Latest / Reformed Thinking / The Power of the Gospel and the Wrath of God (Romans 1) | David Brown

Transcript

The Power of the Gospel and the Wrath of God (Romans 1) | David Brown · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Welcome to Reformed Thinking. We are incredibly glad to have
0:03
you listening today as we begin a massive, highly detailed deep
0:07
dive into some truly exceptional source material.
0:10
Yeah, it is quite a lot to cover, but it is so worth it.
0:14
It really is. Our core mission for today's
0:16
discussion is to take a magnifying glass to the first
0:19
chapter of the book of Romans. Specifically, we are looking at
0:23
verses one through 32, and we are pulling our insights
0:27
directly from the commentary, critical and explanatory on the
0:31
whole Bible, which is authored by David Brown and his
0:33
colleagues. I want to set up the stakes for
0:35
you right from the very beginning.
0:37
Whether you are actively preparing for a theological
0:40
discussion or maybe brushing up on your historical context of
0:43
the early church, or you are simply eager to understand the
0:46
scriptural text without feeling overwhelmed by an avalanche of
0:49
academic jargon, this specific deep dive is crafted to give you
0:54
clear, actionable knowledge. Yeah, absolutely.
0:56
We are taking this dense commentary and breaking a wide
0:58
open so you can see the absolute brilliance of the arguments
1:01
being made. And to truly grasp the
1:04
historical and theological weight of Romans chapter 1, you
1:07
know, we have to look at the landscape Paul was stepping into
1:09
when he wrote this letter. Set the scene for us.
1:12
Well, this text establishes the absolute necessity of
1:15
justification by faith, and it does so by first proving the
1:19
universal guilt of mankind. The commentary we are
1:22
referencing provides meticulous verse by verse breakdown of this
1:26
reality. Our discussion today will
1:28
strictly adhere to this provided commentary, applying a Reformed
1:32
theological lens to comprehend human depravity and divine
1:35
grace. Right, because we are looking at
1:37
a text that systematically dismantles human pride.
1:40
It sets the necessary stage for grace.
1:43
It is a brilliant piece of logic that begins with the author's
1:46
own submission. Yeah, submission is the perfect
1:48
word for it. OK, let's unpack this by looking
1:50
at how Paul opens his letter in verses one through 7.
1:54
He begins with his self identification, which is
1:56
incredibly telling. Right out of the gate, Paul
1:59
calls himself a bond servant. Which is a loaded term.
2:02
Highly loaded. The commentary specifically
2:05
notes that this word means one who is subject to the will and
2:08
completely at the disposal of another.
2:11
Paul is making a massive statement about ownership.
2:13
He is not a volunteer, he is property.
2:16
I mean, that sets the tone immediately.
2:18
He does. Furthermore, the text oints out
2:20
the specific timeline of his calling.
2:23
He was called to faith, an apostleship simultaneously
2:26
separated unto the gospel of God.
2:28
There was no gap between his conversion and his Commission.
2:31
Right the moment he believed he was entirely set apart for this
2:35
specific work. Let's talk about that term,
2:37
servant of the Lord. Yeah, the historical context
2:40
regarding that term as massive weight to his opening greeting
2:43
in the Old Testament. This is not just a description
2:45
of humility. It was an official title
2:47
reserved for prophets and kings. Like Moses?
2:50
Like Moses or David, the theological implication here is
2:53
quite striking. By calling himself a servant of
2:56
Christ in this very official sense, Paul yields absolute
2:59
subjection to Jesus. He is proving that he views
3:03
Jesus as divine, not a created being.
3:06
Because you do not place yourself at the absolute
3:09
disposal of a mere mortal, not in the way the Old Testament
3:12
figures yielded to Yahweh. Precisely.
3:14
Paul is aligning his subjection to Jesus with the ancient
3:17
prophetic subjection to God himself.
3:20
This would have been a staggering claim for a trained
3:22
Pharisee to make. That distinction brings up the
3:24
fascinating way the text handles Christ's dual nature in verses 3
3:29
and 4. The specific wording is critical
3:32
to get right. It is very specific.
