Mark 1: 21 – 28 Jesus drives out an impure spirit

Mark 1: 21 – 28 Jesus drives out an impure spirit

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who has authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!’

‘Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. ‘Come out of him!’ The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching – and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.’ News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

*       *       *

Jesus taught, not in the usual way that a teacher of the law would have taught, but with authority. A teacher of the law would have referred to authorities. He might have said something like this: “Rabbi Hillel says this about divorce, but Rabbi Gamaliel says this. Rabbi Ananias supports Rabbi Gamaliel, but when the Sanhedrin considered the case of Nathanael they determined the case in line with Rabbi Hillel’s view…” In other words, their teaching was about precedent, and the arguments of legal experts.

Judaism, which had been the passionate love between Israel and God, had become adherence to a complex set of minutely detailed rules.

Jesus’ teaching was not like that. Mark has told us (in Mark 1: 15) what Jesus was saying at this early stage of his ministry. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’

This was a call to action. It’s still a call to action today. We none of us live sinless lives; we can always do better. There is always a need to repent – but note, it’s not a grovelling, miserable contrition. We are to ‘Repent and believe the good news!’. The good news is the news about Jesus, the news about forgiveness, the news that God will take us by the hand and help us to do better. It is the news that God loves us, and that we can come close to him.

Repentance for a Christian is allowing God to help us to be obedient to him.

Mark tells us that ‘The people were amazed at his teaching’.

But even while the congregation was marvelling at Jesus’ teaching, he was challenged. ‘Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!’

Without hesitation, Jesus ordered the impure spirit out of the man – and it obeyed, shaking the man violently and coming out of him with a shriek.

The miracles of Jesus are signs that the power of God is working in him. Mark makes that point here by juxtaposing his account of Jesus’ teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum with the account of the driving out of an impure spirit. The train of thought is this: Jesus’ teaching is new and amazing, and Jesus casts out an impure spirit, therefore Jesus’ teaching is true and supported by God. To make the point even clearer, Mark has the impure spirit recognise Jesus as the Holy One of God.

If Jesus did signs like this that validated his ministry, should today’s Christians expect to see similar signs? – and if not, why not? And, if they should expect such signs, how does this affect their ministry?

And – I can’t in good conscience leave it out – what are the implications of these verses for spiritual warfare between good and evil?

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you that you call us through Jesus to repent and believe the good news. Thank you for your love for each one of us. Please help me every day to love more and want my own way less.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Mark 1: 14 – 20 Jesus announces the good news & Jesus calls his first disciples

Jesus announces the good news

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’

Jesus calls his first disciples

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

*       *       *

“The kingdom of God has come near.”

What did Jesus mean by this?

Did he mean the restoration of Israel by the Messiah who would usher in the rule of God?

Two thousand years have passed and the latest nation of Israel shows little sign of living under the rule of God, so he probably didn’t mean this.

Did he mean that heaven was coming soon for all who kept the faith?

Again, no, probably not. Life has continued without the drama of an apocalypse followed by heaven for the believers.

So what did he mean?

Possibly he meant that the kingdom of God could come in the heart of each one of us. After all, when he taught us to pray, he said “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Whenever we pray those words, we are saying “Rule over my life, Father”; or “Your kingdom come in my heart; your will be done by me.”

This fits with the response of the disciples. When Jesus called them to follow him, they did so without delay. They dropped their regular daily tasks and became Jesus’ disciples. Being a disciple of Jesus is primarily a question of faith. If we have faith, then God’s kingdom lives in our hearts.

This shows in our lives, as “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. (Galatians 5: 22 – 23)

But what is faith?

Let me give you a worldly example. I have read that walking 10,000 steps every day boosts the immune system. I believe the medical science that says this. But 10,000 steps represents nearly two hours exercise; time when I could be doing something else. I have chosen to make that commitment to exercise, and I do it diligently. Rain or shine, I walk five miles every day. Agreeing mentally with the medical science is belief. Getting out and doing the exercise is faith.

