Romans Chapter 1

James Trimm’s Nazarene Commentary on Romans Chapter 1

In Romans 1:15-5:25  Paul gives a Petihah (Proem) Homiletic Midrash

Petihah (Aramaic: Petihta) is a Hebrew word meaning “opening” while “Proem” is a Greek word meaning prelude. In a Petihta Homiletic Exogesis an introductory text is given, a sermon is built on this introductory texts often using additional texts. The sermon closes with a final text which usually repeats or alludes to the initial text. This process usually involves Hillel’s second rule, G’ZARA SHEVA (equivalence of expressions) thru which catchwords or keywords link the sermon together, being found in the initial text, the final text, often in the additional texts, and in the exposition itself.

The Sixth Rule of Hillel: (Analogy made from another passage)

“Two Passages may seem to conflict until a third resolves the conflict.”

Analogia Scriptura (also called the “Synthesis Principle”)

“Scripture never contradicts Scripture, but is always consistent with its own teachings.  If we understand one passage in such a way that contradicts another passage, then we must be understanding at least one of them wrong.”

In Romans 1:15-5:25 Paul contrasts two pairs of Tanak passages:

Paul resolves the conflict by citing Gen. 15:6:

Abraham believed Elohim, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (Rom. 4:3, 22 = Gen. 15:6)

It was, according to Targum Onkelos, the Word of YHWH that Abraham trusted in:

And Abraham trusted in the Word [Memra] of YHWH, and He counted it to him for righteousness. (Targum Onkelos Gen. 15:6)

Thus Paul resolves the apparent conflict by showing that under certain circumstances, belief/faith/trust (same word in Hebrew) can act as a substitute for righteousness/being just (same word in Hebrew).

1:16 For I am not ashamed in the Good News, because it is the power of Eloah for the salvation of all who have Trust in it; whether [they are] from the Jews first or from the Goyim.

1:17 For the righteousness of Eloah is revealed in it, from Trust to Trust; as it is written, The righteous will live by Trust.

On three occasions Paul qoutes Habakkuk 2:4 “The just shall live by faith” to support his teaching that we are saved not by “Works of the Law” but by “faith” Rom. 1:16-17; Gal. 3:10-11; Heb.10:37-39). In order to best understand Paul’s use of this verse it is helpful to first understand the conflict between the Pharisaic and Essene communities as to how Habakkuk 2:4 was to be understood. This particular verse was a focal point in the fundamental debate between Pharisees (Especially of the House of Hillel) and Essenes, a debate in which the Nazarenes sided withe the Pharisees.

Paul champions the Pharisaic understanding of Habakkuk 2:4 over that of the Essenes.

The Pharisees understood Habakkuk 2:4 as summarizing the precepts of Torah as living by “faith”:

Again came Isaiah and reduced them [The precepts of the Torah] to two [principles], as it is said, Thus saith the Lord, [i] Keep ye justice and [ii] do righteousness [etc.].30 Amos came and reduced them to one [principle], as it is said, For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me and live.31 To this R. Nahman b. Isaac demurred, saying: [Might it not be taken as,] Seek Me by observing the whole Torah and live? — But it is Habakuk who came and based them all on one [principle], as it is said, ‘But the righteous shall live by his faith’ (Hab. 2:4).
(b.Makkot 24a)

This was in keeping with the Pharisaic precept that we keep Torah as a matter of faith. Faith is the way of Torah (Ps. 119:29-30). We keep Torah out of faith, out of the love and awe that we have for YHWH, but not as one seeking to earn salvation through the Works of the Law. As the Mishna said:

Antigones of Soko received [Torah] from Simeon the Righteous. He used to say, “Be not like servants who serve their master for the sake of wages, but be like servants who serve their master with no thought of a wage – and let the fear of Heaven be upon you.
(m.Avot 1:3)

By Contrast the Essenes understood Habakkuk 2:4 as follows:

“‘And the Righteous shall live by his faith’ (Hab. 2:4b) The interpretation concerns all the Doers of the Torah in the House of Judah, whom Elohim will save from the House of Judgment because of their works and their faith in the Teacher of Righteousness.”
(Habakkuk Commentary)

The Essenes saw Habakkuk 2:4 as referring to faith in the founder of Essenism, the Teacher of Righteousness and his doctrine of earning salvation through the “Works of the Law”, a group of halachic precepts about which the Essenes believed the Pharisees were to lax and through which they had poluted the Temple.

