ROMANS 4:1-25 FOR MY CHILDREN

A Targum* for my children based on Romans 4:1-25

4:1-12

But let me tell you what that doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean that all who believe the gospel ought to be absorbed into the ethnic community created by the Torah. Christians don’t have to become ethnic Jews.

That’s obvious, because if Abraham was regarded as belonging to God because of ethnic badges, then he had something to boast about. But scripture says that Abraham believed God and was declared to be one of his people. The mark that distinguished him from others owed nothing to the sort of unique qualities, which people want to brag about. He simply trusted God.

If a person works for something, his pay isn’t considered a gift; it’s simply what is due. But how can being a friend of God ever be what a person is owed- especially when that person is a sinner?

To quote our favorite ancient King once more: “Blessed is the man whose sins God overlooks.” If sinfulness is a given for even a blessed man and the source of his blessing is the fact that God doesn’t hold him accountable for them, then… clearly, even the best have sin to deal with.

Now I know that requiring everyone to become part of God’s ancient ethnic people seems to be a simple way of solving the problem. It upholds the Torah and in a sense you end up with “one people.” But the very history of the Old Oath itself, shows that ethnic assimilation isn’t what God’s about.

When was Abraham declared to be one of God’s people? Was it before or after he was marked as a Jew. It was before he was a Jew! The sign of his “Jewishness” was a seal of the standing he had while still a gentile. From the very beginning God worked it out so that Abraham is the father of all gentiles who believe and of all Jews who are not only Jews ethnically, but who live in the trusting faithfulness that Abraham exhibited while still a gentile.

4:13-25

God’s promise to Abraham that he would inherit the world came before the giving of the Torah. If it is only for those who have the Torah, then there is no such thing as being God’s friend by simply accepting his friendship (for Abraham or anyone else). This would mean the promise is doomed. There are no heirs of the promise. That’s because those on the outside are…well, on the outside and those on the inside are condemned, because the Torah has brought wrath.

That’s why “trust” must be the distinguishing mark of those who are truly God’s friend. This makes it possible for the promise to be claimed by those who are guilty (as it must, if it is to have any impact in the real world of fallen men and women) and produce the one family that God’s own Oneness requires- a family consisting not only of Jews, but Gentiles as well. This new Israel is made up of all those who have the faith of Abraham. He is truly the father of both- the father of many nations.

This trust identifies God’s friends because it is the proper response to his offer of friendship. Contrast Abraham’s actions with those of the idolaters at the beginning of our discussion. He believed and glorified God, was promised new life, received power and the ability to conceive.

This doesn’t apply to Abraham alone. It is true for all of us who believe in him who raised King Joshua from the dead: Our Lord was delivered to death for our transgressions and raised that we might share in him the life of The-Age-To-Come.

Other completed passages of the Targum: Romans 1:1-7 , 1:8-17, 1:18-28, 2:1-29, 3:1-20, 3:21-31

*A Targum was an expanded paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures composed by Rabbis during the diaspora to aid the understanding of their “Hebrew challenged” congregations. I thought something similar might be of help to my kids. So I’ve started with Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

ROMANS 3:21-31 FOR MY CHILDREN

A Targum* for my children based on Romans 3:21-31

But now, and here’s the point- God’s faithfulness has been revealed apart from the sphere of the covenant he established with Israel. It had to be this way in order to fulfill the promise made in the Writings of the Old Oath regarding what God would do for the whole world. While Israel failed in its calling, God was faithful through the faithfulness of Israel’s representative King. What Israel failed to do for the world, King Joshua did for the world…by what he did for his people Israel. This was done for the benefit of all who believe.

Again, there is no distinction of any consequence between those who are by birth Jew or Gentile. Both have sinned and fail to reflect the glory of their creator, and both are declared to be in right standing with God purely by grace- as his gift.

