" PAST " SAINT PAUL PART XI SAINT PAUL WRITES FROM ROME Segment I

 

St Paul Writes from Rome I




The chain that secured him to the wall and the constant attention of the Praetorian Guards reminded Paul that he was a prisoner of the Emperor Nero. But the wall was in a house he had rented at his own cost possibly near the Jewish quarter of the City, and the regular stream of visitors reminded him of the relative privilege his Roman Citizenship afforded him. Imprisoned by the authorities in Jerusalem and Caesarea at the behest of the Jews, Paul had used his Roman Citizen’s right to be tried by the Emperor himself to ensure the fulfillment of his long held desire to visit Rome. It seems he arrived there around March AD 61.

Being a prisoner of the increasingly demented Nero was a very insecure position. Nero had ordered the murder of his own mother in circumstances that degenerated into blackest “comedy “in AD 59 and would have his wife murdered in AD 62. What hope could a humble imprisoned preacher hold out for himself?

Only three days after arriving in the City and securing the house, Paul invites the leaders of the Jewish community to visit him, preaches to them and seeks to ensure that they will not persecute him as the Jews in Jerusalem and Caesarea did. They had heard nothing about him from Jerusalem and were not concerned about his work, saying that all they knew about the followers of Christ was that they were everywhere reviled.

Paul’s circumstances, as might be expected, affect the content of his letters. Unlike St. Peter, who as yet, remained free to move about the great City, Paul is not exposed to its glamour and cosmopolitan splendour. St Peter is, and he is greatly concerned, warning his flock to avoid conforming to the dress and manners of the pagans about them. St. Paul’s world is confined physically to his room. But his soaring spirit and classically Jewish trained and powerful mind cannot be so easily confined. His physical immobility gives him for the first time since his retreat in Arabia so many years ago, time to reflect on the totality of his teaching to date.

He perceives that there is room to develop more fully his teaching about the centrality of Christ and about His relationship to His Church, the relationship of Head to mystical body. Indeed St. Paul discloses that this teaching came to him by direct revelation. This intense mental and spiritual reflection during his two years captivity gives rise to a substantial written output. Thirty per cent of all of St Paul’s writings come from this relatively short period.

Three of these “captivity “letters, as they are known, form a group in time- all being delivered by Tychicus(Col. 4:7-9) and (Eph. 6::21) on the same journey. Internal evidence suggests that Colossians was written before Ephesians. Each of the letters is different in type – Colossians is pastoral and monitory, Ephesians is mainly a doctrinal reflection and Philemon is a private letter. The fourth, Philippians was written at a different time.

COLOSSIANS

St Paul refers to the founder of the church at Colossae, Epaphras, as his “fellow servant”(Col.1:7). In Monsignor Ronald Knox’s excellent translation this is rendered “bondsman”. However later, in Philemon V 23 Paul refers to him as “my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus”. So it appears that Epaphras came to Rome to see St Paul, or happened to be in Rome and called on Paul, and told him of his concerns for the church he led in Colossae. which Paul had not visited. It seems that he stayed in Rome too long and came to be imprisoned for his activities and perhaps for his association with Paul, but this is unlikely since Paul seems to have been allowed free visiting privileges. We cannot know precisely.

Heresy seems to have been the problem in Colossae. Specifically, the heresy that later came to be known as Gnosticism. It is referred to as “philosophy “in the Epistle, the very description of some Jewish teaching used by Josephus and Philo.

We are told in V 16:23 that these false teachers wished to introduce the observance of Sabbaths new moons and other such days, and forbad the eating, drinking, tasting, touching of certain things. Worse still they held angels to be equal to or superior to Christ and promoted worship of them. (There were at the time a variety of Jewish sects, including the Essenes, who held bizarre obsessions with “angels” of the stars, of the seasons, months, days of the year, heat, cold etc., etc.)

Remembering that Paul had not been to Colossae and that Epaphras had come from there and was asking Paul to help correct these false teachers and their errors, conjures up a scene of the anxious Epaphras hovering about as the great Apostle to the Gentiles seeks to devise his address to these strangers in a strange place, occasionally pausing to receive further input from Epaphras or to question him further. The letter as it evolved, falls into two parts, the first is doctrinal and polemical, and the second is moral and pastoral.

