Faith

Be excellent in what is good – Saturday, 31st week in ordinary time – Romans 16:3-9,16,22-27

With today’s text we bring to end our month-long study of St Paul’s letter to the Romans and the text of today sounds more like a pastors never ending thank you speech after a long Easter or Christmas mass. It has more than 28 names mentioned in the list not counting households and workers. On a personal note, I dread thank you speeches lest someone is left out.

In order to understand this passage today it would be helpful if one read the entire text of Romans 16. It contains a commendation, an extensive greeting list, two benedictions, final instructions and a doxology. From a scholarly point of view, and keeping scripture study in mind, this text has so many textual variations making these verses highly suspect, causing one to question whether they were part of the version that came from the hand of Tertius, Paul’s amanuensis (Romans 16:22). An amanuensis is a literary or artistic assistant, in particular, one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.

There is much that one can say about chapter 16. Here is a grateful apostle to the Gentile who has not forgotten those whom cared and assisted him in his ministry. Here is a devoted servant of Christ who would not stop admonishing and warning “the hearts of the simple minded” (verse 18) of the dangers of “smooth talkers” who with flattery deceive hearts. Here is an ardent and faithful proclaimer of ‘his gospel’ (verse 25) who could not stop giving praise to God.

There are some curious lines and some consoling words in this closing chapter. At the end of the letter Paul speaks of “his gospel” (verse 25). There were many gospels abounding in first century churches. Paul warns about them in almost all of his letters. Of course, not all of them served the proclamation of Jesus Christ. Many of them lead people into error. Paul’s gospel however stands in the tradition of the prophetic writings. It is rooted in the promise found in the Old Testament and which is meant not only for the Jewish people but for all Gentiles, for all the nations. After having preached that Gospel in letter form rather than in person, Paul reasserts his position and authority of “my gospel.”

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Faith

Feast of St Simon and Jude

Today the Church celebrates the feast of saints Simon and Jude whose names occur together in the Canon of the Mass and are also celebrated on the same day. Possibly this is because they both preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia where it is said they had both been sent. According to ancient tradition, they were martyred together; St. Simon was sawed in half and St. Jude was beheaded with an axe. However, in in actual fact we know nothing for certain about them beyond what is told us of their being called as Apostles in the New Testament.

Saint Simon (not to be confused with St. Simon Peter) is represented in art with a saw, the instrument of his martyrdom. He is mentioned on all four lists of the apostles and on two of these lists he is called “the Zealot.” According to the Jewish historian Josephus, four main Jewish groups existed at the time of Christ – the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes and the Zealots. The Zealots were known for their aggression and violent behaviour. They were a Jewish sect that represented an extreme of Jewish nationalism They advocated that no one, but Yahweh alone should rule over Israel and hence, obedience to the Roman government should be refused. In their great zeal for honouring God and maintaining purity of religion they would assassinate nobles, filling the temple with bloodshed and profanities. For them, the messianic promise of the Old Testament meant that the Jews were to be a free and independent nation. God alone was their king, and any payment of taxes to the Romans, the very domination of the Romans, was a blasphemy against God. They were chiefly responsible for the rebellion against Rome which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. After meeting Christ and converting, St. Simon became zealous for Christ, in a good way. After Pentecost he went out and preached in Egypt.

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A case of preferential option – Saturday, 30th week in ordinary time – Romans 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29

A cursory reading of Romans might lead one to think that chapters 9-11 are a tangent or insertion unrelated to the rest of the letter. A more careful reading, however, leads to a different conclusion. Chapter 11 is both an indictment of ‘some part of Israel’ (verse 25) as well as hope for their redemption.

Although the gospel of salvation is “to the Jew first,” it becomes apparent that a majority in Paul’s day rejected their Messiah and has not believed. While a substantial remnant embraces the gospel of Jesus Christ, some of Paul’s audience, like the Israelites, might wonder how firm is the foundation upon which they now stand because of their rejection of the Messiah.

Paul’s explanation of the gospel through the first half of the letter culminated in chapter 8 with the assurance of God’s irrevocable promises to his people: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (verse 28). Also at the beginning of the letter, Paul states that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (1:16) Now the question is, does Paul include Israel among those who are “called”? Does Israel receive this assurance? Or, is God in the business of revoking promises because Israel was unfaithful?

