Jeremy Rutland

Looking Into My Eyes
“A worldview is a framework of fundamental concepts of beliefs about the world. In short, a worldview comprises the lens through which we see the world.”
– Michael Wittmer, Heaven is a Place on Earth, 21. Life Experiences, social media, history books, and church have all affected our view on the world. Many people would agree that something in their life has shaped what they believed and why they believe it. Having a worldview simply means throughout of everything you have and will experience you have found an simply answer to understand it all. Most Christians based their worldview off what the bible teaches. Another group of people based their worldview off theory, hypothesis, or heavy information. Overall, humans have strategically created a way to make the natural world, human identity; human relationships and even culture make sense of it all. Apostle Paul was privilege to elaborate and give a more detailed account of his view of the world from a biblical standpoint. Apostle Paul writes to the Romans about the Natural world describe in Romans Chapter 5. Romans Chapter 5 indicates by one-man sin, sin came in to the world. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sin (v.12). The scripture that explains the natural world reverts to Genesis Chapter 1:26-31 that expounds of Adam and Eve sin in the Garden of Eden. Paul begins to tell the Romans that what they are dealing with did not just start in Rome but it was a problem in the very beginning. Paul uses a well-quoted scripture that used in Christian world, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory”. This scripture was placed there not as an excuses but a way a Romans can understand the sin is not just a Rome problem it is an international problem. Paul grasp this notion on the natural world by giving spiritual insight of the beginning of time.

Human Identity is something Apostle Paul has a grip on because he understood the power and the work of Jesus Christ. Paul expresses in the book of Romans 5:19, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.” Paul understood we were already doom because of another man’s sin. Our identity is traced back all the way to Adam being the first man. Even though we can recognize where our heritage is from still not stop the consequences of sin that’s in our lives. Jesus shedding of blood, allowed us to be a part of a linage that was holy and righteous. Human Identity is what the Romans lost focus on because they started worshipping the creation instead of the creator. People who are tuned into who they are and recognize where they come from will have a hard time being distracted from things that do not matter. Through Paul’s letter he was able to show them who they were by giving a simple history lesson as to where they came from. Many theologians believed that Paul was addressing sexual sins and the way they interacted with each other through out Rome. Romans 1:26-28 talks about how God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations to unnatural relations. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.

The Culture of Rome was very different than any other place at the time. Rome was the largest and most important city of the world. Its population was about four million people. I could say Rome was like Dallas, Texas or even Washington D.C. A lot of people in Rome were slaves and very poor people (NTS. P.130). The church in Rome probably consisted of at least five household churches rather than one large church.

In conclusion, The Apostle Paul wrote an Occasional letter to the Romans that addressed four major issues. The truth about the gospel Paul has been preaching. The place Jews stand in the plan of God. The need for the gentiles to be humble about their inclusion in God’s plan. Finally, the support Paul is seeking from Roman believers for his expanded missionary program in the western Roman Empire.