The Warning to the “Good Person”
2: 11-16

The warning to the “good person” DIG: How does Paul explain the difference between being religious, a “good person,” and being right with God? What guidelines does Paul say that God will use to reward or punish people? If hearing the Torah doesn’t make people right with God, what does? In what sense is the Torah God’s “blueprint for living?”

REFLECT: How would you define hypocrisy? Why do you think it is so harmful to the Church? We are not to judge others, but we are to be fruit inspectors (Matthew 7:17-20). How can you tell a spiritually “good person” from someone who is genuinely saved? How can you tell right from wrong in your own life? What guides you in this?

ADONAI has set up a universal stream of blessing and cursing. Anyone, saved or not, who follows the Torah as a blueprint for living will be blessed, and anyone, saved or not, who violates the Torah as a blueprint for living will be cursed.

For God does not show favoritism. All who have sinned outside the framework of Torah (apart from the Torah) will die outside the framework of Torah; and all who have sinned within the framework of Torah (in connection with the Torah) will be judged by Torah (2:11-12). Despite the assertion of Sanhedrin 11:1, which teaches that “all of Isra’el has a share in the world to come,” Paul explains that being Jewish, or having a knowledge of Torah will not automatically save one from God’s judgment, or guarantee eternal life (Matthew 3:9-10; Acts 10:28; Galatians 2:15).⁵¹

For it is not merely the hearers of Torah whom God considers righteous; rather, it is the doers of what Torah says who show evidence of their righteousness in God’s sight (2:13). The Jews were hearers of the Torah because scrolls were rare and Torah knowledge came from hearing them read aloud and memorizing them, but if the Jewish “good person” doesn’t do what it says he is a sinner who will die. Don’t deceive yourselves by only hearing what the Word says, but do it! For whoever hears the Word but doesn’t do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror, who looks at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does (James 1:22).

God has set up a universal stream of blessing and the universal stream of cursing. For whenever the Gentile “good person,” who has no Torah, does naturally what the Torah requires, then he, even though he doesn’t have Torah, unwittingly enters into God’s stream of blessing (2:14)! In other words, if the Gentile “good person” pays his taxes, honors his parents, doesn’t steal, commit adultery or murder anyone, his life will go relatively smoothly. It doesn’t mean that he can’t have hardships, or bad things happen to him, but generally speaking, his life will be blessed. When the Gentile “good person” does what is right, he is actually fulfilling the Torah without even knowing it because it is written on his heart. It’s his conscience. So, there is a level playing field as far as judgment is concerned. Their consciences also bear witness to this, for their conflicting thoughts sometimes accuse them if they are guilty and sometimes defend them if they are innocent (2:15).

On the other hand, if a Jewish or Gentile believer lies, cheats, and steals, doesn’t honor his parents, commits adultery and murder, he enters into God’s stream of cursing because he is grieving the Ruach. Paul warned believers against this when he said: Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach Ha’Kodesh, for He has stamped you as His property until the day of final redemption (Ephesians 5:30). It doesn’t mean that he can’t have good things happen to him, but generally speaking, he is going to have an extremely difficult time in his life. Even though the believer is saved and will inherit eternal life, there will be consequences in his life for violating the Torah, God’s blueprint for living. Knowing who is merely a “good person,” and who is truly saved will be made clear on a day when God passes judgment on people’s inmost secrets (2:16a).

The very presence of Torah testifies to a godly standard, which ultimately is Yeshua Messiah. According to the Good News as I proclaim it, he does this through the Messiah Yeshua (2:16b). God is fair. The Gentile “good person,” who does not have the Torah is not judged because of it; and the Jewish “good person,” who possesses the Torah, is not saved because of it. God will punish sin and reward righteousness on the basis of trust in Yeshua.

I have wondered, at times, what kind of a person Judas was. What he looked like, how he acted, who his friends were. I am sure outwardly he seemed like a “good person.” But for all the things we don’t know about him, there is one thing we know for sure: he had no relationship with the Master. He had seen Yeshua, but he did not know Him. He had heard Messiah, but he did not understand Him. Judas had religion, but no relationship.

Dear Heavenly Father, Relationship with You is so important. Religion is man trying to reach up to God; but You reached down to offer relationship to all who would choose to move beyond mere intellectualism into a loving covenant relationship with You. After you heard the message of truth – the Good News of your salvation – and when you put your trust in Him, you were sealed with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh.  He is the guarantee of our inheritance, until the redemption of His possession – to His glorious praise (Ephesians 1:13-14)! But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God  (John 1:12). All who receive You as Lord and Savior, You put them into Your family and Your family will live with You in heaven forever!

Dear Daddy, Many friends and family are trusting in their own goodness to enter heaven. Please help them to see the sure hope of heaven when they trust You and the joy that as Your mighty power raised Messiah from the dead, so too Your mighty power will raise those who love and trust You, to life with you in heaven. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the richness of His glorious inheritance in the kedoshim,  and what is His exceedingly great power toward us who keep trusting Him – in keeping with the working of His mighty strength. This power He exercised in Messiah when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heaven (Ephesians 1:18-20). In Messiah Yeshua’s holy name and power of resurrection. Amen

As the Adversary worked his way around the table in the Upper Room, he needed a special kind of man to betray our Lord. He needed an outwardly “good person.” A man who had seen Yeshua, but did not know Him. He needed a man who knew the actions of Messiah but had missed out on the mission of the Son of God. Judas was that “good person.” He bore the cloak of religion, but never knew the heart of the Master. Let’s make it our goal to know Him . . . deeply.

The Judgment of the “Good Person”
2: 5-10

The judgment of the “good person” DIG: According to this passage, why are not even the “good person” exempted from God’s judgment? How is the Gentile idea of learning different than the Simatic idea of learning? How will the “good person” be judged? How does God show His impartiality in judgment?

REFLECT: Has God’s kindness led you toward real love for Him? Or do you now take the relationship for granted? How so? How do your deeds reflect your faith in Yeshua? How have you served others with your life? Read Psalm 14 and note how it relates to this passage.

Paul turns his attention to the “good person” who is standing in judgment over the pagan Gentile whom he has described in Chapter One.

But by your stubbornness, by your unrepentant heart, you are storing up anger for yourself on the Day of Anger, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed (2:5). A very striking picture – storing up wrath for one’s self. Paul declares that because the “good person” is judgmental, it is as if he is water flowing downstream into a dam, storing up divine anger against himself. He reminds his readers that divine anger is nothing less than releasing the waters of the unrepentant heart on the Day of Judgment in the far eschatological future. Therefore, God’s patience with sin must not be confused with weakness on His part. Laying down the principle of judgment: The “good person” will be condemned on account of his deeds and according to his deeds. However, the righteous will be rewarded, not on account of their deeds, but according to their deeds at the Bema Seat of Christ (see below).

The Gentile idea of learning is merely the transfer of information; but the Semitic idea of learning is actions. We don’t have to choose between deeds or creeds. It’s not either/or, it’s both/and. Our transformation is the proof of our salvation (James 2:14-24). Faith has legs. For He will pay back each one according to his deeds (Romans 2:6; also see Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12). Good deeds are not the means of salvation, but they are the evidence of salvation.⁴⁸ Good deeds will reveal if a person is justified, or ever saved to begin with.

To those who seek glory, honor and immortality by perseverance in doing good deeds, He will pay back eternal life (2:7). Paul didn’t need a crystal ball to tell the future. He knew from Yeshua and His apostles that those who sought after, and followed Him would enjoy eternal life. He also knew that those who reject the truth and follow evil would experience eternal anguish. Paul was not exaggerating. He was delivering a sobering description of the way things really are. And guess what? If he were to sit down with you over a cup of coffee today, he would say the same thing. Those who place their faith/trust/belief in Yeshua, and what He has done, will receive eternal life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer).⁴⁹

At the end of your life on earth you will stand before God, and He is going to evaluate how well you served others. Later, Paul will declare: So then, every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God (14:12). Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy went toward ourselves compared with what we invested in serving others. At that point, all our excuses for self-centeredness will sound hollow, “I was too busy,” or, “I had my own goals,” or, “I was preoccupied with working, having fun, or preparing for retirement.” To all these excuses God will respond, “Sorry, wrong answer. I created you, called you, saved you, and commanded you to live a life of service. What part of that did you not understand?” The Bible warns the “good person” . . . God will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves (2:8 NLT), but for believers, it will mean loss of rewards (see the commentary on Revelation Cc – For We Must All Appear Before the Bema Seat of Christ).⁵⁰

Yes, he will pay back misery and anguish to every human being who does evil, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile (2:9). Paul wants to emphasize the absolute impartiality of God’s judgment. If Jews have priority for blessing, they also have priority for cursing as well. YHVH had indeed chosen Isra’el above all others to be His chosen people (Deuteronomy 6:14, 7:6 and 14:2). Among all the families on earth, only you have I intimately known (Amos 3:2a). But God immediately went on to say: This is why I will punish you for all your crimes (Amos 3:2b). Isra’el had greater light, because Torah knowledge should have made the Jew more aware of how God functions, and thus, greater blessing . . . so the Jew will be judged first.

Dear Heavenly Father, Though it is easier to point at someone else and call them wrong, we need to realize that even the smallest of sins – even one wrong thought, will keep out of Your holy and perfect heaven, those who are trying to get in by their own goodness. Thank You that Your Son Yeshua took the punishment for Your wrath against sin, by His dying in the place of all who choose to love and to follow You as their Lord and Savior.  He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21).

Praise You that You are a righteous judge who hates sin. In great mercy and love (Ephesians 1:4-5, 2:8-9) You adopted into your family all who would choose to have faith/trust/belief on You as their Savior. After you heard the message of truth – the Good News of your salvation – and when you put your trust in Him, you were sealed with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh.  He is the guarantee of our inheritance, until the redemption of His possession – to His glorious praise (Ephesians 1:13-14)! Praise You that the judgement of death for sin is paid and our joyful response is to love You back in gratefulness. How wonderful it will be to praise and worship You through all the many long ages of eternity! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

But glory and honor and shalom to everyone who keeps doing what is good, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile (2:10). Since ADONAI is impartial, the criterion He uses in judgment is not whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, but rather, whether one has, or has not, placed their faith/trust/belief in Yeshua Messiah as their Lord and Savior (see As – Paul’s Gospel).

The Guilt of the “Good Person”
2: 1-4

The guilt of the “good person” DIG: God is working on everyone individually. Everyone is on their own journey. So, how is God patient with the “good person” also? Is God’s patience an endorsement of the “good person’s” sin? Why isn’t God impressed by mere “religious activity?”

REFLECT: How does this passage answer the popular modern-day belief that “human beings are basically good people?” Do you see yourself as more of a gross sinner (1:18-32), or as a “good person?” Are you not as bad as “other people?” How has God been patient with you?

The very ones who were passing judgment on the pagans were also guilty. While they are not guilty of repressing the truth, they are guilty of applying it to others and not themselves.

The bad news is not over. The “good person” perceives that he is not caught-up in the mire of the pagan (to see link click An – The Depraved Mind of the Pagan Gentile), but feels superior, and likes to condemn them. His sin is pride, and Paul has a message for him. “Spotting the evil in others has not rooted out the evil in you!” Or as the folk saying goes, “It takes one to know one.” Paul accuses the “good person,” who has made himself a judge, less for passing judgment on others than for not passing equally severe judgment on himself (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Du – Do Not Judge, and You Will Not Be Judged).

Knowledge: Therefore, connects Chapter 2 with Chapter 1. Since God’s anger is revealed against all people, and because all people have been given knowledge of ADONAI, therefore even the person who judges has no excuse, whoever you are, passing judgment; for when you judge someone else, you are passing judgment against yourself, Since you who are judging do the same things he does (2:1). They condemn themselves because they obviously have a criterion by which they judge, meaning that they know the truth about what is right and wrong before God! Even the “good person” knows the basic truth about ADONAI’s eternal power and His divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made (1:20). They also have a sense of right and wrong by conscience (2:15).

Truth: Paul now affirms the general principle that God is fair in His judgment of such practices. We know (Greek: oida, which carries the idea of awareness of that which is commonly known and obvious) that God’s judgment lands impartially on those who do such things (2:2). Everything Ha’Shem does is, by nature, righteous according to the truth. He is not capable of doing that which is not righteous or saying that which is not true. David declared that ADONAI sits on the throne as the righteous judge . . . He will judge the world in righteousness; He will judge the people fairly (Psalm 9:4 and 8).

Do you think that you, a mere man passing judgment on others who do such things, yet doing them yourself, will escape the judgment of God? Such people are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside, but inside are full of dead people’s bones and all kinds of rottenness (Matthew 23:27). “You are foolish and self-deceived,” Paul says, “if you think that you will escape the judgment of God (2:3). There is no escape. Ever. If the “good person” cannot escape his own judgment, how can he escape divine judgment? If the “good person” is forced to condemn himself, how much more will the infinitely holy God condemn him? The only way the “good person,” no matter how outwardly moral and religious, can escape the judgment of YHVH is to receive Yeshua Messiah as Lord and Savior, trusting in the provision He made on the cross by His paying the penalty all deserve.⁴⁶

Guilt: Or perhaps you despise the riches of His kindness, His grace, forbearance (Greek: anoche, meaning to hold back) and patience; because you don’t realize that God’s kindness, His grace, is intended to lead you to turn from your sins (2:4). Here the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, through Paul, affirms that the LORD judges on the basis of a person’s guilt, which is common to everyone. The “good person” fails to repent just like the pagan fails to repent. But even worse, this “good person” has a contempt for the kindness of YHVH, assuming that God’s forbearance is a result of their goodness. Little do they realize that until the inevitable moment of judgment, the kindness, grace, forbearance and patience of ADONAI are extended to all mankind because He does not wish that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from their sins (Second Peter 3:9).

Dear Heavenly Father, You are so loving, yet You are also holy and perfectly pure. Everyone is thrilled with Your love, but Your holiness is something that gets ignored. Nowadays DIY- “Do it yourself” is popular and can be good when used for such things as bed mattresses etc., but if the same idea is used for morals – the end result is disastrous for You are holy and cannot allow any sin into Your holy heaven. Praise You that Yeshua took the punishment for sin by dying as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) and conquering death. By His death and resurrection, He offers His righteousness to all who chose to love and to follow Him (Second Corinthians 5:21).

An awesome gift is God’s righteousness, yet how sad that many will not get the gift. He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). God, how merciful You are to desire all to come to live with you in heaven, yet You will refuse many to enter heaven because they refuse to repent. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9). Too often people think of themselves as good enough for heaven, but they need to turn away from following their own desires and choose to follow You as Lord and Savior of their life. That is repentance – turning from wrong to lovingly follow Kosher King Jesus. Please open the hearts of my family and friends who know about you, but who do not love You – to bow their knee to worship and to adore You. May they rejoice in accepting you as their Savior and Lord. In Your holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Strangely, the “good person” does not perceive YHVH as being totally good! Instead of recognizing His gracious provision, patience, and His mercy, they accuse Him of being insensitive and unloving for allowing tragedies in this world. “How could God allow that little child to die?” they ask, or, “Why does God allow a ‘good person’ to suffer pain and poor health and permit a crook to enjoy health and wealth?” The “good person” judges God from a distorted human perspective, failing to acknowledge that, if it were not for the LORD’s grace and mercy, no one would be alive (Job 12:10).

