Romans: Love One Another

Love one another

Text: Romans 13:8-14

Structure:

A. 13:8-10, don’t commit adultery 

  B. 13:11a, it is the hour

    C. 13:11b, our salvation is nearer than we first believed

  B’. 13:12-13a, the day is at hand; description of the day

A’. 13:13b-14, no orgies and drunkenness

Commentary:

St. Paul begins with an exhortation to love one another. He leaves no room for modern misgivings of psychoanalysis. Even Eric Berne’s ideas of transactional analysis are brought to an ultimate paradigm: regardless of a role one plays (parent, adult, or child), love is the approach a Christian wants to use in any circumstances. He supports his point by referring to the foundation core of Torah: even the Second tablet of 10 Commandments is based on love (Leviticus 19:18). IN our current culture, though, “love” is a difficult term to interpret – not every sexual or emotional desire IS love. Every time we see love we need to think about God’s expression of love on the Cross paying for the SINS of the world. Also, love should not become a tool/means to “climb a stairway to heaven.” We don’t earn God’s grace by loving our neighbor, we love our neighbor because we were loves by God, forgiven, and given grace.    

Jesus uses “the hour” metaphor in the Gospel of John (John 2:4; 4:21,23; 5:25,28 etc.). It is this decisive moment! Then beginning with chapter 12 He says that the hour has come (12:23,27,13:1 etc.) – for the history of the world came to the Passion Week. Using same paradigm the apostle applies “the hour” as a reference point in one’s life when it is time to “awake from sleep.” (13:11). He speaks in a similar term in his Letter to Ephesians (5:14). One of the possible reasons is the fact that God has a limit on His patience – at some point He leave sinners to their own sins (see, Romans 1:18-32, note how St. Paul uses “God gave them up” twice, v. 24 and 26).      

The central point for this block is the statement that Salvation is nearer. It can be understood in three ways (not self-exclusive). (1) It is nearer (easier to access) for the Gentiles; (2) it is at closest proximity and is available because Messiah has come; (3) regardless of the fact that the date for the return Christ is unknown, we are closer to it. First, prior to the Nativity Gentiles could be in relationship with God on two levels: fully convert and become Jewish (losing their Gentile identity) or being a God-fearer but this meant inability to participate at the Passover Table (which was foundational for the liturgical life under the Old Testament regulations). Now, as Paul argued above (chapter 4 – discussion of righteousness by faith exemplified in Abraham), faith gives an access to God for everyone: both Jew and Gentile alike.

Second, before Jesus came into this world, the people of God had to wait for the fulfillment of the promises. Since Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies and promises of OT Scripture, those who live after the first Christmas, can have an instant complete forgiveness and reconciliation with God (2 Cor. 5:19).

Third, even though there many arguments about the Second Coming of Christ and some groups want to base their theology of their precise prediction, we understand and confess that it will happen (sooner or later). Therefore, historically, we are closer/nearer to this moment day after day.           

Day vs. night – two aspects: moral and typological. On one hand, he brings moral examples of “night-type” behavior (see a parallel in Colossians 3:5-9). It’s an important to learn this “visual” for our conduct. On the other hand, we can read it typological: before the SUN of righteousness came into the world, it was “night” time of God’s creation (Malachi 4:1-2). At the initial creation God sets the model: there was evening, there was morning (see Genesis 1:5 etc.). Therefore, life under the institutions of the Old Covenant was a nightshift. A parade example of this we can see in John 3, visit of Nicodemus. Now, with Jesus we have the Day, or [at least] a Dawn, with the Day reaching the full strength at His Second Coming.   

1 Thessalonians

 First Letter of St. Paul to Thessalonians  

Title: The congregation is founded by St. Paul, as Luke describes it in Acts 17:1-9. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear the fatherly tone of his affection toward them (2:7-8, 11-12).             

Date of writing: There are two possible dates for the letter. First, it is written in 51 AD while St. Paul was in Athens (cp. 2:2 and Acts 16:16-40; 3:2-6 and Acts 17). Second, taking 2:14-16 into an account it is possible that the apostle wrote his epistle later, around the time of Jewish revolt of 66-70 AD (St. Paul was released of his changes from Rome by that time).       

Structure:

a. 1:1, Greeting.

  b. 1:2-10, our example to you to imitate

    c. 2, Pauls’ ministry to Thessalonians

      d. 3:1-5, we sent Timothy

      d’. 3:6-13, Timothy’s report

    c’. 4, Their life pleasing to God

  b’. 5:1-27, how to imitate

a’. 5:28 final greeting

Main themes:

Purity and holiness of life of God’s people (2:10 and 4:3-5)

Day of the LORD (4:13 – 5:11). It might be helpful to read this section together with 1 Corinthians 15.

Daily godly habits – work, prayer, giving thanks in all circumstances.    

Main Characters: Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy.          

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

St. Paul sets aside the power of the Word in comparison to the words of flattery. In a similar way he elevated the status of the Word vs. the wisdom of this world in his letter to Corinth (1 Cor. 1:18-25).

The ideas of purity and holiness are based on the Levitical instructions (Lev. 11 – 15 and 17 – 22).

If we believe that 1 Thes. is an early letter than it is worth noting that St. Paul gives more thought and devotion to the idea of the armor of God for a believer in the Letter to Ephesians 6:10-17.    

Respect for the leaders of the church (5:12-13a) is addressed in Heb. 13:17 and pastoral letters of St. Paul (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus).

Lutheran teaching:

Dr. Melanchthon uses 4:4 – control of one’s body in holiness and honor – as an illustration for the sanctity of marriage. Ap. XXIII (XI) 43, 65. 

5:17 is a valuable passage on prayer, LC II:19; III:24, 47; FC SD II:16. As a connection with God, as a thankfulness and praise, as a something we can exercise as a gift of relations with Him.

4:13-18 is used in the rite of Comforting the bereaved (Pastoral Care Companion, CPH [2007], 102)

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 801 – How great Thou art (v. 4 when Christ shall come, 4:16-17)

LSB 763 – When peace like river (v. 4, the Lord shall descend, 4:16)

Relevancy of the Book:   

The Epistle is a great reminder of the wholeness of our lives in Christ. The apostle shares the we are born into life through the work of His faithful ministers who “father” us to maturity. Therefore, we need to give them proper honor and support. Then, while we exercise our daily living, we need to maintain the godly standards of purity and holiness – for the sake of the communion of saints and for the positive witness to the outsiders. And, as we are loosing our brothers and sisters to eternal glory, we have a comforting promise from God – our resurrection in Christ. We know that we will be gathered by the throne of God with all the saints who preceded us for He is the Father of all.         

Memory verses:

4:14, for since we believe the Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.