Theology for Everybody: Romansنموونە

Theology for Everybody: Romans

DAY 11 OF 365

Keywords have become all the rage in our age of technology. In a web browser, keywords guide you to the right information as you try to make sense of the flood of data at your fingertips.

In the Bible, God the Holy Spirit has also chosen and placed some keywords to help us find our way. These shorthand tools explain or refer to complex theological truths. Understanding what these keywords mean and what they don’t mean helps us learn the language of the Bible to understand what the authors of Scripture meant. Keywords also help us communicate with others about the bigger ideas of the Bible. What follows are three of the keywords Paul uses in his letter to the Romans.

The Righteousness of God

In one survey of the landscape of Bible commentaries, the author noted that "the phrase 'the righteousness

of God' is one of the central theological ideas for Paul’s exposition of the gospel and his mission in Romans. The phrase occurs just eight times in Romans (see Romans 1:17; 3:5, 21, 22, 25, 26; and in 10:3 two times), though Paul frequently uses related terms and phrases throughout the letter. The interpretation of the phrase 'the righteousness of God' is complex and, at times, controversial since it carries significant theological weight for the doctrine of justification."

The Gospel

In the ancient world, the Greek concept of “evangelion” (or the noun euangelion in Greek) simply referred to a good report of some good news. Often, this kind of report would be given by a king who would send a herald throughout the land to deliver the good news. Paul, however, uses this concept in Romans to refer to the Good News (gospel) from God as He sends out preachers from His Kingdom to herald it to the nations. Of all the New Testament writers, Paul uses the word translated gospel or Good News the most often (60 out of 75 instances, or 80 percent). Within the written Gospels themselves, euangelion only occurs 13 times. Luke–Acts, however, contains the related verb euangelizō over 25 times. Paul uses the same verb about 20 times.

In Romans, Paul examines the gospel from several different angles. It is a fact that God has confirmed through Jesus, and to deny it is to deny reality. For Paul, the gospel isn’t an abstraction; it is salvation. Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel [euangelion], for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...” (Romans 1:16). So then, what is the gospel?

1. God working in history with Jesus Christ being the culmination of everything God is doing.

2. By its power, anyone who believes can be saved.

Faith

The concept of faith is a massive theme in Romans. The New Testament uses the Greek word pistis to translate various Old Testament Hebrew words, most often the word 'aman, which is usually rendered "to be trustworthy" or "to trust." This kind of trust is frequently demonstrated through obedience and the acceptance of God’s ways. The most prominent ways the New Testament uses pistis involve the following:

1. The right disposition a person has toward God

2. The means by which God has a relationship with us

3. The content of our belief in God

4. The way we live out faith in our attitudes, relationships, conduct, and beliefs

Paul uses the concept of faith in all four ways in his letter to the Romans.”

Today’s Reflection

In your own words, how would you explain these three keywords to someone who is not yet saved?

Scripture

ڕۆژی 10ڕۆژی 12

About this Plan

Theology for Everybody: Romans

After Pastor Mark got saved in his college dorm room reading the book of Romans, this 365-day devotional is the culmination of more than 30 years of studying this incredible book. Chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse, this book digs into topics covered in the great book of Romans, such as justification, grace, predestination, legalism, deconstruction, and more.

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