The righteous shall live by faith – Paul here is citing Hab. 2:4

In Romans 1:15-5:25  Paul gives a Petihah (Proem) Homiletic Midrash Petihah (Aramaic: Petihta) is a Hebrew word meaning “opening” while “Proem” is a Greek word meaning prelude. In a Petihta Homiletic Exogesis an introductory text is given, a sermon is built on this introductory texts often using additional texts. The sermon closes with a final text which usually repeats or alludes to the initial text. This process usually involves Hillel’s second rule, G’ZARA SHEVA (equivalence of expressions) thru which catchwords or keywords link the sermon together, being found in the initial text, the final text, often in the additional texts, and in the exposition itself.

The Sixth Rule of Hillel: (Analogy made from another passage)

“Two Passages may seem to conflict until a third resolves the conflict.”

Analogia Scriptura (also called the “Synthesis Principle”)

“Scripture never contradicts Scripture, but is always consistent with its own teachings.  If we understand one passage in such a way that contradicts another passage, then we must be understanding at least one of them wrong.”

In Romans 1:15-5:25 Paul contrasts two pairs of Tanak passages:

Paul resolves the conflict by citing Gen. 15:6:

Abraham believed Elohim, And it was counted to him as righteousness.”
(Rom. 4:3, 22 = Gen. 15:6)

It was, according to Targum Onkelos, the Word of YHWH that Abraham trusted in:

And Abraham trusted in the Word [Memra] of YHWH, and He counted it to him for righteousness.
(Targum Onkelos Gen. 15:6)

Thus Paul resolves the apparent conflict by showing that under certain circumstances, belief/faith/trust (same word in Hebrew) can act as a substitute for righteousness/being just (same word in Hebrew).

1:19-20  Because the knowledge of Eloah is revealed among them, for Eloah revealed it among them.  For the hidden things of Eloah, from the foundations of the world, by His creations; by [His] wisdom, were made evident … and power, and Godhead,1434 which is eternal: that they might be without excuse.

This concept of YHWH being expressed as a Father (Is. 63:16; 64:8; Jer. 31:9 & Mal. 1:6) and a Mother (Is. 66:13) is found in the Tanak itself, in which we are told that the image of Elohim in which man was created was “male and female” (Gen. 1:26-27).

Now in Romans 1:19-20 we are told that “what may be known of God is manifest in them [mankind] his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead [or divine nature]…” then in Rom. 1:26-28 we are told that those who fail to perceive these things may fall into the errors of Homosexuality and Lesbianism.

So when in creation was Elohim’s invisible attributes manifest in man and made clearly seen. The answer is in the Torah, in Gen. 1:26, 27 where we read:

Then Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…So Elohim created man in His own image; in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them.

Now following the parallelism of the passage, “Our image”, “Our likeness” and “male and female” appear to be parallel terms.

At this point you may recall the passage from Isaiah 48 quoted earlier:

I, yes, I have spoken, indeed, I have called him, I have brought him, and he will make his way succeed. Come near to me and hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in [the] secret; from the time that she was, there I am, and now ADONAI YHVH has sent me and his spirit.

(Is. 48:15-16 Original Bible Project preliminary edition)

Here we have: (1) YHWH the speaker, (2) Adonai YHWH who sends him, and (3) “she… his Spirit”.

The male aspect of this image of Elohim is called “Father” as we read in the Tanak:

If then I be a Father, Where is My honour? Says YHWH of Hosts.
(Mal. 1:6)

Our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name…. But now. O YHWH, You are our Father;…
(Is. 63:16; 64:7)

The female aspect of this image is called “mother” as we also read in the Tanak:

As one whom his mother comforts, so will I [YHWH] comfort you…
(Is. 66:13)

YHWH as a “comforter” is also known as the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) as we read in Yochanan:

…I will ask my Father and he will give you another comforter that will be with you forever, The Spirit of Truth …
(Jn. 14:16-17)

…the comforter, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom my Father will send in my name,…
(Jn. 14:27)

…when the comforter comes. Whom I will send you from my Father, the Spirit of Truth who has proceeded from my Father…
(Jn. 16:7)

The Ruach HaKodesh is the Spirit of Elohim, which rested upon Messiah at his immersion:

…behold, the Spirit of Elohim descending from the heavens…and rested upon him… (Mt. 3:16-17=Mk. 1:10-11 = Lk. 3:21-22 = Jn. 1:33)

Which is the Spirit of YHWH which rests upon Messiah in Isaiah 11:2-4:

And the Spirit of YHWH shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom (Chokmah) and Understanding (Binah) the Spirit of Counsel (Atzah) and power (Gevurah) the spirit of knowledge and of the fear (yirah) of YHWH …But with righteousness shall he judge… (Is. 11:2-4)

This Ruach HaKodesh is clearly is the “her/she” of Prov. 8:1-2, 12-18:

Does not wisdom call, And understanding put forth her voice?

