May 2, 2011 – Romans 3

Unlike most times, this one is late because I really wanted to think about this and write a good reflection.  I think I did pretty good and if you aren’t reading all of these, I think you should read this one. 

Redound has many meanings it appears.  The one that seems to apply in verse 7 is to reflect.  Here are all the definitions.

1.to have a good or bad effect or result, as to the advantage or disadvantage of a person or thing.

2.to result or accrue, as to a person.

3.to come back or reflect upon a person as to honor or disgrace (usually followed by on or upon ).

I really didn’t know what it meant or how it was really being used.  I really tried to spend some time with this chapter to piece it together and understand it, because when you read straight through it, I think it reads confusing.  Another word that is brought up and I have heard before but and not absolutely clear on its definition is expiation.

the means by which atonement or reparation is made.

A couple things are touched on that we have talked about many times already.  Verse 4 says that God must be true, which means an absolute truth.  Verse 5 talks about God being just or unjust because He inflicts His wrath.  The way it is worded says that He inflicts His wrath because He is just and must do that.  To not inflict it would be unjust because we are deserving of it.  If there is no wrath or no justice, how is God going to judge us at the end.  The idea of judgment when things are finished doesn’t make sense without the understanding that God is just and that there is an absolute truth. 

Verses 8-18 go into the fact that there is no one person or group better than any one other person or group.  We are all human and sinners and all belong to that group.  This is done by showing some do bad things in the hope that the end will justify the means (8), then criticizes his own group for judging that group (9), then goes through the different body parts and their wickedness, this relates to the same description of the body of Christ and its different parts that rely on each other and are necessary, hear all the parts are sinful in their own way, yet all a part of the same body. 

Verse 20 was interesting.  The Catholic Church teaches that we have free will and are allowed to follow that will.  But there is a large caveat.  You must correctly form your conscience.  That means you are not allowed to just do whatever feels right and say you are following you conscience.  This is a mistake that many make to justify their actions.  Verse 20 talks about forming your conscious.  St. Paul says that through the law come consciousness of sin.  Through the laws that are set out, we learn what is sinful and what not do do.  These many rules that are set out are not set to restrict out lives and limit us, but to protect us. 

BUT, you will say, St. Paul in that verse says that no human will be justified by observing the law.  Right you are and that is why the Catholic Church teaches that you are not saved by your works alone.  There is no person that can ever be saved by following all the rules of the Church and that alone.  Faith is absolutely necessary for salvation.  St. Paul makes that very clear here.  But I think many people will take this to far and say that St. Paul is saying we don’t need any of the rules.  Faith Alone is enough.  Verse 31 doesn’t say that.  Are we annulling the law by this faith?  Of course not.  On the contrary we are supporting the law.  Faith Alone is so far removed from the teaching of St. Paul that he uses the same turn of phrase to disregard it as he did for statements like, will human infidelity nullify the fidelity of God or is God unjust to inflict wrath.  Faith Alone is not supported by St. Paul in this chapter.  The law is a necessary part and works hand in hand with faith, they support each other. 

I also wanted to talk about verse 21.  I thought the statement about God has been manifested apart from the law was confusing.  As I thought about it, apart from could also mean not restricted by.  I took this to kind of relate to a similar teaching from Christ about the Sabbath being made for men, not men for the Sabbath.  Christ was criticized for doing good works on the Sabbath.  They wanted to restrict God under the laws, but God is not restricted by the law.  Christ was manifested apart from the law.  He is beyond or a fulfillment on the law, so He cannot be restricted by it.  I think this may also point to the expansion of Christ Church outside the laws of the Jewish faith.  Christ Church could not be restricted by the law.  But, and I repeat, St. Paul does not say that the law is unimportant or to be disregarded.  Any interpretation of this chapter that results in that idea, I believe, is choosing to ignore the entire chapter or only looking at the parts they want to.  Verse 31 could not be any clearer in regards to faith and the law.