Rather than asking why Ha’Shem allows bad things to happen to seemingly “good people,” we should ask why He allows seemingly good things to happen to obviously bad people (Psalm 73). We could ask why He does not strike down many other people for their sins, including believers, as He did with Ananias and Sapphira (see the commentary on Acts At – Ananias and Sapphira Lie to the Ruach). We should wonder why God doesn’t cause the earth to swallow up apostates as He did with the rebellious Korah and his followers (see the commentary on Jude Aq – They Have Taken the Way of Cain, Rushed into Balaam’s Error, and have been Destroyed by Korah’s Rebellion)? The reason that YHVH patiently put up with people who deserved punishment and were ripe for destruction . . . is that He did this in order to make known the riches of His glory to those who are the objects of His, whom He prepared in advance for glory (9:22-23). The purpose of the kindness of God is not to excuse the “good person” from his sin, but to convict him of it and lead him to repentance.⁴⁷

The “Good” Person
2: 1-16

After reading Paul’s severe condemnation of those who have abandoned ADONAI and plummeted into the gross sins previously mentioned (to see link click An – The Depraved Mind of the Pagan Gentile), one naturally wonders about how YHVH deals with the more upright, moral, and “good” person, who has a sense of right and wrong, and leads an outwardly virtuous life. They would say, “I’m not as bad as those other people. I don’t commit adultery, I don’t murder, rob and steal. I pay my taxes and stay out of other people’s business. I try to help people. I follow the Golden Rule. I’m a ‘good’ person.”

Many such ethically upright people would heartily agree with Paul’s assessment of the flagrantly immoral people he had just described. They obviously deserved the judgment of Ha’Shem. Throughout history many pagan individuals and societies have held high standards of conduct. Even the lost have a basic knowledge of good and evil built into them and into society. As a result, many people today recognize and seek to uphold the moral principles of Scripture even if they are not saved. But they do not have the Ruach Ha’Kodesh living within them to restrain their sinfulness. They trust in baptism, in their church membership, in their being born into a Christian family, in the sacraments, in high ethical standards, in orthodox doctrine, or in any number of other outward ideas, relationships, or ceremonies for spiritual and even eternal safety.

But no one can understand or gain salvation apart from recognizing that they stand guilty and condemned before ADONAI, totally unable to bring themselves up to God’s standard of perfect righteousness. And no one is exempt. The “good person” who is friendly and charitable, but self-satisfied is, in fact, usually harder to reach with the Good News than the one who is filled with every kind of wickedness (1:29), who has hit bottom, recognized his sin, and given up hope. As a result, after showing the immoral pagan that he is lost and separated from Messiah. Paul proceeds with great force and clarity to show the “good person” that, before God, he is equally guilty and condemned.⁴⁵

The Depraved Mind of the Pagan Gentile
1: 28-32

The depraved mind of the pagan Gentile DIG: In what sense has God given them up? How does one become reprobate? What are the “worthless ways of thinking?” Is this list of sins exhaustive? The twenty-four sins are listed as a unit. Can any of them be seen in a positive light, apart from the rest? What is especially wicked in leading others into sinful acts? What kind of society does this make?

REFLECT: In what areas of your life do your sinful desires tend to interfere with living a righteous life? How does this passage encourage you to live by faith? If you recently trusted Messiah, what lessons in living by faith have you learned? If you’ve been a believer for a while, what disciplines have you learned about keeping your faith lively?

The extent of the sinfulness of mankind is in full display, like a pig in its filth.

When mankind began to feel the tragic consequences of his sins, you would think he would repent and seek God, but unfortunately, just the opposite was true. In other words, since they have not considered God worth knowing, God has given them up, literally, God handed them over, to worthless (Greek: adokimos, meaning depraved) ways of thinking; so that they do improper things (1:28). Like Pharaoh, they become reprobate. As God’s representative, Moshe kept coming to Pharaoh to persuade him to bend his knee to the will of Ha’Shem, and let the Jews go to worship their God in the wilderness. Time and time again, Moses came to the king of Egypt. But time and time again he refused. Finally, sadly, ADONAI accepted the will of Pharaoh, and handed him over for destruction. YHVH will do His best to woo a person to receive Him as LORD and Master. But there comes a point of no return, which only a gracious and loving God can determine. Once that point is reached, God has given them up to their own sinful wishes and desires.

The downward slide gathers speed. Here is the Bible’s most comprehensive list of the evils people invent for themselves. Read Romans Chapter 1 again, and you’ll notice that between verses 26 and 31, Paul lists twenty-four sins. This list is not exhaustive, but it is representative of the virtual endless number of vices with which the pagan Gentile is filled. As is typical of such lists, this one exhibits no rigid logical arrangement, since rhetorical concerns play a role in the ordering of the list. Nor is it possible to give each term in the last a meaning distinct from every other term – some are virtually synonymous, and a considerable degree of overlap in meaning occurs.

Homosexuality is mentioned first (1:26). Some homosexual apologists suggest that homosexuality is only a sin if it doesn’t come naturally to you. But I doubt any pro-homosexual apologist would apply the same thinking to sins two through twenty-four! But why not? Since they’re all lumped together in the same passage, wouldn’t logic require it? Given the proper motivation, are there loving ways to be filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and vice? This is moral absurdity!⁴²

In addition, Paul describes mankind as being filled (Greek: pepleromenous, is a perfect participle speaking of a past completed action with continuing results) with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and vice; stuffed with jealousy, murder, quarrelling, dishonesty and ill-will; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God; they are insolent, arrogant and boastful; they plan evil schemes; they disobey their parents; they are brainless, faithless, heartless and ruthless (1:29-31).

Done intentionally, with full knowledge, and not out of ignorance. They know well enough God’s righteous decree that people who do such things deserve to die (to see link click Al – The Evidence Against the Pagan Gentile), which has been the same since the days of Adam and Eve until now. In most societies of the world, even in those considered uncivilized, most of the sins Paul lists here are held to be crimes. People inherently know that such things such as greed, jealousy, murder, dishonesty, arrogance, slander, and disobedience are wrong.

Then the absolute pit of wickedness is reached when Paul declares that when those who are themselves involved in such evils, but they applaud others who do the same, thus forming a godless society opposing everything ADONAI wants from his beloved creation . . . humanity (1:32). To justify one’s own sin is wicked enough, but to approve and encourage others to sin is immeasurably worse. Even the best of societies has had those within them who were blatantly wicked and ruthless. But a society that openly condones and defends such evils as sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and the rest has reached the deepest level of corruption. Sexually promiscuous celebrities are glamorized and the rights of homosexuals are ardently defended. These acts of sin are in direct contradiction to the revealed will of YHVH.⁴³

Whether we are new in our faith or have trusted Messiah for years, all of us struggle with the tendency to fall back on our righteousness, our “track record” or ability to do and be good, rather than placing our hope in Him. Really understanding that Yeshua wants our complete trust is an ongoing process. Putting faith in Yeshua is a starting point, but it isn’t the end of it. Each day is a fresh opportunity to acknowledge and experience living by Messiah’s righteousness.

Father, forgive us for being witnesses of Your majesty and yet living as though You do not exist. Forgive us, Lord, when we put more hope in the things of this earth than in the incredible promises of Your heaven. Have mercy on our hardened hearts. Transform us into Your likeness.⁴⁴

The Rejection by the Pagan Gentile
1: 24-27

The rejection by the pagan Gentile DIG: Why does God give people up to their own desires? What happens when God lets people go their own way? How does their “freedom” actually become a trap? What does the Bible have to say about homosexuality? Jeremiah 29:13 says, “When you seek Me, you will find Me.” Why, then, do the pagan Gentiles reject God?

REFLECT: Can you hate the sin but love the sinner? Yeshua associated with prostitutes (Luke 7:36-50) and sinners (Matthew 11:16-19; John 8:1-11). What kind of relationship should you have with the pagan Gentile? Has God given them up eternally? Does the pagan Gentile have any hope of redemption in this life? What does that have to do with you?

Sin takes you further than you want to go, costs you more than you wanted to pay, and makes you stay longer than you wanted to stay.

Therefore, refers back to the reasons Paul has just given (to see link click Al – The Evidence Against the Pagan Gentile). God has given them up, literally, God handed them over (as punishment for rejecting the general revelation that is available to them) to the vileness of their hearts’ lusts, to the shameful misuse of each other’s bodies (1:24). There comes a point of no return. YHVH will not violate the free will of the pagan Gentile and force him to do something he does not want to do. And after the Ruach Ha’Kodesh has wooed someone, and that person says, “No,” and hardens their heart over and over and over and over again. ADONAI finally says, “Alright, this breaks My heart, but I am going to accept that you want nothing to do with Me.” And like Pharaoh, Ha’Shem hardens his heart (Exodus 9:12). Ha’Shem doesn’t condemn anyone to hell. But they end up there because they have chosen their own destiny by rejecting the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Em – Whoever Blasphemes Against the Holy Spirit Will Never Be Forgiven).

They have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. And after a while they couldn’t discern the truth from the lie of the Adversary. Scripture often speaks of God as being the Truth, as Yeshua described Himself (John 14:6). To reject YHVH, the Father of Truth, is to become vulnerable to Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44). Paul goes on to say that when people turned from God and His truth, they then worshipped and served created things, rather than the Creator. Perhaps unable to continue discussing such vile things without “coming up for air,” as it were, Paul inserts a common Jewish doxology about the true God, the Creator, praised be He forever. Amen (1:25). He could not resist adding that refreshing thought in the sea of filth he was describing. That word of praise to ADONAI served, by utter contrast, to magnify the wickedness of idolatry and all other ungodliness.

Dear Heavenly Father God, How extremely terrible deceit is! People are smart enough that something looks or smells bad, then they stay away from it; but if the bad thing looks attractive, then discernment is turned off and enticement to come close is turned on. When you are driving down a narrow, mountain road with a steep drop off to the side, you know to go slow and to stay far away from the edge; but if there is heavy rain, or low hanging clouds obscuring your view, you will not be able to see where the drop off begins. Your discernment will not work, for you will be blinded by the situation, even though your eyes can see. Sin works that way. May you open our eyes to see sin in our lives that we may turn from sin towards Your love. May we read Your Word often and meditate on it so that we will have a discerning heart.

May You open the eyes of the hearts of our family and friends to see the wonderful hope of heaven and joy of an eternal relationship with You, when they turn from sin and wisely follow Your love as our Lord and Savior. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the richness of His glorious inheritance in the kedoshim, and what is His exceedingly great power toward us who keep trusting Him – in keeping with the working of His mighty strength (Ephesians 1:18-19). In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

From idolatry to immorality is just one short step. Homosexuality was rife throughout the first-century Roman Empire, as it is today. This is why the “Gay Liberation movement” can gain wide acceptance as it seeks equality, and approval of homosexuals and their behavior. It is why the Metropolitan Community Church, with tens of thousands of members in the United States, can refuse to condemn homosexual behavior as sin, yet seek acceptance as a Christian denomination. It is why unbelievers condemn the Christian community when it rejects MCC’s claim and refuses to recognize homosexuality as an “alternative lifestyle.”

Multitudes of activists have succeeded in their goal of transforming society. As public relations campaigns go, it’s been an unqualified success (see The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian). But, because of the mitzvot in the TaNaKh, homosexuality has never been accepted as a part of Judaism (see the commentary on Leviticus Ae – The Bible and Homosexual Practice). Nevertheless, direct quotes from the Bible regarding homosexuality are routinely condemned as “hate speech.” Their campaign will not end until believers and other traditionalists opposing homosexuality are shut up, discredited, and utterly silenced – and all because of a little factor they’ve forgotten about in their cleverness, namely, there is something wrong with homosexuality. Simply put, it is unnatural and self-destructive.³⁹

For this reason, because of mankind’s rejecting the true God for false gods of their own making, God has given them up to degrading passions, so that their women exchange natural sexual relations for unnatural. And likewise, the men, giving up natural relations with the opposite sex, burn with lust for one another, men committing shameful acts (1:26-27a). There is a burning level of lust among homosexuals that defies description and is rarely known among heterosexuals. The homosexuals of Sodom were so passionately consumed with their lust that they ignored the fact that they were struck blind while still trying to get to the two angels to have sex with them (Genesis 19:11). Those ancient people were so morally perverse that in the Bible the name Sodom became a byword for immoral godlessness, and sodomy, a term derived from the name, became throughout history a synonym for homosexuality and other forms of sexual deviation.⁴⁰

Today homosexual theology starts with the undeniable truth that everyone, and in particular homosexual men and women, are included in God’s love. But then homosexual theology parts ways with the truth by its application. Like the men of Sodom, they preach a Gospel of inclusiveness (Galatians 1:1-9). The homosexual church cannot tell this truth: While the Gospel is for everyone and must be proclaimed to everyone, it does not include everyone. The ugly truth is that most will hear the Gospel, but never accept it. In his book, The Triumph of Mockers, F. Connor Cason gives us four key scriptures from the teaching of Jesus to emphasize this point:

1. For I have come to turn a son against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household (Matthew 10:35-66). The Gospel divides. The way between those who believe and submit and those who refuse is clear. This is the root of contention between the true believer and those who live a homosexual lifestyle and have not submitted to Yeshua Messiah. There will always be a conflict between true believers and the world around them.

2. A farmer went out to sow his seed . . . Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no moisture or root . . . other seed fell among the weeds, which grew up with it and choked the plants so that they did not bear grain (Mathew 13:3-7; Mark 4:3-7; Luke 8:5-7). This aspect of the Gospel was so important that Messiah not only gave the parable, He went to great lengths to interpret it for His apostles. The conclusion? Some will hear and not believe. Some will not be included in the Kingdom. It is important to understand that this parable is not about the seed, the Gospel, which is good, but about the heart of the hearer, which is hard. This is not an inclusive Gospel, but a Gospel that divides (First Peter 2:8).

3. When the young rabbi heard this, his face fell and he became very sad (I am sure it saddened Jesus as well). His hopes were dashed and his response was telling. He went away sad (but not sad enough to change) because he had great wealth (Matthew 19:22; Mark 10:22; Luke 18:23). After this interaction with Jesus, this young man turned his back on the Son of God and the Gospel He was preaching. This would still be the case today.

4. Enter through the narrow gate. In Yeshua’s Kingdom, the gate to life is not easy, but narrow. But wide is the gate and broad is the way of the world that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Therefore, there are many people on their way through life, yet only a few on the more difficult way of Christ. But narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14 DBT). This teaching of Jesus is clearly not inclusive. In fact, it is just the opposite: only a few find it. So much for slogans and politically inspired theology.

Rabbi Sha’ul said: Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. And that is what these men of Sodom were doing, mocking ADONAI. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature he will reap destruction (Galatians 6:7-8a, also see Job 4:8; Proverbs 1:31-33 and Hosea 8:7, 10:12). The Bible calls homosexuality sin. There is no homosexual gene. That’s the big lie of today. If there were a homosexual gene then homosexuals wouldn’t have to take any responsibility for their depravity. How convenient, I wonder who thought that one up? They want to play the persecuted minority instead of facing their wickedness. Make no mistake, as we approach the last days this shameless, evil epidemic of homosexuality will do nothing but increase. Like the men of Sodom, they will force you to make a stand. I beg you to make your stand with God and His Word.

Before I finish, I would like to say a few words about forgiveness. Homosexuality is not the unforgiveable sin. But it must be seen as sin. This is not a civil rights issue; it is a sin issue. But don’t insist on a checklist of conditions that have to be met before a homosexual can be saved. Forget about changing them. That’s the ministry of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Just love them and do not retreat from the Word of God. Before the Lord can forgive anyone for their sins four things must happen.

First, sin must be seen clearly as sin. It cannot be rationalized away. People recovering from alcoholism talk about “a moment of clarity,” actually seeing or being fully aware that they are powerless over alcohol. When engaged in ongoing sin, there must be “a moment of spiritual clarity,” when sin is not sugar coated, but seen for what it really is. And not only that, but it must be acknowledged that they are powerless over it and cannot escape it alone.

Second, sin must be confessed. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word is not in us (First John 1:8-10).

Third, sin must be repented of. Repentance means going in a different direction. It is as if you were walking in one direction and you turned right around and started walking in the other direction. So, there needs to be a change of action. You don’t think about turning, you actually turn and walk in another direction. We all have sinful urges, but it doesn’t mean we have to act on them. We all must choose to believe God’s Word – then act on it. We must never forget that feelings are the caboose of our lives, not the engine.