A new Exodus has occurred, and a new people have been created. This exodus from the slavery of sin was effected by the sacrifice of Israel’s’ Martyr King, Joshua. It is allegiance to this king, not the ethnic markers of the Torah, that identify this new Israel.

Every parent knows that if we love our children, we will despise the actions, diseases, or circumstances that work to destroy them. Our Father God had been merciful in the past by overlooking our sins, but he judged them for what they are in the death of the King. Joshua’s crucifixion was God’s terrifying roar against everything that would keep us from the life that he had always intended for his creation. He can now assure his helpless and guilty people that things are truly alright between him and them, and he can do so without making their sins a matter of indifference.

There is no room for ethnic boasting. If you’ll think about it you’ll see that things had to happen in this way. In order for God’s promises to be fulfilled, the divisions that the Torah created between Jew and Gentile had to be done away with.

The Old Oath had a statement that summarized all that Israel believed. It was called The Shema, and it began like this: God is one!

Doesn’t it follow then, that there can be only one people of God. God isn’t the God of Jews only. He is the God of all the peoples of the Earth. His one people- whether Jew or Gentile by nature- are marked out by their allegiance to King Joshua and not by any ethnic, racial or cultural distinctive- including the Torah.

Now, be careful. This doesn't mean that we condemn the Torah because it created these cultural and ethnic distinctions between Jew and Greek. No way. The Torah had a very significant role to play in this whole story, and so we must uphold its importance.

Other completed passages of the Targum: Romans 1:1-7 , 1:8-17, 1:18-28, 2:1-29, 3:1-20

*A Targum was an expanded paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures composed by Rabbis during the diaspora to aid the understanding of their “Hebrew challenged” congregations. I thought something similar might be of help to my kids. So I’ve started with Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

ROMANS 3:1-20 FOR MY CHILDREN

A Targum* for my children based on Romans 3:1-20

3:1-8

There's a very important question that arises here, and I'm not sure you will feel its strength. Maybe an illustration will help: We all live on land that was taken from Native Americans. You probably never think of that. It seems so long ago, but it’s true. I bet the Native Americans haven’t forgotten, though. Now, what we’ve said about Israel probably doesn’t shake ya’ll up like it would have a Jew living in the time of King Joshua, either. It’s been too long, and things have just, well… developed as they have. But the question is “Should they have?” That’s what we need to spend some time talking about: “Did God do Israel wrong? Was her failure his failure? Is this whole Christian thing based on God’s unfaithfulness?”

For example, if God can consider anyone- even a gentile- as one of his people (as we’ve said), then what’s the point of Israel in the first place? Was it all a game, or was his covenant an empty gift?

Well, it certainly was the plan and promise of God that he would deal with the curse of sin- its guilt and misery- through Israel. It was no empty gift. But Israel was unfaithful. That’s why we find her under a Roman boot when King Joshua arrives on the scene. It looks like God’s plans to deliver the world had been frustrated. Surely Israel’s failure was God’s failure.

We know better than that! King David of ancient times once cried in sorrow for his sin with Bathsheba: “God’s words are true- even if all human words are false.” We know this is true; so we just need to wait and see how he works it all out.

By the way, I can think of other objections that ask how God can be a fair judge when he is one of the plaintiffs or if he pulls this thing off in spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness, then why in the world would he complain about her unfaithfulness? I’m not going to spend any time with these questions. They’re just the sort of thing a fallen yahoo would ask.

3:9-20

So, we know that Israel is no better off than the Gentile nations. I don’t know why anyone should be surprised by this. Her own prophets have told us just how deeply wicked she was. Not that the others aren’t, but that’s the point! The prophets also declared that in precisely such a situation God would act to judge the whole world, rescue the helpless and be faithful to his covenant.

The Torah that summarizes Israel’s covenanted relationship establishes that she has nothing to say in her defense; the whole world, both Jew and Gentile, stand condemned before God. The Torah shows very clearly that all are sinners- even those who have been given the greatest of religious advantages. It would be impossible, then, to be declared righteous simply on the basis that one had the "markers" that identified him as “Jewish.” These markers only draw attention to the fact that Israel is just like everyone else- guilty before God.

