Romans

"You know somethin', Utivich? I think this just might be my masterpiece." — Lt. Aldo Raine, "Inglorious Basterds"

When "Inglorious Bastereds" debuted in 2009, I was blown away. I knew it would be dark and violent based on the trailer, and based on the fact it was a Quentin Tarantino film. But I didn't realize how incredible the storytelling would be. Near the end, Aldo Raine, played by Brad Pitt, utters the line quoted above. I thought it was perfect, but I think that was really Tarantino reflecting on his work on the film.

And you know what, he was right. It was his masterpiece. It was the film he'd been working his whole life to tell. I had seen all his previous films, and because I had I could see pieces of his other work in "Inglorious Basterds." He had used the best of those film — in dialogue, tone, setting, and cinematic effect — to create a master opus. You could see the other influences, but in this film they'd been finely honed and refined.

I think about that when I think about the Apostle Paul and the book of Romans, which we've begun studying during our "Epic" series. Romans appears early in the New Testament, but it was a letter Paul wrote near the end of his ministry. By the time he wrote Romans, Paul had been on three missionary journeys, begun countless churches, and shared the Gospel in a number of other epistles. But with Romans, it's as if he used all the experience to create a master work.

That's how Romans reads — like Paul's best, most reasoned argument for faith. It's beautiful in the way it captures the simplicity and complexity of the Gospel, and it's beautiful in the compelling way he lays the whole thing out. That is one of the reasons that Romans has texts that are the most frequently memorized, and most frequently used to reach others with the Gospel. Paul had honed his craft in a beautiful way, and Romans is the result.

When we read Romans, we benefit from a lifetime of study and pursuit when it comes to the Gospel. Paul went from the most fierce opponent of Christianity — having helped kill the first martyr, Stephen — to it's fiercest advocate. You see that in Romans. Paul is pouring out his heart, sharing his faith, and moving many — over centuries — to see God in a new way, and to put their faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

It's not an easy or simple book, but it's an important message. It takes time to dissect, reflect, and marinate on its truth, but it's well worth it. Unlike Tarantino, Paul would never have called Romans his masterpiece. But when you read it, it's easy to see that it is. It's God's masterpiece through Paul, and its truth is at the heart of our faith.