WEEK 13: Romans 1-10
JUSTIFICATION | Axioms 3 and 4
If Paul has a masterpiece, it is the book of Romans. Romans covers the broad sweep of the Christian life: salvation, sanctification, and glorification. But at the heart of the book of Romans is justification: the moment that we put our faith in Jesus, God declares us righteous because the work of Jesus is credited to us. In that moment, we are forgiven of our sins and made right before God. It’s our defining moment (101).
WEEK 14: Romans 11-16, Philippians 1-4
JOY | Axioms 3 and 5
Notice something about the book of Philippians. Paul wrote it from prison. In fact, he wasn’t far from death. But consider the main theme of Philippians: joy. No matter what the circumstance, Paul teaches us to be filled with joy. Because we have an eternal hope in heaven, we can have everlasting joy.
Weeks 13-14 | Questions for Discussion
Questions for Discussion
1. According to Romans, where do we see people justified by faith in the Old Testament (Rom 4)? What does this teach us about salvation?
2. Read Romans 12:2. What does Paul mean by “the renewing of your mind”? What needs to occur in the life of a Christian for this to happen?
3. Describe a circumstance in your life that has caused you stress. How can you apply Paul’s instruction to rejoice (Phil 4) in your trial?
COMMENTARY
Romans 1:17
“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” This verse gives us the big idea for the book of Romans, justification is the saving work of God by which he considers us righteous because of our faith in Christ. That’s a mouthful. Let’s unpack it. The “righteousness of God” consists of two ideas. First, it refers to the way that God saves people. It describes the way he justifies (or forgives) people for their sin. Secondly, the phrase refers to our status before God. We are justified (or forgiven) because of our union with Christ which comes through faith. Paul emphasizes that this forgiveness and salvation is always based on faith in God, not on our works. Paul demonstrates how this has always been true, referencing Habakkuk 2:4 which says that “the righteous (the one forgiven of their sins by God) will live by faith.”
Romans 1:21
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”Paul shows us in chapter 1 that God has revealed himself to all people. God’s creation points out his qualities (1:20) and is intended to bring people toward him. However, most people reject the truth about God that is evident in creation and end up worshiping false gods that justify their own desires. God permits these people to embrace their rejection of him and hands them over to their desires and sins.
Romans 2:6-8
“God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”At first, it may appear that Paul is promoting salvation by works. If that were the case, Paul is a bit absent minded since he has just powerfully argued for salvation on the basis of faith in Romans 1 and will pick up the theme in chapters 3 and 4. Instead, Paul is referring to people who do not have a Bible and only know about God through general revelation. These people learn who God is through observing creation and their own inner sense of right and wrong. God’s promise is that to those who respond rightly he will bring salvation (Rom. 2:7) and to those who respond wrongly he will bring judgment (Rom. 2:8). We know that salvation comes only through Jesus (Acts 4:12). So, God will often bring salvation to the people of verse 7 through bringing missionaries, dreams, and even angels that point people to Jesus.
Romans 3:20
This verse is a powerful and succinct reminder of the inability of our own good deeds or behavior to save us from our sin. No amount of following rules or laws can ever justify us in God’s eyes. No amount of human effort or “worthy living” can ever overcome the debt of sin we owe to God. The only solution to our problem of sin is to put our faith wholly and completely in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Romans 3:25
Jesus is our “sacrifice of atonement (NIV)” or our “propitiation (NAS).” These words mean that the full wrath of God for all the sin of the world was completely poured out on Jesus Christ. He received the full punishment for your sin so you wouldn’t have to. God could not just ignore sin and remain just. He had to deal righteously with sin by punishing for it. So out of amazing love and grace, He chose to punish His Son Jesus in our place.
Romans 5
The believer now stands in a unique relationship with God which provides a new perspective on all of life (5:1–5). That perspective is rooted in the conviction that a God who was willing to give up His Son to bring us to Himself will surely, now that we are His, keep on working in us (vv. 6–11).