The disciples understood that distinction. When Jesus called them to follow him, they obeyed immediately. They understood that it would be costly, but they didn’t hesitate; they acted.

It’s when we act that we grow as Christians.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for calling me to be a follower of Jesus. Please help me to listen to you, and do what you command.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Mark 1: 9 – 13 The baptism and testing of Jesus

Mark 1: 9 – 13 The baptism and testing of Jesus

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

*       *       *

The first important thing I note from this passage is that although God does not tempt people to evil, under some circumstances he permits the devil to tempt them.

He allowed Jesus to be tempted. Indeed, it was the Holy Spirit who sent Jesus out into the wilderness to be tempted. It was God’s will that his temptation took place.

Why? Well, there are all sorts of possible reasons.

Perhaps it was so that we would know he was fully man? His experience of human life would have been incomplete without temptation.

Maybe it was a period of testing? The Father knew, of course, that Jesus would successfully resist the temptation. But did Jesus know? Sometimes (maybe always) when God ‘tests’ our faith, it is not for us to prove it to him, it is for us to prove it to ourselves.

Was it perhaps, to clarify his mission? The gospels make it clear that during his mortal life Jesus did not know every detail of God’s plan for him. He frequently withdrew to a lonely place to pray. He did not have some superhuman link with the Father. He relied on the prompting of the Holy Spirit, just as we do. The temptation in the wilderness may have been a fierce learning experience to sharpen his ability to differentiate between the prompting of the Holy Spirit and human ‘wisdom’.

Matthew 4: 1 – 11 gives a more detailed account of the temptation.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’

Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” ’

Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” ’

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

There were three temptations:

  • The temptation to satisfy a basic human need;
  • The temptation to ‘prove’ his calling with a supernatural miracle; and
  • The temptation to be the Messiah that the world expected, conquering the world and ruling it according to the world’s standards rather than God’s.

Each of the temptations is really about doubting his mission.

“If you are the Son of God,” whispers the voice of temptation, “then shouldn’t you provide miraculous food for the people of Israel?”

“If you are the Son of God, why not use miracles to convince people you are the Messiah?”

“Look at all the kingdoms of the world. Be the sort of Messiah your people expect! You can rule all the nations of the earth, and Israel will be great.”

And Jesus foils each temptation with the teaching of scripture. He affirms each time that he will follow God’s will and not the wisdom of the world.

But there is a subtlety to this understanding. When we look at the ministry of Jesus, we see that he did indeed feed people miraculously in the feeding of the five thousand. He did indeed work signs and wonders, healing the sick and raising the dead, that confirmed he was the Son of God. He did indeed come as the Messiah. What mattered was that these were the right actions at the right moment. Jesus always listened to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and always obeyed it.

We, too, have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The guidance and strength given to Jesus is ours too, if we practise listening and obeying his prompting. May God grant us the will to do so.

YOUR KINGDOM COME, LORD!

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you that Jesus lived among us in fully human form. Please help me to follow his example of obedience to you even when tempted to turn away.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Mark 1 1 – 8 John the Baptist prepares the way

Firstly, an apology to anyone expecting to see a blog post about Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. I was finding it very difficult and, after prayer, I believe I am being called to study Mark’s gospel instead.

So here is the first post about Mark’s gospel. I pray that both reader and writer will grow closer to Jesus through this study.

Mark 1: 1 – 8 John the Baptist prepares the way

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way’ –

‘a voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” ’

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: ‘After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’

*       *       *

In the Greek, Mark’s gospel starts with the words “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The word “Christ” is not a name but a title, and it means “Anointed One”. The translators of the NIV have chosen to render that as “the Messiah, the Son of God”. While this may be slightly misleading, it makes it easier to see Jesus as being the fulfilment of Jewish expectation for a Messiah.

