Geoff Hudson

The Epistle of Paul to the Romans

Introduction

In the following text, I use square brackets [..] for proposed editor’s changes or additions to original text, and curly brackets {..} for proposed original text that is not in the extanct version.

Who would have thought that the great theological treatise of the Epistle to the Romans was originally written for a contemporary world of multitudinous spirits? Such a world would have suited the Pharisees whose rabbinic descendants were at home in it (see the article on Demonology in the Jewish Encyclopedia, [url]http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com[/url). Even the two spirits appear in the epistle. These are the two spirits that God gives to everyone in different measures. There is the spirit of truth or light, and the spirit of deceit or falsehood or darkness. The spirit world would also have suited the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and probably Josephus’ Essenes as well. The extensive elimination of the spirit world from the original text causes me think that the first layer of editing was by redundant Sadducean priests who took over the early church after the war. It was the Sadducees who had mounted a rival mission before the war, and they rejected the idea of an afterlife, and implicitly the spirit world also.

“God formed man from the dust of the round and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen.2.7). The “breath of life” (probably a Graecism) is synonymous with a person’s spirit. When the “breath of life” is removed (a person’s spirit is removed) and the person dies. Ps.104.29 has: “when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.” In the spirit world, just about everything that moved was animated by its spirit or spirits that were responsible for the actions of the bodies they indwelt. Even the heavenly bodies were regarded as living beings with their own spirits that caused them to move across the sky (Job 26.13, Ps. 33.6). 1.Cor.15.39-41 has: “All [flesh is] {spirits are} not the same. Men have one kind of [flesh] {spirit}, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly [bodies] {spirits} and there are earthly [bodies] {spirits}; but the [splendour] {spirit} of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the [splendour] {spirit} of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of [splendour] {spirit}, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in [splendour] {spirit}.” Although spirits were probably thought of as being created, once created they were never annihilated. So physical death only could occur. Spirits could either enjoy eternal bliss, or suffer eternal punishment. When someone died, his spirit could be “raised up” to heaven or be taken down to the Abyss.

Paul (imo the young Josephus), the writer of the epistle, had obviously been living in Rome previously for some years to have made so many friends that he regarded with affection (see Rom. 16). He was probably in his early 20s. The date of writing was approximately 60 CE after Paul had been a missionary for several years. Paul (Josephus) went to Rome (about CE 53) when he was 16 years of age and spent three years there with James, the lord and his brother John who had fled there about seven years previously (about CE 46) when they were driven from Jerusalem. The first three years Josephus spent in Rome were the three years with [Banus] {James} in the [desert] {Rome} before he “returned back to the [city] {Jerusalem}, being now nineteen years old.” (Life 2). These were also the same three years that the same character Paul spent in [Arabia/Damascus] {Rome} before “he went up to Jerusalem.” (Gal.1.17,18). I have more to say about Paul/Josehus.

Romans - Chapter 1

(1)Paul, a servant of [Christ Jesus] {the Spirit}, called to be an apostle and set apart for the [gospel] {Spirit} of God – (2)the [gospel] {Spirit} he promised beforehand through his prophets in the [Holy] scriptures, (3)[regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, (4)and] who through the Spirit [of holiness] was declared with power to be the [Son] {Spirit} of God [by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.] (5)Through him [and for his name’s sake,] we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from [faith] {belief in the Spirit.} (6)And you also are among those who are called to belong to [Jesus Christ] {the Spirit.}

(7)To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be [saints] {in the Spirit}: Grace and peace to you from God our Father, [and from the] Lord [Jesus Christ.] {,and Spirit.) (8)First, I thank my God through [Jesus Christ] {the Spirit} for all of you, because your [faith] {obedience} is being reported all over the world. (9)God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching [the gospel of] his [Son] {Spirit} is my witness how constantly I remember you (10)in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last, by [God’s will] {the Spirit}, the way may be opened for me to come to you. (11)I long to see you [so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift] {again} [- (12)that is,] that you and I may be mutually encouraged [by each other’s faith] {in the Spirit.} (13)I do not want you to be unaware, brothers that I planned many times to [come] {return} to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) [in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles].

