Romans Introduction
The letter of Paul to the church of Rome may be the most important theological work in history, communicating truths that are at the heart of the good news of Jesus. Since Rome was then the command center for the Western world it is not surprising that Paul would feel it important to communicate the heart of the Good News as he saw it to the church that might influence so many people.
Paul’s communicates his primary motivation in writing both at the beginning and end of the letter. In Romans 1:5 he cites his calling to bring the good news to the nations in such a way that they could be fully obedient to the truth. But near the end in Romans 15:15-16, he reminds them of his unique call to bring the good news to the non-Jews.
Paul reveals a number of truths that were in fact mysteries until he expressed them in this letter:
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Everyone, both Jew and non-Jew, are subject to sin and were so even before the Law was given
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Law and human effort don’t deliver men from sin; in fact, they increase sin, both by an enhanced understanding of what is sinful, and by stimulating the rebellious streak in us that characterizes sin
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Faith in Jesus brings a right standing with God, and with it many other benefits – being declared, "Innocent", in God’s eyes, reconciliation with God, receiving eternal life and, in the future, resurrection of our bodies
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Believers in Jesus are also given the Holy Spirit as a resident internal witness, and if they follow the Spirit they will live righteously as well as be considered righteous
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The whole world is laboring because of its fallenness and is waiting for those who will follow Jesus and the Spirit to be revealed as sons of God who rescue the world
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God has a plan of redemption and selects both people and people groups to carry out specific roles in that plan.
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The Jewish people were selected by God to bring forth the law and later the savior who would fulfill the law, but the Jews themselves have been unable to either fulfill the Law or to say yes to the savior.
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God has used the Jewish failure to follow a savior to cause the word to be spread to the non-Jews, who have been more able to understand and follow a savior
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God’s plan, still remaining to be fulfilled, is to use the non-Jews to reach the Jews, who will complete the plan of salvation on the earth when, as a people group, they come to Jesus.
Rome was not only the political and military center of a major empire, but it was the commercial center as well. That Paul knew and greeted so many (he mentions 28 by name in Chapter 16) means that many of them had traveled between Rome and Corinth and other cities in the eastern Mediterranean where Paul had met them, though he may have known a few of them as friends of friends. Though this is the only letter on record that Paul wrote to the church in Rome, it is quite likely that much of his theology had already influenced them, especially through those whom he had trained and mentions earliest in the last chapter, Priscilla and Aquila, Epaenetus, Mary, Adronicus and Junia. This was helpful since what he was teaching the Roman world was new and far reaching for both Jews and Gentiles and to be honest, most of the church does not understand these ideas even today. Few truly walk in the freedom that Jesus paid for and that Paul explained.
In his doxology at the end in Romans 16:25-27, Paul refers to the revealing of the mystery which had been hidden since the beginning, and that is the heart of what he intends and in fact accomplishes in the letter. All of the apostles well understood and communicated the heart of what Jesus had accomplished, which was to die in place of all men, taking the penalty for our sin, and giving us his righteousness, for all those who are willing to receive it and follow Him as Lord. But Paul saw far beyond his peers, and he saw deeply into God’s plan for the ages.
We cannot do justice here to the many subtle details of all God reveals through this letter. It is important that we come back to it over and over because of how great a salvation God has paid for us to have, and here we get to see it spelled out theologically better than any other place.
Romans Guide to the Transcommentary
This is a little bit more than a translation and a bit less than a full commentary. It serves a similar function to the Amplified Bible, though that work’s purpose was to provide a complete sense of the meaning of the words used by the writers of scripture. This work has a somewhat different purpose:
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To convey as close as possible the actual meaning of the sentences as they would have been understood at the time they were originally spoken or written. To accomplish this for twenty-first century Americans, dynamic equivalent words and sayings have been used at a sentence level. An attempt has been made to preserve intended wordplay and irony from the original author.
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We have attempted to clarify ideas, references, and thought sequences that would have been clear to first century audiences but are not clear to modern audiences because of differences in culture, customs, language, or degree of familiarity with Old Testament scriptures and Messianic prophecies. The phrasing of the translation itself aims at that clarity, but we have also added words, phrases, and sentences to the narrative for improved understanding. All such additions are in brackets []. This allows the reader to have the explanatory additions when reading but also insulate these additions from the translated scripture – indeed, with a little effort they can be skipped entirely when reading aloud.
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Color codes for different types of additional material are intended to further aid understanding:
- References to scriptures are shown in orange.
- Green is used for words added to descriptive narrative because they are implied or as commentary to explain the context.
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As in many translations and editions, we have added headings in bold to help understand when a new theme is introduced by the author.
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The author frequently refers to "Christ" or to "Jesus Christ". We have employed the words “the Anointed One” rather than "Christ", since that is the meaning of “Christ”. We wanted to avoid the sense of "Christ" as Jesus’ surname, yet still recognize it as a well-known title.
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We have also added study questions at the end of each chapter to help you think more thoroughly about the meaning and application of the author’s writing.
We will have succeeded in this translation if you the reader find that you can read this work of scripture with greater comprehension and enjoyment than ever before. Please let us know if you find the various supplementary materials helpful. or too distracting, or if you have any other suggestions about how to improve this approach to translation.
Richard Tittle, pneuma9@gmail.com
Romans Chapter 2
Our judgment of others indicates our unrighteousness
1 It is just as inexcusable for you who pass judgment on the others [I have been describing], for you who judge [are covering up that you] do the same acts yourself, and so you are pronouncing judgment on yourself as well. [If we find ourselves critical of others for a particular sin, we need to examine ourselves to see if we are covering up our inclination toward the same sin.] 2 God has the right to judge these things for he does it according to truth. 3 But pointing the finger at others when we do the very same things will not allow us to escape God's righteous judgment. [The greater the frequency or degree of judgment generated by a person or group, the more likely their words of judgment are covering up their own sin.]
4 Or do you despise the riches of God’s goodness and tolerance and patience [as he endures our sinfulness]? Do you not realize that it is the goodness of God that leads us to change our hearts? 5 But it is your hardness of heart and resistance to change that stores up punishment for the [Judgment] Day when God’s anger and righteous judgment towards sin will be revealed.
Our works will be judged concerning righteousness
6 [On that Day of Judgment,] God will pay back men according to their actions [during their lives on the earth]. 7 For those who patiently continue to do good as they seek glory, honor, and immortality [as reward from God] will receive eternal life. 8 For those who bring trouble, and steer away from the truth, but follow paths of unrighteousness, will receive God’s anger and punishment.
9 There will be great anger and distress for the soul of every man who does evil, for the Jew as well as the non-Jew. [Being part of the chosen people will not save your soul from God’s judgment.] 10 And there will be glory and honor and peace for those who actions were good, for the Jew as well as the non-Jew. 11 For God does not play favorites. [Being Jewish should have given an advantage in terms of being taught God’s word, but God judges how we live our life, no matter who and what we are.]
12 For whoever has sinned [as measured by] not following the Law is destined for destruction, and whoever has sinned when following the Law shall [likewise] be judged. 13 For it is not those who hear the Law who are in right standing before God, but those who actually follow the Law who will be judged righteous.
Outward marks do not produce inward obedience
14 Those who are not Jewish don’t have the Law, but when they instinctively follow the Law, they show that they have a law inside themselves, 15 and that the intention of the Law is already written in their hearts, their conscience telling them when their acts are right or wrong. So their own thoughts will be used to accuse them or defend them, 16 on the day when God shall judge the hidden thoughts of all men through Jesus, the Anointed One, according to my account of the Good News.
[Those not guided by the written Law still have a knowledge of good and evil inside them, and when Jesus judges all men, those not under the Law will have the secret thoughts of their conscience revealed as evidence for or against them. Paul’s reference to “my account” is an indication every believer should have an account to share with others the essential points of the Good News of salvation through belief in Jesus. For Paul, one of the essential points is that Jesus will be the final judge for all men. That this was part of Paul’s Gospel account can be seen in Acts 17:31 and 1 Corinthians 4:5.]
17 If you call yourself a Jew, then you make your boast on the Law - 18 that you know God’s will and discern what’s best by following the instruction of the Law. 19 And you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light for those in darkness, 20 an instructor of those untaught, a teacher to the immature, and that in the Law you have the formula for knowledge and truth.
21 Yet, if you [have the knowledge and truth so you] can teach others, why haven’t you taught yourselves? You who teach that a man should not steal, aren’t you stealing? 22 You who teach that a man should not commit sexual sin, aren’t you committing sexual sin? And you who hate idols, aren’t you yourself robbing temples [taking home souvenirs for yourselves as though they are of value]? 23 You boast about God’s Law but you are dishonoring God by breaking that same Law.
24 The scripture [Isaiah 52:5] says, “Because of you, the [non-Jewish] peoples dishonor the name of God”. 25 It’s only if you obey the Law that your circumcision [that marks you as a Jew] has value. If you disobey the Law, you might as well not be circumcised. 26 Therefore, if those who aren’t circumcised follow the right ways specified in the Law, then the uncircumcised ones shall be considered [righteous by God] as though they were circumcised. [It’s not that being circumcised was supposed to make a Jewish person righteous, it was simply a mark that they were a member of the people group God had selected to demonstrate his ways to the world, which should have been motivation to keep the Law.]
27 And the uncircumcised one who keeps the Law will [have the right to] judge the one who is physically circumcised yet breaks the Law. For what marks one as Jewish - being physically circumcised? Or is it the inward circumcision of the heart? [Righteousness is motivated] from the spirit rather than [from following] the written Law, from a desire to please God rather than man.
Discussion questions
1. Is it necessarily wrong to point out what others do wrong? Do you agree with Paul, that people are more reformed in their behavior because of God’s love and kindness than they are because of fear of his punishment? [vs 1-5]
2. Do you agree that men may know what is right even without a written law? [vs 14-16]
3. What are some indicators that Paul is writing both for Jews and non-Jews? Do you think it is an advantage or a disadvantage to be circumcised as a Jewish man? Do you think it is an advantage or disadvantage to know the Law of Moses? [vs 1-27]
Romans Chapter 1
Paul’s purpose to visit the Roman church
1 [From] Paul, servant of Jesus, the Anointed One. I was appointed [by God] to be sent out [Acts 9:15-16]. I was assigned [to announce] the Good News [of God], 2 which was promised in advance by the prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 about his son, our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. Concerning his flesh[, Jesus fulfilled the promises by being] born a descendant of David [Jeremiah 23:5]. 4 But, [more importantly,] concerning the Spirit of holiness, he was powerfully declared to be the son of God by his resurrection from the dead. [Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled the Messianic prophecies in Psalms 16:10 that the Anointed One “would not see corruption”, and in Isaiah 53:11 “that he would see life” after “the suffering of his soul”, and it fulfilled what Jesus repeatedly had said concerning himself in Matthew 16:21, Matthew 27:62-63, John 2:19.]
5 From Jesus I have received [both the] grace [ability] and apostleship [the assignment from God to go everywhere and share the truth] to bring to obedience [to the truth of the Good News of Jesus the Anointed One] people from all nations for [the glory of] his name. 6 And you are among those called by Jesus [to be his followers and to receive an understanding of all that he has done for you].
7 To everyone in Rome, you who are loved by God and called to be his holy ones. May God's favor and peace be with you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One [The Father and Son both agree, working together to send their power to bless us through the agency of the Holy Spirit.]
8 Before I say anything else, I thank my God through Jesus the Anointed One[, knowing you each have an amazing story about how God has saved you in spite of many trials,] for all of you [the believers and followers of Jesus in Rome]. For your faith is talked about throughout the world [that there are strong believers in the capital of the very Empire that is known for its persecution of believers]. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with all my breath in the Good News of his Son, that I never fail to mention you 10 in my prayers, pleading with God that it might be within his will that I finally succeed in completing a journey to visit you. [Paul knew that Rome was intended by God to be one of his assignments (Acts 23:11) and that his life would not be complete without fulfilling this duty.]