And forth, a new pattern needs to be established. Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves: Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:22-23). This is the evidence that God the Holy Spirit has changed us. We are not talking about perfection here, but holy living must become a pattern of your life.

Most people think that the scriptures pertaining to homosexuality are only seen in the TaNaKh. However, both the TaNaKh (Genesis 19:1-11; Leviticus 18:22, 29-30 and 20:13; Judges 19:16-24; First Kings 14:24 and 15:12; Second Kings 23:7) and the B’rit Chadashah (here in Romans 1:24-27; First Corinthians 6:9-11; First Timothy 1:8-10; Jude 7) condemn homosexuality in the strongest terms.

All people are born in sin, and individuals have varying tendencies and temptations toward certain sins. But no one is born a homosexual, any more than anyone is born a thief or a murderer. People who become a habitual and unrepentant thief, murderer, adulterer or homosexual does so of their own free will. Any attempt to justify homosexuality is both futile and wicked, but to attempt to justify it on biblical grounds, as do many misguided church leaders, is even more useless and vile. To do that is to make God out to be a liar –
and to love what He hates and justify what He condemns.

Ha’Shem despises homosexuality so much, that He has determined that the disgraceful, shameful acts that women commit with women, and men commit with men, would result in their receiving in their own persons the penalty appropriate to their perversion (1:27b). They would be judged by the self-destructiveness of their sin. The appalling physical consequences of homosexuality are visible evidence of God’s righteous condemnation. Their lust becomes a continuous, avenging, and fertile ground for its own punishment.⁴¹

The Evidence Against the Pagan Gentile
1: 18-23

The evidence against the pagan Gentile DIG: What reasons does Paul give for the wrath of God against humanity? In what ways does God reveal Himself to people (also see Psalm 19:1; John 14:10 and 26; Acts 15:17; First Corinthians 2:13; John 5:13)? How does Paul say that some people have provoked God to anger? What two witnesses does God call as evidence against the pagan Gentile? How are they responsible to know God and are without excuse?

REFLECT: How does Paul describe your condition before you accepted Messiah as your Savior? When you meet people like this, how do you react? Do they make excuses? What stirs your righteous indignation? Are you out of control? Or do you express godly resolve? We will all be judged according to the light we have? How much light have you been given? What are you doing with it? How can you explain God’s wrath to someone who believes all people are basically good? When has your freedom to resist God only ended up hurting you?

An atheist believes that God does not exist. A believer knows that God exists.
One has an opinion, the other has knowledge.  

We need to balance God’s character and personality. Yes, He is loving and peaceful. But He is also righteous and cannot tolerate sin. And His anger is reflected in His righteous indignation. The need for a gospel arises from God’s anger that has been revealed. The righteousness of God is revealed because the anger of God is revealed, showing His anger with godlessness and wickedness. Living as if God does not exist.

What is revealed is God’s anger (Greek: orge, meaning wrath) (1:18a). It is not popular these days to point out that God is a God of wrath. People would rather quote First John 4:8, “God is love,” and look no further. But it is in the context of God’s holiness, meaning His hatred of sin, and His justice, meaning His dispensing the punishment that sin brings on oneself, that His love, mercy and grace become so precious. The paradox of how God can be both just and merciful has been the theme of Jewish writing: If you want the world to endure there can be no absolute justice, but if you want absolute justice, the world cannot endure (Genesis Rabbah 39:6). The solution to the paradox is Yeshua’s atoning death, as summed up in 3:19-26 and John 3:16.

The anger of God is continuously being revealed because people keep on sinning (note the passive verb). ADONAI’s delight is in His mercy (see the commentary on Ruth, to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed), not in actively pouring out wrath. But the moral laws of the universe that He created are such that Ha’Shem’s anger automatically goes on being revealed to those who do not obey Him.

Wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people who in their wickedness keep suppressing the truth (1:18b). Legalists and atheists think they can become righteous by their own efforts without trusting. However, antinomians, who oppose the very notion of Torah observance, imagine they can have a good relationship with God while disobeying His mitzvot. Such people, lacking adequate moral restraints, can all too easily degenerate into wickedness.

Because what is known about God is plain to them, since God has made it plain to them (1:19). The heavens declare the glory of God, the dome of the sky speaks the work of His hands. Every day it utters speech, every night it reveals knowledge (see the commentary on Genesis Lw – The Witness of the Stars). Therefore, only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God,” They deal corruptly, their deeds are vile, not one does what is right (Psalm 14:1). They know the truth, but they suppress it by their godless living. Or as the prophet Isaiah put it centuries earlier: Your own crimes separate you from God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He doesn’t hear (Isaiah 59:2). In sum, since you already know enough to trust God and obey Him, you have no excuse.³³ Thus, ADONAI will call two witnesses.

The first witness is creation: For ever since the creation of the universe his invisible qualities — both his eternal power and his divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made. Even in the most ancient times, long before the telescope and microscope were invented, the greatness of ADONAI was evident both in the vastness and in the tiny intricacies of nature. People could look at the stars and discover the fixed order of their orbits. They could observe a small seed reproduce itself into a giant tree, exactly like the one from which it came. They could see the marvelous cycles of the seasons, the rain, and the snow. They witnessed the wonder of human birth and the glory of the sunrise and sunset.³⁴ Therefore, they have no excuse (1:20). That verdict stands over the people we meet every day just as much as over the people Paul rubbed shoulders with in the first century, and our urgency in communicating the gospel should be just a great as Paul’s.³⁵

The principle here is that if a person responds to the light that they have, God will give them more light. In all cultures, at all times and places, humans have believed in the existence of a higher reality, a higher power, than themselves, and the human race collectively. So even if the native in the bush has never heard the gospel in the full and formal sense. No one is completely without the opportunity for salvation.³⁶ Jeremiah says it this way: When you seek Me, you will find Me, provided you seek for Me wholeheartedly; and I will let you find Me, says ADONAI (Jeremiah 29:13-14a). No one will stand before Yeshua (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment) and say, “You are not fair! I never had a chance!” God is just and God is fair. They have all known God through His creation. And if they have not responded to the light given them, it is because they have suppressed the truth. Thus, they are responsible.

The second witness is conscience: For their lives show that the conduct the Torah dictates is written in their hearts, not just on stones (Jeremiah 31:33b). Their consciences also bear witness to this, for their conflicting thoughts sometimes accuse them if they are guilty and sometimes defend them if they are innocent (2:15). People recognize that they have an instinctive, built-in sense of right and wrong that activates guilt.

Because, although they know who God is, they do not glorify Him as God or thank Him for that which they have received from Him (1:21a). The unbelief of mankind is made worse by their ingratitude. Knowledge of God should lead to reverence and gratitude. Although God is the source of every good thing that mankind possesses – giving rain, sun, and other natural blessings to the just and unjust alike (Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:15-17), the unregenerate fails to thank Him because they fail to even acknowledge His existence. Instead of acknowledging God “as God,” by glorifying Him and thanking Him, human beings perverted their knowledge and sank further into idolatry.³⁷

The Pagan Gentile’s rationalization: On the contrary, they have become futile once God is eliminated from their thinking. This is the initial decision that produces the long downhill slide into sh’ol. Claiming to be wise, they have become fools! In rejecting ADONAI’s clear revelation of Himself through His creation, mankind failed to honor and glorify YHVH, failed to give Him thanks, became futile in the philosophical speculations, and became foolish and their undiscerning hearts have become darkened (1:21b-22). Trying to justify themselves, they rationalized their sin, just as fallen mankind still does today.

Centuries earlier, David had declared that those who deny Ha’Shem and His truth are fools (Psalms 14:1 and 53:1), and it is that very foolishness that deludes them into thinking they are wise. The pagan Gentile cannot think perfectly about anything. But his thinking is perverted most severely in the spiritual and divine realm, because that is where sinful rebellion is centered. These things are beyond his human perception and since he rejects revelation both in nature (see 1:19 above) and Scripture, he has no hope of coming to truth in himself. His foolish speculations therefore go the furthest astray when he philosophizes about his origin, purpose, and destiny, or the difference about the truly beautiful and the monstrous, or between the temporary and the eternal.

In fact, not wanting to be held responsible to anyone for anything, they have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for mere images, like a mortal human being, or like birds, animals or reptiles (1:23)! Paul pictures the fall into idolatry as an “exchange.” Given the opportunity to bask in the glory of the immortal God, they have chosen, in their foolishness, to worship the mortal images of themselves and beasts. They became idolatrous, not out of pure ignorance, but because they rejected the knowledge of the truth that is readily available to them. Thus, as 1:24-31 will show, the whole dreadful parade of sins that plague humanity has its roots in the soil of idolatry.³⁸

Dear loving Heavenly Father, You are wonderful! Eternity is forever! Please give me wisdom how to lovingly guide my friends and family to love You. May I be filled with courage and sensitivity so that I effectively share Your love and truth with my friends and family. May You bring into their lives, others who also share with them about the eternal peace and joy (Revelation 21:4) that You want to give them when they follow You as their Lord and Savior (John 1:12; Acts 16:31). May they be filled with peace as they trust Yeshua as the only way to God. Yeshua said to him: I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

They have only one lifetime to make this important choice (Hebrews 9:27). Life ends so quickly for many who thought they had many years yet to live, but due to the worldwide pandemic, lives are cut short. Please open their hearts to rejoice in seeing that Yeshua, God’s sacrificial Lamb (First Corinthians 5:7) paid the penalty for our sins so He could give God’s righteousness to all who love and follow Him. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). Yeshua our Messiah, rose in victory – conquering death (Matthew 28; Mark16; Luke 24; John 20)!

May the eyes of their hearts (Ephesians 1:18) see you as the Risen Savior who is in heaven preparing a place for those who love and follow Him. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:1-3).

May the sure hope of heaven for all who love You, move them to eternal joy and peace as they trust in your sure promise of eternal life in heaven, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more . . . They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:1, 3c-4) for all who love You now. In the holy name of Yeshua and His power of resurrection. Amen

The Pagan Gentile
1: 18-32

These verses depict the dreadful consequences of rejecting God. And the picture Paul paints is not pretty. One must understand the “Bad News” before one can properly appreciate the “Good News” and the central role of faith/trust/belief in accepting it. This situation persisted in the pagan world of the Gentiles as distinct from the Jews. Paul uses three generally parallel sequences to make his point.

Romans 1:21-24: People “exchange” the truth of God for idols, and God has given them up to the vileness of their hearts’ lusts, to the shameful misuse of each other’s bodies.

Romans 1:25-26a: People “exchange” the truth of God for a lie, and God has given them up to degrading passions; so that they exchange natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.

Romans 1:26b-32: People “exchange” natural sexual practices for the unnatural, and God has given them up to worthless ways of thinking; so, they do improper things.³²

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
1: 16-17

The righteous shall live by faith DIG: What does Paul mean when he says he is “not ashamed of the gospel?” What does, “To the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile” mean? Who was Hudson Taylor and what did he think about this verse? How does Paul say people can find freedom from the bondage of sin? What facts about the Gospel can you learn here? Suppose someone is turned off by religious words: how might you explain verse 17 to them?

REFLECT: Are you ashamed of the Good News? How would you describe righteousness to a new believer? Based on this passage, what is required to be right with God (also see John 14:6)? In what ways have you seen the righteousness of Messiah transform your life? Does your place of worship actively seek to win Jews to their Messiah? What grabs you about verse 17? What questions does it raise that you hope further study will answer?

Righteousness only comes by faith, trust, or belief in Yeshua Messiah.

Behind him, a trail of tracks. Beneath him, a pounding stallion. Before him, miles of trail to cover. Within him, a rock-hard resolve.

Squinty eyed. Firm jawed. Rawboned. Pony Express riders in the American old west had one assignment – deliver the message safely and quickly. They seized every advantage: the shortest route, the fastest horse, the lightest saddle. Even the lightest lunchbox.

They only hired the sturdy. Could they handle the horses? The heat? Could they outrun robbers and outlast buzzards? The young and the orphans were preferred. Those selected were given $125 a month (a good salary in 1860), a Colt revolver, a lightweight rifle, a bright red shirt, blue pants, and eight hours to cover eighty miles, six days a week. Hard work and high pay. But the message was worth it.

The apostle Paul would have loved the Pony Express. For he, like the riders, had been entrusted with a message. “I have a duty to all people (1:14 NCV),” Paul told the church at Rome. He had something for them – a message. He’d been entrusted as a Pony Express courier with a divine message . . . the Good News. Nothing mattered more to Paul. He wrote: For I am not ashamed of the Good News, since it is God’s powerful means of bringing salvation to everyone who keeps on trusting. He existed to deliver that message.²⁶

A. Good News: For I am not ashamed of the Good News (1:16a). Paul was imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Damascus and Berea, laughed at in Athens, considered a fool in Corinth, and declared a blasphemer in Jerusalem. He was stoned and left for dead at Lystra, and some pagans of Paul’s day accused believers of cannibalism because they misunderstood the Lord’s Supper.²⁷ But he never wavered. The content of the Good News is Messiah’s substitutionary death, burial and resurrection (First Corinthians 15:3b-4). This is the power by which He saves. Thus, to be ashamed of the gospel is not to believe it (Mark 8:38; Second Timothy 1:8-12). How often believers hide the Good News of the Messiah out of fear or shame – fear of being rejected, opposed to the shame or embarrassment of being thought foolish or “different.” How can such unworthy feelings be overcome?

B. Salvation: Since it is God’s powerful means of bringing salvation. Salvation implies escape, safety, protection, soundness, healing and deliverance from the consequences of sin, chief of which is death (Genesis 2:17). The Hebrew word for salvation, yeshu’ah, is the feminine form of the Messiah’s name, Yeshua. While the Good News is powerful, it can seem foolish; but it is the foolish things of ADONAI that confound the worldly-wise (First Corinthians 1:18-31). The Good News brings salvation to everyone who keeps on trusting (1:16b). To many Jews, the word trusting comes closer to the biblical concept of salvation than the word believe (Acts 3:16), because the present tense of a Greek verb implies ongoing activity, not a once-and-for-all event.

B. To the Jew especially: The Ruach Ha’Kodesh inspired Paul to write: To the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile (1:16c). This is a major theme of the book of Romans – some would say the main theme – is that, so far as salvation is concerned, Jews and Gentiles are equal before ADONAI (2:7-12, 3:9-31, 4:9-12, 5:12 and 17-19, 9:24, 10:12-13, 11:30-32). There is a disconnect today between the Church and the Messianic Community. Many Gentile churches read this and think this is a “chronological” statement. Implying that the Jews were given the first opportunity to receive the Lord Jesus, both during His earthly ministry (John 1:11) and also in the Dispensation of Grace (Acts 1:8 and 3:26). It’s as if they are saying, “Well, the Jews blew it. They crucified Jesus, so now the gospel needs to be preached to the Gentiles.” But to the Jew, especially, means that there is a “present priority” to proclaim the gospel to the Jews. There is, therefore, a great responsibility laid upon the Church to share Messiah with Jewish people in a culturally sensitive way. This does not mean that every single Gentile believer should seek out Jews in their community and witness to them before telling any Gentile about Yeshua – although that is exactly what Sha’ul did throughout the book of Acts.²⁸

On the first day of every year during his time as head of the China Inland Mission (now Overseas Missionary Fellowship), Hudson Taylor sent a check to the Mildmay Mission to the Jews, London, on which was written: To the Jew first. And, at the same time, John Wilkinson, leader of the Mildmay Mission, sent his personal check to the China-Inland Mission with the notation: And also to the Gentile.²⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, praise You for Your awesome grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) which You offer to both Your firstborn Isra’el (Exodus 4:22) and to the Gentiles (Ephesians 2:13-18). Praise Your great love which adopts as Your children through Yeshua – all choose to follow You (Ephesians 1:4-5). For You are all the children of God through trusting in Messiah Yeshua. For all of You who were immersed in Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah (Galatians 3:26-27).