Mark starts by setting Jesus in the context of Jewish history. He says that the prophet Isaiah foretold that God would send a messenger to prepare the way for his Messiah, and he tells us that the prophecy was fulfilled in the person of John the Baptist. John taught people to confess their sins, repent of them, and be baptised. This was a development of the Jewish practice of “tvila”, immersion in water in a “mikvah” (a bath of natural spring water) to remove ritual impurity.

People flocked to John. His message of repentance and forgiveness must have been very attractive, drawing people from the Judean countryside as well as from Jerusalem. It was an important ministry, but John knew that it was not the final answer to sin. He knew that he was just the messenger. And so he proclaimed:

‘After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’

I am struck by the early mention of the Holy Spirit. Mark is telling us, through the words of John the Baptist, that the Holy Spirit is of central importance. The hallmark of the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Son of God, is that he baptises us with the Holy Spirit.

When we have been baptised in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in us. It is through his guidance that we are led into truth. It is through him that we can know Jesus.

Prayer

Dear Father

Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit when we are baptised. Help us to listen to him, help us to obey him, help us to draw closer to Jesus, in whose name I pray.

Amen

Romans 2 1 – 16 God’s righteous judgment

Romans 2: 1 – 16 God’s righteous judgment

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them, and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judged people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

*       *       *

To whom is this passage written?

It’s written to all who judge the behaviour of others. That is to say, it’s written to every one of us, because we all judge others. We do it unthinkingly. “What a rotten driver,” we might say after someone has carved us up on the road. “She left that child all on her own in the house for three hours and she’s only nine years old,” a woman might say of her neighbour.

Now, these seem like ‘trivial’ matters, but Paul is telling us in this passage that they are important; indeed, they are extremely important. They are so important that God is going to hold us to account for our actions. Paul makes it very clear that this applies to everybody, Jew and Gentile alike.

In fact, these ‘trivial’ matters have consequences. If I am criticising someone, I am not loving them. I am putting a barrier between them and me. Indeed, it is worse even than that; I am wilfully ignoring the fact that they are made in the image of God, just as I am. If I fail to see the image of God in them, how can they ever communicate God’s love to me?

Recently, during Covid lockdown, I was taking my daily exercise walk by a river in a wooded valley. I met a group of about ten people walking the other way. They left me no room to socially distance (unless I’d jumped into the river!). I felt critical of them – I judged them. And God said to me, “These are my children, and they are precious to me.”

So, what this passage teaches me is that I am not to judge others. Judging others causes division and hinders God’s work.

Judging is not our job. If any judging is needed, we can safely leave it to God.

Our job is very simple; it is to love our neighbour.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

I am sorry that I judge other people. Please open my heart, so that I can share your love with them instead.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Romans 1 24 – 32 God’s wrath against sinful humanity

Romans 1 24 – 32 God’s wrath against sinful humanity

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is for ever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practise them.

*       *       *

My struggle with Paul’s teaching goes on.

Let me start by affirming that I believe wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, God-hating, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, devising evil, failure to respect parents, lack of fidelity, lack of love, and lack of mercy, are wrong. I would add to that list promiscuity, whether by gay or straight people. So far, so Pauline.

However, there are three topics where I really struggle to accept Paul’s teaching in this epistle:

  • “…God gave them over…”;
  • Paul’s view of gay sex;
  • The meaning of “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”?

What on earth does Paul mean when he writes “…God gave them over…”? He appears to mean that God deliberately willed that non-believers should behave in a flagrantly sinful manner. Surely that can’t be right?

Then there is Paul’s outright condemnation of gay sex. I know several gay married couples. They all have stable, loving, monogamous partnerships – and what can be wrong with that?

In my third point of difficulty, I need to remember that the ‘they’ to which the sentence applies refers to the people described in verses 18 – 23. These are people who have rejected God, despite having the evidence of “God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature,” as shown in his creation of the world. I suppose these people may be either non-believers in general, or Jews who have refused to follow Jesus.

