Unlocking Romans Block 1 Session 3

Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us the time to study uh to dig deeply on this book. Um Father, we study Romans and we um teach Romans quite often, but we confess that your word is so deep and so wide that we can never study enough. allowed us to unlock the the book of Romans and to u master the teachings in this book and moreover allowed us to apply the word in our life and allowed us to be equipped as the teacher who can explain uh the gospel uh to people with this precious book uh entrusted to us. uh in the afternoon it's a time that we may feel fatigued physically but allow our spirit to be awakened and allow our discussion and lecture to be the mutual encouragement in the name of Jesus Christ we pray amen yeah we will enter the part of what uh so that's let's discuss about this question Philip Mentha a famous rutheran theologian used to describe Romans as a textbook book, perfect textbook for uh the teachings of the gospel and Martin Luther described Romans as the pure gospel. Uh so certainly this book contain a framework of the fundamental teaching of Christian faith and is especially favored by the Protestant because it highly emphasized about the doctrine of grace and faith. We're made righteous not by deeds, not by works, not by rituals, not by law, but by by grace alone. Uh but let's jump out of the box and think about this to the first central Christians. Do you think Romans is functioned was functioning like a textbook? Is there anything the early church actively practice or engage or get in contact but not mentioned in the book of Romans? Basically you feel many many things were covered by Romans. Right. So so is there anything you think very important to the early uh believers early church yet not mentioned in the book of Romans? In Paul's other letters, he might have mentioned some something he mentioned in other >> crystal. Christology. Could you elaborate that a little bit? >> I think in book of Colossians. >> Mhm. >> It talks a lot about Christologology, >> the person of and work of Jesus Christ. >> But in the book of Romans, I think a the book of Romans emphasize emphasizes how a person can be saved. >> The sociology part, not the christologology part and esquetology and some critic. ethicsology. >> Yeah. Ethics, Christian ethics. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. The observation is right. Christologology. Uh even though it it touched >> but it's not elaborated was not elab elaborated. So siology was mentioned. So when we are teaching Romans, this is what we discover for the people who do not know Jesus much and you feel come to chapter three. You start to feel it's quite difficult because the person and work of Jesus Christ is not separated from sociology. So, so uh because the target audience has no big issue about christologology >> and Paul concerned more about the Christian life ethics the the the sortiology uh and how the relationship within the church. So those are his concern and just now you say what did you say just Christologology was not elaborated >> uh anything else >> communion right communion the Lord's supper this is really really important for the early church baptism was mentioned in chapter six in a more spiritual way but but it's elaborated the meaning of baptism related to how we die to sin and live in Christ and this is the core of sanctification so baptism somehow was talked about in elaborated form but not communion almost no communion no not supper at all but Paul indeed touched this issue in first Corinthians and what so leadership church administration structure leadership those were not mentioned but those were not mentioned in most of Paul's letters and somehow due to the church structure is not that mature so so It's also part of the thing but uh this is mainly to the church leadership who is governing the overall body of the church. So uh church at the main uh management and leadership but those are pastoral epistles. So this one may not exactly count but but yeah it's a observation. These are not touched. But this is actually not something very very important. I mean so essential like Christologology, communion. Actually resurrection was not taught in elaborated way. It was mentioned here and there for example chapter 4, chapter 8, right? So, but it was not dealt with as elaborated as the 1 Corinthians chapter 15 even if it's such a important confession important part of the the faith. solution. Anything else? something very important to the early church yet not covered. I think second coming returning return of the Lord. This is also highly emphasized and focused by the church community. But of course in Galatians you also didn't see Paul cover escapology in that extent. Uh why? Because it was highly emphasized uh in in the doctrine of uh sociology uh by ways by faith alone. But we have to say the u parial is es is esctology return of the lord resurrection of the dead those are not uh elaborated mentioned but not elaborated. Yeah, I think it it covers basically everything. Now we were not going to ritual even if early church have a lot of rituals but it was not as important as resurrection, communion, christologology and sclogy. So from from this you can say probably Romans is not exactly a textbook but more situational writing because it's so easy to feel it's highly complete systematic but when you dig deeply you realize there are so many important issues Paul actually didn't talk about in his book of Romans. He didn't have the intention to publish a textbook covering all the essential of early believers Christian belief and life like like what John Calvin wrote the the institution of Christianity. So it was not with that intention. Uh so it it also proved that Romans is more like a situational writing a crisis strategic crisis document. Okay, this is one thing we want to look at and then I will give some pendants. Uh there are different way to demonstrate the architectural structure of I I took out three using the analogy of building house. You have three way to demonstrate that. Could you guys re look at the detail and tell me which one you like or you if you have any critique of some some some drawing you can also mention about this. Let's have uh maybe 10 minutes to look at