v.1-7
Structure
1. An introduction of Paul has 3 parts: a slave of JC, called to be an apostle, and set apart for (2 εἰς in this passage v.1, 5) the Gospel of God. Among these descriptions, he expanded on the part about the Gospel.
2. The Gospel has 2 main elements: It is promised beforehand (consistent from the OT, the Jewish leader should pay attention now), and it is concerning Jesus Christ. Among these 2 elements, he focus on the second, i.e. JC.
3. JC is 100% man and 100% God. Regarding his human nature-He is King; regarding his divine nature-He is the son of God (with the proof of His power, and His resurrection from death). NET-He was born in weakness in human flesh (with respect to the flesh, v. 3) and he was raised with power. This is similar to Matt 28:18 where Jesus told his disciples after the resurrection, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
4. We have relationship with the Gospel, or with the Son of God by receiving v.5. And the purpose of the Gospel (and the apostleship of Paul) (second εἰς) was the obedience of faith. NET-(1) an objective genitive (a reference to the Christian faith, “obedience to [the] faith”); (2) a subjective genitive (“the obedience faith produces [or requires]”); (3) an attributive genitive (“believing obedience”); or (4) as a genitive of apposition (“obedience, [namely] faith”) in which “faith” further defines “obedience.”
5. Those who received JC with faith have these characteristics: 1. from all nations, 2. called to belong to JC, 3. loved by God, and 4. called to be saints. v.5-7
Reflection: Do I have a goal in life like Paul whose purpose is the Gospel? Is my life laser sharp? Or do I have too many goals? That will make my life aimless.
The purpose of the Gospel is for people to believe (which has the ingredients of obedience). Paul described the Gospel with the emphasize of the power of Jesus showing in His resurrection of death. If that is not enough for people to obey that He is the Son of God what else can be done?
For me, who believe in JC, I am closely related to God, I belong to JC. I am loved by God, and holy. By being holy, I can come close to Him. But at the same time, do I walk like a holy saint?
v.8-15
1. The connection between v.8-9. "for"
(PNTC) for (a) Paul had never yet been to Rome though for many years he had been “the Apostle of the Gentiles”, and (b) even as he wrote he was about to go off in the opposite direction, to Jerusalem
2. Repeat phrases all show his eagerness to be with them.
v.9 I continually remember you (lit=I make mention of you unceasingly)
v.10 I always ask in my prayers...in visiting you
v.11-12 For I long to see you.. (ἵνα...εἰς)to strengthen you...that is (passive) BDAG- to receive encouragement or comfort together with you
v.13 I often intended to come to you
v.15 I am eager also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome
3. Paul wanted to tell them that he was earnest
a. his eagerness was witnessed by God v.9.
PNTC-This is a kind of oath, a very solemn affirmation of the truth of a statement which could be known only to God...
b. he served God with his whole self "whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son v.9"
PNTC-As he preaches the gospel Paul has given his life to the service of God, this God whom he calls to witness, and this in no shallow, surface manner but with my whole heart, or more exactly, “in my spirit”... It certainly stresses the thought that there is nothing superficial about the apostle’s service. He serves God with his innermost being, with all his might. Hodge sees this as “opposed at once to an insincere, and to a mere external service”
Reflection: What is my desire to other believers? Will I even pray for them? Or intend to come to them to strengthen them? What do I eager to do?
How do I serve God? With half-hearted or with my eagerness or whole life?
Questions:
1. He thank God for them v.8. He was eager to help them to be strengthen and eager to share the Gospel with them. v.9-15.
2. He want to share his spiritual gift with them (NET-Paul will use his own spiritual gifts to edify the Romans), or it simply means something akin to a blessing or benefit in the spiritual realm) so that they will be strengthen and they will both be encouraged and comfort together).
3. He will visit them according to the will of God v.10.
4. Those I aware that they are Christians (from hosting, from 3CW children's ministry). Probably more people can be added.
5. "I continually remember you" v.9, "I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish" v.14. Because Jesus called him to be a apostles to the Gentiles, kings, and Jews.
6. People I think they have no interest. Tried to come in the past and no longer want to come. People do not want to listen to me. People seems to be happy with their lives.
v.16-17
Structure:
1. Paul was eager to share the Gospel because he is not ashamed for the Gospel. (Without explaining why the Gospel might have brought shame he continued to explain why he should not be ashamed).
a. He should not be ashamed of the Gospel because it is God's power for salvation (Without the power of anyone).
b. The salvation revealed the righteousness of God (without the human merit).
2. On one hand, we cannot contribute to the power to save ourselves from sin. On the other hand, God's power of salvation is enough for everyone, including the Jew and the Greek. His power has no shortage.
The salvation result, or the righteousness given to mankind was purely God's. Man has no righteous contributed to our salvation. We are totally deprived. "From faith to faith," means that (NET) this righteousness is obtained by faith (ἐκ πίστεως) because it was designed for faith (εἰς πίστιν).
The salvation method, how God not compromising His righteous with His love in salvation is demonstrated. He did that by sacrificing His own son! (NET) The nature of the “righteousness” described here and the force of the genitive θεοῦ (“of God”) which follows have been much debated. (1) Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:98) understand “righteousness” to refer to the righteous status given to believers as a result of God’s justifying activity, and see the genitive “of God” as a genitive of source (= “from God”). (2) Others see the “righteousness” as God’s act or declaration that makes righteous (i.e., justifies) those who turn to him in faith, taking the genitive “of God” as a subjective genitive (see E. Käsemann, Romans, 25–30). (3) Still others see the “righteousness of God” mentioned here as the attribute of God himself, understanding the genitive “of God” as a possessive genitive (“God’s righteousness”).
