“I am under obligation both to Greek and to Barbarian” Romans 1:14
When we hear the word “barbarian” we immediately think of someone who is crude, rude and probably violent. When the ancients used the word barbarian it did not immediately have that connotation.
It is true that by the time of the fall of the Roman Empire there was extreme violence by the barbarian hordes, however, this was not the violence of terrorist mobs- rather it was outright invasion by neighboring states that were sick and tired of Roman expansion and were set on ending it.

The word “barbarian” comes from the Greek word “barbarous”. Barbarous is what we call an onomatopoeia- a word that sounds like what it means. Another onomatopoeia would be the word “buzz”- it sounds like what it means. Essentially the word means “to babel”. Thus the concept behind barbarous is someone who speaks a language I can’t understand.
This is evident by Paul’s use of the word in I Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 14:11 Paul says: “but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner (barbarous) to the speaker and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.”

The entire Roman Empire was united by its use of the Koine (common) Greek language as the trade language of the empire. Every people group maintained its ethnic dialects for interaction in everyday life. However, everyone learned Greek from childhood.
From the gospels, it is clear that Jesus, and most of his contemporaries, were fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. This was common practice all over the empire.

Paul’s statement in Romans 1:14 implies that it is right and proper for Christians to translate Scripture into various languages so that each people group can read Scripture for themselves. It also implies that as language evolves and changes it is proper to contemporize its message into language that is understandable by that generation.

In the last decades there has been a lot of well-meaning push back by conservative Christians against new translations of Scripture. They argue for the use of the old KJV as a matter of conviction fearing that God’s Word is being changed in these new translations.
Now, to be sure, there are many new translations that are sloppy at the least and downright deceptive at the worst. These need to be rejected by serious Bible believers. However, translations produced by solid Biblical Scholarship that upholds a belief in inerrancy are not to be feared, rather they should be embraced as helpful to the growth of God’s kingdom.

We have an obligation to make God’s Word understandable to all- Greek and barbarian.
Because of grace,
Tim

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“What would it look like to stop treating Jesus as simply a role model and start serving Him as our sovereign king?” Blog post Reasonable Theology

Good Question.
Jesus is the ruling Monarch (Sovereign) of the universe.
His rule is established in His humanity by the fact that He was born of David. His rule is demonstrated by the fact that death could not hold Him. Death is man’s greatest foe-yet even death could not defeat Jesus.

So what does this mean to me?
When it comes to government, we Americans tend to think in terms of a constitutional Republic. We are grateful we have the chance to vote in our rulers to represent us (supposedly). We are grateful we have a voice in the establishment of laws that govern us. We are thankful we can even run for elected office if we so choose.

The Kingdom of Heaven is not a Constitutional Republic. Jesus doesn’t reign because we vote Him into office. Mankind can’t impeach Him either. He rules by the power of His own person- Jesus is King.

Now, in one sense His rule is not complete. Yes the battle has been won and the victory is His. But death is not yet completely abolished and so for now this earth is still enemy held territory (Hebrews 2). One day this will change- he will return and abolish death and win the final victory.

Until then how do we view Him? Kind of like a big brother that we look up to and is sort of a role-model for our behavior? Or rather as the Sovereign Lord who commands our allegiance. When He says “follow me” He’s not simply speaking like a big brother inviting us to follow in His shoes; no He is speaking like a battlefield general who leads His men over the top and into the fray.

Follow me is the command of the Sovereign Lord of the universe. Are we huddled in the trench fearing the conflict? Or are we climbing the ladder and leaving the trench and engaging the foe?

Because of grace,
Tim

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During the Pax Romana Rome had spread its power and authority from Spain in the west to Parthia in the East. From Britannia and Germania in the north to Carthage and North Africa in the south. Everywhere Roman legions marched, Roman engineers built roads. These roads carried the mail, moved goods and services and were a means of unprecedented travel that united the then known world. On these roads the calloused feet of first century believers carried the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome. Beautiful feet carrying good news!

Rome was power, prestige and privilege. It was a place of great opulence and learning. It was the center of the universe in the first century. And Paul longed to get there- His heart was set on piercing the darkness of this cultural center with the good news of Jesus Christ. A flourishing church already existed there as evidenced by the list of believers Paul knew there in Romans 16:1-16. Priscilla and Aquila, Paul’s fellow tradesman in tent making, had a church in their house (16:3-5). Because Paul does not write the letter to refute error but rather to simply expound the truth is evidence that this was a healthy congregation, full of mature believers, well taught in the Scriptures and powerful in the Spirit. Paul longs to come to them, to be strengthened by them, as well as to strengthen them and to use them as a springboard to advance him on his way to mission work in Spain.

In the book Paul recounts his driving ambition: “I am a debtor both to Greeks and barbarians, both to wise and unwise, so as much as in me is I am prepared to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes… (1:14-16)” This passion drives Paul’s life: To know Christ and to make Him known. As we study this book, my prayer is that we too may have a heart to know him and to make him known. That no shame would silence us, that no diversion would distract us, but that with patience and precision we would share the gospel of Jesus Christ in all its beauty. We too are debtors to those around us- may we pay the debt we owe.

Because of grace,
Tim

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Christianity has always been a “come and see”; “go and tell” faith. When Jesus was resurrected from the dead- the angel invited disciples into the empty tomb with the same formula: “come see where he lay”; “go and tell the others.”

So too the shepherds at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life had angels tell them to go to Bethlehem and see a sign: a baby in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Immediately after seeing what the angel announced those same shepherds were compelled to go and spread the good news. No one had to tell them to- they just did.

Evangelism is not a “program” of the church. I remember as a boy growing up in a church where every Thursday evening people went out 2×2, knocked on doors and gave them a short synopsis of the gospel all the while trying to guide them towards praying a prayer to invite Jesus into their heart. I don’t want to completely knock that approach to evangelism because I fully realize that in some major metropolitan areas of our country it may still work.

However, the problem with that approach is that it lends itself to the misperception that evangelism is something the church does at pre-programmed times in pre-memorized ways. The reality is evangelism is simply the outgrowth of a life lived in the Spirit. It is the overflow of a love for Jesus and others that simply causes us to tell others the things “we have seen”. Just as I can’t help talking to other people about my family (those I love)- if I truly know Jesus and recognize what He has done for me- I can’t help talking about Him.

Not in artificial ways, not in a preachy voice, not in the manner of a fuller brush or a used car salesman- Just a simple shepherd who saw and heard amazing things, went and investigated and found them to be true, and now in amazement tells others what we have heard and seen. May it be so with us- Go! Tell it on the mountain, Jesus Christ is born!

Because of grace,
Tim

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