FIRST PART

Paul opens by thanking God for the faith of the Colossians made known to him by Epaphras. He prays that the Colossians may remain steadfast in belief and practice.

He opens his teaching at its very heart: the pre-eminence of Christ - God become Man. He is the Creator of all things and creatures in the natural order and in the supernatural order: angels, Thrones, Dominations and Powers. He is the Head of His Church which is His Body. (Here we see Paul clearly enunciating the existence of the one Universal Church of which individual local churches are parts. Christ did not found Churches but only one Church.) And he identifies the role of Christ as reconciler of man to God “through the Blood of His Cross” (1:20).

Paul knows that the majority of Colossians is Gentile - converts of Greek and Phrygian origin (1:26, 27 & 2: 13). There may have been a small number of Jewish converts also, because Josephus (Ant.XII, iii and 4) refers to a scattered Jewish population in the Colossae area. He reminds them that before their conversion they were estranged from God by their evil works. But now, through Christ’s saving Death and Resurrection they are reconciled to God. He affirms his role as Apostle to the Gentiles and his great concern for them and also for the Laodecians because he has been unable to visit them.

Paul urges them to build their faith on Christ as they have been taught and to beware of false teachers whose human traditions are based on the “elements of the world” (see above). He emphasises how they have been brought alive by Baptism and spiritually “circumcised”. He warns against those who preach dietary taboos and new moon festivals, sabbaths and the false practice of worshiping angels (as opposed to legitimate veneration of them and their true role). Disregard mere human teachings, seek and follow what comes from above, he urges them.

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life shall appear, then you too will appear with him in glory”.(Col.3 3-4)

SECOND PART

Paul urges the Colossians to avoid immorality, uncleanness, lust, evil desire and covetousness which the unbelievers practice, and to avoid “anger, wrath, malice, abusive language and foul-mouthed utterances. Do not lie to one another”. (Col. 3:8-9) They are all one in Christ with no racial or status distinctions. Physical circumcision has no privileged position or value among them.

He urges on them all the practical virtues and they should show forth: mercy, love and forbearance and forgiveness and do and say everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus whilst thanking God the Father through Him.

He counsels these virtues in specific terms within the families of the faithful, with detailed attention to the roles of husbands, wives and children and their relations with one another. He cautions convert slaves to work diligently for the sake of their fidelity to God. As we saw in Foundation for March, Paul had urged Timothy to preach along the same lines. Few things could more certainly bring down the wrath of the Roman state on the infant Church than to be seen by Romans as fomenting rebellion among the slaves.

Paul urges upon the Colossians regularity and consistency in prayer and asks them to pray for him. He exhorts them to consider carefully how they spend their time with, or enter into discussion with unbelievers, so that all will work toward their conversion. He explains that Tychicus is carrying the letter and will tell them more about Paul and how he is faring. He is also to be accompanied by Onesimus, himself a Colossian, who has been working with Paul and is now returning to them.

He sends greetings from his “fellow prisoner” Aristarchus (we recall that whilst in Ephesus with Paul, Aristarchus had been set upon by a mob in the theatre) who had sailed from Caesarea with Paul being one of his close co-workers. Greetings also come from Mark, Barnabas’ cousin and of course from Epaphras whom Paul assures the Colossians is ever solicitous for them in his prayers, as he is for Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Finally he sends greetings from “Luke, our most dear physician” (Col. 4:13) and from Demas. He sends his personal greetings to the church in Laodicea and to the church in the house of Nymphas and sends a brief message to Archippus – “Look to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it.)

He finishes “in my own hand”: “Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen”.

Tony Dixon
Copyright. This article first appeared in the April, 2009 issue of FOUNDATION.

" PAST " SAINT PAUL PART VII PAUL WRITES FROM EPHESUS

 

St Paul Writes from Ephesus


In AD 54 St Paul, now in Ephesus, writes to the Galatians. Now 50-51 years old, he has been a Catholic for 20 or 21 years.

He had founded the church in Galatia only two years ago in AD 52, and had made a further visit to the Galatians in AD 53. He has been greatly disturbed by reports reaching him, that these Gentile converts were being led astray by Judaizers. These Jewish converts, most of Pharisaical training, had often been – and would continue to be, the bane of Paul’s missionary life.