3. No matter the extend of God's power or the righteousness revealed is all God's, not human's or how God kept His righteous in the process of salvation, all of them make Paul not ashamed of the Gospel. And that made him eager to share the Gospel.
But, what is the relationship between the Gospel totally out of God and not being ashamed?
(PNTC) But the gospel had proved adequate for the needs both of himself and his hearers, and Paul was far from being ashamed of it. Some have thought that he was troubled at coming to so splendid a place as Rome, the capital city of the world, with so simple a message
Reflection: Do I belief the adequacy of the Gospel saving mankind? People may laugh or ridicule us for its simplicity or its free cost, do I still belief the righteousness impart to us without our merit?
If I dont, then I may be still ashamed of the Gospel and not eager to share with others.
v.18-23
1. Structure:
the wrath of God is revealed to all mankind, who are the one who suppress the truth.
v.19 about the truth: the knowing of God is made plain to them because God has made it plain (the repeat of the adj φανερός and verb φανερόω of the word, plain)
v.20 explain what is the knowing of God (His eternity in power and divine character-BDAG refers to performance that one might properly associate w. a divinity) is visible in the creature. Therefore, the suppression is without excuse
v.21-23 about the suppression: Knowing about God but not giving the appropriate response (glorifying and giving thanks). Instead (1) their reasons were futile and their hearts of not understanding were darken; (2) they because foolish and worshipped idols.
Summary: We are responsible for what God has made known to us. Our response of suppression v.18 was a result of our reasoning, and our hearts v.21, our foolishness v.22, and our worship v.23. It is not an excusable, reasonable choice, but a willful choice.
2. Implication: There is no need to made God more plain than He has revealed. It is repeated in v.18-20. It is more a issue of our response to what we know.
We do not see God as God because of our choice. Our choice is wrong because we have the wrong kind of reasoning and our understanding and we still that we are wise. Mankind is basically crooked in our understanding and foolishly proud.
3. Reflection: I dont know how I apply this in evangelism because basically mankind has no way out except by the Gospel. But I see this as an explanation of why God is angry to mankind. Without the Gospel I am like that, too. No way out. A crooked understand and foolishly proud person. And made the wrong choice in not responding to God, not glorifying God and not thankful to Him.
Without looking forward to the rest of ch 1-3 I am fully aware that I was a sinner and under the wrath of God before the Gospel came to me.
4. Questions:
1. God's righteousness can only be revealed in the Gospel when people believed in it v.17. It is because we are under God's wrath with our ungodliness and unrighteousness v.18.
2. Suppressing the truth
3. a. We chose not to glorify and thank God, b. but our understand became (passive) futile, our hearts is (passive) darkened, we became (passive) foolish and worship idols.
4. Intellectual: we are foolish; Spiritual: we worship idols. Foolish in action: we harm ourselves in the environment, in our families, and to ourselves. We are proud and do not listen to others.
5. Because everyone can see God's creation and his creature made His eternal power and divine nature clearly seen.
6. I did not honor or thank God before the Gospel came to me. Right now, I will admit that He is God and live under His authority. Submitting my choice to Him and ask about His will in our lives. Thanking God for what He has done to me.
7. I see my own desire (revenge, judgment on other, comfort) as something above what God told me to do.
v.24-32
1. Repeated pattern from v.23-32
They exchanged the glory of God for an image...God gave them over v.23-24;
they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation...God gave them over v.25, 26;
they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over v.28
Gave over-BDAG Of God, who punishes evil-doers: παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν he abandoned them to impurity
- Note, the common reason for the abandonment is the refuse of the knowledge or truth of God. Same as in v.18, which is the beginning of this section, "all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness," v.21, "For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God...," v.32 "Although they fully know God’s righteous decree..."Mankind did not lack of the knowledge of God, but we purposely ignore or suppress the truth of God. Punishment is well-deserved.
- Giving up to the desires of the heart to impurity is a punishment, not an enjoyment v.24. In v.26-27 we see why. It is because the natural is exchanged with the unnatural. They were inflamed in their unnatural passions and receive the due penalty of their error.
2. The 3 punishment have something in common: impure v.24 (BDAG-moral corruption), dishonor 24 , contrary to nature 26-27 (BDAG-the regular or established order of things), unqualified (BDAG for depraved v.28), to do what should not be done 28.
- man will never meet the standard of God.
The second thing in common is the punishment is done to ourselves: to dishonor their bodies among themselves v.24, men...were inflamed in their passions for one another...received in themselves the due penalty for their error v.27 (lit. they received back the return wage, which is necessary of their deceit in themselves), and what we will do to each other in v.29-31 including murder, disobedient to parents, heartless, and ruthless.
- we do not just fall short of God's standard, but among ourselves we will never live a "normal" lives. We made hell for ourselves.
3. The worst part is this, even though we all wont meet the standard, we approve each other's sub standard living v.32
- but we do not have remorse heart. There is no hope for human to come up with a desire to go back to God.
Reflection: I am not exempt from this description. I am part of the mankind. I was not the person who sought God or felt remorse for my sins. I repented and turned to God just because of His grace.
Without God, we live in hell we build for ourselves.
Questions:
1. God gave over mankind because mankind repeatedly suppressed the truth.
2. We will never meet God's standard of righteousness and did harm to ourselves and to each other.
3. We did not care because even though we will death, we still approve each other's practice v.32.
4. a. mind
v.29 unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice
30 haters of God
31 heartless, ruthless
b. conduct
v.29 envy (or belong to group a), murder, strife, deceit, hostility, gossips
v.30 slanderers, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents
31 senseless, covenant-breakers
In general today, people only consider things that harm other people's body as sin.
5. I think there is a downward spiral here from the failure to acknowledge God to the failure to ignore the punishment.
6. Failure to acknowledge God
7. ??
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