R OMANS Paul’s “Theology of Salvation” THE APPIAN WAY LEADING TO ROME

The Historical Importance of Romans

The Relationship of Romans to Paul’s Other Writings

The Placement of Romans in our Bibles

The Setting of Romans

WIDER THEOLOGY SPECIFIC SITUATION The Purpose of Romans Paul is a “task theologian”

Evidence that Romans is a theology of salvation

What is Romans as a theology of salvation about?

LUTHER Theme verse - R OMANS 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.’

R EVISED Theme verse - R OMANS 1:16 and 17 ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 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.’

ROMANS 1:16 SOCIOLOGICAL DIMENSION - salvation is for all - ROMANS 1:17 THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION - salvation is by faith -

Jewish / Gentile Racial Hatred J EWS G ENTILES S EPARATION P URITY F EAR P RIDE G ENTILES J EWS P REJUDICE I NTEGRATION D ISTRUST

Romans is Paul’s theology of salvation for all people. But it also addresses specific needs in Rome.

What Specific Needs does Romans address? 1.The ‘Strong / Weak’ Theory 2. The ‘Mission Situation’ Theory

P URPOSE OF R OMANS Paul gives a theological foundation to his mission to the Gentiles to legitimize it and to encourage support for its extension in the western Mediterranean.

BIBLE STUDY IN ROMANS

T HREE M AIN Q UESTIONS How can Gentiles be saved? CHAPTERS 1-8 Does God still have a special relationship with the Jews? CHAPTERS 9-11 What does this new people of God look like, Jew and Gentile? CHAPTERS 12-15

“How can Gentiles be saved?” CHAPTERS 1-8

T HE S HORT A NSWER: ROMANS 1:17 They are saved by the revealed righteousness from God.

‘righteousness from God’ 1:17  Ethnic connections?  Covenant obligations? Trust in the Living God

ROMANS 1:18 Paul’s main argument in his “theology of salvation” begins. He first indicts the Gentile world in 1:18-32.

1:18 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Paul begins like this because he is arguing that our salvation can only be God-centered.

WHAT IS ‘WRATH’? Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

WHAT IS ‘WRATH’? 2 Thessalonians 1: God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.

WHAT IS ‘WRATH’? Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven.

WHAT IS ‘WRATH’? 1.The Righteous Judgment of God against Sin 2.The Subjective Effects of Sin in our Lives

Romans 1: For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1: For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Romans 1: Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Lev 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. The Sexual Code of Leviticus

Romans 1: For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

1. A Creator-centered society can become creature- centered. 2. In a Creator-centered society the “natural” purpose of sex is the procreation of children within a stable family. Homosexual sex is contrary to this purpose. 3. In a creature-centered society, people seek their own sexual fulfillment without regard for the Creator’s purpose for sex. This is why homosexual sex becomes a “human right.”

Romans 1: And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: When we evangelize, how should we talk about wrath?

Romans 2 Paul talks about the Jews, but only to further his argument about the Gentiles. His logic is: ‘If the Jew can’t be saved by the law, because they break the law, then neither can the Gentile.’

Romans 3:1-8 Paul begins exploring his second major question: “Does God still have a special relationship with the Jews?” But he’s wandering !

Romans 3:9-20 Paul returns to his argument supporting God’s indictment against humanity. Romans 3:20 - ‘No one (Jew or Gentile) is righteous in his sight by observing the law.’

Romans 3:21-31 PAUL’S THREE CONCLUSIONS 1. SALVATION HAS TO COME FROM GOD ALONE Romans 3:21 - ‘a righteousness from God has been made known’

Romans 3:21-31 PAUL’S THREE CONCLUSIONS 2. GOD HAS PROVIDED A SACRIFICE OF ATONEMENT Romans 3:25 “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood —to be received by faith.” ιλαστεριον hilasterion … very important

ιλαστεριον hilasterion “EXPIATION” OR “PROPITIATION” ?

Romans 3:21-31 PAUL’S THREE CONCLUSIONS 3. WE HAVE NO GROUNDS TO BOAST Romans 3:27 “where, then, is boasting?”

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Why Does God “need” blood to forgive us?

Romans 4 PAUL REINFORCES HIS ARGUMENT R OYAL G RANT T REATY GENESIS 15 S UZERAIN T REATY GENESIS 17 E. P. S ANDERS AND OTHERS: ‘THE NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PAUL’

Where Are We in Romans? JUSTIFICATION SANCTIFICATION GLORIFICATION

Romans 5:1-11 In Romans 5:1-11, Paul uses his teaching about justification to make a practical application regarding Christian sanctification and glorification.

Discussion Question on Romans 5:1-11: How do you keep the faith vivid in your life?

Romans 5:12-21 ANOTHER ARGUMENT A META-NARRATIVE ARGUMENT ADAM / CHRIST

Romans 6:1-23 Paul argues against antinomianism. S LAVES TO S IN 6:16 S LAVES TO R IGHTEOUSNESS 6:18

The 5 Elements of a Balanced Spiritual Life: BASED ON GRACE STRENGTHENED BY EFFORT INFORMED BY SCRIPTURE ENABLED BY THE SPIRIT CENTERED ON CHRIST

Romans 7 and 8 An extension of Chapter 6 S LAVES TO S IN T HEME CHAPTER 7 S LAVES TO R IGHTEOUSNESS CHAPTER 8

Romans 8:18-39 APPLICATION We can endure suffering for Christ.

T HREE M AIN Q UESTIONS How can the Gentiles be saved? CHAPTERS 1-8 Does God still have a special relationship to the Jews? CHAPTERS 9-11 What does the redefined people of God look like? CHAPTERS 12-15

Question Two: “Does God still have a special relationship with the Jews?” CHAPTERS 9-11

‘What advantage is there in being Jewish?’ (3:1-2 continued in 9:4-5)

‘Has God’s Word failed?’ Romans 9:6 – 10:21 ‘not all descended from Israel are Israel … but rather the children of promise are’

Has God rejected the Jews as His people? Romans 11 The Remnant

T HREE M AIN Q UESTIONS How can the Gentiles be saved? CHAPTERS 1-8 Does God still have a special relationship to the Jews? CHAPTERS 9-11 What does the redefined people of God look like? CHAPTERS 12-15

QUESTION TWO: What does the new people of God look like, Jew and Gentile? (CHAPTERS 12-15)

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you … 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. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:1-2 LOGIKOS : God is a “LOGOS” God. We are to have a LOGIKOS worship. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus ( AD): “I am a rational being and thus must sing hymns of praise to God.”

Romans 12:1-2 12:1 Animal sacrifices become replaced by a “rational worship.” 12:2 The Law of Moses becomes replaced by the law of the Spirit.

Romans 12:3-8 Paul explains how God’s people live out the “law of the Spirit” by humbly serving each other within the church.

Romans 12:9 – 21 Paul explains how God’s people live out the “law of the Spirit” by loving both believers and non-believers.

Romans 13:1-10 Paul explains how God’s people live out the “law of the Spirit” toward governing authorities.

Romans 13:11-14 As Christians, we should be known by our reasonable worship and the law of the Spirit, not by any immoral behavior.

Romans 14:1 – 15:13 Here, Paul gives some very practical advice on how to promote unity between culturally different Christians.

Romans 14:1 – 15:13 DIASPORA JUDAISM C IRCUMCISION S ABBATH F OOD LAWS “TRIBAL MARKERS” vs. Rom 14:17-18

Discussion Question: Should mono-cultural churches intentionally try to become multi-cultural in some way?