Among the Galatians, the Judaizers had advanced three arguments:

Paul was not a “real” Apostle as were those appointed prior to the Crucifixion;

Paul was false to the teaching of Christ and the true Apostles in teaching that converts to Christ, Jew or Gentile, were not bound by the Mosaic Law;

Gentile converts must be circumcised and submit to the ritual and dietary requirements of the Law.

From the heart of the large and busy church in Ephesus, St Paul writes with righteous indignation. The very opening words of the Epistle bristle with his targeted refutation of these falsehoods:

 “ Paul, an apostle sent, not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead……” (Gal. 1:1) 

 

No Galatian reader can doubt that they are about to get the TRUTH with “both barrels”. He offers them his blessing: “Grace and peace be to you from God the Father, and from Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from the wickedness of the present world according to the will of God our Father; to whom is glory forever and ever. Amen” (Gal. 1:3-5) The reference to the “wickedness of this world” suggests his concern at the forces that have been preying on his Galatian flock.

St Paul asserts firmly that he has preached the truth of Christ’s Gospel to them and that anyone, man or angel, who preaches otherwise – even if it were Paul himself – must be declared anathema. He emphasises that in his preaching of the Gospel, his only purpose is to please God – not men.

St Paul vigorously asserts that what he preaches is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ and not something taught to him by other men. He recounts the story of his miraculous conversion, his retreat in Arabia, his time in Damascus, after three years his fifteen day visit to St Peter in Jerusalem, where he also met St James. Then he briefly recounts his early missionary journeys and after 14 years his visit to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus. He emphasises that “the leaders” St Peter, St James and St John did not see any need for the circumcision of Titus – a Gentile. The leaders shook hands with St. Paul and confirmed his mission and teaching to the Gentiles, only reminding him to have care for the poor “ the very thing I was eager to do.” (Gal. 2:10)

St Paul explains how in Antioch he found it necessary to remind St Peter of their freedom from the Law since Peter was continuing the observances of the Law when eating with Jewish converts.

In the course of outlining the consequences of being saved by and converted to Christ St Paul utters the sublime phrase that glows ever more powerfully as the centuries pass:

 

 ”It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) 

 

He wraps up his opening argument against the Judaizers quite succinctly: “For if justice is by the Law, then Christ died in vain.” (Gal. 2:21)

St Paul now lays out in detail the essence of his argument (we can see here the outline of the argument, mature and fully developed, in his mighty Epistle to the Romans (Foundation December, 2008). He reminds the Galatians of the movement of the Holy Spirit which brought them Faith in Jesus Christ. But he shows that the Law is concerned with the flesh not the Holy Spirit Who even worked miracles among them. Faith is the key as it was for Abraham who               “ believed God and it was credited to him as justice. ” (Gal. 3:6) He teaches that “men of Faith are the real children of Abraham” (Gal. 3:8) and reminds them of the words of God to Abraham “in thee shall all nations be blessed”. (Gal. 3:9) Here he is highlighting the situation of the Gentile converts. The covenant God made with Abraham was made 430 years before the Law was given and was not annulled by the Law. The promises of the Covenant were made to Abraham “and his offspring” (Gal. 3:16) – Christ – and now by grace and faith all converts are one in Christ and thus heirs to the promises of the Covenant. The Law is not relevant to them..

St Paul is very movingly personal in demonstrating his concern that the Galatians might give up the freedom they have been given in becoming one with Christ. “I fear for you, lest perhaps I have laboured among you in vain….”. (Gal. 4:11) “And you know that on account of a physical infirmity I preached the Gospel to you formerly; and though I was a trial to you in my flesh, you did not reject or despise me; but you received me as an angel of God,, even as Christ Jesus.. ” (Gal. 4:13-14) Paul’s intimate concern for his Galatian children in Faith is powerfully evident. It is the greater because of their generous and grace-filled treatment of him when he first brought the Good News to them, despite the fact that his illness at that time evidently disfigured him or affected him in some way that made him a “trial” to them. “I wish I could be with you now, and change my tone, because I do not know what to make of you.” (Gal. 4:20) He begs them once again not to accept circumcision and the obligations of the Law which would separate them from Christ. He sums up: ”For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision is of any avail nor uncircumcision, but faith which works through charity”. (Gal 5:6) This latter statement most clearly refutes the mischief of false teachers such as Luther who tried to argue that St Paul taught salvation by Faith alone and attempted to contrast his teaching with that of St James (who taught that Faith without good works is dead). Clearly St Paul and St James were of one mind – the mind of Christ.

