Paul's Letter to the Romans: God's Righteousness and the Role of Faith, Exams of Law

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P a g e |1   NRSV1TextwithN.T.Wright’sOutlinefromtheNew InterpretersBible2 I.Romans1:1—4:25,TheFaithfulnessofGod A.1:1Ͳ17,OpeningStatementofTheme:God’sGospeland God’sRighteousness 1:1Ͳ7,God’sGospelandPaul’sMinistry Paul, a servanta of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spiritb of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  1TheHolyBible:NewRevisedStandardVersion.1989.Nashville:ThomasNelsonPublishers. 2VolumeXoftheNewInterpretersBible,AbingdonPress,2002. aGkslave bOrSpirit Whatarethestoriesimplicitin Paul’ssixͲverseͲlongopening sentence?Howdoesitprepare youforwhatliesahead?How wouldyousummarizePaul’s vocation?An“apostle”is someonewhohasbeensent forthwithaspecific commission.WhatisPaul’s? “theobedienceoffaith”... Whatdoyouthinkthismeans? Howmightitbeasummaryof whatweChristiansareabout? HowisitasummaryofJesus’ ownstory? Week2begins: 1:1Ͳ17 Note:Thenumbered footnotesaremine.The “lettered”footnotesarethose oftheNRSVtranslators. Paulis“calledtobeanapostle.” Theletter’srecipientsinRome are“called”tobesaints (meaning,believers).Whois doingthecalling?Thisisreferred toasthe“divinepassive.” P a g e |2  1:8Ͳ15,Paul’sDesiretoCometoRome 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. 9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospelc of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, 10 asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I want you to know, brothers and sisters,d that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish 15 —hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 1:16—17,TheGospelUnveilsGod’sRighteousness 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”e  cGkmyspiritinthegospel dGkbrothers eOrTheonewhoisrighteousthroughfaithwilllive V.16Ͳ17arecrucialtoallthat follows.God’sproclamationof hisSonisthe“powerof salvation”forallthosewho placetheirfaithinJesus.Jesus’ ministryoffaithfulobedience eventothecrossrevealsGod’s ownfaithfulness.Thisisthecrux ofPaul’sdefenseofthe righteousnessofGod. Thegospel(v.3,9,and15),God’s gospel,isamessage,a proclamation,aboutGod’sson. IntheGreek,itistheevangelion theou. Thecategories“Greek”and “barbarian”encompassedall humankind,justlike“Jew”and “Gentile.”AllnonͲGreekspeakers were”barbarians,”which includedmanyJews. “Revealed”istheGreek apokalyptetai.Thisisbothan unveilingofthetruerealityand theeventthatbringsitabout. P a g e |5  of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But by 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. 6 For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: 7 to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 while for those who are self- seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality. 12 All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. 15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all. Tocallonanoldcliché,wewill reapwhatwesow.Failureto loveandlovewellhasterrible andeternalconsequences.IfGod islove,weshouldnotbe surprisedbythis. Thejudgeisimpartial.The evidence,thetruth,willshowall. Theworldmustbeputright. Thosewhodoevilmustfacethe judge:JewandGentilealike. ButifGodhasnofavorites,then whatabouttheJews?What aboutthecovenant?Wasn’tit meanttogetthemoutofthis box?Thisparagraphseemsto pointrightattheJewsinPaul’s audience. P a g e |6  2:17Ͳ29,TheDirectChallengeto“theJew” 17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God 18 and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, 19 and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, 21 you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 25 Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law,3 will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29 Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the  3SeeEzekiel36:27,abouttheLawbeingplacedwithinpeople’shearts.Thesesecret/heart/spiritualpeoplearethosein whomthegospelabouttheMessiahhasdoneitswork.ThepromisesofEzekiel36havecometrue. Thisiswherewe’vebeen headed.TheJewshavea specialGodͲgivenvocation,but theyhaven’tliveduptoit.The bearersofthesolutionhave becomepartoftheproblem.If theft,adultery,andtherest canbefoundinthepeopleof God(Israel),thentheycannot boastintheircovenantand theycannotbethelighttothe world.HowthencanGod’s covenantplanbefulfilled?The problemofIsraelhasbecomea problemforGod. Paul’spointhereiscrucial. Truecircumcisionisa circumcisionoftheheart,not thebody.SomeGentileshave