ROMANS ROAD TO DEATH

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by twin sons Romulus and Remus who were raised by a she-wolf. The she-wolf is fitting for the eschatological ending of the old and new Rome, the great harlot (Rev. 19:2). It begins and ends with the “mother of emperors.”

Rome began as a group of villagers that believed these two young boys were abandoned by their granduncle King Amulius of Alba Longa. The belief is, after they were raised by this she-wolf, they grew into great warriors, thus, ending the life of King Amulius. This is the reason for the definition of Romans being “dagger man (Romulus) or assassin (Remus).” Upon their uncles' death, the twins became the founders and leaders of the Roma settlement. 

During their formative years of development as a cultist driven group, the Roman god Mars, a god of war, became their father. Special note: Nearly all the planets in our solar system are named after the gods of Roma and later the Greeks. Mythology states that goddess Leto gave birth to the she-wolf, clearly denoting Beast-ology.     

Today, most associate Rome with the Roman Catholic Church. Good reason. History reveals that the Roma cultist group evolved into an immense empire. Rome went from a monarchy to an oligarchic republic to now the Roman Catholic empire. During the time of Jesus, Augustus was the titleholder, son of the first emperor, Julius Caesar. During the reign of Agustus, the Roman empire became threatened by all religions under formation, particularly the “Christ-followers.” In order to maintain control over this newly populated group of Christians, Rome began to adopt the “religious movement” as a state church – the Roman State-Church (Catholicism). Meantime, Rome continued to keep to their reputation of “dagger man or assassin” by killing authentic Christians for the first 400 years of early Christianity. Much later in “church” history, it is revealed, and confessed by the Roman State-Church, that they had murdered millions of “Christ-follower” under the banner of indwelt Christians being a threat to the “mother of emperors” – their church.

The title “great whore” used in Revelation is directly referencing Jezebel, Babylon, the Romish antichrist. The term “new Babylon” in this book is revealing the rise of a new Rome, which is none other than the Roman State church, Catholicism. The new Roman Empire is noted to draw in their leaders and inhabitants of the Roman empire into wicked and idolatrous practices, and so corrupted and destroyed them in soul, body – through debauchery, homosexuality, refusal of church leaders marrying outside of the “mother of the church” (Rev. 11:18).

All this to state, this is what Paul was up against as he was called to preach to the Romans. The book of Romans is the clearest representation of the basic doctrines of Life in Christ, and how to obtain it. He deduces the complexities of theology to two primary heads-of-state, Adam and Christ (who is called the last Adam). This denotes the two primary lineages of descendants and their conclusive destinations – Heaven or hell. He teaches that physical birth reveals being born into sin, the Adamic nature & those who are reborn into Christ through salvation.

Here we find Paul’s basic revelations:

• Identification: Translated into the identity of Jesus Christ (Romans 1-8)
• Born in Adam: All have their identity with Adam in sin, condemnation & death (1:1-3;20)
• Adam Destroyed the Human Race: His seed of sin entered all men (Romans 1)
• In Christ: Christ identified with us in flesh and blood to have us identify with Him in co-death, burial, resurrection & ascension (Rom. 3:21; 6:1-6)
•  Christ Identifies with Living in Us: “Now in Christ” becomes indwelt Christians new position resulting in “no condemnation” (Rom. 8)

The Romans at the time were indulged and filled with all kinds of unnatural things.

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. (Romans 1:21-24)

This was Paul’s audience.

This is why the message of in Adam vs. being renewed and born-again in the new Adam (Christ) was imperative. These descendants of the unnatural roots of the she-wolf must be addressed. Each needed to see that Jesus Christ provided a way out FROM her, this great whore. This is why their behavior was being described as unnatural and of whoredom. They needed to understand that unless they are transferred over into the new Adam, they will remain condemned by God. Furthermore, it was imperative for them to know that Christ took their condemnation with Him to the Cross. IF they “got this,” they could appropriate the power of Jesus’s blood sacrifice, fully knowing that His blood was sinless (without Adam’s seed), for the pure purpose of being justified (just as if I never sinned) in Christ. This created an impossible question in their minds. And how does one accomplish this?

This is where his popularized passage of Romans 6 came into play. Paul described those authentic indwelt Christians at the time as “we who died to sin.” Meaning, if one is bestowed with the Holy Spirit from within when Christ died, we died with Him. To an unnatural mind, only the Holy Spirit can make this Truth coherent. This is what I call a “domino doctrine.” If the Spirit reveals the Truth of dying with Christ, His burial, resurrection, and ascension become an automatic inheritance of belief.

Paul’s ministry was mostly to the Gentiles, not the Jews. Even though he was quick to address the issues relating to the Law, he clearly understood the pre-Truth modalities of the history of the Roman unnatural gods – primarily the she-wolf. I personally believe Paul suspected a birthing of a new kind of she-wolf, revisioned Christianity (mother church) that was being formed in his day – the Roman State church. This new religion was addressed by John in the book of Revelation as the Nicolaitans, Pergamum, “Satan’s throne.” Deacon Nicolas was credited for replacing Christ with a human priest between the people and God. He was also considered the first elder of this Romish movement, which is also known as the birthing of the Roman State church (Rev. 2:12-17).

For these unnatural Romans to understand the “now in Christ” Truths was essential. Since this Romish cultist generation reacted to condemnation, Paul made his message sync – “there is, therefore, no condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus.” To escape condemnation became the pivotal doctrine for the Romans. This opened the door to authentic salvation. And…as authentic church history shows us, the indwelling movement of “now in Christ,” swept through the Roman Empire, which resulted in 400 years of the torturous killings of the real Christians.

Through DNA, I am not of the Jewish bloodline, I am most likely from this lineage of corrupt Romans, minimally descendant of Japheth (European). Since I was grafted into the lineage of the Jewish body through my rebirth in Christ, I embrace deeper respect for Paul’s message to the Romans. I daily join those whom the Spirit allotted understanding, grew in their union with Christ, rejected condemnation of self and others, understand the purpose & Holiness of the Law, release the inward control and power of Christ, walk not after my flesh but rather walk in the Spirit of Truth. I now am compelled to pass Paul’s legacy of the Cross on to either the confused and certainly to those who are dead to its message.

Hmm…after all is said and done, maybe the Romans Road leads to Life! 

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