Bible Interpretation, Romans

Introduction.

This letter is one of the best examples of ancient literature written in epistolary form, not only among the letters of the Apostle Paul himself or the New Testament Scriptures, but in ancient literature in general. It is always placed first in the list of messages of the Apostle Paul, although in time it was not written before the others. And this testifies to its significance from the point of view of both theme and content. Perhaps this message was given special significance because its first readers lived in the capital of the powerful Roman Empire.

Authenticity of the message

The most captious criticism could not dispute the origin of this letter from the Apostle Paul. St. Clement of Rome, Polycarp of Smyrna, St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria, as well as all later writers and even heretics, know and quote this letter. Only the heretic Marcion rejected the authenticity of the last two chapters, starting with chapter 14, verse 24. It was followed by the latest criticism, which considers these chapters to be a later addition. Origen, however, condemns Marcion for this, and the existence of these two chapters in the most ancient manuscripts, as well as their internal content, which does not represent anything contrary to the spirit, teaching and circumstances of the life of St. Apostle Paul, convince us of its undoubted authenticity.

Author.

At the beginning of the letter, Paul identifies himself by name (1:1), and the text of this letter itself provides some evidence that it was indeed written by Paul. He says about himself that he is from the tribe of Benjamin (11:1 compare with Phil. 3:5). He sends greetings to Aquila and Priscilla (Rom. 16:3), whom he met in Corinth (Acts 18:2-3) and then parted at Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19) while on his second missionary journey .

Paul also mentions his trip to Jerusalem with “gifts of love,” that is, with donations collected by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia (Rom. 15:25-27); these facts are confirmed in the book of Acts (19:21; 20:1-5; 21:15,17-19), as well as in the letters to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 16:1-5; 2 Cor. 8:1 -12; 9:1-5). Paul also mentions several times his intention to visit Rome (Rom. 1:10-13,15; 15:22-32), and this fact is also confirmed in the book of Acts (19:21).

The Apostle Paul declares that the Jewish monopoly on communication with God is a thing of the past, and condemns sins

Travels of the Apostle Paul

St. Paul seeks to distance the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ from Judaism. The audience still views Christians as a Jewish sect. The apostle has to explain that something new has come into the world - the Word of God. The Jews had a chance, but it is a thing of the past:

“So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I ask: didn’t they hear? On the contrary, “their voice went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” I also ask: didn’t Israel know? But the first Moses says: “I will arouse jealousy in you because of no people, I will provoke you to anger because of a foolish people.”

(Rom. 10:17–19)

Travel map of the Apostle Paul. As you can see, Rome was his main goal. There the apostle’s sermon ended. Photo: broadcast.lds.org

The whole world needs the Lord, for without the righteousness of God people succumb to the nature of sin, destroying themselves and each other:

“But how, having come to know God, they did not glorify Him as God and did not give thanks, but became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened; calling themselves wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed creatures, and creeping things, then God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, so that they defiled their very bodies.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature instead of the Creator, Who is blessed forever, amen. Therefore, God gave them over to shameful passions: their women replaced natural use with unnatural; Likewise, men, abandoning the natural use of the female sex, were inflamed with lust for one another, men committing shame on men and receiving in themselves due retribution for their error.
And even though they did not care to have God in their minds, God gave them over to a depraved mind - to do lewd things, so that they are filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malice, filled with envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil spirits, slanderers, slanderers, haters of God, offenders, self-praisers, proud, resourceful for evil, disobedient to parents, reckless, treacherous, unloving, irreconcilable, unmerciful.
They know the righteous judgment of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death; however, not only do they do them, but they also approve of those who do them.”

(Rom. 1:21–32)

Separately, Paul focuses on sin and the law. It is bad if a person does not know the law of God and sins. But he will be demanded according to the laws that a person has heard, for the truth of God is present everywhere to one degree or another. It is in the heart of man, where it was placed by the Son of God.

A pagan may not know God's law, but the Most High is in his heart.

But it is even more terrible for a sinner to know the law and still act unrighteously. The question “should we do evil” should fall away as soon as a person hears about Jesus Christ.

“Those who sinned without the law are outside the law and will perish; and those who have sinned under the law will be condemned by the law (because it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified, for when the pagans, who do not have the law, by nature do what is lawful, then, not having the law, they are a law unto themselves : they show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as evidenced by their conscience and their thoughts, now accusing, now justifying one another) on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secret deeds of men through Jesus Christ.”

(Rom. 2:12–16)

To whom is it addressed?