doneabetterjobofkeeping theLawthantheJewshave. Obviously,thisimpliesa rethinkingofwhatismeantby the“Law.”Ithasneverbeen aboutalltheoutwardand visiblemarkers,itisabout lovingGodandloving neighbor. P a g e |7  heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God. 3:1Ͳ8,Israel’sFaithlessnessandGod’sFaithfulness Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much, in every way. For in the first place the Jewsa were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written, “So that you may be justified in your words, and prevail in your judging.”b 5 But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my falsehood God’s truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as some people slander us by saying that we say), “Let us do evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved! 3:9Ͳ20,TorahPutsJewsintheDockAlongsideGentiles 9 What then? Are we any better off?c No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power  aGkthey bGkwhenyouarebeingjudged cOratanydisadvantage? IfGentilescankeeptheLawin theirheartsandthusbe “circumcised,”and,thus markedoutasthepeopleof Godalso,thenwhatisthe pointofbeingJewish??!!Paul providesonlyasingleanswer tothisquestion:theJewswere giventhe“oraclesofGod.” Paul’spointisnotsomuchthe sinofIsrael,asitisIsrael’s failuretobethelighttothe world,tocarryoutGod’s commission.Theparagraphs areconfusing,butthepointis clear:IsraelhasfailedbutGod willnot! Thewholeworldstands deservingofcondemnation– JewandGentilealike. P a g e |10  3:27Ͳ31,OneGod,OneFaith,OnePeople 27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. 4:1Ͳ25,TheCovenantFamilyofAbraham 4:1Ͳ8,BelievingthePromise What then are we to say was gained bya Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. 5 But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. 6 So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: 7“Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.” 4:9Ͳ15,NotbyCircumcision,NotbyTorah 9 Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then  aOtherancientauthoritiesreadsayabout PaulreturnstotheJewish“boast” thattheyarethecovenantpeople and,therefore,notpartofthe condemned.ButGodisGodofall andallthosewhohavefaithwill bedeclaredpartofGod’s covenantpeople. Week4 begins 4:1Ͳ25 Let’sreviewPaul’sargumentsofar.All theworldstandsdeservingof condemnation–everyone,Jewand Gentilealike.However,inkeeping withthecovenantGodmade,and despitetheunwillingnessoftheJews toliveuptothecovenantandtobe thelighttotheworld,Godhas providedthemeansofcovenantͲ keeping.ThismeansisJesusChrist, whosefaithfulnessrevealsGod’s righteousnessandrestoresGod’s covenantpeopletoarightrelationship withGod.Andwhoarethesecovenant people?Namelythosewhohavefaith inJesusChrist.  Now,Paulsetsouttodemonstrate thatbeginningwithAbraham,God hadalwaysintendedthatthis reconciliationwouldincludeGentiles andJewsandwouldbegrounded uponfaith. P a g e |11  was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, 12 and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 4:16Ͳ17,TheWholeFamily,Accordingtothe Promise 16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 4:18Ͳ22,TheGodWhoGivesLifetotheDead 18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” 19 He did not AbrahamwasnotJewishwhenGod madethecovenantwithhim.Hewas uncircumcisedanddidnothavethe Law.Hewasjustaguy.Aguywho trustedhisLord.Itwasthistrustthat provedthewisdomofGod’schoice.It wasalwaysaboutthisfaith/trust. Faithwouldbethemeansbywhich God’spromisetoAbrahamwouldbe extendedtoalltheworld.Itfollows thatevenAbraham’sphysicalfamilyis notGod’sfinalgoal.Itisaboutfaith, notDNA...asbroughtoutbythe wonderfulstoryofRuth,aMoabite whoenteredthepeopleofGodby virtueofherfaith. Ithasalwaysbeenaboutgraceand faith.Abrahamrespondedinfaith, leavinghisextendedfamilybehind andmovingtoCanaanbeforehewas giventhesignofcircumcision.God redeemedtheHebrewsfromslaveryin EgyptbeforehegavethemtheLaw. PaulsetsAbrahambeforeusinplain view,butthestoryoftheExodusisnot farbehinditandwillbebroughtto plainviewlaterintheletter.Stories withinstorieswithinstories. P a g e |12  weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was alreadyb as good as dead7 (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 Therefore his faithc “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4:23Ͳ25,TheMeaningofChristianFaith 23 Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe [‘faith’ as a verb] in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification [our ‘righteousing’]. II.Romans5:1—8:39,God’sPeopleinChristastheTrueHumanity