Presumptuous – Romans 2:2-5

“We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who do such things. Do you suppose, O man – you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself – that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Textual

Paul affirms the correctness of the Jews’ judgment of the sinfulness of pagan Gentiles. He then confronts the Jew’s erroneous thinking concerning their relationship to God. The Jews believed that they were in a state of perpetual safety, spiritually speaking, because of God’s covenant with them. As a result, they presumed “on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience.” The Jews were in the same descending spiral as the Gentiles, yet assumed that God viewed them differently.

The Jews did not understand the progressive nature of God’s story. His covenant with Israel, which provided for the kindness of God toward Israel, was leading to the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. God’s patience with the repeating cycle of sin, oppression, prayer, deliverance, and praise (which is seen clearly in the book of Judges, and regularly throughout the Old Testament) was designed to end with Christ, the once-for-all Deliverer. The story of God was intended to lead Israel to a hunger for a permanent kingdom in which righteousness reigns.

However, the religious Jews, because of their “hard and impenitent” hearts, failed to recognize this kingdom inaugurated by Christ. Thus, they “did not honor him as God or give thanks to him” (Romans 1:21). Therefore, the truth that they were “storing up wrath” for themselves is the same state as that described in Romans 1:18-32. The storing up of wrath is God’s wrath revealed in the temporal, which will ultimately lead to the revealing of “God’s righteous judgment” in the eschaton.

Romans 1:19-20 – For the Church

Ecclesiastical

The primary discussion concerning creation focuses upon how it happened. The secular culture argues for a self-made universe in which operates the evolutionary development of living species. The church, of course, argues for God as the Cause of all that exists. The debate, however, is not merely between the spheres of secular and sacred. There are many different views within the church, such as: theistic evolution, the Day-Age Theory, the Gap Theory, literal, seven-day creationists, and historic creationists.

There is a greater question to ask concerning creation than how it happened. A much more profound question is why it happened. Some people may think it presumptuous to offer an answer on behalf of God. However, I believe the Bible offers enough pointers to come to a reasonable conclusion. My assertion is that God created in order to display himself for his own enjoyment.

One pointer to support my assertion is found in Romans 1:20, which says, “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.” This verse does not say that creation’s purpose is to display these attributes of God. The verse simply says creation does display these attributes. The Psalms, however, seem to repeatedly use language indicating purpose in creation’s heralding of God’s glory. Psalm 97:6 says, “The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.” Psalm 19:1-2 adds, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” Words like “proclaim,” and “declare,” are active words performed by creation. They indicate intent. Creation intends to display God and his glory.

Think for moment about God’s existence prior to his creative act. Was God lacking anything? Was he lonely? Did he need to be praised by creatures that are infinitely inferior to himself? Absolutely not! God did not create to fulfill any need in himself. He did not create for fellowship. He is perfectly satisfied in fellowship within the triune Godhead. He did not create for worship. If this was the reason, he could have easily been satisfied with the creation of angels. “The God who made the world and everything in it, being the Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:24-25). God is, has always been, and will always be perfectly happy in being God. This is at least part of the meaning of his self-sufficency.

So why did God create? He created for reasons similar to the reasons an artist paints. An artist paints to express his/her thoughts, values, and feelings. When an artist paints, he/she sees something of him/herself in the painting, and is satisfied with the expression. My assertion is that God created to express his joy in being God, that he might display his attributes visibly. In Genesis 1, a pattern is repeated throughout the narrative. God said, “Let there be…,” “and there was…,” “and God saw that it was good.” In seeing that his creation was good, God was not evaluating his work, but stepping back and enjoying his expression. The apex of God’s creative work was man and woman. He created them in his own image, giving them the greatest capacity for displaying his own nature.

Of course, the man and woman vandalized God’s artistic work when they sinned. This, however, did not ruin God’s work, but brought opportunity for a greater display of God. Before the fall, there was no need for God to show mercy, grace, or forgiveness.

The whole Bible is about how God displays himself in this creation. The Mosaic Law is a textual image of God. It reveals what he values. The first command is, “You shall have not other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). God values God above all else. Therefore his creation must value him above else. God values life, so he says, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). God is the faithful provider who is generous with his gifts. Thus he commands, “You shall not covet…” (Exodus 20:17). Rather than seeing and enjoying this revelation of God, mankind used the law as a platform to promote the self. People became proud of their ability to keep God’s commands. Enter Jesus.

Jesus came and perfectly displayed God in human flesh. “He is the image of the invisible God…” (Colossians 1:15). Of course, the sinfulness of humanity once again desired self-display over the display of God. Rather than recognizing the glory of life as God intends it, people had Jesus arrested and brutally executed.

Now, God has chosen to display himself through his church. The apostle Paul said that he proclaimed the gospel “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10). The church exists to be the visual representation of the glory of God in the earth. We are not merely called to be nice, moral people. We are called to fill the earth with God’s glory, like the cloud filled Solomon’s temple.

Finally, there is coming a day when these visual representations will no longer be necessary. The church will reflect the light of his glory perfectly for his enjoyment, as well as ours, for all eternity. Until then, the church, by the Spirit of Christ, is the metaphor for this coming glorious reality.

Romans 1:13 – In Defense of the Faith

Apologetic

Paul, as the apostle to the Gentiles, evangelized and discipled much of Asia Minor and Europe.  He is the human author of the majority of the New Testament.  The Protestant Reformation was born out of Pauline theology.  The gospel that the apostle Paul preached is central to modern Christianity.  In fact, Paul has said, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

Skeptics see an opportunity in this statement of Paul to rattle the foundations of Christianity.  For they assert contradictions between Paul and Jesus that are irreconcilable.  For example, Jesus taught primarily about life in the kingdom of God, while the center of Paul’s teaching is justification by faith.  Paul writes of the end of the law for righteousness.  Jesus says that “it is easier for the heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” (Luke 16:17).

