Romans

1. Romans Rom 12:1-2 April 15, 2012

2. Romans 12-15. The Righteousness of God Applied. Introduction to Rom 12-15. Romans chps 12-15 clearly begins an entirely new section in the book. The focus now becomes the application of the Gospel. This is typical Pauline style, first present the facts (indicatives), then present the application (imperatives). For example, Eph chps. 1-3 are mostly “indicative,” and chps. 4-6 are mostly “imperative.” Q. There is a reason why Paul typically does this. What would that reason be?

3. Intro to Roms 12-15. • A. Scripture’s imperatives to the believer are based on God’s redeeming grace. Apart from His grace, people would not be able to obey. So, in order to obey believers need to understand they are enabled to do so only by God’s grace. • “The indicative of God’s grace and mercy – telling what God has done for sinful humans – must underlie the imperatives outlining one’s duty and obligation to God. Carrying out the imperatives would be an impossibility without the indicative. • Indeed, those who strive to fulfill the commands of Rom. 12-15 apart from the gospel enunciated in chapters 1-11 have truncated the Pauline gospel. The indicative is the basis for the imperative, and the latter should never be separated from the former. It is also the case that those who proclaim the gospel without any parenetic [hortatory] element do an injustice to the Pauline gospel, for parenesis [exhortation] is a vital and central element of the Pauline gospel.” Schreiner

4. Intro to Roms 12-15. • The application of the gospel is not optional. • “The ‘imperative’ of a transformed life is therefore not an optional ‘second step’ after we embrace the gospel: it is rooted in our initial response to the gospel itself.” Moo • This fact is borne out at both the beginning and the conclusion of Romans, when Paul clearly states: • Romans 1:5 “. . . we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake,” • Romans 16:25-26 “my gospel . . . has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;”

5. Intro to Roms 12-15. The subject matter of Rom 12-15 has to do with the application of the gospel, otherwise known as . . . . what? Sanctification. “That the apostle is concerned with the subject of sanctification is evident from the outset. ‘Be ye transformed’ (vs.2) is exhortation to the sanctifying process and the terms used are specially adapted to a definition of that in which this process consists.” Murray But it is not as though Paul waited until chp 12 to bring up anything about application / sanctification. It was especially evident in chp 6. However, Paul clearly did ‘postpone’ a thorough discussion until chp 12, why?

6. Intro to Roms 12-15. • Paul waited until chp 12 because he had not yet finished laying the ground work. • “It is futile to give practical exhortation apart from the basis on which it rests . . . The basis and spring of sanctification are union with Christ, more especially union with him in the virtue of his death and the power of his resurrection.” Murray • Consider the indicatives which needed to precede the imperatives: • Rom 6:2-5 – believers are united to Christ. • Rom 6:14 – believers are no longer dominated by sin • Rom 7:6 – released from the Law, serve in newness of Spirit. • Rom 8:1 – no condemnation • Rom 8:4 – enabled to ‘walk’ by the Spirit • Rom 8:9 – it is the “Spirit of Christ” (union w/ Christ) • Rom 9-11 – all of the above is “because of Him who calls,” the “God who has mercy,” “that He may show mercy to all.”

7. Intro to Roms 12-15. • Having laid the foundation of redemption by the believer’s union with Christ, Paul is able to proceed to a more developed exhortation to sanctification (application). • “Ethics must rest upon the foundation of redemptive accomplishment. More specifically stated it is that ethics springs from union with Christ. . . Ethics consistent with the high calling of God in Christ is itself part of the application of redemption; it belongs to sanctification. And it is not as if ethics is distinct from doctrine.” Murray • Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

8. Rom 12:1-2 Rom 12:1 “Therefore” “Therefore” ties together what has preceded to what is about to be said. The question is how far back does the ‘therefore’ reach? Some limit the therefore to Rom 9-11, supported by phrase “by the mercies of God” which was especially developed in 9-11. Most (myself included) understand ‘therefore’ to cover the whole gospel message presented thus far in Romans, chps 1-11.

9. Rom 12:1 • “I urge you” or “appeal to you” • Term (parakaleo) has a wide range of meaning: • 1. Summon to one's aid, call upon for help • 2. appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage • 3. request, implore, appeal to, entreat • 4. comfort, encourage, cheer up • In this context, best understood “somewhere between ‘request’ and ‘command’: an exhortation come with authority, but the authority of a preacher who is the mediator of God’s truth.” Moo • “The Pauline exhortations do not merely contain good advice or his preferences. They represent the authoritative will of God and are enjoined upon churches in a solemn manner. Thus the words ‘beseech’ and ‘implore’ or not strong enough.” Schreiner • Note: Some say “we should serve God ‘because he has redeemed us’. The idea expressed here is unfortunate if it has the idea of ‘paying God back’ for what he has done.” Schreiner. More on this to follow in a subsequent session.