3:33
Jesus was made of the seed of David according to the flesh,
3:36
but he was declared or proved to be the Son of God.
3:39
Yes. The commentary draws a sharp
3:41
line between being made flesh and being declared the Son.
3:45
It is a very deliberate choice of verbs that Paul is using to
3:48
communicate something highly specific about the incarnation.
3:51
What's fascinating here is the nuance of the Greek text
3:54
highlighted by the scholars. Christ was not made the Son of
3:57
God. His sonship is eternal and
3:59
uncreated. It always existed.
4:01
Right. The commentary states that the
4:03
incarnation was simply this eternal sonship blooming or
4:06
efflorescing into palpable reality.
4:09
Think of it like a seed that is already fully alive under the
4:12
soil. OK, I like that analogy.
4:13
When it breaks the surface and blooms, it did not suddenly
4:17
become a plant, it just became visible to us.
4:20
That is how Paul wants us to view the incarnation.
4:23
Jesus did not become God's Son at birth.
4:26
He simply became visible to humanity.
4:29
And the commentary also analyzes the phrase spirit of holiness,
4:32
right? It does.
4:33
Paul used this rare phrase instead of Holy Ghost
4:36
specifically to describe Christ's immaterial divine
4:39
nature in contrast to human flesh.
4:43
He did this to avoid confusion regarding the Trinity.
4:46
That makes a lot of sense actually.
4:47
Yeah, if he had used Holy Spirit, readers might have
4:49
misunderstood the mechanics of the incarnation, confusing the
4:52
second and third persons of the Godhead.
4:54
Moving into verses 5 through 7, the text summarizes that grace
4:58
and apostleship were given for the obedience of faith among all
5:00
nations. This explicitly includes the
5:03
Roman believers whom Paul describes as being beloved of
5:06
God. A beautiful sentiment.
5:08
It is, but it also asks you to consider the startling
5:11
juxtaposition in verse 7. Grace and peace from God our
5:15
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
5:17
Now if you just casually reading, you might skip right
5:19
past that. Most people do.
5:21
But placing those two names together in that way is a
5:24
massive theological statement. The commentary sites the scholar
5:28
Alshausen on this precise point. This juxtaposition is undeniable
5:33
proof of Christ's divinity. The name of no mortal man can be
5:37
placed side by side with the Almighty and dispensing divine
5:41
grace and peace. It would be absurd it.
5:43
Suggests that grace and peace flow equally from God the
5:46
Father, and a created being would be sheer blasphemy in the
5:50
Jewish mindset. Therefore, Paul is establishing
5:53
beyond any doubt the full deity of Christ right in his opening
5:56
salutation. He is setting the theological
5:59
parameters for the entire letter before he even gets to his main
6:02
argument. Which is brilliant framing,
6:04
shifting the topic to Paul's pastoral heart.
6:06
In verses 8 through 15, we see his unceasing prayers for the
6:09
Roman church. He knows how their faith is
6:12
famous worldwide. He also details his delayed
6:15
travels. He mentions he wanted to visit
6:17
Rome for a long time but was hindered.
6:19
It is wild to think about the timeline here.
6:21
He eventually arrived nearly 1/4 of a century after his
6:24
conversion. 25 years. And only then, as a prisoner in
6:27
chains. This was not the triumphant
6:29
Apostolic entry he probably envisioned when he first started
6:33
praying about going to Rome. Paul's reliance on the will of
6:36
God for his schedule is a key point of analysis here.
6:40
The delay taught him that his entire future rested in divine
6:43
hands. He could not force his way to
6:45
Rome, no matter how strategic it seemed he.
6:48
Had to wait. And additionally, the specific
6:50
nature of Rome as a global capital made it highly practical
6:54
for news of their faith to spread across the provinces.
6:57
Rome was the New York, London and Tokyo of the ancient world
7:01
rolled into one. The center of the universe.
7:04
Pretty much. The constant influx and outflow
7:07
of travelers, merchants, and officials meant that a thriving
7:10
Christian community in the heart of the empire would be talked
7:13
about everywhere. If a movement gained traction in
7:15
Rome, the entire civilized world knew about it.
