Romans 3:21b-24 (The Message)
What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.
As usual, our Summer Sermon Series has stretched out well beyond the limits of summer – but today we start our look into the seventh, and last- written of the letters largely considered to be authentically written by Paul himself - Paul’s letter to the Romans.
There are a lot of interesting things about this letter even before we get into its content. It’s the longest of the letters. It’s the only letter in our study that was written to people Paul did not already know. The other letters are written to communities that Paul himself had founded, but he had never traveled as far as Rome. This letter was written to introduce himself to the Roman Christians in preparation for a trip he was planning to take there (which, of course, he never managed to accomplish).
Paul was in Corinth when he wrote to the Romans – probably around the year 58 – just prior to his final trip to Jerusalem. If you recall from last week, he was in Greece to collect donations from the Macedonians to help the communities in Jerusalem that were suffering. In Jerusalem he would be arrested and begin the last long journey to Rome and his eventual execution.
In most of his other letters Paul is responding to issues within the addressed community: mentioning specific people; fighting back against those who dogged his steps attempting to undo all his teaching; encouraging the communities who faced difficulties; praising those doing good work and chastising them when they had drifted into unacceptable behaviors.
This letter – having none of that personal history – is generally known as Pau’s most “theological” writing. Last week was Reformation Sunday. This discussion was originally intended for last Sunday – but as we pointed out last week, schedules are made to be messed up. The reason I hoped to do this one last week is because this letter – Romans – is widely seen as the theological centerpiece of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther’s language of justification, grace, and faith generally originates right here, in this letter.
Here Paul gives us his “theology.” This letter is where he talks about, not just the actions, but the significance of Jesus and what Jesus actually means to our way of thinking about God. As our reading states: What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us.
What is discussed in much of this letter is the ever on-going push-and-pull between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. While this conversation occurred in most European-area Christian communities, it had been exacerbated in Rome by the emperor Claudius in the year 48, when he issued an edict ordering the expulsion of all Jews from Rome. This would have included Jewish Christians. For the next five or six years, therefore, the Roman Christian communities would have consisted of only Gentile Christians.
In AD 54 that edict was rescinded, and Jews could openly return to Rome. We can imagine the conflicts arising if Jewish Christians returned and tried to re-assume leadership of the local communities. It is quite possible that there was a struggle for dominance between the two communities similar to the one that occurred in Old Testament times when the exiles returned from Babylon and contested with those who had been left behind in Jerusalem as to which group were the “real” Jews” – those who stayed strong even in exile or those who had held the faith at home in an occupied land.
Paul makes it clear that in his opinion the Jews come first – but that the Gentiles are equal. The Jews’ dependence on their Law and works is responsible for much of the conflict in the world. The Gentiles are also at fault through the loose living that characterizes much of their world. Therefore, both sides are equally guilty – but both sides are equally saved by God’s grace given us all through and by the life of Jesus.
Many Christians today preach that we are saved by faith in Jesus. We must believe in Jesus to be saved. This includes believing a laundry list of things about Jesus. This is the only way to heaven in their view.
The thing is, this is a fairly recent idea in western Christianity. For many today, their “faith” is all about getting to heaven, but “heaven” was not central to the early Christians – actually, until as recently as the last three centuries, “getting to heaven” was not at the central core of Christian belief. In fact, some early believers probably didn’t even believe in an afterlife, as such.
For them, salvation – as Marc Borg puts it - was all about being transformed on this side of death. Justification by grace through faith – Paul’s and the Reformation’s great phrase, is about being transformed here and now and then about transforming the world – through the faith of Jesus. We do not have to believe a list of things about Jesus. Jesus is the faith by which we are justified – by which we are transformed. Jesus, after all, never told his followers to worship him. Instead, he consistently pointed our attention toward the one he called Father. Modern-day Christians who worship Jesus are missing his message entirely.
There’s a lot more to learn from Romans – it may take one more week, maybe two – we’ll see. We will be finished with Paul's letters in time for Advent.
There are a lot of interesting things about this letter even before we get into its content. It’s the longest of the letters. It’s the only letter in our study that was written to people Paul did not already know. The other letters are written to communities that Paul himself had founded, but he had never traveled as far as Rome. This letter was written to introduce himself to the Roman Christians in preparation for a trip he was planning to take there (which, of course, he never managed to accomplish).
Paul was in Corinth when he wrote to the Romans – probably around the year 58 – just prior to his final trip to Jerusalem. If you recall from last week, he was in Greece to collect donations from the Macedonians to help the communities in Jerusalem that were suffering. In Jerusalem he would be arrested and begin the last long journey to Rome and his eventual execution.
In most of his other letters Paul is responding to issues within the addressed community: mentioning specific people; fighting back against those who dogged his steps attempting to undo all his teaching; encouraging the communities who faced difficulties; praising those doing good work and chastising them when they had drifted into unacceptable behaviors.
This letter – having none of that personal history – is generally known as Pau’s most “theological” writing. Last week was Reformation Sunday. This discussion was originally intended for last Sunday – but as we pointed out last week, schedules are made to be messed up. The reason I hoped to do this one last week is because this letter – Romans – is widely seen as the theological centerpiece of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther’s language of justification, grace, and faith generally originates right here, in this letter.
Here Paul gives us his “theology.” This letter is where he talks about, not just the actions, but the significance of Jesus and what Jesus actually means to our way of thinking about God. As our reading states: What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us.
What is discussed in much of this letter is the ever on-going push-and-pull between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. While this conversation occurred in most European-area Christian communities, it had been exacerbated in Rome by the emperor Claudius in the year 48, when he issued an edict ordering the expulsion of all Jews from Rome. This would have included Jewish Christians. For the next five or six years, therefore, the Roman Christian communities would have consisted of only Gentile Christians.
In AD 54 that edict was rescinded, and Jews could openly return to Rome. We can imagine the conflicts arising if Jewish Christians returned and tried to re-assume leadership of the local communities. It is quite possible that there was a struggle for dominance between the two communities similar to the one that occurred in Old Testament times when the exiles returned from Babylon and contested with those who had been left behind in Jerusalem as to which group were the “real” Jews” – those who stayed strong even in exile or those who had held the faith at home in an occupied land.
Paul makes it clear that in his opinion the Jews come first – but that the Gentiles are equal. The Jews’ dependence on their Law and works is responsible for much of the conflict in the world. The Gentiles are also at fault through the loose living that characterizes much of their world. Therefore, both sides are equally guilty – but both sides are equally saved by God’s grace given us all through and by the life of Jesus.
Many Christians today preach that we are saved by faith in Jesus. We must believe in Jesus to be saved. This includes believing a laundry list of things about Jesus. This is the only way to heaven in their view.
The thing is, this is a fairly recent idea in western Christianity. For many today, their “faith” is all about getting to heaven, but “heaven” was not central to the early Christians – actually, until as recently as the last three centuries, “getting to heaven” was not at the central core of Christian belief. In fact, some early believers probably didn’t even believe in an afterlife, as such.
For them, salvation – as Marc Borg puts it - was all about being transformed on this side of death. Justification by grace through faith – Paul’s and the Reformation’s great phrase, is about being transformed here and now and then about transforming the world – through the faith of Jesus. We do not have to believe a list of things about Jesus. Jesus is the faith by which we are justified – by which we are transformed. Jesus, after all, never told his followers to worship him. Instead, he consistently pointed our attention toward the one he called Father. Modern-day Christians who worship Jesus are missing his message entirely.
There’s a lot more to learn from Romans – it may take one more week, maybe two – we’ll see. We will be finished with Paul's letters in time for Advent.
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