Whichever it is, Paul’s description doesn’t match my experience of them either. Of course, I know people who behave with ruthless selfishness – but I also know some militant atheists who live by a very high ethical code, placing the welfare of others above their own interests.

Let’s compare Paul’s teaching with the teaching of Jesus in the gospels.

Matthew’s gospel gives us two commandments: Jesus replied ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’ (Matthew 22: 37 – 40)

This is different. Instead of starting from sin and condemnation, Jesus starts from God and love. Surely this is a more authentic vision of God?

I believe that God loves all humanity. He wants the best for each one of us. Certainly he doesn’t want us to sin, but the example of Jesus is that our focus should be on love, not on how sinful we are. We need, with Jesus’ help, to place love at the centre of our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Please help me, and anyone else reading this blog, to place you at the centre of our lives. Please help me to love my neighbour as myself.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Romans 1: 18 – 23 God’s wrath against sinful humanity

Romans 1: 18 – 23 God’s wrath against sinful humanity

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

*       *       *

I have struggled to make sense of Romans, and this is where it all starts to go wrong. In terms of orthodox belief, what I write here is wrong. Nevertheless, I feel called to write it. However, I would urge any readers to read it critically.

In this passage, Paul seems to be saying that the nature of God is clearly shown in his creation.

Is it really? I can accept that human wickedness is responsible for many of the ills of the world, but what about the many natural disasters that cause great suffering? What about earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, epidemics, not to mention the horrors of cancer and other diseases?

There is certainly much in the world that is beautiful, and I give thanks to God for it, but as to deducing the nature of God from it, I don’t think I can.

Take the statement “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen.”

I want to ask Paul, how are they clearly seen? All civilisations have creation myths, and they’re all different. Don’t the differences show that the nature of God is not obvious from his creation? And is the bible not a record of how God has revealed his nature both to individuals and to nations? If his nature were obvious from creation, why would this revelation be needed?

And is Paul actually revealing God’s nature to us when he writes “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people”? The message of Jesus is not one of condemnation but of forgiveness. It is a revelation of God’s nature as love.

I am convinced that the essence of the holiness of God – the quality that makes him holy – is love; a love for his creation that transcends anything we can imagine.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

I am confused. I believe you are God and that Jesus shows that you love us passionately, and yet I find the writing of your great apostle St Paul seems to say otherwise. Please help me to understand your will and to be obedient to it.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Romans 1: 8 – 17 Paul’s longing to visit Rome

Romans 1: 8 – 17 Paul’s longing to visit Rome

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times, and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to see you.

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I may have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

I am a debtor both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’

*        *        *

What a good start! Before he begins any teaching, Paul takes a moment to thank God for the believers. He assures them that he prays constantly for them. This is a great example to any of us at the beginning of an activity. By praying, we open ourselves to the voice of the Holy Spirit; if we listen and obey, God will be able to work through us.

Perhaps we should start every day by offering it to God from the moment we wake up?

Paul then says “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong”. The epistle was probably written when Paul was in Corinth, and we know from his epistle to the Corinthians that the right use of spiritual gifts was a central part of Paul’s ministry.

If Paul regarded the gifts of the Holy Spirit as making believers strong, should we not be more aware of them in our churches today? What is different between then and now, in terms of how God works with humanity?

And then it is as though Paul suddenly realises that he sounds rather overbearing, so he adds “– that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”

Paul explains that he wishes to come to the Roman believers “in order that I may have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.” When we look at Paul’s life, though, we see that he never visits Rome voluntarily; when he travels there, he is a prisoner in chains. It is as though his ministry there could only be effective when carried out in weakness and captivity.

