Originally published at: 6 October – St Peters Bentley
The Babylonian kings are portrayed as (i think deliberately?) comedically awful in Daniel. They’re obsessed and paranoid with their own power, worship whatever will give them more, then are continually shown up by the God of Israel, give Daniel high status for showing them God’s power, then immediately forget and go back to worshipping other gods again (and get obsessed and paranoid again in a ridiculous cycle). Hilarious.
But how often is this true of leaders in our day - insecure and power-hungry, rewarding anything that gives them ‘success’, but making the same mistakes over and over - human nature and society really hasn’t changed that much!
We have to figure out, like Daniel did, how to live faithfully to God under leadership that doesn’t align with the convictions of our faith.
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My notes from having read Romans 3 before are ‘??? 
don’t understand at all’. I’ve re-read it today and I still have the same thoughts, this is the part I struggled to understand the point of the most.
“Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!”
It’s pretty confusing! He’s repeating arguments that people have used to justify their behaviour - ie “well since God shows his goodness most when he forgives me, if I sin more that gives him more opportunity to show his goodness”
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And also in answer to one of your points from yesterday about Jews and Gentiles being one, the key passage is 3:21-26 - Paul says the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross makes it possible for us all to be right with God, whether jew or gentile. It is a gift received by us through faith, not through circumcision or other outward act - hence we are all equally able to access God
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My main takeaway from today’s Romans reading is that we are given righteousness, rather than having to earn it. It’s a freely offered gift that we receive by Jesus’ death. What awesome news!
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