcoming Jerusalem episode (15:30-32). Thus, says Jervell, Romans is Paul's "'collection speech,' or more precisely, the defense which Paul plans to give before the church in Jerusalem." He sends it to Rome "to ask the Roman congregation for solidarity, support, and intercession on his behalf" ("Letter," 56). Dunn calls this Paul's "apologetic purpose" (I:lvi; see I:xlii-xliii).
Though this is a fairly common view today, some object to it or at least doubt that it could be the only purpose for Romans (Moo, I:18). Thus other aspects of Paul's immediate plans must have elicited the letter. One of the most obvious is Paul's plan to visit Rome itself. Though he knew some of the Roman Christians, he had never been in Rome and would not know most of the people there. It must have seemed expedient, then, for him to write a kind of "letter of introduction" to himself, especially in view of the false rumors that were probably afoot.
This is how Morris understands it (16-17). Paul used his three-month interlude in Corinth "to write to the Roman Christians to let them know of his plan to visit them and to set down in order something of what the gospel meant." He wanted to give them "a clear but profound statement of the essential message of Christianity as he proclaimed it. This will show the Romans where he stands." MacArthur's view is similar: "Paul's letter to the church at Rome was, among other things, an introduction to himself as an apostle. He clearly set forth the gospel he preached and taught, so that believers in Rome would have complete confidence in his authority" (I:xix). (See also Stott, 34.)
Those who hold this view usually take it a step further, and say that Paul laid out and defended his gospel to the Romans as a means of enlisting their support for his Spanish mission. In a real sense Rome was just a means to an end, both in Paul's itinerary and in his missionary strategy. He needed them as a kind of "base of operations" for what he hoped to accomplish in Spain (Stott, 33). Thus "if Rome was to be his base, the Romans would need to be assured of his message and theological position" (Morris, 17). This is what Dunn calls Paul's "missionary purpose" for Romans (I:lv). This is a fairly common view. (See Cranfield, II:817-818; Jewett, "Argument," 266, 277.)
C. ROMANS WAS OCCASIONED BY NEEDS AT ROME ITSELF
As we have just seen, those who believe the writing of Romans was motivated by the immediate circumstances sometimes locate those circumstances in Paul's own personal needs. Others who take the occasional approach, however, believe that the situation in Rome itself is what Paul is specifically addressing in this epistle. Though he had not been there, he still would have been acquainted with the state of the Roman church. It was, after all, a famous church (1:8). Besides, Paul's Roman friends, such as Aquila and Priscilla (16:3), would probably have kept him informed especially of any problems that existed there (Sanday and Headlam, xl-xli).
Whatever the nature of those problems or needs, Paul wrote to resolve them. Since all of Paul's other letters were "addressed to the specific situations of the churches or persons involved," says Donfried, we must begin with the assumption that Romans "was written by Paul to deal with a concrete situation in Rome" ("Presuppositions," 103). This is what Dunn calls Paul's "pastoral purpose" (I:lvi-lviii).
1. The Need for Jew-Gentile Unity
What sorts of needs existed at Rome that would call forth from Paul's pen the most magnificent gospel tract ever written? Several possibilities are suggested, but the one most commonly held begins with the assumption that there was considerable tension in the Roman church between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. Thus the purpose of Paul's letter was to resolve this tension.
This view usually grows out of the speculations (discussed above) concerning the development of the Roman church following Claudius' decree expelling the Jews from Rome. With Jewish Christians being forced to leave Rome, the Gentile Christians became the dominant force; and this situation prevailed even after the former returned to Rome. This led to conflict between the two factions. This scenario is supported by the various references to Jews and Gentiles (Greeks) in Romans, by the discussion of the weak (Jews?) and the strong (Gentiles?) in 14:1-15:13, and by several references to unity and division within the church (12:16; 15:5; 16:17-18). Such texts seem to be evidence of a "basic division existing between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians at Rome" (P. Williams, "Purpose," 64).
This view has been argued by Marxsen and more recently by Wiefel, who concludes that Romans "was written to assist the Gentile Christian majority, who are the primary addressees of the letter, to live together with the Jewish Christians in one congregation, thereby putting an end to their quarrels about status" ("Community," 96). Here is Edwards' summary (15-16):
Romans is addressed to the problems which inevitably resulted when Jewish Christians began returning to Rome following the edict of Claudius. We can imagine their trials of readjusting to churches which had become increasingly Gentile in their absence. Would Gentile believers who had established their supremacy during the Jewish absence, and for whom the law was now largely irrelevant, continue to find a place within their fellowship for a Jewish Christian minority which still embraced the law? Paul cannot have been unaware of such concerns.
In Dunn's words, "Paul wrote to counter (potential) divisions within Rome among the Christian house churches, particularly the danger of gentile believers despising less liberated Jewish believers" (I:lvii). (See also Stott, 34-36.)
2. The Need for an Apostolic Foundation
Another possible need being addressed by Paul is related to the circumstances of the origin of the church in Rome. It is inferred from 15:20 that no apostle was involved in its founding, nor as yet had even visited Rome. Thus Paul was concerned that the church did not have a solid apostolic foundation (see Eph 2:20), and he writes this epistle in order to provide that foundation. This is the view of Günter Klein ("Purpose," 39, 42), but Morris (11-12) gives reasons for doubting it.
3. The Need for Paul's Gospel
Another possibility (to which I subscribe) is that Paul did indeed recognize the need of the Roman church to hear his apostolic preaching and teaching, but not necessarily in a foundational sense. This view begins with Paul's sense of duty, based upon his special calling, to preach the gospel to everyone in the Gentile world (1:14), including those in Rome: "That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome" (1:15).
But these people are already Christians. Why would Paul want to "preach the gospel" to believers ? Here is a point that is often missed: the gospel is more than just the initial evangelistic witness given to unbelievers with a view to their conversion. It also includes the deeper meaning and implications of the basic facts of salvation, which are things about which even mature believers can never hear enough. That Paul wanted to preach the gospel to the Christians in Rome means that he wanted to go deeper into the meaning of Christ's saving work "for our sins," unfolding for them the full power of the gospel in the Christian life and at the same time clearing up common misunderstandings that may arise through incomplete knowledge.
Paul's desire, of course, was to do this in person, and he had often planned to travel to Rome for this very reason. Up to this point, however, God's providence had prevented it (1:13; 15:22). Now he is once again planning to go to Rome, after his trip to Jerusalem with the offering. But based on his past experience and the uncertainty about what would happen to him in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22-24), at this point he could not be certain that he would ever reach Rome in person.
This led Paul to the conclusion that if he was ever going to preach the gospel in Rome, perhaps the only way he would be able to do so was in writing . Thus he takes the time, while staying in Corinth just before traveling to Jerusalem, to prepare a well-thought-out essay on the gospel as every Christian needs to hear it; and he sends it on to Rome in advance of his intended trip there. Thus it seems likely, says Campbell, that "the letter is the written equivalent of the oral presentation which Paul would have delivered to the congregation had he himself been present" ("Key," 258).
According to this view, then, Romans is not just a basic presentation of the gospel, written in order to provide the Roman Christians with a missing apostolic foundation. And as Nygren (7) rightly notes, "it is a misunderstanding of Romans to see in it a typical example of Paul's missionary preaching." This is contrary to those who think Paul was just introducing himself to the Roman church, hoping to win their support for his mission to Spain by rehearsing the gospel as he usually preached it. Stuhlmacher rightly notes that how Paul "preached and taught as a missionary cannot be simply inferred from the outline of Romans" ("Purpose," 242).
