My thoughts on Romans vii

A friend of mine preached on Romans viii.1 recently. His sermon can be found here. He had earlier written a post on his pastor's thoughts on Romans vii. Romans vii has long been an argued over passage; the controversy centers around Paul's use of the first person in the second half of the chapter. There is a wide variety of opinions on it. Here is the passage with a few common interpretations:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.

1. Paul is describing his experience before he was saved. This is a common Arminian/Catholic position. The problem with this is although some degree of moral uncertainty and dilemma may exist in the unregenerate, it is hard to ascribe some of the things he says here to them. Does the nonbeliever "delight in God's law?"

2. Paul is describing his experience after he was enlightened to the reality of his spiritual condition but before he is regenerated. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is the only person as far as I know to espouse this. He does so after careful analysis and a lot of his reasoning is sound. But it doesn't really fit the scope of the apostle's argument, and would be a lengthy bit of Romans devoted to a situation of little practical application.

3. Paul is using a rhetorical device to illustrate the experience of Israel. This is the solution proposed by Moo in the NICNT, a commentary I normally trust. My problem with this is that it doesn't really pass the "huh?" test. As in, what the heck are you talking about and how would anyone ever get that interpretation from the text unless the spent three days myopically studying the Greek to try and come up with a clever explanation? Also, why would Paul do that? Also, why would he do that in such a confusing way?

4. Paul is describing his present experience, and it is normative. This has been the general orthodox/reformed opinion over the years. The best point in its favor is Paul's use of the first person present tense. When you read the first person present tense, the natural way to interpret it is at face value. If I say, "I am experiencing doubt right now," the best way to interpret my statement is that at the present moment, I am experiencing doubt. So, when Paul says, "I am sold as a slave to sin," shouldn't we interpret it as him saying, I am presently sold as a slave to sin? Of course, the problem with the interpretation is that in the previous chapter, Paul had made a big deal about the Christian NOT being a slave to sin any longer. It is difficult for us to read most of his statements in this passage as describing the normative experience of the Christian.

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Lloyd-Jones makes an excellent point in his analysis of Romans vii. Where is the Holy Spirit? Romans viii.1 is clearly a transition into a description of the Spirit-filled Christian life, a life which is marked by a growth into a holiness, one of freedom over sin. Romans vii is conspicuously missing the Holy Spirit. I think it is impossible to argue that Paul is describing his normative experience in Romans vii. This would cause him to contradict himself. Not to mention, it doesn't fit into the scope of his argument, which finds him describing the true value and role of the law.

However, I find the argument of the first person present as a rhetorical device to be unsatisfying. Paul never uses this, nor do we find it anywhere in the Scripture. To use it in this way at this time would only cause confusion in his readers. Not to mention the fact that there is a clear transition point between verses 13 and 14, where Paul moves from using the past tense to using the present tense. Isn't the simplest explanation to say that he is moving from describing his past experience to describing his present experience?

Here is my solution to this dilemma. We should always keep in mind the large scale scope of what the author is doing. Paul is describing the role of the Law for the Christian. He has said that the Christian dies to the power of the Law. So in Chapter vii, Paul shows what the law can and cannot do. First, no man can attain justification by it, it only convicts him and reveals his sinfulness to him. Second, no man can be sanctified by the power of law. No matter how well he knows it or how vigorously he desires to conform to it, he cannot.

To do this, Paul uses his own experience as a self-described "Hebrew of Hebrews," who had formerly considered himself "in regard to legalistic righteousness, perfect." But when the Law came upon him in its true power, his sin was made known to him, and he was "put to death" by it, or his condemnation unto death was revealed to him. This was his past experience.

But what role can the Law play in his sanctification? What is his present experience in trying to use the law to make himself holy? Surely this would have been a struggle and temptation for this former Pharisee. So he describes his experience. No matter how earnestly he desires it, whenever he relies on the law and his effort to make himself holy, he fails. Some other power is needed.

Thus, the power of the Holy Spirit and its role in sanctification, which is described at length in Chapter 8.