What difference does Christ make in our situation? Paul summarizes in one of the New Testament’s key theological passages (vv. 12–21). Adam introduced death and sin into every person’s experience, bringing us under condemnation and releasing those dark forces that make human life short and miserable. In contrast, Christ as a second Adam created a new race of human beings, righteous rather than sinful, upheld by grace rather than weighed down by failure, alive rather than dead to the bright hope of life lived in the light of God’s holiness and love. In Jesus Christ all things truly have become new! (Richards, L. 1991. The Bible reader’s companion. Includes index. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.)
Romans 6
We who were joined to (“baptized into”) Christ were so truly united with Him that His death was our death—a death that frees us from the power of sin in our lives (6:1–7). More, His resurrection is our resurrection. Sharing that life, we now are able to live to God (vv. 8–10). We can experience this spiritual reality—by faith. We count ourselves dead to sin on the basis of God’s Word, we choose not to let sin rule, and we offer every part of ourselves to God as His instruments to be used for righteousness (vv. 11–14).
Now Paul digresses briefly: What we experience depends on what we choose. If we choose to sin, we will be slaves of sin. If we choose to obey God, we will serve the ends of righteousness (vv. 15–18). And what a difference the choice makes! The outcome of obedience is a holiness which pays eternal dividends. But the only wages sin pays is death (vv. 19–23). (Richards, L. 1991. The Bible reader’s companion. Includes index. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.)
Romans 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Many Christians throughout the centuries have found refuge in this verse. God tells us that no matter what we experience, whether evil or good, if we are Christians, he is working out all things for our good. It’s important to remember that the good God promises may not be what we normally think of as good. It is not a promise for wealth, power, or health. Rather, God will work his ultimate good in us no matter what terrible things we suffer.
Romans 8:30
“And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Notice in this verse and the surrounding verses the promises of God to hold on to his people. Nothing can pull us from his hand. The devil and evil people have no power to take us from God. Also, because we belong to God, we have no one who condemns us because we have been justified by Jesus.
Romans 9
Romans 9-11 are an extremely controversial group of verses. The big question Paul address is basically “what about the Jews?” The previous chapters of the book have been talking about how God is now welcoming all people into His Kingdom, regardless of their ethnic background. For centuries, God’s chosen people where the Jews, but now Paul is saying that God’s chosen people are no longer limited to Jewish people. Having said that, Paul felt it necessary to address the question that would inevitable come up in the Jewish reader’s mind. They would probably be wondering if there were any special privileges remaining for the Jewish nation. Based on this text, some have argued that the nation of Israel still plays a unique role in God’s plan. They believe that Israel is a distinct entity that will be the recipient of political and geographical blessings in the future. Others argue from this text that the Church is now God’s chosen people and that the promises made to the nation of Israel will be spiritually fulfilled in the Church.
Romans 9:11-13
This passage begs the question – does God choose specific people for salvation and reject others based purely on His own will and not the actions of the people? Some people argue that this passage teaches a doctrine of individual election, meaning that apart from any human action, God chooses to save some and chooses to send others to Hell. They argue that this is proven by the example of Jacob and Esau, who were respectively chosen or rejected before “they done anything good or bad.” Others argue that this passage is not speaking of individual election, but of a corporate election of people. That God chose a corporate type of people, those who would put their faith in Jesus, as those whom He would save, and conversely, that those who reject Christ would be corporately condemned. They argue that Jacob and Esau are representative of the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people in the Old Testament, and the nation of Edom, an enemy nation of God in the Old Testament. This is interpretation is based on the use of these same references in Malachi 1:1-6, where Jacob and Esau are clearly referring to nations and not individuals.
Romans 11:33-36
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” Paul ends this extended section of theological teaching that has run from chapter 1 through chapter 11 with praise to God. His reflection on theology and God’s purposes in salvation erupts in praise. It should do the same with us too.
Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God– this is your spiritual act of worship.” Verse 1 of chapter 12 serves as a change of direction for the book of Romans. Paul is going to spend the rest of the book applying the theological principles he has developed in the first 11 chapters. His first command to us is to live as “living sacrifices” to God. In light of what God has done for us, our lives should honor him.