A.5:1Ͳ11,FromFaithtoHope 5:1Ͳ5,Peace,Patience,andHope Therefore, since we are justified by faith, wea have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained accessb to this grace in which we stand; and wec boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but wed also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character  bOtherancientauthoritieslackalready 7ThislinkstogetherGod’spromiseofchildrentotheagedAbrahamandSarahwiththeresurrectionofJesus.Godisthe giveroflife. cGkThereforeit aOtherancientauthoritiesreadletus bOtherancientauthoritiesaddbyfaith cOrletus dOrletus Itcomesdowntothis:Abrahamtrusted Godevenwhenitseemedtobean impossiblepromise.Faithgrewupon faith,trustupontrust.Anditisthisfaith thatputAbrahamrightwithGod. Finally,Paulgetstothe“us.”Thosewho havethisresurrectionͲshapedfaithin JesusChristare“reckonedtobe righteous;”i.e.declaredtobepartof God’srighteouscovenantpeople.Thus, thequestionbecomes,inwhomhave weplacedourfaith:theJesuswhowas andisoraJesusofourown construction? Week5 begins Chapters5Ͳ8 WhatGodhasaccomplishedatsosteep aprice,Godwillsurelycomplete.Those whohavebeenreconciledwithGodwill beglorified–willshareinthepresence ofGod.Yesthingscanbehard,butafter gettingtheHebrewsoutofEgypt,God gotthemtoCanaandespiteallthe twistsandturnsalongtheway.The storywillendwell. P a g e |15  6:12Ͳ14,TheEndofSin’sReign 12 Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13 No longer present your members to sin as instrumentsa of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instrumentsb of righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 6:15Ͳ23,SlaveryandFreedom 15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18 and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations.c For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. 20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  aOrweapons bOrweapons cGktheweaknessofyourflesh WeareinChristandwearetoact like.Wearetobetherighteous instrumentsofourrighteousGod. WearetobefaithfulasGodis faithful.Sincannotholdus,forwe haveleftthatkingdomforthe kingdomofGod,wehaveleft EgyptforCanaan. Thelawentersthediscussionhere (v.15)becauseitispartofthe AdamͲsphereandhasbeenleft behind. DoyouseePaul’scontinueduseof theslaverylanguage?Thisfurther illustratesthathehasinmindthe storyoftheNewExodus,which,of coursealsotiesintothePassover mealJesussharedwithhis disciplesontheeveofhis crucifixion.Inthissense,both baptismandHolyCommunion speaktothesametruthofa kingdomleftbehindanda kingdomgained. Thewagesofsinisdeathbecause Adam’ssinledtotheirexpulsion fromthegardenandtheirlossof accesstothetreeoflife. P a g e |16  D.7:1—8:11,TheLifetheLawCouldNotGive 7:1Ͳ6,ComingOutfromUndertheLaw Do you not know, brothers and sistersa—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only during that person’s lifetime? 2 Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress. 4 In the same way, my friends,b you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit. 7:7Ͳ12,TheArrivaloftheLaw:SinSeizesItsChance 7 What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived 10 and I died, and the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11  aGkbrothers bGkbrothers AchallengingpartofPaul’s perspectiveisthatthelawplays anactivepartin“arousing”sinful desires.Howcouldthisbe? Perhapsitislikeaparenttellinga childthattheycandoanything theywantexceptgointoacertain closet(theonehousingthedeadly spider).Thatinstructionarousesin thechildaburningdesiretodrop everythingandgointothatcloset.  Butwenolongerliveunderthe law,indeed,wehavediedtoitso thatwemightbeChrist’s.This doesnotnegateorcontradict Jesus’teachingthatwearetolove Godandloveneighbor,theheart ofthelaw. Itisn’tthatthelawisbad.It simplyallowsustoseeour relationshipͲdestroyingdesires andbehaviorsforwhattheyare– andcanevenawakenthem.But thelawisGod’sandthiscannotbe “sin”initself.  The“I”hereisnot autobiographical,itisPaul’sway ofidentifyingwiththosewholive betweentheoldExodusandthe NewExodus;i.e.,thosewholive underTorah.Itisarhetorical “we.”Whenthelawcameonthe picture,miscellaneoussinbecame trespass. P a g e |17  For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. 7:13Ͳ20,LivingUndertheLaw:SinWorksDeath 13 Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.c 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 7:21Ͳ25,ReflectingontheLaw:God’sLawandSin’sLaw 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.  