According to this view, then, the primary purpose for Romans is not related to some need within Paul himself (e.g., his concern for defending himself; his missionary plans); nor is it related to some negative situation in the Roman church (e.g., Jew-Gentile disunity). It is motivated rather by Paul's loving concern for his fellow-Christians at Rome, and his desire to bless their hearts and lives with this written version of the deeper aspects of the gospel of grace. This point is brought out very well by Hendriksen (I:24):
Paul, being an intensely warm and loving person, desires to go to Rome in order to be a blessing to his friends (Rom. 1:10, 11) and to be refreshed by them (15:32). Moreover, it is for this same reason that he, now that it is impossible for him to go to Rome immediately , communicates with the Roman church by means of this letter. He writes to the Romans because he loves them. They are his friends "in Christ," and by means of this letter he imparts his love to them . . . .
It is strange that this deeply personal reason . . . , a reason clearly brought out by the apostle himself, is often overlooked. At times the emphasis is placed entirely on theological motivation or on mission incentive: Paul wants to correct errors of the antinomians and/or wants to make Rome the headquarters for the evangelization of Spain. To be sure, these matters are important, but we should begin with the reason first stated by Paul himself in this very epistle.
D. CONCLUSION
We have surveyed the main reasons why Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans. It should be obvious that some of these reasons may overlap or be combined; so we need not focus narrowly upon just one of them. Jewett, for example, says the immediate reason was to resolve the Jew-Gentile tensions, but this was sought in order to gain a strong and unified backing for the mission to Spain ("Argument," 266). After summarizing the missionary, apologetic, and pastoral purposes, Dunn concludes that "all three of these main emphases and purposes hang together and indeed reinforce each other when taken as a whole" (I:lviii).
In my opinion, though, the dominant reason is the last one discussed above: Paul's desire to preach the gospel to the Romans, and his decision to do so in the form of an epistle. This is the factor that Paul stresses in the introductory section of the letter, where we would expect him to say what is closest to his heart. It seems inappropriate to give priority to ch. 15 on this matter, and to pass over what Paul himself chooses to mention first of all. Just because he tells the Romans about his plans in ch. 15 is no reason to assume that his purpose for writing to Rome is specifically or directly related to these plans.
We may conclude, then, that Romans is indeed an occasional letter, that it was occasioned by the need of the Roman Christians to hear Paul's gospel and by the circumstances that made it expedient for him to send it to them in written form at this particular time. Thus Romans is by design a clear presentation of the deeper implications of the gospel, written not for Paul's sake but for the sake of the church at Rome. The references to Paul's own plans and needs in ch. 15 are secondary.
At the same time, just because of the nature of the situation that caused Paul to write this epistle, the purpose for Romans includes the first view discussed above, namely, that it was intended to be a kind of doctrinal essay focusing on the meaning of salvation through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. As noted above, it is a systematic presentation of the gospel : not necessarily the gospel as proclaimed in an evangelistic situation, but the gospel as unfolded to mature Christians.
When this point is understood, we can see that the epistle to the Romans is intended not just for the saints in Rome in the middle of the first century A.D., but for all Christians in all ages. It is relevant for all since it deals with salvation from sin through God's grace. As Moo rightly says (I:21),
That Paul was dealing in Romans with immediate concerns in the early church we do not doubt. But, especially in Romans, these issues are ultimately the issues of the church - and the world - of all ages: the continuity of God's plan of salvation, the sin and need of human beings, God's provision for our sin problem in Christ, the means to a life of holiness, security in the face of suffering and death.
The circumstances contributing to the writing of this letter were far broader than the immediate situation in Rome and Paul's own immediate travel plans. They included Paul's own pre-Christian life as a Jew who sought acceptance with God on the basis of his own righteousness. They included Paul's twenty years of preaching to sinners of all types, Jews and Gentiles. They included his dealings with new Christians and new churches with all their weaknesses and problems. His experience and knowledge of human nature and human need were personal and comprehensive; thus the gospel of Romans is generic and timeless.
In most of the discussions of the purpose of Romans, a forgotten factor is the role of the Holy Spirit in the inspiration of Scripture. It is Paul himself who tells us that "all Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Tim 3:16). Whatever circumstances led Paul to compose his letter to the Romans, the choice to write and the message he wrote were not his alone. The Holy Spirit worked through Paul to produce this letter (see 2 Pet 1:20-21), and the Holy Spirit knows more than any man what is needed by every sinner and by every Christian seeking peace and power. In the final analysis it is the Spirit of God, and not just the Apostle Paul, who speaks to our hearts in the epistle to the Romans.
VII. THE THEME OF ROMANS
Almost everyone today rejects the idea that Romans is a compendium or summary of Christian theology as such. It is nevertheless generally recognized that the content of the epistle is doctrinal in nature. Its main body is an essay or treatise with a strong doctrinal emphasis and seems to be built around a particular theme. The question now is, exactly what is the theme of Romans? Several answers have been proposed.
A. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
The Reformation established a way of looking at Romans that still has considerable support among Protestants, namely, that the main theme of the epistle is stated in 1:16-17. It can be summed up in the familiar phrase, "justification by faith," i.e., justification or righteousness before God comes through faith alone. John Calvin (xxix) states succinctly that "the main subject of the whole Epistle" is "justification by faith."
Boers says this is the theme that "currently almost universally controls the interpretation of the letter" ( Justification , 77). This is surely an exaggeration, but the justification view is still very popular. Concerning the principal content of Romans, Nygren says (16), "From the beginning evangelical Christianity has spoken clearly on that point: justification by faith. That answer is correct." Defining "theme" as "central topic" rather than as exclusive topic, Hendriksen agrees that justification by faith, "spread out into 'justification by grace through faith'. . . , is clearly the theme of Romans" (I:29). Edwards (3) says that "the driving concern throughout is salvation - that righteousness comes as a free gift of God and is received by faith alone." Stott (35) says two themes are woven together in the epistle. "The first is the justification of guilty sinners by God's grace alone in Christ alone through faith alone, irrespective of either status or works."
Many scholars today have rejected this traditional approach. Though justification by faith is a main topic in Romans, says Boers (88), it "never becomes thematic." Too much of its subject matter simply does not relate to this subject, he says (78). Moo agrees (I:26-27). (See Stott, 24-31.)
B. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Those who are not satisfied with justification by faith as the theme for Romans sometimes opt for one that is very similar, namely, the righteousness of God (1:17). Beker says this is "the key term for the letter as a whole" ("Faithfulness," 331). Jewett says the thesis of Romans is that the gospel is "the 'power of God' to achieve the triumph of divine righteousness (Rom. 1:16-17)" ("Argument," 266).
Since the righteousness of God is integrally related to justification by faith, the two themes are sometimes confused. This is because one aspect of the theme of divine righteousness is that the righteousness of God is the basis for the personal justification of individual sinners. This is the sense in which Nygren says that the righteousness of God - in the sense of righteousness from God - is "the fundamental concept" and "the very foundation thought" of the epistle (9, 14-15), even though he says the "principal content" of the letter is justification by faith (16).
But most of those today who say that the righteousness of God is the theme of Romans are using the expression in a broader, more comprehensive sense. For them it includes the idea of the divine righteousness as the basis for individual justification, to be sure. For example, Stuhlmacher says the theme of Romans is "the gospel of the divine righteousness in Christ for those who believe from among the Jews and Gentiles" ("Theme," 334, 337). But in Romans, they say, the theme is more inclusive than this. It includes God's righteousness as the basis not only of his dealings with individual believers, but also of his dealings with mankind in general and especially with the Jewish nation in the context of redemptive history.
