Romans

Romans 3: The Just Shall Live by Faith (1:8-17)

Christ Church on November 30, 2008

Introduction

The gospel is not faith, but the gospel cannot be understood or appropriated apart from a living and evangelical faith. As the Westminster confession puts it, the faith that justifies is “no dead faith” (11.2). Another name for “not dead” is alive, or living. The gospel is objective and outside of us. But the beating heart of Romans is the centrality of a living faith, the only kind of faith that ever believed God for anything.

The Text

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:8-17).

Summary of the Text

The church at Rome was not an insignificant body. Their faith was spoken of throughout the entire world (v. 8). Although Paul was not connected to that church formally, he nevertheless lifted them up to God unceasingly (v. 9). This point was important enough for Paul to swear to (v. 9). He served God in his spirit in the gospel of the Son (v. 9). In his prayers, one of his requests was that he be able in the will of God to make to Rome to visit them (v. 10). He had a deep desire to be a blessing to the Romans (v. 11). But, he hastens to add, this edification would by no means be a one way street (v. 12). He wanted them to know that he had attempted to come many times, wanting some fruit there in Rome just as he had been fruitful among other Gentiles (v. 13). Paul saw himself under obligation both to the Greeks (where much of his work had been done) and to the barbarians (in Spain perhaps?). His obligations were to the wise and unwise, to those in the seats of power and those in the hinterlands (v. 14). So as far as Paul’s strength is concerned, he is prepared to spend it in Rome (v. 15). Why? Because he is not ashamed of the gospel (v. 16) he serves (v. 9). This gospel is not shameful, and is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes—to the Jew first, then the Greeks, and then the barbarians (v. 16). For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith (v. 17). Scripture teaches us this—the just shall live by faith (v. 17; Hab. 2:1-5).

Mutual Support

Remember the point of the book of Romans—Paul is looking for the Romans to help him in his mission to Spain. But he does not simply use them in pragmatic way. If they are going to be his partners in this work, he wants to meet them first. He does not want to minister in Spain with their support unless he has first ministered to them. And neither does he want to minister in Spain with their support unless they have been a blessing to him. In short, he is not just after their money. All biblical giving occurs in the context of communion and fellowship. It is no impersonal, bureaucratic affair.

The Just Shall Live By Faith

The phrase that Paul introduces here is taken from the minor prophet Habakkuk (2:4). This is the first quotation from the Old Testament in an epistle saturated with such quotations. And it is not just a phrase taken at random. The entire book of Habakkuk is a chiasm, and this verse that Paul cites is from the center of the chiasm. It is the central point of that book—and the central point in this one.

A Habakkuk complains about how long he must wait for justice (1:2-4)
B Yahweh answers him by describing the arrival of the incredibly powerful Babylonians (1:5-11)

C Habakkuk complains a second time—why do you allow the wicked to destroy nations more righteous than they (1:12-17)?

D Wait patiently. The wicked will be die, and the righteous will live by faith (2:1-5).

C’ Yahweh answers the second complaint; everything will be put right (2:6-20).

B’ Yahweh gives a final answer; His army is far more powerful than the Babylonians (3:1-15).

A’ Habakkuk resolves his first complaint. He will wait for God’s salvation (3:16-19).

The point of Habakkuk is to urge believers to a patient and tenacious faith in the face of incredible adversity. The context makes it clear that this is not raw propositional assent. Connected to this, the word rendered faith here (emunah) means faithfulness or fidelity. This is not “justification by works,” but rather “justification by faith that lives.” The fidelity is not fidelity in works, but rather fidelity to itself, to the true nature of faith.

The Righteousness of GodPaul says here that in the gospel “the righteousness of God” is revealed. What does that mean? I have mentioned the New Perspective on Paul, and one of the things emphasized in that theology is that the righteousness of God refers to His covenant faithfulness in keeping His promises, and not to an imputed righteousness—the righteousness of Christ credited to the one who believes. To take it in this latter sense, as we must, does not mean that we are denying that God is righteous Himself, and is a faithful, covenant keeping God. That is also true. But notice what Paul is claiming here. The just shall live by faith, meaning that the just shall live from faith to faith. This faith is what reveals or manifests the righteousness of God. And if we come at it from the other direction and say that God has kept His promises righteously, we have to ask what those promises are. And the answer to that is that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. He is the one who became the last Adam so that many might be made righteous (Rom. 5:19).

Not Ashamed

This gospel is potent indeed. When we are ashamed of the gospel, it is either because we have not reflected on how powerful it is, or it is because we have tinkered with it, thinking to improve things, and have only succeeded in creating something to be ashamed of.

