BLUE VIEWPOINT
The Bible quote I used in the FACT column above is from the NAS because the words are the ones with which people are familiar.
However, as we see in the misunderstood passage of Romans 10:4
4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (KJV)
(KJV), plain English does not always present the true meaning of the Greek. In the same way that the word "end" ("telos" in the Greek) means goal or purpose in the Romans 10 passage, the phrase "obedience of faith" in Romans 1 is rendered more accurately in the NIV as:
"4and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake." (Romans 1:4-5 NIV)
This should let believers know that the law was not "done away with". Now, why would I make a point of this?
To see the confusion about this issue, see how a site at Desiring God puts it:
Now what does the phrase "obedience of faith" mean? The two main choices are: "the obedience that comes from faith" (NIV), or "the obedience which is faith, because faith is what the gospel demands." As you might say: "acts of courage" - acts which come from courage. Or you might say, "Block of wood" - the block is wood. Both of these goals (faith and obedience that comes from faith) are really Paul's goals in ministry. And it is very difficult to decide which he means to focus on right here.
While we can see how confusing this can be, the two examples used in the site are themselves misleading. It is obvious from the text that Paul is speaking of the perception of those who hear the message and the actions required of them upon hearing it. A block of wood has no will, it is what it is. Acts of courage are a result of will and belief of the one taking the action. Defining the term "obedience of faith" as "believing because we were told to believe" doesn't say anything about the parameters of the beliefs of the hearer. However, Paul's "obedience that comes from faith" refers to what every person in his audience already knows - the obedience to the instructions from God, adding to it the faith in the offer of salvation from Him and His Son.
In fact, to "believe because we are told to believe", without a definition of the foundation for those beliefs turns Christian society beliefs into a multitude of opinions based on ourselves and our own understandings. Well, imagine that. Maybe that's where all these denominations came from. Weren't we warned not to go that way in Proverbs 3:5-6
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)
? But, if you base your faith on the understanding of the will and power of God, then faith in Him and His Son is a perfect foundation for the apostleship that Paul spoke about in Romans 1:4-5
4and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake. (NIV)
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Disagree? Find an error? Contact us at glenjjr@gmail.com and give us your view.