How thankful I am that in this time of fear and uncertainty, Your children can have peace and calmness, as we focus on the certainty of our eternal home in heaven (Revelation 21:4) with Daddy. I rejoice in the indwelling of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh for all who go beyond hearing of the gospel – to believing it by making Yeshua their Lord and Savior. We are sealed with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh, who guarantees their home in heaven. After you heard the message of truth – the Good News of your salvation – and when you put your trust in Him, you were sealed with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh.  He is the guarantee of our inheritance, until the redemption of His possession – to His glorious praise (Ephesians 1:13-14)! I love You and look forward to both bowing at Your feet in worship of You and also giving You big hugs in joy at Your being our wonderful Father! In the name of Your holy Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

It is important to understand that the book of Romans, within the epistles, is the doctrinal foundation of the B’rit Chadashah. The book of Acts traces the application of that doctrine in the history of the early Messianic community and is a transitional and a historical book. But you can’t establish doctrine based upon history. We base doctrine on clear theological statements. Historical facts can illustrate doctrine, but they cannot develop doctrine on their own. Therefore, for anyone to say that Paul’s statement in 1:16c implies that the Jews were merely first “chronologically” would be a historical statement, violating the principle that Romans teaches doctrine, not history.

Stating that the Good News is the same for the Jew and the Gentile, this verse contradicts the “Two-Covenant” theory that non-Messianic Jews believe in, which says that Jews and Gentiles have different paths to YHVH. They say, “We Jews have our way, Judaism; and you Gentiles have your way, Christianity. We will each serve God best by following the path provided for us. It is a manifestation of God’s grace that He has provided Jesus for you Gentiles and Torah for us Jews.” Unfortunately for this theory, it does not fit the reality of the B’rit Chadashah at all. Yeshua said: I AM the Way – and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

Finally, to the point of 1:16c, we also need to understand that the New Covenant is made with the house of Isra’el and with the house of Judah, and not the Gentiles (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el). The “partners” of the B’rit Chadashah are, in biblical terms, YHVH and the whole house of Isra’el. Although not a formal partner of the New Covenant, Gentiles in the Church Age “participate” when they make the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, Lord of their lives (Ephesians 1:13-14). Therefore, “participation” would be a better term to use. This is why the Good News needs to be brought to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile (1:16c).

A. Good News: For in the Good News it is revealed how God makes people righteous, or blameless, in His sight; and from beginning to end it is through trust — as it is written in Habakkuk 2:4, “But the person who is righteous will live his life by trust” (Greek: pistis, meaning faith, trust or belief) (1:17). In quoting Habakkuk, Paul shows us that righteousness through trust is not a new idea. That’s how it has always been. From Genesis to Revelation, regardless of which Dispensation one lives in, the righteous will live by faith (see the commentary on Hebrews Cl – The Hall of Faith). That is, the source of this new life in Messiah Yeshua is trust; it is the means by which we are justified.

How can we have a relationship with a perfect God? Gospel 101. Perfect God, we fall short – we need some help. Yeshua is our mediator between us and God the Father, and Messiah took on human flesh to relate to humanity. Other religions get the first part. YHVH is totally righteous. People understand there is Someone bigger than us. We fall short and we’re not connected. Something is broken. But the big debate is . . . how do you fix it!³⁰

The Good News is that when we trust God’s grace to save us through Yeshua’s sacrifice on the cross, when we believe by faith that He died and was resurrected on the third day, when we believe that our sins are forgiven, we get a new purpose for living, we are saved from our sins and we are promised a future home in heaven. We need to acquire righteousness to relate to a righteous God. So, when we trust in Messiah, all of His righteousness is transferred to our spiritual bank account . . . and we are justified. What is true of Messiah is true of us, minus His deity. We are then eternally secure (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer).

Would you like to follow the Romans Road to salvation?

The first verse on the Romans Road to salvation is Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of earning God’s praise” (see Az – The Need for Justification). We have all sinned. We have all done things displeasing to God. There is no one who is innocent. Romans 3:10-18 gives a detailed picture of what sin looks like in our lives. Messiah died for us!

The second Scripture on the Romans Road to salvation, Romans 6:23, teaches us about the consequences of sin, “For what one earns from sin is death” (see Bt – Slaves of God).

That’s the bad news, but there is Good News, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in that the Messiah died on our behalf while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). Yeshua Messiah died for us! His death paid the price for our sins (see Bj – The Restoration of Justification). Yeshua’s resurrection proves that God accepted Yeshua’s death as the payment for our sins.

The fourth stop on the Romans Road to salvation is Romans 10:9, “If you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be delivered” (see Cu – Sharing with the Jewish Community). Because of Yeshua’s death on our behalf, all we have to do is believe in Him, trusting His death as the payment for our sins – and we will be saved. Romans 10:13 says it again, “For everyone who calls on the name of ADONAI will be delivered.” Messiah died to pay the penalty for our sins and rescue us from eternal death. Salvation, the forgiveness of sins, is available to anyone who will trust in Yeshua Messiah as their Lord and Savior.

The final aspect of the Romans Road to salvation is the results of salvation. Romans 5:1 has this wonderful message, “So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom with God through our Lord, Yeshua Messiah” (see Bh – The Blessing of Justification). Through Yeshua Messiah we can have a relationship of peace with God. Romans 8:1 teaches us, “Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union with the Messiah Yeshua.” Because of Yeshua’s death on our behalf, we will never be condemned for our sins. Finally, we have this precious promise of God from Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord” (see Cm – The Certainty of Redemption).

Would you like to follow the Romans Road to salvation? If so, here is a simple prayer you can pray to God. Saying this prayer is a way to declare to God that you are relying on Yeshua Messiah for your salvation. The words themselves will not save you. Only faith in Yeshua Messiah can provide salvation! “God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of punishment. But Yeshua Messiah took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. With your help, I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness – the gift of eternal life! Amen!”³¹

If you were to die right now, where would you go? That’s right, heaven.

Why should God let you into His heaven?

That’s right, because Yeshua died to pay for your sins.

If you have prayed this prayer, see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith.

The Universal Need of Mankind
1:18 to 3:20

The first step in the revelation of the righteousness that God provides for people by trust is to set forth their need for it because they are under God’s judgment. The human race stands condemned before God and is helpless and hopeless apart from God’s grace. Paul discusses this need for a Messiah in three different groups of people: the pagan Gentile (Ak), the “good” person (Ao), and the religious Jew (Ar). Before we can appreciate our need for justification, we need to understand our position as sinners. Unless we understand that we are sinners in His sight, we will never come to Him for salvation. Paul sums up this main point in 3:23, “Since all have sinned and come short of earning God’s praise.”

I am Eager to Proclaim the Good News
1: 8-15

I am eager to proclaim the Good News DIG: Note all the “I” statements. What do these show about Paul? Why would such a highly educated Jewish rabbi write verse 14? How would he rewrite that if he were addressing your community? Provide interesting insights into Paul’s character and motives, as well as the kind of behavior that should mark all spiritual leaders. What admirable qualities are described here?

REFLECT: To what mission or task do you sense ADONAI is nudging you towards. How is that reflected in your prayers? Your actions? Can you wait on God’s will? Or do you find yourself charging ahead just because you think it’s a great idea? Or do you ask YHVH to shut the door if it is not of Him? Praying is merely aligning our will to His will. Are you using your spiritual gift(s)? What can you do to change that? How do you proclaim the gospel?

Paul’s words suggest nine marks of true spiritual service.

The key that unlocks the intent in this section is: God, whom I serve in my spirit. Paul had been raised and educated in Judaism. He had himself been a Pharisee and was well acquainted with the other Jewish religious sects, the Sadducees, the scribes, the priests and the elders. He knew that, with few exceptions, those leaders served YHVH in the flesh and were motivated by self-interest. Their worship and service were mechanical, routine, external, and superficial. Paul was also well acquainted with the Gentile world and knew that pagan religious worship and service were likewise external, superficial, and completely motivated by self-interest.

During the years before his salvation, Paul himself had worshiped and served Ha’Shem in an external, self-interested way (Philippians 3:4-7). But now that he belonged to Messiah and had the Ruach Ha’Kodesh dwelling in him, he worshiped and served Him in spirit and truth, with his whole being. Paul was then motivated by a genuine, inner desire to serve God for God’s sake, rather than his own, in God’s revealed way rather than his own, and in God’s power rather than his own. He was no longer motivated by self-interest or by peer pressure, and no longer focused on the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – The Oral Law) or even on self-effort to be Torah observant. He was not interested in trying to please anyone, not even himself, but only ADONAI (First Corinthians 4:1-5).¹⁴

 A thankful spirit: The first mark of true spiritual service, which Paul had in abundance, is thankfulness. He was grateful for what God had done for and through him, but he was equally grateful for what God had done in and through other believers. First, I thank my God through Yeshua the Messiah for all of you, because the report of your trust (Greek: pistis, meaning faith, trust, belief) is spreading throughout the whole known world (1:8). By trust, Paul was not referring to the initial trust in Messiah that brings salvation (justification), but to persevering trust that brings spiritual strength and growth (sanctification). Some churches are famous because of their pastor, their architecture, their stained-glass windows, or their size or wealth. But the church in Rome was famous for their trust in Messiah. So much so, that it disturbed the Roman emperors. As a result, persecution began. Paul mentions here that their trust was spoken of throughout the whole known world. What is your place of worship known for? Has anybody heard your personal testimony?¹⁵

A concerned spirit: The second mark of true spiritual service, and that Paul exemplified in his own life, is that of a concerned spirit. For God, whom I serve in my spirit by spreading the Good News about His Son. It is here that Paul presents the key phrase in this section: God, whom I serve in my spirit. The Greek word latreuo, meaning to serve, is always used in the B’rit Chadashah of religious service, and is therefore sometimes translated worship. Paul’s primary service to God was spreading the Good News about His Son, the ministry to which he had been called and to which he had dedicated his life.¹⁶

Dear Wise, Powerful and Loving Heavenly Father, Praise for the eternal home that Yeshua is preparing (John 14:1-3) for all who love and follow Him (Romans 10:9-10). Life gets so busy here on earth that we forget about the eternal destiny of friends and family who do not know you as their Savior. Right before You went back up to heaven, You told your followers: Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20a). All who love You, will obey You and so right now we lift them up in prayer.

Dear Holy, Loving Daddy, We love You! Please open the hearts to love you, of our friends and family. You have promised that whatever we ask in Your name, according to Your will, You will do it! Now this is the confidence we have before Him – that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have the requests we have asked from Him (John 5:14-15). Please bring into their lives things and people that cause them to seek for and to find You. May You continue to water Your seed planted in their lives so they have peace and joy and fellowship with others who join them in following You. Please let Your peace replace any fear that the media is pushing. May our friends and family be a tower of peace and strength, as they feel secure because of Your love for them, and Your holding their future in Your hands. May they dream of the wonderful eternal home in heaven that You have for them! In the holy name of Your Son Yeshua and His power of resurrection. And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Amen

As Paul mentions several times in the opening of his letter (1:10-11, 15), and reiterates near the end (15:14, 22), he was writing to the church at Rome somewhat as an outsider and stranger, humanly speaking. Perhaps because most of them did not know him personally, and from a distance, Paul could not directly prove his love, he appealed to God, who heard his ceaseless prayers on their behalf, as a witness of it, saying, “As Messiah is my witness, I regularly remember you in my prayers” (1:9-10a). The depth and passion of his prayers demonstrated the depth and passion of his concern. ADONAI wants you to serve Him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don’t enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural abilities and interests to serve Him and others. Listening to the still small voice (First Kings 19:11-13) can point to the ministry the Ruach Ha’Kodesh intends for you to have.¹⁷

A willing and submissive spirit: And I always pray that somehow, now or in the future, I might, by God’s will, succeed in coming to visit you (1:10b). Paul not only prayed for the spiritual well-being of the church at Rome, but was eager to be used by God as an instrument to help answer that prayer according to His divine will. That was always Paul’s desire, to be directed by God’s will. When the prophet Agabus dramatically predicted the danger that awaited Paul in Jerusalem, the apostle’s friends begged him not to go. But he responded, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? The prophecy from Agabus was divine, while the urging of his friends was merely human. For I am ready not only to be bound but to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Yeshua!” Since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, saying only, “May the Lord’s will be done” (21:12-14).

The popular practice of demanding things from ADONAI and expecting Him to meet those demands is a perverted and heretical attempt to play God. Paul was praying for a successful journey to come to Rome. When we read about his journey in the book of Acts, it doesn’t look like it was successful. He was a prisoner, he got into a terrific storm at sea, the ship was lost, he was bitten by a snake when he made it to land, and he showed up to Rome as a prisoner. Nevertheless, it was a successful journey.¹⁸

A loving spirit: For I long to see you, so that I might share with you some spiritual gift that can make you stronger (1:11). According to Ephesians one of the primary gifts of an emissary was to lay the foundation of the church: You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah Himself (Ephesians 2:20). Since this church had not been founded by an emissary, he wanted to share the gift of an emissary so that they might be made stronger. Evidently, there was something lacking in the church at Rome, and by his coming and exercising the spiritual gift of an emissary, they might receive the fullness of the blessing of Messiah (15:29). He keeps on implying that as strong and as great as their faith was, that there was something lacking that he could fulfill. A need that only he could meet. He ends his letter by saying: Now to God, who can strengthen you, according to my Good News in harmony with the revelation of the mystery which is the proclamation of Yeshua the Messiah, kept hidden in silence for ages and ages, but manifested now through the prophetic writings, in keeping with the command of God the Eternal, and communicated to all the Gentiles to promote in them trust-grounded obedience – to the only wise God, through Yeshua the Messiah, be the glory forever and ever! Amen (16:25-27).

When you combine 15:29 and 16:25-27 we can get a hint at what Paul wanted to do at Rome, and how he could establish them. There were two things that were revealed to Paul that were not revealed to the other emissaries. That’s what he means when he says my Good News (see As – Paul’s Gospel). One was this new unity of Jews and Gentiles into one Body (Ephesians 2:14). So, this was one thing that Paul could teach more fully than the other emissaries, which would have been critical, given the makeup of the church in Rome. The second thing that was very unique to Paul was his positional truth that we are in Messiah (Ephesians 1). It has variations: in Yeshua, in Yeshua Messiah, in Messiah Yeshua, in Him, in Whom. Paul is the only emissary that uses these terms, and he uses them in a very technical sense. What he is saying is that being in Yeshua Messiah we have a new position. That ADONAI is not seeing us as we really are, but as we are in Yeshua Messiah. We are in a new standing with YHVH altogether. As a result, a great amount of authority comes with their new position.¹⁹ They would need this assurance as they faced the lions in the coliseum.