Romans 2: Called to be an Apostle (1:1-7)

Christ Church on November 23, 2008

Introduction

In the first message, we considered the overall nature of the book of Romans and the fact that it was a fund-raising letter. In this letter, Paul set out his gospel in a systematic fashion so that the Roman Christians would know the nature of the gospel that he desired to preach in his mission to Spain. If we want to understand the gospel in Paul’s terms, as Paul sets it forth here, we have to take in the background of one other thing—the life of Saul or Paul himself.

The Text

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1-7)

The Background to Romans

This letter is from Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul. He identifies himself in the first place as a servant or slave of Jesus Christ (v. 1). He had been called to be an apostle, which means “one commissioned and sent out,” and the nature of the commission is made evident in that Paul was consecrated or set apart for the gospel of God (v. 1). This gospel was not a new idea that had been cooked up between the testaments, but rather was promised in the Scripture by the prophets (v. 2). Specifically, the gospel concerned God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord—a Davidson in his human line (v. 3) and declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection (v. 4). It is important to add that this declaration was done with power, and in accordance with the spirit of holiness. This same God is the one through whom the apostles had received grace and apostleship in order to glorify the name of this God, by seeing obedience to the faith among all nations (v. 5). This process was ongoing, and the Roman Christians were included in that ingathering, being called of Jesus Christ (v. 6). The letter is addressed to all in Rome who were beloved of God and called to be saints (v. 7). Paul blesses them with grace and peace from the Father and the Son in his initial benediction.

Wicked Nations

In our overview of the entire book of Romans, we noted that chapter one shows the Gentiles were under sin, chapter two showed the Jews under sin, and chapter sin showed them both up to their necks in the same kind of sin. This is important for us to note at the beginning of this book because the gospel set forth here is a gospel that liberates the nations from wickedness, evil, sin, immortality, and so forth. This will be important for us to understand when we get to chapter seven, and Paul’s description of himself there as a representative Jew, but it is also important for us to see the nature of Saul’s conversion to Christ rightly. Otherwise, we will get everything confused. For now, we need to see that the gospel directly addresses what preachers in another era used to call sin. Paul is grappling with all ungodliness and unrighteousness (1:18), vain imaginations (v. 21), vile affections (v. 26), a reprobate mind (v. 28), along with envy, murder, and deceit (vv. 29-31). There is much more than this. Among the Jews, Paul was concerned about hypocritical double standards (2:1), hard and impenitent hearts (v. 5), thievery (v. 21), adultery (v. 22), and much more. Put them both together, and no one does good (3:12), they have throats that are open sepulchres (v. 13), cursing and bitterness (v. 14), and no fear of God at all (v. 18). Nothing is plainer than that Paul sets his gospel over against all the doings of the carnal man, and not against the expectant but faithful Jew.

Saul’s Conversion

One of the more serious errors found in what is called the New Perspective on Paul is that it tries to put these moral issues on the back burner, and make the central thing a question about the boundary markers of Torah— circumcision, and other marks of Jewishness. In this view, when Luke tells us that Zacharias and Elizabeth were blameless according to the law (Luke 1:6), and when Paul says something that sound similar (Phil. 3:6), they must be referring to the same thing. But this is plainly false. Zacharias and Elizabeth were conscientious and faithful old covenant members, looking forward to the Messiah as did also all the prophets, Simeon, Anna, and our Lord’s mother. Luke is praising them in Luke 1:6.

But Paul is referring to his previous “blamelessness” as so much dung (Phil. 3:8), and wants us to know that those who were still holding to what he used to hold to are dogs, evil workers, and flesh mutilators (Phil. 3:2). Before his conversion, Saul of Tarsus held himself to have been an awful man. He describes himself as a chief among sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), as a blasphemer (v. 13), and insolent (v. 13, NKJV). When Christ appeared to him on the Damascus road, He was showing great kindness to a vile man. Christ delivered him from much more than an overly sentimental attachment to the boundary markers of the old covenant. Unless this is understood, the book of Romans will never be.

Not Healing the Wound Lightly

The prophet Jeremiah describes those who would say peace when there is no such thing. He talks about those who heal the wound of the people lightly (Jer. 6:14; 8:11). We naturally flinch from any treatments of the wound that really get down to business. A great deal of contemporary scholarship on Paul is dabbing around the edges of humanity’s gangrenous wound with a damp washcloth, not really wanting to admit the obvious. To change the metaphor, the solution will be to take the book of Romans like whiskey—straight. Let the gospel make you cough and catch your breath.