The question raised by the indiscriminate offer of justification by faith to both Jews and Gentiles is whether God is being fair with the Jews, in view of all the special treatment he has already bestowed upon them and the special promises he has given them. Does the gospel's "no partiality" principle bring God's justice or righteousness into question? "What is at stake is nothing less than the faithfulness of God," says Beker ("Faithfulness," 330); and this is what Paul is dealing with especially in Rom 9-11. Stuhlmacher explains that the "righteousness of God" refers to "the entire redemptive activity of God in Christ from creation to redemption" ("Theme," 341).
Thus according to this view the theme of Romans is not just the salvation of man but the defense of God, with perhaps the greater emphasis falling on the latter. As Fiensy says (227), "Romans is then a theodicy or defense of God in light of the Jewish-Gentile problem in the church." Gaertner says that the kinds of questions Paul raises in Romans (e.g., 3:3; 3:5; 3:29; 9:14) inquire into the nature of God's dealings with sinners, especially with his fairness and faithfulness. Thus Gaertner labels Romans "the gospel of God's fairness" ("Fairness," 1:14).
C. THE EQUALITY OF JEWS AND GENTILES
A third view is that the theme of Romans is the equality of Jews and Gentiles in God's plan of salvation. This is currently a popular view. It stems mainly from the reconstruction of the origin and development of the Roman church as described earlier in this introduction. It goes hand in hand with the idea that the letter is intended to deal with certain specific circumstances existing in Rome, especially the apparent disunity between Jewish and Gentile Christians. It recognizes that "the entire letter to the Romans is . . . permeated with Jew-Gentile issues" (Fiensy, Introduction , 230).
In its most general form this view says that the main emphasis of Romans is the universality of the gospel: there is just one way of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike. The transcendent gospel goes beyond the Jew-Gentile distinction. God's salvation is given to both groups equally, favoring neither and offering favor to both.
Boers is an example of this view. He says the consistent theme of the main body of Romans is "salvation of Jews and gentiles, and the relationship between them" ( Justification , 80). This theme is stated in Rom 1:16, "that the gospel is the power of God for all who believe, to the Jews first, and to the Hellenes" (80). That salvation is offered to the Jews first is important, but so is the idea that "there is no difference between Jews and gentiles" (81-82).
Dunn says, "It is precisely the tension between 'Jew first but also Greek' (1:16), which . . . provides an integrating motif for the whole letter." Paul's "repeated emphasis on 'all'" underscores the theme of universality. Even the emphasis on the righteousness of God "is primarily an exposition of the same Jew/Gentile theme," i.e., it is Paul's way of arguing that Gentiles are full recipients of the saving grace of God as much as Jews are (I:lxii-lxiii).
As noted earlier, Stott says two themes are woven together in Romans, the first being justification by faith. But since this applies equally to all people, it is the "fundamental basis of Christian unity." This provides the second theme of Romans, that "'there is no difference' now between Jews and Gentiles. . . . Indeed, 'the single most important theme of Romans is the equality of Jews and Gentiles'" (35-36).
Interpreters differ as to the nature of the circumstances that led Paul to emphasize the theme of equality. Some say the Gentile Christians at Rome did not want to fully accept the Jewish Christians, so Romans is basically defending the right of the latter to full status in the Kingdom of God. This is how Boers understands the "Jews first" theme, as noted above. Jewett says, "Nowhere else in Paul's writings are the concerns of Jewish Christians taken up in so systematic and friendly a manner, thus counterbalancing the prejudices of the Gentile majority of Roman Christians" ("Argument," 276). The development of this theme in Rom 9-11 "is relevant to the situation in Rome," says Bruce. Here Paul "warns the Gentiles among his readers not to despise the Jews, . . . because God has not written them off" ("Debate," 183-184).
On the other hand, some say the problem in Rome was the status of the Gentile Christians. W. Williams says (19-20), "The Epistle to the Romans is a discussion of the relation of the Gentile world to God's plan of salvation." More specifically, Romans is Paul's "defense of the rights of the Gentiles against the Jewish assumption that excluded them from the Church, and from the chance of salvation." Thus "the sole intent of the apostle was to maintain the equality of the Gentiles against the assumption of the Jews." Stendahl agrees that Paul's concern is the salvation of the Gentiles. Even the subject of justification serves the purpose of "defending the rights of Gentile converts to be full and genuine heirs to the promises of God to Israel" ( Paul , 2-4).
Either way the subject is approached, the main point is the same: the principal theme of Romans is to demonstrate the equality of Jews and Gentiles with regard to the saving grace of God.
D. SINNERS ARE SAVED BY GRACE, NOT LAW
All of the themes discussed above are certainly present in Romans, and all are important. All of them contribute significantly to the main theme. But I believe none of them as such is the main point Paul is communicating to us in the epistle. Rather than seeing 1:16-17 as the thesis statement for Paul's treatise, I see it more or less as the starting point leading up to the thesis, which is 3:28: "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law."
In the most general sense Paul's thesis relates to the gospel , since his desire to preach the gospel in Rome (1:15) is what led him to compose the epistle as a written version of his gospel. In this sense Moo is correct: "What, then, is the theme of the letter? If we have to choose one - and perhaps it would be better not to - we would choose 'the gospel.'" Romans is simply "Paul's statement of 'his' gospel" (I:28).
But since the gospel is the good news about salvation, also in a general sense the theme of Romans is salvation . As Harrison says (7), "Salvation is the basic theme of Romans (cf. 1:16) - a salvation presented in terms of the righteousness of God, which, when received by faith, issues in life (1:17)." Or as Hendriksen says, the basic doctrine at stake (especially in 1:16-8:39) is " the manner in which sinners are saved" (I:25). And the manner in which sinners are saved, whether Jews or Gentiles, is the same: justification by faith.
But the theme of Romans is more precise than this. Yes, sinners are justified by faith, but this means they are not justified by works of law, which is the only alternative. It is just as important to include the negative statement in the theme as the positive one.
In actuality, then, the basic theme of Romans is the contrast between law and grace as ways of salvation. This contrast is seen especially in 3:28, which (literally translated) says, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law." The contrast is stated succinctly in 6:14, "You are not under law, but under grace." This is the gospel, the good news of salvation. Certainly it is good news to know that God justifies us by faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. But in a real sense it is also good news to know that we are not justified by law-keeping: a way of salvation which is not only futile but which sinners in their hearts know is futile, and which thus leads only to self-deception or to despair.
Commenting on Romans, Grubbs says, "The Gospel versus the Law is the one theme of which he [Paul] never loses sight in the elaboration of the details of this wonderful production" (9). Though this is a very common way of speaking - "gospel versus law" - it is not altogether accurate. The real contrast is grace versus law, and this message as a whole is the gospel.
Thus Paul's theme is indeed that we are saved by grace, not by law. Law is not a viable option as a means of salvation; the only way for sinners to be counted righteous before God is by grace. Yes, we are justified by faith, but not by works of law. Yes, the righteousness of God figures prominently in our justification, but in contrast to the righteousness of man. Yes, Romans does emphasize full equality regarding this way of salvation; Jews and Gentiles are saved the same way. Both are saved by grace and justified by faith as provided by the righteousness of God, but in contrast with every false way.
This contrast between law and grace as competing ways of salvation is not a matter of OT versus NT nor Old Covenant versus New Covenant, as if law were the way to be saved prior to Christ and grace is the way to be saved now that Christ has come. Also, the contrast between law and grace - THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - is not simply the Law of Moses versus the grace of Jesus Christ. No sinner has ever been saved nor can be saved by the law that applies to him, whether it be the Law of Moses for Jews under the Old Covenant, or some other comparable set of God's commandments for anyone else in any other time. Every sinner who has been saved since the time of Adam has been saved by grace and not by law, and this will always be the case.