Where the paths meet, she stands…I Wisdom (Chokmah) dwell with prudence…the fear (yirah) of YHWH is to hate evil…

Counsel (atzah) is mine…I am understanding (Binah) power (Geburah) is mine…. …by me rule… all judges…

One problem that presents itself in translating the New Testament from Hebrew and Aramaic into English is that of the gender of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).  English is very different from Hebrew and Aramaic.  To begin with English has three genders, masculine, feminine and neuter (i.e. he, she and it).  Hebrew and Aramaic have no neuter gender.  In Hebrew and Aramaic everything is either a “he” or a “she” and nothing is an “it”.  Also gender plays a much more important role in Hebrew and in Aramaic than in English.  In English gender is usually only an issue when dealing with pronouns.  But in Hebrew and in Aramaic nouns and verbs are also masculine or feminine.  And while there are no true adjectives in Hebrew (nouns are used as adjectives), noun modifiers must agree in gender with the noun.  Now the Hebrew word RUACH (Aramaic RUCHA) is grammatically feminine as is the phrase Ruach HaKodesh.  This is matched by the role of the Ruach HaKodesh as “comforter” (Jn. 14-16) and the identification of the “comforter” with YHWH acting as a “mother” (Is. 66:13). 

Now in English the Ruach is often referred to as “he” or “it” as also in the Greek New Testament.  However this seems very odd indeed to the Semitic mind.  

Now it is very clear that the gender of the RUACH has been revised in many passages of the Aramaic to agree with the Hellenistic concept of the Holy Spirit as being either a “he” or an “it”.  Thus the pronouns used for the Ruach HaKodesh in Jn. 14-16 in the Peshitta are all masculine.  However the hand of revision is very clear.  For example while both the Peshitta and Old Syriac have “he” in Jn. 16:8 the Old Syriac has “she” just a few verses further down in 16:13 while the Peshitta has “he”. 

Moreover there are many passages in which the Peshitta itself pairs the Ruach HaKodesh with feminine verbs and/or feminine modifiers:  Mk. 1:10;  Jn. 1:32, 33; 6:63; 7:39; Acts 8:29, 39; 16:17; Rom. 8:9, 10, 11, 16, 26a, 26b, 1Cor. 3:16; 1Tim. 4:1; 1Pt. 1:11; 4:14 and 1Jn. 5:6.  In fact the Peshitta Aramaic of Rom. 8:16 opens with:

והי רוחא מסהדא

And she the Ruach gives testimony….

While it is clear that the Ruach HaKodesh has no literal gender, it is also clear that the Ruach HaKodesh is grammatically and figuratively a “she”.

Now the ancient Nazarenes actually believed the Ruach HaKodesh to be a sort of Heavenly Mother. These ancient Nazarenes used an apocryphal Gospel called The Goodnews according to the Hebrews, which taught this very idea. While this apocryphal Gospel is now lost, several quotes from it have survived in the writings on the ancient “Church Fathers.” One of these quotes, found in Jerome’s commentary on Isaiah, tells the story of Yeshua’s immersion (baptism) this way:

And it came to pass when the Lord was come up out of the water, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended and rested upon him, and said to him, “My Son, in all the prophets was I waiting for you that you should come, and I might rest in youץ For you are my rest, you are My firstborn son, that reigns forever.” (Jerome- On Is. 11:2)

Here it is the Ruach HaKodesh, not the Father, who is calling Yeshua “My Son” apparently referring to Psalm 2:7 (see also Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5). Another important quote may be found in a number of ancient writings. In this quote Yeshua is reported as saying:

“Even so did my Mother, the Holy Spirit, take me by one of my hairs and carry me away to the great mountain Tabor.” (Compare Ezkl. 8:3) [Origen- On Jn. 2:12; Hom. on Jer. 15:4; Jerome- On Micah 7:6; On. Is. 40:9; On Ezkl. 16:13]

There can be no doubt that here the Ruach HaKodesh is seen as a Heavenly Mother.

There can also be no doubt that the Ruach HaKodesh is YHWH.  The following comparisons make this clear:

YHWH alone did lead him, And there was no strange god with Him.
(Deut. 32:11)

…The Spirit of YHWH caused them to rest; So did You lead Your people…
(Is. 63:14)

But when Moshe went in before YHWH that He might speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out…
(Ex. 34:34)

But when any man from them should turn to YHWH, the veil is lifted from him. Now YHWH himself is spirit, and where the Spirit of YHWH is, there is freedom. But all of us, with open faces, behold the magnificence of YHWH as in a mirror, and we are being changed into that likeness from glory to glory as by YHWH the Spirit.
(2Cor. 3:16-18)

Now some have taught that the Ruach HaKodesh is simply an impersonal “force”.