this. or each picture something you like or something you want to make critic Okay. If you want to draw another building, feel free to do that. What do you think? Come out and better draw. What do you think? You you like none of them. You want to >> take >> Uhhuh. So could you share your understanding? I mean why you like this one and why the other two you don't like any critics? >> I think structure level of his episode I understand the ark of the >> No, that's the second picture. The third one doesn't have the arc. >> Yeah, the second one >> arc place a decoration. >> Not really decoration. It's like the central and most glorious part of the the the building. >> I think from the justification shouldn't be the central failure. I think justification and should be the foundation >> and theification shouldn't be the scaffolding scaffolding can remove the construction you remove >> scaffolding >> but the certification is a essential part of the salvation it can't be removable >> so so for I just don't >> so uh I think first one is the justification foundation because the sanification you can't have the you can't have the sanification without the justification. >> So that's why the justification is the foundation then you go through the part of sanification. >> Then what is the go for those who didn't get salvation I think chapter 9 to 11 for Israel >> yeah Israel then chapter 12 and finally how do you understand the panacle chapter 16 the panacle Why it's at the top? I understand that 5 to8 chapter 5 to8 is based on the foundation of justification sin and justification. But um the part of chapter 911 chapter chapter 16 how could it be built? >> I think if you participate I I think when when the radars around the world Mhm. >> The the great commission. I think they they participate the great commission. They need this kind of the mission network. >> I think this kind of the practical guidance >> or participation in the mission missional practice. >> Yeah. >> Which is different from the ethical just the Christian living ethics. >> Yeah. >> Mhm. It makes sense. What does Ki think? foundations. In order for them to know that they need to be so found And then of course the scaffolding kind of as long as the building is still building right to to build the building. So it's kind of like a life. As long as we're going through this sanctification as long as after justification we keep on sanctifying ourselves >> until the end where like this building when the cosmic glorification comes in everything is glorif which is sanification. So think sanctification is a process which is necessary for those who are still building the house or for the history in the in the history of God since it's still being built. It's necessary >> individual and cosmic as well individual go and We still need to concent. >> Mhm. >> So yeah, >> the roof canopi it's very interesting. This picture puts the chapter 9 to 11 as the top of the building and it groups the living I mean the life ethics practical ethics and the missional participation all together as one part and describe it as interial living space. It's not necessary to be all fully right. It's just some some different deals to see how the whole Romans is structured. And by looking at this, I think one question forming us is why did Paul put chapter 9 to 11 between chapter 8 and chapter 12? Why can't he put it at the end right before his missional vision and sharing to the church to participate in the global mission? >> Everyone and Yeah, that's what Romans chapter 9 to 111 is about. How hardening the the Jews is uh to lead the repentance I mean the the the salvation of the Gentiles and how the salvation of the Gentiles lead the Jews to be uh provoke it provoked and repent and also return to God. And at the end it came out the praise that the whole earth is saved in Jesus Christ. It sounds like highly missional. So everybody doesn't like picture two right feeling picture two doesn't make sense. I also feel putting chapter 12 to 16 as the as the roof as the top I don't understand this logic >> I mean picture two picture one is very obvious everything is based on the previous chapter and build on to the top in involving them to participate to the mission to the end of the age to the end of the earth to Spain. Uh it kind of makes sense. Uh I I try to make sense of I mean I I can disagree with it but I just try to make sense how the author of this structure think about how they look at the different chapter of Romans. I actually draw my own one putting condemnation as the foundation, justification and sanctification as the pillar and uh life practice to the end of the the Romans as the inner part and the roof 9 to 11. But hearing what Kiyagi explained about the scaffolding and fell on yeah seems that the the third picture somehow makes sense. But the third picture puts chapter five into justification. Why I think chapter five should be group to the sanctification. I think there are several questions is so uh I mean those picture may not be perfect but but there are some question provoked. verse is um chapter five justification or sanctification and also the role of Romans 9 to11 why uh this part was placed between Romans 8 and Romans 12 and also uh the function of Romans 16. Somehow I think this question was soft in the morning that it was not merely the greetings the final greetings but in includes Paul's esquetological view and invitation to the church to participate in his uh end of age end of earth the earth mission and he purposely included so many names. Uh, traditionally people view Romans chapter 16 as a way Paul talked to the church which he never met and tried to testify that I already had a lot of co-workers there. I knew a lot of people who was constantly serving you guys. So we actually had certain connection. Um but uh with the esquetological explanation added, we probably can see chapter 16 as a picture Paul paint about these um multicultural all the nations gathered together and how this church in Rome play a strategic role to participate in the global mission to the end of the earth. Uh so somehow this question is solved. Chapter 16 is a quite important part whether this this picture putting this as a panicle or uh this put it as a top or this group together chapter 12 to