cGksoldundersin Thepictureistakingshape:“(a)sin andthelawarequitedistinct;(b)sin hastakenoverthelaw,thelawthat promisedlife;and(c)usingabaseof operations,sinhasproducedthe oppositeofthatwhichthelaw promised.”(Wright) Iftheprevioussectionwasabout thepast,whathappenedwhen theTorahcametoIsrael,thisone isaboutthepresent.Whatisitlike tryingtoliveunderTorah?This sectionexplainsthetragedyof Israel–giventheLawbutunable tokeepit.Thisiswhatweearlier calledthe“problemofIsrael”that becameGod’sproblem. Sinisalwayswaitingtopounce. ThoselivingunderTorahknow theyareprivilegedtobetheones giventhelaw,butstill,theyare wretched,fortheysimplycannot keepit...andtheyknowit.They arenotignorant.Sowhatcanbe done?God’srescuethroughJesus Christ. P a g e |20  26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedesq with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God,r who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirits intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.t 28 We know that all things work together for goodu for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 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 within a large family.v 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. F.8:31Ͳ39,NothingWillSeparateUsfromGod’sLove 31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.w 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor  qOtherancientauthoritiesaddforus rGktheone sGkheorit tGkaccordingtoGod uOtherancientauthoritiesreadGodmakesallthingsworktogetherforgood,orinallthingsGodworksforgood vGkamongmanybrothers wOrIsitChristJesus…forus? TheSpiritnotonlyleadsus throughthewilderness,hehelps andsustainsus,articulating whatwecannot.ThisisSpiritͲ inspiredandevenSpiritͲspoken prayer.Paulknowsthatwe,like him,areweak–sodoesGod. AllIreallywanttosayhere is“Enjoy!”SinceGod’slove hasdoneforChristians whatGoddidforChrist, thereisnothingthatcan shakethisapartorkeepus fromGod’slove.Thisis why,whenwespeakof Christianhope,thebest synonymis“confidence,” forGodisthegreat promiseͲmakerandthe greatpromiseͲkeeper. Don’tseePaul’suseof “predestined”hereasmeaning thenegationofyourchoice.God haschosenandwechoosein God’sgloriouscalculusofgrace andlove. P a g e |21  rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. III.Romans9:1—11:36,God’sPromisesandGod’sFaithfulness A. 9:1Ͳ5,Paul’sGriefOverIsrael’sFailuretoBelieve,Despite BeingPromiseBearer I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people,a my kindred according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5 to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah,b who is over all, God blessed forever.c Amen. B.9:6Ͳ29,TheStoryofIsrael,fromAbrahamtotheExile, DisplaysGod’sJusticeinJudgmentandMercy 6 It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel, 7 and not all of Abraham’s children are his true descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. 9 For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 Nor is that all; something similar happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by one husband, our ancestor Isaac. 11 Even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose of election might continue, 12 not by works but by his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.” 13 As  aGkmybrothers bOrtheChrist cOrMessiah,whoisGodoverall,blessedforever;orMessiah.MayhewhoisGodoverallbeblessedforever Week6 begins Chapters9Ͳ11 Aftertheemotionalclimax ofchapter8,itisasif Paul’semotionshavebeen laidbare.Henowturnsto theoverhangingquestion ofGod’sjusticeand faithfulness:Whatabout theJews?Paulwouldcut himselfofffromGodif,by doingso,hecouldbringhis fellowJewstofaithinJesus Christ DoesthearrivalofJesus andtheentranceof GentilesmeanthatGodhas changedplans?HasGod movedtoanewcovenant andabandonedtheold one?Aretheretobetwo covenants?Paul’sresponse isanemphatic“No!.”The WordofGodhasnotfailed. ThisisIsrael’sstory,butitis thecovenantpromisethat matters,notDNA.Ishmael boreAbraham’sDNA,but hewasnotthechildofthe promise. P a g e |22  it is written, “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.” 