St Paul now reminds his Galatians of the characteristics of the life of followers of Christ who, being led by the Holy Spirit avoid all lustful behaviour, idolatry ,sorcery; witchcraft, and all negative viciousness. Rather, in them can be found” charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, modesty and continency.” (Gal. 5:22)

He specifically counsels them to concentrate on the conduct of their own lives. But where one of their number goes astray to counsel that one in meekness and humility. “….while we have time, let us do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith”. (Gal. 6:10)

In his concluding remarks he attacks the motives and the actions of the Judaizers. He cries out, “God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ…”

I Corinthians

Three busy years later in AD 57 St Paul is in the early years of his third missionary journey (see Foundation October 2008). He is disturbed by reports he has received from the church he had founded in Corinth. He was last there in AD 51 and it seems that the Gentile converts in that wealthy pagan city had tended to lose their way in important matters.

St Paul addresses the problems in broad groupings. The first is factionalism, then Christian life, the sacrament of marriage, the consumption of idol offerings, the celebration of the Eucharist, appropriate dress, the Mystical Body of Christ, prophesy and speaking in tongues, the resurrection of the body and finally St Paul’s intentions. The list is extensive and the letter is long in fact St Paul’s second longest, exceeded only by the Letter to the Romans (Foundation December 2008) The difference is that this first epistle to the Corinthians is “ an easy read” unlike the complex letter to the Romans. It should be noted here that there is evidence in this letter (at 1 Cor.5:9) that there had in fact been an earlier letter from St Paul to the Corinthians and there is evidence in the Second letter to the Corinthians (at 2 Cor. 2:4 and 7:8) of another letter preceding it -neither has come down to us. So that the letters we have are actually the second and fourth of St Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.

Factionalism is the first topic which no doubt reflected or resulted in, some of the other issues dealt with later. St Paul tackles it head-on. He reminds the Corinthians that it was Jesus Christ he preached to them and into whom they were baptised. Therefore their slogans of “I’m for Paul/Apollos/Cephas are absurd. Paul, Apollos, Cephas are for Christ and Christ should be the unifying common inspiration of every one of them. He then sets about elaborating on the origins and implications of the Christ-centred reality of the Church He points out that “… Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks look for “wisdom”, but we for our part, preach a crucified Christ – to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men…” (I Cor. 1:22-25) “Therefore let no one take pride in men. For all things are yours whether Paul, or Apollos or Cephas ;or the world or life or death; or things present, or things to come – all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” (I Cor. 4:22-23) He tells them that he is sending Timothy to assist them to re-order their approach and conform with what he has taught them.

Apollos was an Alexandrian Jewish convert. He was evidently a highly educated man in terms of philosophy, and may have been influenced by the ideas of Philo of Alexandria. However that may be, his knowledge of Christ’s Gospel, which he began to preach, was seriously deficient. (Acts 18:24-28) As we have seen earlier, St. Paul discovered that Apollos had been unaware of the Holy Spirit and was simply performing John’s baptism., rather than the Sacramental Baptism of Christ. It will be recalled that St Paul left Aquila and Priscilla the task of completing Apollos’ instruction in the Faith. St Paul properly baptised those Apollos had earlier “ baptised “ It would seem that Apollos was certainly not a wrongly intended person, and he was certainly not unintelligent, but perhaps his very intelligence had led him to believe he knew it all, long before he did. St Paul treats of him kindly and carefully in his writings, no doubt not only out of regard for his abilities and work, but also on account of his strong following in Corinth.

St. Jerome recounts that Apollos was so disenchanted by the divisions in Corinth that he retired to Crete, but when St Paul’s letter healed the divisions there Apollos returned, becoming in due course bishop of the city.

St Paul moves on, addressing the scandal of one of the community who has been carrying-on with his father’s wife. (Paul notes that even the pagans would not behave so.) He forcefully insists that the man be excommunicated – separated from the community. He also refers to cases where members of the community are prosecuting cases in the civil courts against one another. He strongly upbraids them for not dealing with the problems within the community itself. In any case he says, if an agreement cannot be reached, “Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?” (I Cor. 6:7)

In a summary section useful still in to-day’s society St Paul says ”Do not err; neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor the covetous nor drunkards nor the evil-tongued nor the greedy will possess the Kingdom of God” (I Cor. 6:9-10)

Urging them to physical morality he says:” For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify God and bear Him in your body.” (I Cor. 6:20)

In an extended consideration of the married state St. Paul makes it clear that he is answering questions that the Corinthians have put to him in a letter(I Cor. 7:1) St Paul heavily emphasises the preferred status of the celibate life. But he makes it plain for them that there is nothing wrong in being or getting married. He simply makes it clear that the single person needs only to please God, whereas the married person has to please his/her spouse also. His comments are equally applied to those who are widowed.