11 For I long to see you so I might provide you some spiritual gifting that would more firmly establish you. 12 In that way we will be mutually encouraged, receiving each other's faith [you will receive a strengthening gift and I will be strengthened by seeing your faith]. 13 I don't want you to be unaware that for a long time I tried to visit you but have always been prevented [either by other responsibilities or by the schemes of our enemy]. I have wanted to experience the same kind of fruit [results] among you as I have among other people groups. [I have helped many of the gatherings of Christians to come to a stronger, more vibrant faith.]
Process and result of turning away from God
14 [If you are trying to understand why I care so much,] I have been given a responsibility to both Greeks and non-Greeks, to both the educated and the unlearned. 15 So, with everything that's in me, I'm eager to preach the Good News [of Jesus] to you who are in Rome. 16 I have complete confidence in the Good News, for to those who believe the truth of it, it is the very power of God to save [them from sin, heal them from sickness, and deliver them from evil] - for the Jew first and then the non-Jew also. [It’s not that the Jews are more important to God, but that it was his plan to reach the Jews first and through them the non-Jews.] 17 For in it [the Good News] is revealed that right standing with God comes from trust [in what God has done for us through Jesus] to all who have that trust. It is just as the scripture [Habakkuk 2:4] said, “The righteous shall live by trust [in God].” [The truths taught about Jesus were called “Good News’ because God through Jesus’ life and death had made provision for the best deal in history – that we would have right standing with God not through our own insufficient efforts but only by putting our faith in Jesus.]
18 For the anger of God has been shown from heaven against all contempt and unrighteousness of men who stand against the truth [of who God is] through their unrighteous behavior. 19 For what can be readily known about God is apparent within them because God has made it plain. 12 For from the creation of the world, the things that have been made reveal his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – so they are without excuse. [The unrighteous do not want to trust God even though they are aware of God’s wisdom and power demonstrated in the complexity and intelligence of his creation including themselves.]
21 Men were aware of God but did not honor him as God or thank him [because they did not want a higher authority even though he was the source of their life]. Instead, they indulged in foolish speculation, [inventing their own philosophies], and their minds became clouded. 22 Puffing themselves up as wise, they became [complete] fools 23 by exchanging the image of an immortal God into [idolatrous] images of mortal man, or birds, or creeping things. [Humans are subject to philosophies, cults, false religions, and every form of idolatry because they did not want to accept God as their head.]
24 Because of this, God gave them over to the uncleanness of their hearts' desire, as they dishonored their own bodies with one another. [When we do not regard God as the authority over our life, we lose our moral filter, then our lives become unrestrained - “anything goes” - which results eventually in all kinds of lusts and degrading acts.] 25 They also traded in the truth of God for something fake [idols], performing acts of worship towards created things rather than toward the Creator [of all things], who is forever blessed. Amen.
26 Because of this [false worship], God gave them over to shameful desires. Even the women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural. 27 In the same way, the men abandoned their natural sexual relations with women, and burned with lust towards one another. When men do shameful things with each other, they receive in themselves the necessary results of their wrongdoing. [There are many kinds of shameful sexual actions, which tend to result in diseases or other forms of destruction to the mind, body, and spirit, not as punishment but because they go against God's design.]
28 And because they did not value holding on to a knowledge of God, God allowed their minds to be unrestrained from harmful thoughts, which led them even further into shameful behavior. [Valuing knowledge of God protects our minds from harmful thoughts and actions.] 29 They have become filled with a desire to twist what is good, harm others, possess what is not theirs, and disrupt peace. They have nothing in them but jealousy, murder, strife, trickery, and evil intent. They gossip about others, 30 spread lies, hate God, put others down, pump themselves up, pretend to be what they aren't, invent evil schemes, rebel against authority. 31 They are without understanding, without honor, without love, without mercy. 32 They realize that it is the very judgment of God that committing such acts is worthy of death. But even so, they continue to do them and approve of others who do the same.
Discussion questions
1. Since Paul had influenced so many others, why was it so important to him to have an influence on the church in Rome? [vs 1-16]
2. Do you agree with Paul that the truths about God’s existence and who He is are clear from observing the created order? What would you say should have been obvious to everyone from seeing the created order? If people did not see God in front of them, is Paul saying that is a matter of choice? [vs 17-20]
3. Why does Paul say that men and women become more and more deviant and unrestrained as they ignore or dishonor God? [vs 21-32]
Romans Chapter 3
Jews not more righteous despite advantages over non-Jews
1 What then is the advantage of being a Jew? Or is there any value to circumcision? [Though the cutting off of a male’s foreskin was the mark of being part of God’s chosen people, the Jews (described in Genesis 17:10), submitting to “circumcision” is simply a stand-in for the responsibility for following all of God’s commands.] 2 Actually, there are quite a few advantages! First, because they are the ones who were entrusted with God’s promises. 3 So what if some of them did not respond with belief. Did their lack of faith cancel out the faithfulness of God? 4 Of course not! “Even if every man is a liar [Psalms 116:11], God is still true [to what he says].” Just as it is written [Psalms 51:4], “You[, God,] are always right in what you say. Your judgment will never be overturned.” [There may be times when it seems to us God has not kept his word, but it will always turn out that he has spoken truly, because he is God.]
5 “But if our unrighteousness makes God’s righteousness stand out, then isn’t it wrong of God to punish us [when we are doing him a favor by making him look good in comparison]?” I’m just saying what men say! 6 And [they say,] “If God can’t punish us [without seeming unjust], then he certainly can’t judge the world!” 7 For [they say], “If the truth of God has more clearly stood out to glorify him because of my falsehood, then why should I be judged as a sinner [since God takes advantage of it]?” 8 Why not say then[, taking it to the extreme], “Let’s do evil so that good may come of it?” This is what some have accused me of saying, and they will be condemned [for trying to make me and our God look bad].
9 [Am I saying that] we [Jews] have done better [than the non-Jews since we have the scriptures]? No, for as we have already proved, both Jews and non-Jews all are under [the rule of] sin. 10 As it is written [in the following sayings of God]:
“None are righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands and seeks after God. 12 They have all strayed away and become worthless. There is no one who does what is right. No, not one!” [Psalms 14:1-3]
13 “Their throat is an open tomb! Their tongues are full of lies.” [Psalms 5:9]
“Snake poison is under their lips.” [Psalms 140:3]
14 “Their mouths are full of curses and bitterness.” [Psalms 10:7]
15 “Their feet are quick to shed blood. 16 Destruction and misery are their ways. 17 They have not known the way of peace.” [Isaiah 59:7-8]
18 “They do not look at God with reverence.” [Psalms 36:1]
19 We all know that everything [written] in the Law applies to those who are living under the requirements of the Law [the Jewish people], in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world [including the Jews] under God’s judgment. [The passages from the Law indicate that the Jews, who live under the Law, fail in observing it. So, having the Law does not justify the Jews. Rather it makes clear they do not do any better in pleasing God than the non-Jews.] 20 For no one is righteous in your sight [Psalms 143:2], [not even seeking] to follow what the Law requires. Rather, the Law causes us to recognize sin. [The purpose of the Law is to reveal sin and our sinfulness. It was never designed to make us righteous.]
Righteousness through faith in Jesus
21 But now a way has been revealed to be made righteous, but not through the Law, and the Law and the Prophets testify to this way [as I will prove to you]. 22 God makes people righteous through their faith in Jesus, the Anointed One. This applies to all who believe [in Jesus] for there are no differences [from one person to another]. 23 All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. [No one behaved well enough to be resuced from punishment.]
24 But everyone has been freely given [the declaration of] righteousness through the gift of the payment paid [in our place] by the Anointed One, Jesus. 25 God provided him [Jesus] as the sacrifice in our place by [our] faith in his blood [poured out for us on the cross]. God was declaring he was righteous in passing over all the past sins [enacted in all of the many Passovers and Yom Kippurs which foreshadowed the coming of the Anointed One].. 26 He was now in one act fulfilling justice [by accepting payment for all sin in both the past and present through his crucifixion] and justifying [declaring as righteous in his sight] those who believe in Jesus. [Though we were not punished for those generations of sins, God knew that Jesus would pay for all generations at the cross since he took the penalty on behalf of every one of us. Furthermore, he declared us innocent before God as long as we through faith receive his sacrifice.]
27 Do we have anything then we can boast about? No, nothing[, because is is God's goodness that saves us]! What could we boast in? The Law? Our works? No, only “the law of faith”. [We can only be happy that we have followed the path of faith.]
28 In conclusion, therefore, a man is made righteous only through faith [in Jesus' righteousness being assigned to us as we place our faith in him], not by works of following the Law. 29 Is he God of the Jews only, or also of the non-Jews? He is also God for the non-Jews! 30 We see that there is only one God, who justifies those who are circumcised, by faith, and those who are not circumcised, by faith. 31 Does this mean that by faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all! [Actually, it is by faith] we can satisfy the Law.
[Justice requires that sin be paid for by blood, which Jesus fulfilled for all of us. Since he paid out penalty by dying in our place, we who believe in him are now declared righteous in God’s sight. As we will see, Jesus also gave us the ability to walk in righteousness by following his Spirit who we received also because of Jesus.]
Discussion questions
1. Has God been faithful to the Jews? Have the Jews been faithful to God? Then was there truly an advantage to being part of “the Circumcision”, the people chosen by God? [vs 1-4]
2. What excuses do we make for not following God’s ways? To what extent do we blame God rather than turn to him for his help? [vs 5-8]
3. According to scripture, is God surprised that men sin even though they have the Law? Why does God want all the world to be “under judgment”? [vs 9-20]
4. What is required for a man to be declared righteous by God? Does it make any difference if you are a Jew or a non-Jew? [vs 21-31]
Romans Chapter 4
Abraham’s faith made him father of all who believe
1 What then shall we say was demonstrated by Abraham, who is the father of our people? 2 For if Abraham was made righteous by what he accomplished himself, then he had something to boast about, though no one boasts before God. 3 Instead, what does the scripture [Genesis 15:6] say? “Abraham believed God, and righteousness was credited to his account”. 4 When someone works, his pay is not considered a gift but rather what is owed him. 5 But God treated [Abraham as] one who believed rather than who worked [to gain merit], declaring him innocent even though he[, like everyone else,] was guilty [of sin], thus counting his faith as righteousness [that cancelled his sin].
6 David also describes [Psalms 32:1-2] the blessedness of someone whom God credits as righteous without his having worked to earn it, 7 “Blessed are those whose unrighteousness is removed and whose sins are cancelled. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not account sin.”
9 Does this blessedness apply to those who are circumcised [that is, the Jews] only, or also to the uncircumcised [the non-Jews]? For we are saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 When was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or when he was still uncircumcised? It was not after his circumcision, but before! 11 In fact, when he received the sign of circumcision, it was a mark he received to remind [him and us] of his faith. Thus, since he was uncircumcised [when he believed], he became the “father” of all the uncircumcised who believe. 12 He is also the father of those who are circumcised – that is, those who in addition to being circumcised also walk in the same steps of faith Abraham walked in before he was circumcised.
13 For [God made] the promise to Abraham and to his seed that they would inherit the world, not through [obedience to] the Law [which had not yet been given], but through the righteousness of faith. [Because of Abraham’s obedience through faith, God gave Abraham increasingly great promises - that he would receive all the land he was on (Genesis 12:7), that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand or stars (Genesis 13:14-17), that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4), and that the whole earth would be blessed through his descendants (Genesis 22:15-18).] 14 For if they were heirs through law, then faith is of no value and the promise worthless. [The point is that the promises were obtained because God was faithful and Abraham trusted God’s promises.]
