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Tuesday, May 01, 2007

THE INTERPRETATION OF ROMANS

© 2007, God’s, Christ’s and His Holy Spirit, as attributed by Mark Robert Gates

In Proverbs, Solomon tells us to acquire wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He proclaims them more valuable than gold and silver. Solomon had a lot of gold and silver, and wisdom, more than any other man on earth. He told us to obey instruction and the commandments of the Lord. What Solomon wrote is a richly guarded treasure today, and many people value and cherish his advice as the Word’s of God. We study God’s Word’s to enrich ourselves, and to know God’s will. Some, choose to study just portions, and to stake a claim to what they know. The book of Romans, for instance, teaches us the Gospel in its entirety, however, it is not enough. People cannot adequately understand the book of Romans, without study of the whole bible.

Some people question the need to study the whole bible. They wonder, “If John 3:16 is all it takes to be saved, why must I study the rest of Scripture?” Taking a position that faith is all a person needs is meritorious in its conception. It demands agreement on our part. According to Martin Luther, in the introduction to his, Commentary On The Epistle To The Romans, “Faith is a living daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times,” (xv). The writer of Hebrews, put it this way in chapter 11, verse, 1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Surely, definitions give us enough of an understanding of faith, to realize we will stand on our faith alone, and nothing else. Certainly, we know Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all blessed by God, and not one of them ever read a word of Scripture. From this testimony, we can conclude, salvation does not come from reading a bible. Indeed, salvation comes from believing in Jesus Christ, God’s own Son.

Why then do people study the bible?

Faith in God leads us, who believe and follow Christ, on a search through God’s Word’s, which works to, and reveals God to us, is what R. C. Sproul teaches in his, Essential Truths Of The Christian Faith (Sproul 3). People, who have been given eternal life, are seeking to immerse themselves, in God’s Holy Commandments. Scriptures, contain a legacy, of how God has always loved His creation. His, history of love, contained in God’s Word’s, is a treasury of wisdom and knowledge, and believers and followers of Christ can gain much understanding from its study. Redemption is made more valuable, by understanding what God has worked through, in order to give us, a possibility of being just like Jesus. God has saved us from sin and death, by providing us with a model, and a means of achieving sanctity within that model. A diligent search of Scriptures will build confidence in our creator and a belief; He has always been in control.

Jack Kuhatschek writes in, Taking The Guesswork Out Of Applying The Bible:

Spiritual Christians, therefore, are characterized by two things: spiritual maturity and a greater capacity to understand God’s Word. These two qualities are closely related. It isn’t simply that mature Christians happen to know a lot of Scripture. Rather, they have allowed the Spirit of God to bring them from infancy to maturity (19).

Given a chance, and enough time, God will prove every bit of His Word’s to be true. Throughout God’s history, recorded in our bible, faithful men and women test God to see if He is true, and every time, He proves Himself without fail. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, all Israel with Moses, Gideon and David, bear witness to God’s faithfulness to His Word’s. Given any opportunity, God delights in showing His love for all His creatures, to those who are looking for it.

Only believers will know, His truth, is in God’s Word’s. Listen to what God says, “And even if our Gospel is veiled it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, which is the image of God,” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4). Every believer and follower of Christ, will know God’s truth, and give witness to His light, however, people who are not believers in God, Christ and His Holy Spirit, will be so blinded by their idols, none will see His Word’s as truth. Unless, one has complete faith in Christ, as God’s Son, and recognizes, His creation speaks of His existence, and accepts every Word’s of God’s, Teaching, Gifts, Promises and blessings, without doubt and without fail, one will reject it all in favor of their idols.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work,” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). Timothy’s verse, has never been proven false, and is one area, where God can be tested to see if He is true to His Word’s. Only, a dedicated study of all Scripture, will give God a chance to prove Himself true to his Word’s, especially in His above verse. Approaching any verse, with an understanding of His whole Word’s, will increase our understanding of God’s victory. God has won a battle and has defeated evil, sin and death. Knowing, His history of waging, a battle, is our beginning, of understanding God’s supreme glory.

“Faith without works is dead,” proclaims James in verses 17, 20, and 26 of chapter two of His epistle. He is not saying, salvation can be earned. He is saying, once salvation is obtained by faith, evidence of salvation, will be one’s resulting works. Studying a bible, is one of those works, of which will come of believing, through His Son, God has given us eternal life. We simply cannot be alive in Christ and ignore, any Word’s of God. Believers and followers of Christ, must do work, as studious scribes, if we are to satisfy our hunger, to know everything we can about God, Christ and His Holy Spirit. Our hunger cannot be satisfied, in any other way, than to read and study every Word’s of God’s self-revelation printed in present day bibles.

Also, as Word’s of God says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth,” (2 Timothy 2:15). Believers and followers of Christ, cannot accurately handle, all Word’s of God, which is truth, unless we devote a good portion of our time to its study. Listen, to Jesus in His, Sermon on the Mount, and bolt a foundation, of a believer and follower of Christ’s, thought to solid rock. We read and study… “So we may withstand the onslaught and flood of worldly opposition and bolt our faith to the solid rock of that foundation,” (Matthew 7: 24,25).


We cannot accurately handle, God’s Word’s, unless we view it as a whole.

