By a variety of means, Caesar extended his power and his
version of peace. All good and well, one might think, but one might also question
the need to generate thoughts along such lines as we read through Romans.
Addressing that, one has to come to terms with the fact that not only does the
message of the Gospel (Jesus is Lord) have a spiritual component, as a
declaration that heaven and earth has overlapped in Jesus (heaven come to
earth), but it has a substantial political component as well. “Peace” was
a charged and controversial term. Assuredly, the means of achieving peace
were as debated in Paul’s day as it is in ours.
“Gospel” itself is a term associated with the Caesar and his
rule. Calling Jesus “Lord” is a subversive activity, as it usurps the
power of the Caesar, who was looked upon as Lord and Savior. “Christ” is
not a neutral term either. It is not merely a religious or spiritual
term. When somebody says that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, they
are making claims in relation to the kingdom of God that Jesus announced had
come to earth and of their loyalty to that kingdom and kingdom program above
loyalty to any other person or nation. Whether they know it or not, or
realize it or not, calling Jesus Savior does not have to do with going to
heaven upon death. Laying claim to salvation is about God becoming King
on earth, as in heaven.
As we know, “Christ” is the Greek translation of “Messiah,”
and the Jewish Messiah was well-understood to be the King of Israel. As
the Messiah was also understood to be the physical manifestation of the Creator
God of Israel, the Messiah was also thought to be King of the entire
world. That, of course, along with many other titles (son of god, to
choose one), was a title of, and a claim made by the Caesar. Applying
these titles to Jesus, calling Him Lord and Master and Savior and King while
also speaking about Him in terms of peace and salvation (that which was then
said to be brought to the world by Caesar and by Rome), could not be more of a
direct challenge to Caesar, to his rule, to his way of orchestrating and ruling
his kingdom, to his claims about himself, to the claims made about him by
others, and to the power (death) that stood behind him and any other pretender
to God’s rightful place of rule of this world that was brought into existence
at His word and hand.
What has all of this
talk of kingship and kingdom to do with much of Paul’s concern in Romans, which
is belief and justification? Quite simply, it is a question of
loyalty. Acknowledgment of a ruling power engenders questions about the
demands being placed on those subordinate to that power. Since being declared
righteous (coming under the covenant, being justified) has to do with belief,
and because belief, reaching back to Abraham and to that which is fundamental
for Paul as he observes the ramifications of the Christ-event and the full
sweep of the covenant people of God, has to do with the production of an
unswerving loyalty to God, concerns of kingship and kingdom have everything to
do with the believer’s justification. Because the kingship of Jesus
extends to each and every component of this creation, calling Jesus “Lord”
(acceding to His Gospel) has inescapable consequences for how one engages in
and with the world, bearing on every decision and every moment.
Following the
multivalent suggestions of verse one of the fifth chapter, in which Paul has
expressed the peace with God that is established and that goes hand in hand
with submission to the fact of His becoming King through Jesus (and as it
stands in contra-distinction to the peace promised by Rome and its son of god),
Paul writes “through whom we also have obtained access by faith into this grace
in which we stand” (5:2a). “We” includes both Jews and Gentiles, and the
access by faith is the means by which one enters upon the covenant (is
justified, declared righteous, saved).
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