15 [In fact, if you seek to be justified by the Law, you will find] the Law produces punishment instead [of righteousness]. [When we try to satisfy the Law but fall short of full obedience, we must receive the punishment specified in the Law.] But when there is no law, there can be no breaking of the law. 16 That’s why God determined that righteousness would be through faith, so that it would be his gift [rather than our effort which is destined to fail]. That allowed all of Abraham’s descendants to receive the promise – not only those who follow the Law, but also those who follow Abraham in faith. Abraham is therefore father of all of us [both Jew and non-Jew alike who walk in faith].
The faith that makes us righteous
17 Exactly as it was written [Genesis 17:4], “I have made you the father of many nations”, Abraham believed God, [knowing God is the one] who gives life to the dead and calls things into being that don’t yet exist. 18 [Though his situation seemed] beyond hope, Abraham more than hoped – he believed he would become the father of many nations, according to what had been spoken, and that the same would be true for his descendants.
19 [Let me illustrate that] Abraham’s faith was not weak. He didn’t think about the deadness [inability to reproduce] of his own nearly one hundred-year-old body or the deadness of Sarah’s womb. [She was both barren and considerably past child-bearing age.] 20 Because of the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but was empowered by faith, giving glory to God. 21 He completely believed that God was fully able to perform what he had promised. 22 And because of that trust [in God], he was credited with righteousness [in God’s sight].
[When someone trusts you, it is easier for you to trust them. Because Abraham trusted God to the point of obeying him and acting on his word, even without evidence, and because Abraham knew that God would keep his word, God therefore trusted Abraham and treated him as a friend. This was despite Abraham’s occasional sin, such as treating Sarah as his sister rather than wife or trying to use his slave Hagar to give him an heir. Abraham was completely accepted in God’s eyes because of his faith.]
23 Yet it was not for Abraham’s benefit alone that the words were written [Genesis 15:6], “It was credited to him as righteousness”, 24 but also for us. For we will be credited as righteous if we trust in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead – 25 [Jesus,] who was betrayed [and executed to pay the penalty] for our offenses [against God] and was raised [to life] again to declare us righteous. [Abraham had to trust that life could come out of that which was barren and lifeless (his and Sarah’s bodies). Likewise, we must trust that Jesus died on our behalf to remove our sins and then rose to life again to confirm our righteousness and eternal reward.]
Discussion questions
1. Why was it so important to God that righteousness be a gift rather than be earned? Why isn’t faith considered effort, since it is apparently uncommon? [vs 1-8,13-16]
2. Which type of fatherhood does Paul seem to count as more valuable, by faith, or by blood? [vs 9-25]
3. How would you say Abraham was able to believe God’s promises, if he had no basis on physical evidence, and it seemed to be beyond hope? How then can you have faith for things that seem beyond hope? [vs 17-22]
4. Can you explain the similarity of the leap of faith involved in our trusting Jesus and Abraham trusting God to fulfill his promise to provide a son? [vs 23-25]
Romans Chapter 5
Benefits of faith in Jesus
[Though the tempter’s plan was very effective in bringing sin, death, and difficulty through all mankind, God’s plan of salvation and Jesus’ execution of it was even more effective in restoring innocence, bringing life, and justifying all men who would put their faith in him,]
1 Since we have been counted innocent of sin [in God’s sight] because of our faith [in Jesus’ having paid the penalty for our sins], as a result we now also have peace with God [our Father] through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. [We no longer fear God’s punishment for our sins and therefore no longer need to hide from him.] 2 Through Jesus, we not only have access into this gift [of innocence] in which we now stand, but we are joyfully anticipating [experiencing] the full glory of God[, living with him forever when we die and receiving a resurrection body].
3 In fact we rejoice [not only in our anticipation of eternal life after death but] also in our sufferings [now in this life], because we know that suffering produces persistence in us. 4 And persistence makes us trustworthy, and trustworthiness results in hope. 5 And our hope is not disappointed, because the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. [Our decision to follow Jesus not only took away all guilt and gave us eternal life to look forward to, but we are given the power to endure and even prosper in the difficulties of this life. Because of our faith in Jesus, we win no matter what phase of our life we are in.]
6 For we were still helpless [before we chose to allow Jesus to help us], when [we learned the truth that] the Anointed One had already died at the appointed time for the ungodly [which included us]. 7 We would barely be willing to die for an innocent person, though maybe we would give our life for a really good person. 8 But God showed us how much he loved us by the Anointed One dying for us when we were still sinners.
9 And since he has already made us innocent in his eyes through his blood [shed on our behalf], how much more then [we can be assured] we will be saved through him from God’s anger [on the Judgment Day when all souls are judged]. 10 If when we were enemies, we were made at peace with God through the death of his son, then how much more, [in addition to peace,] shall his life bring us salvation [from judgment]. 11 Not only that, but we can [thoroughly] enjoy what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, since by him we have been [completely] ransomed. [It is amazing how free we are to live joyfully when we are no longer feel guilty and fearful towards our heavenly Father.]
Sin and death came through one man
12 Through one man [Adam], sin came into the world [and with it the inclination to sin], and through sin death [resulted]. Likewise, death spread to all men, since all sinned [as they followed their inclination to sin inherited from Adam].
13 [Even] before the Law [was given from God through Moses], sin was [already] in the world, even though sin is not recorded [by men, or legal action taken against the sinner] when there is no law. 14 However, death [still] had its way [for all] between Adam and Moses, even for those who did not sin in the same way as Adam. [Even though there was not yet a basis for a keeping law on the earth by men, God had already declared the consequences of Adam’s sin, death, and it affected not only him but all his descendants, whether they had directly disobeyed God or not.] Adam set the precedent for the one [Jesus] who was to come. [As father of all humanity, what he did affected all men – they inherited both the inclination and the results of what he did. Jesus stood in for all men and thus became our spiritual father – and for all who accept Jesus as their redeemer and their Lord – they receive both the inclination and the results of what he did – which is to live an abundant life, following the Spirit.]
The gift of Jesus brings life to all men
15 But the gift [of God through Jesus’s death on our behalf] is different from the offense [of Adam’s original sin in a number of ways]. For through the one man’s offense [by believing the tempter rather than God], so many died, but how much more has God’s gift overflowed to so many through what Jesus freely gave us [by his trusting God even through a painful and humiliating death for the sake of others]. 16 And again, the gift of the one is so different from the sin of the other. Though one man’s sin led to the judgment of “guilty”, the gift [of Jesus’ death] resulted in the unearned declaration of “Innocent!” for many sinners.
17 [Also,] through one man’s offense, death has ruled because of that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of God’s abundant favor and righteousness rule in life through the one man, Jesus the Anointed One!
18 In conclusion, while the one sin [of Adam] caused all men to be condemned [with the sentence of “guilty” resulting in death], so by one man’s act of righteousness [Jesus’ death for us] we were made innocent, leading to [fullness of] life. 19 Similarly, while through one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one man, many shall be made righteous.
20 Furthermore, when the Law entered [through Moses], which would cause the offense to increase [because the Law brought into sharp relief the violation of God’s ways in every sin], how much more then did the gift [of innocence] increase [since no matter the degree of sin, Jesus’ death in our place took our punishment and wiped out our guilt]. 21 So that, as sin ruled [over all men] resulting in the death [of every man], grace [God’s gift of Jesus’ death in our place] rules through the righteousness of Jesus the Anointed One, resulting in eternal life [for all who make him their Lord].
Discussion questions
1. Are you living in the benefits of reconciliation with God? Do you walk in innocence or are you still scared of God’s judgment? Are you aware of God’s approval and love filling your heart as you walk through the trials of life? [vs 1-11]
2. What were the dire consequences for all mankind of Adam and Eve believing the deceiver and not trusting God’s goodness in the garden? How has that been reversed through Jesus’ death on the cross? [vs 12-21]
Romans Chapter 6
In the Anointed One we have died to sin
1 What then shall we say? [What is implied by all I have said so far?] Shall we continue in sin, [knowing] that grace will increase? [Should we no longer be concerned about living a moral and loving life since Jesus’ sacrifice has paid the penalty for all our sins?] 2 God forbid [such a thing]! We have died to sin [when we accepted Jesus as Lord and were baptized into Him], so how can we keep living in it! [Even though Jesus has provided an answer to our sin, why would we want to continue to live in sin in all its ugliness?]
3 Don’t you know that whoever was baptized into the Anointed One, Jesus, was [in fact] baptized into his death? 4 Therefore, we were buried with him when we were baptized into his death, so that, just as the Anointed One was raised from the dead by the glorious Father, we also walk in new life. 5 For if we were planted together [as seeds buried in the ground] when we died with him, so were we with him in his resurrection[, rising as a plant from the ground. As soon as we believed and chose to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we received our identity in Him, which included both death of our old self and birth of the new, which we enact in baptism.]
6 We know this, that when our “old man” was crucified together with him, the body of sin was destroyed, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. 7 For when you die, you are freed from sin! 8 Now, if we are dead with the Anointed One, we have faith that we also live with him. 9 Knowing that the Anointed One, having been raised from the dead, will never die again, death no longer rules over him. [Jesus loved us enough to go through the constraints and temptations of living on planet Earth. Once he went through the crucifixion for us and rose again, he must have felt wonderfully free. No more temptation and no more constraint!]
10 The death he died was death to [the power of] sin [to tempt him] once and for all, so that living[, since he was raised from the dead], he lives for God. 11 In the same way, you are to recognize yourselves as truly dead to sin, but alive to God, through the Anointed One, Jesus. [Jesus is now free from all temptation. Because we still live in a body of flesh in a fallen world, we still experience temptation and fleshly urges. But it helps us tremendously to know that we no longer are judged guilty because, in the eyes of God, we legally died when Jesus died. We also were born again, innocent and free. If we are no longer judged guilty, and if we are innocent and free, we may as well live up to our legal status. We won’t live in our full freedom until we receive our resurrection bodies. Until then, we live free through Jesus’ freedom.]
We are slaves to God not to sin
12 Therefore, don’t let sin into your mortal body so that you should obey its desires. Nor offer any part of your body as instruments to help accomplish sin. 13 Instead, give yourselves to God as those who are alive though once dead. And [give] your [body] parts as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have lordship over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace. [If we were still under Law then we would still be under the rule of sin and death. But under grace, we have received the gifts bought by Jesus - innocence before God, death to sin, and eternal life.]
14 What [else is implied by this argument] then? Should we keep sinning because we are not under the Law but under grace? God forbid! 16 Don’t you realize that any time you give yourselves over to servitude, you actually have become slaves to the one you obey, whether to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness. 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were slaves to sin now are obedient with your whole hearts to the teaching you have received, 18 and being set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. [It’s not that you can’t sin but because you are now free from the eternal penalty of sin, in love and gratitude you choose to listen to the Spirit and follow Jesus.]
19 I need to speak [more graphically], just as men speak. Because of the weakness of your flesh [when sin ruled over you], you used to let your body parts themselves be slaves to uncleanness and sin for sinful purposes. But now you have turned the parts of your body over to righteous living so you could be set apart for God. 20 And when you were slaves to sin, you were free from righteousness. [You didn’t even think about living for God.] 21 But what was the fruit of that kind of living? Only the kind of things that now make you feel shame! For the final outcome of all of that is death.
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, you have a fruitfulness of holy living and your final destination is eternal life! 23 For the wages we earn from sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus, the Anointed One, our Lord!
