I have written a sample chapter and would love for you to comment on it. Where is it rough? Where is it too technical? I've often said my target audience is my wife and her kindergarten teaching colleague! It is definitely not a scholastic group. So, please feel free to help me find my voice. Or better yet, have your significant others help you to help me!!!
Sample
Chapter
One of the
tremendous challenges for reading ancient texts is to become familiar with the
techniques designed to draw the reader back to the main theme of the author.
The oral nature of these texts allows those of us reading them in the modern
world to locate some of these techniques. One of the easiest techniques to
recognize is repetition. Paul identifies his main them in 1:16–17 as the “righteousness
of God.” Now, in 3: 21 Paul repeats this phrase and uses a synonym for the original
verb, revealed. This marked similarity returns attention to his main idea.
What is Paul’s main idea? This is an important
question to keep in mind when reading an old text translated into a modern
language. The reader can easily slip into the pattern of reading these words solely
through the lens and filter of a modern mind and assume they were written in
our history and should be understood by our methods. It is always helpful to
keep in mind that ancient texts use ancient means for communicating. When we
forget this simple truth our reading often becomes conflicted as we think the
text says one thing based on our modern tendencies, but our eyes catch sight of
a different meaning.
Paul’s main idea
in this letter is to communicate the message he has been proclaiming throughout
the Mediterranean region known today as Turkey and Greece, a message he
summarizes in a single word, “gospel.” Since this term might also mean “good
news” Paul could easily understand himself to be sent to tell other people in
the first century about this good news. Hearing the words of Romans as bad news
or depressing news misses the point of Paul’s actual proclamation. He utilizes
the repetition of the words “righteousness of God” in order to draw his
audience back on track.
One of the more
important ideas in the New Testament is the term “righteousness.” Choosing to
examine and explore the idea behind righteousness would likely imply that we identify
it by using our preconceived notions.
Instead, Paul provides the reader a tremendous clue regarding his
particular view of righteousness. On the one hand it is “apart from the law” while
on the other it is “witnessed by the law and the prophets.” Although this may appear
difficult, it is really only difficult because we want, no, we demand or insist
that our preconceived notion of righteousness should have dominant position in
our mind rather than Paul’s.
Placing the
righteousness of God squarely within the context of the Old Testament causes the
Christian in the 21st-century to rethink some presumptions that he
or she may hold. The phrase “the law and the prophets” is a distinct reference
to Hebrew scripture and is witnessed in other parts of the New Testament,
particularly in Luke 24:27 where Jesus opens the mind of two followers to what
is written within. Although great disagreement remains around which concept
Paul uses, I prefer to view his term “righteousness of God” within the context
of hesed; the lovingkindness of God
portrayed throughout the Old Testament, mainly based on Paul’s references to
God and what God is doing. These references become even more obvious as we
examine how Paul unpacks his thesis in this section of text.
We see also that
this righteousness of God is through faith, for all who believe, and
demonstrated by God in Jesus Christ. We also find that this same righteousness
of God is “at the present time” and demonstrates that God is just in the one
who justifies at the same time.
How might
righteousness be understood apart from the Old Testament? The standard context
for understanding righteousness within Christian history is in a legal sense.
John Calvin, one of the early reformers, was trained as a lawyer. Martin Luther
viewed the Scripture through the two lenses of law and faith. The Western world
is strongly influenced by Roman and Byzantine legal traditions. It is, thus, no
real surprise that we are preconditioned to understand righteousness within the
context of keeping the law. However, Paul has just devoted a considerable
amount of time and space in order to clarify that legalism simply does not
work! “In His presence there is no cause for justification by the works of
law.” (3.20) If this is the case, how can Paul now argue that legalism is
necessary?
”The steadfast
love of God endures forever.” This phrase appears over thirty times in the
Psalms alone. The foremost characteristic of God in the Old Testament is hesed, translated as either steadfast
love or as lovingkindness. Given Paul’s propensity to situate his discussion
and description of God’s righteousness within the context of the Old Testament,
it appears the context for Paul’s use of this phrase is far less inside a
courtroom and far more inside a covenant agreement. Paul is arguing that the
righteousness of God is made visible within the covenant relationship with his
people. The righteousness of God is God’s character revealed to his people. Thus,
the righteousness of God has to do with God, and God alone, rather then some seal
of approval humans can earn.
A second clue for
the reader that Paul is returning to his main idea is his use of the word
faith. The idea of faith occurs four times in this brief section: 3:22 (2x),
25, 26. Paul’s statement of his main idea in chapter 1 identifies “the righteous
nature of God is revealed by faith to faith” and the quotation from Habakuk that
“the righteous one will live by faith.” Although Paul has not yet defined faith
for the reader, he will soon provide an example of the type of faith he is
discussing.
Faith is critical
to Paul’s discussion. Since he has argued that there is no righteousness
through the works of the law, he must provide a means for righteousness. He is
claiming that God’s righteousness has become visible through faith to those
possessing faith (3:22). In other words, only the means of faith is useful for
understanding God’s righteousness. At the end of this brief section God
demonstrates his righteousness and justifies the person of faith, a direct
correction of the problem identified by Paul’s statement in 3:20.
The reader of
Paul’s letter to the Romans is provided two highly visible clues that this
section returns to the main idea. Thus, this section is explaining further the
“good news” that Paul has spent his past twelve years sharing around the
Mediterranean. But what exactly is this “good news?”
Good news can be
experienced either through action or person. A phrase such as “I won!”, or
“We’re expecting a baby!” focuses on the action while “My son is coming home
from deployment,” or “We have a granddaughter!” focuses on the person. Paul
discusses his main idea by describing the person of God more than the action of
God. There are only two strong verbs in this passage: “revealed” (3:21) and
“displayed” (3.25). Meanwhile, Paul’s
description of the person of God is more extensive.
In addition to God’s
righteousness, we hear about God’s glory (3:23), God’s gift and grace (3:24),
God’s forbearance (3:25) and God’s just nature (3:26). It should come as no
surprise to an attentive reader that Paul focuses his message on God. At the
very beginning of the letter Paul identifies himself as “an apostle, set apart
for God’s Good News” (1:1). Furthermore, God promised this Good News (1:2) and
it concerns his son (1:3). Later Paul
refers to this Good News as “God’s power” (1:16).
More to the point,
Paul’s good news message does not focus on humans, human frailty, human sin, or
human condemnation—none of which sound “good” to my ears. Instead Paul’s
message focuses on the character and nature of God, seen in action within the
covenant relationship with God’s people. The negative nature of this passage is
reinforced when one takes the dependent clause out of its sentence; thereby
removing it from its context. Many have memorized Romans 3:23 for one reason or
another, “for all sinned and lack the glory of God.” This clause simply clarifies
the opening phrase of its sentence—There is no distinction regarding the “all
who believe”.
More importantly is
the closing phrase—All are being justified as a gift! Much more to the point is
the good news of this particular message. Since “no one is justified by works
of the law” (3:20), Paul quickly counters that negative message with this
powerful statement, God’s righteousness is for ALL who are believing and ALL
are being justified as a gift. No longer is the status quo the law and its
inability to grant justification. The relationship is governed by a new
paradigm, experiencing God’s righteousness ias a gift from God alone!
