Bible Gateway Passage: Romans 3:21-31 New International Version - Essay Example

Roman 3:21-31 I. Outline God possesses righteousness and it is testified by the Law as well as the Prophets that lived before. 2. The righteousness of God is based on genuine faith in Jesus Christ. 3. One should not make a difference between the Jewish people as well as Gentiles. 4. They have equally sinned before God and should make up for their sins. 5. However, in order to do so, they should embrace the faith in Jesus Christ and they will receive redemption. 6. The importance of the figure of Jesus Christ lies in the fact that God sacrificed Him as atonement. 7. In order to receive redemption, all the believers should have faith in Jesus Christ. 8. This demonstrates the righteousness of God: He did not punish for the sins that were committed prior to this. 9. Thus, the righteousness of God is presented at the present time: it saves people who have faith in His Son. 10. There is nothing to boast about: God did it because this is His nature to forgive. 11. The Law does not require work, but faith that would save one’s soul. 12. That is why everyone will be judged by his faith and not according to the law. 13. Is God is the God of the Jews exclusively. Should not He be God of Gentiles too? 14. Since there is only one God, He is God of Jews and Gentiles. 15. That is why it is up to Him to judge people who are circumcised or not. 16. Thus, the faith supports the law, rather then nullifying it. II. Exegesis a. Background i. It would not be a mistake to argue that the epistle which was written by Paul to Romans is quite important since contains a brief summary of the Christian religion that was designed explain the newly converted Gentiles the basics of faith and reinforce them in the decision that they have made to enter the Church of Christ. Since Christianity was a relatively young religion at that time, converting to it seemed as irrational act for the people who worshiped gods who have been known for many generations. So, this text contains answers to the questions that are likely to have been asked by his contemporaries in Rome. ii. Textual context 1. Prior to the text, the author discusses the righteousness of God as well as the judgment that he will do at the end of days. After the text in question, Paul assures the newly converted believers in that they will surely save their souls in case their follow the path of faith. Finally, he mentions the future plans of his mission. It would not be a mistake to suggest that this epistle reflect deep desire of Paul to spread the good news to every part of the known world. 2. The overarching narrative of the text focuses on the people who lives in Rome and decided to become Christians. This was rather difficult for them since they lived in the capital of pagan empire and were not absolutely sure about the religious path that they had chosen. However, in order to reinforce their desire to save their souls, Paul presents them with guidelines that would help them. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to argue that the theme of reinforcing newly found faith is one of the central ones. Keeping in mind that the number of Christians was relatively small, the Church did not want to lose even a single believer since that might have had terrible results for it. b. Extraction i. The text in question fits in the historical as well as textual context in the following manner. Paul made many journey turning people to the faith of Christ and is willing to visit Rome too, but was afraid that these plans would not be fulfilled. The Epistle to Romans is one of the most significant pieces of writing since it presents the basic of Christian religion in a way that would contribute to enthusiasm of the believers. This means that Paul tries to use his reputation in order to reinforce this religion in every part of the world that he could reach personally or in writing. ii. The text says that Gentiles should not be worried that the previous law of Jew would prohibit them to become real Christians. It points out the fact that faith is one of the most important aspects when it comes to becoming a true believer and there is no contradiction between the law and faith. One of the main points that is articulated by the text focuses on the fact that the Jews just like the Gentiles are able to become Christians through genuine faith and not by simply changing their rituals. This might have been perceived as a rather innovative thinking since it put emphasis on the faith rather than ceremonies. III. Interpretation a. It is clear that the original intention of the author was to reach the remote communities of Christians that were located in Rome and to contribute to reinforcement of their faith. Indeed, Paul had a considerable number of destinations that he wanted to visit and Rome was one of them, but since he could not be in two places at the same time he tried to anticipate the questions that people in the capital might have had and designed his epistle in such a way that would feel that they have support of their brothers in faith even though they are miles apart. One might suggest that sending letter in this situation was a great solution for Paul since this way he could work in many directions at the same time. b. One might argue that receiving an epistle from Paul would be similar to ray of light in the night for the Christian communities in Rome. It is true that they lacked communication with other groups and were exposed to constant pressure from the society that adopted a religion that was different from their. That is why the text in question was extremely valuable to them. Paul understood the significance and tries to design it in such a way that would be extremely helpful and encouraging. IV. Application a. It would not be a mistake to suggest that Christian church is still converting people all over the world. That means that the ethical dilemmas as well as problems that people in Rome faced are significant for our contemporaries as well. One might argue that all newly converted believers should read this text and image that Paul addressed it to them and not the Romans. This way they will be able to feel the support of the saint and continue their spiritual journey. There is no doubt that this piece of writing might have positive results and help people find God in their hearts. b. I know that sometimes it may be rather difficult to believe in some idea that other people do not share. Under these circumstances any support, especially from a person who is far more advanced that I am is appreciated. So, the text in question may serve as a perfect example of how one person is able to support other even through time. It is true that the word in Epistle to Romans will inspire an infinite number of generations to come. So, one might suggest that every person who seeks support in faith might refer to this text and find great encouraging words of the Christian saint. Works cited "Bible Gateway passage: Romans 3:21-31 - New International Version." Bible Gateway. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. . Read More