7:18
Here's where it gets really interesting when we look at
7:21
Paul's stated reason for visiting.
7:22
In verses 11 and 12, Paul initially says he wants to
7:25
impart a spiritual gift to establish them, but he
7:28
immediately catches his own wording.
7:30
He pivots. He corrects himself to say he
7:32
wants mutual comfort through their shared faith.
7:36
He softens his statement to ensure they know he expects to
7:39
receive as well as give. He does not want to come across
7:42
as the arrogant experts swooping in to fix them.
7:45
This is a remarkable demonstration of radical
7:47
humility. The text quotes John Calvin's
7:50
insight on this verse. There is no one so poor in the
7:53
Church who cannot impart something valuable to others.
7:57
Only pride hinders us from gathering fruit from every
8:00
believer. That is great quote.
8:02
It is the commentary draws a stark contrast between this
8:05
Apostolic style of mutual edification and the top down
8:09
hierarchy of the papal court of Rome.
8:12
Now we should be clear here for you listening.
8:14
Brown's commentary was written from a specific historical
8:16
Protestant viewpoint, and the authors make a sharp contrast
8:19
here to illustrate their view of genuine church structure.
8:22
Right. And we are just impartially
8:24
reporting on the content provided in the source material
8:26
today. We are not endorsing any
8:28
specific political or denominational attacks, simply
8:31
aiming to convey the ideas contained to the original
8:34
commentary. Precisely.
8:36
They argue that Paul, despite his massive Apostolic authority,
8:40
views himself as a fellow believer in need of the comfort
8:42
that comes from the faith of the Roman Christians.
8:45
They view this as standing in stark contrast to a rigid top
8:49
down hierarchy. This perfectly leads into Paul's
8:52
sense of obligation. In verse 14 he declares he is a
8:55
debtor to both the cultured Greeks and the uncultured
8:58
Barbarians. His message is ordained equally
9:01
for all classes of mankind. No one is excluded.
9:04
He does not view himself as superior to the uneducated, nor
9:08
is he intimidated by the philosophical elites.
9:11
He looks at every single person, regardless of their social
9:14
standing or education level and says I owe you something.
9:17
That sense of debt is driven by the universal necessity of the
9:20
gospel. Paul possesses the only cure for
9:23
a terminal disease affecting all of humanity, making him a debtor
9:26
to everyone who needs it. He feels a moral obligation to
9:29
deliver the message. It is a heavy burden.
9:31
And this bridge is directly into the core thesis of the letter
9:34
found in verses 16 and 17, where he explains what this message is
9:38
and why it is so desperately needed by everyone in Rome.
9:41
Transitioning into the most famous verses of the chapter,
9:44
Paul says he is not ashamed of the gospel even in the mistress
9:47
of the world, which is Rome. Think about how crazy this
9:50
sounds. It sounds like a death wish,
9:52
honestly. He is bringing the message of a
9:53
crucified Jewish Carpenter to the apex of human civilization,
9:57
where such a message might be seen as utter foolishness.
10:01
Crucifixion was a shameful, humiliating execution for
10:04
criminals. Yet Paul is bringing it to the
10:07
cultural elites. Let us closely paraphrase verse
10:10
16. The Gospel carries divine might
10:12
for salvation to everyone who believes, Jew and Gentile alike.
10:17
If we connect this to the bigger picture, these verses are the
10:20
thesis statement of the entire book of Romans.
10:22
Salvation is the overwhelming necessity of perishing men.
10:25
The commentary breaks down verse 17 meticulously.
10:28
The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.
10:32
The word used for might in the Greek is dunamis, which implies
10:34
an active working energy. Like dynamite?
10:37
Very similar route, yes. This gospel is not a passive
10:40
philosophy, it is an active rescue operation.
10:43
Could you clarify what from faith to faith actually means?
10:46
That specific phrasing can confuse modern readers who might
10:50
think it refers to jumping from one level of belief to another,
10:53
like leveling up in a video game.
10:55
It sounds like progressive stages.
10:57
According to the sources, it definitely does not mean
11:00
progressive stages of belief. Instead, it means the
11:03
righteousness of God is revealed in order to be received by
11:07
faith. The commentary references the
11:09
quotation of Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 4.
