It may seem a funny place to begin, in the middle of Romans. However, as I am presently doing a study on Romans with my Bible study group, I felt it would make sense to focus on a few verses every day from our assigned reading. Ill start with eight or so verses a day and see how that works.
Romans 3:1-8
1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:
“ That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.”[a]
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?
7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
**What are my initial thoughts about the reading? AND ALSO -What does this reading tell me about the person/people who wrote it?
For me these eight verse have required some deeper contemplation. I have had to do a little digging and read them in several different versions, including: The NKJV, The NIV, and The Message. To me this brief section seems to be Paul focusing/trying to communicate with people who are doing religious/theological study and arguing over the judgement and justice of God. Also, It seems to me to be a section addressing the Jews who are having a hard time adjusting to the truth of Jesus and his new covenant- one that seems to abandon so much of the law. Paul spends a lot of time in this letter addressing the fact that Jesus is the fulfilment of the law ( Matt 5: 17 -“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.") but that the law was never understood until Jesus came
**What sentence or phrase popped out at me?
These few sentences popped out at me with power and strength:
"For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar." Specifically "Let God be true but every man a liar."
This verse is interesting to me as it falls in this section regarding God's promise to the Jews. In my understanding of this verse Paul is saying that God is faithful to his promises, and those following the laws laid out for them in the old testament, like circumcision, are justified by the faithful nature of God. These verses come directly after a section in chapter two which has stated that a true Jew is one who is circumcised in the spirit. In the NIV this verse translates:"What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?" It is comforting to me, a unfaithful doubter, that I am trusting in the nature of God. I may not understand God as the Jews do and did. In fact some of these verses are harder to understand as I am prone to skip over them as not relating to me. Im sure Paul had no idea that someone like me would be reading them thousands of years later trying to grapple with their meaning. However, I do take a lot of meaning from them, they just take a little more focus
**Are there any sentences or phrases that don't sit easy with me? If so, why?
"That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.”
For whatever reason, I have had a difficult time understanding this phrase. It is a quote from a psalm of David
Psalms 51:4 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
David is addressing God after the whole Bathsheba incident. Its a beautiful psalm of sorrow, repentance; a cry for mercy and renewal. David admits that he knows God desires truth in his inward parts not just his outward parts and he( sort of insolently) tells God that only He can judge him, because David has sinned only against God (which I would disagree with. HE KILLED A MAN TO STEAL HIS WIFE!)
Interestingly, Jesus sort of quotes this verse in Matthew, but here he is addressing people and telling them that the things they say are important. It comes in the section of Matthew where Jesus is talking about a tree being known by its fruits.
Matthew12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
I find this MetaBible stuff very interesting. The initial meaning of things, though not entirely changed, are given new/deeper meaning. It relates to what I was learning about in Karen Armstrong's book, 'The Bible'. I have a lot to learn about the flexibility of God's wisdom.
**What does this reading tell me about who God is?
I would say that these verses have spoken to me very deeply about who God is. These verses tell me God cares about who I am in the inside not who I am on the outside. These verses also tell me God is faithful when I am not faithful, that he will be faithful when I am my usual doubting self. These verses have reminded me of David and how he came before God with his sin stained soul and begged for forgiveness and renewal. I have been reminded by these verses, that God's righteousness cannot be diminished by my actions, (“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain) but that that does not mean I will not be judged by God for my actions.
**Does this reading urge me to do things differently? To think of things differently?
I feel the urge to trust in the grace and faithfulness of God, but not lose sight of the kind of fruit I am producing.
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So that was my first attempt. A rough and scattered grouping of thoughts and revelations. I feel like I will probably get better at this over time.
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I pray God will guide me til tomorrow. I pray he will be with me as I try to follow; as I struggle against my own weakness, bitterness and anger.
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