The Theological Ruminator
Please, oh please, also be done with the KJV thing.
Maybe if you do the AvidGolfer thing, then I will...
Congrats on #1. I hate the idea of having to write one of those right now. You're crazy.
Thanks. I'm dreading the next one...
My questions, friend of Dan, on Rm 3:21-31 are the following: (Dan is going through Romans Monday nights, and I believe we're in Rm 5)...
1) Do you agree with Leon Morris that this is possibly the most important paragraph ever written? (I know, that's really not a content-type question.)
2) Why "publicly" (3:25)? Is the idea that God really did it, in space-time, as Francis Schaeffer might say? Or that He did it as the public proof of what He was demonstrating by it (cf. 26)? Was it publicly, as in an announcement of a huge change of relationship to God, and the piece of news above all others to be believed? Was it some kind of publicly binding legal act, unilaterally entered into by God? Something that invited comparison to the public, Roman acts of the governors of Judea, whether benevolent or barbarous? I certainly don't know!
Just some questions, which I don't have the answers to, in response to your request for questions. This is an old blog so you may just end up asking Dan "who is this guy?" That's fine!
Hey Larry - my blog is comatose, but not quite dead yet, so let me reflect a second on your questions.
1) I always hesitate on saying something is the "most" important. I mean, I think the gospel message still stands apparent in Scripture apart from this passage. But certainly this passage is pivotal and summarizes key truths in fantastic ways.
2) Caveat: I haven't preached this passage specifically and haven't looked at translation or contextual issues in a couple of years. Dan (Blosser?) probably can tackle this better than me since he's teaching. But without having studied it too deep I did take a look at the Greek. I'm not convinced that the best translation of that word there "proetheto" is "displayed publicly." (NAS) It may well be, but that is only one possible gloss of the word. Notice that NIV has "presented." ESV has "put forward." I don't have a commentary here or my best lexicon to check deeper on this right now.
Nonetheless, if it is to be understood in the sense of publicly and not semply "put forth" or "presented" (which carry nuances of "publicly" for sure) then I lean towards the simple idea that the crucifixion was a very public event. Everyone knew it happened. In fact, I think regardless of translation that is probably the thrust here. God put forward/presented Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. It occurred as Schaeffer points out at a real point in history that people would have known about. Notice in v. 26 that it brings up again that God was "showing" (demonstrating) something to us. Also look back at v. 21 where it points out that a righteousness from God "has been made known / manifested." This is not something hidden but readily apparent now. We no longer have to live condemned as Paul has clearly pointed out we are in chapter 2. We now have hope through Christ.
Hope this helps! Keep questions coming. I love 'em! 
Prove you're a man (not by standing up!). Parse proetheto. No cheating.
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