The question to whom the apostle is addressing in this letter deserves attention. Paul writes: “To all those who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints” (Rom. 1:7). Note that he is not addressing the Roman Church. The fact that the church already existed in Rome at that time is beyond doubt - after all, Paul sends greetings to the “house church” that met with Aquila and Priscilla (Rom. 16:3-4). There were probably already several churches in Rome at that time, and perhaps that is why Paul refers to “all saints” and not to “the church.”

But who were these “saints” who lived in Rome, were they pagans or Jews by origin? Obviously both. Aquila, for example, was a Jew (Acts 18:2), and Paul's relatives were Jews: Herodion, Andronicus and Junius (Rom. 16:7,11). According to Josephus and other authors, there were many Jews living in Rome at that time (compare Acts 28:17-28).

However, Rome was, of course, a pagan city, the capital of a pagan empire, where Jews, whether believers or non-believers, formed only a small minority. Further. Although Paul never missed an opportunity to witness and minister to the Jews, God called him to be “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13 cf. 15:16). So most likely his message was addressed mainly to recent pagans.

This conclusion is confirmed by the evidence contained in the letter itself. On the one hand, Paul directly addresses the Jews (2:17), and when he speaks to Jewish Christians about “Abraham our Father” (4:1,12), he speaks in the first person. But on the other hand, he no less directly states: “I say to you, the Gentiles” (11:13). Several other passages in the letter also indicate that Gentile Christians were part of his audience (11:17-31; 15:14-16). It also indirectly follows from 1:5,13 that pagans predominated in the Christian community of Rome.

But if by the time Paul wrote this letter he had not yet personally been to Rome, then how did Christians appear there? In light of what the apostle writes in 15:20, namely, that his goal was to preach the gospel where the name of Christ had not yet been preached, it seems that none of the other apostles had reached Rome by that time. In particular, Peter was not in Rome at that time - otherwise how can one explain that his name is not among those to whom Paul conveys greetings (chap. 16)?

Here is a possible answer to the question about the founding of the church in Rome: in the crowd that witnessed the miracle on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, and which heard Peter preach, there were, as we know, “those who came from Rome” (Acts 2:10); some of them were probably among the 3,000 converts on that momentous day. They returned to Rome as believers in Jesus Christ and began to spread the gospel message.

Then other believers could move to this city, since the capital attracted people from all over the empire, who flocked to Rome for business and other reasons. Aquila and Priscilla are good examples of this. As already stated, they lived in Italy before (Acts 18:2), were forced to leave it and then returned again as soon as circumstances permitted. Thebe (Rom. 16:1-2), which apparently delivered this message to the capital, is the second example.

She did not go to Rome to deliver a message, she took it with her because she was going to this city on some business. It is possible that Thebes' intention to visit Rome became the reason for the Apostle Paul to write this letter. Humanly speaking, the apostle took advantage of the opportunity to come into contact with a group of believers that deeply interested him, with whom he intended to meet in person at the first opportunity.

Just as the absence of the name of Peter among those greeted by Paul in chapter 16 indicates that this apostle was not in Rome at that time, so Paul’s numerous greetings to individuals (he names 28 names) and several groups of believers speaks of his great influence on the Roman church - in its foundation and formation. Among the believers there, many were converted to Christ under his influence or were his assistants in missionary work in different parts of the empire. That is why Paul considered the Christian community in Rome “his own,” as his letter testifies.

The reason for writing the message and its purpose

From the Epistle to the Romans it is not clear that they themselves gave St. the Apostle Paul any reason to write the epistle. The message is of a completely general nature and does not point to any particulars in the life of Roman Christians. It is in vain to think that the reason was some kind of disputes and divisions among them, pointing to 16:17 - this place is also of a general nature, like all other instructions. The impetus for writing this letter was all in Paul himself, who, having heard about the conversion of the Romans, long ago began to strive for them in order to check whether everything was going as it should. After all, he was the “apostle of languages,” and it was natural for him to worry about the Christian prosperity of the inhabitants of the capital of the entire cultural world of that time. When he was going to visit the Romans, he preceded this visit with his message so that it would temporarily replace his personal visit, preparing the Romans for a meeting with him. In his message he outlines the general program of all Christian teaching and warns them against being infected by the Judaizers. The immediate reason for writing the epistle at this particular time was the departure to Rome from Corinth, where Paul was then, of the highly respected Cenchrean deaconess Thebes, who provided considerable services to the cause of faith and the Church and was a former assistant in the work of the Gospel gospel to the Apostle Paul himself, as he himself testifies ( 16:1-2). She had business in Rome, and St. the Apostle Paul, appreciating her merits, considered it his duty to recommend her to Roman Christians.

Place and time of writing.