However, it is clear from the Scriptures that that the Ruach has many qualities that are not characteristic of an impersonal force.  The Holy Spirit speaks (Acts 8:29; 10:19; Jn. 15:26; 2Pt. 1:21); have emotions (Is. 63:10; Eph. 4:30) can be insulted (Heb. 10:29) intercedes (Rom. 8:26) testifies (Jn. 14:26) leads (Rom. 8:14) commissions (Acts 13:4), commands (Acts 8:29); wills (1Cor. 12:11) and gives understanding (1Cor. 2:10-11).

Some have also taught that the Ruach HaKodesh is the Father.  This will be discussed in more detail later.  However here I wish to make it clear that the Father is not the Ruach because the Father sends the Ruach (Jn. 14:26) and the Father obviously does not send himself.

1:20-29

1:20 For the hidden things of Eloah, from the foundations of the world, by His creations; by [His] wisdom, were made evident … and power, and Godhead, which is eternal: that they might be without excuse.

Godhead  – Aramaic: ELHUTA

Here Paul alludes to the Wisdom of Solomon 13:1-8:

13:1 Surely vain are all men by nature, who are ignorant of God, and could not out of the good things that are seen know him that is: neither by considering the works did they acknowledge the workmaster;

13:2  But deemed either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the violent water, or the lights of heaven, to be the gods which govern the world.

13:3 With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be gods; let them know how much better the Lord of them is: for the first author of beauty hath created them.

13:4 But if they were astonished at their power and virtue, let them understand by them, how much mightier he is that made them.

13:5  For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures proportionably the maker of them is seen.

13:6 But yet for this they are the less to be blamed: for they peradventure err, seeking God, and desirous to find him.

13:7 For being conversant in his works they search him diligently, and believe their sight: because the things are beautiful that are seen.

13:8  Howbeit neither are they to be pardoned.

(Wisdom 13:1-8)

1:21 Because they knew Eloah, and they did not glorify Him as Eloah, and give thanks to Him: but were made vain in their reasoning, and their heart was darkened, without understanding.

1:22 And while they were thinking in their nefeshot that they were wise, they were fools.

1:23 And they changed the glory of the incorruptible Eloah, into the likeness of the image of a son of man: who is corruptible, and into the likeness of birds, and of four-footed [animals], and of creeping things of the earth.

Again Paul alludes to the Wisdom of Solomon:

11:15  But for the foolish devices of their wickedness, wherewith being deceived they worshipped serpents void of reason, and vile beasts, thou didst send a multitude of unreasonable beasts upon them for vengeance;

12:24 For they went astray very far in the ways of error, and held them for gods, which even among the beasts of their enemies were despised, being deceived, as children of no understanding.

12:25 Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of reason, thou didst send a judgment to mock them.

12:26 But they that would not be reformed by that correction, wherein he dallied with them, shall feel a judgment worthy of God.

12:27 For, look, for what things they grudged, when they were punished, that is, for them whom they thought to be gods; [now] being punished in them, when they saw it, they acknowledged him to be the true God, whom before they denied to know: and therefore came extreme damnation upon them.

13:10  But miserable are they, and in dead things is their hope, who call them gods, which are the works of men’s hands, gold and silver, to shew art in, and resemblances of beasts, or a stone good for nothing, the work of an ancient hand.

14:8  But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he, because he made it; and it, because, being corruptible, it was called god.

(Wisdom 11:15; 12:24-27; 13:10; 14:8)

1:24 Because of this, Eloah released them, to the defiled lust of their heart: that they might dishonor their bodies by them.

Released – Aramaic: אשלם this ambiguous Aramaic word can mean “released” or “delivered”. The Greek translator misunderstood it as meaning “delivered”

Again Paul alludes to the Wisdom of Solomon:

14:12  For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication, and the invention of them the corruption of life.

14:24 They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled: but either one slew another traiterously, or grieved him by adultery.

14:25  So that there reigned in all men without exception blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation, corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,

14:26  Disquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns, defiling of souls, changing of kind, disorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness.

14:27  For the worshipping of idols not to be named is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.

(Wisdom 14:12, 24-27)

1:25 And they changed the Truth of Eloah into a lie! And they reverenced and served the created, more than their Creator, to whom be our praises, and our blessings forever and ever. Amen

Again Paul alludes to the Wisdom of Solomon:

For insomuch as their trust is in idols, which have no life; though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt.
(Wisdom 14:29)