Romans pt 23: How NOT to read Romans 1

Reading Romans 1

Romans 1 is, how to say it, harsh. Right int he first chapter of Pauls longest letter he launches into what, upon first glance, can only be described as a diatribe. Lets take a look, starting at Romans 1:18

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. (Ro 1:18–23).

So from the start there is an outsider and an insider, that much is clear. And if you’ve been Reading Romans Backwards, as Dr. Scot McKnight suggests, then you know that the insiders in chapter 1 are Jews, while the outsiders are Gentiles.

The racial tension between the Jews and Gentiles in the first century was palpable. There are many racial tropes against Gentiles contained in ancient Jewish literature. Gentiles are sometimes portrayed as unruly or chaotic people who oppose God's order and righteousness. They are associated with violence, idolatry, and moral corruption. They were thought of as agents of chaos in the world; they were the dark waters of corruption from Genesis creeping back in.

In fact, if you’d like a list of the things Jewish people thought about the Gentiles in their day, you need look no farther than our passage in Romans 1. Lets read further:

 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Ro 1:24–32).

Obviously, Paul is not describing all Gentiles. Paul does not think that gentiles are lying, stealing, idolatrous, homosexual, murderers living lives of ill repute. And if you really stand back and look at this passage, it becomes obvious that this description doesn’t match anyone. And what’s more, this is not how Christians should describe any group of people.

So what is Paul doing? Why is he describing Gentiles — especially the Gentiles in the church in Rome — in this manner?

Paul and Prosopopeia

Romans 1 contains a literary device known as prosopopeia (ˌprɒsəpəˈpiːə) / noun. In rhetoric another word for personification. a figure of speech that represents an imaginary, absent, or dead person speaking or acting.

In chapter 1, Paul adorns himself in the stereotypical Jewish man/woman. He uses the words of the most ideological and judgemental Jew, which he understands well, growing up a Pharisee. Like a demagogue leading a political rally, Paul stirs up zealotry and feelings of tribal righteousness in his Jewish audience. By the time we get to verses 28 - 32, the most righteous of Jewish believers would have been on their feet shouting “Finally! Someone is saying it like it is!”

And it is at this moment, where chapter 1 ends and chapter 2 begins, that we find Pauls rhetorical turn, putting his finger in the face of the pious Jews and saying this:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Ro 2:1–4).

Paul’s intention in chapter 1 is to reveal their harsh ideologically driven judgementalism of their brothers and sisters, the Gentile Christians. He uses their language, he says the things they would love to say from the places of hurt in their own hearts, hurt caused by oppression and poverty caused by the Gentiles and their Roman rulers.

And then, once the judgers are on their feet and cheering along, the preacher (Pheobe) turns towards them and says “And you are just as bad they are BECAUSE you judge them!”

I want to speak clearly when I say:

Anyone using Romans 1 to judge and point the finger of condemnation at anyone is guilty of doing what Paul condemns in Romans chapter 2.

The way that Paul speaks of the Gentiles in chapter 1 is not how Christians speak about other people, that is the point of Paul writing it. It is a brilliant turn of phrase that leaves the judgers on their heels. And then he explains a bit further why judging others is such a folly.

There are two points that Paul is intending to make in Romans 1-2:

(1) Don’t Condemn Others

“And when you judge them, and when you condemn them, you condemn yourself.”

Christians do not judge, Jesus does. Christians are not the arbiters of truth, Jesus is.

Paul reinforces the teachings of Jesus contained in Matthew 7:3–4 (NIV):

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

We all have brokenness of all sorts. You, my brother, my sister, have too many planks in our own eyes to judge anyone else. We meet eat other at the bottom. Greg Boyd puts like this: “We are the broken club. If you are broken, you can join us!” We have nobody to look down upon, instead, we look up to others, washing their feet (however that looks today), identifying with them, especially when they are being ridiculed and judged.

There are no easy answers when it comes to the Christian life, but throughout the New Testament the message is proclaimed: Don’t judge people, embrace them, share communion with them, and sit at the feet of Jesus together as equals. Ask God to work in both of your lives.

Paul says that Gods judgement is based upon truth, something you do not have because you are a mere human. You don’t know the whole story of someone else’s life. You don’t know where God has brought them from, nor where he is taking them. And you don’t get to decide. Jesus knows, and he is working.

(2) Your Condemnation Reveals Your Sin.

In Romans 2:2-4 Paul says that there are only two reasons why a Christian would view someone else with such contempt:

1) You believe you are beyond Gods judgement.

“Do you think you will escape God’s judgment?” (Ro 2:3).
Pauls proclamation is based on his belief that human knowledge is incomplete, but that Gods knowledge is infinite. Righteous judgement can only be enacted from infinite knowledge. You, “mere human,” are incapable of judging rightly the sins of others, so it is foolish to judge at all.

2) You have contempt for God and his love for them.

“Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Ro 2:4).
Jesus loves the ones that you hate. Gods love for his enemies is the thing that brought them to God. Your contempt for those who have cultural disagreements will never draw them to Jesus, it will never save them. Only love can do that.

Discussion Questions:

1) How does the concept of God's kindness leading to repentance challenge our tendency to show contempt towards those we disagree with culturally?

2) In what ways can we demonstrate love for those whom we may perceive as enemies or hold cultural disagreements with, following Jesus' example?

3) Why is it crucial to understand that our contempt for others will not lead them to Jesus or bring about their salvation?

4) How can we cultivate a mindset of patience and forbearance when dealing with people who hold different cultural beliefs or values?

5) Reflecting on the sermon, what practical steps can we take to ensure that love becomes the driving force behind our interactions with those we find difficult or hold cultural disagreements with?

Followup from Sundays Sermon on Discerning Sexual Ethics:

In the coming days and weeks (as time permits) I will be putting together a followup post outlining the three principles for healthy discussion regarding issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as providing a list of resources as you navigate this topic in your own life. I will try and keep it updated as new works are published and new theological views are outlined in the public discussion.

As always, may we be gracious with each other as we remember that peace come through grace. Grace and Peace.