Other completed passages of the Targum: Romans 1:1-7 , 1:8-17, 1:18-28, 2:1-29

*A Targum was an expanded paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures composed by Rabbis during the diaspora to aid the understanding of their “Hebrew challenged” congregations. I thought something similar might be of help to my kids. So I’ve started with Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

ROMANS 2:1-29 FOR MY CHILDREN

A Targum* for my children based on Romans 2:1-29



Romans 2: 1:16

Now, I can hear some of your unbelieving friends saying, “That’s right! Give ‘em hell. You religious types claim to be all holy, but I’d never want to be like you. You’re a bunch of hateful, hurtful, judgmental, hypocritical, self-serving jerks.”

Well, they’d be right more often than not, but let me ask them: do you think that publicly judging other’s de-humanizing behavior is enough to rescue you from it? I mean, look around. Those who've never claimed to know God are guilty of doing the same things. Complaining about others isn't going to cut it. Don’t you know that God’s judgment will fall on all those who slavishly perpetrate sin? Do you think your societies’ increase in violence, loneliness and despair is a coincidence? It’s God’s judgment.

God will give the life of the Age-To-Come to all of those who desire to reflect truthfully his eternal life of love, but to those whose lives mimic the creatures that they idolize, he will give the full culmination of their de-humanization. It has already begun. Want to know what hell is like? You can see a small foretaste in the violence and despair of the inner city and the loneliness of the old lady forgotten and left to die in a nursing home bed. This is a fact for everyone…both those who claim to know God’s name and those who do not. God is not partial. It is the reality of both Jew and Gentile.

While God will judge those whom he’s recruited as partners in the fixing of the world by the clear stipulations of the relationship they freely entered into- the Torah, He will not judge the Gentile by a standard they do not possess. They will be judged apart from that special document that was given to Israel alone.

But just as “the critics” will not escape by mere criticism, God’s ancient people will not escape by the mere possession of the Torah. A man can be married and yet fail miserably to keep his vows. In that case the marriage covenant will only condemn him further. In the end, it will be those people who are faithful to the requirements of the Torah that will be fully vindicated and declared to be “His people, indeed.”

This is true of gentiles, as well. When they fulfill the Spirit of the marriage covenant, which God has entered into with Israel- even thought they haven’t the particulars of that relationship, they will show that God has written it on their hearts. At the end, neither the possession of secular morals not Jewish Torah will be of any consequence to those who have lived as idolaters.

2:17-29

Now, if ya’ll were Jewish or had any Jewish friends living right after Joshua’s resurrection, they might say something like, “Amen, the Gentiles are screwed up, and… what you say may be true of some Jews, but we as a people have been given the Torah. We are the answer to the sin and misery of mankind. God promised our Father Abraham thousands of years ago that that the world would be blessed through us. We know his will. We know how men and women ought to behave. You forget that we are a guide to the blind nations- their teacher and healer.” Well, what can I say, friend. This is what Israel was called to do and be, but…in your zeal to teach others, do you not teach yourself? You as a people are no different from those you claim to teach. Because of your sin and boasting the Gentiles mock God.

Again, being a Jew is of consequence if Israel keeps her covenant, but if she doesn’t then she's no different from the gentiles. So it’s only fair that if a Gentile is somehow enabled to keep the heart of the covenant of Torah, she should be regarded as one of God’s people. If there are such people in the world, then their lives condemn those who are in covenant with God and yet break it. Belonging to God isn’t a matter of race or other historical privilege. It is a matter of the heart.



