For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Romans 7:18 (NIV)
Sinful nature – If it’s in the Bible, it must be true, right? Unfortunately, “sinful nature” is not what it means in Greek. You might also be surprised to learn that “sinful nature” is a Greek-rooted paradigm of the Hebrew yetzer hara.
Continue reading “Sinful Nature: A Greek Paradigm”For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13 (KJV)
Call – For most of Christianity, we imagine ourselves verbally calling out “Jesus” to receive salvation. In fact Paul writes just three verses earlier, “with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Obviously there’s a message about verbalizing the Name. But could it be something different? Are we interpreting this correctly? It just seems so easy. If I want salvation, all I need to do is call out Jesus’ name. It’s almost too easy.
Continue reading “Calling on the Name”For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 8:29 (KJV)
Firstborn – Who is the firstborn of God? Before you answer, think about how many firstborns can a parent have? One. There can be only one. Yes that was a throwback to the Highlander for anyone who cares. So who is the firstborn of God?
Continue reading “Firstborn?”For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 8:29 (KJV)
Predestinate – For a moment, imagine that Paul’s letter to the Romans is not about you. It wasn’t written to you or any other 21st century Christian. Paul, in all his letters, is writing to/about two main factions; the house of Judah (Jews) and the house of Israel (Israelites divorced from God [Jeremiah 3:8] whom are now Gentiles). In this letter, Paul is addressing the latter group of people.
Continue reading “You Are Not Predestined”14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Romans 2:14-15 (KJV)
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;
Written on their hearts – According to Paul, the Gentiles have the law written on their hearts. The proof of this is that the Gentiles “do by nature the things contained in the law.” So the logic reveals that if the law is truly written on our hearts, then we should be doing the very things the law says to do.
Continue reading “Written On Their Hearts”But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Romans 7:6 (KJV)
Oldness of the letter – Chapter 7 of Romans is perhaps one of my favorite chapters of the New Testament. It is the explanation of what Yeshua came to do. He came to die and release the divorced woman (house of Israel) from the law of divorce so that she may now marry the resurrected Messiah, and join the house of Judah once again. His kingdom is restored by His death. Continue reading “Oldness of the Letter”
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Romans 10:8 (KJV)
Word of faith – Paul shares something interesting here. First, in verse 1 and 2, Paul expresses his hope for Israel to be saved, and he recognizes they have a zeal for God, but they lack in knowledge. According to verse 3, their lack of knowledge results in their ignorance of God’s righteousness. And because they don’t have knowledge, and don’t submit themselves to God’s righteousness, they end up establishing their own righteousness through some other method. Continue reading “Word of Faith”
so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others.
Romans 12:5 (CJB)
Belonging to the others – This verse is a difficult one to translate. Have you ever read it in the KJV, or the NASB? It doesn’t quite make sense there, but in this version, it gets pretty close. We all belong to each other in this one body. There is no “I” in “team”. Continue reading “No “I” in “team””
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Romans 7:1 (KJV)
Know – Modern day Christianity loves to apply Paul’s writings as if he was speaking to us personally in our current day culture. But he wasn’t. He was speaking to a specific audience that had specific issues during a specific time period. He didn’t write his letters with the assumption that some group of people 2000 years from then would be reading them. For instance, in this chapter of Romans, Paul is writing to those who “know the law” – does that sound like mainstream Christianity? Continue reading “Is He Writing to You?”
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Romans 6:17 (KJV)
Delivered – It seems Paul sent a special delivery to the church in Rome. And in this verse their obedience to this doctrine is contrasted by their former lives of sin. There’s an interesting twist here. I’ve found that many who are in sin are waiting to be delivered, but maybe they should submit themselves to the delivery that’s already been sent. Continue reading “Special Delivery”
