8.26.09: Suffering in the Scriptures: Romans

When people begin to read through the Bible, certain dots begin to connect and lights go off as similar words and ideas become synergistic. For example, a tree was the means of death in the garden when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Yet in the days of Jesus, a tree was the means of death and life in the wilderness when Christ was crucified and paid for the sins of those who repent and believe.

But when you read through the whole Bible, you can also get confused as the clouds of nuanced words can challenge your entire faith. For example, Paul says we are justified by faith apart from works of the law. But James says we are justified not by faith alone but also by works. Huh? So, what is a person to do when approaching the Scriptures?

There is an approach to interpretation that will lend itself to credibility and deeper worship. It's called intratextual study. What intratextual study promotes is to dig deeply into what the author means throughout his own and whole text. So before one jumps to another book in the Bible to articulate the complexities of justifying faith for salvation from sin, wrath, death and Hell, one should study repeatedly how that one book looks at the subject extensively.

So, I thought it would be helpful to see how the apostle Paul, the author of the letter called Romans, written to the people of Rome, sees suffering. I will use the format of text, truth, takeaway and test to examine his perspective on how believers should understand and respond to difficulties, hardships, trials, pain, suffering and persecution. So, let's do some intratextual study!!!

Text: Romans 1:13

¹³I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Truth

The entire reason why the Romans letter was written was because Paul was unable to come to them, even after frequent intentions. What stood in his way? He had been prevented. When you read the book of Acts, it is obvious that Paul is prevented from doing many things because the Spirit protects him from persecution, because Jesus directs him into persecution, because of the wickedness of troublemakers and scoffers, because of the hatred of the Jews, because of the disciples discouraging him from preaching to a crowd, because of an impending threat that leads to a late night basket escape, because of being left for dead, because of unlawful imprisonment, because you get the idea. So, suffering prevents people from doing good things but God is sovereign in those moments to bring about other (and frequently better) goods. The book or letter of Romans came about because of persecution that led to prevention of Paul and the people of Rome coming together. Furthermore, God causes suffering in people's lives to increase their desires to see people, to grow in love for the people that they are prevented from seeing. Paul longed to see them and him being prevented only increased his burden to see them and preach the gospel to them so that he might have a harvest of seeing believers that trust God in Christ and finish the race of faith, to see the obedience of faith from all nations!

Takeaway

1. When you are prevented from doing something that you want, or something that is good, see how God might be using it for some other good or some, better good. So, you don't get a job at the Christian school to teach the Bible. Instead the Lord opens up a great job with the University of Phoenix. You don't get to go on that mission trip so that you can spend time writing letters to missionaries, encouraging them to bring about the obedience of the nations. You don't get to see family often because you're poor so you end up spending more time with the local church, and write letters and make phone calls and update facebook to keep up with cousins and siblings and parents.

Test

You see an update about a brother in Christ whose house is burned by Muslims in Indonesia. This brother was just on his way to visit the church that sent him out to be a missionary among people of a different island in Indonesia. What other goods could God bring about in him being prevented from doing a good thing like reporting about the work he is doing?