The Book of Romans and VPP

All the scriptures are taken from the book of Romans, this is a personal view qouting the Romans to refute VPP.

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, ....separated unto the gospel of God." (1:1) Separated even when he was still in the mother womb, to be the Apostle to the Gentile. "The Gospel" appeared in all his epistle, about 60 times, so he is separated for the Gospel message.

Paul said there were holy scriptures in his hands, he meant the Hebrew Bible. ".....holy scriptures." (1:2) Through out this epistle he never claim the perfection of his holy hebrew scriptures, nor did he mention the preservation of the holy hebrew scriptures. He did not spend time to protect the perfect hebrew Bible, but he carry on preaching the message, and he said he is the debtors to the Greek and barbarians. (1:14)

And the theme of his message is, taken from the scripture, It is written, "the just shall live by faith." (1:17) Where he qouted this verse from ? Habbakuk 2:4, "behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the just shall live by faith."

Take note,

We find out that even when Paul qouting the Old Testament, he did not translated literally into Greek, not word by word, there are differences in wordings. Why ?

1) in NT time, no many Jew understand the Hebrew language, not many understand the hebrew OT. Out of Palestine, Greek is the common language, the Bible they commonly used was the OT in Greek, Septuagint (LXX...), not the Mesoratic Text. Different Bible versions, so they have different wordings.

2) So the Apostles seldom used literal translation, but they used dynamic equavalent in translating the OT, they wrote mostly the meaning.

3) Sometimes, when they wanted to put more stress, he will add more words or subtract some word from the scripture, sometimes he will combined few OT verses to bring out a point in NT.

For example:

Romans 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." He qouted this verse from Psalm 14:1, "............there is none that doeth good." Comparing these verses, 2 kinds of wordings, did you see the differences. How Paul did his translation. Not word by word, but the meaning is there.

Paul did not pursue any perfect Bible ! He continue to explain the function and the meaning of the law in OT. He said no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law, ...but we become conscious of sin. (3:20)

If there is a snake hidden in a hole, to force the snake out from the hiding place, we may use agent like a smoke, a smoke burn with sulfur, give the snake a strong smell, this will make the snake choked with the smell of the smoke and tears This will then provoke the snake to come out of the hiding hole. The snake catcher will catch the snake then.

The Hebrew scripture is like a smoke, to provoke us come out of sin. Not to continue hidding in the sin. Or not to living in sin. How perfect is the Hebrew Bible, Paul did not took much time to explain it, but he continue to stressed other important truths. The meaning is more important than the mere wordings. It is the case.

What then the advantage of the perfect law, what then the advantage of a Perfect Hebrew Bible? Did Paul pursue a Perfect OT Bible ? Plea for a Perfect Word of God ? No. No, No, even though Paul was a Hebrew scholar, he said, I know nothing, "Accept Jesus Christ cruxified." (1 Cor 2:2) Why wasting your time to plea for a perfect underlying Greek TR ? What for ?

Did Paul holding a perfect Hebrew Bible in his hand? And take a oath and swear for the preservation of the perfect Bible. He was a Hebrew scholar before he met Jesus Christ. Paul said, He is a Jew, which is one inwardly....in the spirit...and not in the letter...(2:29)

After he believed in Jesus Christ, he asked us, "Are we any better ?" (3:9) Paul is saying, "Is Jew better than the Greek and Gentiles ?" Is Hebrew better than Greek, better than Chinese? Paul answer is ?"All under sin." (3:10) "Do we had something to boast about ?" (4:2) Is a perfect Greek TR, supposed it is perfect, the underlying, or the Greek MSS better than a CUV ? The answer is ?

And then, should we boast that we have a perfect underlying text ? Paul said, even though the law is good and perfect, but he said, there are something more important than the perfect law, the grace. Grace is better. You see, he did not boast about the perfect Hebrew Bible. To those Romans, he said plainly, "We are justified through faith" (5:1)

You see, the Believers has a perfect new relationship with God. More important than anythings else man can offer you. The wrath was carried away by the Lord, and now they are living in God's grace. They are experiencing inner peace and satisfaction. Paul said, We shall not go on sinning (6:1) He said the believer must keep on growing, and shall not keeping on sinning. The believers must pursueing better things like holiness, continue to live in the sense of sanctification.