10. Rom 12:1 “by the mercies of God” Best to understand “by” in the sense of “in view of” as NIV. The plural “mercies” probably reflects Hebrew influence which is often in the plural. God’s mercies have been spelled out in Rom 1-11. Paul now summons believers to “the appropriate and expected response to God’s mercy as we have experienced it.” Moo “That God’s mercy does not automatically produce the obedience God expects is clear from the imperatives in this passage. But God’s mercy manifested in his Spirit’s work of inward renewal does impel us toward the obedience that the gospel demands.” Moo

11. Rom 12:1 • “To present your bodies . . .’ • The infinitive “to present” completes the idea of “I exhort” and should be understood as a command. See similar construction of “I exhort” w/ infinitive in Rom 15:30; 16:17; Eph 4:1; Phil 4:2; 1 Tim 2:1. • Technical note: “present” is an aorist, which “is occasionally adduced* to support the idea that such total commitment to God is a definitive once-for-all act that should never be repeated, or is the process by which one attains entire sanctification. This is a gross misreading of the aorist tense, which does not inherently denote once-for-all action.” Schreiner • * adduce: to cite as proof.

12. Rom 12:1. • “your bodies” • Much of Greek philosophy had a negative view of the human body. The goal was to be freed from the body and it degrading influences. To them redemption of the body would be counter productive (cf. Acts 17:32). • This had some influence on heresies (gnostic) within the church. Some taught that it did not matter what took place (antinomianism) in the physical body so long as the spirit was saved (cf. I Jn 1:6-7) • “They thought of the body as a mere envelope covering the human spirit and maintained that man’s spirit was inviolable; it could not be contaminated by the deeds of the body.” John Stott, Epistles of John, p.74 • While there is no direct evidence that the church at Rome was having issues with gnostics and/or antinomianism per se, the Greek philosophical thought nevertheless had no doubt influenced people.

13. Rom 12:1-2 “bodies”. • There are two major lines of interpretation of “body,” which really are not so different from each other. • 1. Literal physical human body. • 2. Figure of speech, meaning the whole person. • 1. The Physical human body. • “It is important to observe that when the apostle enters upon practical exhortation he deals first with the human body.” Murray • This interpretation is supported both by the historical context of Greek influence regarding the body, and by other Pauline uses of the term “body” which are clearly physical.

14. Rom 12:1-2 “bodies”- physical. • Pauline uses of “body” in Romans which are physical: • Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. • Romans 8:10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. • Romans 8:23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

15. Rom 12:1-2 “bodies” - physical. “body” not in Romans which are physical: • 1 Corinthians 6:20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. • 1 Corinthians 9:27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. • 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. • There are many other occurrences as well, but these verses are of particular interest, especially Rom 6:12-13 & 1 Cor 6:20 which are as close to the Rom 12:1 statement as any other statements regarding the sanctification and the physical body.

16. Rom 12:1-2 “bodies” - physical. • Additional support for the “body” as physical. • “Body was an integral element in man’s person from the outset (Gen. 2:7, 21-23). The dissolution of the body is the wages of sin and therefore abnormal (Gen 2:17; 3:19; Rom 5:12). The consummation of redemption waits for the resurrection of the body (Rom 8:23; I Cor 15:54-56; Phil 3:21). Hence sanctification must bring the body within its scope. . . Paul was realistic and he was aware that if sanctification did not embrace the physical in our personality it would be annulled from the outset.” Murray • This interpretation does NOT exclude the whole person. • “It has been maintained that he uses the term ‘body’ to represent the whole person. . . Undoubtedly there is no intent to restrict to the physical body the consecration here enjoined. But there is not good warrant for taking the word ‘body’ as a synonym for the whole person.” Murray

17. Rom 12:1-2 “bodies” – Whole Person. • 2. The second interpretation is that “body” is Paul’s way of referring to the whole human person (not the physical body as such). • “The word ‘body’ here refers to the whole person and stresses that consecration to God involves the whole person.” Schreiner • “Paul probably intends to refer to the entire person, with special emphasis on that person’s interaction with the world.” Moo • Cf. Rom 6:6, “body of sin” • “Paul also uses the word body to refer to the whole person, with an emphasis on that person’s interaction with the world. What must be ‘rendered impotent’ if I am to be freed from sin is not just my physical body but myself in all my sin-prone faculties.” Moo, ad loc