Where a person is married to an unbeliever they should continue in that marriage as long as the unbeliever consents to live with them. But if the unbelieving spouse leaves the marriage St Paul rules that the abandoned party has the right to marry within the Church. (This is known as the Pauline Privilege.)

He urges the Corinthians to adhere to their status on becoming Christians, whether single, married or slave. Further he urges those now married or single to remain in that state, those in charge of an unmarried ward should have the ward follow the same counsel. However, those who are widowed or single and wish to marry may do so. St Paul’s concern is the approach of the Second Coming and his aim is to concentrate their attention on God, rather than the affairs of this world.

Food which has been sacrificed to idols and then offered/sold for consumption presents problems Paul says. He insists the food itself is not a problem – the “gods” it has been sacrificed to are nothing. But he does see potential for giving scandal. This would be particularly the case if the Christian party was seen eating the food where it might appear that he was consenting to the sacrificial rite e.g. in the pagan temple feast or in the home of someone who makes a point of identifying the food as having been sacrificed to a “god”. Any onlooker might assume that the Christian had apostasised. In other circumstances St Paul says, there is nothing to worry about.

He considers at length the right of preachers and teachers of the Gospel to support. He insists on the right whilst noting that he has never taken advantage of it, supporting himself through his tent making activities. As we have noted elsewhere in our examination of St Paul’s life and work, these were skills he probably acquired among the nomadic tribes of Arabia during his three year retreat there. His present prolonged stay in Ephesus was facilitated by the tent making opportunities created in that pagan pilgrimage centre by the four yearly festival of the “goddess” Diana which is believed to have swelled the population of the city from 35,000 to 1,000,000 this was the “great opportunity” St Paul referred to- great as a source of income from the tent dwelling pilgrims, but more importantly great in delivering to him over 950,000 people to evangelise.

He comes to the consideration of the celebration of the Eucharist. St Paul vigorously remonstrates with the Corinthians for their unworthy celebration of the Eucharist. It was the custom of the very early Church to integrate the essence of the Eucharistic celebration within a light meal- after the fashion of the Last Supper (in which it will be remembered, Our Divine Lord consecrated the bread at the beginning of the ritual Passover meal, and the wine at the end of the meal). However the Corinthians had descended into a routine in which each party brought his own food – the rich an abundance and the poor their own meagre fare. The result was a shameful clash of scandalous excess and miserable poverty in the midst of the celebration of the Eucharist – the heart of Christian unity. St Paul puts them straight in short order.

He reflects on the distribution of spiritual gifts in the Church. He acknowledges the value of both prophesy and speaking in tongues in the Church. But he emphasises the importance of all gifts to the Mystical Body of Christ, just as every organ of the physical body has its role and complements the others.

He injects at this point his truly superb reflection on Charity (Love):

Charity is patient, is kind,

Charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up,

is not ambitious, is not self-seeking

is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth; bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (I Cor 13:4-7)

Now he returns to the question of prophesy and of tongues. He accords prophesy the higher standing. He sees value in the gift of tongues when they can be properly interpreted by the speaker or another. But, he says, “….yet in the church, I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may also instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue”. (I Cor. 14:19) He proposes that when the church assembles no more than three persons should speak in tongues, and then only if there is an interpreter. He requires women to remain silent in the churches and they should veil their heads just as men should leave their heads uncovered. Above all he stresses the need for order and proper procedure in the churches.

Toward the end of the Epistle there is a lengthy examination of the question of the resurrection of the body. St Paul insists that the Resurrection of Christ has won for us the resurrection of our own bodies as incorruptible spiritual bodies.

In concluding he urges them to assist in the collection for the saints in Jerusalem currently being taken up in the churches, asking them to appoint a delegate to go to Jerusalem with their contribution in company with other such delegates.