14 What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses. 19 You will say to me then, “Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction; 23 and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” 26“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called children of the living God.” 27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will Paul’semphasisonGod’s freedomtochoosecanfall hardonourears.Why IsaacandnotIshmael? WhyJacobandnotEsau? BecauseGodchoseand Godis...well...God!Is Godthenunjust?Ofcourse not,Godismercifulbut Godisalsofree.Itisnot somedispassionate “fairness”thatweoughtto seekfromGod,butmercy andcompassion.Think backtochapter2. Okthen.Still...Ifitisall God’sdoingandGod’s choosing,thenhowcan Godfindfaultinanyone; namely,intheJewswho rejectPaul’smessage–or thosetodaywhodenythe gospel?AsLeanderKeck putsit,aren’twethenall justvictimsofanarbitrary deity?Pauldoesn’treally answerthequestion,he justdeniesourrighttoask it.Whoarewetoquestion God?Whoisontrialhere? HumanityorGod?Many peoplewanttobelieveonly inagodwhomatchesup withtheirjudgmentabout whoagodshouldbeor whatagodshoulddo. P a g e |25  good news!” 16 But not all have obeyed the good news;c for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.d 18 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.” 19Again 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.” 20Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” 21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” D.11:1Ͳ36,TheSalvationof“AllIsrael”inFulfillmentofGod’s UnbreakablePromises 11:1Ͳ10,GodHasNotRejectedIsrael I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by  cOrgospel dOraboutChrist;otherancientauthoritiesreadofGod Paulhasbeencarryingthis gospelacrossthe MediterraneanandGentiles haverespondedtowhatthey haveheardproclaimed. PerhapsitisGentilebelief thatwillmakePaul’sfellow Jewsjealous(10:19)and enablethemtohearand believeforthemselves. Paul’sfellowJewsmaynotbe respondinginfaithtotheGood News,butGodisfaithfuland willnotgiveup. Paulrejectsthenotionthat GodhasrejectedtheJews. Paulhimselfisaprime exampleofGod’sfaithfulness. Therehasalwaysbeena remnantofthefaithfuland thereisaremnantevennow– chosenbygrace.You’llsee thatPaulneveranswersthe logicalquestionofhowGod’s choosingcanbereconciled withhumanaccountability.As Kecknotes,thereisnoanswer intheBibleorelsewhere.It simplyisan“and,”notan “or.” P a g e |26  grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.a 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, “God gave them a sluggish spirit, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” 10 9And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and keep their backs forever bent.” 11:11Ͳ32,“AllIsrael”WillBeSaved 11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumblingb salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israelc jealous. 12 Now if their stumblingd means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry 14 in order to make my own peoplee jealous,11 and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead! 16 If the part of the dough  aOtherancientauthoritiesaddButifitisbyworks,itisnolongeronthebasisofgrace,otherwiseworkwouldnolonger bework 10ThisisactuallyacollageofbitsfromOTquotations.ABiblewithlotsofcrossͲreferencesisabighelp. bGktransgression cGkthem dGktransgression eGkmyflesh 11TheGreekhereismoreabouthopethancertainty.PaulhopestomakehisfellowJewsjealousbutheisnotcertainof theoutcome. Thoughtheenduringremnant istheevidencethatGodhas remainedfaithful,Paul condemnsunbelievingIsraelin harshwords.Wearebackto themysteryofIsrael’s hardening. Israel’s“stumbling” (“trespass”intheGreek)is thattheyhavenotachieved whattheysought.Yet,ithas ledtothebringinginofthe Gentiles,whichhasalways beenGod’sintention.Now, Paulanticipates(hopes!)that theunbelievingJewswillbe jealousandcomebacktothe family,standingalongside Paulandtheotherbelieving Jews. P a g e |27  offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich rootf of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.g 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And even those of Israel,h if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you have been 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 natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree. 25 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters,i I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel12 will be saved; as it is written, “Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.” 