18. Rom 12:1-2 “bodies” – Whole Person. • Yet, the “whole person” interpretation would of necessity include the physical body. • “The word ‘body’ here refers to the whole person and stresses that consecration to God involves the whole person. . . One cannot consign dedication to God to the spirit and neglect the body. Genuine commitment to God embraces every area of life, and includes the body in all of its particularity and concreteness.” Schreiner

19. Rom 12:1-2 “bodies”. • Conclusion re. ‘bodies’. Perhaps it seems like splitting hairs to attempt to distinguish between the physical or metaphorical. The bottom line is that Scripture represent humans as whole beings, “composed” of body and soul, of physical and spiritual. • I personally tend to side with Murray and those who take the body as the physical (but not to the exclusion of the ‘whole’ person), especially in light of two parallel verses: • Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. • 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

20. Rom 12:1-2 “bodies”. • Whether we understand ‘body’ as primarily physical or metaphorical, either way we understand secondarily the metaphorical or physical respectively. It is just a matter of a nuanced emphasis. • Perhaps the idea is best stated: “it is not only what we can give that God demands, he demands the giver.” Moo • There is much to be said regarding the presentation of our ‘body’ in the light of the on-going gnostic & antinomian tendencies even in our current day and age. • Q. Can you think of any examples of how people (or you yourself) tend to separate the physical body from one’s obedience to God?

21. Romans Rom 12:1-2 Part 2 April 22, 2012

22. Review Rom Chapter 12 starts a new major section in Romans – the application of the gospel, a.k.a sanctification. Rom 12:1 “therefore” most likely refers to all the preceding (Chps 1-11). Rom 12:1 “I urge / appeal” best understood as “somewhere between ‘request’ and ‘command’: an exhortation come with authority” Moo Rom 12:1 “your bodies” has been understood by some to mean the whole person, but is most likely to be understood as the physical body (which of course includes the whole person) – especially in light of parallel expressions in Rom 6:12-13; 1 Cor 6:18-20.

23. Rom 12:1. • “sacrifice” • Obviously, the finished work of Christ on the cross is the only sacrifice believers need in terms of securing our redemption – Heb 10:10. So Paul is describing something other than a means of redemption. • The NT uses the imagery of sacrifice in terms of worship & service. • 1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. • Hebrews 13:15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

24. Rom 12:1 – “sacrifice” • Philippians 2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. • Philippians 4:18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. • It is good to always keep in mind the biblical principle stated by David: • 2 Samuel 24:24 . . . I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.

25. Rom 12:1. “living, holy, acceptable” It is important to note that the three adjectives all describe the sacrifice. English translations tend to make it seems as if it were to read “living sacrifice, [separation] which is holy and acceptable to God.” "a sacrifice - living, sanctified, acceptable to God" Young's Literal Translation

26. Rom 12:1. • “living” • What is a “living” sacrifice? • Two lines of thought. • 1. “Living” is spiritually alive in Christ. • “The word ‘living’ denotes the spiritual state of believers. They are now ‘alive to God in Christ Jesus’ (Rom 6:11,13; 8:13). It is precisely those who are alive in Christ who are called to give their lives to him as a sacrifice.” Schreiner • “By bodies he means . . . the totality of which we are composed. . . Paul states that these sacrifices must be living, that is, must proceed from the new life within the believer.” Hendriksen • Parenthetical Observation. It seems that this interpretation would be favored by those who take “bodies” = whole person.

27. Rom 12:1 – what is living? • 2. “Living” as opposed to slain. • “Any animate offering in the Old Testament ritual had to be slain and its blood shed. The human body is not presented to be slain. . . It is a body alive from the dead that the believer is to present. . . The body to be presented is a member of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is possible that the word ‘living’ also reflects on the permanence of this offering, that is must be a constant dedication.” Murray • “it is more likely to refer to the nature of the sacrifice itself: one that does not die as it is offered but goes on living.” Moo • Once again it may seem like splitting hairs, but there is a difference. It seems to me that the spiritual alive aspect is assumed as part of God’s mercies. Thus the “living” sacrifice would emphasis the on-going nature of the believer’s dedication and service to God.

28. Rom 12:1 • “holy” • Q. what does “holy” primarily mean? • A. holy primarily means to be “set apart.” • “a being ‘set apart’ from the profane and a dedication to the service of the Lord” Moo • Again, this seems to favor physical bodies, living (as opposed to slain), and is consistent with the dedication of the believer’s physical body to God for the purpose of holiness, Rom 6:12-13; 1 Cor 6:18-20

29. Rom 12:1 • “acceptable” • The term primarily has the idea of being pleasing to God. • “Acceptable” is not to mean meritorious. Rather it is the out working of grace (God at work within the believer). • Matt 3:17 "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." • Rom 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, . . • Bottom line: God is pleased with His Son, this is how He can be pleased with redeemed sinners – because they are united with and conformed to His Son.

