Understanding Romans and Galatians in Ten Minutes

 

Paul wrote the Book of Romans to prepare the saints in Rome for his expected arrival after he first passed through Jerusalem (~ 57 A.D.), (Rom 15:24-25).  Paul’s letter to the Romans outlined his position on salvation for both the Jew and the Gentile before his audience in Rome became prejudiced by the general reports about his ministry, (Acts 21:20-21).  Upon Paul’s arrival, he learned that the Jews in Rome had not received any letters concerning Paul, but they had heard about “this sect [of the Nazarenes (Acts 24:14), more commonly called “the Way,” (Acts 9:2)] and “it is spoken against everywhere,” (Acts 28:21-22). 

Paul’s Roman audience of first century Jews and Gentile proselytes largely believed that salvation came automatically to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  John the Baptist refuted this same understanding in Judea saying, “Do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham,” (Matt 3:9).  Jesus, likewise, encountered a similar attitude, “They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father.’  Jesus said to them, If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham,” (John 8:39).  Salvation predicated only on a physical lineage has little need for a Messiah in matters of personal salvation.

By the first century, the descendants of Israel had concluded that the only path to salvation for the Gentile was to be circumcised following the example God gave to Abraham, “Every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money for any foreigner…shall surely be circumcised,” (Gen 17:12-13).  Circumcision was the singular act that brought an individual into the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Rom 3:1), and into salvation, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved,” (Acts 15:1).  However, this understanding failed to answer the broader question as to how God could be the God of the Jews and the God of the Gentiles (Rom 3:29), if only physical Jews could be saved?  

Paul offered a unique answer to the Gentile question of salvation, one he received as a direct revelation from Jesus Christ, (Gal 1:12).  Jews and Gentiles can be saved through a common single faith (Rom 3:30), a unifying faith (Gal 3:28), a “faith in Jesus Christ,” (Rom 3:24), “From faith (of the Jew) to faith (of the Gentile); as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith,” (Rom 1:17).  In faith “the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants [of Abraham], not only to those who are the Law [Jews and Gentile proselytes], but also to those who are of faith of Abraham [God-fearing Gentiles],” (Rom 4:16).  According to Paul, Gentile salvation came through the “promise” given to Abraham (Rom 4:13), and did not require a physical lineage to the nation of Israel through circumcision.

Paul’s understanding was radically different, even among the other apostles, (Gal 1:12).  So unique was Paul’s revelation, he would refer to it in personal terms as “my gospel” (Rom 2:16), and defend it by saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,” (Rom 1:16).  In Romans and Galatians, Paul supported the revelation he received from Jesus Christ with a myriad of proof texts from the Hebrew scripture.  Paul often interpreted these proof texts using the accepted rabbinic exegesis techniques of his day, which were much more liberal than the framework of today’s biblical hermeneutics.  As a result, believers accept many of Paul words on faith alone, not appreciating the underlying techniques Paul employed to reinforce the revelation he had received.  By the time Paul wrote Romans (~57 A.D.), he had firmly outlined “my gospel” in the principles of:

 
(1) PERSONAL FAITHFULNESS, “From faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith,” (Rom 1:17);
(2) INDIVIDUAL BELIEF, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Rom 4:3),
(3) THE PROMISE TO ABRAHAM, “The promise…that he would be heir of the world was…through the righteousness of faith,” (Rom 4:13),
(4) THE INADEQUACY OF THE PHYSICAL LINEAGE, “not the children of the flesh (i.e., physical descendants of Abraham) who are children of God, but the children of the promise (i.e. spiritual descendants of Abraham) are regarded as descendants.  For this is the word of the promise,” (Rom 9:8-9), and
(5) JESUS AS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE, “Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe,” (Gal 3:33). 

Paul’s letter to the Romans was the culmination of a teaching ministry begun fifteen years earlier on Paul’s first missionary journey to the saints at Antioch,

“We preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You,” (Acts 13:32-33)

In the Book of Galatians, written shortly after Paul returned from his first missionary journey, Paul refuted the accepted position that Gentiles could only be saved through a physical attachment to the nation of Israel by circumcision.  Paul argued that salvation is not obtained through the flesh, but through the promise, “For if the inheritance is based on the Law (i.e., being Jewish), it is no longer based on the promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise,” (Gal 3:18).  Further, if circumcision was sufficient for salvation, then the gospel of Christ would cease to have benefit (Gal 5:2), and “faith [would be] made void and the promise…nullified,” (Rom 4:14).  However, “Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed by you,’” (Gal 3:8).  In Paul’s understanding, access to the promise came through Jesus Christ, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise [i.e., not the physical flesh]” (Gal 3:29), and “You brethren, like Isaac, are children of the promise,” (Gal 4:28). 