The problem that Paul addresses in the book of Romans is not one that confronts Jews only, nor Gentiles only. It is not a problem faced only by those who are under the Mosaic Law, nor only by those to whom the Mosaic Law does not apply. The problem being addressed is this: As a sinner, how can I be saved? It is a problem faced by Jews and Gentiles alike, and the solution is the same for both.
Perhaps even more significantly, the problem addressed in Romans is not one confronted only by unbelieving sinners. It is a problem that believers often wrestle with as well (e.g., the Judaizers). When we state the problem thus - "As a sinner, how can I be saved?" - we can break it down into two separate problems. First is the unbeliever's problem: "How can I become saved?" The answer is: by grace through faith, not by works of law. Second is the believer's continuing problem: "How can I stay saved?" And the answer is: by grace through faith, not by works of law.
This is why the epistle to the Romans has always been and always will be in a class by itself with regard to its impact on individuals and upon the church as a whole. Its basic theme is one that is always needed and always applicable, and one that will result in the highest praise to God the Redeemer once it is understood.
PREFACE TO VOLUME 2
The introductory issues regarding the book of Romans have been discussed in Vol. 1 of this work (pp. 21-55). Also, the outline for chs. 1-8 of Romans is included in that volume (pp. 55-58).
References to passages in the book of Romans itself are usually limited to chapter and verse data only. For my policy regarding quotations from other sources, see the note at the beginning of the bibliography.
I wish to express my thanks to my wife, Barbara, for her patience in accepting my writing schedule while this work has been in production. My thanks go also to College Press for inaugurating this project, and especially to College Press editor John Hunter for adjusting to a writer who suffers from incurable prolixity. Another special word of thanks is due to my employers at the Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary who encourage my writing in many ways, especially through their regular sabbatical policy.
Above all, thanks be to God for his saving grace, for his Holy Word, and especially for the letter to the Romans with its incomparable beauty and power.
-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following bibliography includes commentaries, books, and articles cited in the text and footnotes of this work. Citations include a minimum of information; the reader must use this list for full titles and bibliographical data.
When commentaries are cited, only the author's name and page number are given. When other sources are cited, usually just the author's name and an abbreviated title (in bold print below) are given.
I. COMMENTARIES
Barclay, William. The Letter to the Romans , 2 ed. The Daily Study Bible. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1957.
Barrett, C.K. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . Harper's New Testament Commentaries. New York: Harper & Row, 1957; reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987.
Bartlett, C. Norman. Right in Romans: Studies in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans . Chicago: Moody Press, 1953.
Batey, Richard A. The Letter of Paul to the Romans . Austin: R.B. Sweet, 1969.
Black, Matthew. Romans , 2 ed. New Century Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.
Boice, James Montgomery. Romans , 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991ff.
Brokke, Harold J. Saved by His Life . Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1964.
Bruce, F.F. The Epistle of Paul to the Romans . Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1963.
Calvin, John. Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans . Tr. by John Owen. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1947 reprint.
Cranfield, C.E.B. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . 2 vols. The International Critical Commentary, new series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1975 (1990 corrected printing).
DeWelt, Don. Romans Realized . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1959.
Dodd, C.H. The Epistle of Paul to the Romans . New York: Harper & Brothers, 1932.
Dunn, James D.G. Romans. 2 vols. Volume 38 in Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word Books, 1988.
Edwards, James R. Romans . New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1992.
Erdman, Charles R. The Epistle to the Romans: An Exposition . Philadelphia: Westminster, 1925.
Godet, Frederic L. Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . Tr. by A. Cusin. Ed. by Talbot W. Chambers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1956 reprint of 1883 ed.
Greathouse, William M. Romans . Vol. 6 of Beacon Bible Expositions. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1975.
Grubbs, Isaiah Boone. An Exegetical and Analytical Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans . Ed. by George A. Kingman. 6th ed. Nashville: Gospel Advocate, n.d.
Harrison, Everett F. "Romans." In The Expositor's Bible Commentary . Volume 10. Ed. by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976. Pp. 1-171.
Hendriksen, William. Exposition of Paul's Epistle to the Romans . 2 vols. New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980-1981.
Käsemann, Ernst. Commentary on Romans . Tr. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.
Lard, Moses E. Commentary on Paul's Letter to Romans . Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, n.d.
Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans . Columbus, OH: Wartburg Press, 1945.
Lipscomb, David. Romans . Vol. I in A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles. 2nd ed. Ed. by J. W. Shepherd. Nashville: Gospel Advocate, 1965.
Lloyd-Jones, D.M. Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 3.20-4.25-Atonement and Justification . London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1970.
. Romans: An Exposition of Chapter 6-The New Man . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973.
. Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 7.1-8.4-The Law: Its Functions and Limits . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973.
Luther, Martin. Luther: Lectures on Romans . Ed. & tr. by Wilhelm Pauck. The Library of Christian Classics. Vol. XV. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961.
MacArthur, John, Jr. Romans . 2 vols. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody, 1991, 1994.
McGarvey, J.W., and Philip Y. Pendleton. Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans . Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, n.d.
McClain, Alva J. Romans: The Gospel of God's Grace . Ed. by Herman A. Hoyt. Chicago: Moody Press, 1973.
Mitchell, John G., with Dick Bohrer. Right with God: A Devotional Study of the Epistle to the Romans . Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1990.
Moo, Douglas. Romans . 2 vols. The Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary. Chicago: Moody, 1991.
Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
Moser, K.C. The Gist of Romans , revised ed. Delight, AR: Gospel Light Publishing Company, 1958.
Moule, H.C.G. The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans . The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Cambridge: The University Press, 1918.
Mounce, Robert H. Romans . Vol. 27 in The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995.
Murray, John. The Epistle to the Romans . 2 vols. New International Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959, 1965.
Newell, William R. Lessons on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans . No publisher given, 1925.
Newman, Barclay M., and Eugene A. Nida. A Translator's Handbook on Paul's Letter to the Romans . London: United Bible Societies, 1973.
Nygren, Anders. Commentary on Romans . Tr. by Carl C. Rasmussen. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1949.
Reese, Gareth L. New Testament Epistles: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans . Moberly, MO: Scripture Exposition Press, 1987.
Robertson, A.T. The Epistles of Paul . Vol. IV in Word Pictures in the New Testament. Nashville: Broadman, 1931.
Sanday, William, and Arthur C. Headlam. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . 2nd ed. The International Critical Commentary, old series. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, n.d.
Schlatter, Adolf. Romans: The Righteousness of God . Tr. by Siegfried Schatzmann. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995.
Shedd, William G.T. A Critical and Doctrinal Commentary on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1967 reprint of 1879 edition.
Shields, Bruce. Romans . Standard Bible Studies. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1988.
Smith, Sherwood. Thirteen Lessons on Romans . Vol. 1 (1979); and Thirteen Lessons on Romans . Vol. 2 (1981). Joplin, MO: College Press.
Stedman, Ray C. From Guilt to Glory, Volume I: Romans 1-8 . Waco: Word Books, 1978.
Stott, John. Romans: God's Good News for the World . Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1994.
Williams, William G. An Exposition of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans . Cincinnati: Jennings and Pye, 1902.
Wuest, Kenneth S. Romans in the Greek New Testament for the English Reader . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955.
II. MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS AND ARTICLES
Arndt, William F., and F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature . 4th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957.