Other completed passages of the Targum: Romans 1:1-7 , 1:8-17, 1:18-28
*A Targum was an expanded paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures composed by Rabbis during the diaspora to aid the understanding of their “Hebrew challenged” congregations. I thought something similar might be of help to my kids. So I’ve started with Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

ROMANS 1:18-28 FOR MY CHILDREN

A Targum* for my children based on Romans 1:18-28

St Gregory of Nyssa said that it is impossible for one to live without tears who considers things exactly as they are. How can God be faithful to his creation when things like the World Trade Center bombings are going on? I know that he promised to fix things through the People of the Old Oath- Israel, but they have fallen under his judgment and are sidelined and cursed. They can’t help themselves, much less the rest of us. It sounds like a botched operation, doesn’t it? What’s up with that?

To understand how the current reign of King Joshua answers all of these questions about God’s faithfulness we need to start at the very beginning- at Creation itself:

The first thing to remember is that because everything visible and invisible originated in the mind of God, everything seen and unseen is at its heart good. America is not evil for existing. Power finds its origin in God himself. Handsome faces and round bottoms are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. The creator delighted in making trees and animals. He said so himself and called it all "Good"! Agreed, then. We should be thankful for America, bodies, markets, wealth, etc.

But even more fundamental than the goodness of creation is the fact that God is God and Creation is not.

Since the beginning mankind has known the truth about God, but the very first man and woman (as every man and woman after them) chose to serve and worship creation rather than creation’s God. They traded God in for a critter.

God’s love for his creation necessarily means his hatred of anything that would hurt or destroy it. God’s “Yes” to us is a loud “No!” to our enemies, and underlying all of these enemies is the idolatry of putting creation in God’s place.

It’s an inviolable law that human beings become like that which they worship. While being made to mirror the glory of the true God, they instead fell into behaving like beasts. Angered at the destructive choices his vice regents had made, God turned them over to the consequences of their unthankfulness and pride. He gave them what they chose.

Men and women’s existence focused only on the gratification of their selfish desires. Gross shame resulted from the debauchery that followed. Women lived for their passions and took for themselves forbidden lovers. The offspring increased in wickedness until God destroyed the entire world of mankind during the days of Noah. It didn’t end there. Again mankind disgraced itself. Men refused to be satisfied with the restraints placed on their passions by their own humanity. They were consumed with cravings towards women and even each other, and like the women before them, sought forbidden sexual partners- the angelic messengers that God’s grace had sent to them- even to the point of violent rape. God again destroyed them.

Even worse, not only were they disgraced in their own bodies- their lives being indistinguishable from those creatures they were created to rule over, but they devoured each other with bestial violence. Many of their most vile acts of brutality took place in hearts and speech. One doesn't even need a body to hurt and defraud as they chose to.

With their minds darkened they taught others that this type of existence was how humans were meant to live. When goodness and wickedness are confused, the dehumanizing effect of idolatry is complete. There seems to be no escape. Humanity perishes.

I know this seems to apply very clearly to those who were never part of God’s Old Oath people- Israel, but didn’t she also “trade” the living God for an image of a beast while in the wilderness (as her ancient King David declares in Psalm 106:20)? Aren’t all the horrific resulting consequences present in her subsequent history, too?

Other completed passages of the Targum: Romans 1:1-7 , 1:8-17

*A Targum was an expanded paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures composed by Rabbis during the diaspora to aid the understanding of their “Hebrew challenged” congregations. I thought something similar might be of help to my kids. So I’ve started with Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

ROMANS 1:8-17 FOR MY CHILDREN

A Targum* for my children based on Romans 1:8-17



I thank God for each of you kids, because your allegiance to King Joshua is noticed by others. Your love for each other declares an alternative way of existing to those whose lives are spent serving the real pretenders to earth’s throne: shortsighted consumerism, empty greed, selfish pleasure and violent national pride.

God could tell you that I pray all the time that He would make it possible for me to come and visit with ya’ll. It would be so wonderful to encourage you in your faithfulness to the king and have you encourage me in return. I want you to know that it’s my desire to get down there one day, so that I can have a hand in bringing your friends into God’s kingdom. This is a task that our King has entrusted to me, and I feel I have something that belongs to those who haven’t heard. So I’m determined to help you spread the word there in Georgia.

