It is hard to
overestimate the impact of Paul's letter to the Romans upon Western society
over the past 2000 years.
In 386 AD, a brilliant young man struggling with
immorality and searching for the meaning and purpose of life picked up a copy
of Romans and read it. He was soundly and wholly converted. His name was
Augustine and his subsequent writings and understanding of Christian theology
dominated the world for over a 1000 years.
In the early 16th
Century a young German monk was teaching his way through Romans. His own spiritual crisis centred on how to
satisfy fulfil 'the righteousness of God', for he knew the depths of the sin in
his own heart. As he studied Romans, a
light went on in his head; for he saw that this righteousness that God demanded
was given as a gift to all who trusted in Christ, who had fully kept the Law
and had experienced the judgement of God for the lawbreakers. The monk was
Martin Luther, whose conversion to Gospel Christianity ignited the European
Reformation and changed the direction of European history.
Jump forward some
220 years and a disillusioned Anglican clergyman, not longed returned from
missionary service in "the Americas", hears someone read the
introduction to Luther's notes on Romans. Perhaps for the first time he
understands the need to trust in Christ alone for salvation, and "feels
his heart strangely warmed" as he does so. John Wesley, whose Gospel
subsequent open-air preaching throughout the British Isles and beyond, brought
Britain back from the brink of inevitable revolution.
What's the letter
about? The Gospel (1:16-17). That it is God's Gospel (1:1); promised
throughout the Old Testament (v2); that it is all about Jesus (v3) - it's not
primarily about us and our need, but Jesus and what He has done for us - the
Lord (v4). How do you properly respond
to it? With 'the obedience that comes from faith' (v5). Who is it for? Those
from all nations (v5), who are called to belong to Jesus Christ (v6), who are
loved by God (v7) and called to be saints (v7), as through the Gospel they
receive 'grace and peace from the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ' (v7).
Why was it
written? To help Christians (v8 - yes,
Christians) understand and believe the Gospel more fully (v11-13). From reading
Acts you will know that Paul's plan to visit Rome had been stalled a number of
times through overriding circumstances (1:13).
So, in advance of his arrival, some (unknown) time in the future, he
sends this letter in his absence. The
Christian fellowship in Rome is experiencing a number of difficulties that Paul
addresses directly at the end of the letter (chapters 12-16): some Christians
are not as active service as they should be; relations between converted Jews
and converted Gentiles in the church are strained; as a result, evangelistic
zeal, especially to unreached people groups, is being quenched; and Paul needs
their united support as he visits them en route
to mission work in unreached Spain.
Yet note Paul's
pastoral strategy: for some 14 chapters
he expounds the Gospel, reminding them all (Gentiles: 1:18-32 and Jews: 2:1-3:8) of their need of
salvation because everyone is guilty before God (3:19-20); of Christ's
sacrificial death on their behalf (3:21-27); of the nature of faith (chapter
4); of Christ's saving work not just for us, but in us (chapters 5-8), etc, etc
… as means to motivate readers to believe, live out and share and spread the
Gospel (chapter 12 and following).
Read this letter
prayerfully, read it slowly, and when the pressure of this reading programme is
over, read it again. And then
again. You'll hardly get your head
around it first time, but with each cycle, more of it will make sense, the dots
will begin to join up, and you will begin to understand why this amazing letter
has had the impact upon people's lives as it has. It may even change you. Pray it does.
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