When we left him last time, he had been imprisoned in Jerusalem and blown off by the governor, Felix. In chapter 25 he is tried by the new governor, Festus, as well as Herod the Great's (somewhat distant) successor, Agrippa II. He tells his cute little life story to the authority figures, and although Festus at first accuses him of being insane, he is pretty darn persuasive and seems to win their favor. During the trial, he expresses his fervor for his work, saying, "I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am -- except for these chains" (Acts 26:29).
As a Roman citizen, Paul is entitled to a trial in Rome, so he sets off in a boat for Italy. The trip is not without incident, and eventually the gang is caught in a storm and shipwrecked. They wash up on the island of Malta, where Paul heals a man named Publius and is revered as a god.
Upon arriving in Rome, the authorities announce that they have received no letters about Paul, but have nonetheless heard rumors of his weird ways and want to know what he's all about. He preaches to the Romans, converting some, then is put under house arrest for two years to await his trial. We never do find out what happens to him! Some scholars say he died in Rome, while others say he evaded conviction and moved to Spain.
Romans, or more specifically, The Letter of Paul to the Romans, is a work dating back to some time between 48-58 CE. It is -- as the title suggests -- a letter that Paul wrote to the Roman people explaining his theology, and it's pretty darn interesting! The big theme here is, once again, that God is impartial in his love and will embrace Gentiles just as he will Jews. Paul also emphasizes the role of faith over law.
The letter opens with a classically Greek introduction and "thanksgiving" or prayer for the reader's well-being, followed by Paul's thesis: that "it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). He talks about how many people, regardless of whether or not they are familiar with the Law, are not sufficiently pious, and that God will judge everyone equally. He also emphasizes that it's GOD'S JOB to do the judging, NOT YOURS!! "For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself," Paul writes, "because you, the judge, practice the very same things... Do you suppose, O man... that you will escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2:1-3)
Obviously, the exception to this rule is if you're doing this:
Paul also takes a pretty unorthodox view on circumcision, explaining that "circumcision is indeed of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision" (Romans 2:25). In Paul's opinion, the physical rite has no bearing on the state of a person's spirit.
Paul goes on to talk about how all people are sinners -- because "through the law comes knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20) -- but that God has provided people with the gift of redemption through Jesus. He is careful to emphasize that this does not nullify the law, it just means that faith in Jesus is more important.
To illustrate the importance of faith in biblical history, Paul turns to the story of Abraham. He argues that Abraham's act of supreme faith -- his willingness to sacrifice Isaac -- suggests that "the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith" (Romans 4:13). Pretty interesting, huh?
Paul then says that people should embrace their suffering and believe that God cares for them. Yeah, tell it to Job, Paul! He makes another biblical allusion, explaining that just as Adam's first sin "led to condemnation for all men" (Romans 5:18), Jesus's sacrifice led to eternal life. Christ, he explains, "died to sin...[but] lives to God" (Romans 6:10). Well, okay. Whatever you say, Paul.
I think what this means -- and I might be wrong -- is that the law is no longer wholly applicable to believers? Paul uses a metaphor of a married woman, saying that if she should sleep with another man while her husband is alive, she will be an adulteress, but if he dies she is freed from the rules of marriage. Likewise, Christ's death freed his followers from the restrictions of the Torah? I dunno man! This is pretty wild!
Today's reading wraps up with Paul contrasting the body with the spirit, saying that "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God," whereas if one lives by the "Spirit" they will "put to death the deeds of the body... [and] live" (Romans 8:7-10). He alludes to the historic lawlessness of the Jews -- which we know well was a reoccurring theme in the Old Testament -- and uses it to justify his claims: "Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith" (Romans 9:31-32).
Gee whiz! More of this tomorrow, and we'll also embark on 1 Corinthians. We are seriously in the stretch drive here!
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