Romans 13:1-7

A reading so appropriate for today’s political climate… I was particular taken by today’s last verse: Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (v. 7) I have no problem paying what is owed. Our tax filing deadline is ten days away and Carol and I are owing multiple thousands. Naturally we try to diminish our tax bill, but always legally. So taxes and revenue due as owed.

My difficulty comes with the respect and honor “payments”. Going back some 40 or 50 or even 60 years, both sides of the political fence have had substantial difficulties with this particular president or that particular senator or representative. And then when that position flips, those same partisan voters are elated that their men or women have been elected and things are right again. How do I know this? It’s exactly how I feel. For these many years I have been troubled during some administrations by who was serving as our president and then elated in other administrations by who was serving as our president. And it will happen again this November when the votes are counted – I’ll either be deeply troubled or joyfully elated. My academic job forced me to stay on top of the news, especially the economic issues and policies being put forward by either side, so I have some justification for my feelings.

HOWEVER, my feelings should not stand in the way of my praying for whomever is in power. Paul says explicitly, earlier in today’s reading, “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (v. 1b) God knows specifically who and why these persons are in power. We cannot question His authority. So it is incumbent on us to pray for those in power. But I have a hard time praying and leaving my biases behind!!

Slava Bohu!

Romans 12:9-21

I have almost nothing to add, except that Paul begins and ends today’s reading with the same thought: Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. (v. 9) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (v. 21) Divine echo…??!! A message for us…??!! Again, as I posted either yesterday, please listen to Archbishop Beach’s “Wake Up America!” podcast. He is essentially extending these two verses from today’s reading. If “Wake Up America!” is not there, search for it. It’s worth a listen!

Yes, almost nothing to add – Paul says it quite well enough!

Slava Bohu!

Romans 12:1-8

After a great deal of theology in the first 11 chapters of Romans, Paul now turns to some more practical matters.

Paul lists gifts of the Spirit on a number of occasions in his letters. Here he gives seven: Prophecy, Service (Ministry), Teaching, Exhortation, Generosity, Leadership, Mercy (vv. 6b-8). We all are gifted of God. So, of these seven, where are you? Don’t think too hard – you probably have more than one! And even as I am suggesting that you probably have more than one, Paul is telling his Roman listeners …not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think… (v. 3b) Frankly, I counted FIVE where I thought I was at least partially gifted. Am I thinking too highly of myself??

Do not be conformed to this world… (v. 2a) For three straight days, Archbishop Beach has posted a podcast online, “Wake up, America!” It truly is worth a listen. But you need to listen today; it might be gone tomorrow. He is especially strong in his comments when he says time and again, “Culture tells us…”. What a ridiculous set of items culture tells us. So really, listen to it – today!!

Slava Bohu!

Romans 11:25-36

I’m trying to put together the whole of Paul’s salvation argument in chapter 11, including prior history:

1. God chose the Jews to be His people.
2. Their righteousness was based on faith, not works.
3. But they have been disobedient throughout their history.
4. God sent Jesus, born a Jew, to redeem all of mankind.
5. The Jews rejected Jesus and had him killed.
6. He rose from the dead and offers redemption and salvation to all mankind.
7. Peter, Paul, and others began speaking to the Jews about Jesus.
8. Their preaching expanded to the Samaritans, then to the Gentiles.
9. Many Gentiles, mostly through Paul, became believers.
10. Paul now wishes for all his fellow Jews to also become believers.

So now as we re-read chapter 11 we can see how the Jews’ rejection of the salvation message has opened the door for the Gentiles. Recall that Paul in his missionary work typically went to synagogues or other places of prayer and preached to the Jews. But their rejection of the Gospel and their intense desire to stop Paul’s preaching (and their endless pursuit of him) “forced” him to go to the Gentiles. Using Paul’s analogy, the Gentiles have now been grafted into the vine where branches (unbelieving Jews) have broken off. Paul summarizes all this in the following verses: For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. (vv. 31-32)

As a small point my Study Bible opened my eyes a bit on this sub-sentence: …a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (v. 25b) Their focus was on two words, “partial” and “until”. It was a partial hardening of Jewish hearts, not total, and that hardening is temporary, not permanent.

