1:16-17
The message of Jesus is verily a wonderful message, because in that message God reveals to us what He has done for us by way of Jesus Christ in order to declare us as just. He causes us to know how everyone who believes what Christ has done for them on account of their guilt, God will erase their guilt and in turn declare them as just. He does this by faith plus nothing else.... (Excerpt of Guahibo NT)
“Mark, for the first time in my life I know for a certainty that Christ is my righteousness!” Horace said. “I’ve been baptized. I’ve gone to Bible School. I’ve helped teach the Bible. But it wasn’t until today that I fully understood that my righteousness is from Christ.”
We have just returned from our latest teaching time with our small group of disciples out in the tribe. The Lord really stretched our faith as we were planning to go because we were really short on funds to pay for the team’s way to get to the discipleship location, as well as feed 40 people for13 days. It was considered to just have the men attend, but a man needs a spiritual wife behind him if he hopes to be effective for God. In the end, we gathered up all our resources and went, because we were convinced this was what God wanted. Our purpose was twofold, to teach much of the book of Romans as well as test the new style of revision to see if it would be accepted.
So Resurrection Sunday found us rising from the earth, soaring through the clouds in a 1940’s Douglas aircraft, winging our way to our destination, as the smells of rotting onions and other vegetables wafted through the plane. Upon arriving, we found lodging in a small hotel run by Christian Quichua Indians from Ecuador. They gave us the room at half price, but we soon discovered the bedding was comparable to denim covered rocks. What we do to save money.
Monday began our heavy schedule of teaching. This first day we spent studying some Bible translation principles and compared two different translation styles for the revision. As we got into the more complete revision style, you could see the excitement in John Selso’s eyes as many of the truths not clearly understood in the past were making sense. The further we got into Romans the greater his excitement grew.
Tuesday we began our in depth study of Romans. They saw the three driving forces of Paul’s desire to preach the gospel, 1. He felt obligated because God had commissioned him to preach to the people of all nations 1:15, 2. He had total confidence in the Gospel as by faith in it God powerfully saves all who believe, 1:16-17, 3. Because God will justly punish all who do not believe that message 1:18-32 Because Paul was driven by the forces he was able to say in Rom 15:23 that there was no longer any place for him to preach but Rome and Spain. So in his lifetime he had fulfilled God’s commission. This was a real challenge to the disciples.
“Mark, my now deceased father was a witchdoctor. Before he died, I witnessed to him twice and both times he rebelled against God’s grace saying, ‘I have trusted in chants all my life and I am not going to change now.’ I feel I discharged my responsibility, like Paul being concerned for the waiting punishment but his rejection hurts my heart,” said John.
It was explained that Rom. 1:16-17 was the central theme of the Gospel and no matter what it looked like and the following chapters, these two verses were the anchoring declaration, even when Paul was talking about works. We explained that these two verses were like a pole placed at the edge of the river with lots of canoes tied to it. Even though each canoe was different, they were all tied to the same pole. Though Paul addresses the differences in the condemnation and privileges of the Jew and Non-Jew, it is by faith and faith alone in the saving work of Christ that God justifies the sinner.
As this truth struck home, Alex said with trembling lip, “I’ve just come to understand God’s grace to me is so much more than I ever thought!”
They loved Paul’s interaction between his two fictitious antagonists, Jew and non-Jew, in Rom. 1:18-4:25 as dramatized by Mark. It made so many of the hard to understand portions come alive, and they were able to see how they face many of the same conflicts in their own presentation of the gospel.
After a drama on Rom. 6:1-14, we got into a deep discussion on the role of cultural protection ceremonies for pubescent girls and pregnant women. In the discussion, we talked together how a church elder often replaced the witchdoctor and how his prayers often mimicked the witchdoctor. Examples were given of how to pray in faith and the liberation from the power of sin, death and Satan. One of the fellows said, “I guess God must have seen me as a witchdoctor as I have prayed in that manner for over a 100 young girls who were coming of age.”
As we got into the joys and purpose of trials and tribulation, we heard testimony after testimony of God’s help to them through these trials. How thankful they were to hear how the Holy Spirit prays for us when we don’t know how to pray. He always asks according to God’s will so we know we will get the answer. What a precious promise.
Both we and the disciples came away from this study of Romans encouraged in the Lord and challenged to apply these truths to our lives.
Pray for the following:
- Pray for the teachers as they evaluate the faith and understanding of their hearers concerning what they have taught.
- Pray that the truths of Romans will become a part of their lives, replacing the falsehood of their past beliefs. This is a very difficult stand with all the family pressures they face.
- Pray as we decide with SIL on the future style of revision. The tribal people liked the longer version for understanding,
but some still want it to be brief like Spanish.