Discussion questions
1. Did you realize that when you said “Yes” to Jesus, legally your old self died and that you have a new self with a new heart and the Holy Spirit on your inside? Does recognizing you are totally free of penalty for your sinful thoughts and behavior make you want to sin more or to totally avoid sin? If you are free of any penalty for sin as far as God is concerned, do you think other people will totally let you off the hook? [vs 1-9]
​2. Does knowing you are in Jesus and He is in you help you to live free of sin? Why, or why not? [vs 6-13]
3. Do you think that it’s true that you used to be a slave to sin? What does that mean? What would it be like to be a slave to righteousness? If you are still a slave, why is that better? [vs 14-23]
Romans Chapter 7
We are no longer married or bound to the Law
[But you may think, if I follow the Law, I won’t be a slave to sin. I want you to see that the Law actually only increases my sin. I need to have something more fruitful operating in my life than the Law.] 1 I am speaking now, brothers, to you who are familiar with the Law. Do you realize the Law has dominion over a man only while he is alive? 2 For a woman who has a husband is bound by the Law to her husband when he is alive, but when her husband dies, she is released from her husband by the Law. 3 So then, while her husband is alive, if she lives with another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law [that bound her] and will not be an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 In the same way, my brothers, you died to the Law through the [crucifixion of the] body of the Anointed One [once you accepted him as your redeemer who took your place], so that you can become married to someone else – to him who was raised from the dead – so that you could become fruitful to God. [We were bound to the Law as though married, but it was a barren marriage without children. We died through the death of Jesus when we chose him as our substitute. We became part of him, and we died when he died, and we rose when he rose to life again. Since we have died, our marriage is ended, and we are no longer bound to the Law and our former sinful way of life. This is true for us even if we are non-Jews, with no written law, yet still trying to be righteous through our own efforts. Instead, we are united with the Anointed One, and this marriage is not barren, but is very fruitful because of his life in us.]
5 For when we were in the flesh [before we were born again through our faith in Jesus], the desire of our sins, aroused by the Law, worked in our bodily parts to bear fruit toward death. [The life force that God put into man, once warped by sin, caused us to seek whatever we desire. And the Law through its rules, while clarifying what was wrong, only heightened our cleverness to find ways around the rules to serve ourselves.] 6 But now we have been set free from the Law to which we were bound, since we have died, so that we can serve in newness of [life following] the Spirit rather than the old way of [life following] the letter[, trying through the effort of our will to control our sinful pursuit of fulfilling our desires].
Sin uses the Law to bring about evil desire
7 [You are wondering,] am I saying the Law is sinful? Of course not! I didn’t even recognize sin except through the Law. [For example,] I wouldn’t even recognize I was desiring what’s not mine until the Law said, “Don’t desire what’s not yours” [Exodus 20:17]. 8 But sin, taking [advantage of] the opportunity through the commandment, brought to fullness all the desire that’s in me. [Adding Law did nothing to curb my fleshly desire. The Law simply fed my independent streak as I sought how to bypass the Law.]
9 There was once a time when I was living without the Law. [I hadn’t read or heard it yet.] But once the commandment, “Do not desire what is not yours”, came, sin rose up, and I died. 10 And I found the commandment [given] for life instead to be [used] for death. 11For sin, taking the opportunity, through the commandment, fooled me and, through that, killed me.
[In Genesis 2:17, Adam and Eve were given a single commandment, “Don’t eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, which was given for their protection. But sin, in the form of the serpent, fooled Eve and Adam, twisting what was intended for good to bring about evil, and thus led to the spiritual and eventually physical death of Adam and Eve. In the same way, our mind with its sin nature intact, takes every command given to protect us, and twists it, believing we are being denied something good, and we are fooled into sin. We know this is true by observing “innocent” children who work hard at a very young age to get around their parent’s protective rules.]
12 Even though the Law is holy and the commandment is holy and righteous and good, 13 [are we saying,] did something that was good [when God created it] cause me to die? No! Instead, this just reveals the evilness of sin, that it could take the commandment, which was good, and cause it to bring about death.
14 We know that the Law is of the Spirit but[, prior to my inviting Jesus into the center of my life,] I am a fleshly man, bound to sin[, as though I were sold as a slave to a master]. 15 [Prior to receiving God’s gift of redemption through Jesus,] I don’t understand why I don’t do the [good] things I intend to do, and I do the [bad] things I don’t want to do. 16 Since I don’t want to do these things I do, that means I agree the Law [or commandment] is good. [If I were truly evil through and through, I would reject the Law.] 17 Therefore, it can’t really be me doing these things[, since I don’t want to do them], it is sin that lives in me [which takes over and leads me to evil].
18 For I know [also] that nothing good lives in me [that is, until I invite Jesus into my heart], because I have the desire to do good but not the ability to perform what is good. 19 I don’t do the good things I want to do, but instead I do the evil things I don’t want to do. 20 Now, since I don’t want to do the things I do, it’s not me that does it, but sin that lives in me.
21 [Until I give my life to Jesus,] I find this law – when I want to do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I am pleased by God’s law in my inner self [my mind]. 23 But I see a different law in the rest of me, warring against the law of [God in] my mind and taking me captive to the law of sin in the rest of me. 24 What a miserable man I am! Who will rescue me from the body of death? 25 Thanks to God through Jesus, the Anointed One, our Lord [that he has provided the way]! [I can sum up the battle this way - until I give my life to the Anointed One,] I serve the law of God with my mind, but my flesh [still serves] the law of sin.
Discussion questions
1. Orthodox Jews are truly married to the Law. In Jesus’ time, this especially would have been the case for a Pharisee. What do you think Paul actually experienced when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus? Do you think it was like dying and starting a new life? Was he married to the Law, and now married to Jesus? How about you – were you married to human effort? Are you still? [vs 1-6]
2. Do young children improve in behavior when instructed what to do or not do (i.e., “when they are given the law”)? Does their behavior get better or worse? How much do children learn to control themselves through guilt and shame? Do you agree with Paul that humans want to and believe they can do better to “do the right thing” but there is a war on the inside that we generally don’t and can’t win on our own? [vs 7-25]
Romans Chapter 8
We can be righteous only by following the Spirit
1 [Even though there is such a great internal conflict for those who tried to follow the Law or their own will,] there is no longer any judgment of guilt for those in the Anointed One, Jesus, 2 because the law of the Spirit of Life in the Anointed One Jesus releases me from the law of sin and death. [When we make Jesus our Lord, we are married to him and become part of him, and the power of his life replaces the power sin and death formerly had over us.] 3 For what the Law could not do since it was made ineffective by our flesh, God himself did. He gave his own son a body with fleshly human nature [so that he would be subject to temptation just like all men], and sin itself was overturned [when he did not give into it]. [He represented all of us, and we confirm this and receive this overturning of sin for ourselves, when we choose to follow him as our Lord. We then live in him and he lives in us. Sin no longer can dominate us.]
4 In this way, the righteousness [required by] the Law was fulfilled in us, [because] we are the ones who don’t walk according to our fleshly human nature but instead walk according to the Spirit. [When we chose to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit came inside of us and gave our heart and spirit new life. We were released from the penalty of sin, including the unrepented sin of our ancestors. As a result we are now free of guilt in God's eyes. The Spirit shows us how to live, and we can choose to follow the leading of the Spirit rather than following our old nature.] 5 For those who focus on the things of their fleshly human nature will follow their flesh, and [those who focus on the things] of the Spirit will follow the Spirit. 6 For being focused on the fleshly human nature [is] death and being focused on the Spirit [is] life and peace.
7 Because the fleshly mind is opposed to God [that is, it wants what it wants rather than trusting God], it is not obedient to God’s Law, nor can it ever be. 8 In fact, those who are in the flesh[, focusing on what our human nature desires,] cannot please God. 9 But you [believers who are reading or hearing this] are not [focused] in the flesh but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of the Anointed One, then he [has not chosen Jesus as Lord and] does not belong to Him.
[There is an extremely close relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit. From the time of Jesus’ baptism on, he lived as the Anointed One, the one who was filled and directed by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to connect us to all the fullness of God just like Jesus. As soon as someone decides to give their life to Jesus, the Spirit of God comes in and renews the heart and spirit of the believer and then resides in the believer to guide and empower. Therefore, if someone does not act as though guided by the Spirit, we may question if they have ever truly given their life to Jesus.]
10 Yet if the Anointed One is in you, [though] the body is dead through sin [since Adam’s sin brought death to all men], the Spirit is life [in you] through [the] righteousness [of Jesus who lived sinless and gave us his righteousness when we trusted him to stand in for us]. 11 In fact, since the Spirit of Him that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, [you can trust that] the one that raised the Anointed One from the dead will also bring life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you. [This life includes the ability to hear God and follow his way of life as well as to overcome the power of sickness and death.]
12 Therefore, brothers, we don’t owe it to our bodies to do what our bodies want, especially since if you live according to your body’s inclinations you will die. 13 But, if through the Spirit, you put to death the works of the body, you shall live. [If we are unrestrained and do what our bodies want then it kills our soul, but if instead we die to doing what we want, then our soul becomes more alive.]
The promise of future glory helps us past present suffering
14 For whichever ones among us who live following the Spirit are sons of God. For the Spirit we have received does not make us slaves again to fear [like Adam after he followed his flesh]. 15 But instead, the Spirit we have received makes us into adopted sons, so we cry out, “Daddy”, to our Father [turning towards him rather than running away in fear]. 16 The [Holy] Spirit brings a witness to our own spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if we are children, we are heirs – who will receive an inheritance from God, right along with the Anointed One. [Our inheritance includes God's declaration of our innocence, our right to be treated as God’s child, our inclusion in the family of believers, the ability to hear and to follow God, life forever with God, and the resurrection of our body. Our destiny, even during this life on earth, is to be the sons of God and walk in that sonship just like Jesus.]
If we are willing to suffer along with him[, denying ourselves what our flesh desires,] then we will also be glorified along with him. 18 [In fact,] I have figured out that whatever we suffer [, all the trials of this life, no matter how painful,] during this present time [on the earth] is a small price compared to the future glory yet to be revealed in us.
[This glory is progressive in its revelation. We get to share some of the glory in this life as we allow Jesus to work his works through us, which is also how we demonstrate we are God’s sons. But Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:2) – the glory of returning to his Father and heavenly home, but also the glory of so many followers joining him both in heaven and his future kingdom at the time of his return to the earth. Then, after his earthly kingdom will be the full and complete glory shown in us who follow him, and the earth itself will be replaced by a new earth greater than the garden of Eden. All of creation is waiting for the glory of that restoration and the end of the suffering of this present earth.]
All of creation waiting to be released
19 [In fact], all of creation is watching with eager expectancy for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For all that was created was subjected to a common sentence of decay and frustration, not through its own decision but because of God’s decision. [This was God’s judgment in response to Adam and Eve’s sin (Genesis 3:17). Not only all humans would be under this curse but all of creation.] [God allowed this,] 21 anticipating when creation itself would be set free from its slavery to corruption [and come] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 For we know that the entire creation groans and suffers together [like a woman giving birth] right up to the present time. 23 [In fact,] not only creation but we also groan within ourselves. Even though we have received the Spirit as the down payment, we are waiting for [the final act of] our adoption, when our bodies are set free [and God gives us a resurrection body].
24 For it was through expectant hope that we were saved, but our hope included what we have not yet seen, or else it wouldn’t be hope. [Our initial faith allowed us to believe in Jesus as our savior, and we have received many things that we now see as a result of that initial faith. We were born again, received a new heart, the Spirit came within us, we were set free from guilt, and we received guidance and courage from the Holy Spirit. But our expectancy from our salvation includes much that we have yet to see, including our life in eternity and the resurrection of our body.] 25 If what we are hoping for we have not yet seen, we are waiting for it with patient expectancy.