The Gospel Itsel

Christ Jesus was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. The fact of death reveals that we are dealing with no minor problem. The measures that God took to save us indicate the greatness of our dilemma. God Himself took flesh and dwelt among us, born into the line of David. This was not to help us figure out how to dispose of our phylacteries.

We considered last week how the gospel is for the nations, and not just for individuals as individuals. But let us never try to hide from the holiness and graciousness of God by taking refuge in some corporate shelter.

Romans 1: The Gospel for All the Nations (15:24)

Christ Church on November 16, 2008

Introduction

The book of Romans is a first century, apostolic fund-raising letter, and the fact that it almost never strikes us this way simply demonstrates how divergent our practices are from the biblical practices. The apostle Paul was seeking to minister in Spain, and he wanted the help of the Roman church. As part of this, he determined to set before them a clear statement of the gospel as he preached it, so that they would know the nature of the ministry they were helping.

The Text

“Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company” (Rom. 15:24).

The Background to Romans

The letter to the Romans was likely written from Corinth in early A.D. 57. Although Paul was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:28), there is no record of him ever visiting Rome before this. The fact that he wanted to establish churches in Spain gave him the perfect opportunity to visit Rome, and to make the acquaintance of the Christians there. He had no desire to usurp the ministry of others, no desire to build on another man’s foundation.

The church in Rome was established in the capital city of the empire, and all the temptations you might expect came with that privilege. Paul was acutely aware of this, and he warns the Roman Christians of these temptations discretely but clearly. But he does so in a way that is woven together with his larger argument. There had been “visitors from Rome”present at Pentecost, and there had likely been a church there very early.

Priscilla and Aquila were part of this early Roman church, and Paul befriended them when the Jews were expelled from Rome under Claudius (c. A.D. 49). Suetonius (70 years later) said that it was because the Jews were constantly rioting at the instigation of a man named Chrestus, a variant Latin spelling of Christus. But if this referred to Christ, it would be odd for the Jews in Rome at the end of Acts not to know anything about this “sect” (Acts 28:22). At any rate, after the death of Claudius in A.D. 54, there was a thriving Jewish community in Rome, and when Paul wrote in 57, he could speak of the faith of the Roman church as a matter of universal knowledge. In short, Rome was a happening place.

An Overview of Romans

Most of Paul’s letters are responding to particular situations on the ground, and Paul is responding to them pastorally. Of necessity, this means that his teaching in the bulk of his letters is generally speaking ad hoc. In this letter, he does not have pastoral responsibility in Rome, and he is not responding to a crisis. Rather, he has the opportunity to go to Spain, and he is setting forth his gospel as clearly as he can. The result is that the book of Romans is far more systematic than most of his other writings.

In taking an overview of the book, we have to pass over a number of nooks and crannies, but we will address those as we proceed through the book. So take this as the broad overview, and remember that the original book did not have chapters and verses. In the first chapter, Paul shows that the nations are trapped in sin. But lest the Jews vaunt themselves, in the second chapter, he shows that they are under sin as well. In the third chapter, he summarizes by showing that Jew and Gentile are both in bondage to sin. Thus far we have a statement of the problem—the problem of universal sin that the gospel addresses.

In chapter four, he gives us an exegetical basis for justification by faith alone, found in the example of Abraham. In chapter five, we have more of a theological statement of the same truth.
Given that we are justified by faith alone, apart from works of the law, Paul turns (in a refutatio) to address a number of objections to his gospel. If we are justified by faith apart from the law, then doesn’t that mean that we get to sin up a storm? In chapter six, Paul answers no. If we are justified by faith apart from the law, then what was the law given for then? Paul answers that question in chapter seven.

In chapter eight, Paul begins his glorious discussion of the relationship of God’s sovereignty to God’s covenant promises and commitments. Chapter eight gives us a discussion of God’s commitment to the entire created order. Chapters nine through eleven describe God’s saving work within the covenant made with the Jews, and how the Gentiles were brought into that.

And then, in accord with his custom, Paul gives the Romans a series of ethical exhortations, all of which line up with the gospel that has been articulated. Chapter twelve addresses body life within the congregation. Chapter thirteen has to do with our relationship to the unbelieving civil order. Chapter fourteen concerns debates about questionable matters. Chapter fifteen addresses the subject of missions (and remember the purpose of the letter). And chapter sixteen largely consists of greetings and a few remaining exhortations.