chapter 16 chapter 16 is never a separable part it's it's just part of the book of Romans and inseparable part and quite important part so this is this question is soft but what about this so the differences between these three archae architect architectural structure actually provoke our question about chapter 5 and chapter 9 to 11. >> What do you think chapter 5 is a justification or sanctification? >> Justification. Right. Jesus >> is this change of >> kingdom and nation. >> Yeah. So you think it's justification? >> And this picture didn't put it as justification. This also didn't. And this picture put it as justification. So what do you think Priscilla the role of chapter five? Is it justification or sanctification? So graph one and two put it as sanctification and graph three put it as justification. Why do you think so? >> It talks about the fundamental change, right? Let's look at Romans chapter 5. >> Firstly talk about how we can reconcile with God and second part about why we can be classified by Jesus Christ. Contrast >> contrast between one man and one man Adam and second Adam. My personal view is sanctification because obviously at the beginning of chapter five it says therefore since we have been justified so so sequence sequential wise therefore means it's a result of something and also another reason I consider part of sanctification is because without Romans chapter 5 so if we group Romans chapter 5 into justification ification then a part of sanctification starts from chapter six then it really lack of the foundation of sanctification because it directly enter into the struggle the sin you die to sin your life in Jesus you offer your body as the uh instrument for righteousness but the foundation of sanctification is the emphasis on on the life therefore since we have been justified so so the life we we enjoying and also the the first part of Romans talk about suffering suffering is not really about san justification >> so it's more like sanctification but but beyond all the sufferings all these experiences we need to know we already have obtained this reconciliation this peace with God and we have overflowing joy in this relationship and the reason we talked about Adam and uh is the the the the the contrast between Adam and Christ. This is for the purpose of those who walk the path having the battle to understand your dominion and your kingdom has been changed. So that's my understanding uh Romans chapter 5 should be put into the part of after justification otherwise therefore since we have been justified so so but some people yeah I do think some people think uh this is related to justification it talks about what justifications brought to you um the pastoral In fact, if I consider the pastoral function, I think sanctification without teaching Romans 5 is incomplete. >> It is it it is. But but I also think it's a foundational chapter for for sanctification to affirm those who are in battle that we are saved. We are justified and to affirm those who experience the the troubles and struggles in the reality that something is already given. the peace, the the joy uh beyond suffering and the Holy Spirit and um the new uh new root, new family, new new new dominion, new kingdom. Yeah. But but putting considering uh sanctification as scaffolding I think it's a quite interesting insight and also somehow makes sense. Okay that's about chapter five. Yeah you can continue the discussion but none of you really draw the topic of sanctification. uh yeah uh and the role of Romans chapter 9 to 111 the three picture actually have very different view on that part uh so the first picture is very straightforward this is just part of the overall discussion is keep building up building up so uh built upon chapter 5 to8 and in the history it's a testimony of God's faithfulness God's sovereignty which is related ated to the previous doctrinal teaching and builds on that foundation build on that foundation you have the Christian ethics life and then the pinnacle is you participate in the great commission to the end of the earth so that's the first picture and the second picture plays chapter 9 to uh 11 as the ar arch so arch is the very fancy part and the most beautiful and glorious part of the building. Uh some people really consider Romans chapter 11, the end of Romans chapter 11 is the pinnacle. It's the peak point of the whole chapter because the the tone the doxology how how um uh Paul prays God and how he understand the fulfillment of God's salvation plan. This amazing unity and amazing oneness in Jesus Christ to fulfill his salvation plan. So that's his praise and then he he start to come back to the reality to teach the church about Christian ethics about participating in mission. So so with that understanding probably you can think oh well the ark the arch can be Romans chapter 9 to 11. And the third picture putting it as the roof but the building looks different. It's arc plus roof. Arch plus roof. Uh and he placed the uh the life and mission in as the inner part rather than the uh the the top of the building. Yeah. So what is the role? What do you think the role of Romans chapter 9 to 11? And if it's the pick points, why didn't Paul put it at the end or at least before chapter 16 that the end of his teaching the book of Romans? >> It talks about God's sovereignty. >> God's sovereignty. So you think it's related to chapter eight? >> Yeah, it's related to the topic of predestination. >> Chapter eight talked about predestination. I think I think if chapter doesn't go I think the real question. >> What happened to Israel? How do you how do you apply the >> the one I got the chosen became like this. Yeah. >> Will be failed in the in the faith journey. >> Yeah. Beyond restoration. >> Yeah. >> Uhhuh. >> I think to allow to address >> the topic of predestination in a history setting. >> Yeah. >> It's historic settings. >> Uhhuh. What do you think? about God sovereign I think also yeah God poem also in this chapter >> chapter n talk about Abraham >> yes God's coin is they're not only consider but the >> by faith they are the true Israel >> are the true Israelites >> so I think that covers the kind of sovereignty as based on your marriage mar so it's like all people Mhm. >> And and and then it comes to the interior part