Posted on by Andries van Niekerk

Paul’s letter to the Romans: List of available articles

ROMANS 1
God will not override human freedom. God does not compel people in this life because He will not compel people in the life to come. He gives us evidence of “His invisible attributes.” If we reject this evidence, there is nothing else that He can or will do, and He gives us up to our lusts.

ROMANS 2
In the End-Time Judgment, God will judge all people in the same way. It is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, for “the doers of the Law will be justified.” Even people that never heard about Christ, will be saved because they have the “Law written in their hearts.”

ROMANS 3:1-8
These 8 verses discuss the same topic as Romans 9 and 11, namely the causes and consequences of Israel’s rejection of Christ. God elected a remnant from Israel but included believing Gentiles in this chosen remnant.

ISRAEL IN ROMANS 9 TO 11

THE CHOSEN NATION
This is a study of Romans 9 and 11, but the purpose is to determine who Israel in the Book of Revelation is. In Paul’s day, God elected a remnant from Israel but included believing Gentiles in this chosen remnant. God did not annul His word. Israel’s promises and covenants remain but now belong to this chosen remnant.

ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED
This is a summary of the previous rather long article.  While the main article more or less sequentially works through Romans 9 – 11, this article discusses these chapters thematically.  The chosen remnant is a continuation of Israel of the Old Testament; not a new entity with new founding principles.

ELECTION IN ROMANS 9 AND 11
Romans 9 and 11 make many strong election statements, but this is an election to a mission, not to salvation. God did not elect Israel to save that nation alone. God elected Israel as a means through which God could save the nations of the world. Through Israel, God maintained His word on earth and gave the world its Messiah.

ROMANS 14

1-4 CONTROVERSY IN ROME
The dispute over unclean meat in Romans 14 was not a dispute over the Law of Moses. It was probably caused by superstitious converts from idolatry who assumed that eating meat offered to idols gave idols power over them.

MEANING OF UNCLEAN
“Nothing is unclean in itself” (Romans 14:14). The Greek word koinos, translated here as “unclean,” does not refer to the unclean animals of the Old Testament. The dispute was not about Biblical prescripts but about the opinions of people with respect to what food is unsuitable for Christian consumption.

WHY SOME CHRISTIANS DID NOT EAT MEAT
1 Corinthians 8 and 10 are very similar to Romans 14 and explain why the ‘weak’ Christians did not eat meat sacrificed to idols, namely that new converts, based on their experience with idolatry, regarded eating meat as idol worship.

5-6 – IS THE SABBATH OPTIONAL?
Each person must decide for himself whether to regard one day above another (Romans 14:5). This is often interpreted as that the Sabbath is optional. But, in the context of a dispute about food, the “days” in verse 5 probably were days on which some Christians abstained from eating meat. 

7-13 – GOD WILL JUDGE PEOPLE BY THEIR DEEDS
“A man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (e.g. Rom. 3:27), but all people will all be judged by their deeds before the Judgment Seat of God. What is the difference between “deeds” and “the works of the Law?”

13-23 – RATHER ABSTAIN FROM EATING MEAT
If eating meat may cause a weaker brother to stumble, rather abstain.

Other Articles

4 Replies to “Paul’s letter to the Romans: List of available articles”

Your comment is important.

Proudly powered by WordPress