The Gospel for All Nations

Evangelical Christians are accustomed to think of Romans as a tract outlining the way of individual salvation. This is certainly something that can (and should) be derived from this book, but it is important for us to note that Paul is proclaiming his gospel to the church at Rome, so that they would help him proclaim it to the region of Spain. The tribal nature of man is apparent throughout this entire book. It concerns individuals, of necessity, but we have to begin where Paul begins. “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name” (Rom. 1:5).

You cannot talk about omelets without including eggs. But you can talk about eggs, and never get to the omelet. You cannot talk about nations without including men and women, boys and girls. But you can talk about men and women, boys and girls, and never get to the nations. This individualization is one of the devices that we use to keep the gospel from getting us into trouble.

As we study this book, we will discover that God’s plan of salvation is far greater than a simple plan to save Smith, if Smith believes. God loves the world, the Jews, the tribes, the cosmos, and fully intends to save all of it . . . and that includes Smith.

Intelligent Design: A Biblical Perspective

Christ Church on May 25, 2008

Introduction:
What is intelligent design?
Intelligent design is a scientific theory which holds that certain features of the universe and living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, and are not the result of an undirected, chance-based process such as Darwinian evolution.
Is it a compromised or a common denominator movement?

The Text:
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

Thinking Biblically about the I.D. Movement:
Genesis 1, John 1:3, Romans 1:20-22, and 2 Corinthians 10:4-6.

What Scientific Strongholds Need Pulling Down Today?:

I. Naturalism

Philosophical Naturalism – the assumption that all natural phenomena have natural causes. It rules out supernatural causes of design a priori.
-Methodological Naturalism – a scientific methodology which may only propose hypotheses which assume natural causation for all natural effects.
A caveat about methodological naturalism

II. Darwinism

The belief that all life descended from a common ancestor through naturalistic processes alone (primarily mutation & natural selection). No divine initiation or intervention is needed (Darwin’s naturalistic explanation of evolution).
Belief in the necessity of divine causation makes you a ‘heretic’ as far as state-approved Darwinism is concerned (heretics – theistic evolutionists, progressive creationists, ID theorists, and of course young-earth creationists).

Why Should We Consider Naturalism and Darwinism Strongholds?

I. They exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. These philosophies subtly undermine or deny ‘God’s invisible attributes and His eternal power and Godhead’ with regard to life as well as the entire cosmos.

II. They are publically funded (our tax dollars at work). All state-sanctioned scientific and educational establishments make sure that it is all done in a God-free zone.

III. Academic freedom has a short leash and a choke chain. God-fearing or Darwin-questioning scientists employed by the state are now in danger of persecution if they allow their religious views or doubts about Darwin to affect their scientific research and/or classroom discussion. Doubting, questioning, or dissenting from the scientific orthodoxy of naturalism and Darwinism is verboten.

How Do We Go About Pulling Down These Strongholds?

1 Peter 3:15-16

Pros of the I.D. Movement:

I. Non-creationist scientists have more credibility. May cause the Jedi masters of evolution to ‘sit up and listen’. Creation scientists often lack ethos in the public square.

II. Big tent approach – uniting many diverse worldviews that have major objections with naturalism and Darwinism under one umbrella.

III. Eye-opener for the Gospel. Acts 26:17-18. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. Science unencumbered with naturalistic assumptions can and should be able to detect intelligent causation without appealing to special revelation.

Shortcomings of the I.D. Movement:

I. Limited premise truncates research. If real design is attributed to a real intelligence, game is over. If God, then we have to turn to special revelation to fill in the blanks. If aliens, then that begs the question, who designed the aliens? If intelligent design is divorced from special revelation, it can never determine who did it.

II. Avoiding the word ‘God’ in their rhetoric.

III. Design doesn’t say it all. Creation covers design, production of raw materials, and manufacture.

Intelligent Design and Evangelism:

I. Acts 17:23-24. Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.

II. Being convinced that a divine agent created and designed the universe does not result in forgiveness of sins. Eyes have been opened, yes, but to what end? (the rest of Acts 26:18).

III. Belief in a Creator must precede a responding to the Gospel. Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Intelligent design can persuade men of an UNKNOWN GOD but we must use the scripture to lead them to Christ. Acts 17:25-31.

The Spirit Groans

Christ Church on May 11, 2008

Introduction:
On Pentecost Sunday, we rejoice in the fact that the Comforter has been given, poured out upon us, so that the world might be prepared for the final consummation. This is a central role of the Spirit in the world, and it ties in directly with the purposes of God for this world that we have already addressed.

The Text:
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh . . . For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body . . . Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose ” (Rom. 8:11-12, 19-23, 26-28).