Although Paul never mentioned the city he was in at the time, there is no doubt that he wrote this letter from Corinth, whose eastern harbor was Cenchrea (16:1). The letter was written at the end of Paul's third missionary journey, when the apostle lived for three months in Greece (Hellas, Acts 20:3), that is, before returning to Jerusalem with donations collected in Macedonia and Achaia for the needy believers of the Jerusalem church ( Rom. 15:26). From Corinth, Paul went to Philippi, where he remained through the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread (Acts 20:6), intending to reach Jerusalem by the Day of Pentecost (Acts 20:16). Thus, the Epistle to the Romans was written by him either at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring, in 57 or 58.

Literature

Bogdashevsky (Bishop Vasily), The integrity of the message of St. ap. Paul to the Romans, TKDA, 1904, No. 6;
Boor Werner de, Epistle to the Romans, Korntal, 1989;
A life dedicated to a higher purpose. A guide to studying the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, Buenos Aires (BG);
archbishop Irenaeus (Klementyevsky), Epistle of St. ap. Paul to the Romans with interpretation, M., 1787;
Ep. Mikhail (Luzin), Biblical science. Academic readings on St. NT Scripture, vol. 3, no. 2: The Roman Church and the Epistle to the Romans, Tula, 1906;
Awake to Life: A Paraphrase of Romans, Wheaton, 1983;
Rozanov N.P., Epistle to the Romans of St. Apostle Paul, TB, vol. 10;
him, About the message of St. Paul to the Romans, ibid.;
Tyark O.A., Epistle to the Romans, BVs, 1972, No. 3-6, 1973, No. 1-6, 1974, No. 1-4;
Ep. Feofan (Govorov), Interpretation of the Epistle of St. Apostle Paul to the Romans, book. 1-2, M., 1890;
Barrett C.K., Reading Through Romans, L.-Phil., 1977;
Bruce F. F., The Epistles of Paul to the Romans, Grand Rapids (Mich.), 1963;
Fitzmeyer JA, Romans, NCE, v.12;
Hunter AM, The Epistle to the Romans, L., 1957;
Kertelge K., The Epistle to the Romans, L.-NY, 1972;
Kasemann E., Commentary on Romans, Grand Rapids (Mich.), 1980;
Lyonnet S., Le message de l'№p€tre aux Romains, P., 1971;
id., Les №tapes de l'histoire du salut selon l'Ep€tre aux Romains, P., 1969;
Maly EH, Romans, Wilmington, 1979;
Minear PS, The Obedience of Faith, L., 1971;
Moxnes H., Theology in conflict, Leiden, 1980;
Stagg F., Galatians, Romans, Atlanta, 1980;
Zilonka P., Romans, Chi., 1979;

Purpose of writing.

While the reason for writing the letter was undoubtedly Thebes's planned trip to Rome (Rom. 16:2), Paul had several reasons or purposes for writing it. And the main one, apparently, was to inform the believers there of his intention to visit Rome after he had been in Jerusalem (15:24,28-29 compare with Acts 19:21), and thereby prepare the Roman community upon his arrival.

The believers in Rome were always dear to Paul, and he constantly prayed for them (Rom. 1:9-10); now, at last, his desire to visit and minister to them was to be realized (1:11-15; 15:22-23,29,32). That is why the apostle wanted to notify them in advance of his plans - so that they too would pray for their fulfillment (15:30-32).

The second purpose was to explain more fully and in detail to the Roman believers the essence of the Gospel message that he preached. Paul writes: “Therefore, as for me, I am ready to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome” (Rom. 1:15), and this is what he wanted to bring to their attention. So in this letter, the Apostle Paul accomplished what Jude would have done: “to write to you concerning the common salvation” (Jude 1:3). It is quite possible that Jude did not write on this topic precisely because Paul had already done so.

The Epistle to the Romans undoubtedly contains a fairly complete and logical presentation of the plan of the Triune God for the salvation of mankind - starting from the condemnation of man for the Fall and to the completion of this plan, which provides for the eternal presence in the presence of God of those people who become like the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The third purpose or reason is not as obvious as the first two. It was obviously connected with the tense relations that arose in the Roman Christian community between Jews and pagans, and even with a possible conflict between them. The Apostle Paul was literally persecuted by the Jews, who, following him from city to city, tried to sow doubt in his converts about the freedom given to them by the Gospel (Gal. 5:1). The classic, although not the only, response of Paul to the Judaizers is his letter to the Galatians.

Around the time the book of Romans was written, the attacks of the Jews against the apostle became physical (Acts 20:3). Whether or not the Judaizers managed to come to Rome before Paul, judging by his Epistle to the Romans, the disagreements between Jews and pagans were quite serious in the imperial capital.