of living >> after after understanding that after understanding this house is complete and everyone. >> So you start the interior design renovation >> participate respectable living. Mhm. Your picture to put puts the top for everybody, covers everybody. And the arch is the chapter 9 to 11. Uh when I look at the structure of Romans, I I thought about how we structure theological education. We study biblical theology first. This is how we approach it. Some some schools study systematic theology first. We study biblical theology first and then systematic theology first and then at the second and then historic theology and then we come to the practical theology. So I think all the practical parts are built upon the good understanding of the doctrine and history. So you can have the proper practice. So if Romans chapter 1 to8 is about doctrines and chapter 9 to 11 are about history then the practical the practice should be built upon all these these things completed. uh and and I think all three picture try to try to try to illustrate this image. So chapter 12 to chapter 16 uh something happened after you completed everything the doctrinal teaching and the history. So you can't put chapter 9 to 11 after the practical exhortation the ethics and because part of the ethics is about the unity between the strong and the weak dominantly the Jew Jewish believers and the gentile believers and without knowing the his history knowing God's heart towards Israel and how he work in the history to unite the two parts together the practice will merely become humanistic like let's let's make good relationship and without this theological and historic way uh so history has to be dealt first and and and I think Priscilla also addressed a very good point when people think about God's sovereignty which is so strong u to the point nothing can separate us from the love of God and people immediately got the question then what happened to the Jews what happened to the Israel If nothing can separate them, the chosen one from the love of God, then why they were separated? Why why we all become Christian? It seems that the new Israel has replaced the old. So it's like replacement. But Paul says it's not replacement. It's just the way God works to fulfill his unchanging salvation plan. uh to use the hardening of the Jews and to let the salvation comes to the Gentiles and to use the salvation of the Gentiles to lead the repentance of the Jews so that everybody will be will be circled in the condemnation eventually all will be saved in Jesus Christ and then comes the end of the chapter 11 uh the doxology the praise be to God um praising God's wisdom his amazing plans and sovereignty and build on all these foundation. No matter which way you try to build the practical part, the life exhortation, the mission practice is built on the foundation of the doctrinal historic teachings. Um yes, just some some because of the difference we we explore the these these questions. uh so so two of you both held the view that justific uh Romans chapter 5 justification I think it's sanctification uh and we we will we will study chapter by chapter and then we we can revisit the question again and this one somehow is solved right yeah so 9 to 11 is not a a odd part simply about Israel but it's about God's sovereignty demonst demonstrated or God's faithfulness demonstrated in the history. Okay. Then let's look at this about the interpretation of Romans. There is an ongoing development. I can't say those are evolution but there is ongoing uh development of interpretation of Romans which enrich our understanding of the Romans. So what are those? The first is the uh is the interpretation um before reformation. So before reformation look at the before reformation uh the typical understanding of Romans is seen um was understanding mainly as the moral uh misconduct and so that uh people needs to uh do good in order to to to to change. So that's pre-reformation understanding sin was basically understood as immoral con misconduct. Let me find get the precise way to articulate that. Hold on. One sec. What's Just where have the notes. There is three stage of development of interpretation. Uh pre-reformation. Uh so pre-reformation uh the interpretation of uh the interpretation uh strongly emphasize on God's strict justice. So it's the before Martin Luther God's wrath, strict justice and judgment and the righteousness of God which Martin Luther highly struggled with uh is um through humans efforts you need to be right with God. So be be be viewed as right in life and practice with God. And it was also partially because even the scripture itself was highly modified by the church that the lay believers was were unable to access to the Bible. It was in Latin and even the Latin version of scripture uh was modified. So Martin Luther as a monk at the beginning he wasn't able to kneel to know the the what the scripture was actually writing about only until he started to study theology and read the original text and he started to realize that what he has had been learning in the church uh was different from the word of go word of god itself. So the pre-reformation understanding uh yeah that's what's what was happening. So we can't say um before reformation all the understanding of Romans is wrong but before the re right before reformation that was the situation uh and reformation um Martin Luther especially his Romans preface which uh made Wesley's heart burning and warmed extremely warm u Martin Luther's preface of Romans his interpretation of God's righteousness uh is the forensic just uh forensic justification. What does that mean? For sick justification, it's like a legal court. So when when a righteous judge God uh declare that you are righteous or you have no sin, so this is foreign, right? It's given. is nothing about uh your effort. It's a gift of grace bestowed upon believers completely through faith in Jesus Christ. So grace given or alien grace let me emphasize about this alien alien it's alien this one alien alien grace given to the sinners and faith is to accept this grace. There is nothing wrong about uh this interpretation and this already touched the core of the uh sociology about salvation by grace and by faith alone. Oh, but the modern error. So this one. So there