Augustine, The Confessions of St. Augustine . Vol. XIV in The Works of Aurelius Augustine. Ed. by Marcus Dods. Tr. by J.G. Pilkington. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1876.
Balz, Horst. "
Bartchy, S. Scott. MALLON CHRESAI: First Century Slavery and the Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7:21 . Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series, #11. Missoula: Scholars Press, 1973.
Beker, J.C. "The Faithfulness of God and the Priority of Israel in Paul's Letter to the Romans." RomDeb , 327-332.
Boers, Hendrikus. The Justification of the Gentiles: Paul's Letters to the Galatians and Romans . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994.
Bornkamm, Günther. "The Letter to the Romans as Paul's Last Will and Testament." RomDeb , 16-28.
Boswell, John. Christianity , Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980.
Bruce, F.F. "The Romans Debate -Continued." RomDeb , 177-194.
Campbell, William S. "Romans III as a Key to the Structure and Thought of the Letter." RomDeb , 251-264.
Carson, D.A. Exegetical Fallacies . Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984.
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. The Table Talk and Omniana of Samuel Taylor Coleridge . London: Oxford University Press, 1917.
Cooper, John W. Body , Soul, and Life Everlasting: Biblical Anthropology and the Monism-Dualism Debate . Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989.
Corson, John. " Faith Alone Involves Obedience, Too!" Christian Standard . (10/2/77), pp. 5-6.
Cottrell, Jack. Baptism : A Biblical Study . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1989.
. "Baptism According to the Reformed Tradition ." In Baptism and the Remission of Sins . Ed. by David W. Fletcher. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1990. Pp. 39-81.
. "The Biblical Consensus : Historical Backgrounds to Reformed Theology." In Baptism and the Remission of Sins . Ed. by David W. Fletcher. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1990. Pp. 17-38.
. " Covenant and Baptism in the Theology of Huldreich Zwingli." Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Theological Seminary, 1971.
. " Faith , History, and the Resurrection Body of Jesus," The Seminary Review (Dec. 1982): 28:143-160.
. Faith's Fundamentals : Seven Essentials of Christian Belief . Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1995.
. Gender Roles and the Bible: Creation, the Fall, and Redemption . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1994.
. His Truth . 2nd ed. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1989.
. Thirteen Lessons on Grace . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1988.
. What the Bible Says about God the Creator . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1984.
. What the Bible Says about God the Redeemer . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1987.
. What the Bible Says about God the Ruler . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1984.
Delling, G. "
DeYoung, James B. "The Meaning of 'Nature' in Romans 1." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society , 31 (December 1988): 429-441.
Donfried, Karl P. "False Presuppositions in the Study of Romans." RomDeb , 102-125.
, ed. The Romans Debate . Revised & expanded edition. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991.
. "A Short Note on Romans 16." RomDeb , 44-52.
Erickson, Millard J. The Evangelical Mind and Heart . Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993.
Fiensy, David A. New Testament Introduction . The College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1994.
Foerster, Werner. "
Friedrich, Gerhard. "eujaggelivzomai, etc." TDNT, II:707-737.
Fuller, Daniel P. The Unity of the Bible: Unfolding God's Plan for Humanity . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.
Gaertner, Dennis. "Romans: Gospel of God's Fairness ." Christian Standard , part 1 (12/20/87), pp. 14-16; and part 2 (12/27/87), pp. 4-6.
Graber, Friedrich. "All, Many." The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology . Ed. by Colin Brown. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975. I:94-97.
Gromacki, Robert. The Virgin Birth : Doctrine of Deity . Nashville: Nelson, 1974.
Gundry, Robert H. Sôma in Biblical Theology: With Emphasis on Pauline Anthropology . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987.
Harris, M.J. " Prepositions and Theology in the Greek New Testament." Appendix. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology . Ed. by Colin Brown. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978. III:1171-1213.
Hobbs, A. I. " Conversion : What Is It, and How Produced?" In The Old Faith Restated . Ed. by J.H. Garrison. St. Louis: Christian Publishing Company, 1891. Pp. 254-274.
Hodges, Zane C. Absolutely Free . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989.
Jervell, Jacob. "The Letter to Jerusalem." RomDeb , 53-64.
Jeremias, Joachim. The Central Message of the New Testament . London: SCM Press, 1965.
Jewett, Robert. "Following the Argument of Romans." RomDeb , 265-277.
Kittel, Gerhard, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament . Tr. & ed. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapid: Eerdmans, 1964-1976.
Klein, Günter. "Paul's Purpose in Writing the Epistle to the Romans." RomDeb , 29-43.
Lamar, J.S. "The Ground of Man's Need of Salvation." In The Old Faith Restated . Ed. by J.H. Garrison. St. Louis: Christian Publishing Company, 1891. Pp. 98-119.
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Luther, Martin. "Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther's Latin Writings ." In Vol. 34: Career of the Reformer IV . Luther's Works (American Edition). Ed. by Lewis W. Spitz and Helmut T. Lehmann. Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1960. Pp. 327-338.
. " Preface to the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans." In Vol. 35: Word and Sacrament I . Luther's Works (American Edition). Ed. by E. Theodore Bachmann and Helmut T. Lehmann. Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1960. Pp. 365-380.
MacArthur, John F., Jr. The Gospel According to Jesus: What Does Jesus Mean When He Says, "Follow Me"? Revised ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.
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. "
Milligan, Robert. Exposition and Defense of the Scheme of Redemption . St. Louis: Bethany Press, n.d.
Moreland, J.P., and David Ciocchi, eds. Christian Perspectives on Being Human: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Integration . Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993.
Morris, Leon. The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross . 3 ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965.
Murray, John. The Imputation of Adam's Sin . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959.
Nash, Donald A. "A Critique of the New International Version of the New Testament." Cincinnati: Christian Restoration Association, n.d.
Oepke, Albrecht. "kaqivsthmi, etc." TDNT, III:444-447.
Reese, Gareth L. New Testament History: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Acts . 2nd ed. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1976.
Rengstorf, Karl Heinrich. "dou'lo", etc." TDNT, II:261-280.
Ridderbos, Herman. Paul : An Outline of His Theology . Tr. by John R. de Witt. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975.
Rueda, Enrique. The Homosexual Network : Private Lives and Public Policy . Old Greenwich, CT: Devin Adair, 1982.
Ryrie, Charles C. So Great Salvation : What It Means to Believe in Jesus Christ . Wheaton: Scripture Press/Victor Books, 1989.
Sanders, E.P. Paul and Palestinian Judaism . London: SCM, 1977.
Schaff, Philip. " Preface ." In John Peter Lange, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Romans . Tr. by Philip Schaff. Grand Rapids: Zondervan reprint, n.d.
Schneider, Johannes. "parabaivnw, paravbasi", etc." TDNT, V:736-744.
Schrenk, Gottlob. "iJerov", etc." TDNT, III:221-283.
Spicq, Ceslas. Theological Lexicon of the New Testament . Tr. by James D. Ernest. 3 volumes. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994.
Stendahl, Krister. Paul Among Jews and Gentiles and Other Essays . Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1976.
Stuhlmacher, Peter. "The Purpose of Romans." RomDeb , 231-242.
. "The Theme of Romans." RomDeb , 333-345.
Thielman, Frank. Paul and the Law: A Contextual Approach . Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994.
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Trench, Richard Chenevix. Synonyms of the New Testament . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1958.
Tyndale, William. "A Prologe to the Epistle of Paule to the Romayns." In The New Testament, Translated by William Tyndale, 1534 . Ed. by N. Hardy Wallis. Cambridge: University Press, 1938. Pp. 293-318.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger's Bible Dictionary . 3rd ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1966.