And now, at last, we come to the theme of the epistle:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”

The righteousness that Jesus brings – to us! – is by faith “from first to last”.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you that through faith in Jesus we are made righteous. Help us to pray and act in faith at all times. Help us to listen to the prompting of your Holy Spirit and obey your will.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Romans 1: 1 – 7 Introduction

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

There’s a lot of detail in this opening passage, and it’s densely packed. It’s all too easy to say, “Oh it’s just the introduction,” and skim over it. However, it sets the whole tone of the epistle, so I shall slow down and ask a few questions.

Who is writing the letter? “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus.”

Most epistles start by naming the sender in this way.  

What are his qualifications for writing? Paul says he has been “called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God”.

We know the story of Paul’s call to be an apostle from The Acts of the Apostles 9: 1 – 30, which wasn’t written until about 90 AD. The epistle to the Romans was written about thirty years earlier than that; the story of Paul’s conversion must have been well-known across the early church. One of the things that has surprised me from my bible reading is the degree to which people and information moved across the Roman Empire.

As well as being an apostle, Paul says he has been “set apart for the gospel of God”. Nothing matters to him except the gospel he has been commissioned to spread. Looked at through the eyes of someone in the twenty-first century, Paul’s whole identity depends upon the truth of his message. In human terms, this perhaps makes him an unreliable witness.

What is the subject of his epistle? “…the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son”.

Paul is writing about the good news, the gospel, of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, a gospel that Paul tells us was promised by God through prophets, whose prophecy was recorded in the Hebrew scriptures.

Who does Paul say is God’s Son? “…who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”  

Paul seems to be saying that it was only at the resurrection of Jesus that he was appointed “the Son of God in power”. As I study this epistle, I shall try to stay alert to discover something of what Paul means by this. At first sight it is very different from the theology of John (“In the beginning was the word…”)

What is Paul’s authority, or his commission? “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.”

Paul always feels the need to emphasise that, although he didn’t know Jesus during his earthly ministry, he had nevertheless received his calling to be an apostle direct from Jesus.

Who are Paul’s readers? “And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:”

The original readers were the early Christian church in Rome. Since then it has been included in the bible, and many millions of believers have read it. It is addressed to all of us.

How does Paul greet his readers? Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is a wonderful greeting. I pray that all who read this blog post may receive “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for helping begin to study Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. I’m finding it difficult. Please give me the strength to continue, so that I may learn more about you and about Jesus, in whose name I pray.

Amen.

Paul’s Epistle to the Romans 1: 1 – 7

Paul’s Epistle to the Romans 1: 1 – 7

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

*       *       *

I’m frightened as I approach this epistle.

The biblical scholar and former Bishop of Durham, N T Wright, has written about Romans: “What nobody doubts is that we are here dealing with a work of massive substance, presenting a formidable intellectual challenge while offering a breath-taking theological and spiritual vision.”

The difficulty for me is that there is a great deal of the epistle I find difficult to believe.

Nevertheless, I believe that the Holy Spirit is urging me to read and blog about the epistle, so that’s what I’ll do. It may change me profoundly. However, whether my understanding of my faith is changed or not, it will be deepened.

The issues I expect to be difficult are Paul’s view of God’s wrath; his view of God’s love; his view of the nature of Jesus’ death on the cross; and his view of human sexuality. In other words, an awful lot of the epistle.

Does that matter? I look at the heading of this letter to the Romans:

“And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul wrote this from Corinth to the Christians in Rome around about AD 57. It’s not just a letter to the Roman Christians, though. It’s an epistle, which is quite distinct from a letter. It is written for a general readership, and is intended to be persuasive. As such, it is addressed to us today, to me. It says I am loved by God, and called to be one of his holy people. It blesses me with God’s grace and peace.

Paul has written to me; it’s important; I must make sure I’m paying attention.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for your love. Thank you for Jesus. Please help me to read the bible and learn from it whatever I need to follow Jesus and to do your will. Please help me to have the humility to realise when I’m wrong and need to change my thinking.

In Jesus’ name, Amen