is a scholar whose name is Ernst caseman. So his understanding of Romans the righteousness of go of God the sin and righteousness of God is in the cosmos approach. So what does that mean? uh he further expanded the theological impact of Romans by arguing that God's righteousness is not merely a legal status imputed to individuals but God's active uh salvific power invading the cosmos to defeat the power of chaos and rapture and recapture his fallen creation. So in his framework he understood sin not as a verb but as a noun which is a right observation but he understood as as a n as a power as a cosmic power enslaving the sinners. So God's salvation is not merely towards each individual's foreign gifts but also the activate sorry the active uh engagement uh and and uh invasion into the dark power to rescue the sinners. >> So from the beginning God's salvation is not just to the individual but a cosmic action. Uh so the righteousness of God as a cause won't make power to invite to the cha chaotic world. Um captured by S. Okay. about this interpretation. What do you think? So he is a scholar in mid 20th century. So quite recent mid 20th century. What do you think about this view? Mhm. So what's the problem? What's the problem? Do you think >> I think it should be your personal reflection? Yeah. What do you think? I'm still trying to look for a slide. Actually, I purposely made for this. I was looking for that. I couldn't really find it. On one hand, Think about all >> everything. And also it says that not only men but the creatures and everything to sin. So the the explanate interpretation of this cosmo cosmic view um lighten the personal salvation or personal moral obligation. What do you think? Does it lighten the personal obligation, moral obligation? Yes, you couldn't find the slide I made. Um yeah, certainly the the cosmic approach not cosmos cosmic cosmic cosmic um understanding in in Romans and in Paul's uh understanding of salvation shouldn't be neglected. Um but I think uh caseman's view and Luther's view need to be well com combined. Uh this personal um personal salvation or this foric justification grace uh is u a very foundational uh teaching in the gospel my personal sin and God's rescue plan to me. I'm not simply under a certain power without any strength to struggle out but I have my personal moral failures and spiritual failures that I need to uh receive the grace given from God. So purely I say gift. Um but this cosmic part also allow the believers to not confine the salvation in the individual level but also look at God's saving plan salvation plan in the whole history and in the whole earth. So these two views need to be well balanced. There are a lot of contemporary theologians very into the part of cosmic aspects of salvation. Uh but we need to balance well in emp in in the emphasis. We shouldn't just emphasize on one side and ignore the other. Yeah. Uh I may hand you some readings related to this because I I I lost one of the material I have um which makes the details of this with some reference. Yeah, this is uh the interpretation the development um and now we'll come to the part of some key concept. We'll take a five minutes break and oh it's already 3:30. >> Take a five minutes break and we'll come back and use 30 minutes to finish the rest. I I found this slide. I will just read through this. Um yeah, reformation. So this is the summary from uh Ljenax book reading through Paul. Uh so the pre-reformation extreading judge uh exact exacting judge the concept street divine justice the view of god is in a roof accountant weighing scales of good and bad deeds and the result is a read legalism and fear and Martin Luther's view on Romans especially the righteousness of God was the imputed grace imputed which means it's not I is foreign, it's foreign sick. It's alien. A merciful gift bestowed upon believers. The view of God is a loving God providing extra righteousness from beyond ourselves and the result is spark of the reformation the personal liberation from fear. Erns kasman interpreted as cosmic reclaiming power. Uh that's his understanding about righteousness of God. The concept is the active sovereignty setting the cosmic cosmos right. The view of God is a victor invading the created order to defeat the forces of chaos. Righteousness not just downloaded. It's God active repairing all relationships in creation. um in in Luther's in reformation's interpreted framework we can understand it as part of the um ongoing sanctification that the relationship uh between man and God between man and men and creations uh is uh is a is a part of um sanctification and eventually entering the glorification. Um but as kisman's framework is this is just the righteousness of God revealed in uh restoring the all the creation and all right. Yeah. And uh we'll not look at this one that soon. We'll just go through some key concept and we'll come back to this quanran connection of the idea of the righteousness of God and try to prove that Paul's idea about the righteousness of God was not in any invention. Also what key concept key concepts so in the book of Romans um what are the key concepts please give me some key concepts some key words condemnation Why you talk about condemnation first? Uh okay. >> Uh it's actually the sin and wrath of God. Not exactly condemnation. It's it's sin. So So I think the concept of sin, let's look at a concept of sin first. Sin and condemnation and judgment. So they are all related. Um so what is the concept of sin dealt in Romans? Um is it the same as uh what other religions in the same time talked about. So sing actually have different uh level right. One is the uh individual uh broken relationship with God and also individual moral failure. So this is godless godlessness and this is wickedness. And in Romans what's quite special is it really deal with this root. So this is root of in the V choose scene and besides that scene was also understood and portraits in the cosmic level as a power to uh to enslave the sinners. For example, Romans chapter 5, sin enter the world, right? Like a very aggressive invader seeing enter uh the created world. And um and we when we study Romans chapter 5, we also try to replace sin with Satan. And when we study Romans chapter 7, if you replace