Paul's Passing Thoughts

Paul’s Gospel Treatise to the Roman’s: Divine Anthropology; Romans 1:16-18

Let’s read Roman’s 1:16-18 together:

16 For 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Anthropology is the study of mankind. One definition is: Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present. To understand the full sweep and complexity of cultures across all of human history, anthropology draws and builds upon knowledge from the social and biological sciences as well as the humanities and physical sciences. A central concern of anthropologists is the application of knowledge to the solution of human problems.

As we noted in our previous studies, the apostle Paul’s letter to the Roman’s is the full-orbed gospel. This is not only the gospel of “first importance” (1Coronthians 15:3), but the principles of what man needs to be reconciled to God, why he needs to be reconciled, what his greatest needs are, and how that need is obtained. The gospel solves the problem that is the root of all human problems, and supplies the wisdom for the continued resolution of those problems. The gospel is problem-centered. It was immediately instituted by God to solve the fall in the garden by Adam and Eve that has an incomprehensible depth. It solves the paramount problem of mankind being unreconciled to God, and then continues to solve the myriad of problems associated with the fall, or the fallout thereof. The gospel is “the truth” that resolves the fall, and the fallout in our lives. The gospel not only solves the fall, but the fallout as well.

That is why Paul states that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16). Even in the face of that upper crust Roman society, he knew that he had The Truth of Divine anthropology. Science can put a Band-Aid on human problems, but it cannot solve its eternal problem and its greatest present needs. The gospel can. The truth can. This is good news.

John 17:17

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

This is news that we are compelled to share if we fully understand what it offers. Paul’s purpose is to give the Romans a deeper understanding of God’s divine anthropology. The more we understand it, the more compelled we will be to share it and to glorify God with our righteous lives.

In Romans 1:16-18, the beginning of Paul’s introduction to his gospel treatise, he describes seven key elements of Divine anthropology: shame; belief; Jew; and Gentile; righteousness, unrighteousness; truth.

To know the full-orbed gospel is to know its power which leads to a shameless resolve. We are saved by belief, and we have examined that this not only includes that efficacious  confirmation of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection which made a way for our reconciliation to God, but an obedient acclamation to God’s truthful word. Saving faith not only accepts the cross as true, but the specific body of truth revealed by God that we live by. The revealing of this true faith, “righteousness,” is revealed from saint to saint as we “live faithfully” (Habakkuk 2:4).

God’s righteousness is revealed through us as we faithfully apply it to our lives and are empowered by it. This salvation is for all who believe whether Jew or Gentile. Paul didn’t want the Romans to be concerned that the church had a Jewish conception (it may have been as long as 14 years before Acts chapter 10 occurs). He wanted them to know that this merely followed God’s established pattern because the Jews were the stewards of His gospel. The Jews were first (John 4:22, Matthew 15:24), but both are saved and blessed equally by the gospel. Paul explains this in-depth as we progress further in his explanation of the gospel.

Therefore, in contrast (v.18), God’s wrath is revealed against all men who do not live by The Truth, which results in “ungodliness” and “unrighteousness.”  There is no partiality in regard to this wrath as well. Because the Jews were God’s chosen people and the vanguards of the gospel does not mean that any of them will get a pass on God’s wrath for unrighteousness:

Romans 2: 9 – There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

And what is the reason for their “unrightousness”? They suppress “the truth.” Paul is only presenting two ways to live here. Two contrasts. But this is key: there is no neutral ground. To not accept the gospel or The Truth, and make a conscience intentional effort to apply and exhibit it with intentionality is SUPPRESSING the truth. In effect, merely living by some golden rule and being an everyday “good” person is suppressing the righteousness of God’s truth. EVERY living person in the world able to make choices are either revealing God’s righteousness or suppressing it. EVERY person is either revealing truth or suppressing it. Revealing the righteousness of God by learning the truth and applying it to our lives is living faithfully, and anything less is the suppression of that righteousness, AND God continually reveals His wrath (stated in the present tense) against those who do not reveal His righteousness. When was the last time you heard that concept in a presentation of the gospel? Here is where the gospel that Moses preached comes together with the apostles. There is either salvation with its accompanied blessings, or cursing now or later, or both:

Deuteronomy 11:26

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

Galatians 6:

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Matthew 5:

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[b] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 7:

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

James 1:

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Matthew 28:

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Furthermore, when Christians believe that God winks at applying the full gospel to our lives (resulting in a suppression of the truth), how much power will our gospel have? Moreover, when we assimilate and integrate the impure milk (1Peter 2:2) into our lives, we not only stunt spiritual growth, but further suppress God’s truth/righteousness. A laxness in applying God’s truth in our lives will ultimately result in a lack of discernment leading to a compounding of lives lived through the human philosophies that fill the void. This is why teachings that lack practical life application and integrate a variety of unbiblical ideas as well are detrimental. This is usually a slow death. The apostle Paul stated in other letters that false doctrine is therefore like “gangrene” which eats away body tissue with little ado. By the time you realize amputation is needed to save the rest of your body—it’s too late to save the limb.

No wonder then that Christ said: “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” This truth reveals the insanity of “take off the shelf what is good and leave the rest on the shelf,” and the supposed obligation to note whatever might have merit in sermons that have no practical application. This is a suppression of truth that invites the revealing of God’s wrath. It is a simple case of reaping and sowing. A road of life and a road of death. Most counselees come to us because their problems are the results of bad sowing due to partial-gospel-living; hearing and doing the sanctifying truth of God’s word is where the blessings are presently and eternally (James 1:25. “In” is a preposition).

Paul makes TRUTH synonymous with gospel. Paul also states that there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who apply God’s specific truth with intentionality, and those who don’t. Now, in regard to introducing the gospel to mankind, Paul wants us to be experts on Divine anthropology. He wants us to know what makes mankind tick. That will be the subject of next week’s message in Romans 1:19-2:11.