26 [I have already expressed how both the creation and our own selves are expectantly waiting and groaning in the pains of childbirth.] Likewise, the Spirit also helps us through our weakness, for we don’t even know what we should pray for, but the Spirit intercedes on our behalf with groanings deeper than words. For the one who searches all hearts, also knows the thoughts of the Spirit, and intercedes for the saints [believers] exactly in accordance with God’s will. [God inside us will pray the perfect prayer that moves God and expresses our heart and need.]
Nothing can keep us from God’s love and purpose
28 In fact, we know that for those who love God, those who are called [by God] to carry out his purpose, all things work together for good. [This does not mean as often supposed that life is supposed to be easy when we are following God – just the opposite is true. As we call out to God, and the Spirit shows us how to pray, God will work everything out to accomplish his purpose through us. Even the difficulties of this life God will use to grow us up in him and to help others. For God has a plan to perfect each who respond to his call.]
29 For he determined in advance that they [the ones who have chosen to follow Jesus] would become just like his son, so that he [Jesus] would be the firstborn of many brothers. 30 These for whom he planned such a great destiny, he also called [to be used in his plan for saving the many who would follow them]. And those he called, he also declared righteous [so that they would no longer be held back by guilt and fear] and brought them to glory. [Just like for his son Jesus (John 17:1-5), the process of becoming glorified includes the willing submission of this life on earth for his sake in exchange for receiving a crown of glory in our eternal life as well as a resurrection body.]
31 What can we say about all this? If God has a plan to benefit us, who can stop it? 32 Since he [God] did not withhold his own son but gave him up for our sake, how can he not give us all things? [He gives us first reconciliation, then sonship, a calling to carry out his plan, innocence before God, eternal life, and the glory of a crown and a resurrection body.]
33 [The enemy, Satan, will attempt to bring all kinds of opposition against you, both in your thoughts and through people he manipulates to oppose you.] Who can bring an accusation against those God has chosen, since it is God [the judge] himself who has already declared them innocent! 34 Who can condemn us? For it is the Anointed One who died, and even better, who is risen again, and who is at the right hand [the favored position of power] of God, who is our defense attorney! [In the courts of heaven, your victory is assured.]
35 Who [or what] can separate us from the love of the Anointed One? [Can] trouble? Or hardship? Or persecution? Or famine? Or poverty? Or anger? Or violence? 36 As the scripture says [Psalms 44:22], “We are in danger of death every day, counted as sheep already set aside for slaughter.” [For the sake of the Good News of Jesus, we are marked by the enemies of the Anointed One as those who should be destroyed, and we are willing just as he was willing to give our lives for the sake of sharing the good news.]
37 In fact, in all of these [challenges], we are more than conquerors, through him who loved us. [He inspired us by how he lived through challenges, and he strengthens us for our own challenges.] 38 I am convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God [he has provided us] in the Anointed One, Jesus, our Lord. Death can’t [because we will be with him when our life on the earth is over]. Life can’t [because he is with us through every difficulty]. Angels can’t [because even those that rebelled and turned to darkness are no match for the power of God]. [Demonic and earthly] princes can’t [because whatever their rule over people on the earth, we who follow God are ruled and protected by God]. The present state of affairs can’t [because God works all things together for our good]. The future can’t [because God has a plan to prosper us and not to harm us]. Powers [astrological influences such as the planets and stars] can’t. 39 The heights or depths [highest or lowest points of objects on astrological charts] can’t. Anything else that was created can’t [for something created by God can’t be more influential than God himself]. [Every period of human history could describe forces people believed were arrayed against human success – gods, demons, astrological influences. Or human nature, genetic inheritance, disease, and environment. But though these are influential forces, none of these can stop God’s plan for an individual or for God’s people.]
Discussion questions
1. The Old Testament teaches us about how the Mosaic Law (“the law of sin and death”) works, but how might you sum it up? How would you also sum up how the “law of the Spirit of Life in the Anointed One Jesus” works? What are the advantages of the second one versus the first? How do you get under the second one and out from under the first? [vs 1-6]
2. If your “old man” died, why do we still have flesh that is attracted to sin? Why is a “born again” person able to not satisfy his flesh? What’s different? What’s the advantage of becoming a child of God. [vs 7-14]
3. What kind of suffering do we go through when we follow the Spirit rather than following our flesh? What do you imagine the “glory” will be like of our eternal life that makes it so much worth the suffering in our earth life? [vs 15-18]
4. Why would God allow all of creation to go through decay and death and sin? Who are the “sons of God” and when and in what way will they be revealed? What is the Spirit interceding for “with groanings too deep for words”? [vs 19-27]
5. Does God have a plan for each one of us who have chosen to follow him? When bad things happen to us, what is God’s response? What are some of the things that might try to interfere with God’s plan? Is there anything that can stop us from fulfilling God’s plan for us? [vs 28-39]
Romans Chapter 9
Paul’s grief over Jews' reluctance to accept the Anointed One
[I have shown you that it was God’s plan to rescue all of mankind from a fruitless pursuit of God by their own efforts and through following law, which made clear what was sin but did not have the power to bring freedom from sin. And this rescue was through the life of Jesus and his paying the penalty for our sin in our place, and for us who received his sacrifice, we were declared innocent and given an inheritance as sons as well as rewarded with eternal life and a future resurrection. Amazingly enough, it is the non-Jews who have received the benefits even though they had no spiritual benefits or history, just because they were open to receiving the Good News about Jesus which, when they believed in Him, they were freed from their sins. But the Jewish people, from whom came our Savior, have not understood God’s plan and have therefore up until now not received for themselves the salvation that came into the world through them.]
1 [You may think I care only for the non-Jews who have received my ministry and not the Jews who are my countrymen, but] the truth is – and this is not a lie [since I tell you this as one who is] in the Anointed One and through [the witness of] my conscience in the Holy Spirit – 2 that I have great sorrow and uninterrupted grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed [and separated] from the Anointed One for the sake of my brothers, my family according to the flesh [if they could only have their eyes opened and be reconciled with the one who is their savior].
4 They are the Israelites, who were given adoption as God’s [special chosen] people and have the [experience of] the glory [God’s manifest presence among them], and the covenants [God made with the patriarchs], and the giving of the Law, and the ministry of worship [in the Temple services], and the promises [given them by God and recorded in the scriptures], 5 and to whom belong the patriarchs [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]. And it was through their bloodline that the Anointed One came, who is the one who is above all. May God be praised forever, amen!
God’s sovereignty to appoint whom he will
6 It is not as though the word of God was of no effect [or that God did not keep his promises]. For not all who are [descended] from Israel are [truly] Israel. 7 Not all of Abraham’s descendants are the children [that God promised as his heirs], since “It is through Isaac that your descendants shall be counted [and considered heirs]” [Genesis 21:12]. 8 For it is not the children of the flesh but rather the children who fulfilled the promise that are the descendants [spoken of by God]. 9 For this was the words of the promise, “At the appointed time, I [God] will come back, and Sarah will have [given birth to] a son.” [And it was this son, Isaac, who was born of Sarah, who fulfilled the promise, not Ishmael, who was also a child of Abraham. God in fact blessed Ishmael and his descendants, as described in Genesis 17:20, but he chose Isaac to demonstrate his covenant.]
10 Another example [of how God sovereignly carried out his promise] is when Rebekah conceived [twin sons] through the patriarch, Isaac. 11 Before the children were born and had done any good or evil, God had already decided how to carry out his purpose, so that it would be based on his call, not man’s works, 12 when he said [Genesis 25:23] to Rebekah, “The elder will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written [Malachi 1:2-3], “I love Jacob, but I hated Esau.
[It would happen that Esau would not value his father’s blessing and Jacob would, and so God disapproved of one and approved of the other. God’s call may not seem fair to us, since Jacob gained his father’s blessing because of God’s favor and his mother’s conniving, not because he earned it. However, God foreknew which of the two, Jacob or Esau, would value the blessing. Regardless, it was God’s call of Jacob rather than Jacob’s talent or legal right which determined that Jacob would receive his father’s blessing and fulfill the promise God made to Abraham.]
God is not unjust
14 What shall we say, then? Is God unjust? No way! 15 For, as another example, he said to Moses [Exodus 33:19], “I will be kind to whomever I choose. I will take pity on whomever I want.” 16 So then, it’s not about man’s desire or effort but it’s up to God, the merciful [one]. 17 Likewise, the scripture records [God saying] to Pharaoh [Exodus 9:16], “This was my purpose in raising you up, that I might demonstrate my power in you, so my name would be declared throughout the world.” [God gave Pharaoh power so that God’s much greater power would be on display.] 18 So then, God is merciful to whomever he desires and he [even] hardens someone if he desires to.
19 You might say to me, “Then how can God find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 [But I say,] “Who are you to answer God? Shall the created thing say to the creator, ‘Why have you made me this way?’” 21 For doesn’t the potter have control over the clay? From one lump of clay, he can make two vessels – one for an honorable use [for example to hold valuables] and the other for a dishonorable use [for example a chamber pot].
22 Even if God wanted to show his anger and demonstrate his power, [we should understand] he patiently put up with the vessels of his anger which[, through their sinful lives and hardness of heart,] made themselves fit for destruction. 23 And at the same time He wanted to demonstrate the riches of his glory on [those who were] the vessels of his mercy, which he had already destined for glory [Romans 8:30].
[So, for instance, he had designated Moses as an honorable vessel, and had a plan to bring him to glory. However, Moses could have resisted God, and in some ways did, but God was patient with Moses. Pharaoh was born into a position of power as God intended. It was already God’s choice that this Pharaoh would be the one whom God would use to demonstrate his power and free his people. In this sense, he was chosen as a vessel of dishonor. However, this does not mean that Moses and Pharaoh had no choice, only that their lives had a pre-determined destiny. All of us have a degree of pre-determined purpose, but we also have a measure of freedom to choose. Galatians 5:13 tells us we have freedom to choose. If we had no freedom, God would not review our life and give us either reward or punishment.
God still has a plan to bring the Jews into his fold
24 We [who follow Jesus] are those he called, not only from among the Jews, but also the non-Jews. 25 Just as in Hosea [Hosea 2:23] he said, “I will call [the one named] “Not My People” [with the new name] “My People”, and the one [named] “Not Loved” [with the name] “Beloved”. 26 And in the very place where they were told [Hosea 1:10], “You are not my people”, they will be called, “The children of the Living God”. [Hosea had been instructed to name his children, “Not My People” and “Not Loved” to represent God’s people who had fallen away but renamed them to show his mercy and their ultimate destiny.]
27 Isaiah also declared about Israel [Isaiah 10:22-23], “Though the numbers of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, [only] a remnant will be saved, 28 for the Lord will finish his work [of judgment] on the earth speedily.” 29 And as Isaiah had said earlier [Isaiah 1:9], “Unless the Lord of the angel armies had left us a seed [of survivors], we would have been made just like Sodom and Gomorrah [Genesis 19:24-25][, completely destroyed]. [Over and over, the Jewish people received favor, but over and over they acted more like Pharaoh than Moses and followed their own way rather than God’s. Each time, he sent punishment, and only a remnant survived. Would the Jews claim that God did not fulfill his promise to that portion of his chosen people who died? That would be a misunderstanding of his covenant through Abraham. God promised to protect his people if and only if they would follow him.]
30 What then shall we say [to sum all of this up]? The non-Jews, who weren’t pursuing right standing with God, yet attained it through faith. 31 But Israel, who was pursuing righteousness through following the Law, did not find it through the Law. 32 Why? Because they [Israel] did not pursue it through faith but by works. [For the same reason,] they stumbled over the “stumbling stone”, 33 just as it is written [Isaiah 8:14, 28:16], “See, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone, a rock of offense, and whoever believes in him shall not be ashamed.” [Faith in Jesus was the way to righteousness and relatively easy for the non-Jews. However, for Israel, faith in a man rather than the Law seemed wrong to them, so they stumbled and were offended and therefore had a harder time finding faith.]