He foreshadows a possible visit to Corinth and urges their wholehearted cooperation with Timothy during his visit. Paul reports that although he asked Apollos to go to Corinth he would not do so at present.

He urges them also to co-operate with Stephanas and Fortunatus in Achaia, together with Achaicus and sends greetings from the churches of Asia and from Aquila and Priscilla.

Paul signs off in his own hand and blesses them in Christ. At the same time he anathematises any member who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ.



TONY DIXON
COPYRIGHT This article first appeared in the January 2009 issue of FOUNDATION.

" PAST " SAINT PAUL PART VI THE MISSIONARY Part III SECOND SEGMENT

 

St Paul Writes from Corinth, Second Segment

The Letter to the Romans

SIX YEARS HAVE PASSED since St Paul wrote his letters to the Thessalonians from Corinth. In these busy, tumultuous years St Paul has covered thousands of miles back and forth from Damascus to Illyricum the Roman province across the Adriatic from Italy which marked the Imperial border with the barbarian regions to the North. He is now the mature Apostolic missionary. His exertions in preaching, teaching, travel on foot, shipwreck, imprisonment, beatings and narrow escapes from death have taken their toll.

Yet he remains keen to bring more and more Gentiles to Christ. In the East he has established many churches, visited and re-visited them, and set over them bishops and priests he knows will do as much as can be done to keep them faithful. Now he has his sights set on Spain. But, on his way to that Western bulwark of the Empire of Rome, he plans to satisfy a long-held desire to visit the well-established church in Rome itself.

Announcing this intention, he writes to the Romans a remarkable epistle – the largest he wrote. It is a complex letter and far from being “an easy read”. When we consider the background, we begin to understand why.

St Paul has built up a vast experience in his missionary journeys. This letter is intended to mark the close of his activity in the East, and to provide a distillation of that experience from a theological and a pastoral perspective. In addition there is a diplomatic complication to be considered. In the past, Paul has usually been going to found churches or to re-visit those he has founded. But in Rome he knows he will find a largely Gentile convert church for which he has had no responsibility, a church renowned throughout the world for its success and devotion and overseen by the Prince of the Apostles. He knows also that there is a small but influential Jewish convert component in that church – just the element that has caused him so much trouble elsewhere. The fact that the letter is dictated to an amenuensis (we know his name – Tertius- because he inserts his own comment in the letter) as St Paul so often did, and that it must have been dictated over some days, and that we know St Paul to be somewhat volatile, also works to make it complex.

Structure

The Epistle is broadly constructed as follows:

Greetings – Reason for visit

Condition of mankind before Christ - Gentiles and Jews

Condition of mankind with Christ

Faith, Hope, Love, Salvation

Justification

Freedom from the Law for Christians

Activity of the Holy Spirit

Jewish Rejection of the Gospel

Moral Duties of Christians

His Plans, Commendation and Individual Greetings

Greetings and Reason for Visit

Paul’s greeting emphasises his Apostleship from Christ Himself, Christ’s Resurrection as evidence that He is the Son of God and the importance of the obedience of Faith. In expressing his desire to visit the Romans, St Paul affirms his high opinion of them : “your faith is proclaimed all over the world” (Rom. 1:8) and “ unceasingly I make mention of you” (Rom. 1:9) He wants the visit to bring some spiritual grace to them and to be comforted with them in their shared faith. He wants to preach to them just as he has done to other Gentiles in other places. He stresses the importance of faith which provides a great theme for the Epistle.

Mankind without Christ – Gentiles

Paul reviews the state of pagan mankind. He shows that knowledge of the one true God is available to them by reason, from the evidence of His works. They have however pursued mere idols and “worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator”. (Rom. 1:25) In view of this pagan activity they are denied God’s grace and give themselves up to every sort of depravity and shameful action. Paul reminds his readers that such people will be judged by God according to the Natural Law, written on their hearts.

Jews

The situation of the Jews he says, is quite different. They had the Law and will be judged according to it. They are circumcised to evidence their subjection to the Law. But circumcision will avail them nothing if they do not follow the Law. True “circumcision is a matter of the heart in the spirit, not in the letter” (Rom. 2:29) Here, in responding to some calumny brought against him, Paul directly enunciates the principle that we may not do evil even if some good comes of it. Paul is seeking to get the Jews thinking aright – he makes it clear that the Law effectively defines and thus introduces sins,. It does not justify. It does not save.