A humble spirit: Or, to put it another way, so that by my being with you, we might, through the faith we share, encourage one another (1:12). This teaching would be mutually beneficial. Paul guards against the concept that he was, in any way, superior to them just because he was an emissary. Paul, himself, would be encouraged by seeing them grow in the faith. And Paul would learn things from them concerning their faith. If Paul were to gain a sympathetic ear for his gospel from the believers in Rome, and enlist their support for his possible mission in Spain (15:24), he needed to exercise tact in asserting his authority.²⁰ All of us are more consistent in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us. The Bible commands mutual accountability, mutual encouragement, mutual serving, and mutual honoring. Over fifty times we are commanded to do different tasks for one another (see Af – The List of “one another” Commands).²¹

A fruitful spirit: Brothers, I want you to know, although I have been prevented from visiting you until now, I have often planned to do so, in order that I might have some fruitful work (Philippians 1:22) among you, just as I have among the other Gentiles (11:13). Sometimes Paul was hindered because of the work of the Adversary (First Thessalonians 2:17-20), but in this case he was hindered because of the work of YHVH. There was so much ministry to do in Asia Minor and Greece that he could not immediately spare time for Rome. But Paul was ready to pay his debt; he was under orders from the Lord.²² The apostle wanted to be used to help the church at Rome grow through new converts and grow in sanctification, which includes growth in the service of Messiah. Some years later, when Paul wrote to the Philippian church from Rome, he was able to give greetings even from believers in Caesar’s own household (Philippians 4:22), believers he may have been instrumental in bringing to Messiah.²³

An obedient spirit: Paul was deeply conscious of his calling, of being set apart (1:1c) for the Good News of God. This is what motivated Paul, as he himself said: Woe is me if I don’t proclaim the Good News (First Corinthians 9:16b), because I owe a debt (Greek: opheiletes, meaning one held some obligation, bound by some duty) to both civilized Greeks and uncivilized people (Greek: barbarous, meaning one whose speech is rough, as if repeating the syllables barbar), to both the educated and the ignorant (1:14). Paul expressed his responsibility to the educated and the uneducated, the sophisticated and the simple, the privileged and the underprivileged. Like the Lord he served (First Peter 1:17), Paul was no respecter of persons.

The first person to whom Yeshua revealed Himself to as Messiah was an adulterous woman who had a number of husbands and was living with a man who was not her husband. Not only that, but she was a Samaritan, a member of a race greatly despised by the Jews. Yet, Yeshua drew her to Himself in loving compassion, and she was used to bring many of her fellow Samaritans to faith in the Messiah (John 4:7-42).²³ The Gospel is the great equalizer, because everyone is equally lost without it, and equally saved with it.

An eager spirit: Therefore, as far as I am concerned, I am eager to proclaim the Good News to you who live in Rome (1:15). The contrast implied is that between willing (which Paul was eager to do), and carrying out the will of YHVH (which depends on God). No doubt the false teachers (see the commentary on Galatians Ag – Who Were the Judaizers?) had already gotten to Rome and were seeking to poison the believers in Rome against Paul. Some would accuse him of not following the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law), others would say he was a traitor to the Jewish nation. Still others would twist his teaching about grace and try to prove that he taught loose living (3:8). No wonder Paul was eager to get to Rome. He wanted to share with them the Good News of Yeshua Messiah.²⁴

Why was Paul in debt to do this? Let us look at three passages: Furthermore, let me make clear to you, brothers, that the Good News as I proclaim it is not a human product; because neither did I receive it from someone else nor was I taught it – it came through a direct revelation from Yeshua the Messiah (Galatians 1:11-12).

It is a consequence of this that I, Sha’ul, am a prisoner of the Messiah Yeshua on behalf of the Gentiles. I assume that you have heard of the work God in his grace has given me to do for your benefit, and that it was by a revelation that this secret plan was made known to me. I have already written about it briefly, and if you read what I have written, you will grasp how I understand this secret plan concerning the Messiah. In past generations it was not made known to mankind, as the Spirit is now revealing it to his emissaries and prophets, that in union with the Messiah and through the Good News the Gentiles were to be joint heirs, a joint body and joint sharers with the Jews in what God has promised. I became a servant of this Good News by God’s gracious gift, which he gave me through the operation of his power (Ephesians 3:1-7).

But, because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, I refrain, so that no one will think more of me than what my words or deeds may warrant. Therefore, to keep me from becoming overly proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from the Adversary to pound away at me, so that I wouldn’t grow conceited. Three times I begged the Lord to take this thing away from me; but he told me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is brought to perfection through weakness. Therefore, I am very happy to boast about my weakness, in order that the Messiah’s power will rest upon me. Yes, I am well pleased with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties endured on behalf of the Messiah; for it is when I am weak that I am strong (Second Corinthians 12:6b-10).

In these three cases, Paul keeps emphasizing the direct revelation that came from God, the uniqueness of the revelation, and the abundance of that revelation it was necessary for him to remain humble by giving him a weakness, a thorn in the flesh. When Paul and Barnabas were on their way back to Syrian Antioch in Acts 14:24-25. They traveled through the low swampy lands of Pamphylia where he contracted an oriental eye disease called ophthalmia (see the commentary on Galatians Bp – Until Messiah is Formed in You). So, with the abundance of revelation given to him, was indebted, or obligated, so to speak, to proclaim the Good News (1:15).²⁵ Life had but one value for Paul: to do God’s work.

Paul, a Slave of Messiah Yeshua
1: 1-7

Paul, a slave of Messiah Yeshua DIG: What does “slave” and “emissary” reveal about Paul? From the use of “call” and “called,” what does it mean for believers? How are obedience and trust linked together? How is the Trinity in view in this passage? What does this passage reveal about the promise of the Good News and the Person of the Good News? Who are believers called to reach? What do the terms in verse 7 indicate about how God views us?

REFLECT: What part of this passage impresses you about Paul? About the gospel? Why? How did God call you to Messiah? How did that change your goals? Your sense of obligation to others? Do you know any Sha’ul’s, who think they are “serving” ADONAI, when in reality, they are working against Him and His Kingdom? Can you be patient as you share? How can you be wise as a serpent, but innocent like a dove in dealing with them (Matthew 10:16 ESB)?

Paul is Sha’ul and Sha’ul is Paul

From: Sha’ul (1:1a). Born in Tarsus (Acts 22:3), he was invited to Jerusalem, probably after his bar-mitzvah to study under Gamali’el, the foremost Pharisaic rabbi of his day. In the first century rabbis and students had a different relationship than they do today. It was by invitation only, you had to be invited to study under a rabbi. An ancient Jewish blessing says, “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.” The idea is that a rabbi’s disciples – those who took on his yoke, his set of interpretations of scripture – were to follow closely behind him. So, Sha’ul had to have been one of the foremost of the rabbinical students for Gamali’el to even hear of him. Paul eventually became the leader of the Anti-Messianic movement, but later he admitted that he did that out of ignorance. He thought he was serving God!

Dear loving Heavenly Father, in the midst of all the loud turmoil in this world – how wonderful to rest secure in Your love and care (Psalms 91:1-2). Love is a powerful driving force. Paul encourages his readers with God’s love for them. To all those in Rome, loved by God, called to be kedoshim (Romans 1:7). As we lift our eyes to your love, sure and eternal (Psalms 90:2), like Saul the rising young rabbi, we have strength to leave behind wrong paths and to move on to the best choice – your eternal love for Your children (John 1:12, First John 3:1). May we always feel the comfort and joy of Your eternal love, and may Your love empower us in living in ways that please You. You are the most Awesome Father! In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

As it turns out, Sha’ul – came from the famous first king of Isra’el, from the tribe of Benjamin, to which Sha’ul/Paul himself belonged (Philippians 3:5) – is simply the Hebrew name for this person. Paul, is a Greek name derived from the Latin surname Paulus. For someone born in Tarsus (Acts 21:39) but educated under Gamaliel in Yerushalayim in a strict form of Pharisaism (Galatians 1:14; Philippians 3:5-6), this was not unusual. Sha’ul was a Jew of the Diaspora because he came from Tarsus, and Jews of the Diaspora always had two names – a Jewish name (Sha’ul) and a Gentile name (Paul). This is true today in the present dispersion.

Here’s the clincher. When Paul recalls his conversion, he specifically notes that Yeshua was speaking in Aramaic, the common Hebrew language of the day: Sha’ul, Sha’ul, why are you persecuting Me (Acts 26:14)? Paul draws attention to how Messiah addressed him by his Hebrew name, and makes no mention that it is now abandoned.

When Sha’ul/Paul launched his Gentile-focused ministry among Greek-speakers (beginning with Acts 13:9), it was natural for Luke, the author of Acts, to begin referring to him exclusively by his Greek name. Nor is it surprising that he’s later referred to as Paul in Jerusalem, since there were Greek speakers there also. Indeed, Luke could be making a thematic point by shifting from Sha’ul to Paul around Chapter 13, given the broader theme in the book of Acts as seen in 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After all, there was a shift going on from the beginnings of the Messianic Community in Jerusalem, to the Goyim at the ends of the earth and the Roman Empire.

Sha’ul/Paul’s two names were not unique. Several other people in the B’rit Chadashah were given two names: Joseph, later called Barnabas (Acts 4:36); Simeon, also called Niger (Acts 13:1), Thomas, also called Didymus (John 21:2); and Tabitha, was also called Dorcas (Acts 9:36), and Nakdimon, his Jewish name, was also known as Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), among others.⁶

A slave (Greek: doulos, meaning a bond-slave) of the Messiah Yeshua (1:1b). From a very powerful rabbinical student and leader of the Anti-Messianic movement, Sha’ul considered himself a bond-slave to Messiah, a slave by choice. There were certain individuals in the Roman empire designated, “Slaves of the Emperor.” This was a position of honor. One finds a reflection of this a reflection of this in Paul’s act of designating himself as a slave of the King of kings.⁷ The concept there is that when Messiah sets us free from the slavery of sin, we have the freedom to choose to be a slave to God, a bond-slave. And that’s what he is going to encourage us to do in 12:1-2. He puts this ahead of his apostleship.

An emissary (Greek: apostolos meaning a messenger, one sent on a mission, an apostle; Hebrew: shaliach meaning a representative of the sender) because I was called and set apart for the Good News of God, and a representative of Messiah Himself (1:1c). The Talmud says that the shaliach is the same as the one who sends him (Tractate Berachot). The word he uses for set apart (Greek: aphorizo) has the same root as where we get the word Pharisee from, set apart ones. Once, he was a Pharisee of rabbinic Judaism, but now he is a spiritual Pharisee set apart totally for Yeshua Messiah. Nevertheless, some Jews today think Yeshua is alright, but Paul changed Judaism into Christianity. No, he was a shaliach.⁸ When you heard the words of Paul, you heard the words of Yeshua. One of the reasons the Hebrew Roots movement is a cult (see the commentary on Galatians, to see link click Ak – The Hebrew Roots Movement: A Different Gospel), is because they do not accept the words of Paul as coming from Messiah Himself.

God promised this Good News (First Corinthians 15:1-4) in advance through His prophets in the TaNaKh (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mu – 354 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ). In this one book alone, there will be 61 quotations from the TaNaKh. As a result, Paul will prove that the gospel that he preaches is from the Word of God (1:2).

He descended from David physically: It concerns His Son – He is descended from King David physically (1:3) through His mother Miryam. Her husband Yosef was also a descendent of King David, but was not Yeshua’s physical father (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ai – The Genealogies of Joseph and Mary). For Mary was impregnated by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Matthew 1:18-2:12; Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-38). While YHVH is, in one sense Father to everyone, and in a more intimate sense to the people of Isra’el (Exodus 4:22; Matthew 2:15), He is Father, in this unique sense, only to Yeshua (Romans 8:3; John 1:18; Hebrews 5:7-10).⁹

He was powered by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh: With respect to His humanity, our Lord descended from the royal line of King David; however, with respect to His divinity, He was powerfully demonstrated to be Son of God spiritually, which is another way of saying according to the nature and work of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. It was the Ruach Ha’Kodesh working in Messiah who accomplished Yeshua’s resurrection and every other miracle performed by Him or associated with Him. In the incarnation, Yeshua Messiah was conceived by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, and was raised from the dead by the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh.¹⁰ I believe the Trinity is in view here: the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, the Son of God, and God the Father. He was set apart by His having been resurrected from the dead, the first-fruits of all the righteous to come (1:4a).

He is Yeshua Messiah our Lord: The Son of God and the Son of Man who was resurrected from the dead by the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh is Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord (1:4b). He did not become the Son as a result of the resurrection, He already was the Son before the resurrection. Nevertheless, the resurrection proves everything (Acts 17:31). As you read through the Bible you will discover that the Lord Yeshua Messiah is presented in the power of His resurrection. First, He is seen in the days of His flesh, walking upon the earth, despised and rejected by men. He is even seen in His humanness as He sits down to rest at a well and sleeps through a storm on the sea. And finally, He is brought to humiliation, shame and death on the cross. Although He was a man of pains, well acquainted with illness (see the commentary on Isaiah Ja – Who Has Believed Our Message), there came a time when He was resurrected from the dead. The days of walking along the dusty roads of Isra’el are over now; He has come back from the dead with power.¹¹ And He is not only our Savior, He is our Lord.

Through Him we (identifying himself with the other apostles) received grace (Greek: charis), which incorporates attributes of God which the Hebrew in the TaNaKh calls chesed (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed). And were given the work of being an emissary on His behalf promoting trust-grounded (Greek: pistis, meaning faith, trust, belief) obedience (1:5a). Obedience and trust are often linked (Romans 15:18, 16:26; First Peter 1:2). Paul saw his task as calling men and women to submission to the lordship of Messiah (1:4b and 7b), a submission that began with conversion, but which was to continue in a deepening, lifelong commitment. This obedience to Messiah as Lord is always closely related to trust and as a continuing trusting relationship with Messiah. In light of this, we understand the words obedience and trust to be seen as one: obedience always involves trust and trust always involves obedience. Paul always called men and women to a faith that was always inseparable to obedience – for the Savior in whom we believe is nothing less than our Lord – and to an obedience that could never be divorced from faith/trust/belief – for we obey Yeshua as Lord only when we believe in Him. Viewed in this light, the phrase captures the full dimension of Paul’s task as an emissary, a task that was not confined to initial evangelism, but that included also the building up and firm establishment of churches.¹²

Among all the Gentiles in Rome. Paul’s unique calling was to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15, 22:21; Romans 11:13; Galatians 1:16). It is likely that he preached the gospel during his three years in Arabis (Galatians 1:17), but he began his recorded ministry by preaching to Jews. Even when ministering in the basically Gentile regions of Asia Minor and Macedonia, he frequently began his work among the Jews (Acts 13:14, 14:1, 16:13, 17:1 and 18:2, for example). As with Paul, every believer is to proclaim Yeshua Messiah to everyone, both Jew and Gentile alike. Including you, who have been called by Yeshua the Messiah (1:5b-6).

You have been called to serve. Growing up, you may have thought that being called by God was something only missionaries, pastors, and other “full-time” people experienced. But the Bible says every believer is called to service. Your call to salvation included your call to service. They are the same. Regardless of your job or career, you are called to “full-time” service. A “non-serving” believer is a contradiction in terms.¹³ You need to find out what your primary spiritual gift is and start serving!

To: All those in Rome, both Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14), whom God loves, who have been called to be kedoshim, holy ones, who have been set apart for Him. Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah (1:7). This is Paul’s usual greeting, found at the beginning of his letters.

The List of “one another” Commands

Unity and the unity of the Church:

1. Be at peace with one another (Mark 9:50)

2. Don’t grumble among one another (John 6:43)

3. Be of the same mind with one another (Romans 12:16, 15:5)

4. Accept one another (Romans 15:7)

5. So then, my brothers, when you gather to eat together, wait for one another (First Corinthians 11:33)

6. If you go on snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, watch out, or you will be destroying each other (Galatians 5:15)

7. Don’t boastfully challenge or envy one another (Galatians 5:26)

8. Gently, patiently tolerate one another (Ephesians 4:2)

9. Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another (Ephesians 4:32)

10. Bear with and forgive one another (Colossians 3:13)

11. Seek good for one another, and don’t repay evil for evil (First Thessalonians 5:15)

12. Don’t complain against one another (James 4:11, 5:9)

12. Confess sins to one another (James 5:16)

Believers need to love one another:

1. Keep on loving one another (John 13:34, 15:12 and 17; Romans 13:8; First Thessalonians 3:12, 4:9; First Peter 1:22; First John 3:11, 4:7 and 11; Second John 5)

2. Through love, serve one another (Galatians 5:13)

3.Tolerate one another in love (Ephesians 4:2)

4. Greet one another with a kiss of love (First Peter 5:14)

5. Be devoted to one another in love (Romans 12:10)

An attitude of humility and deference among believers:

1. Give preference to one another in honor (Romans 12:10)

2. Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)

3. Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)

4. Wash one another’s feet (John 13:14)

5. Don’t be haughty: be of the same mind (Romans 12:16)

6. Be subject to one another (Ephesians 5:21)

7. Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another (First Peter 5:5)

Here’s the rest:

1. Do not judge one another, and don’t put a stumbling block in a brother’s way (Romans 14:13)

2. Greet one another with a kiss (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12)

3. Husbands and wives: don’t deprive one another of physical intimacy (First Corinthians 7:5)

4. Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

5. Speak truth to one another (Ephesians 4:25)

6. Don’t lie to one another (Colossians 3:9)

7. Comfort one another concerning the resurrection (First Thessalonians 4:18)

8. Encourage and build up one another (First Thessalonians 5:11)

9. Stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)

10. Pray for one another (James 5:16)

11. Be hospitable to one another (First Peter 4:9)

12. Admonish one another: Let the word of Messiah dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with gratitude in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16).