Discussion questions
1. Why is it so painful to Paul that the Jewish people resisted following Jesus? Have you ever felt that way concerning family or friends who resisted the Good News? [vs 1-5]
2. Do you believe it is true that God pre-selects some to specific purposes? Do you think it is fair that God chose Jacob over Esau, or that he hardened Pharaoh’s heart? Do you believe that some are destined for glory and some for destruction? What is your destiny?[vs 6-23]
3. Is Paul saying that God had a purpose in the Jews being hard-hearted towards him? Then, is it their fault or responsibility? [vs 24-33]
Romans Chapter 10
Pursuing the Law has kept Israel from following Jesus
1 Brothers, it is my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for Israel that they might be saved. 2 I can testify that they fiercely pursue God. However, it’s not because they know him. 3 In fact, they aren’t acquainted with the way God makes people right with him. They try to establish their own right standing [as they try to follow the Law], but they have not surrendered themselves to God’s way of righteousness [by trusting the Anointed One, Jesus, whom God sent].
4 For [following] the Anointed One fulfills the Law for everyone who trusts him. [Trusting Jesus fulfills everything that the Law intended and therefore replaces the Law for believers. When we accept Jesus as lord and savior, we are immediately declared righteous in God’s eyes. God begins to live in and through us, and we are guided by the Holy Spirit, which helps us to live righteously. Jews don’t want to give up the Law as their vehicle of righteousness because they are the ones who uniquely received it and they want to get credit for their efforts in observing it. If righteousness comes only through believing in Jesus, no one gets to boast.]
5 Moses describes right standing [with God] through [following] the Law [requires complete obedience] - “Whoever obeys these commands shall live by them.” [Leviticus 18:4-5] [That is, they can’t simply have the Law or state the Law, they must follow the Law. The Jewish people were perhaps good at observing the sacrificial system and keeping the ceremonial days and traditions at some level, but over and over God told them their hearts were far from him and that they had not kept his Law (Isaiah 42:24). While the people “knew” the Law, they did not keep it!]
6 But the right standing that comes through faith is expressed like this [also from Moses, in Deuteronomy 30:11-14], “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven to bring down the Anointed One to us? 7 Nor descend into the depths to bring the Anointed One from among the dead.’” 8 But it says, “Instead, the word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart!”
[This is a powerful concept. In the Deuteronomy passage, Moses says it is “the word” that is near to them. Yet even that near, they could not follow it. Paul replaces “the word” in the Deuteronomy passage with “the Anointed One” to make several points: 1) No one went any place to find the Anointed One. He came to us. 2) Jesus, the Anointed One, was also called “the Word” because his life was God’s very expression (John 1:1-2) 3) It required a person, the Anointed One, to live and die in our place for us, for us to ever fulfill the Law, and 4) We still individually need to speak a “word” – the word that is “near us” - a word of confessing by faith what the Anointed One has done for us, and this is a stumbling block for many, especially the Jews.]
Salvation is as easy as believing and confessing
That word [Moses is referring to] is this expression of faith that [sums up what] we have been declaring to you, 9 “If you confess with your mouth [the truth that] Jesus is Lord[, therefore promising you will follow and obey him], and you believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved [from an eternity apart from God].” [This was apparently a saying that Paul often preached. We need to believe and speak out loud our agreement with the truth that Jesus was sent by God for us and that he is our leader and guide whom we have decided to follow and obey. And we need to believe that God raised him from the dead because that means Jesus is alive now, so that we are following a living king. To be raised from death is also our destiny as believers.] 10 Believing in our heart gives us right standing with God and confessing with our mouth brings us salvation [from God’s judgment].
11 For the scripture [Isaiah 28:16] says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 12 There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek [non-Jew], for the same Lord is over all and gives abundantly to everyone who calls to him. 13 [As Joel 2:32 says,] “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Israel has heard but not believed
[God has apparently made it very easy to be saved, and yet so many, especially of the Jews, are not able to give up their claim of righteousness through the Law to receive God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus.] 14 But how can they call on the one [Jesus] whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe if they have not heard [the Good News about him]? And how can they hear without someone proclaiming [the word]? 15 And how will anyone go out proclaiming unless they are sent [by God]? As it is written [Isaiah 52:7], “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News!” [While all people need the Good News proclaimed to them, especially the Jewish people need to hear the Good News about Jesus.]
16 But not everyone [who hears the proclamation] has responded to the Good News. As Isaiah said, “Lord, who has believed our report?” [Isaiah 53:1]. 17 For belief [results] from hearing [the Good News], and hearing [with understanding requires] revelation from God.
18 But I ask, haven’t they [the Jewish people] already heard [the word preached]? Of course they have! [As the scripture Psalms 19:4 says,] “The sound of their voice went into all the earth. And their message went to the farthest reaches of the world”. [The prophets spoke about God throughout the history of the Jewish people. And the psalm is saying that the beauty and complexity of God’s creation as seen in the sky should convince everyone that there is a God who is the architect of such beauty, which is the same thing Paul himself says in Romans 1:19-20.]
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19 Again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? [Of course they did, but they refused to believe.] Moses was the first to say, “I will provoke you to jealousy by [those who are] no people. [They have no well-defined culture and religion.] I will make you angry by a nation of fools” [Deuteronomy 32:21]. 20 Isaiah is even bolder when he says [Isaiah 65:1-3], “I was found by those who didn’t even seek me. I was shown to those who didn’t even pursue me.” 21 But to Israel, he says, “All day I have stretched out my hand to those who disobeyed and rejected me.” [The Jewish people have heard over and over about God, and yet refuse to submit to him. Yet the non-Jews who have heard much less of the Good News and were not even trying to follow the Law have often responded to the Good News as soon as they heard it.]
Discussion questions
1. How would you say that pursuit of the Law has hampered the Jewish people from hearing the Good News about Jesus? [vs 1-8]
2. Why do you think that “confessing with your mouth” is an important part of becoming saved?
3. Based on the scriptures Paul cites, is God surprised that the Jewish people have not easily responded to the truth of God’s love for them or the Good News about following Jesus being the path to right standing in place of the Law?
Romans Chapter 11
God always preserves a remnant of the faithful among his people
1 I ask, then, [since God’s chosen people the Jews know about him yet have rejected him,] has God rejected his people? Never! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin[, and he pursued me rather than rejected me even though I persecuted those who followed him]. 2 God has not rejected his people, whom he knew in advance [both their waywardness and their restoration] [Psalms 94:14]. Do you not remember how, with Elijah, the scripture [1 Kings 19:10,14] says he appealed to God? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars, and I am the only one left. And they are seeking my life too!” 4 But how does God answer him [1 Kings 19:18]? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed to the image of Baal.”
5 It’s the same way now. There is a remnant of faithful ones, chosen by God’s grace [unearned but purposeful favor]. [It’s grace to those who are chosen but also to the world who will be blessed through them.] 6 And if it is by grace, it can’t be [that it was accomplished] by their works, or else grace is not really grace.
7 What are we saying then? That Israel [as a people group] did not obtain what they were seeking [through their own effort], but some who actually became “the chosen” [by grace] did obtain it, while the others remained hardened. 8 This is just as it was written [Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 29:10], “God has given them the spirit of slumber, so that their eyes will not see and their ears will not hear, until this day”.
9 And David says [Psalms 69:22-23], “Let them be caught and trapped at their dining table, and stumble and fall, as just payment [for their unfaithfulness to God]. 10 May their eyes continue to be darkened so they cannot see and their backs always be bent [with troubles]”.
11 I ask then, “When the Jewish people stumbled, did they fall to their complete ruin? [Was it God’s intention that they fall and never be restored? No, God allowed his people to pay a price for disobedience but always had in mind their restoration – see Jeremiah 30:3.] Of course not! Instead, [God used their fall] so that salvation could come to the non-Jewish people, which would [also] provoke the Jewish people to jealousy. [The primary way that the Good News spread to the non-Jews was that, as Paul and the other apostles brought the Word wherever they went, when most of the Jews rejected it, Paul preached to the non-Jews, who received the word with joy.]
God’s plan is not complete until the Jews come to faith in Jesus
12 If the sin of the Jews [by killing Jesus has led to] riches for all the world [since Jesus took the penalty for our sins] and the failure [of the Jews to achieve right standing with God has led to] riches for the [non-Jewish] peoples [who received the message of Good News instead of them], then how much more [will we all be blessed] by their fulness [when the Jewish people receive their Anointed One and the forgiveness of sins and right standing with God that comes through Him].
13 I am speaking to you [non-Jewish] peoples, since as long as I am the apostle [appointed and sent] to the [non-Jewish] peoples, I will take full advantage of my assignment, 14 hoping I may stimulate through jealousy my own people [the Jews] to imitate me [in following Jesus] and thus save some of them. [Though my primary job is to reach the non-Jews, I am hoping this may help me to reach my own people as well.]
15 For if the rejection [of the Good News] by the Jewish people [causes] the world to be reconciled [to God by hearing and responding to the Good News about Jesus], then what will the acceptance of the Jewish people mean [when they turn to the Anointed One]? [It will be as amazing as] life from the dead!
Comparison to the grafting of trees
16 For if the first fruits are holy, then the whole loaf [is] also. [The Jews are like the first fruit offering of grain described in Numbers 15:19-21 required to bless the entire harvest.] If the root [the Jewish people are like the root of the tree representing all humans who would follow God] be holy, then the branches [all the other people groups are] also. 17 And if some of the branches are broken off [since some of the Jews have not chosen God’s way of coming to right standing], and you [a branch from] a wild olive tree were grafted in among them, as a result you now share what comes from the root, the richness of the olive tree. [You non-Jewish believers have received what has been produced from the spiritual life of the Jewish people – the worship, the theology, but most of all, the Anointed One.]
18 But don’t [you non-Jewish believers] think yourselves superior to the branches who were broken off [the Jews who did not come to a saving knowledge of the Anointed One]. How can you be proud? You are not the root, but the root supports you. 19 [But you might say,] “Weren’t they broken off so that I might be grafted in? [In tree grafting, which was done to combine characteristics of two trees, branches of the one tree are broken off so that the other tree’s branches can be grafted in the same locations.] 20 [But remember,] the old branches were broken off because of unbelief, and you are standing [blessed] as you are because of belief. So don’t think highly of yourselves. Rather be afraid, 21 for if God did not preserve the natural branches [due to their unbelief], why would he then preserve you [if you don't nurture your belief in the savior Jesus]?
[God allowed Israel to remain dull in their ability to understand because of their earlier rejection of him. He has been using this time where the Jews have not turned to the Anointed One, who came from among them, in order to attract all the non-Jews. But the time is coming when he will take the next step in this divine drama and use the belief and blessing of the non-Jews to draw the Jews back to him.]
22 See then, both the kindness and severity of God – severity toward those who fell, but kindness towards you – that is, if you continue in his kindness [and don’t think that salvation is automatically yours without giving your life to him]. Otherwise, [you too may experience] being broken off [as unbelievers]. 23 And they [the unbelieving Jews], if they don’t remain unbelievers, will then be grafted in, for God is certainly able to graft them in again. 24 For you [non Jewish believers], contrary to your nature as a wild olive tree, were grafted into a good olive tree. How much more [easily] shall natural olive branches be grafted into their own tree? 25 I don’t want you to remain ignorant of this mystery, thinking yourself wise [because you’ve obtained salvation and many of the Jews have not]. This hardness of Israel [towards the Good News] is temporary until the full complement of [non-Jewish] peoples has come in [to the kingdom by believing].
