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Romans 1 in a new light
DISCLAIMER:
I haven't thought through this a ton. It could be total heresy. These views do not represent The Grove. Just some thoughts that I'm working with.
So I sat down this morning to wrestle with Romans 1 and came out of it with some crazy thoughts. I think Romans 1 was a critique to Jews (those that were called to show the world what God was like). I don't think it was written to pagans which is the excepted explanation in most commentaries.
vs. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him... (The Jews knew God but were constantly fluctuating in their worship of him.)
vs. 22...they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal human beings and birds and animals and reptiles. (Jews in the wilderness of Sinai)
vs. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. (The Jews knew the truth)
vs. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death (the Jews are the ones that know God's righteous decree)
I bring all this up because most commentaries will tell you that Paul is taking to pagans in this chapter. In this view the world has seen the invisible and visible qualities of God so they are without excuse and when they choose to live outside of God's ways he turns them over to depravity.
But if Paul is talking to the Jews then this is a rebuke to the church. If we have an understanding of God and his truth then we are called to be a representation to the world of what God is like. The rebuke is for the church to shape up (not the pagans) so that the world will see the difference in a people that are set apart. This really goes in line with what you see through the Gospels and letters. Jesus and Paul's harshest rebuke was held off for the "religious" and those inside the church. To those outside the church we offer love and an invitation into the way of Jesus that (should) look completely opposite of the surrounding culture.
I don't know if any of this means anything to you but it changes a ton for me. I'm gonna study it a lot more. Any thoughts? Read the chapter first and let me know what you think. I need the Rabbi Risinger to weigh in. (I hate not being able to walk down to your office to talk about this stuff!)
8 comments:
what?!
you expect me to read the chapter before i comment?!
pssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
i'll get back to ya. :)
here is the biblegateway link
I actually agree with N. T. Wright. He says Romans was written to Gentiles who had become the leaders in the Roman Church when the Jews were forced by Claudius to leave Rome in 40CE. In 54CE, Nero allowed them to return. Paul is asking these Gentiles to get along with there fellow Jewish Christians and welcome them back into the Roman Church fellowship. He is also wanting this church to support his new European missionary effort which was "first to the Jew, then also to the Greek." The last half of the first chapter is describing pagans and the second chapter is describing Jews. Everyone ends up in the same wagon needing a Messiah. Hope that helps.
see...that would of been much easier if you were right down the hall! Thanks
It seems me that Pauls first (or first few) chapters is his "intro" into his letter, setting the stage to what pictures he wants to paint.
I have read it as you did within chapter one, that his comments are towards the jews but his letter is written to gentile christians in rome. what is great about paul and this letter and imagination is i can totally see the gentile christians reading this letter aloud to their community and saying "yes, yes, he is so right - those jews!" (or something like that). Paul, in their opinion, is proving their point - the jews are off and they are in the right. since the roman system was so class divided this was a tension Paul writes on alot - unity, there is no class system in the kingdom. he later writes in chapter 10 "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
for whoever will call on the name of the lord will be saved."
plus chapter 2 begins with "Therefore" and then he goes into "Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself;"
talk about silence entering that room!!! here they were cheering in chapter one and now the shit hits the fan and they are not in so much of the right a as they thought - i love it!!
yeah...he quickly throws everyone in the same wagon as Bill puts it. I like working through scripture over the internet. It's like Bible study without the drive!
i finally sat down and read through chapter one and half of chapter two and i'd agree with bill and jenn.
although, i don't have their historical knowledge of the way Rome was at the time because my brain sucks at remembering such things.
bring up more bible chapters yo! - i quite enjoy learning these things. go figure.
I think you might be right. I haven't read the comments but just wanted to say that and say I suscribe to your blog ;).
Have you gotten to chapter 7 yet? Thats the good one. Most argue chapter 7 is a christians perspective but recently I've been enlighttened that its from the perspective of a jew. And to be honest I like it that way better.
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