The apostle does not take any one side, but carefully analyzes the problem that has arisen from both, so to speak, points of view. On the one hand, he emphasizes the historical and chronological priority of the Jews: “first to the Jew, then also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16 compare with 2:9-10). He also talks about the advantage of “being a Jew,” explaining the reasons for this advantage (Rom. 3:1-2; 9:4-5).

But on the other hand, he points out that since there is only “one God” (3:30), then He is, of course, the God not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles (Rom. 3:29). Yes, Jews have “advantages,” but they also don’t have them, because “both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Rom. 3:9), and therefore both can be saved only by faith in Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

Further, while extending His mercy to all human beings, God temporarily suspended His special plan for Israel as His chosen people, because the leaders of the Jews, and the entire people in general, in their unbelief rejected God's Son as the Messiah. But even at this time, God preserves a God-fearing “remnant” (Rom. 11:5), “until the full number of the Gentiles has come in” (Rom. 11:25). After this, God will once again restore Israel's position as the chosen people.

The underlying theme of tension between Jew and Gentile that runs throughout this letter is a deep-sounding doubt about the generosity, wisdom, and justice of God as manifested in His plan for the salvation of mankind. They did not murmur against God out loud, but this murmur was implied. This is why the letter to the Romans was more than Paul's exposition of his "Gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) and more than a proclamation of God's plan of salvation for mankind by grace through faith.

It is a theological and apologetic message aimed at explaining both the character of God and His plan for the salvation of the human race. Paul writes about God: “that He may appear just and the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). “Oh, the depth of the riches, wisdom and knowledge of God” (11:33), exclaims the apostle and affirms, turning to his readers: “God is faithful, but every man is a liar” (3:4).

Content

The message is clearly divided into 5 parts.

Introduction (1:1-17);
the universality of sin (1:18-3:20);
the universal power of saving grace (3:21-8:39);
life in Christ (12:1-15:13);
conclusion and greetings (15:14-16:24).

This orderly plan is disrupted only by a special historiosophical excursion about the fate of Israel and pagan Christians (9-11). Mn. commentators suggest that St. Paul inserted text here from his special. messages on this topic, but it is equally possible that his thought naturally deviated from the main current.

First, the apostle gives a terrifying picture of the moral decline of antiquity. society, a picture that is fully confirmed by the evidence of Greco-Roman authors (Petronius, Martial, Juvenal, Suetonius, Tacitus). The apostle examines this corruption of the tongue. world as a result of its rejection of the true God, Who can be known from creation. Lacking a higher revelation, the pagans received conscience as a kind of God's law, but they neglected this law. At first glance, such a verdict on paganism does not go beyond the framework of the attitude of Jews towards foreigners. But from the 2nd chapter. this illusion dissipates. Apostle Paul shows that those who have been given God's Law also live in contradiction to it. In Scripture itself and in real life, Paul finds confirmation that “all have gone astray.” The hypocritical complacency of the Jews, proud of their piety, is worth morals. the debauchery of the pagans. The “Law of Conscience” and God’s written Law were not enough to overcome the common disease of humanity.

Salvation, the apostle further says, comes from Jesus Christ “independent of the law.” It is not achieved by morals. through human efforts, but is given “freely” by the grace of the Savior. Only He can justify people, cleanse them from sin. The power of His “justification” is universal, extending to “those who are circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by faith.” Anticipating the question whether Scripture is not destroyed by this, the apostle cites the story of Abraham from the Book of Genesis. What is the Old Testament based on? community? Not on Abraham's merits, but on his trust in God, in His promise. For the sake of this faith, circumcision was given as a sign of participation in the community of the faithful. Faith preceded circumcision. But now the object of faith is no longer the promise of God, but the saving feat of Jesus Christ. His mission is broader than the mission of Abraham and Moses. He is a universal mystery. Christ is not the new Abraham and not the new Moses; He is the new Adam. Just as ancient Adam personified fallen humanity, Christ saves and embraces the reborn world, laying the foundation for a new humanity. The power of God is revealed in His atonement. Man needed the law so that he could see morals. ideal and realized his powerlessness to fulfill it. The statutes of the Law only sharpened the consciousness of sinfulness. Paradoxically, the “holy” Law (7:12) aggravated sin, which continued to reign among people.