Finally, Paul ends this entire salvation section with a glorious close in verse 33 (and following): Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! GLORY!!

Slava Bohu!

Romans 11:11-24

So, today we are halfway through the year. And I’ve got a shocker of a proposal for you. It’s been on my heart for the last week that next year we do… The Psalms! You all know how much I love the Psalms…! But I think we should do them anyhow, same format, short spurts. Thoughts?

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. (vv. 17-21) Paul is still following through on his “righteousness through faith” argument. In Paul’s analogy in today’s reading, the branches and the root are the Jewish people and their forefathers. The natural branches that are broken off are unbelieving Jews while those being grafted in are believing Gentiles.

And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (vv. 23-24) My Study Bible explained this “contrary to nature” phrase. Evidently it is common to graft a cultivated vine into a wild vine and to see new fruit borne, but it is “contrary to nature” to graft a wild shoot into a cultivated vine – typically there will be no fruit. So the thought of the Gentiles being grafted into the Jewish branches is “contrary to nature”, but not impossible with God. Likewise, broken branches being brought back to life by being grafted back is also “contrary to nature”, but again, not impossible with God. Interesting…!

Slava Bohu!

Romans 11:1-10

Insight…??!! Last week I posted a brief item on predestination, admitting that I knew little about the topic. That post was in reference to Romans 8:29:30, For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. However, a partial verse in today’s reading may offer insight into that particular predestination item: God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. (v. 2a) It looks like God’s “foreknowing” is with respect to the Israelite people. That is, they were his chosen people, from Abraham forward. So everyone born into Abraham’s line is one of those whom He foreknew. So going back to 8:29-30 we can now see that the Israelites whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. It appears that these predestination items refer to the Israelites. It was His intent that they were all called, then justified and glorified. But not all accepted the call – only the “remnant” in Paul’s time. Insight?

As for that remnant, it’s why Paul refers back to Elijah, and from that Elijah item he reasons out the following verse: So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. (v. 5) It’s glorious how the Old Testament and New Testament confirm each other. Yeah, GLORY!

Slava Bohu!

Romans 10:14-21

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? (vv. 14-15a) These words strike me every time I read them. They are a clear call to all of us for evangelism. The Ethiopian eunuch asks a similar question of Philip: So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. (Acts 8:30-31) A world is waiting for us to speak…!

In this paragraph “they” refers to the Jewish people: But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” (vv. 18-19) This last verse comes from the Song of Moses, his final speech to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 32. Here is that verse’s context: They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth. The Lord saw it and spurned them, because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters. And He said, “I will hide My face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. They have made Me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.” (vv. 16-21) Paul is saying that the Jewish people’s failure to believe, to follow God faithfully has a long history, going way back to their time in the wilderness. And they are still that way in Paul’s “today” and in our own “today”. Sad.

Slava Bohu!

Romans 9:30-10:13

But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”… (vv. 6-8) These few verses have always been confusing to me, but I think I might understand it this time. Essentially Paul is saying that the Gospel is neither hidden nor difficult to understand. That is, no one needs to go looking for Jesus in heaven or into the abyss to bring Him in for an explanation. It’s already straightforward! He then goes on to state the Gospel in just a few words: …because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (v. 9) It’s our own confession of faith, simple and straightforward!!

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (v. 13) My Study Bible pointed out something I should have seen myself – that Peter quoted this same verse in his Pentecost speech. I thought I recognized it…!! Glory!!

Slava Bohu!

Romans 9:14-29

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” (v. 20) I feel like Paul is channeling Job here: Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said, “Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? (Job 40:6-8, NASB) We simply cannot question God! We can ask Him, “Why is this thing happening to me?” But as we ask, we are seeking His will, His wisdom, His guidance; we’re not being rebellious.

In channeling Job, Paul is actually responding to an unasked question: So then He has mercy on whomever He wills, and He hardens whomever He wills. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?” (vv. 18-19) The unasked question has to do with God doing whatever He wishes and the questioner asking how God can find fault in someone if He chooses to do this thing or that thing and we have no say in the matter. And the simple answer is that we respond to whatever God puts in front of us, again fully seeking His will, His wisdom, His guidance. It’s really straightforward and simple – and difficult!!

Slava Bohu!