This fear of being rejected by God was fuelled by the Gentiles who found reason to boast, thinking that they have replaced Israel in God’s plan (verse 13-23). Addressing the Gentiles (verse 13) he tells his Gentile audience not to boast over Jews who have been cut off from the metaphorical olive tree because of unbelief, because they too may find themselves in the same position (verses 13-24). No one has a ground for boasting, because all stand before God on the basis of grace.

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From conception to eternity – Wednesday, 30th week in ordinary time – Romans 8:26-30

For many, the role of the Holy spirit in their lives can well be described as an artefact in the museum and Paul will contest this attitude vociferously. Paul says that it is the Spirit that helped us to cry, “Abba, Father,” (Romans 8:16). “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness,” (Romans 8:26).So also the Spirit helps us pray as we ought. This reading includes some of the most familiar and comforting words we have from the apostle Paul. (verse 26 and 28) Nearly every sentence is a new way of stating the promise that God has not abandoned “us,” and is in fact working across the past, present, and future–on our behalf.

For starters Paul states clearly that the Spirit steps in to help us to pray because we do not know how to pray AS WE OUGHT. We ought to know how to pray and yet we don’t. That seems ironic for a Christian. In some way, Paul is asking the question: “Do we know how to pray and what to pray for when we are on the crossroads of life?” The problem is not that we know what we need and merely lack the right words for requesting it. The problem is that, we “do not know what to want,” let alone how to ask for it and therefore we rely on the Holy Spirit. Whether we teach people how to pray or not, Romans 8:26-27 is a call to believe in the intercession of the Holy Spirit

We are told that the Spirit intercedes; the Greek word used for intercedes is ‘hyperentynchanei ‘ which means intercedes over and above. In this is manifested the love of God the Holy Spirit for us. The Christian who prays is aware that the spirit manifests its presence to him or her – that is why when we pray we are often left dumbfounded by the words that flow from our lips. We know that what we prayed in words was moved by the spirit. The reality is that human beings run out of words, especially in moments of sickness, death, hunger, poverty, and whenever life confronts us with pain.

This help from the Spirit may include praying with the spiritual gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:2, 14-15), but it is certainly not limited to praying in an unknown tongue. the purpose of the gift of tongues is to enable us to communicate with God in a manner that is not limited to our own knowledge or ability to articulate our heart before God. The purpose of tongues is not to prove that we are “filled with the Spirit” or to prove that we are especially spiritual.

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God’s adoption agency – Monday 30th week in ordinary time – Romans 8:12-17

Today’s text begins with the words “so then,” It almost seems the passage of today begins in the middle of an extended argument which it does! These opening words therefore suggest that what follows is a conclusion or outcome to whatever has been laid out prior to our hearing.

So far, what Paul has described is a fundamental dilemma facing humankind. The power of sin, dwelling within us, prevents us from doing what is good and right despite our best intentions (7:14-25). We feel powerless against the clutches of sin. Often, people do not even realize how thoroughly trapped they are in the grip of such forces. Hence we must rely on the Spirit rather than the flesh. Therefore, Paul begins Romans 8:12-13 by making a contrast between two ways of living, which consequently have two outcomes. To live according to the flesh ends in death, while living by the power of the Spirit leads to life. Paul doesn’t give a list of ten tips for righteous living, but rather calls believers to continually let themselves be led by the Spirit who dwells in them (verses 9, 13-14).

Paul is not talking about flesh that adheres to one’s bones. He uses the term “flesh” (sarx in Greek) as a metaphor for the human tendency to seek and to possess that which is transient, pursuing self-interests at the expense of others, and ignoring the presence of God. Paul constantly reminds us that living after the flesh ends in death. The flesh gave us nothing good. So we have no obligation to oblige or pamper it. Our debt is to the Lord, not to the flesh. We need the reminder because we are often deceived into thinking that the flesh offers us life.

Paul reminds and affirms us that the Christian is a child of God by adoption having been claimed by the Spirit of God. “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption” (Romans 8:15). Adoption into God’s family is the work of the Spirit: it is the Spirit that leads us (8:14) that bears witness with us when we cry, “Abba! Father!” (8:15-16), that dwells within us (8:11). No one can acquire this status through observance of the law or any merit of their own. It is the Spirit who enables us to cry out in intimacy to God as “Abba! Father!” (verse 15), using the same expression that Jesus used when he cried out to God before facing his crucifixion (Mark 14:36). We don’t have to wonder if we are really Christians or not; God’s children know who they are because they receive the spirit of adoption. Under Roman adoption, the life and standing of the adopted child changed completely. The adopted child lost all rights in his old family and gained all new rights in his new family and the same is with the Christian.

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