Sin stood as an obstacle to man's immortality as determined by God. But now the promised eschatological has arrived. era. God appeared in Christ Jesus, and by uniting with Him, the faithful gain new life and a guarantee of immortality. The old man must die and be born a new one, clothed in Christ. But such a person is no longer bound by the obligations of the Law. He is like a widow who became free after the death of her husband. Everything that was former dies with him when he unites with the Crucified and Risen One. From now on, it is not simple obedience to the commandments that animates the believer, but unity with the Sinless One. Faith in Christ opens up a completely new existence for a person. He no longer lives “according to the flesh,” but “according to the Spirit.” And this transformation of man will over time have an impact on the entire creation. In the person of the renewed “sons of God,” she “will be freed from slavery.” Historiosophical excursion ch. 9-11 explains why the Good News was not accepted by Israel as a whole, although they were given “adoption, and glory, and covenants, and laws, and worship, and promises; theirs are the fathers, and from them is Christ according to the flesh, who is God above all.” First, the true Israelites are only the faithful *remnant. Secondly, the “hardening” of Israel providentially contributed to the mass conversion of the pagans. But since the promises are certain, sooner or later “all Israel will be saved.” All this, however, does not mean that God is partial. In the new life, in the life “in Christ,” “there is no difference between Jew and Greek, because there is one Lord for all.”

In the 4th part of Rome, the apostle shows that life in Christ requires a person to be willing to accept salvation. Here the commandments regain their power and meaning. But this is not just a repetition of the Old Testament. commandments, but their transformation in the light of the Gospel. “Be kind to one another with brotherly tenderness...” the apostle calls on Christians, “be fervent in spirit; Serve the Lord, be comforted by hope; be patient in sorrow, constant in prayer; take part in the needs of the saints... Bless your persecutors; bless, not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind among yourselves... If it is possible on your part, be at peace with all people” (12:10-18). In other words, the basis of Christian ethics is love. A lover should be lenient towards those who still attach importance to old rituals and prohibitions. “It is better not to eat meat, not to drink wine, and not to do anything that causes your brother to stumble, or to be offended, or to faint” (14:21). This condescension is an act of love, which puts an end to all strife. It is the highest that a person can bring in response to the love of Christ the Savior.

Subject of the message.

From the three goals of the message mentioned above, especially from the 2nd and 3rd, its theme follows. If we formulate it in simplified and general terms, then this is the gospel of Christ (1:16). More specifically, Paul writes on the topic of “the righteousness of God”, which is revealed in this gospel and received by faith (1:17).

This “truth” or righteousness, firstly, is inherent in God Himself and is manifested in all His actions, and secondly, God gives this righteousness to man by grace, through faith. This includes a person receiving both justification before God and the ability to live an increasingly righteous life; the latter is given to him thanks to regeneration by the Holy Spirit of God and the fact that the Spirit dwells in the believer (renewal and sanctification).

His righteousness in everyday existence becomes more and more perfect and more and more corresponds to the justification received by man (glorification), because the believer in Jesus Christ, having received through His death and resurrection “adoption, the redemption of the body” (8:23), is in the presence of God, becoming “conformed to the image of His Son” (8:29).

God's plan for the salvation of people cannot fail to be fulfilled, since He Himself is doing the work, and He “who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

