I begin with a theological reflection. God is able to strengthen them, a verb Paul uses in the context of suffering and persecution. In I Thessalonians 3:2-4, 13, Paul hopes his co-worker Timothy will strengthen them amid their persecution. II Thessalonians 2:17 asks the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father to strengthen them, while in 3:3 the Lord will strengthen them against the evil one. In Romans 1:11, Paul hopes to impart a spiritual gift that will strengthen them. Romans recognizes suffering and hardship in 8:35-36, the suffering of the present time in 8:18, and creation suffers in 8:22. In 12:12, Paul encourages patience in suffering and in 12:14, he encourages his readers to bless those who persecute them. The Roman congregation, we can assume, experienced its hardships. Paul has a desire to strengthen them at the beginning of the letter with his spiritual gift and now he offers a doxology in which he stresses that God is able, God has the power, to strengthen them. In 1:16-17, the gospel demonstrates the power of God to rescue humanity. In 1:20, the power of God is eternal. In 1:4, he refers to the power of resurrection. Therefore, God is able, yes, but also, God has the power to strengthen them in their doctrine and practice, as Paul has described it in this letter. He puts into the doxology a reminder of the ultimate triumph of the power of God. All this is in accord with the gospel as he has explained in this letter and as the common faith of the early church. He identifies this gospel with the proclamation of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, underscoring the moment in which the believers in Rome live. Preaching is revelation of a mystery, a common word in Jewish apocalyptic that relates to the unveiling and disclosure of things formerly hidden, which in this case is the Christ event. If one receives this gospel, it changes the way one perceives the world. In 1:2-6 Paul speaks about how the prophets promised beforehand what Paul preaches in the gospel, and in 1:17, he declares that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God. Paul as an apostle whom God has called and set apart is to proclaim this very gospel (1:1, 15). God was silent about this mystery and is active in its disclosure or unveiling. Yet, this disclosure is consistent with the prophet writings, but in particular, those writings that focus on the eschatological promise that the nations will worship the God of Israel and the God of the Jewish people. Throughout the letter, Paul has emphasized “to the Jew first and then to the Greek.” In 11:26, he declares that God will save “all Israel.” If we translate as “to all the nations,” we would avoid any ambiguity in what Paul suggests here.[1] Such a translation is consistent with the point he makes in Chapters 9-11. Theologically, what we have read is highly nuanced. It suggests that the preaching of Christ discloses in it the mystery of the divine plan of salvation that God had hidden through the ages, but God now shows the plan through Jesus Christ. It connects this preaching to the prior intimation of this salvation by the prophets of the Old Testament. It relates the revelation that has taken place in Jesus Christ in a remarkable way to the prophetic writings, saying that even these writings made known the event of revelation to the nations. Yet, they also differ from the revelation that took place in Jesus Christ. However, from the prophetic promises, we know that in Jesus Christ the revelation of the divine plan has taken place. Jesus Christ as proclaimed by the kerygma is the crux of revelation, but his work is the revelation of the divine plan of salvation only in its reference back to the prophetic intimations in which its secret meaning finds disclosure. In this way, the primitive Christian use of Christological statements and titles reduces to a succinct but complex formula. The aim of the hidden will of God, the mystery of the divine plan of salvation, is that through perishability and death the creatures of God will find salvation. This passage is the basis for the early belief that the Father revealed the Son as mediated by the Spirit. The content of the revelation is the mystery of the divine saving decree.[2] To stress the point, the revelation occurred at the command of the eternal God to bring about the obedience of faith, concluding with an ascription of praise to the only wise God, but through Jesus Christ, to whom God wants us to ascribe glory forever. This statement compares with the praise in 11:33-36. The doxology seems like a solemn presentation of the main points of the letter. The gospel Paul proclaims is the revelation of the mystery. It derives from grace and divine initiative. Further, the revelation contained in the gospel is consistent with Jewish prophecy. Finally, the combination of faith and obedience reminds us that we need both to avoid legalism or simple lip service. God is the initiator of the gospel. Paul clearly believes he and his readers are fortunate to live in this “now” of revelation. Among the questions that the church needs to ponder is whether we believe this “now” of revelation is still as significant as Paul said. Do clergy still believe it? Do lay leaders still believe it? Here is the way Karl Barth put it:
On Sunday morning when the bells ring to call the congregation and minister to worship, there is in the air an expectancy that something great, crucial and momentous is to happen ... "God is present!" God is present. The whole situation witnesses, cries, simply shouts of it, even when in minister or people there arises questioning, wretchedness or despair ... And [the people] want to find out and thoroughly understand the answer to this one question, Is it true?[3]
I now offer an exegetical and homiletical reflection.