God has an amazing plan for bringing Israel to salvation
26 And this [which I have just described to you] is [exactly] how all Israel will be saved. As it is written [Isaiah 59:20-21], “The Redeemer shall come out of Zion and turn away all ungodliness from Jacob [Israel]. 27 For this is my covenant with them – that I will remove their sins.” [Paul is actually adjusting the understanding of Isaiah’s prophecy. For in Isaiah, the redeemer comes to Zion to those who turn away from sin, but Paul is saying that the Redeemer is actually greater than that, for he not only came to Israel, but from there redeemed the whole world. And the covenant with the Jewish people is greater too, for the Redeemer did not only come to those who turned away from sin but he came to remove all of their sin when they turn to him.]
28 So, [the Jewish people are] enemies of the Good News for the sake of you [non-Jewish peoples who now believe], but concerning [God’s] choice, [the Jewish people are] loved because of the patriarchs. [God made a covenant with Abraham and renewed it with Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and even though for 3,500 years the Jewish people have not returned to God in faith, yet God still has plans to fully restore them.] 29 For God never takes back his gifts and calling [, so you can believe the times are coming when the Jews will turn back to him]. 30 For there was once a time when you did not yet believe yet now you have gained God’s mercy through the unbelief of the Jews. 31 Likewise, now those [of the Jewish people] who haven’t believed shall receive mercy [as you reach out to share with them the Good News that you have received]. 32 For God has subjected all to unbelief, so that he might have mercy on all.
33 How deeply rich are the wisdom and knowledge of God! “Who can explain his decisions and who understands his ways? 34 For who knows [all of the] mind of God? Who has been his advisor?” [Isaiah 40:13-14]. 35 “Who has ever given God anything, so that God had to pay him back?” [Job 41:11]. 36 For all things are from him, through him, and in him! To him be the glory! Amen!
Discussion questions
1. Now, two thousand years after Paul wrote this, what would you say is the state of the Jewish people towards belief in Jesus? Do you have any reason to believe this will change? What might be the part that non-Jewish believers will play in bring the Jews to faith? [vs 1-11]
2. In what ways is Christian belief rooted in the beliefs of the Jews? Do you or Christians you know take your right to salvation for granted? [vs 12-25]
3. Do you believe that God will truly use non-Jewish Christians to bring the Jewish people to belief in Jesus? What would help Jewish people come to belief in a Jewish savior? [vs 26-36]
Romans Chapter 12
Live renewed and transformed
[God has done so much for all who are willing to receive the benefits of following Jesus, so that we owe it to him to further allow ourselves to be transformed from the inside out to become worthy of the way he has treated us.] 1 I encourage you therefore, brothers, because of [all] the mercies of God [for both Jews and non-Jews], that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice [laying down your own desires but living for Him], set apart for his purposes and aimed at pleasing God. This is how we ought to worship [under the New Covenant].
[Under the Old Covenant, as part of our worship, we offered animals to have our sins covered, but under the New Covenant, Jesus was the sin offering, and we complete the covenant by receiving the gift of his offering. Animal sacrifices were presented alive and had to be without blemish or defect. Paul is telling us to treat ourselves just as we would an animal sacrifice. We are without blemish only because Jesus took our blemishes on himself before the cross, and by exchange he gave us his purity and righteousness.]
2 And don’t conform to the ways of this world, but be transformed through renovating your mind, that you will therefore show off what is good and pleasing and lacking nothing [in God’s eyes]. [When we choose to follow him, God restores our innocence and treats us as he would his perfect son, and the response he expects is for us to allow him to transform us until we completely conform to him.]
Use your gifts fully and with faith
3 And I say to everyone among you, by the gifting [of fatherly wisdom] God has given me, don’t overestimate yourself, but be more sensible in your self-appraisal, since God has distributed a degree of faith to every man. [When you became a follower of Jesus and were filled with the Holy Spirit, he gave you spiritual gifts, but he didn’t give you every gift to the same degree.] 4 For in one body [of believers] we have many members, and not all members have the same function. 5 So even though we are many, we are one body in the Anointed One, and each one members of one another. [We are not made to function independently.]
6 We [each one of us] have differing gifts given by God. [It’s not that each person has only one gift. But whatever gifts you have, be generous and expectant in their use.] If [you have the gift of] prophecy [inspired communication of what God is saying], then do so with the fullness of faith you have. 7 [Likewise] for those who minister, teach, or preach. 8 Those who have a gift of giving should give with generosity. Those who lead should lead diligently. Those who serve should serve cheerfully.
Live totally unselfishly
[As one truly transformed, do everything for the sake of the Anointed One and those around you.] 9 Love sincerely. Hate evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Love your brothers with devotion and honor. 11 Be eager and not lazy. Serve the Lord with the fire of the Spirit. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient through trial, persevering in prayer. 13 Share with those in need within the community, be hospitable to strangers. 14 Bless those who persecute you – bless instead of cursing them! 15 Celebrate with those who are celebrating. Mourn with those who mourn. 16 Treat all the same, and do not look down on anyone. Don’t think yourself wise.
17 Don’t repay evil with evil. Do what is right in the sight of all. 18 To the extent possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not pay back evil but leave it to [God’s] vengeance. For the scripture [Deuteronomy 32:35] says, “‘I will take vengeance. I will repay’, says the Lord.” [Let God fight your battles for you.]
20 Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. Or if thirsty, give him a drink. “For by so doing, you will pile up coals of fire on his head” [Proverbs 25:22]. [Treat an enemy kindly so as to lead him to repentance.] 21 Do not let evil conquer you but conquer evil with good.
Discussion questions
1. How can we be both “living” and a “sacrifice”? Jesus had told his hearers to repent (“change the direction of their mind”). What do you think Paul had in mind when he told to renovate or renew our minds? How do we do it? [vs 1-2]
2. Do you think you underestimate or overestimate your gifts? What gifts do you believe you have? Do you use them with your full measure of faith? Do you use them in your church? If not, what do you think is needed for you to do so? [vs 3-8]
3. How would you rate yourself in each of the areas Paul describes that represent living unselfishly? Are you willing to ask God to help you in each of these areas? [vs 9-21]
Romans Chapter 13
Living as good citizens
[And don’t treat the authorities where you live as though they are enemies, even if they are idolaters and stand against your beliefs.] 1 Let every person submit yourselves in obedience to the higher authorities [whether government or religious], for there is no power but what is arranged by God. [In fact,] whatever powers exist, are ordained by God. 2 Whoever opposes the [governmental] authority is opposing what God has arranged and shall [therefore themselves] be judged. 3 For rulers are not a source of fear to those who do good but only those who do evil. If you want to be unafraid of the authorities, then do what is good, and you will be praised by them, 4 for they are God’s servants for your benefit. But if you do evil, then you should fear the authorities, for they bear the sword for a good reason, for as God’s servants, they brings punishment to those who do evil.
5 But you should be obedient not just for fear of punishment, but because of conscience [since you know what is right]. 6 You pay taxes for this purpose [enforcement of the law], because the authorities have to continually pay attention to this very thing [keeping the law]. 7 [In fact, you should] pay whatever things you owe - taxes to the government, sales or custom’s tax [for your goods], respect for those in authority, honoring each one for its specific purpose.
Love and live in the Anointed One
8 [Therefore,] have no debts at all, except to love one another, for in loving each other, you [automatically] fulfill the Law. [To think of yourself as indebted is to live under the Law again.] 9 For the commandments – “Do not commit adultery”, “Do not murder”, “Do not steal”, “Do not desire what belongs to someone else”, or any other commandments – are summed up in this expression, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. 10 Loving your neighbor never causes harm. [Since the purpose of the Law is to stop harm or compensate for harm already caused,] love fulfills the Law.
11 Know the time [we are living in], for it’s the hour we should be fully awake, since we are so much nearer to the time of our rescue [by the return of our Lord Jesus] than when we first believed [in Him]. 12 The night is nearly over, and the day is coming soon. Therefore, let us throw off ourselves all works of darkness and put on the armor and weapons of light, 13 properly equipped for the day. Let’s no longer walk in partying and getting drunk, nor sexual immorality or lack of restraint, nor in anger and jealousy. 14 But [everyone] put on the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, [as though you were wearing him as your clothing], and don’t provide [energy and thought] for the flesh and its desires.
Discussion questions
1. According to Paul, are even dictators of oppressive governments ordained by God and worthy of our support? Should we be obedient to laws that are oppressive or are anti-Christian? [vs 1-7]
2. Does your love, even towards those close to you, sometimes seem more like you are trying to follow the Law? How can we flow in love towards others? How do you put on the Lord Jesus? [vs 9-14].
Romans Chapter 14
Don’t look down on others for their principles
[Since we are talking about loving one another, let me address the issue of judging fellow believers for the way they carry out our beliefs.] 1 Be supportive to the one [you see as] “weak in faith” instead of criticizing his beliefs. 2 For one person thinks he can eat anything while another eats only vegetables. [Much of the meat sold in the markets in Biblical times had been offered to idols or was not sufficiently drained of blood. In some believers’ minds, it was wrong to eat such meat. Jewish believers had been brought up to observe the Law, which would have forbidden them to eat what came from a Roman market. These principles are laid out in Exodus 34:15. Others believed that by faith all things were ‘holy” and therefore they felt they could eat anything as long as they gave thanks to God. This entire line of reasoning is also discussed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:19-33.]
3 The one who eats everything should not think less of the one who restricts what he eats, nor should the one who restricts what he eats think less of the one who eats everything. If God has accepted him [then why would you reject him]? 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? [Each believer is a servant of God.] It is his own master who will decide whether he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to lift him up.
5 [Likewise,] one person judges some days to have special importance over others. [Jewish followers of Jesus came from a background of celebrating Sabbaths, new moons, fast days, and feast days, whereas a non-Jewish believer may be unfamiliar with these celebrations and restrictions or have different ones from following pagan religions. Also, Christians came to celebrate Sundays as the Lord’s Day, but Jews kept Friday night to Saturday night as the Sabbath. The background of a believer leads to different assessments of how to regard the days.] But another person in his own mind sees all days as equal. Let each fully pursue what he believes. The one who sees a day as special observes it for the sake of the Lord. 6 Or the one who eats all things give thanks to the Lord, just as the one who restricts what he eats also gives thanks for what he eats to the Lord.
7 For no one lives for himself or dies for himself alone. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, it is to the Lord. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 It was for this the Anointed One died and received life again, that he would be Lord of [both] the dead and the living. [Following the Lord is worth dying for, but if we do die, we still are alive to him and belong to him. If death can’t rob a believer of belonging to God, then certainly the believer’s beliefs and practice with regard to food can’t take away his salvation and should never be the basis for my rejection or belittling.]
10 Therefore, why do you judge your brother [believer] or look down on him, for all of us will stand before the judgment seat of God, 11 [just] as it is written [Isaiah 45:23], “’As I live’, says the Lord, ‘every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to God’ [that he is over all].” 12 So, every one of us must give an account of ourselves before God.
Protect others’ principles over insisting on your own
13 Therefore, let’s never again judge each other. Instead, let us decide to not put a stumbling block in the path of our brother [believer] or anything that might cause him to sin. 14 [For example,] I know and feel an assurance in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but to someone who has concluded something is unclean, to him it is unclean.
[Jesus was not made unclean by what he touched or ate. For instance, when he touched a leper (Matthew 8:1-3) or the woman with the flow of blood (Matthew 9:20-22), by Law he would be made unclean. In actuality, however, he made them clean rather than becoming unclean himself. In Mark 7:1-23, he makes clear that it is not what you eat or your degree of hand washing that make you clean or unclean, but rather your thoughts. Jesus followed the scriptures but did not respect the many traditions required by Jewish leaders to control the people.]