Vincent, Marvin R. The Epistles of Paul . Vol. III in Word Studies in the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973 reprint of 1887 edition.
Watson, Francis. "The Two Roman Congregations : Romans 14:1-15:13." RomDeb , 203-215.
Wesley, John. Journal from October 14, 1735, to November 29, 1745 . Vol. I in The Works of John Wesley. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, reprint of 1872 ed.
Wedderburn, A.J.M. "The Purpose and Occasion of Romans Again," RomDeb , 195-202.
Wiefel, Wolfgang. "The Jewish Community in Ancient Rome and the Origins of Roman Christianity." RomDeb , 85-101.
Wiens, Delbert. "An Exegesis of Romans 5:12-21." Journal of Church and Society (Fall 1969): 5:42-54.
Williams, Philip R. "Paul's Purpose in Writing Romans." Bibliotheca Sacra (January-March 1971): 128:62-67.
Young, Richard. Intermediate N.T. Greek : A Linguistic and Exegetical Approach . Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY TO VOLUME 2
The following bibliography includes commentaries, books, and articles cited in the text and footnotes of this work. Citations include a minimum of information; the reader must use this list for full titles and bibliographical data.
When commentaries are cited, only the author's name and page number are given. When other sources are cited, usually just the author's name and an abbreviated title (in bold print below) are given. Some sources are cited with an even more abbreviated reference (see list of abbreviations).
I. COMMENTARIES
Achtemeier, Paul J. Romans . Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1985.
Barrett, C.K. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . Harper's New Testament Commentaries. New York: Harper & Row, 1957; reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987.
Black, Matthew. Romans . 2nd ed. New Century Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.
Bruce, F.F. The Epistle of Paul to the Romans . Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1963.
Brunner, Emil. The Letter to the Romans: A Commentary . Trans. H.A. Kennedy. London: Lutterworth Press, 1959.
Calvin, John. Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans . Trans. John Owen. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1947 reprint.
Cottrell, Jack. Romans , Vol. 1. The College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1996.
Cranfield, C.E.B. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . 2 vols. The International Critical Commentary, n.s. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1975 (1990 corrected printing).
Denney, James. "St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans." In The Expositor's Greek Testament , ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, II:555-725. New York: George H. Doran, n.d.
DeWelt, Don. Romans Realized . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1959.
Dodd, C.H. The Epistle of Paul to the Romans . New York: Harper & Brothers, 1932.
Dunn, James D.G. Romans . 2 vols. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word Books, 1988.
Earle, Ralph. Romans . Vol. 3 of Word Meanings in the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974.
Edwards, James R. Romans . New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1992.
Fitzmyer, Joseph A. Romans: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary . The Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, 1993.
Godet, Frederic L. Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . Trans. A. Cusin. Ed. Talbot W. Chambers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1956 reprint of 1883 ed.
Griffith Thomas, W.H. Romans: A Devotional Commentary . 3 vols. London: Religious Tract Society, n.d.
Haldane, Robert. An Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans . MacDill AFB: MacDonald Publishing, 1958.
Harrison, Everett F. "Romans." In The Expositor's Bible Commentary , Volume 10, pp. 1-171. Ed. Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976.
Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Paul's Epistle to the Romans . 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980-1981.
Hughes, R. Kent. Romans: Righteousness from Heaven . Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991.
Käsemann, Ernst. Commentary on Romans . Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.
Lard, Moses E. Commentary on Paul's Letter to Romans . Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, n.d.
Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans . Columbus, OH: Wartburg Press, 1945.
Lloyd-Jones, D.M. Romans: An Exposition of Chapter 9 - God's Sovereign Purpose . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.
Luther, Martin. Luther: Lectures on Romans . Ed. & Trans. Wilhelm Pauck. Vol. XV of The Library of Christian Classics. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961.
MacArthur, John, Jr. Romans . 2 vols. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody, 1991, 1994.
McGarvey, J.W., and Philip Y. Pendleton. Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans . Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, n.d.
McGuiggan, Jim. The Book of Romans . Lubbock, TX: Montex Publishing Company, 1982.
Moo, Douglas. The Epistle to the Romans . The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
Moule, H.C.G. The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans . The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Cambridge: The University Press, 1918.
Mounce, Robert H. Romans . Vol. 27 of The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995.
Murray, John. The Epistle to the Romans . 2 vols. New International Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959, 1965.
Newman, Barclay M., and Eugene A. Nida. A Translator's Handbook on Paul's Letter to the Romans . London: United Bible Societies, 1973.
Nygren, Anders. Commentary on Romans . Trans. Carl C. Rasmussen. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1949.
Sanday, William, and Arthur C. Headlam. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . 2nd ed. The International Critical Commentary, o.s. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, n.d.
Shedd, William G.T. A Critical and Doctrinal Commentary on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1967 reprint of 1879 edition.
Smith, Sherwood. Thirteen Lessons on Romans . Vol. 1 (1979). Thirteen Lessons on Romans . Vol. 2 (1981). Joplin, MO: College Press.
Stott, John. Romans: God's Good News for the World . Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1994.
Vanderlip, George. Paul and Romans . Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1967.
Wuest, Kenneth S. Romans in the Greek New Testament for the English Reader . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955.
II. MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS AND ARTICLES
Arndt, William F., and F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature . 4th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957.
Bilezikian, Gilbert. Beyond Sex Roles . 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990.
Büchsel, Friedrich. "
Cottrell, Jack. Baptism : A Biblical Study . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1989.
. "Baptism According to the Reformed Tradition ." In Baptism and the Remission of Sins , ed. David W. Fletcher, pp. 39-81. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1990.
. "The Biblical Consensus : Historical Backgrounds to Reformed Theology." In Baptism and the Remission of Sins , ed. David W. Fletcher, pp. 17-38. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1990.
. Faith's Fundamentals : Seven Essentials of Christian Belief . Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1995.
. Feminism and the Bible: An Introduction to Feminism for Christians . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1992.
. " 1 Timothy 2:12 and the Role of Women." Four parts. Christian Standard , January 10, 1993, pp. 4-6; January 17, 1993, pp. 4-6; January 24, 1993, pp. 4-6; January 31, 1993, pp. 4-6.
. " Priscilla , Phoebe, and Company." Christian Standard , December 12, 1993, pp. 4-5.
. " Response to My Critics." Three parts. Christian Standard , November 21, 1993, pp. 5-6; November 28, 1993, pp. 4-6; December 5, 1993, pp. 4-6.
. Tough Questions , Biblical Answers. Part Two. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1986.
. What the Bible Says about God the Creator . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1983.
. What the Bible Says about God the Redeemer . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1987.
. What the Bible Says about God the Ruler . Joplin, MO: College Press, 1984.
Delling, Gerhard. "
. "
Donfried, Karl P., ed. The Romans Debate , revised & expanded edition. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991.
. "A Short Note on Romans 16." RomDeb , 44-52.
Forster, Roger T., and V. Paul Marston. God's Strategy in Human History . Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1974.
Fürst, Dieter. " Confess ." In The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology , ed. Colin Brown, I:344-348. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975.
Gaertner, Dennis. Acts . The College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1993.
Hoekema, Anthony A. The Bible and the Future . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979.
Hübner, Hans. "
Keil, C.F. and F. Delitzsch. The Pentateuch . Trans. by James Martin. Vol. 1 of Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981.
Kittel, Gerhard, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament . Trans. & ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964-1976.
Köster, Helmut. "tevmnw [etc.]." TDNT . VIII:106-112.
Lampe, Peter. "The Roman Christians of Romans 16 ." RomDeb , 216-230.