There have been countless individuals and powers that have claimed to be the source of security and prosperity. “Look to me!” they offer “and I will make things right.” I know your nation’s economy, culture and military are not unique in this regard. So I don’t want you to think that I’m picking on you, but you know that your nation’s aggressive expansion is evident throughout the world.

McDonald’s can be found in Kuwait and China has embraced Wal-Mart. American weapons are aimed everywhere….at least potentially, and Madonna can be heard in Tehran. Your marketing is working, because it seems the whole world desires to be formed in America’s image. Ipod’s and blue jeans are the international standard of fashion. And people with rich and ancient cultural pasts are just “Lovin’ it.” Young and old, brown, yellow and white look to your nations products because they’re “the Real Thing.” Money makes the world go round. Corporate logos are everywhere so that no one can forget this. Americanism is declared at our sporting events, in our homes and on the shoes and caps we wear. Markets rule our charity, religion and sex. They just do. Look around.

But they don’t. Not really. That’s our message, isn’t it. King Joshua, not Coca-Cola adds life, and I’m not the least bit embarrassed to say so. Do you know why? Because I’ve seen the mere news of our King’s arrival tear people free from the dehumanizing tyranny of money, markets, and selfish emptiness. I’ve seen it change families into loving communities. I’ve seen its power to transform anyone who believes it is true.

This thing that God has done through King Joshua shows that He is faithful to his commitments to set all things right again. It makes clear what he was up to all for all of those ages. It is a glorious act of faithfulness on God's part, and it calls for a liberating response of faithfulness from each man, woman and child who hears of it.


Other completed passages of the Targum: Romans 1:1-7

*A Targum was an expanded paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures composed by Rabbis during the diaspora to aid the understanding of their “Hebrew challenged” congregations. I thought something similar might be of help to my kids. So I’ve started with Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

ROMANS 1:1-7 FOR MY CHILDREN

A Targum* for my children based on Romans 1:1-7



Dear Rachael and Rebekah, Hannah, Naomi, Tommy and Esther (and everyone else who is loved by our God and living in America- this broken world’s most powerful nation)

Things are messed up. I know you realize that. People hurt and are lonely. They are hungry for food and attention, but no one cares. Even Creation itself seems to strike out through tsunami and drought. Something is clearly wrong. This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. The hearts of men and women point to something different, and this "something different" is what I desire for you. May all the deepest craving of your heart for a world made glorious with love, justice, truth and beauty be made a reality- a gift from God our Father accomplished through Joshua the King, Lord of all.

My greatest boast is that I’m a slave of this King and chosen by him for the royal task of telling everyone that the world’s true ruler has returned and will make everything as it should be. This oughtn't come as a surprise (the king’s return, not my privilege) because God had promised this very thing hundreds of years ago in the prophecies of the Old Oath. God swore that his own champion would one day come- tied to this broken world by his descent from Israel’s ancient King David, but declared through the power of the Spirit of Life to be the one who ushers in the World-Which-Is-To-Come.

Though he appeared to be a pretender- stomped on and ground up under the heel of those who fancied themselves in control, God pronounced his reign legitimate and true by raising him from the dead. The miracle of Easter told us two things: what time it was and whether the man Joshua was delusional. Clearly, the promised new age had begun and all authority in heaven and earth truly belong to this man- just as he had quietly claimed.

It is through the gracious friendship of this King that I have received my commission to call everyone to allegiance to the banner of King Joshua, Lord of all. This includes you, whom he has declared to be more than close friends- he calls you his brothers and sisters.

*A Targum was an expanded paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures composed by Rabbis during the diaspora to aid the understanding of their “Hebrew challenged” congregations. I thought something similar might help my kids. So I’ve started with Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.