NavNight Talk-- On the Beatitudes

Text: Matthew v.1-10

Define two phrases:

"Blessed"--In general, to be blessed is to be in a happy and good condition because of some circumstance over which one had no control. A man with a good job and a happy marriage is called blessed. When Jesus uses the word, the good condition he has in mind is deeper than a mere worldly happiness. To be blessed by God is to be blessed to the highest degree. We have eternal blessedness in mind here.

"kingdom of heaven"--A phrase used throughout Matthew to signify the church, or the people of God. It is an eschatalogical phrase which has the end in mind--the full flowering of the kingdom of heaven occurs only at the end of all things, but we possess it now by faith through Christ. It is to belong to him, to be a part of his body, to be a part of his people.

Finally, note that these describe correlation, not strict cause and effect. For example, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." To be shown mercy and to be merciful are correlated, but a strict cause and effect relationship is not implied; it is not because one is merciful that one is shown mercy.

1) Poor in Spirit

This is a poverty, or dangerous lack, with regard to spiritual things. A man poor in spirit has a deep spiritual need, as a man poor in money has a deep economic need. This spiritual poverty is the effect of sin. Sin deprives us of spiritual well-being and leaves us lacking.

Why is such a man blessed? Imagine two men with the identical deadly disease. Both men will shortly perish from this disease, unless it is identified and treated. In one man, there are no symptoms, but in the other, he suffers from constant aches, fevers, and terrible pains. This man, though he suffers and is poor in health, is blessed. The metaphor should be clear.

This is about self-assessment. To know your spiritual poverty is good.

2) Mourn

We mourn because of loss. Sin has brought into the world a three-part emnity (man vs creation, man vs man, man vs God) which has caused great devastation and loss. The present is filled with pain and the future is far worse. To see this truly is to mourn. One can be ignorant of these truths, and consider himself happy in this dying world.

Therefore, the man who sees his sin and its effects mourns. Because he mourns, he is blessed. His self-assessment continues in truth.

3) Meek

To be meek is to be modest, to submit to one's station in life, to not aspire beyond what is proper because of one's true condition. Meekness is illustrated in the story of the Pharisee and the taxpayer praying in the temple. The Pharisees proud prayer claims favor from God because of his holiness and exalted position in life. The taxpayer falls on his knees before God and begs for mercy. Which do you think receives favor from God?

Our meekness is where a true self-assessment brings us. We cannot ask anything of God.

4) Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Righteousness is the state and condition of being right or just before God. To have righteousness is to be restored to relationship with God, to be able to stand before him again as we once did in the garden. What makes him hungry for righteousness? His lack. We hunger for food because we lack food.

This touches on the desires caused by our self-assessment. Though meek, we eagerly hunger to be set right with God, to be restored to him.

Conclusion from 1-4:

Christ is describing the process by which we receive the Good News.

1-2 --Our condition through sin. We are poor in spirit and mourn at the things lost.
3-4 --Our posture before God. Our poverty of spirit makes us meek and our mourning causes us to hunger for restoration to him.

All this is summed up by the story in Mark 1 of the man with leprosy. It says that he comes to Jesus, kneels before him and says: "Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean." His leprosy reveals to him the terrible physical condition he is in, and he mourns at the wholeness and happiness in life that has been robbed of him by his disease. So he comes and kneels before Jesus, in meekness and humility. Yet he hungers to be restored; this is his hope and his request.

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5) the merciful

To be merciful is to overlook an offense. Mercy in men is always a result or an effect of ourselves having received mercy. Thus John, "we loved because he first loved us." Jesus emphasizes this in the story of the ungrateful servant.

A clear transition point comes once the man hungry and thirsty for righteousness is filled. Now we are dealing with effects of being filled. The first is a universal love for men expressed as mercy, overlooking all offenses and wrongs.

6) Pure in Heart

The heart in the Bible is the seat of the desires and emotions. It is stained and defiled by sin, setting its desires and emotions fatally awry. The reason a man can do no good thing is that the seat of all acting, the center of our desires, is unclean. Jesus says that a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Again, we have an effect of the gospel, the promised "new heart" which was promised to us in Ezekiel. The heart is pure, so the desires are purified. From this new heart flows the "good fruit" of righteous acting.