Exegetical Analysis of the Epistle to the Romans

The letter to the Romans begins with a very lengthy inscription and greeting: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called an apostle, chosen for the gospel of God.” Humbly calling himself “a servant of Christ,” St. Paul then says that he takes the Romans into his care on the basis of an apostolic calling from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who entrusted him “in His Name to subdue all nations to the faith,” among whom they, the Romans, are located. Then the apostle teaches them, as usual, “grace and peace” (vv. 1-7). Further, as an incentive to enter into communion with the Romans, St. Paul points out that “their faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world,” that is, the apostle is especially pleased to meet such worthy followers of Christ in order to raise their faith to an even higher degree: “to teach them some spiritual gift” and “to be comforted with them by faith common” (vv. 8-12). The apostle says that he repeatedly intended to come to them, but met obstacles. This obstacle is the desire for success in preaching among all the nations where the apostle had previously preached. From verse 16, the doctrinal, dogmatic part of the letter begins, in which the apostle proves that before God all are sinners and irresponsible - both pagans and Jews, and that only living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ saves a person: “the righteous shall live by faith” (Ab. 2:4). First of all, the apostle speaks of the sin of the pagans, who did not bother to know the true God through the study of His creations: “For His invisible things, His eternal power and Godhead, have been visible from the foundation of the world through the examination of His creations” (vv. 18-20). The result of this ignorance of the true God led to idolatry, and idolatry led to all kinds of lasciviousness and immoral, wicked living (vv. 21-32). In the second chapter of St. the apostle turns to the Jews. He says that, along with the pagans, God's judgment also weighs on the Jews, who, although they had the revealed law, at all times were no better than the pagans: condemning the pagans for their wickedness, they did the same. However, the first 16 verses of this chapter, as Bishop notes. Theophan the Recluse, based on the interpretation of St. Chrysostom, they mean not only Jews, but all people in general who, while condemning others for their sins, do not themselves abstain from sins. This applies especially to those in power, the people's rulers, who are appointed to judge. Such people should know that “there is no partiality with God” and every sinner, no matter who he is, will suffer a worthy punishment. It is important to indicate here that the pagans who do not have the revealed law will be judged by God according to the law of conscience written in their hearts: “when the pagans, who do not have the law, but do what is lawful to nature, then, not having the law, they are a law to themselves: they show , that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as evidenced by their conscience and their thoughts, now accusing, now justifying one another in the day when... God will judge the secret deeds of men” (vv. 1-16). From 17 to 29 verses of St. The apostle speaks exclusively about the Jews that they hope in vain for their circumcision and boast of their revealed law, for their circumcision and the law of God given to them will serve them as even greater condemnation if they, boasting of the law, dishonor God by transgressing the law (v. 17- 29). In the third chapter of St. the apostle shows that the Jews have no advantage over the pagans, for “both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (v. 9), “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (v. 23). Therefore, a person can receive justification only “through faith,” “by the grace of God,” “by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (vv. 24-25). Nevertheless, the Jews still have the advantage that “the Word of God was entrusted to them” (v. 2), which contained the high promises about the Messiah. Despite the fact that the Jews turned out to be unfaithful in keeping this great gift of God, God, by the very nature of His nature, will certainly fulfill the promises He made. The law given to the Jews further aggravates their responsibility and guilt. And since God is not only the God of the Jews, but also of the pagans, then for both of them there is one way of salvation - through faith. This does not destroy the meaning of the law, but only affirms it, for the grace of God made it possible for people to fulfill the requirements of the law. In the fourth chapter, the apostle recalls the Old Testament righteous Abraham and David, showing in their person that it is not only the formal fulfillment of the requirements of the law that gives justification to a person before God, but faith in the omnipotent grace of God, given to man by the grace of God: “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed for his righteousness” (v. 3). In the fifth chapter the apostle sets forth the fundamental truth of the Christian doctrine concerning sin and salvation. Just as from Adam, the natural head of all mankind, sin spread to all mankind - “by one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, so death entered into all men, because all sinned in him” (Rom. 5:12), - so Christ, the new spiritual head of all humanity, with His redemptive feat also grants salvation to all humanity. Verses 12-21 of this chapter represent one of the most important places in terms of the depth of dogmatic content. Proof that Adam's sin actually passed on to all his descendants is the fact of death, which was a consequence of Adam's sin, or the so-called original sin. The Apostle points out an important circumstance: before Moses there was no law and, therefore, the sins of people could not be imputed to them: “sin is not imputed when there is no law” (v. 13), but nevertheless people died before Moses; hence the natural conclusion is that they were punished with death not for their own sins, but for the original sin passed on to them from their forefather Adam. When the law was given, and people did not stop sinning, their guilt before God increased even more (v. 20). When sin multiplied in this way, through the redemptive feat of Christ, an abundance of God’s grace was given to people - “when sin multiplied, grace began to abound all the more” (v. 20). The redemptive feat of Christ atones not only for the original sin of Adam, but also for all the personal sins of people (v. 16). In the sixth chapter, as a warning against the false conclusion that if the increase of sin caused the action of the omnipotent grace of God, then is it not better to remain in sin in order to again evoke the mercy of God, the apostle exhorts Christians to lead a holy, virtuous life. From the moment of his baptism, a Christian dies to sin and is