Session 48 | Romans: A Post Analysis, Part 2 | Romans Rightly Divided
Download a PDF outline here: (Note: this is a continuation of session 47 and is the same outline as session 47.
[011124 Session 47 Post Analysis.pdf](https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/7b217a2e-7680-4a37-a36a-0b030b3a974e/06cbc84b-d6a6-47f6-95a2-53e8d1ffa083/011124Session47PostAnalysis.pdf)
Romans: An Overview
This segment is a review from session 47
1. Israel was under the Law prior to Paul's revelation of the mystery, requiring faith and obedience for righteousness and justification.
2. Both Jews and Gentiles were under condemnation for sin due to the Jews' failure to keep the Law and the Gentiles' rejection of God's knowledge in creation.
3. Paul received the revelation of the mystery gospel, which emphasized salvation by grace through faith, independent of the Law.
4. The Jewish nation rejected Jesus as their Messiah and King, resulting in their spiritual blindness.
5. God temporarily set aside Israel and ushered in the "dispensation of grace," extending salvation to all people.
6. Salvation is now offered freely to all through grace by faith in Christ, without distinction between Jew and Gentile.
7. Paul anticipated the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel, expecting their spiritual blindness to end following the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.
8. Paul was eager to impart the revelation of the mystery gospel to the Roman believers to establish them in the new gospel of grace.
9. Paul affirmed that nothing, including Israel's current unbelief, could thwart God's faithfulness to His promises, anticipating Israel's ultimate salvation and glory.
Evidence Of The Dispensational Transition In Romans
There are those who insist that there was not a Pauline transition. These individuals are typically either covenant theologians or dispensationalists who have not fully thought their position through. I believe that Romans can be used to show the incompatibility of such an idea with the book of Romans.
The Book of Romans, as taught by Paul, reflects a significant theological shift or transition in the way God interacts with humanity, particularly in the context of salvation. This shift is seen as moving from a focus on the Law and Israel to a more universal approach that includes Gentiles and emphasizes faith over works.
1. Distinctiveness of Paul’s Gospel:
Romans 16:25-26: "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith." This passage undeniably express that the gospel Paul preached was a 'mystery' that had been hidden but was now revealed through Christ.
2. Justification by Faith, Apart from the Law:Romans 3:21-22: "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference." Paul emphasizes a righteousness that comes apart from the Law, a key distinction which Paul addresses at length, showing that this is a new thing in the working of God with man. If “righteousness of God without the law” had always been available, then why does Paul go to such lengths to say that it is “now” been revealed?
Romans 7:6: "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Here, Paul speaks of a transition from the Law that frankly would have been heretical in the synoptic Gospels and all of the Hebrew scriptures.
Romans 11:11-15: "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?" Paul discusses how Israel’s rejection has opened the way for Gentile inclusion, displaying a new phase in God's redemptive plan. If salvation had ***always* been available to the Gentiles, why does he speak of its new arrival?
These Old Testament passages emphasize righteousness and life through adherence to the Law. Paul's statement in Romans 4:4-5 represents a significant shift in understanding, where righteousness is attributed to faith, not to the works of the Law. This shift highlights the emphasis on grace and faith as the means of righteousness, contrasting with the old covenant's focus on law and works.
6. The Universal Scope of Salvation:
These passages from the Old Testament and the Gospels reflect a particular focus on Israel as God's chosen people and the primary recipients of His covenant and revelations. In contrast, Romans 10:12-13 represents a significant expansion of this scope, declaring that salvation through Jesus Christ is available to all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, without distinction. This marks a key development in the understanding of God's plan for salvation as being inclusive and universal, extending beyond the ethnic and covenantal boundaries of Israel.
The Right Roman Road
![The Right Roman Road.png](https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/7b217a2e-7680-4a37-a36a-0b030b3a974e/5df42be5-7e46-43fd-8dce-0f74503d3f25/TheRightRoman_Road.png)
1. **Promised Path: God's National Salvation for Israel
Explanation: Paul affirms the future salvation of all Israel, fulfilling God's longstanding promises, symbolizing restoration and redemption.
Explanation: This highlights the Gentiles' failure to recognize and honor God despite His clear revelation in creation, leading to their accountability.
Explanation: Paul points out the irony of Jews priding themselves on the Law, yet failing to uphold it, highlighting the gap between law and practice.
Romans 3:9: "What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin."
Explanation: This verse succinctly states that both Jews and Gentiles are equally under the power of sin, emphasizing that all humanity shares the same condition of sinfulness and the need for salvation.
Explanation: Jesus' role is emphasized as fulfilling God's promises to the Jewish forefathers, underscoring His mission among the Jewish people.
Explanation: Israel's rejection of Christ paradoxically paves the way for Gentiles to receive salvation, expanding God's redemptive plan.
Explanation: This marks a shift from law-based righteousness to grace-based salvation, accessible to all through faith in Christ.
Explanation: Paul explains Israel's partial spiritual blindness as temporary, suggesting a future phase where Israel will be fully included in God's plan.
Explanation: This verse underlines the universality of salvation through faith, extending the promise to all, including Israel in the future.
Explanation: Paul highlights the current opportunity for all individuals to obtain salvation and peace with God through faith, emphasizing the grace available now.
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