Romans 13:1
God calls us to submit to civil authority in our world. It is interesting to note that when Paul wrote this, the governing civil authority was probably comprised of pagans who had no respect for the God of the Bible. Yet, even though the civil authority did not honor God, and in fact, persecuted followers of God, Paul still calls us to submit ourselves. This teaches that unless a civil authority commands us to do something in direct contradiction to the revealed Word of God, we have a responsibility to be submissive.
Romans 14:22
This is a great section of Scripture that warns us against legalism. Some people would like to establish detailed rules for every area of life, but there are many areas that God leaves up to personal conscience. When God’s Word speaks directly to an issue, we should be willing to obey without question and hold one
another to that standard. But when the Bible does not clearly speak to an issue, we should prayerfully seek God and follow His Spirit as he guides us, but we should never hold our personal conviction over somebody else. For example, the Bible clearly condemns drunkenness (Eph. 5:18) so Christians should absolutely abstain from getting drunk. Yet, some Christians believe alcohol should be avoided all together, while others believe that drinking alcohol is fine, as long as it is in moderation and doesn’t’ lead to drunkenness. In this area, it is good to follow the conviction that you believe God put’s on your heart, but you shouldn’t look down on or condemn someone who holds a different conviction.
Romans 15
Paul continues the topic developed in Romans 14. Practicing righteousness requires us to live love with one another. This means we must stop judging others and instead evaluate how the exercise of our freedoms affect them! We strong ones must “bear with” the weak, in the interest of building them up (15:1–4). Our goal is the experience of a God-given spirit of unity enabling us to glorify Him together (vv. 5–6). And Paul says it again. Accept (welcome) one another in the same way Jesus welcomed us—unconditionally—just as we were (vv. 7–8). Our unity will glorify God. We in turn will be filled with joy and peace and overflow with hope (vv. 9–13).
Paul now begins a lengthy conclusion. He has written not because he doubts the Roman church, but because he has such confidence in it (vv. 14–16). He has not visited Rome yet, in part because he is driven to preach to those who have not yet heard of Jesus (vv. 17–22). Yet Paul plans to visit, perhaps on the way to Spain. Meanwhile, he asks them simply to pray for him in his struggles to serve God (vv. 23–33). (Richards, L. 1991. The Bible reader’s companion. Includes index. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.)
Romans 16
As Paul closes this great letter to the Romans he gives much space to personal greetings. We might well wonder why. Why would God choose to include a lengthy list of names?
The answer may be simply that in these names we sense more clearly what it means to practice a “by-faith righteousness” in Christian community. Paul did not write theory. He shared what he himself practiced. And the proof is that he knows and loves such a diverse group of persons so well. There are women and men, both of whom are viewed as “fellow workers in Christ.” There are Greek names and Jewish names. There are simple folk and city officials, the likely poor and the undoubtedly rich. All these, together, are united in Paul’s heart and mind. All these are brothers and sisters, bound to the apostle by ties of God-inspired love. In these last chapters of Romans he urges us to have the same love for those who in our day are, in Christ, brothers and sisters of our own. (Richards, L. 1991. The Bible reader’s companion. Includes index. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.)
Philippians 2:5-11
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Paul uses his command to the church to grow in humility to give us one of the most important teaching on the deity of Jesus. Paul tells us that though Jesus is fully God (verse 6), he humbled himself when he became a man and died on the cross (verses 7-8). This does not mean that Jesus ever stopped being God. Rather, he took on the nature of humanity while retaining his nature as God. Heavy stuff to consider!
Philippians 3:12
This verse reminds us that all Christians have a God-given purpose in this world. Paul teaches us that when God “took hold” of us, He had purpose in mind, He did so for a reason. Understanding this, the passion that drove Paul was to discover and live out that purpose. Our passion should be the same!
Philippians 4:6-7
The most often repeated commandment in the Bible is to not fear. We are told repeatedly throughout the Old and New testaments to not have fear, but to live confidently in God. Here Paul tells us that whenever we have fear or anxiety about anything, the proper thing to do with that fear and anxiety is to bring it to God in prayer. And the promise of God is that if we consistently do this, we will experience God’s powerful peace in our lives.