Romans

I have read the book of Romans before, but the insights I gained this time through and especially with the help of lecture allowed me to understand this longest letter of Paul’s on a completely new level. Even beginning with the first verse of the epistle: Paul introduces himself as a “servant” of Jesus Christ, which actually means slave. Paul literally considers himself the slave of Jehovah. I love the imagery that he was “captured” on the way to Damascus, referring to his conversion when Christ appeared to him. Taking this metaphor further, it is interesting to examine the master-slave relationship in a broader sense. Jesus taught in Matthew that no man can serve two masters. There is no in between or gray area. We are either serving God or Satan.

The book of Romans was also incredible in the insight Paul provides regarding gaining a better understanding of the atonement. Christ offers us the olive branch, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” God sent the sacrifice, His Son, our advocate with the father. It is essential for us to understand the relation between our alienation and Christ’s reconciliation. Paul sets up the analogy of a court system. Satan is the prosecuting attorney. Jesus is the advocate, and the trial ends up being on him. I especially love Paul’s statement that nothing can separate us from the love of God and Christ. What a comforting thought!

I found Paul’s argument in Romans chapter five a very intriguing thought. He argues that scarcely will a righteous man die for a good person. That is why we can have faith in Christ. The world is at war with God, yet he offers us the olive branch. He extends his tender mercies in such an abundance out of pure love for each of us. He wants more than anything for us to return home to live once again in his presence, yet still allows us our free agency. Christ was cursed for us; He took upon himself all of our sins, our infirmities, our short-comings. I am so grateful for the atonement, for a brother who loves me so much that he would give his life for my sake. I know with all my heart that He knows and loves me personally.

On a completely different note, I found the final chapter of Romans a very interesting piece of writing. Romans 16 is often referred to as the “Greeting Chapter.” It provides the most lengthy greeting of all Pauline epistles. In studying its contents, we find that it mentions a total of twenty-six Christians living in Rome. Interestingly enough, most of these saints are immigrants. That seems to be the trend with missionary work in today’s world as well. Maybe it is because those people who find themselves separated in some way from the society in which they live are humbled by their circumstances, more open-minded, and more ready to receive the glad tidings of Christ’s gospel message. We also learn from this chapter that there are at least five house churches in Rome. This provides a terrific example of how Paul’s letters are valuable for both the historical clues they provide as well as the essential gospel principles they teach and shed light upon.