Overview:
The Spirit of resurrection is the Spirit who indwells us (v. 11). Because our bodies will be raised, we should behave with those bodies now (v. 12). Those who live for the flesh will die; those who do not will live (v. 13). Those who are Spirit-led in this way, these are sons of God (v. 14). Our relationship with the Father is intimate and holy (v. 15). This is how the Spirit bears witness, by cleaning up our act (v. 16). But childhood and adoption cannot be separated from the issues of inheritance (v. 17). It is an inheritance of glory (v. 18). The whole creation is longing for this moment, looking forward to it (v. 19). The creation was originally subjected to vanity, but in hope (v. 20). This is because the creation will be liberated into the same freedom from corruption that we will have (v. 21). The whole creation groans in the pains of childbirth (v. 22). Not only does the creation groan, but we who have the Spirit also groan—with the resurrection in view (v. 23). This groaning is in hope and patient waiting (vv. 24-25). The Holy Spirit helps us with this task of groaning (v. 26). The Spirit prays for us toward this end (v. 27). And this is what Paul is talking about when he says that all things work together for good (v. 28). This provides us with a straight line to glory (vv. 29-30).

Creation Groans:
When Adam sinned and fell, the whole creation was subjected to the bondage of corruption. Adam was the lord over the creation, having been given dominion, and as the vice-gerent this meant that when he fell the whole thing fell. In the same way, when the second Adam came into the world, it was to do a work of restoration. But the fall was great and the restoration will not be accomplished without much groaning. The groaning here is an image taken from the pains of childbirth, the pains of delivery (v. 22). The created order is pregnant, and at the consummation of all things, will give birth to the new order. This is not something we watch as unaffected by- standers. The creation groans this way (v. 22). We—because we have the Spirit—groan in a similar way also (v. 23). And the Spirit knows our weakness—He knows that we don’t even know what kind of baby it will be. We are like Eve before her first child—imagine what it would have been like to not even know what was happening. And so the Spirit participates in this groaning of childbirth (v. 26).

Two Mistakes to Avoid:
We are talking about a complete transformation—not a minor refurbishment. There are two mistakes to avoid here. One is that of thinking this creation will be burnt to a cinder and not replaced, or replaced by something completely unrelated. The other mistake is that of thinking that this creation will simply be tidied up a bit, with a certain amount of polish and shine. But take a cue from Christ’s resurrected body, and our resurrected bodies. These bodies are part of this creation, right? And yet they will carry over into the next. Your resurrected body will need something to stand on.

The body that goes into the ground is like a kernel of corn (1 Cor. 15: 36). There is continuity between the old body and the new, of course, but there is a discontinuity of glory. It is the same with the creation. The whole creation will die, and be gloriously raised. Or, to use another image, the old creation will give birth to the new, and we cannot even begin to fathom how glorious the new will be.

But What About . . . ?:
Remember that Jesus was born here too. He is longing to come back as well. But when it first begins to sink in on us that God has not given up on this world, but intends to transform it in glory, certain common questions arise. Didn’t Jesus tell His disciples that He was going up into heaven in order to “prepare a place for them”? In my Father’s house are many mansions? Yes—the word is mone, and the ESV has “rooms.” The word denotes temporary lodging, as you would find in a hotel. In this case, it is the nicest resort hotel you ever heard of.
But doesn’t Peter tell us that the elements will melt with a fervent heat, and good riddance (2 Pet. 3:10)? The word for elements is stoichea, and is the same word that Paul uses in Galatians for the elemental spiritual forces that had kept them in bondage in the old covenant. When we read elements, we tend to think of the periodic table, and not of the spiritual forces that governed the old world. But Peter is talking about the government of the world—he compares this event to the flood which had done the same thing (v. 6). But even if you don’t see this, and take it as referring to the meltdown of the cosmos, Romans 8 requires that this be a transformative meltdown, not an annihilating meltdown. If your body melts down in this conflagration, your body will nevertheless be raised.

The Spirit’s Presence in the World:
We should return to the nature of the groaning. What is the Spirit helping us do? The Spirit releases us from our debts to the flesh (v. 12). The Spirit leads us into virtue (v. 13), putting to death the misdeeds of the body. The Spirit stirs us up to pray to our Father (v. 15). The Spirit seals our coming inheritance in glory (v. 17). The Spirit teaches us to groan for better days (vv. 23, 26), and not to interpret the word “better” in our own limited, truncated, and pathetic categories (v. 27). He is the one who searches the deep things of God, and He is the one who knows what is coming. He is the one who groans most eagerly.