While preparing a lesson for Sunday school (that’s a funny name isn’t it? — so antiquated) Anyway, I read Romans, and found that Paul is often a mass of confusion on the literal reading of his letter to the Romans. Doing a little background reading, I came across several books that I had read and long-forgotten. When you are studying Paul’s messages, I have found it necessary to look at some of the scholarly works — those who know Greek and also the history of the period. The book of Romans is a letter Paul wrote to a group of Christians (made up of Gentiles and Jews) in Rome he had never visited — thus the one sided letter can be confusing. Whenever Paul talks about the “law” it seems he is referring to the Jewish laws of the day — those from Moses as well as those thereafter that made up the Jewish laws.
Paul has a lot to say about the physical body versus the spiritual body. He can almost sound like everything physical is bad — in fact a type of sin. But I had to put him in context of his life, time, and place. I suppose I would say that the mortal body is a type of bondage, and Christ delivers us from the this kind of mortal life when we give our life to Him.
Paul explains, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) Paul presents
…the idea that a spiritually minded person lives a life of peace, but a person focused on mortal things is leading an existence that will result in death. Although (we) all experience death, the death of a person who lives a life in the Spirit is clothed in hope and promise. (Wayment, p. 259)
We had some good comments in class about feeding our spiritual side. It reminded me of a book I recently read (audible actually) called The Way of the Seal — not the seal animal — but the Navy Seal. The author, Mike Divine talks about a similar concept of feeding your soul. The two wolves — you are either feeding Fear Wolf or Courage Wolf.
I suppose if we feed our Spirit with truth — where ever that may be — we become more receptive to greater peace in this life. Still, we are in bondage — stuck in this telestial sphere until resurrection or translation, but we will have more truth and understanding of why we are here in bondage.
The Savior Jesus Christ delivers us from this life, true. And many times we have the opportunity to deliver others in a much lesser way. Christ sets an example of the son of God. We too can become saviors on Mt. Zion. If you look at your life, you will begin to notice small instances of when you acted as a proxy savior for your children, spouse, family member, friend. Suffering in this role requires us to understand the truth, and be able to feed the Courage Wolf within us. In that way, we become kings and queens to the House of Israel. (Becoming Kings & Queens of the Gentiles, Gileadi)
In its fullest, covenantal context, that is the kind of suffering Paul refers to when he says, “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs–heirs of God and join-heirs with Christ, if it so be that we suffer with [him], that we may also be glorified together”(Romans 8:16-17) And again, “if we suffer we shall also reign with [him], but if we deny [him], he will also deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12). (Gileadi, p. 38-39)