reborn to a new holy life, just as Christ, our Savior, who suffered and died on the cross, rose from the dead and lives “eternally for God” - “so consider yourselves dead to sin.” alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 11). This passage (6:3-11) is read during the Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday, when the death and burial of Christ and His stay in the tomb are remembered. “Our old man” (that is, sinful, prone to sin) must be crucified with Christ, “so that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” Liberation from slavery to sin makes a Christian truly free. If a Christian is a slave, then he is a slave of righteousness. But this slavery of righteousness is only apparent slavery: it seems so only to the weak, who have not yet completely freed themselves from slavery to sin, because at the beginning of the service of righteousness they have to force themselves, to fight against sinful inclinations. But on the other hand, the fruit of slavery to righteousness, or slavery to God, is holiness and eternal life, and the consequence of slavery to sin is “deeds of which you yourself are now ashamed, because their end is death” (vv. 16-22). In the seventh chapter, the apostle explains that a Christian, having been freed from slavery to sin, is also free from fulfilling the Law of Moses. “The law has power over a person while he lives.” Thus, the death of the husband frees the wife from the legal obligations of marriage, and she can marry someone else. “So you too, my brothers,” says the apostle, “died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, who was raised from the dead, so that we may bear fruit to God” (v. 4). The Law of Moses had a temporary meaning in order to reveal the full power of sin and lead humanity to the idea that salvation without the special grace-filled help of God is impossible. The law only revealed sinful sores, but did not provide healing from them: it gave a person only the bitter consciousness of powerlessness to fulfill all the requirements of the law and through this receive justification from God. And now we, Christians, have freed ourselves from the law so that “we may serve God in the renewal of the spirit, and not according to the old letter,” that is, not according to the outwardly formal prescriptions of the law. Here the apostle warns against the possible false conclusion that the cause of sin lies in the law: if there were no law, there would be no sin. No, the cause of sin is in man himself. The law itself is holy, and its commandments are holy, just and directed towards good. The law only reveals sin rooted in human nature, perverted by original sin. In the second half of the seventh chapter (vv. 13-25), the apostle explains the apparent abnormality of the fact that in the presence of the holy law of Moses, the sinfulness of mankind not only did not decrease, but also increased, as a result of which an extraordinary grace-filled means was required to save people through the redemptive feat The only begotten Son of God. This is one of the few places in the New Testament sacred books where the sinful depravity of human moral nature is depicted with such power and depth: “I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate” (v. 15). By his own strength alone, without the grace of God, a person is not able to overcome the sin that lives in him, “I do not do the good that I want, but I do the evil that I do not want. But if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (vv. 19-20). Brightly reveals St. The apostle presents this picture of the duality that sin produces in our fallen nature: “I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, but in my members I see another law, warring against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin” (vv. 21-23). “Poor man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (v. 24). Having painted this gloomy picture of man's enslavement to sin, St. Paul then points to the all-powerful help of our Redeemer: “I thank (my) God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v. 25). The Lord Redeemer, even in our repentance, can show us conquerors of the sin living in us. This is discussed in detail in the next, eighth chapter. Having revealed the power of sin and the greatness of the redemptive feat of Christ the Savior, who freed us from the power of sin and gave us the opportunity to live according to the spirit, and not according to the flesh, St. The apostle in the eighth chapter urges us to fight sin, for now nothing can excuse our evasion from this fight. The all-powerful Spirit of Christ is with us, helping us to live according to the spirit, and not according to the flesh, and “whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ is not His” (v. 9). Guided by the Spirit of God, we are children of God (vv. 14-16), and “if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him” (v. 17). The desire to live a spiritual life, struggling with sin, is associated with suffering, but Christians should not be afraid of these sufferings, for they are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us in the future life: “the present temporary sufferings are worth nothing in comparison with that glory, which will be revealed in us” (v. 18). All creation awaits this future glory with us, for it too will be freed from slavery to the law of death and corruption, which is reflected, as a consequence of human sin, on all creation. The Holy Spirit helps us in the fight against sin, for He “strengthens us in our weaknesses; For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed” (v. 26). In the hope of salvation, God’s eternal predestination about our salvation also confirms us: “Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And those whom He predestined, those He also called, and those He called, them He also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified” (vv. 29-30). For a correct understanding of this passage of St. The Apostle Paul on Divine Predestination must be borne in mind that the Apostle is not talking about unconditional predestination, as the Calvinists teach, but about predestination based on the omniscience of God. This does not mean that God, in addition to the will of people, predestined some to salvation and others to destruction, but that God, as omniscient, knows which of the people will use their free will for good and which for evil, and depending on this, predetermines the eternal fate of everyone. In conclusion, exhortations to be firm in the hope of the salvation of St. The apostle exclaims: “Who will separate us from the love of God?” (v. 35) and enthusiastically confesses his love and devotion to Christ the Savior, calling all believers to the same (vv. 35-39). In the next three chapters - the ninth, tenth and eleventh - St. the apostle expresses his “great sadness” and “incessant torment of the heart” about the stubborn unbelief of the Jews in Christ the Savior and