27“And this is my covenant with them,  fOtherancientauthoritiesreadtherichness gOtherancientauthoritiesreadneitherwillhespareyou hGklacksofIsrael iGkbrothers 12PaulisspeakinghereofthenewIsrael,thosewhobelongtotheMessiah,asopposedtoethnicIsrael.Itisnotnecessary tothinkPaulbelievesthatallJewswillcometofaith,justasheundoubtedlythinksthatnotallGentileswillcometofaith. InthemidstofGod’swork amongtheGentilesandthe unbelievingJews,theGentile ChristiansmustnotseeIsrael’s “stumbling”asreasonforany feelingsofsuperiority.The Gentiles’salvationisboundup withIsrael’s.Thereisnotone covenant(thenew)which replacesanother(theold)and therearenottwocovenants runningalongsideeachother. ThereisoneGod,oneLord, oneSpirit,onebaptism... onecovenantforJewand Gentilealike. Thisisnotabout“Jews convertingtoChristianity.” Paulcouldneverhavethought inthoseterms.Besides,itis theGentileswhoaregrafted in.Theyaretheonescoming toanewreligion.Pauldoesn’t seehimselfashavinganew religion,butareconfigured one–reconfiguredaround JesusChrist.ThoughPaulis missionarytotheGentiles,his hopeisthathisfellowJews willyetcomeintothefamilyof Christ,thatthebrokenoff brancheswillberejoinedto thetree. P a g e |30  with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;g for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 13:1Ͳ7,God’sCalltoObediencetotheAuthorities Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authoritya does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is due them— taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. D.13:8Ͳ10,LoveFulfillingtheLaw 8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore,  gGkthewrath aGkit FewScripturepassageshave beenasmisusedasthisone. Toooften,ithasbeenusedto justifytyrannyandterroronthe partofrulersandauthorities. Thebestwaytounderstandthis chapteristogobacktothe openingchapters,wherePaul tracedthedarknessthat plagueshumanity. Governmentsandhuman authorityareneededtorestrain theworstinus.Still,this passageisnotendorsingall governmentsnorisPaul demandingblindobedienceto tyranny.Further,itispossible thatPaulisgivinglongͲ recognizedadvicetohisfellow JewishͲChristiansabout functioninginthediaspora. Thispassageoughttogive pausetothosewhoclaimthat PauldistortedJesus’simple message.ThisJesusͲechois loudandclear! P a g e |31  love is the fulfilling of the law. E.13:11Ͳ14,LivingbytheRisingSun 11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. F.14:1—15:13,God’sCalltoUnityofLifeandWorshipAcross BarriersofCustomandEthnicIdentity 14:1Ͳ12,JudgingandBeingJudged Welcome those who are weak in faith,a but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lordb is able to make them stand. 5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.  aOrconviction bOtherancientauthoritiesreadforGod Paulreturnstothe eschatologicalfocusofhis letter.Timeisshortandwe needtolivelikeit,not forgettingabouttomorrow orfailingtomakeplans,but livingwithothersinlove, honor,andrespect...asif Jesus’mighttapusonthe shoulderinthenextminute. Christiansarecertainlynot exemptfromthehuman tendencytodivideandto separate.Howweloveallthe minutiaweusetoseparate Christiansintothe“rightandthe “wrong.”Someofour differencesareimportant,but Paulcallsforustoremember thatweareoneinChristJesus. Astheoutlineindicates, Wrightssuggeststhatthis beginsonelongsection, culminatinginthe theologicalclimaxofthe letter(15:7Ͳ13). P a g e |32  7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister?c Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister?d For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.e 11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise tof God.” 12 So then, each of us will be accountable to God.g 14:13Ͳ23,ConscienceandtheKingdomofGod 13 Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.h 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 If your brother or sisteri is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. 19 Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others  cGkbrother dGkbrother eOtherancientauthoritiesreadofChrist fOrconfess gOtherancientauthoritieslacktoGod hGkofabrother iGkbrother InChrist’sdeathandresurrection wehavebeenmadeone.Who arewetoallow“inͲhouse” disagreementstodivideand weakenourfellowship?Jesusis Lordofusallandinhislordship wefindourunity.Weareso quicktocondemnotherswhen thejudgmentofusallbelongsto God. Thisstronglyechoessimilar passagesinCorinthians,where theissueiswhethertoeatmeat sacrificedtoidolsand,ifso, where.Theissuemaybethe samehere.Paulbelievesthat eatingsuchmeatisok,forthere arenoothergods...it’sjust meat.ButPaulwillabstain himselfifeatingwouldcausea believerwhothinksthemeatis uncleantoeatitandviolateher conscience.TheGospelofJesus Christisfarbiggerthanwhatwe eatordrink,thoughyou’dhardly knowitlisteningtomany Christians. P a g e |35  it my ambition to proclaim the good news,f not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.” 