So dear reader, what did you think was important in this section? I would love to know what you felt was significant from the opening of Paul’s letter. I would almost like to ask that you send me what you think to be the important parts before I give you my input. But I won’t. We would take a long time just on the introduction. Remember what I told you of the complexity in John, it is the same and more so in Romans with Paul. Paul’s mind is like a lawyer’s that runs deep and lots of ideas are interconnected together and run deeper still. Take the time to notice what he is saying. It is important. Paul combines very difficult complex ideas that require thought and persistence to crack the code. The treasures of Romans are not unlocked easily.
The words that need attention:
- servant [ δοῦλος ]
- set apart [ἀφωρισμένος]
- gospel [εὐαγγέλιον]
- apostle [ἀπόστολος]
- promised beforehand [προεπηγγείλατο]
- prophets [προφητῶν]
- flesh [σάρξ]
- spirit of holiness [the only reference in the NT – unique and pregnant with meaning]
- called [κλητοῖς]
- holy/saints, [ἁγίοις]
- grace [χάρις]
- peace [εἰρήνη] – but what is really meant is shalom [שׁלום]
Constructions that require attention:
- Promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy writings
- regarding his Son . . .
- according to the flesh
- according to the spirit of holiness
- declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead
- called saints/called to be saints
- grace and peace
and don’t forget to follow the sense of the whole passage. What is it that Paul is really saying?
This is just the introduction; the to-whom-it-may-concern bit. Imagine what the rest is like.
I will leave you now to ponder the above and dig deeper before I tell you any more. Have fun! Did you know that digging in the Word of God could be fun?
To try and fail is at least to learn. To fail to try is to suffer the loss of what might have been.
Benjamin Franklin