Paul said, "You are under grace." (6:14) By God's grace we are living in holiness. And we serve in the new way of Spirit, and not in the old way of written code. (7:6) If the perfect OT was so perfect and so complete, and the mankind can save themselves, then God need not to send His only Begotten son for us. No, the Hebrew OT is only a guide, to lead man to the Lord Jesus Christ. What about NT ?

Those he justified, he also glorified. (8:30) and in another verse, "We all are..... changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor 3:18) "Nothing else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (8:39) Even languages problem, bible issues, Bible errors, nothing is able to separate us from the love of God.

Here is the perfect preservation of the saints, so those who have truely believed in the Savior, this is the assurance, Jesus Christ already been crucified, he said when he was still on the cross, it is finished, He completed the plan of God to save mankind, there is nothing in the world can separate us from the love of God. The love of God is a perfect love. This is how much, Paul love his own Jewish people, do you love your own people ? Paul wrote here, "I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of of israel." (9:3)

"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (9:15) It is God who that made the choice, and He has the right to choose. God has chosen some to be saved, we know from the Bible, only those people truely believed in Jesus Christ will be saved, so in Jesus we have the mercy of God. In Jesus we have the compassion of God. Please trust in the Lord, believe in Him, you will be saved. God made the election only in Jesus Christ, not another election, not another lord, not in the perfect Bible, so please believe in the Lord Jesus Savior, as the one and only Savior.

Why theologians are looking and playing down on the mercy, compassion, and chosen of God, we are brother in Christ, at the same time, splitting and dividing the church because of a perfect Bible, Greek text, the VPP. It is man effort, but the theologians forgot, in Jesus Christ, we are one, union. It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. (9;16)

"The Lord Almighty had left us descendants." (9:29), Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, but God had mercy on the family of Lot, theology is theology, doctrine is doctrine, but it is God who had saved us. What then shall we say ? (9:30)

There is no difference between Jew and gentile. (10:12) ....there is no language barrier that can keep us splitting, whatever the languages they are speaking, we all have the same Lord, Jesus Christ. We all need the same message, the Message is heard through the word of Christ. (10:17) What is the word of Christ, the preacher must preach about Christ, the message regarding the Lord, simply the Gospel, that is the word of Christ, words about Christ, this what we want. Those who do not want to accept the message they will not believe, if they do not believe, they will lost in sin. Paul said we believer, "do not be arrogant, but be afraid." (11:20), we must stand by faith, we are called not to be arrogant.

Prophesying is put before teaching, pastors before the teachers (12:6-7) the believers have different gift to serve in the church. Teaching is one of them. Paul wanted every one to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. (12:10) They are one, like a family, we should learn spiritual lesson from our pastors and teacher, we must not learn to fight and fight. So here Paul adviced the pastors and teachers to do something. I personally think it is applicable to every one. That is to "Live in harmony with one another" (12:16)

About the lawsuit between pastors and teachers, Paul said, "Submit to the governing authoities" (13:1) The believer should obey our government, do not repay evil them with evil. We must pay the taxes. As a good citizen we should not support a corrupted government. We must pray for a good goverment.

"For he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" (13:8) Here is the principle of christian fellowship, we must love one another, this is to fulfill the law. At the same time, we are told not to gratify the desire of the sinful nature. (13:14) The Lord is coming soon, let us live to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters, to continue to run the race.

Accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgment on disputable matters. (14:1) Out of love, and for the sake of Christian fellowship, the teachers should stop to teach those disputable matters like VPP. Paul here insisted, ''Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstracle in your brother's way. (14:13)

We who are strong ought to bear with the failing of the weak and not to please ourselves. (15:1) Finally, I hope the teachers will take good care of the Christian unity, the welfare of the believers, not to put any thing which can become a stumble block to them, take care the brotherhood in Christ, remember we are to be like Paul in dealing with doctrine of Preservation of the Bible.

Paul severely warned the brothers and sisters, that we must obey the truth. because there are people who like to divide the fellowship. So we must not follow them but you must keep away from them. "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learn. Keep away from them. (16:17)


How Paul translated the OT into Greek ?

Did Paul dying for a perfect Bible ?

We are under grace or law ?

How shall we say then ?

How shall we live ?

Is there any disputable matter ?

Should we be divided ?

Bonos question :

Since I have the perfect Bible, I will not rely on the Holy Spirit................(true/false)