30. Rom 12:1 • Rom 12:1 “which is your spiritual service of worship” NASB • KJV (NKJV) “your reasonable service” • Greek logikos “is notoriously difficult to pin down.” Moo • The term only occurs here (Rom 12:1) and in 1 Pet 2:2 where the meaning is likewise debated. • The term has to do with reason (Greek logos), and has the following possible meanings. • 1) “reasonable” or “logical” in the sense of that which is appropriate to the circumstances. Hence KJV family “reasonable” • “. . . to emphasize that yielding one’s whole self to God is eminently reasonable.” Schreiner

31. Rom 12:1 “spiritual” • 2) “rational” in the sense of acceptable to human reason; it makes sense (not too many take this meaning.) • 3) “spiritual” in the sense of “inner” worship that involves the mind and heart as opposed to external going through the motions. • 4) “spiritual” or “rational” in the sense of appropriate for human beings as rational and spiritual creatures of God. • “The service here in view is worshipful service and the apostle characterizes it as ‘rational’ because it is worship that derives its character as acceptable to God from the fact that it enlists our mind, our reason, our intellect. . . The worshipful service here enjoined must constrain intelligent volition.” Murray • John 4:22 "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know,

32. Rom 12:1 “spiritual” Is there a connection between how one understands “body” and how one understands logikos? It seems to me, if you take “bodies” as physical, logikos should NOT be understood as “spiritual” in the sense of “inner” (as opposed to external); but logikos would fit well as “that it enlists our mind, our reason, our intellect” since the physical body view includes non-physical aspects. On the other hand, if “bodies” is the “whole person,” it seems that logikos could be easily understood as rational in the sense of humans as rational creatures. Either way one takes “bodies,” it seems that “reasonable” in the sense of “appropriate” would fit well, but for various reasons this is a less common understanding of logikos.

33. Rom 12:2 • “And do not . . .” Rom 12:2 NASB, KJV • Verse 2 starts with the conjunction “and,” some Eng translations drop the “and” – ESV, NIV. • Verse 2 gives the means by which we can carry out the command of verse 1. • “Part of what it means to give oneself wholly to God is fleshed out in verse 2. . . The ‘body’ of verse 1 and the ‘mind’ of verse 2 should not be rigidly separated. Paul views humans beings holistically, and thus there is an intimate connection between what one thinks and what one does.” Schreiner

34. Rom 12:2 “do not be conformed to this world” • Let’s address “this world” first, then we’ll come back to “conformed.” • The express is literally “this age” (see NASB, ESV margin notes). • “This age” has a particularly negative force in Paul. • “the description of the totality of unredeemed life dominated by sin outside of Christ. . . The life dominated by sin and finding its determination in sin.” H. Ridderbos, Paul an Outline of his Theology • “the sin-dominated, death-producing realm in which all people, included in Adam’s fall, naturally belong.”

35. Rom 12:2 “this world” • Some other occurrences of “this age” in the Pauline corpus. • 1 Corinthians 2:8the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; • 2 Corinthians 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. • Galatians 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

36. Rom 12:2 “this world” This age is the “sin-dominated, death-producing realm.” So, why would a believer want anything to do with it? Do Not be Conformed to This World !

37. Rom 12:2 “do not be conformed” Rom 12:2

38. “Romans’ Road” • A simplified method of presenting the Gospel based entirely on verses from the book of Romans has been called Romans’ Road. • This approach follows how Paul presented the Gospel in Romans: • 1. Man’s Sin. • 2. God’s Provision. • 3. Man’ Response. • Personalize each verse. As you use these verses, ask your friend to replace “all,” “whoever,” “us,” etc. with their own name.

39. “Romans’ Road” • 1. Man’s Sin • Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, • Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. • Use “but the free gift . . .” as a transition to 2. God’s provision.

40. “Romans’ Road” • 2. God’s Provision. • Rom 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. • Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. • Transition: What do you need to do?

41. “Romans’ Road” • 3. Man’s Response. • Rom 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. • Rom 10:13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." • Offer to lead in prayer.

42. - end -

43. “Romans’ Road”

44. “Romans’ Road” • quiz • 1. Man’s Sin • Rom 3:23 • Rom 6:23 • 2. God’s Provision. • Rom 6:23b • Rom 5:8 • 3. Man’s Response. • Rom 10:9-10, 13