Dear loving Heavenly Father, Praise you that you make all “one anothers” into “one in Christ”.  But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.  For He is our Shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. Within His flesh He made powerless the hostility –  the law code of mitzvot contained in regulations. (Ephesians 2: 13-15a). Praise You Father God that all who choose to lovingly follow/trust as their Lord become Your children (John 1:12, Romans 10:9-10). Thru Yeshua’s death and resurrection, we all have access to the Father- for through Him we both have access to the Father by the same Ruach (Ephesians 2:18). How wonderful it is to spend time meditating on how wonderful You are – Your eternal (Psalms 90:2), greatness and power (Psalms 91:1-2), your mercy and love (Ephesians 2:8-9). I look to praising you in Your holy heaven (John 14:1-3) for all eternity (Revelation 21:1-4)! In the name of Your holy Son Yeshua’s power of resurrection. Amen

My Position on T.U.L.I.P. or Calvinism

Total Depravity: We are all born with a disease called sin, “For all have sinned and come short of earning God’s glory” (Romans 3:23). David said: I was born guilty, and a sinner from the moment my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5). We inherited our sin nature from Adam (to see link click Bm – The Consequences of Adam).

Unconditional Election: While I agree that “God does not foresee an action or condition on our part that induces Him to save us,” I also believe that we have a choice in the matter (see Irresistible Grace below). Those who believe that we have no choice point to Romans and Jacob and Esau. While it is undeniable that Jacob was loved (chosen) and Esau was hated (not chosen), I don’t believe this applies to salvation in general, but rather through whom would the Seed of the Messiah come. ADONAI chose that the line of the Messiah would come through Jacob and not come through the line of Esau.

Limited Atonement: Calvinism teaches that Yeshua died only for the sins of the saved, but the Bible teaches that God is the Savior of all mankind (1 Tim 4:10). While it is true that believers were chosen in Messiah before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4), and that God foreknew, predestined, and called the elect (Rom 8:29; Jude 1), it is also true that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV). I believe this is an antinomy. An antinomy in the Bible is two seemingly contradictory statements that are both true. For example, the Trinity is an antinomy. God is one (Deut 6:4) and is reflected in three Persons. We don’t have to choose if God is one or God is reflected in three Persons. I also believe we don’t have to choose on this issue. The Bible teaches both, it doesn’t make sense to our finite minds, but the Lord will explain it all to us when we get to heaven.

Irresistible Grace: We cannot save ourselves. Because of our sin nature, we are spiritually dead. It is as if we have drowned in our sin and are lying dead at the bottom of a lake. We are dead. We cannot possibly bring ourselves back to life. It is Yeshua who takes the first step in our salvation process . . . and reaches down to pull us out from the bottom of the lake. Like David said: He sent from on high; He took me and pulled me out of deep water (Second Samuel 22:17). Through His grace, God reveals Himself to us (Romans 1:18-20) so that we are without excuse. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). Therefore, I believe that faith precedes regeneration, but ADONAI gives us the faith.

Perseverance of the Saints: Since we can do no works to gain our salvation, we can do no works to lose our salvation. When we are saved there is a union with Messiah (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith?) where there is the actual uniting of the believer to Messiah in such a manner that what is true of Messiah is true of the believer, minus His deity. We are in Messiah and the Ruach Ha’Kodesh is in us. This union cannot be broken. Therefore, we are eternally secure (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer).

Glossary

Abba: An Aramaic word used as an affectionate term of address to someone’s father. Yeshua used it to refer to God as His Father, and believers in Jesus also use it today to address God as Father. In modern Hebrew, this common name means Dad, Daddy, or Papa (also see Mark 14:36 and Romans 8:15).

Adar: the twelfth month of the Jewish biblical calendar.

Adonai: literally, my Lord, a word the TaNaKh uses to refer to God.

ADONAI: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. ADONAI, however, is more of an affectionate name like daddy (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies.

ADONAI Elohim: This is the Hebrew word for LORD God. This title links Isra’el’s God, the God of the Covenant, with God as Creator of the universe (also see Genesis 2:4; Isaiah 48:16; Psalm 72:18; Luke 1:32; Revelation 1:8).

ADONAI Nissi: the LORD my Banner (see Exodus 17:15; Psalm 20:1).

ADONAI Shalom: the LORD of Peace.

ADONAI Tzidkenu: the LORD our Righteousness.

ADONAI-Tzva’ot: The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (see Joshua 5:13-15; Second Kings 19:31; Psalm 24:10; Second Corinthians 6:18).

Adversary: Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air, and the old dragon.

Afikomen: Literally, “That which comes after.” Piece of matzah that is hidden during the Seder, to be found and eaten after the third cup of redemption.

Amen: At the end of a prayer, this word means, “It is true,” or “Let it be so,” or “May it become true,” indicating that the readers or listeners agree with what has just been said. Although everything Yeshua said was true, “amen” adds special emphasis (also see Deuteronomy 27:25; Jeremiah 28:6; Psalm 41:14; Nehemiah 8:6; Matthew 5:26; Mark 10:15; Luke 23:43; John 10:1).

Anti-missionaries: Today they are Orthodox Jews who champion Jews for Judaism. They do not limit their mischief to harassing missionaries; any Jewish believer is a target. It is unfortunate that so many of these anti-missionaries feel their ends justify certain unethical means. In order to “protect” Judaism, they do or encourage others to do what Judaism condemns. In Paul’s day, they were the Judaizers who wanted Gentile believers to add obedience to the 613 commandments of Moshe, circumcision, and eating kosher to Paul’s salvation equals faith-plus-nothing gospel.

Ariel: lion of God, fireplace on God’s altar.

Aviv: the first month of the biblical year, corresponding to the modern Jewish month of Nisan.

Avraham: Abraham

Azazel: a scapegoat or goat demon sent out in the wilderness on Yom Kippur.

Ba’al: the chief male god of the Phoenicians and Canaanites. The word means lord or master.

Bar Mitzvah: Hebrew for “Son of the Commandment.” Although not specifically mentioned in the Bible, it is a Jewish coming of age ritual in which a young man, or Bat Mitzvah for a young woman, chooses to follow the commandments of their forefathers and takes responsibility for their own relationship with the God of Isra’el. This ceremony normally takes place at age 13 for boys or age 12 for girls. Afterwards, he/she is theoretically considered to be an adult, but in modern Judaism this is mostly symbolic, and a twelve-year-old is not treated like an adult.

Beit-Lechem: Bethlehem, the birthplace of David and Yeshua, meaning house of bread.

Bnei-Yisrael: The children of Israel.

B’rit Chadashah: Hebrew for the New Covenant. Christians commonly call it the New Testament.

Chesed: “mercy,” “lovingkindness,” and/or “covenant-loyalty.” It is a complex word that summarizes God’s complex and overwhelming love for His people, going beyond the concepts of love, mercy or kindness all together (also see Isaiah 63:7; Zechariah 7:1; Psalm 13:1; Psalm 86:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; Psalm 136:1).

Cohen of Ha’Elyon: Priest of the God Most High.

Cohen Rosh Gadol: The Great High Priest who served as the head religious official, the only one to enter the Most Holy Place. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the first man appointed as the Cohen Gadol. In later times, the Cohen Gadol was in charge of the Temple and its administration. The Cohen Gadol Caiaphas, played a key role in questioning Yeshua at His trial. The writer of Hebrews describes Messiah as our great Cohen Gadol, who gives us access to God’s throne in the heavenly sanctuary (also see Leviticus 21:10; Haggai 1:14; Nehemiah 3:1; Matthew 26:57ff; Mark 14:61ff; John 18:19ff; Hebrews 4:14ff and 10:19-22).

Cohen: A priest, a man who offered sacrifices and performed other religious rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Cohanim: The Cohanim were descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. The Sadducees were from the priestly sect of Judaism.

Covenant: Theologically, it speaks of the contractual relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew term is b’rit. Also see B’rit Chadashah, Hebrew for New Covenant (see Genesis 6:18 and 17:2; Jeremiah 31:30; Nehemiah 9:32; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 1:72).

Diaspora, the Dispersion: the scattering of the Jewish people in exile throughout the world. Today almost 7 million Jews live in Isra’el, and over 8 million more Jews live in the Diaspora (also see Isaiah 11:10; John 7:35).

Drash: A drash is a long d’var.

D’var: Is a short talk on topics relating to a parashah, the weekly Torah portion.

Echad: The Hebrew word for “one” or “unity.” Echad is used in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Elyon: A title for God, meaning the Most High God (see Luke 1:35 and 76; Acts 7:48). A longer form is El Elyon, God Most High (also see Deuteronomy 32:8; Isaiah 14:14; Psalm 91:1; Acts 16:17).

Elohim: “God” in general terms, or as Creator. Compared with ADONAI, God’s “covenant name” used especially in His relationship to the Jewish people. Elohim is the plural form of El, also found in the Bible occasionally with the same meaning. Yeshua is sometimes called Ben-Elohim, the Son of God (also see Genesis 2:19; Isaiah 61:11; Matthew 4:3; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 11:4).

El Shaddai: God Almighty

Emissaries: Apostles

God-fearers: These were Gentiles who became convinced that ADONAI was the only true God, they abandoned their paganism and idolatry, but they did not choose to become a proselyte in any form, and hence there was no adoption of Jewish customs or practices (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bh – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah).

Goyim: Nations, non-Jews, Gentiles

Gehenna: The word for “hell,” the place of perpetual misery and suffering after this life. It comes from the Greek word Genna and the Hebrew word Gei-Hinnom, which means the valley of Hinnom. There was actually such a valley by that name south of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was used as a garbage dump, and fires were always burning there, making it a suitable picture of life in hell. In Jewish sources, the term is used as the opposite of Gan-Eden, or the Garden of Eden or Paradise (Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43).

Gentiles: A term for individuals or groups who are not Jewish. In Hebrew a common word for Gentile is goy or goyim is the plural form (see Isaiah 8:23; Matthew 10:18; Mark 10:33).

Go’el: Literally, a redeemer, used both for God and of people. In the book of Ruth, go’el means the kinsman-redeemer, a close relative obligated to defend and protect his kin. The go’el could buy back (redeem) land or someone who sold himself into slavery, and could marry a widow in the family in order to protect her future. The human go’el is a picture of God the greater Go’el who protects and redeems us, the members of His family (see Ruth 3:9-12).

Hag ha-Matzah: The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Halakhah: are rules governing Jewish life and comes from the Hebrew root to walk. The rabbis used the term to refer to the legal way to walk out the commandments of the Torah. It can also refer to the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law). A (one) halakhah is a specific ruling given regarding a particular issue, “the halakhah” being the ruling accepted and observed by the Jewish community.

Hametz or Chametz: The Hebrew word for leaven, or yeast, which makes bread rise. God commanded Isra’el not to eat hametz during Passover, Yeshua teaches that both good and evil spread, the same way hametz leavens the whole batch of dough (Also see 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1 Exodus 12:20; Leviticus 7:13; Amos 4:5; Matthew 13:33 and 13:21).

Hanukkah: Meaning dedication, the feast commemorating the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC and the rebuilding and dedication of the Temple after its desecration by Syrian invaders.

Ha’Shem: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. While ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

Hellenist: In the B’rit Chadashah, it refers to Jews who lived in the Diaspora, or had moved to Isra’el from the Diaspora, spoke Greek, and were more Greek in their culture, than traditional Jewish people brought up in Isra’el (Acts 6:1, 9:29, 11:20).

Immerse: To dip the whole body under water as an act of dedication to the LORD, or as a profession of faith in Yeshua. The word is often seen in other translations as “baptize.” The ceremony of dipping is called “immersion” or “baptism.” Yeshua’s cousin was known as John the Immerser (Matthew 3:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20).

Imputation: To reckon or charge to one’s account. When the Spirit gives life (John 6:63a), that means that all the righteousness of Christ is transferred to your spiritual account at the moment of faith. What is true of Messiah is true of you, minus His deity.

Incarnation: The divine revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2) of YHVH becoming one with humanity as an ordinary human being in the person of Yeshua Messiah. He was one-hundred percent man and one-hundred present God. The Triune God knew that the Second Person would come to earth to be subject to numerous evils: hunger, ridicule, rejection, and death. He did this in order to negate sin, and therefore, its evil effects.

Judaizers: Jewish false teachers, who taught that obedience to the 613 commandments of the Torah were necessary to have a relationship with God, and opposed Paul at every turn. Everywhere Paul went, the Judaizers were sure to follow. Once Paul established a church in Galatia, as soon as he left, they would come in and distort the gospel of Messiah (1:7).

Justification: The act of God whereby, negatively, He forgives the sins of believers and, positively, He declares them righteous by imputing the obedience and righteousness of Messiah to them through faith (Luke 18:9-14). It is not a reward for anything good we have done. It is not something we cooperate with God in (in other words, it is not sanctification). It is an utterly undeserved free gift of the mercy of ADONAI (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7). It is entirely accomplished by God, once and for all, at the moment of salvation. It results in good deeds (James 2:14-26) and sanctification over our lifetime.

Kadosh: The Hebrew word for ‘holy.” This term describes the people set apart for God. ADONAI Himself is kodosh (Leviticus 19:1-2). Many letters to Christ’s newly formed communities (churches) address Yeshua’s followers as the Kedoshim (also see Jeremiah 2:3; Nehemiah 8:10; First Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2).

Kedoshim: The holy ones

Korban: A sacrifice or offering dedicated to God, especially to fulfill a vow. If something was to be dedicated to God, it generally could not be used for other purposes. Some Pharisees and teachers of the law wrongly used this as an excuse not to provide for their parents in their old age, even though Jewish teaching insisted that the commandment to honor one’s father and mother extended to providing for their physical needs (see Mark 7:11).

Kosher: Kosher foods are those that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut, primarily derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Food that may be consumed according to halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning “fit”.

Levite: Descendants of the tribe of Levi, who served in the Tabernacle and Temple as gatekeepers, musicians, teachers, and assistants to the priests. The scribes, or Torah-teachers, originally came only from among the Levites and were the forerunners of the Pharisees. The Pharisees later expanded to include members who were from all tribes, with no affiliation with Levi required. (Also see Exodus 4:14; Ezeki’el 48:12; Ezra 1:5; John 1:19).

LORD: When the translators of the King James Bible in the 1600’s came to the Hebrew word YHVH, they needed to distinguish it from the word Lord, meaning master. So, they capitalized it. Therefore, LORD is actually the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH.

LXX (Septuagint): The “official” Greek translation of the TaNaKh, dating from the third century BC through the fourth century AD. The original translation was of the Torah (the five books of Moshe), which the Letter of Aristeas records was allegedly made by seventy Jewish scholars in Alexandria (Egypt) from which it gained its name (Septuaginta). It is commonly referred to by the abbreviation, LXX (70).