11:12
The just shall live by faith. That makes more sense.
11:15
It stresses the Reformed theological view presented in
11:18
the text. Faith itself is God's gift.
11:21
This arrangement prevents self righteousness, making salvation
11:24
entirely an act of grace. God provides the necessary
11:27
righteousness, and God provides the faith required to receive
11:30
that righteousness. It takes human boasting
11:32
completely out of the equation. Entirely.
11:34
Humanity brings absolutely nothing to the table except the
11:38
sin that makes salvation necessary.
11:40
So what does this all mean? We have to pivot to the darkest
11:42
part of the text to understand why this given righteousness is
11:46
so desperately necessary. It is necessary because of the
11:49
the wrath of God. The backdrop to all of this?
11:52
Verse 18 details that God's holy displeasure is revealed from
11:56
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.
12:00
This is not a human temper tantrum.
12:02
It is a settled holy opposition to evil.
12:05
The terms must be defined clearly based on the text to
12:08
understand the scope of this wrath.
12:10
Ungodliness is irreligiousness. It is living without conscious
12:14
reference to God. Just completely ignoring the
12:17
creator. Exactly.
12:18
Unrighteousness refers to moral deviations and heart, speech and
12:22
behavior. It is how we treat each other.
12:25
Because everyone is guilty of these to some extent, every
12:27
human being falls under this universal condemnation.
12:30
Which is heavy. It is, but this bad news is the
12:32
necessary backdrop for the good news of salvation.
12:35
Without the reality of the wrath of God, the gospel ceases to be
12:39
good news. It just becomes friendly advice.
12:42
The text This is the concept of men holding down or stifling the
12:45
truth. It asks how a person deadens the
12:48
still small voice of conscience. People suppress what they
12:51
inherently know. It is an act of resistance.
12:53
It is like trying to hold a beach ball underwater.
12:56
It takes constant active effort to suppress the truth of God
13:00
that is pressing up against human consciousness.
13:03
This brings us to verses 19 and 20 regarding general revelation.
13:07
The commentary explains that God's invisible attributes, his
13:11
eternal might and Godhead are clearly seen through the
13:14
creation of the world. You just have to look around.
13:16
Yeah, there is a synergy between inner and outer revelation.
13:20
Faith has primary sources within the human breast, but outward
13:24
creation acts as the interpreter.
13:26
Therefore, humanity is without excuse.
13:30
Without excuse. That is a terrifying phrase.
13:32
The internal conscience and the external universe both testify
13:35
to the existence and nature of God.
13:38
It leaves absolutely no room for a plea of ignorance on Judgement
13:41
Day. The text race is a tragic
13:43
downward progression starting in verse 21.
13:45
People knew God but failed to glorify Him or give thanks.
13:49
The result is described vividly. They became vain in their
13:52
imaginations and they're foolish.
13:54
Inner man was darkened. A total collapse of the
13:56
intellect. It is a terrifying sequence.
13:58
First you stop being thankful. Then you're thinking gets
14:02
cloudy. Finally, the lights go out
14:04
entirely in your soul. This raises an important
14:07
question regarding the history of human religion.
14:10
The text addresses the sociological theory that human
14:13
religion evolved upward from primitive animism to complex
14:18
monotheism. That is the standard secular
14:20
narrative today. It's strongly contrast this
14:23
theory with the commentaries assertion that paganism is
14:25
actually a devolution, a fall from primeval innocence and a
14:30
willful violence to the dictates of conscience.
14:33
Mankind did not start in the mud and reach for the stars.
14:36
Mankind started with the knowledge of God and actively
14:39
suppressed it, dragging their worship down into the mud.
14:42
You can see this devolution illustrated using the specific
14:44
examples from the text. The commentary mentions the
14:47
exchange of God's glory for images of corruptible man,
14:51
referencing the exquisite Greek statues on Mars Hill.
14:54
The Greeks thought they were elevating humanity with these
14:56
beautiful sculptures, but Paul says they were degrading the
14:59
divine. And it goes even further down.
