Romans 3:28 - 4:12
Back to the Scriptures...Questioning Old Assumptions
Who am I? What's the story within which my life has its meaning? Paul is helping Jews, Romans, Greeks, others in Rome to see how what has happened in Jesus opens a window into the reality of God that shows their life and the world in a new light. Part of that is that Jesus' life is both surprising and anticipated. He lives within a great story of God's faithfulness that he now calls both his fellow Jews and all peoples into. Because it is God's story it is vast enough for all people to be themselves, Romans, Jews, Chinese, Africans. But God shows its unity by narrowing the story down to a single point, a person: Jesus. From that one, the event explodes out for all the world. Jesus' own disciples were astonished.