In Galatians Paul “allegorically” compared the two positions on salvation to that of the “bondwoman” and the “free woman,” (Gal 4:21-27).  The bondwoman had a son “born according to the flesh,” while “the free woman” had a son “through the promise,” (Gal 4:23).  The first son [Ishmael] represents the outcome obtained through the human effort of Abraham; this is comparable to the circumcision of the proselyte made by the hands of men.  The second son [Isaac] represents the outcome through the promise of God.  Isaac is comparable to belief/faith in the promise given to Abraham, which results in “a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,” (Col 2:11).  If the physical act of circumcision is sufficient, then the death of Jesus has no benefit, “Behold I Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you,” (Gal 5:2). 

Paul argued repeatedly in his writings against circumcision as a requirement for Gentile salvation, “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love,” (Gal 5:6, 6:15).  By the time Paul wrote to the Corinthians around the middle of his ministry (~ 55 A.D.), he had condensed his discussion on circumcision into a single “rule” for all the churches,

“Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised?  Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision.  Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised?  Let him not seek circumcision.  For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.  Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called…So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God,” (1 Cor 7:18-24, ESV).

Believers can remain in the condition each was called because faith in the promise takes precedent since faith came before the commandment to circumcise, (Rom 4:10).  The promise does not depend on circumcision, but on circumcision of the heart (by the Spirit), as written “He is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter,” (Rom 2:29).  In these words, Paul alluded to the words of Moses (Deut 30:6-8) and the promise of obedience made possible through the actions of the Spirit, (Ezek 36:26-27).  Paul preached obedience as the true sign of the circumcised heart, (Rom 2:25-6).  So who are the true children of Abraham, those who “do the deeds of Abraham,” (John 8:39).

Paul’s consistent argument against the requirement of Gentile circumcision for salvation was misinterpreted during his time (and in our day also) as a position against obedience to the commandments of Moses, (Acts 21:21).  James unequivocally stated that this understanding of Paul was incorrect, (Acts 21:24).  Paul concurred with James and demonstrated his agreement by his actions, (Acts 21:26).  Upon his arrival, Paul told his Jewish audience in Rome, “I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers,” (Acts 28:17).  Paul had a high respect for the Law, referring to the Law as “Holy and righteous and good” (Rom 7:12), and the “embodiment of knowledge and truth,” (Rom 2:20).  The Law is a reflection of the Lawgiver.  To keep the Law brings honor to God, while transgression brings dishonor (Rom 2:23) and receives judgment (Rom 2:27).  The Law was given to the nation of Israel (Rom 9:4), requiring obedience from both the Jew and Gentile proselyte who had become a Jew, (Gal 5:3).  Yet, Paul’s gospel did not submit Gentiles to the full weight of the Mosaic commandments, (Gal 5:3). 

 

The standard for all is not to hear the Law, but to perform the Law, “for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified,” (Rom 2:13).  When Paul wrote “you are not under law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14), he referred to the liberation from the condemnation of judgment contained in the law, but not the law itself, (Rom 8:1-2).  When Paul wrote, “We have been released from the law” (Rom 7:6), he referred to our inability to accomplish the commandments through our own flesh, but our need for the promised Spirit (Ezek 36:26-27), since the “Law is spiritual,” (Rom 7:14). 

For far too long, most believers have framed Paul’s argument for salvation in terms of “faith” verses “works”.  The more accurate understanding is salvation through the promise verses salvation through the physical lineage.  Salvation does not come to an individual based on a physical lineage descending from Abraham (remember Ishmael), but through faithfulness in the promise of the Messiah given to Abraham (remember Isaac).  Fifteen years after Galatians, Paul stood before Heord Agrippa, reciting a position established prior to his first missionary journey,

“I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day.  And for this hope, O king, I am being accused by Jews,” (Acts 26:6-7). 

From Austin - Scott