15 If what you eat causes concern to your brother, then you are not walking according to love. Don’t let the food you eat bring harm to someone for whom the Anointed One died. 16 Don’t allow what is good for you to be spoken of as bad [by insisting others follow your way. It’s good for you to follow your own conscience and understanding for how to live, but don’t allow it to cause a problem for the wider community of believers.]
17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink [and whether or not we eat them based on our principles], but right living, peace, and joy, [which we have] in the Holy Spirit. 18 For anyone who serves the Anointed One in these things [that come from the Spirit] is pleasing to God and approved by men. 19 Therefore, let us pursue what [leads to] peace and builds up one another.
20 Don’t destroy God’s work because of food. [For instance, Paul’s work had brought the non-Jews to faith, but if they had to conform to Jewish dietary Law, it may well have destroyed the fabric of the church which brought together Jews and non-Jews.] Even if all foods are pure [according to your own faith], it’s still evil for someone [else] to eat them if he is offended by them [that is if these foods are impure according to his faith]. 21 It’s better for you to not eat meat or drink wine or do anything else which causes your brother [believer] to stumble.
22 If you have faith [that you are not made impure by what you eat and so believe you can eat anything], then you can keep that to yourself [and thus help the conscience of your brother believer]. Every man is happy who avoids self-condemnation by doing only what he believes is right. [Your brother will be happy because he didn’t eat the meat he considered as defiling, and you will be happy because you protected your brother’s conscience.] 23 But if you had any doubt [that it was right to eat the meat] and ate the meat, then you have brought condemnation to yourself, because your actions were not based on faith. Whatever is not of faith is sin!
Discussion questions
1. What are the issues Christians judge each other on in today’s world? Should we care about those issues? For example, do you keep a Sabbath day? Are you offended if others don’t? [vs 1-12]
2. Do you take care to avoid things that might violate a fellow Christian’s conscience? For instance, if you were with a Christian who was a recovering alcoholic, would you avoid drinking alcohol? [vs 13-23]
Romans Chapter 15
Accepting one another as the Anointed One accepted us
1 We who are strong [in faith in our own eyes] ought to bear the concerns of those less strong and not please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor, building him up with what is good. 3 For even the Anointed One didn’t live to satisfy himself, but instead, as it is written [Psalms 69:9], “The hostility that was against you [God] I have received”. [If the Anointed One stood up for God, we can stand up for our friend who serves God.] 4 In fact, whatever things were written long ago in the scriptures to teach us, were written to help us gain patience and encouragement and give us hope.
5 Now, may the God of patience and encouragement help you have the same attitude towards one another as the Anointed One, Jesus, 6 so that with a unity of our minds and mouths we may glorify God, the father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. 7 Therefore, accept one another just as the Anointed One accepted us, glory to God!
8 For I tell you, though the Anointed One lived to serve the Circumcision [the Jewish people] by showing God’s faithfulness and fulfilling his promises to the Patriarchs [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph by providing a savior who was descended from them], 9 he also showed his compassion to the [non-Jewish] peoples so they [also] might glorify God. As it is written [Psalms 18:49], “I will acknowledge you among the [non-Jewish] peoples and sing praise to your name”. 10 And he also said [Deuteronomy 32:43], “Rejoice, [non-Jewish] peoples, together with his people [the Jews].” 11 And again [Psalms 117:1], “Praise the Lord, all [non-Jewish] peoples, and praise him, every person. 12 And again, it is Isaiah who says [Isaiah 11:10], “There will be a root of Jesse [one descended from David’s father] and it is him who will rise up to rule over the [non-Jewish] peoples. In him the [non-Jewish] peoples will put their hope.” 13 And now, may the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believing, and may your hope overflow through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s special commission to minister to the non-Jews
14 My brothers, I already feel sure that you are overflowing with good things [from the Good News], and that you know these things well enough that you can teach one another. 15 Even so, I have been bold in writing these things to you, just to remind you of these things because of the gift given to me by God that I would be the minister of Jesus, the Anointed One, to you, the [non-Jewish] people. 16 I am a priest [an intermediary], ministering the good news of Jesus the Anointed One, so the [non-Jewish] people might be acceptable [as an offering before God], having been made holy by the Holy Spirit.
17 I have much to feel good about in my service to God in [the power of] the Anointed One, Jesus. 18 I am claiming only the times the Anointed One used my words and actions to bring the non-Jews into obedience. 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God, from Jerusalem to Illyricum [the coastal area of modern Croatia just opposite Italy], I have completely established [the truth of] the Good News of the Anointed One. [Paul had brought the good news about Jesus through all the northeastern Mediterranean region, including northern Israel, Syria, all of Turkey, Macedonia, Greece, Croatia, and the islands including Cyprus, the other Greek islands, and Malta. Rome would become the farthest west of the lands he would directly touch with his ministry.]
20 My aim has been to bring the Good News to places where no one has heard the name of Jesus, rather than build on another man’s foundation, 21 just as is written [Isaiah 52:13-15], “Where no one had spoken of him, they shall see, and where they have not heard, they will understand”. [Throughout Paul’s ministry, he preached where others had already brought the Good News, but it was his primary goal to reach all who had never heard of Jesus. For example, the church in Syrian Antioch which sent him as a missionary was founded by others and made more solid by Barnabus and Paul – see Acts 11:19-30.]
22 This cause [of bringing the Good News where it has not been carried before] has kept me from coming to you. 23 But there is no further place for me [to bring the Good News near where I am] and since I have been desiring for so many years to see you, 24 when I travel for Spain I hope to see you and receive your help to continue the journey, after I have spent some time with you.
Paul’s plans to visit the Roman believers
25 But right now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the believers [there], 26 for those [churches] of Macedonia and Greece have decided to send a contribution to the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 For they are pleased to do this, since they feel they owe the Jewish believers this. Since the Jews shared their spiritual [life] with the non-Jews [through the Anointed One who came from them], it is the [non-Jewish] people’s responsibility to minister to them from their life in the flesh [financially].
28 When I have finished this task and turned over to them the full collection for them, I will set off to visit you on my way to Spain. 29 I am sure that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of the Anointed One. [Do not worry that I am coming casually for a quick visit, but I will pour out to you all that I have received from the Lord.]
30 I have a favor to ask of you, brothers. For the sake of the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, and for the love of the Spirit, make an effort together in your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be saved from [the animosity] of the [Jewish] non-believers in Judea and that my service will be accepted by the believers in Jerusalem. [Paul recognized that Israeli Jews who were not followers of Jesus treated him as though he were a cult leader. And many of the Jewish followers of Jesus felt animosity towards him because they felt he was weakening their Judaism by not requiring the non-Jewish believers to follow Jewish Law.] 32 By the will of God, may I come to you full of joy and have a time of refreshment with you. 33 Now, may the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Discussion questions
1. Were you aware of how many scriptures foretold that the Anointed One would come to the Jews but also bring hope to the non-Jews? [vs 1-13]
2. Does it make sense to you that Paul gave a higher priority to establishing the Gospel in virgin territory than strengthening believers in existing churches? On the other hand, do you think he had a valid reason to want to come and spend time with the established church of Rome? [vs 14-24]
3. If you were at the church of Rome, would you have looked forward to Paul’s visit? How long did they have to wait, and under what circumstances did Paul finally come to Rome, as told in Acts 20-28? [vs 25-33]
Romans Chapter 16
Greetings to all the people Paul knows in Rome
[The many whom Paul greets indicate how connected Rome was with all of the Mediterranean world over which Rome ruled. In all, thirty-two individuals are mentioned by name. All of these are believers whom Paul had met and influenced in the churches of the Eastern Mediterranean, especially in Corinth, where Paul was when he wrote the letter.]
1 I recommend to you our sister [in the Lord], Phoebe, who is a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea [a seacoast village just east of Corinth]. [Since Paul was writing this letter in Corinth, he likely knew Phoebe well, and she may have been the one bringing the letter to Rome or at least was part of the team that came with the letter.] 2 Receive her in the name of the Lord, just as God’s people should receive one another, and help her with any finances she may need, for she has been a great help to many including me.
3 I send greetings also to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-laborers in the Anointed One, Jesus, 4 who have risked their necks for me. Not only I, but all of the churches of the [non-Jewish] peoples, give thanks to them, 5 and to those in their house church. [Priscilla and Aquila were Jewish and had property in Rome but had left there a few years earlier because Emperor Claudius had expelled the Christians. They met Paul in Corinth, and then later helped him to start the church in Ephesus. By now they had returned to Rome.]
6 Greetings to Epaenetus, my dear friend, who was the “first fruits” [the first convert, likely in Corinth] in Achaia [Greece] to the Anointed One. Greetings to Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greetings to Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and fellow prisoners, who are noteworthy among the apostles [those commissioned and sent out to found communities of believers], who were [believers] in the Anointed One before me. 8 Greetings to Amplias, whom I love in the Lord. 9 Greetings to Urbane, our helper in the Anointed One, and Stachys, whom I love.
10 Greetings to Appelles, one [who has been tested and] approved in the Anointed One. Greetings to those from Aristobulus’ [household]. 11 Greetings to Herodion, my kinsman [a fellow Jew], and to the fellow believers [in the household] of Narcissus. 12 Greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, who are workers in the Lord. Greet Persis, my dear friend, who has worked so hard for the Lord. 13 Greetings to Rufus, who is special to the Lord, and his mother [who also treated me a son]. 14 Greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brother believers with them. 15 Greetings to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the believers with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of the Anointed One send their greetings to you.
Warnings to avoid listening to doctrine opposed to what Paul taught
17 I ask you, brothers, that you take note of those who cause divisions or go against the doctrine you have learned [from me and those whom I have trained] and avoid them. 18 For this type [of person] is not serving our Lord, the Anointed One, but rather [is concerned with] their own belly [and the foods they eat or don’t eat]. With good-sounding logic and flattering speech they lead astray the hearts of the unsuspecting.
19 For your commitment [to the Lord and the Good News about him] has been heard about everywhere, and I am glad on your behalf. But I would like you to be wise about what is good and innocent concerning evil. [Hold on to and follow the good teaching you have received, and resist trying out other doctrines that will bring you confusion and conflict.] 20 And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. [Entertaining conflicting doctrine allows Satan to work among the church, whereas resisting conflicting doctrine causes controversy to disappear and peace through unity to prevail.] The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, who are fellow Jewish believers. 22 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter down, send my greetings in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is my host, also sends you greetings, as does the whole church [of Corinth], including Erastus, the administrator for the house churches around the city, and Quartus, a brother believer.
Dedication of the letter to God
[Some manuscript copies of the letter include a verse 24 which says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with you all. Amen.”] 25 Now, to him, who is able to establish you in following the Good News through my sharing the truth of Jesus, the Anointed One, which reveals the mystery which was kept hidden since the world began, 26 and now is made clear through the writings of the prophets, and by the command of God is being made known to every nation, so that all may believe and obey, 27 to God, the only wise one, may there be glory for ever and ever through Jesus, the Anointed One. Amen.” [Paul is saying that this letter to the Romans is communicating the heart of the mystery of the power of the Good News to all the world. It was previously unknown that faith in Jesus both replaced and fulfilled the Law, and that it was available to everyone, both Jew and non-Jew, through faith.]
Discussion questions
1. Why do you think Paul greeted so many in Rome in this letter? What effect would he have had by doing so? Which of the names did you recognize from elsewhere in the scriptures? [vs 1-16]
2. Do you agree with Paul that the church in Rome should not entertain doctrine that conflicted with what Paul was teaching them? How do you think a church should handle opposing viewpoints? [vs 17-23]
3. What is your assessment of the letter to the Romans? Do you agree with Paul that he was revealing a mystery that had until then remained hidden? How would you state that mystery? [vs 24-27]