Lewis, C.S. The Four Loves . London: Geoffrey Bles, 1960.
Michaelis, W. "mavcaira." TDNT . IV:524-527.
Nash, Donald A. "A Critique of the New International Version of the New Testament." Cincinnati: Christian Restoration Association, n.d.
Oepke, Albrecht. "zevw, zestov"." TDNT . II:875-877.
Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things To Come . Findlay, OH: Dunham, 1958.
Pinnock, Clark H. "From Augustine to Arminius: A Pilgrimage in Theology." In The Grace of God, the Will of Man: A Case for Arminianism , ed. Clark H. Pinnock, pp. 15-30. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989.
Piper, John. The Justification of God: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Romans 9:1-23 . 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993.
Reicke, Bo. "proi?sthmi." TDNT . VI:700-703.
Schreiner, Thomas R. "Does Romans 9 Teach Individual Election unto Salvation?" In vol. 1 of The Grace of God, the Bondage of the Will , ed. Thomas R. Schreiner and Bruce A. Ware, pp. 89-106. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995.
Schüssler Fiorenza, Elisabeth. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins . New York: Crossroad, 1987.
Shank, Robert. Elect in the Son: A Study of the Doctrine of Election . Springfield, MO: Westcott Publishers, 1970.
Sherlock, William. A Discourse Concerning the Divine Providence . Pittsburgh: J.L. Read, 1848.
Spencer, Aida B. Beyond the Curse : Women Called to Ministry . Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985.
Spicq, Ceslas. Theological Lexicon of the New Testament . 3 vol. Trans. James D. Ernest. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994.
Stählin, Gustav. "
. "
Stendahl, Krister. Paul Among Jews and Gentiles and Other Essays . Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1976.
Trench, Richard Chenevix. Synonyms of the New Testament . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1958.
Walters, James. "' Phoebe ' and 'Junia(s)' - Rom. 16:1-2, 7." In Vol. 1 of Essays on Women in Earliest Christianity , ed. Carroll D. Osburn, pp. 167-190. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1993.
Weiss, K. "fevrw [etc.]." TDNT . IX:56-87.
Wright, N.T. The Climax of the Covenant: Christ and the Law in Pauline Theology . Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993.
. "The Messiah and the People of God." Oxford University: D.Phil. dissertation, 1980.
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ABBREVIATIONS
AG Arndt and Gingrich, Greek lexicon
ASV American Standard Version
GC God the Creator, by Jack Cottrell
GRe God the Redeemer, by Jack Cottrell
GRu God the Ruler, by Jack Cottrell
KJV King James Version
LB Living Bible
LXX Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT)
MP McGarvey-Pendleton Romans commentary
NAB New American Bible
NASB New American Standard Bible
NEB New English Bible
NIV New International Version
NRSV New Revised Standard Version
NT New Testament
OT Old Testament
RomDeb The Romans Debate, by Karl Donfried
RSV Revised Standard Version
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the NT, ed. Kittel
TEV Today's English Version
For fuller titles and publishing information on books, see the Bibliography.
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College: Romans (Outline) VIII. OUTLINE
PROLOGUE - 1:1-17
I. EPISTOLARY GREETING - 1:1-7
A. The Author Introduces Himself - 1:1
1. A Slave of Christ Jesus
2. Call...
VIII. OUTLINE
PROLOGUE - 1:1-17
I. EPISTOLARY GREETING - 1:1-7
A. The Author Introduces Himself - 1:1
1. A Slave of Christ Jesus
2. Called to Be an Apostle
3. Set Apart for the Gospel of God
B. The Gospel and the Old Testament - 1:2
C. The Subject of the Gospel Is Jesus - 1:3-4
1. The Two Natures of Jesus
2. The Incarnation
3. Messiahship
4. The Two States of Jesus
5. The Resurrection of Jesus
6. The Son's Full Identity
D. Paul's Apostleship - 1:5
1. The Origin of Paul's Apostleship
2. The Character of Paul's Apostleship
3. The Focus of Paul's Apostleship
4. The Purpose of Paul's Apostleship
5. The Goal of Paul's Apostleship
E. The Recipients of Paul's Letter - 1:6-7a
F. The Blessing - 1:7b
II. PERSONAL REMARKS - 1:8-15
A. Paul's Prayers for the Romans - 1:8-10
B. Paul's Desires Regarding Rome - 1:11-13
C. Paul's Debt to the Romans - 1:14-15
III. TRANSITIONAL STATEMENT - 1:16-17
A. The Glory of the Gospel - 1:16a
B. The Power of the Gospel - 1:16b
C. The Scope of the Gospel - 1:16c
D. Faith and the Gospel - 1:16c
1. Faith Is a Condition for Salvation
2. Faith Is Not the Only Condition
E. The Heart of the Gospel - 1:17a
F. The Golden Text of the Gospel - 1:17b
PART ONE:
THE IMPOTENCE OF LAW AS A WAY OF SALVATION - 1:18-3:20
I. THE SINFULNESS OF THE GENTILES - 1:18-32
A. Universal Knowledge of God and His Law - 1:18-20
B. Universal Rejection of the True God - 1:21-25
C. The Utter Depths of Gentile Depravity - 1:26-32
II. THE SINFULNESS OF THE JEWS - 2:1-3:8
A. Jews Are Under the Wrath of God, No Less Than the Gentiles - 2:1-5
B. God Will Be Partial to No One in the Judgment - 2:6-11
C. Under Law, the Criterion of Judgment Is Obedience Alone- 2:12-16
D. Jews Who Look to the Law for Salvation Are Condemned by Their Own Disobedience - 2:17-24
E. True Jewishness Is Identified Not by Circumcision but by the Inward State of the Heart - 2:25-29
F. Such Equal Treatment of Jews and Gentiles Does Not Nullify But Rather Magnifies God's Righteousness - 3:1-8
III. UNIVERSAL SINFULNESS AND HOPELESSNESS UNDER LAW - 3:9-20
PART TWO:
THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF GRACE AS A WAY OF SALVATION - 3:21-5:21
I. GRACE AS JUSTIFICATION BY CHRIST'S BLOOD THROUGH FAITH - 3:21-31
A. Righteousness Through Faith Is Now Fully Revealed - 3:21-23
B. Sinners Are Justified by the Blood of Christ - 3:24-26
C. Sinners Are Justified by Faith Apart from Works of Law - 3:27-28
D. The Way of Grace Is Available to All - 3:29-30
E. Grace Lets Law Do Its Proper Work - 3:31
II. ABRAHAM: PARADIGM OF GRACE - 4:1-25
A. Abraham Was Justified by Faith Apart from Works - 4:1-5
B. David Explains and Confirms Justification by Faith Apart from Works - 4:6-8
C. Membership in Abraham's Family Is by Faith, Not by Circumcision - 4:9-12
D. The Inheritance Promised to Abraham Comes by Faith, Not by Law - 4:13-17a
E. Faith Means Giving Glory to God and Believing His Promises - 4:17b-22
F. Those Who Believe Like Abraham Are Justified Like Abraham - 4:23-25
III. GRACE AND ASSURANCE - 5:1-21
A. Assurance of Personal Salvation - 5:1-11
