The Bible Archive

For a more careful execution of this topic refer to my Romans series at The Bible Archive. My main point will be this: that the Gospel winds up being a practical help that can be used to cure any form of boasting evidenced in cynicism, pharisaicism and judgmentalism. To prove this, I’ll focus on Paul’s argumentation in Romans.

This measure of our object of faith finds its power in the fact of the gospel. Christ became a servant in that Gospel so now, as a new humanity with new life, we can be proper God honoring servants. On behalf of God’s truth, Christ become a servant to those of the circumcision to authenticate and make real all of the promises given to the Jewish forefathers so therefore a Gentile believer can be a servant to those of the circumcision on behalf of God’s truth as well. Here’s how.

The Measure of Faith comes to work in this concept of the “weaker in faith” and the “stronger in faith”. Now here I’ll have to do some preliminary defense of my previous (and continued) position on the measure of faith. For in the sense that some people take it (this person has more God-give-faith-power and this person has less God-given-faith-power thus I have more God-given-faith-power then X or less then Y) it starts bolstering ourselves in an area that Paul says to think soberly about. But the fact is we really don’t know the faith in another person: that’s an impossibility. All we know is the actions of another person.

This Measure of Faith also becomes useful in dealing with the enemies (be they Christian or Non) of a believer. For when a person understands that they were a God Hating Idolater for whom Christ died and God justified and promised to glorify then a believer can become an advertisement of mercy for anyone.

That measure of faith is inherently pointing at the object which the believers have put their faith and thus performs a complete leveling influence to Christian living. Note how aptly Paul draws the Measure of Faith in the area of the Church Body.

God’s Gospel should result in radical action and in such a manner that it will keep Christians reexamining themselves and acknowledging God’s grace and mercy. For it is at this point, right at the hinge of the book (Rom 12:1,2) that Paul illustrates the  practical application of the Gospel.

Not one Christian is to think more highly of himself than he ought to think says the verse and I’ve often heard it said that it means that the individual has a proper understanding of where he or she stands. Such as: a gifted teacher is to understand where his gift is over that of other teachers yet below others so that he doesn’t think above his gift.

I’m sorry, that is way off base because it is open to a person judging themselves more highly than someone else which is completely contrary to what Paul is saying If we take it as a whole, understanding the mercies of God then we have to understand that Paul isn’t telling Christians who stand on that equal ground of mercy to up and decide who is higher and who is lower—especially of their own estimation!

The grace was given to Paul to allow him to say what he’s saying, and allows Christians to understand where they stand, with the understanding that God has given the equal measuring rule of faith to the saints.

This measure of faith is not a bit of faith here and a bit more faith there reflecting a group of people thinking “I have more faith than him” or “man, he definitely has more faith than me!” Rather it’s the Christians standing on the object of their faith and seeing how completely dependant on that object they are.

Understanding that allows a Christian to really respect his fellow believers and makes him or her completely given over to the preaching of the Gospel.

This post is home to my study in Romans.

This all is a radical difference from our previous lives and Paul makes a point to set up the truly transforming nature of his gospel. We’re not to simply fall into the habits of this world around us by doing those things we previous did—we must be transformed in our minds.

Here some Christians will raise a banner that we need new thinking, chaste thinking: Christian Thinking. And in so doing a plethora of marketing merchandise comes out like wrist bands asking us What Jesus Would Do or fish bumper icons or a crown of thorn tattoo with the words.

Present your bodies not someone else’s body. And the whole entire body, not just the grumbling part or the angry part, but all of it to be offered as a sacrifice.

I’m reminded of two examples from the Old Testament. One is from Leviticus 1 where the offering is brought to the Lord and consumed on the altar as a well-pleasing sacrifice: a soothing aroma to the Lord. The entire thing is consumed in the fire and is pleasing to the Lord but that’s easy for a dead animal: after all, the thing is alive till it gets to the tabernacle then someone slits its throat and has its corpse on the altar. Living Sacrifices have a problem with staying on hot altars, or so the saying goes.

But then we have the second example of Numbers chapter 8 where the Levites are chosen by God to do special work. They remember their past: they’ve been rescued from the bondage of Egypt and delivered from the power of Pharaoh. They have crossed the great divide of the Sea and passed from one side through the other and they were being led to an inheritance and here they stood: a people freed by God and now His. They were cleansed, they were reminded of their salvation and they were told to serve Him in the tent of meeting.