15:01
It does into the lower degradation of worshipping
15:03
birds, beasts and creeping things, referencing Egyptian and
15:07
Oriental worship. The irony in verse 22 is
15:10
palpable. Professing themselves to be
15:12
wise, they became fools. The commentary highlights the
15:16
insight that pride in human wisdom makes true spiritual
15:19
understanding impossible. The smarter they thought they
15:22
were, the blinder they got. When humanity decides it knows
15:25
better than the Creator, the inevitable result is
15:28
intellectual and spiritual foolishness.
15:31
It culminates in bowing down to statues of animals.
15:34
The intellect is entirely compromised by the rebellion of
15:38
the will. This leads to the chilling
15:39
phrase repeated 3 times in the text.
15:42
God gave them up or gave them over.
15:45
Could you explain this concept of righteous retribution?
15:48
It sounds less like a lightning bolt from the sky and more like
15:51
taking his hands off the steering wheel.
15:53
This is the concept of judicial abandonment.
15:55
The text quotes the scholar gracious as men deserted God,
15:59
God deserted them. He didn't send prophets, He
16:01
simply let them do what they pleased.
16:03
That is almost scarier than a direct punishment.
16:06
It is the ultimate punishment. The commentary also includes a
16:10
critique of idolatry here, noting how material images in
16:14
worship inevitably lower religious conceptions and taint
16:18
society. The authors, again writing from
16:21
their Protestant framework, specifically referenced the
16:23
Church of Rome in this regard. They contrast the use of
16:27
material images with the high standard of social virtue
16:30
expected in genuine Protestantism.
16:33
And again, as we said, whether 1 agrees with that specific
16:36
historical critique or not, we are just conveying the source
16:39
material. The broader theological point is
16:42
clear. When God hands a society over to
16:44
its own desires, it is the most terrifying judgement imaginable.
16:48
The moral collapse described in verses 26 and 27 is severe.
16:51
The text explains how vice consumes and exhausts itself.
16:55
It shares memorable historical details.
16:57
When natural passions became impotent, society sought
17:00
artificial stimulants, the. Decay just accelerates.
17:02
It mentions references to Sodom, the Lesbians were refined Greece
17:06
and the Roman emperor Tiberias, who famously retreated to the
17:08
island of Capri and had to coin new words for newly invented
17:12
vices because the old sins were no longer thrilling enough.
17:15
The commentary discusses the recompense of their error, how
17:18
vice is self avenging physically and morally.
17:21
Under God's righteous government, sin carries its own
17:24
punishment built into its very nature.
17:26
It destroys the vessel it occupies.
17:29
And the final lowest stage of depravity is found in verse 32.
17:33
Knowing the judgement of God, people not only commit these
17:36
acts, but have pleasure in those who do them.
17:39
Unblushing satisfaction and cheering on the sins of others
17:42
is the darkest feature of human rebellion.
17:45
It's one thing to fall into sin out of weakness, but entirely
17:48
another to applaud it. It shows a complete alignment
17:51
with evil, moving beyond personal weakness into active
17:54
advocacy for rebellion against the Creator.
17:56
To summarize the sweeping narrative covered in this deep
17:58
dive, we moved from Paul's absolute subjection to Christ to
18:02
the glorious provision of justification by faith.
18:05
We then moved all the way to the grim reality of a humanity
18:08
universally condemned by its own suppression of the truth.
18:12
Understanding this stark backdrop of human rebellion
18:14
makes the free gift of grace infinitely more beautiful.
18:18
You cannot fully appreciate the rescue until you understand the
18:21
sheer magnitude of the peril. As a final thought, we must
18:24
recognize the necessity of critical thinking when facing a
18:27
world of information. The text echoes the assertion
18:30
that truth is often actively suppressed by human pride.
18:34
We must constantly evaluate our own assumptions and ensure we
18:37
are not holding down the truth and unrighteousness.
18:40
If the hour to creation leaves humanity entirely without excuse
18:43
regarding the existence of God, how does the way you interact
18:46
with the natural world reflect your own recognition of His
18:49
eternal nature today? Thank you for listening to
18:52
Reformed Thinking and we leave you to ponder the depths of the
18:54
source material.