sin with Satan, it makes perfect sense. Uh so so sin was pictured. It's not exactly sin is Satan but sin was seen in Paul's language in Romans is also pictured as a active power invading into the world trying to enslave the sinners. It's also beyond the individual's level of choice to commit sin. Uh the analogy of slave u perfectly picture this. I became a slave not out of my own own will uh but someone captured me and enslaved me and who can set me free. So Romans chapter 5 the second half u draw this picture of the two dominion two kingdom that Christ in his battle with sin he defeated the sin and he became the second Adam the root of the new nation the new people and new dominion and grace reigns uh so in this new kingdom and new dominion we enjoying the new identity and new relationship ship. So scene was uh pictured in the multiple multiple faces as a multiple facult uh content uh and what is the way to deal with sin? How how the Romans pictured about God's way to deal with sin? How to deal with suh >> God's rough. So this is actually a judgment cause rough. What else? Uh so Romans chapter 3 actually talked about how God deal with sin. God deal with sin by by his righteousness in the law, right? He deal with sin by law. And both Romans and Galatians had this picture of God used law to confine all the human beings under his judgment. So this is how God deal with sin. Uh the first step uh so the righteousness of God under the law and this leads to condemnation. uh so condemn to define sin as sin and to uh draw all the human beings to live under the power of condemnation. So God is right to judge and he uses law to reveal and judge the sin and then he deal with sin by the righteousness of God apart from the law. So this is grace. God use grace use gospel to deal with sin. deal with those who are condemned and are not deserved to receive the love of God. Yet God graciously give his grace as as a gift. Uh so God deal with sin by by grace by the gospel. So this is about sin. But of course uh the actual sins committed were also mentioned in Romans chapter one. He actually named the list of sin and in Romans chapter one he he pointed out after rejecting God what kind of sins human beings fall fell into idol worshiing adultery homosexuality all sort of uh corrupt uh corrupt image inside and outside. Uh so uh the the emphasis the overemphasis on the cosmic sides of sin as a power as a noun. So this one I would say scene was understand as a noun. Um this is more yeah these are nouns but but I think this also can Romans chapter one you also says by their wickedness suppress the truth right this is a verb uh so sin can be understood as both noun and verb and uh the cas kasman's uh framework work of interpretation. Romans overemphasize sin as not but this is just part of Romans. Sin is also a verb something as sinners we actively engage and pursue because we do not have God in in our heart. Uh so uh God condemn the sin by his law and God also justify the sinners by his grace. That's the um first idea. And then the second one. Oops. Just add. So second one is um just now we talk about the righteousness especially the righteousness of God uh the righteous shall live by faith right later we will also cover this idea righteousness of God what's the meaning of the righteousness of God it's almost the central idea of the Romans the central idea of the message of the gospel. So what is the righteousness of God? >> Mhm. >> Jesus Christ. Yeah. Jesus Christ. But before that actually there is a righteousness under the law. There is this stage uh just like before the down uh down breaks we have candles but when the sun rises we don't need a candle and this is the righteousness under the law like like a candle but the true righteousness the or the complete the greater righteousness through Jesus Christ the complete righteousness through Jesus Christ him and no longer do we need the candle because the sun has uh arised. uh and Jesus Christ is described in Galatians as the cumul cumin nation cumination and this in some translation was translated as the end of the law which is not very accurate because the coming of Jesus this new righteousness or righteousness through Jesus Christ didn't abolish the law the law rather it it's the accumulation means means fulfillment means completion. All the requirement through the law, the requirement of the righteousness through the law are fulfilled in Jesus Christ and fulfilled upon those who believe in Jesus Christ. And this is actually God's grace, God's love and God's grace. Um and in a in a cosmic view cosmic because this one gets very popular. So we have to talk about this and see its value and limitation. Yes indeed Romans also cover this aspect. God's righteousness became the active sovereignty and salvific power invading the created order to set it right. So it's like God's uh salvation reorder the universe. Uh so the righteousness of God is an active power working uh in the believers to make uh everything right. Uh so it also contains this part. Which part in Romans contain this part? Chapter eight is a typical passage, right? And chapter five, so chapter five is highly related to chapter eight. Uh this um transcending power invading into the universe to set the captives free and to reorder all the creation um to make everything uh restore and renewed. Uh so in the recent years many scholars highly emphasized about uh the kingdom of god and second coming is the renewer of creation which is right which is the perspective the early earlier scholars failed to see. So it became like the kingdom of god is or you you believe in Jesus you get the salvation and you wait until you die and you go to heaven. It creates this wrong uh understanding and practice. In recent years people the many scholars uh emphasize a lot about this uh res restoration and renewal of order in the creation. So kingdom of god is like this u but why we accepting this views value we shouldn't ignore the individuals salvation. So mission how can a person do mission if you only tell a person about the cosmic part of God's mission plan it actually didn't empower it doesn't empower person to do mission the mission in the early church by the believers who even do not have did not have the complete understanding of the cosmic