7) Peacemakers

To make peace is to remove the cause of emnity. It is to reconcile man with man or man with God. Christ has no temporary and worldly peace in mind here, but rather the true and lasting peace that comes when a man is reconciled to God through the gospel, and through that reconciliation, to all men. To participate in this reconciliation is to act as his hand, his feet in the world. It is to be a son of God.

8) Persecuted because of righteousness

The source of persecution is our righteousness; our claim of reconciliation with God and the righteous acts that flow from it. This the world hates and opposes.

Summary of the 5-8:

Christ is describing the effect of the Good News

5-6 --Our condition through the gospel
7-8 --Our posture to the world. Because we are merciful, we desire to make peace between God and man. Because we are pure in heart, we will be persecuted.

These four things (mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, persecution) have marked the church in every age.

Conclusions:

1. Christ is very concerned about the humility of his followers. There humble self-assessment alone can bring them to the gospel.

2. Christ is very concerned about the transformation caused by the gospel.

3. What is missing from his teaching here? The center of it, the transition from 4 to 5. In the middle comes the gospel, the death and resurrection of Christ. In his death our poverty of spirit is solved through the forgiveness of sin, and in his resurrection we have new life.

Calvin, on the three parts of Christian Liberty

What is the nature of the freedom we have in Christ? Calvin distinguishes three parts (my paraphrase):

1. The consciences of believers must rise above the law, and think no more of obtaining justification by it.

2. Being freed from the yoke of the Law, the conscience freely and voluntarily obeys the will of God.

3. Finally, we are not bound by any indifferent (morally neutral) external thing, but are at liberty to either use them or omit them.

Why I Am Generally Not Excited About 24 Hour Prayer Movements

Disclaimers:

1. Prayer is good. Always.

2. I am always excited when people are excited about gospel prayer, whatever the context.

3. I don't want to douse the flame of anyone's zeal, but merely give insight into the best direction for it.

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Anyone who works in campus ministry is probably familiar with 24 hour prayer movements. The current movement started in 1999 in England and has spread to many different locations. At University of Arizona and Arizona State University there were forty day 24-7 prayer movements during the time I was in school. I have heard of them coming to many different schools. I love the heart for prayer and the desire to cry out to God that is evinced in the zealous people behind these movements. Usually they are trying to spur larger movements of the Spirit in the places they are moving.

So...why am I generally not excited about them?

1. Prayer is treated as an extraordinary act rather than an ordinary act.

Prayer is a discipline, a habit, a part of a well-ordered life. Prayer should fit into the ordinary pathways of life. Prayer should be developed so that it can be continued in long-term. 24-7 prayer localizes prayer in a particular place, at a particular time. Prayer becomes part of an extraordinary movement.

2. Prayer is treated as an act that can be programmed rather than a gift of the Holy Spirit that must be created in us by his power.

If we pray, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit. A prayer movement must be done by faith, not by filling slots.

3. Prayer becomes a gimmick, or its true purpose is missed.

Is God pleased with our prayers because we have managed to put a person at a place praying 24-7? What is the nature of prayer? Where do we see in Scripture that God is more pleased by having constant prayer in a place? The fact of 24-7 prayer (of dubious or non-existent in itself) overwhelms prayer, so that man's work becomes central.

4. Training in perseverance and faith in prayer is missed.

When we are leading others into prayer, we want to train them in such a way that fifty years from now they are still committed to prayer. How does teaching them to participate in 24-7 prayer movements help in this? How does teaching them to start 24-7 prayer movements help in this?

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Prayer must be spontaneous, God-centered, according to his Word, sustainable over a lifetime, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

A better way to start a prayer movement:

Pray yourself. Invite another person to pray with you. Teach him how to pray. Pray earnestly that God would give him a love for prayer and heart to continue in it. Train him to help another person develop a heart for prayer. Repeat.

It is not very glamorous. It is also much harder. But God powers it, not man. God is at the center of it, not man. God receives the glory for it, not man.