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Romans Bible Study - Introduction
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Romans 8:1-11 (New Revised Standard Version) |
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Who was Paul?
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Who was Paul? Paul was born to Jewish parents as a Roman citizen in what is now known as eastern Turkey in the year 6 A.D. (roughly) and his name was originally Saul. He grew up studying the Torah (what we know as the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) and attending synagogue. He then became a Pharisee (a member of a Jewish sect who were known for their strict observance of rites, ceremonies, and traditions concerning Hebrew law. Saul was even one who persecuted the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem and Judea around the years of 20-30 A.D.
You may have heard the story, maybe not, but on his way to Damascus, Saul experienced a conversion moment (around the year 33 A.D.) as recorded in the book of Acts -
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
That is a very brief overview of who Saul/Paul was. It is good to note that he was persecuted for being a follower of Jesus and was imprisoned several times during his preaching of the Good News of the Risen Christ. He would often write to the many house churches that were scattered over the then known world, sharing news, advice, and words of encouragement. The book of Romans is one such letter.
You can learn more about the Apostle Paul at Christianity Today.
You may have heard the story, maybe not, but on his way to Damascus, Saul experienced a conversion moment (around the year 33 A.D.) as recorded in the book of Acts -
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
That is a very brief overview of who Saul/Paul was. It is good to note that he was persecuted for being a follower of Jesus and was imprisoned several times during his preaching of the Good News of the Risen Christ. He would often write to the many house churches that were scattered over the then known world, sharing news, advice, and words of encouragement. The book of Romans is one such letter.
You can learn more about the Apostle Paul at Christianity Today.
Context - What was life like......
Have you wondered what life was like back then? Paul’s letter to the Romans was written to The Way Followers living in Rome. Christians were referred to as The Way Followers, well before the introduction of the term Christian.
Rome was the center of the Empire and was pretty ethnically diverse. Rome had a large population (about one million people in less than ten square miles), and of this large population, it is estimated that there was somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 Jews in the city.
It is unclear how the home churches in Rome began, but the best explanation is that the Romans who were present at Pentecost (Acts 2:10-11) made their way back to Rome and started a church or the explanation that, “All roads lead to Rome" - this was a popular saying that demonstrated the city's importance and accessibility, and thus, people who may have heard the gospel in Asia, Greece, or somewhere else could have traveled to Rome.
Of course the city of Rome was predominantly populated by Gentiles and so it is expected that the church of the Way Followers was made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers.
If you are further interested in learning more about what life would have been like in Rome at that time, you might want to check out the novel, A Week in the Life of Rome by James Papandrea. While it is a novel, it gives a good snippet of what life was like during that time.
Rome was the center of the Empire and was pretty ethnically diverse. Rome had a large population (about one million people in less than ten square miles), and of this large population, it is estimated that there was somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 Jews in the city.
It is unclear how the home churches in Rome began, but the best explanation is that the Romans who were present at Pentecost (Acts 2:10-11) made their way back to Rome and started a church or the explanation that, “All roads lead to Rome" - this was a popular saying that demonstrated the city's importance and accessibility, and thus, people who may have heard the gospel in Asia, Greece, or somewhere else could have traveled to Rome.
Of course the city of Rome was predominantly populated by Gentiles and so it is expected that the church of the Way Followers was made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers.
If you are further interested in learning more about what life would have been like in Rome at that time, you might want to check out the novel, A Week in the Life of Rome by James Papandrea. While it is a novel, it gives a good snippet of what life was like during that time.
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Different Translations - One Text
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New Revised Standard Version
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. |
King James Version
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. |
Easy-To-Read Version
So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. 3 The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin. 4 He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don’t live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit. 5 People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about what the Spirit wants them to do. 6 If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. 7 Why is this true? Because anyone whose thinking is controlled by their sinful self is against God. They refuse to obey God’s law. And really they are not able to obey it. 8 Those who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God. 9 But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. 10 Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God. 11 God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit lives in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. Yes, God is the one who raised Christ from death, and he will raise you to life through his Spirit living in you. |
Let's talk about the text!
Now we get to the good stuff......
No Condemnation!Chapter 8 of Romans begins with this very statement, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
We know that being human, we will sin, it is part of the human condition, but because of what Christ has done for us, we will not be punished for these sins. But what then? For generations, sin has been pointed out and marked for judgment and punishment by the law, but now Paul is making this extraordinary claim that because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we will not be punished for those sins - that is not to say that we do not deserve to be punished, but that Christ took the punishment for us. While we may suffer in this life, we may feel the physical ramifications of our sins, we will not suffer for eternity because Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death...our bodies will die one day, but death is not the end. |
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Law of Sin & Death Vs. Law of the Spirit
While sin is not something that God wants us to do, it is our sinful nature that does it. While not in this chapter, Paul states in just the previous chapter that, “...in fact it is no longer I that do it (sin), but sin that dwells within me” (Romans 7:17). Because of this, God will not condemn us. We can attempt to follow the law all we want but the law cannot give us true freedom and eternal life - that could only be achieved by Christ.
What is the law that we are talking about? This isn't talking about traffic laws, but more to the point, the laws that were followed for generations that were believed to keep one pure and worthy of God's salvation. Following these laws isn't a bad thing at all, but if we focus on these laws and follow them implicitly, are we not doing so out of selfish reasons (to gain salvation)? If that is the case, the are we free to love God above all else or are we loving our own salvation above God?
Aren't we supposed to follow the law? Yes, we should, but we cannot rely on it for our salvation - our salvation comes from Christ's reconciling work on the cross and his defeat of death.
What is the law that we are talking about? This isn't talking about traffic laws, but more to the point, the laws that were followed for generations that were believed to keep one pure and worthy of God's salvation. Following these laws isn't a bad thing at all, but if we focus on these laws and follow them implicitly, are we not doing so out of selfish reasons (to gain salvation)? If that is the case, the are we free to love God above all else or are we loving our own salvation above God?
Aren't we supposed to follow the law? Yes, we should, but we cannot rely on it for our salvation - our salvation comes from Christ's reconciling work on the cross and his defeat of death.