salvation is actively working because they were filled uh with the grace So the individual's salvation uh once it's well received is powerful enough to enable a believer to share this faith to others because the liberation of a individual is powerful enough to allow us to share the love we receive. So mission uh is active is not only related to the cosmic plan but but it's primarily related to the related to the personal salvation but it's not mature and complete without the cosmic plan. If we know God's plan for the whole universe then on the journey we will not get lost. will have the overall direction of life and we will know the history is flowing towards that direction. Uh so both are quite important and need to be well balanced uh righteousness of God. And next one uh key concept uh hold on I want to show this slide. this slide here. Uh so this is a discovery um from the Kungan uh manuscript. Let me enlarge this. So together with Isaiah, the manuscript of Isaiah, there are many other writings discovered in the Kunglang manuscript. So who are those living in this area? Which denomination under Judaism do you remember? >> Essenes. Yes. Essenes. They live in the desert. Um not Pharisees, nor Seduces, but Esenus. So the the the group where uh which John the Baptist belong to. And in one of the manuscript it was discovered this uh writing the righteousness of God is explicitly uh linked not to strict judgment but to merciful deliverance power and sovereignty. If I stagle because of the sin of flesh, my justification should be by the righteousness of God which endures forever. He will draw me near by his grace. So that was long before the Romans was written. Which means this idea of righteousness of God as loving kindness as grace as patient enduring forever. Even the idea of justification was long before the writing of Romans. So when Jesus taught about the idea of the gospel, he proclaimed the gospel. He's ne he's never invented anything new, but he's proclaiming the will of God and who God is. But the Jews fail to discover. And if we understand the New Testament and the life of Jesus Christ and we reread many scriptures in the Old Testament, we can discover the grace of God everywhere. So in the book of Matthew at the beginning of Matthew, Matthew recorded a long genealogy but he did it in a very hidden but unique way uh he place five women's name in the genealogy which was never a common practice. And among the five women, four of them were considered as the outcast, the unclean one, the gentile, the one who was not who did not deserve to receive the salvation and blessing of God. Yet their name would were put in the genealogy. And that was not Matthew's invention. He basically proclaimed these facts, this genealogy and this history is the grace of God. So from the beginning God involve people live by faith into his grace. And Paul also in Romans he quoted um Habacook the righteousness shall live by faith. So live by faith. Righteous live by faith. That was not a newly invented idea in the New Testament, but that was a long uh long pro prophesied idea in the prophet. The righteousness shall live by faith. So in the Old Testament, the righteousness of God revealed as God's grace, his everlasting love uh appear here and there. But through Jesus Christ new the new era of grace is opened and the wide door is opened for many to enter not just the Jews but the Gentiles and this opened era um Paul proclaimed about this through the gospel he preached. So the idea he he contained in Romans this justification and righteousness of God finds its resolution in some kuna or be pre uh pre-incarnation uh before Christ era. The next one um let's talk about law. This is also an important concept. So when we study Romans chapter 7, we we'll come to this concept a bit more. Uh law in in Paul's Romans. What is the role and what is the function? What's his definition of law? The laws >> that we see our reflection that shows us our sin. It does not help us just justify or help us complete our sin but only shows us where we fall short. Allow us to know our sin but not able um but is not able to save us from sin. So, so this one actually if we make it simple is law reveals the sin. Moreover, in Romans chapter 7, it says not only does law reveal the sin, law actually triggers the sin which reveals sin is utterly sinful. So law triggers triggering the scene inside the following human. So to reveal sin is uh utterly simple and among all the law Paul talk about is law of do not cover it coveret coveret coveret is the is one of the 10 commandments it's like the framework of the order law and Paul tried to argue that the law was never just about action or deeds. But from the beginning in the ten commandment, it is about the heart and not coveting actually covers so many things. If we have the coveting heart for people's possession, it may be developed to stealing and robbing. If we have the coveting heart for um people's wife, other pe neighbors wife, then it may develop into adultery. So this coveting heart though placed as the last commandment actually points out the deep sin inside of us. Today we may ex explain it in an existent ex existential level that when God is is is not there, God is not in the present in our spirits, we have this empty, this hollow uh vacuum inside of us that we use, we use things, the mortal things to fuel up. That's why we develop these unsatisfacing feeling to coveret the things which is not given to us. So this heart of covets uh and Paul took out this law. While Jesus took out the law of love, right, as the as as the biggest among all the law, Paul actually took the opposite, this unloving image of coveting, the sin committed inside of our hearts. And because because the law talked about coveting and law tell us tells us not to coveret and we we start to realize and and this coveting heart also become active inside of us. Uh one typical example is the wet pain right. Uh when you are walking passing by a wall thousands of time, you never pay attention even one second to the wall until one day someone had a big paint. Do not touch wet paint. You may not eventually touch it. And the sign is good. The sign itself is good because it prevents you to wet your to make your shirts dirty. But because of these big