22 This is the reason that I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, with no further place for me in these regions, I desire, as I have for many years, to come to you 24 when I go to Spain. For I do hope to see you on my journey and to be sent on by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a little while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem in a ministry to the saints; 26 for Macedonia and Achaia17 have been pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do this, and indeed they owe it to them; for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material things. 28 So, when I have completed this, and have delivered to them what has been collected,g I will set out by way of you to Spain; 29 and I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessingh of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,i by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my ministryj to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 The God of peace be with all of you.k Amen.  eOrgospel fOrgospel 17RoughlyequivalenttomodernͲdayGreece. gGkhavesealedtothemthisfruit hOtherancientauthoritiesaddofthegospel iGkbrothers jOtherancientauthoritiesreadmybringingofagift kOneancientauthorityadds16.25Ͳ27here Paulhasbeenslowcoming toRomebecausehehas beenbusypreachingthe Gospelwhereithasnot beenheard.Butnow,Paul expectsthathisworkas ministertotheGentileswill propelhimfromRometo Spainafterhefinishes takinghiscollectionto Jerusalem.Inthe meantime,heasksforthe prayersoftheChristiansin Rome. P a g e |36  H.16:1Ͳ16,CommendationandGreetings I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacona of the church at Cenchreae, 2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, 4 and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convertb in Asia for Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,c my relativesd who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my relativee Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sistersf who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.  aOrminister bGkfirstfruits cOrJunias;otherancientauthoritiesreadJulia dOrcompatriots eOrcompatriot fGkbrothers Let’sfocusonthewomen. First,wehavePhoebe.The onetowhomPaul entrustedwiththisvery importantletterandthe onewhowouldhave expoundeditscontentsfor theChristiansinRome. Paul’scallingher“deacon” showsthatsheisnot merelyapostalcarrier.Paul metPrisca(Priscilla)onhis firstvisittoCorinth(see Acts18and1Cor16).Then wecometohardͲworking Mary.AndontoJunia– “prominentamongthe apostles”–perhaps meaningthosewhohave witnessedtheresurrected Christ(see1Corinthians 9:1)!Andtherearestill morewomenlistedhere. Seeingheretherangeof womenentrustedbyPaul withsubstantial responsibilitiesinformsour readingofPaul’scomments abouttheroleofwomenin thechurches.IfPaul wouldn’tletawomanteach aman,whywouldhe entrustthislettertoa woman? P a g e |37  I.16:17Ͳ20,WatchOutforDivisions 17 I urge you, brothers and sisters,g to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offenses, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them. 18 For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,h and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded. 19 For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise in what is good and guileless in what is evil. 20 The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.i J.16:21Ͳ24,GreetingsfromPaul’sColleagues 21 Timothy, my co-worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.j 22 I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.k 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.l K.16:25Ͳ27,ConcludingDoxology 25 Now to Godm who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whomn be the glory forever! Amen.o  gGkbrothers hGktheirownbelly iOtherancientauthoritieslackthissentence jOrcompatriots kOrITertius,writingthisletterintheLord,greetyou lOtherancientauthoritiesaddverse24,ThegraceofourLordJesusChristbewithallofyou.Amen. mGktheone nOtherancientauthoritieslacktowhom.Theversethenreads,totheonlywiseGodbetheglorythroughJesusChrist forever.Amen. oOtherancientauthoritieslack16.25Ͳ27orincludeitafter14.23or15.33;othersputverse24afterverse27 Yetagain,Paulreturnsto thetopicofunity.How muchdowestoptothink aboutit,muchlessliveit out?Notethe eschatologicalcommentin v.20.Theclaimofthenew age’sarrivalinChrist’s deathandresurrectionis alwaysrightbehindthe text. TertiusisPaul’sscribe.The factisthatwedon’tknow theprocessbywhichPaul composedthelettersin theNewTestament. Webeganwiththe revelationofthe righteousnessofGod (1:17)andnowendwith therevelationofthe mysteryoftheages.This revelationisnota“what” buta“who”–Jesus,Lord andMessiah.