their rejection by God from the Church of Christ and proves that Israel itself is guilty of its rejection, since it seeks justification not in faith in Christ the Savior, but in fulfillment of the external ritual law of Moses. At the same time, St. the apostle expresses the conviction that just as the rejection does not concern all Jews, because there are also believers among them (“a remnant is preserved” - 11:5), so it will not be eternal for the Jewish people: in due time, the Jews will believe in Christ and enter into His Church. In the temporary rejection of the Jews, which they fully deserved, St. The apostle sees a special manifestation of the wisdom of God in relation to the salvation of all mankind. The fanaticism of the Jews, who stubbornly rejected faith in Christ as the Messiah, forced the apostle to preach about Christ to the pagans. And thus, the stubborn bitterness of the Jews against the apostolic preaching resulted in the conversion of the pagans to Christ (v. 25). The success of the faith of Christ among the pagans and the spiritual benefits that they receive will arouse the jealousy of the Jews, and as a result, “all Israel will be saved” (11:26). Therefore St. The apostle instructs the pagan believers not to boast of their salvation before the Jews. Comparing the Jewish people with a noble garden olive tree, of which only the branches were “broken off by unbelief,” but the root was intact and holy, St. The apostle likens the pagans to a “wild olive tree” grafted onto an olive tree in place of the fallen branches: “if... you, a wild olive tree, were grafted into their place and became a sharer of the root and juice of the olive tree, then do not be arrogant over the branches. If you are arrogant, then remember that it is not you who uphold the root, but the root who upholds you” (11:17-18). In addition, the fallen branches can be grafted in again, for “God is able to graft them in again” (v. 23), “for if you were cut off from a wild olive tree by nature and were not grafted into a good olive tree by nature, then how much more will these natural ones be grafted into yours?” olive..." (11:24). The greatness of God's Providence, wisely leading all nations to salvation through an invisible influence on the historical destinies of peoples, evokes in St. The apostle’s enthusiastic exclamation: “O the depth of the wealth and wisdom and understanding of God, for His judgment is untried and His ways are unsearchable. Who understands the mind of the Lord?.. To him be glory forever, amen” (11:33-36). This ends the doctrinal, dogmatic part of the Epistle to the Romans. Chapters twelve, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen through verse 13 constitute the moralizing part of the epistle. Here St. The apostle outlines the ideal of the moral life of a Christian. In chapter 12, he talks about the duties of a Christian as a member of the Church in relation to God (vv. 1-2) and to others (vv. 3-5), about various supernatural gifts and ordinary ministries, about the feelings and dispositions of a Christian (vv. 8 -21). In chapter 13 of St. the apostle speaks of the duties of a Christian as a member of the state and society. The instruction about obedience to authorities is especially important here: “let every soul be subject to those in authority” (v. 1). To correctly understand this instruction, one must pay attention to the thought contained in verses 3 and 4: that power “from God” that encourages good and punishes evil, “Therefore we have the right to say,” says the Rev. Isidore Pelusiot - that the very thing, I mean, the authority, that is, the leadership and the royal power, were established by God. But if some evil, lawless person seizes this power, then we do not claim that he was appointed by God, but we say that he is allowed to vomit this wickedness, like Pharaoh, and in this case suffer extreme punishment, or bring chastity to those for whom cruelty is needed “how the king of Babylon made the Jews chaste” (Part II, letter 6). In chapter 14 and the first 13 verses of chapter 15 of St. The apostle gives instructions on how to treat those who are weak in the faith, in view of the disagreements that have occurred on this basis in the Roman Church. Most Roman pagan Christians boasted of their Christian freedom in the sense that they ate all food and drink indifferently, for the Christian faith did not impose any prohibitions in this regard, as well as distinctions between the days of the year. Meanwhile, Jewish Christians continued to consider certain types of food unclean and were afraid of being defiled by them, just as they recognized some Old Testament holidays as generally obligatory. The Holy Apostle exhorts to stop discord on this basis, since those who are weak in faith must be treated condescendingly. Private opinions and beliefs must be left to everyone's conscience. The main thing is not to judge and reproach each other and not to give each other temptation. Everything for a Christian is clean, but if your brother is seduced, it is better not to eat meat and not drink wine so as not to seduce his brother (14: 1-21). Poems 12-14 of chapter 13 and poems 1-4 of chapter 14 are read at the liturgy per week of a raw-rush before the onset of a great post, giving instructions with what mood the days of the Long-Pose feat of the Christian should go to the Christian. In the conclusion of the message (15: 14-16) St. The apostle explains the motives by which he addresses the Romans with his message, recommends them the deaconissa of the Kenkhrey Church Fiva, with which this message is sent, and conveys a number of tremendous greetings to Christians living in Rome.

The interpretation of chapter 12 makes it clear: the believer is peace-loving and does not seek revenge

The final chapter 12 contains general instructions for Christians. Here you can see encouraging calls for kindness. But at the same time, it may sometimes seem as if God is comforting believers with the promise of punishment for their offenders.

The interpretation of the Epistle of the Apostle Paul from Lopukhin’s Explanatory Bible clarifies the situation:

“By pointing out the wrath of God towards the wicked enemies of Christians, the Apostle does not at all want to give some satisfaction to Christians. He only wants to dissuade those who believe that our patient attitude towards the insults inflicted on us destroys the moral order in the world and that through this evil people will triumph. No,” says the Apostle, “God Himself, as the Most Holy Judge, is vigilant over the life of the world and will not allow evil to triumph over good.”

Alexander Lopukhin

church writer

Of course, the book of Romans is not limited to these topics. But this is such a capacious book that it cannot be retold in full. It is useful for every Christian to become familiar with this text, and in difficult situations to turn to interpretations.

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