red words, do not touch, you start to feel your finger gets itchy, your heart gets itchy, you really want to touch, you keep thinking about touching the the the wet paint. So and so so this is this is just one example of how how the law is functioning to reveal our sin as utterly sinful to reveal the deepest sin inside of us to rebel against the holy law of God. So in Romans chapter 7 Paul described law is holy, righteous and good. So law is not ended by the gospel. So always say law is not abolished by the gospel. The law was um unable to save us. Uh so wait, you need to understand the meaning of the gospel together with the law. So the meaning of gospel, what is gospel? Concept of the gospel. So its original meaning is evangelian in Greek. So what does that mean? It makes the good news of the battle and which echoes with uh caseman's understanding his cosmic approach of sin that god is the victor. He invades into the sinful world the chaotic world and gain the victory and save us and and how he save us how he gain the victory is through sending his son Jesus Christ and also later the holy spirit. So the triumph uh over sin uh is a good news. So that good news is Ian Gillian and uh Evangelian Evangelian. So Evangelion is primarily not a um not a message for personal piety but this declaration of the good news of the victory in the battlefield. Um, anything else about gospel? feels. >> Yeah, this is the victory. This is the victory. Already talked about this. Uh so gospel is not merely a forensic thing. It's it's also a lifestyle, >> right? It's a lifestyle. We also talk about that a lot. A lawful lifestyle, lifestyle of the gospel. So Paul actually integrates his teaching about Christian ethics with the concept of the gospel. How can a person live by grace? Not just accept the grace to be saved. Not just being recaptured by God or become the slave of the righteousness or this foreign salvation but also the whole perspective and lifestyle should be reshaped to live according to the grace we receive. uh so active engagement and changed lifestyle of the believers. So for example, offering your body as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God and all the uh teachings about Christian ethics followed. Uh so you you memorize Romans chapter 12. It's a it's a very good chapter about the life of the gospel. Uh and yeah and I think that this one also the the forgiveness of sin. This is the important part. Gospel is the forgiveness of sin and uh the gospel even if Christologology is not uh heavily covered uh in Romans but it's a very important teaching in Romans chapter 4 verse 25 about Christ's death and resurrection. The very important thing of the gospel one is the remission of sin which is done by the cross. The other is the new life uh the justified life uh because of his resurrection. So cross and resurrection these two are the central message of the gospel. This is law and gospel and also uh in the life practice gospel. Yeah. This active engagement also show that different from law which triggers the disobedience gospel actually bring the willful obedience uh to God. So and in Romans Paul also says love or fulfills all the law. So heartchanging obedience obedience love fulfills the book. And finally, let's look at one more thing before we end, and that's faith. So, what's the meaning of faith? >> You're receiving, accepting Anything else you want to so accepting the grace of God? Anything else you want to add? So faith usually is is highly emphasized with the justifying grace. But actually when we look at Romans, faith is not merely in the in the point of justification. It's also a active life we live um on the path of sanctification. Faith allowed us to unite with Christ in his death and in his resurrection. So faith is never a um mere intellectual acceptance. In Romans chapter uh chapter 11 it talks about the heart and the mouth, right? Believe in the heart. So which means your heart is moving. This is love. How the love transformation transform us. How the love of God transform us. Uh and when Bible described this heart become warm, heart become burning. That's the work of the Holy Spirit. And Romans chapter 5. Um also this this is Romans chapter 10. Believe in believe in heart. And then Romans chapter five uh Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit pour the love of God in our heart. So faith is related to this heart changing except by heart and then mouth. Confess by mouth. What what does that mean? uh confessing by mouth in the early church is never just a just a intellectual declaration. It is the public declaration of faith even risk life in some context. So which means it's the devotion of life. It's a highly active and engaging activity. um active engage engaging debullshit and believe in your heart and confess your mouth Jesus Jesus resurrection right and it's related to the resurrection of the Lord and also It leads to the union with Christ in his death and and life. So which is the core idea of sanctification. Uh in Romans chapter 5 also talks about the fruit of justification by faith, joy and peace even beyond suffering. And because of by faith the suffering actually produce perseverance, perseverance or character character hope. Pear runs I think. So it has fruit and the later part about Christian ethics also talks about how we respond to the grace of God and the life of faith which uh was very beautiful perseverance. Yeah, this is faith and when we come to the study of each chapter we will come across those ideas more closely. Okay, that's all for today. Let's pray to end. Heavenly Father, uh what a long day and we really study quite a lot of stuff. allowed us to link what we learn in Romans together. And let us also uh grow not just in our knowledge but uh in the understanding of your love and let us uh use faith to accept your amazing grace. And may we open our eyes and heart uh to see uh the life of Apostle Paul and how he testified about the beautiful life of Jesus Christ and let us participate in the mission by deep understanding of the personal salvation and also the cosmic restoration. We commit our assignments, our studies and our life and teaching into your hands. In the name of Jesus Christ we prayed. Amen. Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.