Listen to R. C. Sproul in, Essential Truths Of The Christian Faith:

The bible itself is its own Supreme Court. The chief rule of biblical interpretation is, “Sacred Scripture is its own interpreter.” This principle means that the bible is to be interpreted by the bible. What is obscure in one part of Scripture may be made clear in another. To interpret Scripture by Scripture means that we must not set one passage of Scripture against another passage. Each text must be understood not only in the light of its immediate context but also in light of the context of the whole (25).

We must study, a whole bible, in order to know any of it. Dr. Wes Gerig and Dr. Doug Barcalow, stated in personal interviews, in fall of 1998, while both taught at Taylor University in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this same advice, and suggested as well, use of commentaries to help discover hidden contexts of Romans, and other passages, of which need, a whole bible for background. Commentaries, can explain contexts, and give clear exegesis of a text. Reference books, like, “Treasury of Scripture Knowledge,” can lead one to cross references and passages, of which clarify and further define, any given bible phrase. Dr. Barcalow, also, stressed an importance, of finding a readable text, however, if its not too confusing, lexical aids, from which help comes, for one to discover, meanings of Word’s in original languages, can be rewarding study helps.

Tom McMillan, who once was my pastor at, River Of Life Christian Fellowship, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who I also interviewed in fall of 1998, echoed a theology textbook in saying, “Scripture must be interpreted in the light of the whole,” and however, added, “Who can know the whole, get an overview.” This pastor went on to ordain a divorced woman, in church, one who had left her husband for becoming violent, after he found she married him under false pretenses, and was refusing to become His one flesh wife. Tom went on to have an affair with this divorced woman, and then leave his wife and marry this divorced woman, instead. Tom, and all his children, demonized his ex-wife, and accused her of not loving them, all because this divorced woman had a big house and a pool, where Tom’s children could have a dog, something they had faulted daddy, for being unable to provide. “This material, possession (sic), was something they all valued more than their mother,” The world, to this day still teaches, is correct biblical theology, for having, desires of one’s heart. Last I heard, Tom, while still married in sin, died of cancer, in a place of which, God’s healing nature, could be of no help. So, therefore, going off a deep end, is possible, and bear in mind, is an extreme example, if one does not know all of God’s Word’s.

In its whole, and of our bible, Romans is a whole book, of which, must be known as a whole. Believers and followers of Christ cannot set Romans apart from our bible, and we cannot have a complete bible, without Romans. Both must be studied, in entirety. A doctrine of, wholeness, will increase enjoyment of our bible, since, no part will be beyond reach of our mind, when all of a bible, is searched, for any meaning, of any of our bible.

Martin Luther said about Romans:

This Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it everyday, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes (xi).

In Romans, Paul is big on faith, and builds his, Epistle, on a theme of justification by faith. Paul nods to Abraham’s, and all faith, of many, by which resulted, being justified before God. Paul makes it clear; none will be earning, salvation through works. To fully understand, how every one of God’s patriarchs and His prophets, throughout history, came to be justified by faith, requires reading about all. Understanding of faith will be strengthened, by knowing what others do. It is, for this reason, any study of Scripture, is most profitable. God teaches, about heroes of faith, through inspiration and illumination of His, Holy Spirit, however, He wishes for His people, to read His Word’s. God’s Word’s is written down, so we can study. Romans, is a theological text of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, writes William Barclay in, The Daily Bible Series: The Letter To The Romans (Barclay 1). Dr. Barcalow, points out, one best place for children to begin reading, is with stories and narratives, which is why, Gospels we have, are written in that way. It is easier to understand Christ’s Teaching’s, when we look at stories and narratives of Christ’s: action’s.

FF. Bruce said about Romans:

In the order, which ultimately became established Romans takes pride of place among the Pauline Epistles. Historically, this is apparently because it is the longest Epistle; but there is an innate fitness in the according of this position of primacy to the Epistle, which, above all others, deserves to be called ‘The Gospel According To Paul’ (21).

Embrace truth, for Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” (John 8:32). Call out to light, in order, it light a path, of which is, “straight and narrow, to a tiny far away gate,” (Matthew 7:14). As, more well lit a path, more securely God can hold His redeemed, and on a way one should go. It is easy to wander off and go astray. Becoming lost can be made more difficult, by following a curriculum of God’s truth, and working, faithfully, everyday. Keep a firm grasp, on all knowledge; God has given to His people. Make with it a garment, to clothe away nakedness. Fall into arms of love. God has embraced you; embrace Him and everything He is in return. Do not let go.

Unite with truth. There is no greater ally than God, love Him, and all He has created and provided. Make His Word’s, His peoples very being, let His Word’s live in you. Take His Word’s, and live it, be one with God through it. There can be no, separation or division, between God’s people and our Lord, if we keep His Commandments. Do not struggle with worldly dilemmas; walk with God in his heavenly kingdom. Tie in with a winning cause.

Romans, is a good book to study, however, our most powerful way to study Romans, is to study it with, a whole bible as background. A winning, faith-will, empowers believers and followers of Christ, to pursue God’s Word’s, with hungry devotion. Everything in our bible, will interpret everything in our bible. A need to know God drives believers and followers of Christ, into all deep studies, of God’s self-revelation. More valuable than gold and silver, are all riches of God’s Word’s. “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4). David knew God well, and he wrote about God, so all God’s people, could know God too. Not knowing, what David knows about God, could leave a person morally bankrupt, for David confessed sins and was forgiven. And, God has made it clear, unless a person blasphemes His Holy Spirit; He will forgive all His people their sins. John 3:16, clearly makes, all God’s people, want to know all of, what God has given, out of His benevolently, beloved, love for us.

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