What mercies of God is he holding up as the logical progression that he can hold a “therefore” next to?

Well, chapters 9 through 11 of Romans reflect God’s right to show mercy to whoever He wills—both to the believers and to the unbelievers alike. Paul concerned about the salvation of Israel shows how Israel has been set apart so that God could show them that they are not believers and thus show mercy to the whole lot of them. God’s incomprehensible yet awesome wisdom that he would show mercy to a people—who were not His people (namely us old Gentiles) so that He could show mercy to His actual people who were being stiff necked and disobedient.

And there’s God shouting out to stubborn Israel “All the day long I have stretched out my arms to a disobedient and obstinate people!” Can you see the picture? God like a Father stretching His arms out to His stubborn child waiting to show mercy and forgiveness!

I beseech you says some Bibles. Others say I urge you. In Greek the word can be used to earnestly appeal, invite or even summon together: but in context it is an action word set in the present pointed at a person and demanding something.

Two things here; firstly you usually don’t ask (or urge) for something that isn’t happening. For example I no one has ever told me “Rey, I urge you—I beseech you. No, I beg you—please have some pizza!” You don’t need to ask; I will eat it.

I’ve spent many a superbowl Sunday with friends with no knowledge of the game but there in thanksgiving of God for enabling men to design. And I would happily cheer for both teams raising my pizza-greasy hands: touchdown!

So Paul is urging for something that isn’t being done.

Secondly, sometimes requests questions (especially the urging ones) sound as if they’re coming from a position of weakness. Like when I kept asking my wife if I could get an iPod—I urged, I beseeched but I had no power over the situation: she wouldn’t yield.

But Paul isn’t some poor Hebrew soul, begging esteemed Roman gentiles citizens who look down their classical noses . This is not the beggarly urgings of a weaker individual—this is the strong, demanded, request of the one set apart as an apostle, the servant of Jesus Christ (Head of Creation ), to carry the Gospel of the Eternal, Omnipotent, Righteous, Merciful and Living God. Snap to attention and listen!

So therefore, by the mercies of God Paul the apostle strongly demands for this thing to be done.

Romans Series

It is patently unfair when dispensationalists are attacked for making a distinction between the Church and Israel when theologians outside the dispensationalist camp have made a similar distinction. Indeed Paul doesn’t shy away from making the distinction when he points out that the Messiah came from the Jews.

Some have taken the fact that Gentiles have been grafted into Israel’s natural olive tree to mean that Gentiles are now actually Jews. They might try to argue the point by highlighting several verses in Romans (for instance in Romans 2 where Paul points out uncircumcised Gentiles living circumcised lives proving themselves to be more circumcised than Jews).

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But Paul makes a point to maintain the identity of the Gentile and the Jew in mostly every passage where he deals with the two. Let me unpack that a bit.

Romans chapter 3 Paul has no problem pointing out that both Jews and Gentiles stand on the same ground before God: deserving His wrath for all have sinned and come short of His glory. But before reaching that climax he makes a point to highlight that the Jews have benefited much in every way.

In fact, when Paul speaks about the Olive Tree he highlights that natural Israel is being set aside until the bit with the Gentiles is completed. After the Gentile number is filled then All Israel will be saved. He maintains their corporate identity in both cases right through the execution of God’s partial hardening.

Elect Israel is, in regards to the gospel, an enemy for the Gentile’s sake but concerning their election they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs. The distinction is maintained.

Paul sees support throughout the prophets that the Deliver will come from Zion and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob specifically: that is Israel. For this is God’s covenant with Israel when He promises to take away their sins—and His promise is irrevocable. God will do this at the very point when all of Israel realizes that they are not truly believers at which point God shows mercy.

In the end, therefore, a literal Israel has a promised future with a literal fulfillment based on God’s promises in His covenants…and His word must stand.

Rest of Romans series.

How anyone can read Paul and see no future for the literal Israel perplexes me to no end. Why would Paul compare a Gentile Branch to an Israel Branch if there is no future for a literal Israel? And if Israel’s Future is just to be part of the Church why would Paul make a big deal about God potentially removing the Gentile Branch?

As I took up Paul’s main thought in regards to Israel’s salvation I intentionally glossed over a major section…with no manipulative intent. I wanted to look at the problem of Israel’s unbelief without going into an odd theological place: namely the breaking off the Israel branch from the tree.