Monday 12 March 2012

Background

Paul, himself a highly qualified and well-educated Jew, was acontinual irritant to his own faith community. His big-heartedacceptance of non-Jewish (or Gentile) Christians as equally valid'children of Abraham' alongside those who came to faith in Christfrom a Jewish background, angered many. Towards the end of chapter3, Paul has stated that he does uphold the Jewish law, and alsothat "the righteousness of God" (Romans3:21), which he is proclaiming, can be found in the law and theprophets. Now he has to provide evidence for those claims.

Perhaps as we read this passage it is helpful for us to imagine acourt of law, for Paul uses terms and methods which would not beout of place there. The key 'charge' in this passage, and all thereadings this week, concerns 'justification' - what it is and howone obtains it. A simple definition would be to see justificationas being 'put right with God' - accepted by God without any sinmarring that acceptance. Many Jews of Paul's day believed that suchjustification could be attained by 'works of the law', by obedienceto a written (and non-written) moral code of vast dimensions.Paul's theology cuts across this; claiming that justification isalways and only a gift from God that comes not through works, butthrough grace and faith. Although Paul's own understanding of thishas only come to him through the revelation of Jesus Christ, he nowbelieves, and seeks to convince others, that the way of salvationby grace is no innovation; any true understanding of the Hebrewscriptures is one which sees them as pointing forward to what Godwould do in Christ.

He begins by calling Abraham as a witness. Abraham was the foundingfather of the Jewish religion; the example above all others of aman who lived a truly righteous life. Perhaps typically of Paul, heuses as his first argument (in verse 3), a verse from Genesis whichhis opponents also used, but with a very different result!Genesis15:6 states that "[Abraham] believed the Lord; and theLord reckoned it to him as righteousness". Contemporary Jewishscholarship used the verse as a proof text that Abraham wasjustified on the grounds of his works; Paul claims quite theopposite, that the verse proves that Abraham's works were not thegrounds for his justification. In essence Paul is claiming herethat (even) Abraham was not, of himself, righteous. However,because of his faith he was treated as if he were. Therefore hisstanding before God (his justification) was not an attainment, buta gift (verses 5-8). He quotes from Psalm32:1-2 in support of this; trusting in God includestrusting in God's forgiveness, and this brings aboutblessing.

Circumcision was, for Jews, the definitive mark of whether you were'in' or 'out'. By pointing out that Abraham was reckoned asrighteous by God BEFORE he was circumcised (which takes place inGenesis17) Paul is able to claim the same benefits for Jewish andGentile Christians alike.

To Ponder

Some Christians today can fall into the sametendency of thinking and living as though acceptance before God issomething that can be earnt. How does this false belief show itselfin your life or in the life of your church?

How can a guilty person today know theblessedness of which the psalmist speaks?

Is there an outward, physical sign of being 'in'or 'out' of the Christian faith today? If so, what? Is thisimportant? And why (or why not)?