My Take on Romans

My take on the Epistle to the Romans:

Paul had tried several times to get to Rome, but so far he hadn't managed to make it there. He was all too aware of the doctrinal winds which no doubt were blowing against the new found faith of the believers there - so he was so keen to clearly delineate the truth of the Gospel, and to address some of those opposing winds of doctrine.

Paul was presenting and defending his Gospel. Paul's Gospel, in a nutshell was: "Salvation for all - including the Gentiles - by grace through faith - without the works of the Law."

But there were some fierce, opposing winds that were likely coming against the believers at Rome, as elsewhere. Paul addresses those winds of doctrine in his epistle:

There were the Judaizers who were insisting that believers at Rome should begin keeping the Law or at least parts of the Law.

There was also the danger that disunity could threaten the weaker believers in the church, and scatter the congregation, and slow-down the church's growth. Some were stronger in their new found faith, and so had become free from the observances of the Law. Others were still weak in their new found faith, and still felt duty-bound to certain observances. It was important that both groups were patient with each other, so as not to blow the whole church apart.

There were those who may have wondered whether the emergence of a predominantly Gentile congregation meant that God's promises to the nation of Israel had somehow failed to come to pass.

Others of the Gentiles were at risk of becoming over-confident in their new found privileges in relation to God, and may have even thought that it was hardly possible for a Jew to be saved at all.

Some may have felt unsure how to respond to criticisms from outsiders who mistakenly said the doctrine of salvation by faith had to be wrong because it logically meant people could continue in sin.

Many of the believers were so young in the faith, they still needed to become grounded in the basics of what to believe and how to behave in the church and how to answer critics.

So to address these issues, Paul's design was:

To show that all Gentiles were sinners (chapter 1);

All Jews likewise were sinners (chapter 2);

That the remedy for sin for both Jew and Gentile is the salvation that is in Christ Jesus by grace through faith (chapter 3).

Then he proved the importance of faith with illustrations from the revered patriarch Abraham (chapter 4).

He described in detail the effective reach of the salvation that comes by Christ alone (chapter 5).

Then he addresses the mistaken objection that salvation by faith somehow allows a continuance in sin - it does the opposite (chapter 6).

He describes the ineffectiveness of the Law, in comparison to the effectiveness of Christ - towards producing actual holiness (chapter 7).

He sums it all up by reassuring the believers of how original, pre-planned, accurate, trustworthy, reliable, effective, thorough, Scriptural, and eternally promising the Gospel of salvation by faith is (chapter 8).

He explains that the fact that salvation was being offered on the basis of faith rather than on the basis of Jewishness and of law-keeping, did not mean God's promises to Israel had failed, because it had always been God's prerogative to save on His own basis - based on His mercy - based on faith in the promise - rather than based on ethnicity or law-keeping. And Paul illustrated this principle with the examples of Isaac, Jacob and Pharaoh. He shows that it had been foreseen by the prophets, and it was not unrighteous of God, to extend His mercy to Gentiles (chapter 9).

Which draws him to a crescendo about how to be saved by faith (chapter 10).

Then he addresses further concerns about what it all means for the nation of Israel. He explains that it is still possible for a Jewish person to be saved, if he believes. He also explains that Gentile believers shouldn't become conceited. He validates the existence of the predominantly Gentile-congregation, but explains the manner in which it is still possible for any Israelite to be saved - which is, by faith (chapter 11).

Then he addresses behavioural matters, each of which are designed to solidify the church, until such time as he can finally make a personal visit (chapters 12 - the end).

There isn't any indication that Paul believed in the five-points of Calvinism, or that he believed in a future special dispensation for Israel during which the whole nation shall be saved on a different basis than on the basis of faith.