The first of these differences is due to cultural context rather than doctrinal differences.  Jesus’ life and ministry took place within the context of Judaism.  God still related to and governed his people on the basis of the Old Covenant.  There was great messianic expectation among the Jews at this time.  They had high hopes for the return of a geo-political nation of Israel to a state of prominence, peace, and prosperity.  When the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6), they were asking a question that was prevalent in the minds of the Jews.  It must also be noted that Jesus ministered among a people, the Jews, who were already part of the kingdom theme.  Therefore, Jesus’ emphasis upon the kingdom of God is necessary to correct wrong thinking and misguided expectations.  Jesus taught the spiritual nature of the kingdom, which was expressed in the material world.

Jesus demonstrated this to Pilate saying, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews” (John 18:36).  Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.  This truth influences the behavior of the kingdom’s citizens in this temporal world.  Because Jesus’ kingdom is eternal, the disciples did not fight for temporal power.  Their focus was turned toward ultimate things.

Paul’s ministry was among people who had no Davidic heritage and, thus, no messianic expectations.  The kingdom teaching that connected with the Jews would not have been nearly as effective with the Gentiles.  Paul had to teach the Gentiles about the nature of God and how mankind relates to him.  His emphasis upon justification by faith is quite fitting for people outside the realm of Jewish religious thought.

What about the law?  The statements of Jesus and Paul appear to be contradictory.  This, however, is not the case.  Skeptics often point to Jesus’ interaction with the rich, young ruler as evidence that Jesus’ teaching was primarily ethical in nature, as opposed to Paul’s faith-based teaching.  When the young man asked Jesus how one may gain eternal life, Jesus pointed him to the law.  Therefore, the skeptics conclude, Jesus taught an ethical, behavior-oriented religion.  The skeptics need to keep reading.  The young man claims to have kept the law from his childhood, yet he still recognized that he fell short of the requirement for eternal life.  Jesus then adds, “You lack one thing: go sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21).

Does this one thing provide further evidence for the skeptic?  Only if one concludes that the act of giving to the poor is a saving act.  I would assert that it is the looking forward to the treasure in heaven, by faith, that frees an individual to give away his/her wealth.  What would motivate a wealthy man to give away his treasure?  The sure promise of greater treasure.  A positive response of faith in the promise of Jesus would have resulted in the salvation of this young man, and the opening of his fist to release his temporal wealth.  Faith results in works.

Paul did not claim that the law was totally useless.  he claimed that law-keeping contributes nothing to the justification of the sinner, save awakening him/her to the utter sinfulness of every human being.  In fact, Paul says that the only way one can truly keep the law of God is by faith.  Romans 3:30-31 says, “(God) will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.  Do we then overthrow the law by this faith?  By no means!  On the contrary, we uphold the law.”  Faith results in works.  There is no contradiction.  There is contextualization.

Inauguration of the King – Romans 1:3-4

“concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

 Textual

This gospel fulfillment, promised in the Old Testament, and now realized, centers upon the person of Jesus Christ. Paul intends to make very specific points regarding the Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. First, the gospel concerns the Son of God, “who was descended from David according to the flesh.” There are at least three significant points to be made from this phrase.

First, God’s Son is the pre-existent Son. The wording of these phrases is important. The phrase, “concerning his Son,” indicates that this relationship was in existence before the incarnation. It is not that this descendant of David became the Son of God, but that the Son became a descendant of David. The significance here concerns how people are related to the Father. Exodus 4:22-23 says of Israel, “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” References to Israel as God’s son are also made in Jeremiah 31:9 and Hosea 11:1. Therefore, to be rightly related to God required people to be of Israel, either in natural heritage or by adopting Jewish law, customs, and identity. By proclaiming the Christ to be God’s Son, Paul is saying that a right relationship to God is now dependent upon identifying oneself with Jesus. “(Jesus) is the singular seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16), and thus the blessing of Abraham (Gal. 3:14) is available only to those who belong to the Messiah Jesus.”[1]

Second, as the descendent of David, Jesus the Messiah is the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. In 2 Samuel 7:16, God says to David, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” As the eternal Son of God, Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise to King David. The Christ eternally reigns as king over the people of God.

Third, the fact that the Son was born of human flesh is necessary to the salvation of humanity. If Jesus was not truly human, He could not fully represent humanity before God. Jesus had to live as one who was fully human, experiencing the weakness and frailty of humanity, with all of life’s trials and temptations, in order to identify with the people he represented before God. He also had to die as one who was fully human in order for his death to be a true substitutionary atonement for the sins of humanity.

The word, “declared,” in the New Testament most often means “appointed.” Therefore, upon his resurrection, Jesus was appointed as the Son of God. This does not mean that Jesus was not the Son of God until his resurrection. It means that Jesus was enthroned as the reigning Messiah-King upon his resurrection. The resurrection served as Jesus’ inauguration ceremony.  “He who was born as the seed of David has been exalted by God to reign over all. He is the Lord of all nations, and in his name Paul endeavored to fulfill his missionary call to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles.”[2] The declaration of the resurrected Jesus, then, does not stand in contrast to his Davidic, human heritage, but is rather a fulfillment of it. In other words, he was born as a descendent of David in order to take his place as King of kings.

[1] Schreiner, ECNT: Romans, 45.

[2] Ibid., 39.