July 10, 2009

Texts:
Exodus 31 and 32
Romans 1

Exodus:
Doesn't it seem like Moses was up on the mountain a while back? Yet here, in 31:18, Moses comes down the mountain with the tablets. This is another example of later traditions adding to the original text. If you skip from 24:18 to 31:18, it reads like a continuous narrative. The intervening chapters we've just read were from the Priestly source.
Chapter 32 will be preached this Sunday. See what strikes you in the reading now. Then, on Sunday, see if it seems different to you after you hear the sermon.

Romans:
Welcome to one of my all time favorite books of the Bible! Scholars believe this to be the last letter written by Paul, so in many ways, it is his most comprehensive argument. But don't forget that it is, first of all, a letter written to brothers and sisters in the church in Rome.
Paul starts out with the standard "salutation" section to open the letter (vs 1-7). Today, we would just say, "Hey there, Rome! How's it going?" But this salutation alerts the readers to some important information about the letter writer. Paul identifies himself, in ONE very long sentence, as:

a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised before hand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh, and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, to all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Try translating that from the Greek!
But, even as our 8th grade English teachers cringe at his run-on sentence, note that Paul identifies himself as being a servant, set apart for the gospel. He hangs his hat on Jesus' name and then spends some time explaining how Jesus is God's son.
Paul may call himself a servant, but that doesn't necessarily make him humble--when he speaks the greeting at the end, he brings them grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

When you encounter other "salutations" in later letters, pay attention to what the author says about himself and about the people to whom he is writing.

Then the chapter goes on. But before you decide you hate Romans based on the first chapter, remember that chapter and verse numbers were added later. Paul didn't stop at the end of chapter one. The letter continues. The end of chapter one is setting up a presumed world view of the 1st century to make the point that knowledge of God is not enough (as opposed to grace filled relationship with God). Chapter one ends in judgment, but moves directly on to chapter two--Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others....