1. Justification by Faith Is the Key to Assurance - 5:1-2
2. Tribulations of Believers Do Not Nullify Assurance - 5:3-5
3. Christ Died for Us While We Were Still Sinners - 5:6-8
4. Our Hope Is Even More Secure Now That We Are His Friends - 5:9-11
B. The All-Sufficiency of the Death of Christ - 5:12-21
1. One Sin of One Man (Adam) Brought Sin and Death to All - 5:12-14
2. Christ and His Sacrifice Are Greater Than Adam and His Sin - 5:15-17
3. Christ's Cross Completely Cancels the Results of Adam's Sin - 5:18-19
4. Grace Triumphs over Sin and Death - 5:20-21
PART THREE:
THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF GRACE GIVES VICTORY OVER SIN - 6:1-8:39
I. OBJECTIONS TO GRACE BASED ON A FEAR OF ANTINOMIANISM - 6:1-7:13
A. Does Grace Make Sin Irrelevant? NO! - 6:1-14
B. Does Freedom from Law Mean We Are Free to Sin? NO!- 6:15-7:6
1. We Are Slaves to God - 6:15-23
2. We Obey God from Our Hearts - 7:1-6
C. Does Grace Mean That Law Is Bad? NO! - 7:7-13
II. GRACE GIVES VICTORY OVER SIN - 7:14-8:13
A. The Christian Continues to Struggle Against Sin - 7:14-25
1. The Nature of the Struggle - 7:14-20
2. The Source of the Struggle - 7:21-25
B. Victory over Sin Comes Through the Holy Spirit - 8:1-13
1. God Frees Us from Sin's Penalty and Power - 8:1-4
2. Sin and Death Are Defeated in Us Through the Holy Spirit - 8:5-13
III. THE ASSURANCE OF FINAL AND TOTAL VICTORY OVER THE FALLEN WORLD - 8:14-39
A. The Holy Spirit Marks Us as Sons and Heirs - 8:14-17
B. The Redeemed Cosmos Is Our Inheritance - 8:18-25
C. God Promises to Bring His Family Through Earthly Trials - 8:26-30
D. God's Gracious Love Gives Us Unshakable Assurance - 8:31-39
PART FOUR:
THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
IN HIS DEALINGS WITH THE JEWS - 9:1-11:36
I. THE PROBLEM OF ISRAEL: THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF THE JEWISH NATION - 9:1-5
A. Israel's Agony: They Are Accursed - 9:1-3
B. Israel's Ecstasy: They Are Recipients of Unspeakably Glorious Privileges - 9:4-5
II. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ETHNIC AND SPIRITUAL ISRAEL - 9:6-29
A. Israel's Situation and God's Faithfulness - 9:6-13
1. God's Word Concerning Israel Has Not Failed - 9:6a
2. The Key to the Puzzle: the Existence of Two Israels - 9:6b
3. Ethnic Israel Exists by God's Sovereign Choice - 9:7-13
a. The Choice of Isaac - 9:7-9
b. The Choice of Jacob - 9:10-13
B. God's Right to Choose and Use People without Saving Them - 9:14-18
1. God's Righteousness Is Challenged - 9:14
2. God's Sovereignty in Election for Service - 9:15-16
3. God's Purposes Can Be Served by the Unsaved - 9:17-18
C. God Used Ethnic Israel to Produce Spiritual Israel - 9:19-29
1. The Objection - 9:19
2. Paul's Initial Rebuke of the Objector's Attitude - 9:20-21
3. Beyond Ethnic Israel to Spiritual Israel - 9:22-24
a. The Calvinist View
b. Seeing Paul Through Non-Calvinist Eyes
4. Prophetic Confirmation of God's Purpose - 9:25-29
III. ISRAEL'S CHOICE OF LAW RATHER THAN GRACE 9:30-10:21
A. Personal Righteousness Versus the Righteousness of God- 9:30-10:3
1. The Reason for the Gentiles' Acceptance - 9:30
2. The Reason for the Jews' Lostness - 9:31-33
3. The Jews' Rejection of God's Righteousness - 10:1-3
B. Christ Alone Is the Source of Saving Righteousness - 10:4-13
1. An Either-Or Choice: Works-Righteousness, or Faith in Christ - 10:4
2. The Futility of Law-Righteousness - 10:5
3. Saving Righteousness Comes through Trusting Christ's Works, Not Our Own - 10:6-10
4. God's Righteousness Is Available Equally to Jews and Gentiles - 10:11-13
C. The Jews Have Not Believed in Christ, and Their Unbelief Is Inexcusable - 10:14-21
1. The Necessary Prerequisites to Saving Faith - 10:14-15
2. Most Jews Have Not Believed the Gospel Message - 10:16
3. The Jews' Problem Is Not Ignorance but Stubbornness of Will - 10:17-21
IV. THE SALVATION OF GOD'S TRUE ISRAEL - 11:1-32
A. God's True Israel Is the Remnant Chosen by Grace - 11:1-6
1. God Has Not Rejected His People - 11:1-2a
2. God Had a Remnant of Believers in the OT - 11:2b-4
3. Those under Grace Are God's New Covenant Israel - 11:5-6
B. Unbelieving Israel Has Been Hardened - 11:7-10
C. The Hardening of Unbelieving Israel Becomes a Blessing
for Both the Gentiles and the Jews - 11:11-16
D. The Olive Tree: A Metaphor of Judgment and Hope - 11:17-24
1. Words of Warning to Gentile Christians - 11:17-22
2. Words of Hope for Hardened Jews - 11:23-24
E. God's Plan for Israel's Salvation - 11:25-32
1. The Mystery of Israel's Salvation - 11:25-27
2. God's Continuing Love for Israel - 11:28-29
3. God's Ultimate Purpose Is Mercy - 11:30-32
V. DOXOLOGY: GOD'S WAY IS RIGHT - 11:33-36
PART FIVE:
LIVING THE SANCTIFIED LIFE - 12:1-15:13
I. A CATALOGUE OF VIRTUES - 12:1-13:14
A. Grace Demands a Transformed Life - 12:1-2
B. Using the Gifts of Grace for Unselfish Service - 12:3-8
C. Miscellaneous Moral Teaching - 12:9-16
D. Personal Vengeance Is Forbidden - 12:17-21
E. The Relation between Citizens and Government - 13:1-7
F. The Relation between Love and Law - 13:8-10
G. Walking in the Light - 13:11-14
II. CHRISTIAN LIBERTY IN MATTERS OF OPINION - 14:1-15:13
A. Do Not Judge Others in Matters of Opinion - 14:1-12
1. We Should Accept All Whom God Has Accepted - 14:1-3
2. We Answer to Our Lord and Not to Each Other - 14:4-9
3. Each of Us Will Be Judged by God - 14:10-12
B. The Stewardship of Christian Liberty 14:13-23
1. We Must Sacrifice Our Liberty for the Sake of the Weak - 14:13-15
2. Do Not Allow What You Consider Good to Be Spoken of as Evil - 14:16-18
3. We Must Do Only Those Things Which Build Others Up - 14:19-21
4. Each Christian Must Be True to His Own Convictions - 14:22-23
C. Living in Unity and Hope - 15:1-13
1. Selfless Service Produces a Unified Witness - 15:1-6
2. Through Christ's Selfless Service, Jews and Gentiles Glorify God Together - 15:7-12
3. A Prayer That All Believers May Abound in Hope - 15:13
PART SIX:
PERSONAL MESSAGES FROM PAUL - 15:14-16:27
I. PAUL'S MINISTRY AS THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES - 15:14-33
A. Reflections on His Past Service - 15:14-22
B. His Plans for the Future - 15:23-29
C. His Request for Prayer - 15:30-33
II. PAUL AND HIS FELLOW WORKERS - 16:1-24
A. Commendation of Phoebe - 16:1-2
B. Greetings to Individual Acquaintances - 16:3-16
C. Warnings against False Teachers - 16:17-20
D. Greetings from Paul's Companions - 16:21-24
III. CONCLUDING DOXOLOGY - 16:25-27
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