The stories of the early church apostles in Acts lay the setting
for the foundation of the doctrines of theology of the New Testament church,
which comprises the rest of the books of the New Testament Scriptures. Romans is the first of many letters of teaching
and encouraging from Paul and also acts as the most important, theologically
speaking, book in the entire New Testament.
In Romans, Paul lays out the foundations of Christianity. Paul recognizes the Jewish sway of his
intended audience and addresses Old Testament laws in an attempt to set a new
standard of law in the hearts of Christ’s followers: The law of righteousness.
Ultimately
through the gospel of the life and death of Jesus Christ, this law of
righteousness is revealed—a point that Paul quickly brings to light in 1:16-17,
and later in 3:5 and 3:21-26. Humanity’s
fallen state is only seen as being sinful when it is placed in the same light
of Christ’s perfection. Compared to
Christ’s perfection, the sinful nature of humanity is seen for what it truly is—broken
and in need of a savior. As unrighteous sinners,
Paul claims, we are recipients of God’s holy and just wrath (1:18). A few verses later in 1:29 Paul describes
unrighteousness as being “evil, covetousness, malice…envy, murder strife,
deceit, maliciousness…” God’s
righteousness is the condemnation of man’s unrighteousness (1:32, 2:5, 2:8). Therefore, Romans is built on the knowledge
that sinners are unrighteous people in need of a righteous salvation.
The Old
Testament Law was meant to bring life to Israel, but because Israel broke God’s
Law only death was received (7:10). Only
following the Law can bring about moral righteousness that Paul so eagerly
desires (2:13, 3:22, 4:5-12, 6:13, 6:16, 6:18-20, 7:12, 8:4, 9:30, 10:5). The Old Testament Law required circumcision
of Jewish men to set them apart as holy.
However, in the New Testament the gift of salvation is open to Jews and Gentiles, non-Jews not bound by the
Law of Moses. Therefore, Paul teaches that
strictly following a moral code and adhering to legalism does not grant righteousness
or salvation.
Righteousness
in the New Covenant of the New Testament is brought through faith in the gospel
of Christ. Faith is the standard that
the righteous live by (1:17, quoting Hab. 2:4), and does not come through the Law
of Moses (4:13) since Christians are bound under a new law because of the
sacrifice of Christ. A Christian’s Law
of Righteousness comes only “through the one man Jesus Christ” (5:17) and leads
to “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (5:21). Therefore, Christ did not come to negate the
Old Testament Law, but to fulfill the Law and set a new standard of
righteousness and salvation (10:3-4).
Christ’s fulfillment of the Law is why modern Christians are no longer
bound to the Old Testament Law, but are instead bound to the Law of
Righteousness found throughout the entirety of the New Testament.
Thus,
Romans can be summarized by saying that the law of righteousness is following
in the footsteps of Jesus and living by the Spirit (Chapter 8), which is
through faith in the death of Jesus Christ (Chapter 10). With these Pauline theological doctrines in
place, one can begin to look at the rest of the New Testament in light of the
sacrifice of Christ. Just as Christ gave
up His life for many, so Christians are called to daily lay down their lives
for the true life that Christ offers (Matthew 16:24).
0 comments:
Post a Comment