Most manuscripts place the doxology here. One group of texts lacks the doxology while others contain it after 14:23, after 15:33, after 16:23, or after 16:24. In some manuscripts, it appears twice, after 14:23, 15:33, or 16:23. Such differences lead some scholars to conclude that early Christians after Paul provided the doxology.[4] Only II Peter also ends in a doxology. Thus, these verses may have found use in worship.[5] This passage consists of one sentence without an active verb. Scholars have noted the difficulty of analyzing it "because of its loose structure and lack of logical development."[6]
Paul offers his doxology 25 Now to God who is able (δυναμένῳ) to strengthen (στηρίξαι) you. Paul uses this verb in a context of suffering and persecution. In I Thessalonians 3:2-4, 13, Paul hopes his co-worker Timothy will strengthen them amid their persecution. II Thessalonians 2:17 asks the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father to strengthen them, while in 3:3 the Lord will strengthen them against the evil one. In Romans 1:11, Paul hopes to impart a spiritual gift that will strengthen them. Romans recognizes suffering and hardship in 8:35-36, the suffering of the present time in 8:18, and creation suffers in 8:22. In 12:12, Paul encourages patience in suffering and in 12:14, he encourages his readers to bless those who persecute them. The Roman congregation, we can assume, experienced its hardships. Paul has a desire to strengthen them at the beginning of the letter with his spiritual gift and now he offers a doxology in which he stresses that God is able, God has the power, to strengthen them. In 1:16-17, the gospel demonstrates the power of God to rescue humanity. In 1:20, the power of God is eternal. In 1:4, he refers to the power of resurrection. Therefore, God is able, yes, but also, God has the power to strengthen them in their doctrine and practice, as Paul has described it in this letter. He puts into the doxology a reminder of the ultimate triumph of the power of God. He says all of this is according to my gospel, which seeks to explain the common faith of the early church. Paul has chosen a life of preaching. The gospel Paul preaches gains specific content. He identifies this gospel with the proclamation (κήρυγμα) of Jesus Christ according to the revelation (ἀποκάλυψιν) of the mystery (μυστηρίου). This statement underscores the moment in which the Roman believers live. Preaching is revelation of a mystery.