Malki-Tzedek: Melchizedek.

Mashiach (Hebrew): Messiah, the Anointed One (Matthew 26:63; Mark 1:1; John 20:31).

Matzah (singular) or Matzot (plural): Unleavened bread, which is made without yeast, eaten especially during the feast of Passover. Also see hametz (also see Exodus 13:6; Leviticus 2:5; Ezeki’el 45:21; Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; John 13:26).

Masoretic Text: The official text of the TaNaKh edited by the Massoretes, or Jewish grammarians, during the sixth to tenth centuries AD. This text is “pointed” with various vowel signs and accents which were lacking in the previous texts.

M’chitzah, the: The middle wall of separation (see the commentary on Acts Cn – Paul’s Advice from Jacob and the Elders at Tziyon).

Megillah (singular) or Megillot (plural): The five books in the Writings used for special readings during the holidays: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.

Menorah (singular) or Menorot (plural): The seven branched lampstand(s) designed and commanded by God for service in the Tabernacle/Temple (Exodus 25:32; First Kings 7:49; Zechariah 4:2).

Messiah (Greek): Christ, the Anointed One, often used in speaking of a Redeemer sent from God to free His people from exile and oppression (also see Matthew 1:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11 and John 1:41).

Midrash (singular) or Midrashim (plural): allegorical interpretation or application of a text. The listener is expected to understand that the writer of the midrash is not expounding the plain meaning of the text, but introducing his own ideas.

Mikveh: a bath or pool with a flow of fresh water; used in Orthodox Judaism to this day for ritual purification or ceremonial cleansing, performed at various times in a person’s life (see Matthew 3:13 and Titus 3:5).

Mitzvah (singular) or mitzvot (plural): A commandment from God. Another, more modern, meaning is “a good deed,” more broadly, a general principle for living (Deuteronomy 11:22; Second Kings 17:37; Proverbs 6:20; Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6).

Moshe: Moses.

Olam haba: “The age to come,” or “the world to come.” It describes a time after the world is perfected under the rulership of Messiah. This term also refers to the afterlife, where the soul passes after death. It can be contrasted with olam ha-zeh, “this world” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30 and 20:35; Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 6:5; Revelation 20-21).

Omer: Meaning “sheaf,” the bundle of barley used in the Firstfruits offering. After the Temple period it came to be identified with Sefirat ha’Omer, or the counting of the omer, the counting of the days from Firstfruits to Shavu’ot.

Pesach: Passover. The Jewish festival commemorating deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In Biblical times Jews used to journey to the Temple, sacrifice lambs there, and eat a special meal commemorating the departure of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. It was one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. Today, Passover is celebrated at home with a special meal called a seder. Yeshua celebrated Passover with His apostles (Matthew 26:18; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; John 13:1).

Pharisees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. The Pharisees had their own views of how exactly to keep Torah. They were especially concerned with ritual impurity and (unlike the Sadducees) they believed in the resurrection of the dead. While the Sadducees were more involved with the Temple, the Pharisees were concerned more with home and synagogue life.

Propitiation: The averting of God’s wrath by means of the substitutionary and efficacious (producing the desired effect) sacrifice (death) of Yeshua Messiah (the atonement). It is the work of Messiah that satisfies every claim of God’s holiness and justice so that Ha’Shem is free to act on behalf of sinners.

Proselytes at the Gate: There were three levels of Gentile relationship to Judaism. After God-fearers and proselytes of the Gate were the second level. The Gate was the middle wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14) in the Temple compound that Gentiles were not allowed to go beyond under penalty of death (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). These were Gentiles who adopted many Jewish practices like celebrating Shabbat and the feast of Isra’el, but did not become a full proselyte. Most of these were men because it didn’t require circumcision.

Proselytes of the Covenant: In the third level of Gentile relationship to Judaism (see above), there were proselytes of the Covenant. They entered into the Covenant of Sinai as a full Jew, so to speak. Most of these were women because this level required circumcision.

Purim: Meaning “lots,” is the holiday based on the story of Esther.

Qumran: The documents which were discovered at Khirbet Qumran on the Dead Sea and frequently known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These texts include partial copies and fragments of most of the biblical books (the only whole copy is Isaiah), apocryphal writings such as Enoch, and texts produced by the community itself (the manual of Discipline and the Thanksgiving Hymns). The texts are referred to according to the number of the cave in which they were discovered (for example, 1Qs [Community Rule], 11Q Temp [Temple Scroll]).

Rasheet: One of several names for the Festival of First Fruits.

Redeemed: Setting free from slavery, buying back something lost, for a price.

Righteous of the TaNaKh: Old Testament believers.

Rosh Ha’Shanah: Hebrew for “Head of the Year.” Known as the Jewish New Year, or the Feast of Trumpets.

Ruach: The Hebrew word for “spirit,” “breath,” or “wind.” Yeshua explains wind and Spirit to Nicodemus in John 3:5-8. Scripture frequently refers to the Ruach ha-Kodesh, the Holy Spirit (Exodus 35:31; Numbers 11:25; Malachi 2:15; Acts 2:2 and 10:44; Romans 8:4-17).

Ruach Ha’Kodesh: The Hebrew name for the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:11; Psalm 51:13; Matthew 1:20; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:16; John 14:26).

Sadducees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. From the Sadducees came the leading priests who managed the affairs of the Temple. In contrast to the Pharisees, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 16:12; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27).

Sanhedrin: Literally, the gathering of the seated, like being a judge seated on a bench – a legal term for an officiating judge. This was the Supreme Court of ancient Isra’el. It exercised legislative and judicial authority (Matthew 26:59; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 11:47).

Sanctification: To be set apart, specifically, to the holy use and purposes of God. It is a process that takes a whole lifetime. It is the work of God in which you cooperate (Romans 12:1-2; First Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:3-4; First Peter 5:8-9); and is a process Ephesians 4:11-16), trusting in God, apart from whom we can do nothing (John 15:5; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11; Hebrews 2:18 and 4:14). He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).

Shabbat: The Sabbath Day, the seventh day of the week, when work ceases. On this day God’s people are beckoned to rest and renew our relationship with our Creator, who also rested on the seventh day. Shabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown and ends Saturday evening after three stars appear (Exodus 20:10; Nehemiah 9:14; Matthew 12:10; Mark 1:21; Luke 23:56; John 9:14).

Shaddai: A common name for God in the TaNaKh, usually translated as Almighty. The name is often used in a combination such as El Shaddai, or God Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Ezeki’el 1:24; Job 11:7).

Shalom: The Hebrew word for peace, wholeness, wellness; a greeting used when meeting or departing (Genesis 26:31; First Samuel 16:4; Second Chronicles 18:16; Matthew 10:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 1:28; John 14:27).

Sh’khinah: The visual manifestation of the glory of God.

Shavu’ot: the festival of Weeks (Hebrew) or Pentecost (Greek), since it comes seven weeks after Pesach; also called Pentecost, from the Greek word for fifty because one counts fifty days after Passover. It is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. It originally celebrated the harvest, but later commemorated the day God gave the Torah to Isra’el. After Yeshua’s resurrection, the disciples waited for God’s gift of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, which also came on Shavu’ot (Exodus 34:22; Second Chronicles 8:13; Acts 2:1 and 20:16; First Corinthians 16:8).

Sh’ol: The Hebrew equivalent of the Greek “Hades,” the place where the dead exist.

Shofar: A ram’s horn, used in the Bible for summoning armies, calling to repentance, and in other situations. Blasts of various lengths and numbers signified different instructions. Metal trumpets were also used for similar purposes, but exclusively by the cohanim. Today, the shofar is used on Rosh ha-Shanah of Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days. The shofar also ushers in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9-10; Zechariah 9:14; Matthew 24:31; First Corinthians 15:52; First Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Sinai: the mountain in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el.

Shuwb: turn, turning, and the big idea of Jeremiah.

Son of Man: A name that Yeshua commonly used to refer to Himself. It comes from Dani’el 7:13-14, in which the Son of Man is given all authority. This name sometimes emphasizes Yeshua’s humanity and sometimes His deity (Matthew 9:6; Mark 9:31; Luke 21:36; John 6:27).

Sukkot: the festival of Booths or Tabernacles, celebrating the forty years when the people of Isra’el lived in booths, tents, shacks, in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el. The Hebrew word sukkah means booth and sukkot is the plural and means booths. Sukkot is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim (Leviticus 23:34; Zechariah 14:16; Second Chronicles 8:13; Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33).

Synagogue: A place of assembly for Jews for hearing the Torah, praying and worshipping God. There were many synagogues throughout Isra’el and the Greco-Roman world (Matthew 4:23; Mark 5:22; Luke 4:16; John 9:22).

Tabernacle: A temporary dwelling, such as the booths constructed during Sukkot. It is also used in the TaNaKh of the tent in which God dwelt among the Jewish people, both in the wilderness and in the land of Isra’el. When the word is used as a verb, it refers to Yeshua coming to dwell among His people (John 1:14), reminding us of the wilderness Tabernacle and also of the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 25:9; First Chronicles 6:17; John 1:14 and 7:2).

Talmid (singular) or Talmudin (plural): Student or students.

Talmud: The codified body of Jewish Oral Law; includes literary creations, legends, scriptural interpretations, comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara.

TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T for : “Torah”, N for “Nevi’im” (Prophets), and K for “Ketuv’im” (Sacred Writings). It is a collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. This term is used instead of the phrase, “the Old Testament,” which sounds “old” and outdated.

Torah: Literally, this Hebrew word means teaching or instruction (Exodus 13:9; Isaiah 2:3; Psalm 1:2; Matthew 5:17; Mark 1:22; Luke 24:44; John 7:19; Romans 7:1ff; First Corinthians 9:20-21; Galatians 3:21). It can be used for the five books of Moshe, or more generally to God’s commandments, or the whole TaNaKh (John 10:34). Uncapitalized, torah can be understood generally as a law or principle (Romans 7:21-8:2).

Torah-Teacher: A Torah scribe engaged in interpreting and transmitting the Torah. They wrote Torah scrolls, bills of divorce, and other legal documents. The Hebrew term is sofer.

Tree of Life: The tree at the center of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9, 3:24), the source of eternal life. Scripture points to a future in the B’rit Chadashah, with access to the Tree of Life. In the meantime, the Torah is like the Tree of Life to those who embrace her, and blessed will be all who hold firmly to her (Proverbs 3:18 also see Revelation 2:7, 22:2 and 14).

Tzitzit: A fringe that was put on a garment in accordance with Numbers 15:37-41.

Tziyon: Zion, Mount Zion, was originally the City of David, south of the modern Old City of Yerushalayim. Later the name Tziyon came to refer metaphorically to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, or the people of Isra’el. The hill now called Mount Tziyon was given its name in the fourth century AD (Isaiah 1:27; Psalm 65:2; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

Yeshua: The Hebrew name for our Messiah, known in English as Jesus, and is a masculine form, and a word play on yeshu’ah (salvation) (Matthew 1:21; Mark 6:14; Luke 2:21; John 19:19).

Yerushalayim: Jerusalem.

Y’hudah: Judah.

YHVH: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the Name, the four-letter name of God. Therefore, God does not have many names, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

Yisra’el: Isra’el.

Yochanan: John.

Yom ha-Bikkurim: One of several names for The Feast of Firstfruits.

Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the close of the High Holy Days, and considered the holiest day of the year in traditional Judaism.

Romans from a Messianic Jewish Perspective

To my cousin Claudia, her marvelous talent for writing, and her tremendous heart for God have given her a wonderful lifelong ministry to her family and students. They have been blessed to know her and learn from this amazing woman, full of grace and truth.

If you had to pick one book that is foundational to Messianic Jewish theology, it is the book of Romans. Much of it is from rabbinic theology that you don’t often hear.

Author

The consensus of biblical scholars universally agree that Paul is the author of Romans. Even the ancient heretics admitted Romans was written by him. So, do the modern (nineteenth century and later) radical German critics, who deny many other facts in the Scriptures. Paul identified himself as the author by name, of course (1:1), but that is no guarantee of the acceptance of his authorship, since he did that in all his letters, including those for which his authorship is questioned or denied. In Romans, Paul referred to himself by name only once, in contrast with several of his other letters; but a number of other internal details support Paul’s authorship. He claimed to be of the tribe of Benjamin (11:1). He sent greetings to Priscilla and Aquila (Romans 16:3), whom Paul had met in Corinth (Acts 18:2-3) and left in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19) on his second missionary journey. Paul referred to his journey to Jerusalem with the love gift from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia (Romans 15:25-27), facts confirmed in the book of Acts (19:21, 20:1-5, 21:15 and 17-19) and the epistles to the Corinthians (First Corinthians 16:1-5; Second Corinthians 8:1-12, 9:1-5). And Paul mentioned several times his intention to visit Rome (Romans 1:10-13 and 15, 15:22-32), a fact also confirmed in the book of Acts (19:21). These confirming coincidences between Romans and Acts in particular support Paul as the author of this letter.¹

Unity

Acceptance of the unity and integrity of Romans is another matter, however. A number of critics, from Marcion to the present have questioned Chapters 15 and 16 or parts of both as belonging to the letter. Chapter 16 is a special target, in part because of Paul’s greetings to Pricilla and Aquila who were last seen settled in Ephesus (Acts 18:19 and 26). But the couple had previously lived in Rome (Acts 18:2) and had left only because of an imperial decree. Their return to Rome when circumstances permitted is reasonable. The major Greek manuscripts support the unity of the letter, a position endorsed by the overwhelming consensus of scholarship.² Therefore, we must conclude that the letter that Paul wrote to Rome contained all sixteen chapters found in modern texts and translations.

Place and Date

Romans was written in 57 AD from Corinth, before Paul had even visited Rome.

The Use of the Complete Jewish Bible

Because I am writing this commentary on the book of Roman from a Jewish perspective, I will be using the Complete Jewish Bible unless otherwise indicated.

The use of ADONAI

Long before Yeshua’s day, the word ADONAI had, out of respect, been substituted in speaking and in reading aloud for God’s personal name, the four Hebrew letters yod-heh-vav-heh, variously written in English as YHVH. The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) made it a requirement not to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of the LORD, and this remains the rule in most modern Jewish settings. In deference to this tradition, which is unnecessary but harmless, I will be using ADONAI where YHVH is meant. In ancient times when the scribes were translating the Hebrew Scriptures, they revered the name of YHVH so much that they would use a quill to make one stroke of the name and then throw it away. Then they would make another stroke and throw that quill away until the name was completed. His name became so sacred to them that they started to substitute the phrase the Name, instead of writing or pronouncing His Name. Over centuries of doing this, the actual letters and pronunciation of His Name were lost. The closest we can come is YHVH, with no syllables. The pronunciation has been totally lost. Therefore, the name Yahweh is only a guess of what the original name sounded like. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, while Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir.

The use of TaNaKh

The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T (for “Torah”), N (for “Nevi’im,” the Prophets), and K (for “Ketuvim,” the Sacred Writings). It is the collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. The term “Old Covenant” implies that it is no longer valid, or at the very least outdated. Something old, to be either ignored or discarded. But Jesus Himself said: Don’t think I have come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets, I have not come to abolish but to complete (Matthew 5:17 CJB). I will be using the Hebrew acronym TaNaKh instead of the phrase the Old Testament, throughout this devotional commentary.

The Use of the phrase, “the righteous of the TaNaKh,”
rather than using Old Testament saints

Messianic synagogues, and the Jewish messianic community in general, never use the phrase Old Testament saints. From a Jewish perspective, they prefer to use the phrase, “righteous of the TaNaKh.” Therefore, I will be using “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than Old Testament saints throughout this devotional commentary.