(14)I am bound both to Gentiles and Jews, both to those who [are wise] {have a spirit of truth} and those who [are foolish] {have a spirit of deceit}. (15)That is why I am so eager to preach the [gospel] {Spirit.} [also to you who are at Rome.] (16)I am not ashamed of the [gospel] {Spirit}, because it is the [power] {Spirit} of God for the [salvation] {purification} of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (17)For in the [gospel] {Spirit}, a [righteousness] {purification} from God is revealed, a [righteousness] {purification} that is by [faith] {the Spirit} from first to last [,just as it is written: “The righteous shall live by faith.”].

(18)The [wrath] {Spirit} of God is being revealed from heaven against all the [godlessness and wickedness] {impure spirits} of men who suppress [the] {their spirit of} truth by their [wickedness] {spirit of deceit}, (19)since what may be [known] {seen} about {the Spirit of} God is plain to them, because [God] {he} has made it plain to them. (20)For since the creation of the world, God's invisible [qualities – his eternal power and divine nature -] {Spirit} [have] {has} been clearly seen [,being understood] from what he has made, so that men are without excuse.

(21)For although they [knew God] {recognised the Spirit}, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their [thinking] {spirits of truth} became [futile] {useless} and their [foolish hearts] {spirits of deceit} were darkened. (22)Although they claimed to [be wise] {have spirits of truth}, they became [foolish] {deceitful} (23)and exchanged the glory of the [immortal God] {invisible Spirit} for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (24)Therefore God gave them over in the [sinful] {impure} desires of their [hearts] {spirits} to [sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another] {idol worship}. (25)They exchanged the [truth] {Spirit} of God for [a lie] {idols}, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is for ever praised. Amen.

(26)Because of [this] {their disobedience}, God gave them over to [shameful] {spirits of} lust[s]. Even their women exchanged natural [relations] {spirits} for unnatural ones. (27)In the same way the men also abandoned natural [relations with women] {spirits} and were [inflamed] {filled} with {spirits of} lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in [themselves] {their bodies} the [due penalty] {spirit} [for their] {of} perversion.

(28)Furthermore, since they did not think it worth while to [retain the knowledge] {obey the Spirit} of God, he gave them over to [a depraved mind] {impure spirits}, to do what ought not to be done. (29)They have become filled with every kind of [wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity] spirit of impurity. They are full of {spirits of} envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. [They are gossips, (30)slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; (31)they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.] (32)Although they know the Spirit's righteous decree that those who [do such things] {obey such spirits} deserve [death] {God’s judgement}, they not only continue to [do] {obey} these very [things] {spirits} but also approve of those who [practise] {obey} them.

Notes:
v.1 Was Paul simply called by the Spirit?
v.2 The Spirit was promised beforehand (Joel 2.28,29). There was no earlier promise of “the gospel” as such.
v.3 The editor claimed Jesus’ descent from David.
v.4 The Spirit’s power shown during Paul’s preaching proved that the spirit involved was the Spirit of God.
v.7 Possibly a reference to three functional names of God: Father, Lord and Spirit (a kind of Jewish trinity).
v.8 At this time the church of Rome was obviously well known and established.
v.9,10 In his personal prayers, Paul constantly remembered those who were well known and dearest to him.
v.13 Paul had been away from Rome for several years. Now he wanted to return to the church that had sent him out.
v.14 The two spirits in a man.
v.15 The editor made out that the Roman church was short on gifts and needed a visit from Paul (for the first time) to impart one. The truth was opposite.
v.16,17 There was no editor’s “salvation” as such. The Spirit of God entered a man to purify his spirit (remove his spirit of deceit) to make the man’s spirit pure and acceptable to God.
v.18 Men “suppress” their spirit of truth by their spirit of deceit – the two spirits again.
v.19,20 The Spirit of God (as distinct from his “invisible qualities”) was to be recognised (or seen) in creation.
v.21 The text is explicit that some did not recognise the Spirit as the Spirit of God. There is a clear reference to the two spirits again.
v.22-25 Clearly meant to refer to the worship of idols – the worship of created things.
v.26-28 It was “spirits of lust”, “unnatural spirits” and “spirits of perversion” that were causing them to “do what ought not to be done.”
v.29 Bodies can be “filled” with impure spirits.
v.30,31 An exaggerated expansion by the editor that does not lend itself to spirit language.
v.32 Death is not an issue for eternal spirits. God’s judgement or condemnation for impurity, or his acceptance for purity, of one’s spirit is.

Geoff