Many of us like mystery novels. The writer has an unstated covenant with the reader that enough evidence along the way gives the reader the opportunity to figure out in advance the end. Such a use of mystery is more like that of a puzzle that we might solve. A genuine mystery suggests that our intellect may not be equal to the task. A mystery says something about our inadequacy to solve it. They are unsolvable because they beyond the capacity of our intellect.[7] The word “mystery” is common in Jewish apocalyptic. It relates to the unveiling and disclosure of things formerly hidden. It also encompasses the revelatory nature of the Christ event. If one receives the gospel, one changes the way one perceives the world, for Christ is the divider between the old and new age.[8] In 1:2-6 Paul speaks about how the prophets promised beforehand what Paul preaches in the gospel, and in 1:17, he declares that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God. Paul as an apostle whom God has called and set apart is to proclaim this very gospel (1:1, 15). He acknowledges that God had kept secret (σεσιγημένου, perfect passive participle suggests a divine passive and divine prerogative in the intentional silence) this revelation secret for long ages. The doxology reminds us of the sovereignty of God over keeping the mystery secret and over its ultimate disclosure. 26But now disclosed (φανερωθέντος), a word which occurred in 1:19 and 3:21 and corresponds to the language of “reveal” in 1:18. God is the source of this unveiling. Paul sees a clear purpose in human history that only in the last days has God revealed. Yet, this revelation is consistent with what God had revealed through the prophetic writings. The gospel is continuous with the writings of the Old Testament in its proclamation that now makes known to all the Gentiles (ἔθνη) the revelation of God. Throughout the letter, Paul has emphasized “to the Jew first and then to the Greek.” In 11:26, he declares that God will save “all Israel.” If we translate as “to all the nations,” we would avoid any ambiguity in what Paul suggests here.[9] Such a translation is consistent with the point he makes in Chapters 9-11. Theologically, what we have read is highly nuanced. It suggests that the preaching of Christ discloses in it the mystery of the divine plan of salvation that God had hidden through the ages, but God now shows the plan through Jesus Christ. It connects this preaching to the prior intimation of this salvation by the prophets of the Old Testament. It relates the revelation that has taken place in Jesus Christ in a remarkable way to the prophetic writings, saying that even these writings made known the event of revelation to the nations. Yet, they also differ from the revelation that took place in Jesus Christ. However, from the prophetic promises, we know that in Jesus Christ the revelation of the divine plan has taken place. Jesus Christ as proclaimed by the kerygma is the crux of revelation, but his work is the revelation of the divine plan of salvation only in its reference back to the prophetic intimations in which its secret meaning finds disclosure. In this way, the primitive Christian use of Christological statements and titles reduces to a succinct but complex formula. The aim of the hidden will of God, the mystery of the divine plan of salvation, is that through perishability and death the creatures of God will find salvation. This passage is the basis for the early belief that the Father revealed the Son as mediated by the Spirit. The content of the revelation is the mystery of the divine saving decree.[10] Thus, this revelation occurs according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith – 27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom (God) he wants to ascribe glory forever! Amen. We can compare this praise with 11:33-36, where he praises divine wisdom and knowledge. The power of God is worthy of praise. God chooses when and how to disclose or reveal, which brings all things under the umbrella of divine mercy.
The doxology seems like a solemn presentation of the main points of the letter. The gospel Paul proclaims is the revelation of the mystery. It derives from grace and divine initiative. Further, the revelation contained in the gospel is consistent with Jewish prophecy. Finally, the combination of faith and obedience reminds us that we need both to avoid legalism or simple lip service. God is the initiator of the gospel. Paul clearly believes he and his readers are fortunate to live in this “now” of revelation.
Among the questions that the church needs to ponder is whether we believe this “now” of revelation is still as significant as Paul said. Do clergy still believe it? Do lay leaders still believe it? Here is the way Karl Barth put it:
[1] Such a translations avoids any hint of supersessionism (Robert Jewett, Romans, Hermeneia Commentary Series [Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007], 997-1011)
[2] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, Volume I, 211-213, 222, 251.
[3] --Karl Barth, The Word of God and the Word of Man (Peter Smith, 1958), 104-08.
[4] [Robert Jewett, Romans, Hermeneia Commentary Series [Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007], 8, 998].
[5] (Leander Keck, Harper Collins Study Bible, Revised Edition [New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006], 1931).
[6] (Robert Jewett, Romans, Hermeneia Commentary Series [Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007], 997.
[7] --Rabbi David J. Wolpe, Why Faith Matters (HarperOne, 2008), 11.
[8] (For more on this apocalyptic theological perspective see J. Louis Martyn, Theological Issues in the Letters of Paul [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997])
[9] Such a translations avoids any hint of supersessionism (Robert Jewett, Romans, Hermeneia Commentary Series [Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007], 997-1011)
[10] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, Volume I, 211-213, 222, 251.
[11] --Karl Barth, The Word of God and the Word of Man (Peter Smith, 1958), 104-08.
Good question. We need to daily renew the thought that God is present. Repetition causes us to loose sight of this. Worship services should renew His presence in our lives.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Truth is a rather persistent quest. it keeps impinging upon our minds and passions. It is part of the way we reflect the image of God.
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