This past spring, I had the chance to visit Israel. To say it was a transformative trip would be an understatement. One of my most significant learnings from the trip was the importance of considering the context of scripture; it helps us all build understanding and appreciation for the text.
We know from the Book of Acts (Acts 18) that the Church in Rome was one of the early communities of faith. By the time Paul penned the letter now known as the Book of Romans, a lot had happened since its inception.
The Church in Rome began as an integrated church—meaning that at its inception, the church congregation was composed of Jews and Gentiles alike, all under the name of Christ. However, the Roman government began to believe the Jews were causing political unrest in Rome, so approximately twenty years after Jesus’ death, Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome. It was not until five years later that the Jewish people were allowed back, and you can imagine that the church looked a little different upon their return. Simply put, it was very non-Jewish. The reintegration process was not going smoothly; members were divided about how to follow Jesus, which foods were allowed to be consumed, if circumcision was necessary, etc. You name it, they were arguing about it.
The Apostle Paul had his hands full. He wanted the Church in Rome to succeed, but above all, he desired unity for the church. In the Book of Romans, Paul was writing to a church divided over political, religious, and deeply personal issues. Sound familiar?
To begin Chapter 3, Paul reminds us that no one person is more righteous than any other because no man or woman is righteous before God. Every single one of us needs a savior. We cannot do it on our own. The Law cannot save the Jews, and faith in Christ does not exclude the Gentiles.
When the reader begins to feel downtrodden, Paul changes his tone, and Romans 3:21-30 begins the heralding of the Good News of the Gospel: through Jesus, we all are justified and made righteous in the eyes of God. The best news of all is that this news is for everyone! It’s not something we earned, something we did or did not do; it is only because of Jesus.
This week, we will spend time in the whole of Chapter 3 of the Book of Romans. There is much to learn and much to consider. I’m glad you are here.