Was listening to Romans this week and it had some very interesting and enlightening stuff from Paul as he wrote to the Roman church.

 

From what I have read since listening to Romans on CD, it is believed to be written around 57 AD very close to Jesus' crucifixion.

 

He was writing to the Roman church that was dominantly Gentile and includes the basic gospel, God's plan for salvation and righteousness for mankind, Jew and Gentile alike.

 

Also, remember that Paul was Saul who was killing Christians hand over fist. He was represented the religious leaders and was hunting, persecuting and killing the Christians of the day.

 

Until he met Jesus on the road. Jesus asked Paul why he was persecuting Jesus' people and put scales over Paul's eyes so he could not see. Eventually, Paul's sight was restored and he rivaled Peter as one of the most influential leaders of the Early Church.

 

Let me add that I am very thankful for all those who had questions in the Accountability of Christians thread because it led me to this study. And I feel I have been blessed to come across this gem of a book.

It seems Paul establishes early who he is and why he is writing this letter.

 

Romans 1

1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4and who through the Spirit[a] of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

He gives us an idea that we should be encouraging each other in our faith and be proud of the Gospel.

 

11I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.... am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.

 

16I 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. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[c] just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

That while God is a loving God that sent His Son to pay a price for us, God is also a God of wrath.

 

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

 

While science is great and wonderful and we should encourage further growth of science, this sounds similar TO ME that we have begun to put our faith in the knowledge of man to understand and know things instead of putting our faith in God.

Paul gives us a list of things that God indicates is wicked.

 

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

 

28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 2 Paul strikes the judgement of people by other people and then gives us an out from the judgement of God that is based on truth.

 

Romans 2

God's Righteous Judgment

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

5But 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. 6God "will give to each person according to what he has done."[a] 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.

And then a famous Scripture to Christians that seems to address the age-old question of what do you do about those who have NEVER heard about Jesus.

 

12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

And a strong, strong passion that it is not what we do/appear outwards but rather what is inward.

 

28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

And a clear passage that those of us who are Christians are no better than anyone else on this planet.

Romans 3

9What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10As it is written:

"There is no one righteous, not even one;

11there is no one who understands,

no one who seeks God.

12All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one."[c]

13"Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practice deceit."[d]

"The poison of vipers is on their lips."[e]

14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."[f]

15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16ruin and misery mark their ways,

17and the way of peace they do not know."[g]

18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."[h]

And a key passage in understanding the Law and a main part of the OT.

 

20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

 

We will get back to the underlined but it seems to be a key point in understanding all of those laws that you guys had questions.

From the law, we are now given something NEW!!!!!!!!! and EXCITING to me.

 

Righteousness Through Faith

21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

We have nothing to boast upon as humans in regards to our salvation and more comments about understanding the Law of the OT and all of the questions you had on it.

Romans 4

2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."[a] ...13It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, .... 16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring

And a thought provoking Scripture that also casts a stark view of where we ALL stand in God's eyes.

Romans 5

7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.....

 

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. ....

 

 

19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

 

20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Does that mean we can go on sinning?

Romans 6

1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

 

9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

 

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

 

Here is a link to Romans. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%201&version=NIV

To go to the next chapter, replace the 1 in Romans 1 to the chapter you want to study and hit UPDATE.

 

I encourage all to read the entire chapters and not just what I have posted.