At any given moment in the book of Romans, the author Paul is trying to convey at least one of three things: first, God’s faithfulness to the covenant he made with Abraham (Genesis 12 & 15); second, the new Exodus, our once for all deliverance from all that would enslave us and separate us from God; and third, the establishment of the one church that belongs to Jesus (composed equally of Jew and Gentile). When Romans gets dense and difficult,…

I don’t know what each of us might think the wrath of God actually looks like, but Romans 1 is offering us a bit of help with that. The Bible is the story of God constantly reaching across the threshold into human history, into human lives to mend what is broken and make something new. But when God’s wrath is revealed (Romans 1:18-32), that crossing of the threshold stops taking place. The wrath of God means God is leaving the…

Paul reveals to us in Romans that he’s never actually been to Rome. He wants to come, but circumstances keep getting in the way. So how does Paul approach this letter in such a way that convinces the Roman Christians to welcome his voice? For starters, he showers the church with praise and affection. He’s thankful for the church in Rome (Romans 1:8), giddy with excitement that there is a church in Rome, right under Caesar’s nose. He wants to…

Paul begins the whole letter with the words, “Paul, a servant of Christ.” This opening might not catch us off guard, but maybe it should. What does it say about the Church that we would willingly gather around a letter written by someone who considers himself nothing more than a servant? It is common to give our attention to those who are the most charismatic and most successful. Many books are sold on the premise that a successful person will…