Theological Values

The book of Romans is the first systematic theology in history. Messiah is the theological ground and starting point of the letter. Paul’s understanding of Messiah is the only topic broad enough to unify his various emphases. And, though no paragraph is devoted to the Messiah per se in the doctrinal portion of the letter, we must not neglect the importance of Romans 1:3-4, where Paul describes the content of his gospel in terms of Messiah. Other passages point to the need for justification (3:21-26) and its universal illustrations (5:12-21). In fact, all the topics in the letter are grounded in Yeshua Messiah. This was so basic in Paul’s teaching, and was so clearly understood in the early church, that he could assume that the believers in the church at Rome shared the same conviction. In this sense, while the Messiahship of Yeshua is expressed as a topic, it is the basis for everything in the letter.

Audience

Troubled by conflicts in Rome between Gentile disciples and the Jewish community, Sha’ul/Paul (to see link click Ag – Paul, a Slave of Messiah Yeshua) focuses in the book of Romans on how God’s promises to the people of Isra’el relate to Gentiles who had come to faith in Messiah. The book is intended to help them understand the unbelief of the majority of Jews, God’s continuing work with Isra’el, the Jewish roots of the gospel, the full inclusion of Gentiles as children of Abraham, and the necessity of serving the Jewish people.

There was history between the Gentile disciples in Rome and the Jewish community. Many of the Gentiles who came to believe in Yeshua had previously been God-fearers (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). Some Jews from the synagogues became Messianic Jews and were part of the same congregations as these Gentiles. In fact, the founders of the congregations may have been Messianic Jews.

Yet as the Roman congregations grew, so did resentment toward the Jewish community. The Roman government regarded the Way (Acts 9:2) as a subgroup of Judaism, and almost certainly regarded Gentile followers of Yeshua as proselytes and adherents of the Jewish sect. It is possible that some Jewish leaders – who were in no way Pharisees or connected with Pharisaism – did not accept those Gentiles as members of the Jewish community. This led to resentment and arrogance, in which some Gentile followers of Yeshua questioned whether Jews could really be the chosen ones. Sha’ul’s answer was, and is, positive and decisive: God has repudiated His people? Heaven forbid (11:1). YHVH has not set aside His people and resentment has no place in God’s Kingdom. The Messiah is a servant of the Jewish people (15:8), as are His Roman followers. The Jewish people remain ADONAI’s beloved (11:28-29), and being in Messiah means the Gentiles in Yeshua are forever attached to Isra’el.³ Understanding the book of Romans properly depends on determining at what times Paul was talking to the Jews, talking to the Gentiles, and talking generally to everyone in the church at Rome.

Purpose

While Phoebe’s projected trip to Rome (16:2) was undoubtedly the specific occasion for Paul’s writing this letter, he had several objectives in writing. The most obvious was to announce his plans to visit Rome after his return to Jerusalem (Romans 15:24, 28-29; Acts 19:21) and to prepare the community of believers there for his coming. The believers in Rome had been on Paul’s heart and prayer list for a long time (1:9-10) and his desire to visit them and to minister to them, unfulfilled to this point, was finally about to be satisfied (1:11-15, 15:22-23, 29, 32). Therefore, Paul wanted to inform them of his plans and to have them anticipate and pray for their fulfillment (15:30-32).

A second purpose Paul had for writing this letter was to present a complete and detailed statement of the gospel message he proclaimed. Paul was eager to proclaim the Good News also to you who live in Rome (1:15) and he wanted them to know what it was. As a result, in this letter Paul accomplished what Jude desired to do to write to you about the salvation we share (Jude 3a). Perhaps Jude was kept from doing this because Paul already had, for Romans certainly is a very full and logical presentation of the Triune Godhead’s plan of salvation for human beings from its beginning in man’s condemnation in sin to its consummation in their sharing eternity in God’s presence, conformed to the image of God’s Son, the Lord Yeshua Messiah.

A third purpose for writing this letter is not as obvious as the first two. It is related to the tension between the Jewish and Gentile segments in the church at Rome, and possible conflict between them. Paul was hounded in his ministry by Judaizers (see the commentary on Galatians Ag – Who Were the Judaizers?), who followed him from city to city and sought to lead his converts away from the liberty in the gospel (Galatians 5:1). The letter to the Galatians is Paul’s classic, though not his only, response to the Judaizers. Their attacks on Paul incorporated physical violence about the time this letter to the Romans was written (Acts 20:3). Whether the Judaizers had reached Rome before Paul or not, the Jew-verses-Gentile issue looms large in this letter. Paul did not take sides, but he carefully set forth both sides of the question. On the one hand, he emphasized the historical and chronological priority of the Jews – to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile (1:16). He also stressed the advantage . . . in being a Jew (3:1-2, 9:4-5).

On the other hand, Paul pointed out that since there is only one God (3:30). In contrast with the historical period covered by the TaNaKh, when the Jews alone were God’s chosen people, now, united with the Messiah of Isra’el, believing Gentiles and Jews are fully equal members of God’s people with respect to salvation. He is the God of the Gentiles as well as the God of the Jews (3:39). As a result, Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin (3:9) and alike are saved by faith in the Lord Yeshua Messiah and His redemptive and propitiatory sacrifice. Furthermore, in order to bring believing Gentiles into His program of salvation, extending His grace to all human beings, God temporarily halted His specific program for Isra’el as a chosen nation, since that nation through its official leaders and as a whole had rejected in unbelief God’s Son as the Messiah. During this period God continues to have a believing remnant chosen by grace (11:5) until the full number of the Gentiles has come in (11:25) and God takes up again and fulfills His promises to Isra’el as a nation.

Related to the Jewish-Gentile tension that runs throughout this letter is a muted but definite undertone that questions God’s goodness and wisdom and justice as seen in His plan of salvation. No complaints against God are voiced, but they are implied. As a result, this letter to the Romans is more than an exposition of Paul’s gospel of grace (Acts 20:24), a declaration of God’s plan of salvation for all human beings by grace through faith. It is a theodicy, an apologetic for God, a defense and vindication of God’s nature and His plan for saving people. It sets God forth to be just and the One who justifies the man who has faith in Yeshua (3:26). It exults in the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (11:33) and challenges the readers: Let God be true, and every man a liar.⁴

Theme

Growing out of Paul’s three purposes for writing this letter (especially the latter two purposes), is the theme of the work. In the simplest and most general terms it is the gospel (1:16). More specifically it is a righteousness from God which is revealed in that gospel and is understood and appropriated by faith from first to last (1:17). The righteousness from God Himself possesses and manifests in all His actions; and second, it is the righteousness that God gives to human beings by grace through faith. This involves an imputed righteous standing before God (justification) and an imparted righteous practice and a progressively transformed lifestyle, the latter due to the regenerating and indwelling Ruach Ha’Kodesh (regeneration and sanctification). Practice is consummated and conformed to standing (glorification) when a believer in Yeshua Messiah through death and resurrection or through translation – our adoption as sons the redemption of our bodies (8:23) – stands in the presence of God, conformed to the likeness of His Son (8:29). God’s program of salvation for people will not fail because it is His work, and He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Messiah Yeshua (Philippians 1:6).⁵

The Outline of the Book of Romans

This outline and the basis for this commentary comes from Rabbi Barney Kasdan,
the Messianic Jewish Institute of San Diego, “The Jewish Context of Romans.”

Introduction to Romans from a Messianic Jewish Perspective (Ac)

Glossary (Ad)

My Position on T.U.L.I.P. or Calvinism (Ae)

The List of “one another” commands (Af)

Paul, a Slave of Messiah Yeshua – 1:1-7 (Ag)

I am Eager to Proclaim the Good News to You – 1:8-15 (Ah)

The Righteous Will Live by Faith – 1:16-17 (Ai)

I. The Universal Need of Mankind – 1:18 to 3:20 (Aj)

A. The Pagan Gentile – 1:18-32 (Ak)

1. The Evidence Against the Gentile Pagan – 1:18-23 (Al)

2. The Rejection by the Gentile Pagan – 1:24-27 (Am)

3. The Depraved Mind of the Gentile Pagan – 1:28-32 (An)

B. The “Good” Person – 2:1-16 (Ao)

1. The Guilt of the “Good” Person – 2:1-4 (Ap)

2. The Judgment of the “Good” Person – 2:5-10 (Aq)

3. The Warning to the “Good” Person – 2:11-16 (Ar)

C. Paul’s Gospel – 2:26 (As)

D. The Religious Jew – 2:17 to 3:20 (At)

1. The Religious Jew’s Lack of Obedience to Torah – 2:17-24 (Au)

2. The Religious Jew’s Lack of the Spirit – 2:25-29 (Av)

3. The Religious Jew’s Lack of Understanding – 3:1-20 (Aw)

II. The Universal Solution: Justification – 3:21 to 5:11 (Ax)

A. The Definition of Justification – 3:21-31 (Ay)

1. The Need for Justification – 3:21-23 (Az)

2. The Picture of Justification – 3:24-26 (Ba)

3. The Response to Justification – 3:27-31 (Bb)

B. The Example of Justification – 4:1-25 (Bc)

1. Justification in the TaNaKh – 4:1-8 (Bd)

2. The Sign of Justification– 4:9-17 (Be)

3. The Means of Justification – 4:18-25 (Bf)

C. The Fruits of Justification – 5:1-11 (Bg)

1. The Blessing of Justification – 5:1-2 (Bh)

2. The Perfecting of Justification – 5:3-5 (Bi)

3. The Restoration Justification – 5:6-11 (Bj)

III. The Universal Analogies – 5:12 to 7:13 (Bk)

A. Midrash on Adam – 5:12-21 (Bl)

1. The Consequences of Adam 5:12-14 (Bm)

2. The Contrast to Adam – 5:15-17 (Bn)

3. The Comparison to Adam – 5:18-21 (Bo)

B. The Messianic Mikvah – 6:1-11 (Bp)

1. The Background of the Messianic Mikvah – 6:1-3a (Bq)

2. The Significance of the Messianic Mikvah– 6:3b-7 (Br)

3. The Application of the Messianic Mikvah – 6:8-11 (Bs)

C. Slaves of God – 6:12-23 (Bt)

1. The New Freedom in Messiah- 6:12-14 (Bu)

2. The New Master in Messiah – 6:15-16 (Bv)

3. The New Benefits in Messiah – 6:17-23 (Bw)

D. Marriage – 7:1-13 (Bx)

1. Torah Background – 7:1-6 (By)

2. Application to Believers in Yeshua – 7:7-13 (Bz)

IV. The Spiritual Battle – 7:14 to 8:39 (Ca)

A. The Inner Conflict – 7:14-25 (Cb)

1. The Reality of the Inner Conflict – 7:14-17 (Cc)

2. The Reason for the Inner Conflict – 7:18-21 (Cd)

3. The Results of the Inner Conflict – 7:22-25 (Ce)

B. The Victory in the Ruach Ha’Kodesh – 8:1-17 (Cf)

1. The Walk with the Ruach – 8:1-8 (Cg)

2. The Indwelling of the Ruach – 8:9-11 (Ch)

3. The Leading of the Ruach – 8:12-17 (Ci)

C. The Completed Redemption – 8:18-39 (Cj)

1. The Creation and Redemption – 8:18-22 (Ck)

2. Our Bodies and Redemption – 8:23-30 (Cl)

3. The Certainty of Redemption – 8:31-39 (Cm)

V. The Centrality of Isra’el in the plan of ADONAI – 9:1 to 11:36 (Cn)

A. The Past Paradox of Isra’el – 9:1-33 (Co)

1. The Grief of Isra’el’s Past Paradox– 9:1-5 (Cp)

2. The Explanation of Isra’el’s Past Paradox – 9:6-13 (Cq)

3. The Objections to Isra’el’s Past Paradox – 9:14-33 (Cr)

B. The Present Paradox of Isra’el – 10:1-21 (Cs)

1. Praying for the Jewish Community – 10:1-7 (Ct)

2. Witnessing to the Jewish Community – 10:8-15 (Cu)

3. Understanding the Jewish Community – 10:16-21 (Cv)

C. The Future Paradox of Isra’el – 11:1-36 (Cw)

1. The Testimony of the Jewish Believers – 11:1-10 (Cx)

2. The Jealousy of the Gentile Believers – 11:11-15 (Cy)

3. The Illustration of Isra’el’s Future – 11:16-24 (Cz)

4. The Redemption of Isra’el – 11:25-36 (Da)

VI. The Mercies of ADONAI – 12:1 to 16:27 (Db)

A. Responding to the Mercies of ADONAI – 12:1-8 (Dc)

B. Walking in Love – 12:9-21 (Dd)

C. Respecting Civil Authority – 13:1-14 (De)

D. Liberty Within Torah Observance – 14:1-23 (Df)

1. Torah Questions – 14:1-4 (Dg)

2. B’rit Chadashah Priorities – 14:5-9 (Dh)

3. Messianic Principles – 14:10-23 (Di)

E. Kiddush Ha’Shem – 15:1-13 (Dj)

1. Building Up Others – 15:1-3 (Dk)

2. Breaking Down Barriers – 15:4-6 (Dl)

3. Lifting Up Yeshua – 15:7-13 (Dm)

F. Paul’s Strategy for Success 15:14-33 (Dn)

G. The People God Uses – 16:1-27 (Do)

1. Servants of Messiah – 16:1-12 (Dp)

2. Some Friends to Greet – 16:13-16 (Dq)

3. A Final Warning – 16:17-27 (Dr)

Endnotes (Ds)

Bibliography (Dt)

Romans, Where Life and the Bible Meet . . .

1. Look at the outline (Ab), and the Introduction (Ac) before starting on the commentary itself.

2. The DIG and REFLECT questions are in bold teal and will help to give you a deeper understanding of the book and make it more personal to you. Go slowly and give yourself time to answer these questions. They really strike at the heart of the commentary. What are the DIG questions for? To dig into the Scripture “story.” To find out what’s going on, to figure out the main idea, the plot, the argument, the spiritual principle, and so on. What are the REFLECT questions for? To apply the “story” in the Scripture to your own life; to take personal inventory and to decide what you are going to do about it! Many of the DIG and REFLECT questions are taken from the Serendipity Bible.

3. I would strongly suggest that you look up the references that are given in each section. Many times this will greatly enhance the background, and hence, your understanding of the Scriptures that you are reading on a particular day. Take your time, read only as much as you can digest.

There are times when I refer you to either another file in Romans, or a file in another book of the Bible, to give you more detail on a particular person, topic, concept or theology. An example might be something like the Great Sanhedrin (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). If you feel you already know enough about the Great Sanhedrin, you can skip the reference and continue reading. But if it interests you, or if you don’t know what the Great Sanhedrin is, you can go to that file and read it first before continuing. It’s your choice. 

4. All Scripture is in bold print. The NIV is used unless indicated otherwise. However, sometimes the purpose of the bold print is merely for emphasizing a certain point. When bold maroon is used, it is for special emphasis. The words of Yeshua are bolded in red.

5. When bold teal is used in the text, it is quoted from one of the two Jewish commentaries listed in the bibliography. This will give you the moderate Orthodox Jewish interpretation. It is useful for word studies, but it’s Christology is obviously entirely wrong. Where rabbinical interpretation is cited, I will add, “The rabbis teach. . .” in front of the passage. Although it is not a Christian interpretation, I think it is interesting to see how the rabbis interpret these passages.

6. Read the Scriptures for a particular day first, then skim the DIG or REFLECT questions, read the commentary and reflect on it; answer the DIG or REFLECT questions, then read your Bible again. Hopefully, it will have greater meaning for you the second time you read it. Then live it out.

7. If you come to a Jewish word or phrase that you don’t understand see the Glossary (see Ad – Glossary).

8. To download a pdf file, click on the red rectangle on the top of any page.

9. You can download anything you want from this devotional commentary for bible study. Nothing can be sold © 2021 all rights are reserved by Jay David Mack, M.Div.