Mankind with Christ – Faith

With the coming of Jesus Christ salvation is available to all who have faith in Him. They have no need of the Law. He has fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.

The works of the Law do not justify – faith in Jesus Christ does- it is the true circumcision.

Abraham

To ensure correct thinking by the Jews, Paul goes back to their father, Abraham. He reminds them that Scripture says that Abraham was justified by his belief in God – by faith, not by the works of the Law. And Abraham was at the time as yet uncircumcised, Paul stresses. Paul really hammers home this point, the promise made to Abraham and his posterity came not through the works of the Law or through circumcision, but through Abraham’s faith.

Justified in Christ

“When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son”(Rom3:10) “we exult also in God through Our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation”.(Rom. 3:11)

Through Adam mankind inherited sin and death. Through Christ mankind inherits grace and the possibility of eternal salvation.

Paul points out very firmly that the baptised Christian has no obligation under the Law. He frames his statements on this point with great care, for he knows it touches Jewish sensitivities in two ways: firstly, as to the obligations of the Jewish converts themselves, and secondly, as regards the views some Jewish converts held about what was proper for the Gentile converts. Many Jewish converts had in his experience, sought to burden the Gentile converts with the Law and circumcision. Paul seeks, gently but firmly to teach the Truth.

He goes on to consider at length, the spiritual struggle between the will of the Christian believer and the temptations and inclinations of the flesh. “For I am delighted with the law of God according to the inner man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and making me prisoner to the law of sin that is in my members”. (Rom. 7:23) But the grace of God through Our Lord Jesus Christ delivers him. “For what was impossible for the Law, in that it was weak because of the flesh, God has made good. By sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, He has condemned sin in the flesh….” Those who remain steadfast in the spirit will not only be adopted as sons of God but joint heirs with Christ to the glory in which He has been raised.

No present sufferings, Paul says, can compare with that future glory.

In a very brief section of the Epistle, St Paul now opens to us one of the most consoling and encouraging revelations in Sacred Scripture : “But in like manner the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself pleads for us with unutterable groanings. And He who searches the hearts knows what the Spirit desires, that He pleads for the saints according to God”. (Rom. 8 :26-27)

This is a truly remarkable revelation of the inner life ( if we may use a human analogy) of the Blessed Trinity which leaves us breathless but rejoicing at the depth and workings of God’s love for us.

Paul reminds the Romans (and us) that for those who love God, all things work together to produce good. God knows who will be saved and glorified. “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8: 31) He reminds his readers that Christ is at the right hand of God interceding for us. No peril or disaster, or evil force, can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

The Jewish Rejection of the Gospel

Paul, so proudly a Jew himself, reveals his great distress at the rejection of the Gospel by the Jewish leaders and the bulk of the Jewish people. Their fault lies in their refusal of faith in the Gospel and stubborn self-satisfaction with the external observances of the Law alone. They rejected both the preaching and the teaching of the Lord Himself, and even after the Resurrection they refused the preaching of the Apostles. Paul reminds the Romans of the Prophet Isaias’ saying “All day long I stretched out my hand to a people unbelieving and contradicting.” But Paul rejoices in the remnant of Israel that has accepted the Gospel, the Jewish converts.

How easy it is for anyone- Jew or Gentile – Paul points out, to accept the Gospel and demonstrate their faith in Jesus Christ Thus the hardness of heart of the bulk of the Jews grieves him greatly. He urges the Gentile converts to humility and fidelity, reminding them that they have been grafted onto the stem of the true religion which has its origin in the faith of Abraham and has been brought to glorious fulfilment in the Life, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

He makes it clear that Israel will be converted when the full number of Gentiles accept the Gospel. He concludes this section of the Epistle with his now proverbial insistence that God’s judgements are incomprehensible to us and His ways unsearchable.

Moral Teaching

Paul begins to wind up his Epistle with an exhortation on the duties of Christians. His phrasing is beautiful as he urges the Romans, surrounded by pagan society, to “be not conformed to this world, but be transformed in the newness of your mind” (Rom. 12 : 2)

Quite the opposite of the grasping pagan world about them, he urges them to moderation and respect for the role and person of each of the brethren. He bids them to love one another in fraternal charity, anticipating one another with honour and practising hospitality. He seeks to have them be models of every kind of Christian virtue and “overcome evil with good”. (Rom. 12 : 21)

He encourages every one of them to be obedient to legitimate authority which ultimately comes from God. They must respect their lawful obligations to the civil government.

