Acts ends interestingly. Paul is in Rome under house arrest, but never stops sharing the good news. Paul dies in Rome, but the book of Acts doesn't end with that message. Acts end with "He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and without hindrance."
We who are free to go and come as we please, might pray that the Spirit engage us in proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and without hindrance.
The letter to the Romans is Paul's letter of introduction. Unlike other Pauline letters it is not to a community of faith he planted. Paul plans to go to Spain and desires to stop in Rome, although he eventually arrives under arrest. He writes a letter to share his theology with the followers of the way in Rome.
Throughout this letter Paul teaches a theology of salvation by faith. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith, as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live by faith.'" 1.16-17
Paul writes about judging others in chapter 2. He makes clear that when we judge others, we will be judged by God also. His case against judging is to try to help the two factions of followers, the Jews and nonJews, to understand God's salvation is for all. "For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith..... For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works.... " 3.22b-25, 28.
Paul uses the story of Abraham and Sarah as an example of justification by faith. Paul says that "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 4.3 (which he repeats in 4.5, 6, 9, 10, 11) Paul declares this happened before circumcision and before the giving of the law of Moses. Paul's asserts then that salvation "depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all..."4.16 His proof is that righteousness came to Abraham who in "hoping against hope, he believed" 4.18a Abrahan lived believing in what God promised and therefore we also should live by that same faith in God's new promise.
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