Biblical Theology XLI: Romans

The Epistle to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul. It seeks to lay down the foundation as to why God is justified in making His kingdom, Israel, out of only some Jews and many more Gentiles, as well as argues why Paul is justified for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, and not only to the Jews. The book is Christocentric in that it centers the identification and salvation of the true Jew on the Davidic Messianic King, Jesus and His work upon the cross. Unlike the Jewish belief that obedience to the law made one acceptable to God, it is being united to Jesus that makes one acceptable to God and the law plays a subservient role in both leading one to Christ, and displaying Christ’s character for an already justified person to pursue. The book begins and ends with Paul boldly stating that the gospel belongs to both Jews and Gentiles alike, and therefore, declares his duty to proclaim it to both, thus creating an inclusio for the book.

Theology: Paul argues that since both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin (Romans 1:18-3:20, it is by faith/allegiance to Jesus through which one is united to Him, i.e., the Messianic King of Israel that one is reconciled to God (3:21-5:21) and adopted as His sons, i.e., heirs of the new world to come. Both are justified by this faith, and both struggle with sin (Chapters 6-7) until the day of their physical glorification/resurrection/adoption (Chapter 8). Hence, it is not through the law, whether moral, civil, or ritual, that one can become acceptable to God and become His people. Instead, the good of the law is something those redeemed/justified by faith strive for in their struggle against sin and to become like Christ (i.e., sanctification) on their way to receive the full redemption of their person when their bodies (i.e., glorification) and their world are redeemed (Chapter 8). God’s righteousness is given as a gift through one’s federal unification with the Son (5:1-2, 17-19; 6:3-8). It is not earned by works, nor can it be (3:26-31).

Since God is sovereign and chooses who will be saved and who will not be saved, He chooses who will make up spiritual Israel (Chapter 9), and He has chosen to harden many ethnic Jews and graft Gentiles into it (Chapters 10-11). Hence, His promises to Israel will all come to fruition, and all Israel will be saved, through the church that is made up of some Jews and many Gentiles. 

Ethics: As the spiritual Israel of God, it is necessary to see the covenant community, made up of both Jews and Gentiles, as a single body that seeks to love one another in service to one another, pushing one another on to righteousness. Paul divides the three types of laws (moral, civil, and ritual) in the Torah in terms of how those laws now relate to spiritual Israel, the church.

The morality of the Torah, summed up in the law of love, is to be employed within the covenant community (Chapter 12; 13:8-14) by doing good to one another and refraining from evil. Ritual sacrifices are fulfilled by what they represent, i.e., the giving over oneself in mind and body to the worship of God (12:1-2).

However, because it is a spiritual nation, the civil law goes to the secular government under which Christians are placed (13:1-7), since the church is spiritual Israel and is not, therefore, the means through which God enacts physical/civil punishment in the world. 

The ritual law that marked ethnic Jews has been fulfilled in Christ and are not binding on Christians. Hence, Jewish and Gentile Christians should not judge one another when it comes to the eating of certain foods or drink, the celebration of certain holy days, etc. (Chapters 14-15).

Paul sums up the book by arguing that he has preached the gospel to the Gentiles for the very reason that they have been saved by God as Israel, and since the Gentiles have partaken in the spiritual blessings of the Jews, they ought to share material blessings with them. God’s people ought to pray and contribute whatever they can to make sure God’s Israel grows in number and is sustained.