Paul emphasises the moral imperative of love of our neighbours and the importance of conforming one’s life to Christ in expectation of His coming.

Obviously having an eye to the possible activities of Judaizers in the Roman community, he bids all to exercise mutual forbearance. In essence he says that if a Jewish convert feels obliged to still follow the prescriptions of the Law, there is no harm even though it will do him no good, and, if the Gentile converts wish to exercise their legitimate freedom from the Law no-one should trouble them. He urges all to preserve charity and peace. In preserving the peace, he begs them all to practise self-denial and patience so that all may be one in spirit, glorifying God as one.

He reminds them of several passages in Sacred Scripture which foreshadow the role of the Gentiles, and concludes this section as follows: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope and in the power of the Holy Spirit”. (Rom. 15 : 13)

Conclusion

In Paul’s concluding words there is an element of apology – unusual for St Paul- “But I have written to you rather boldly here and there, brethren”. (Rom. 15: 15) This is yet another reflection of the pre- eminent position of the church in Rome, and of the fact that Paul has had no part in its formation.

Nowhere in this letter does he make direct mention of St Peter. He evidently knew that he was then absent from the capital, but Paul is obviously sensitive to any possible chance of being criticised from any quarter for intruding or acting inappropriately. It is interesting to see the normally forceful Paul dealing with circumstances calling for great discretion on his part.

He goes on to recount the missionary plans which he has, plans which will bring him to Rome which he has long hoped to visit, on his way to Spain. He will travel via Jerusalem bringing to the saints financial aid from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia.

He asks for the Romans’ prayers and looks forward to coming to them in joy, God willing, to be refreshed with them. He adds to the letter a commendation of Phoebe from the church in Cenchrae, for whatever assistance she may need.

He sends greetings to nearly thirty individuals in Rome, some of whom we know of, others we do not. Their number reveals the wide extent of St Paul’s activities and the consequent large number of contacts he has with other people who are regular travellers. The Roman Empire was a great facilitator of travel, as we know from Roman history. The same sources evidence the large numbers of people travelling from the East – Paul’s past region of activity, to the centre of the Empire.

P.S. and P.P.S.

In what we would term a ”P.S.” Paul adds a final warning to the Romans about troublemakers. ”who cause dissensions and scandals contrary to the doctrine that you have learned…. avoid them.” (Rom. 16 – 17 )

A further addition includes greetings from Timothy and other fellow workers and enables Tertius the amanuensis to speak up with his own greetings.

Doxology

The great letter concludes appropriately with praise of God and its dedication to Him.

St Paul and St James

There are those who have tried to set at odds St James – faith without works is dead and St Paul- faith justifies, not works.

The suggestion is a nonsense as any honest reading of the two epistles shows. To support the proposition one would have to be soft in the head, or a knave. It is crystal clear that St Paul is talking about the prescriptive works required by the Law – the multiple observances the Jews were obliged to keep. St James on the other hand is talking about the good works of charity and proper moral life which flow spontaneously from Christian life. These are the same works that St Paul commends to the Romans as essential to Christian life.

It was this very point that the knave Martin Luther was to make one of the bases for his deformation of Christ’s Church as he invented his “Faith Alone” teaching (“sola fides”) in the 16th Century.

Summary

The Epistle to the Romans is not an “easy read” and one can sympathise with St Peter who wrote of “our dearest brother Paul” …”In these epistles there are certain things difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unstable distort….” (2 Peter 15: 16) Across the centuries he seems to see and rebuke Luther and so many “spirit of the Council” theologians and preachers.

In this epistle St Paul is distilling all of his thinking, teaching and experience on the subjects of faith and the Law- Christian freedom and Jewish legalism. Paul takes the Lord at His word : “and the Truth shall set you free.” He applies the same distillation to Christian life of which he has had such wide experience.

This is a fitting exercise in preparation for his intended visit to Rome and her pre-eminent church. It is also timely at this stage of his apostolic work. His efforts in the East are now mature and he is looking westward for new challenges.

Little did he know how challenging the road to Rome would prove.

 Tony Dixon
Copyright This article first appeared in the December, 2008 issue of FOUNDATION.