ROMANS 13:1-7

PROBLEMS

1. Kasemann: “Our section is an independent block. In view of its singular scope it can be pointedly called an alien body in Paul's exhortation.” The passage does not seem to belong to the surrounding verses; chapters 12-13 read well if it is omitted entirely, and therefore it was felt to be later addition perhaps from a Stoic author. However:

A. We will see that this passage fits very well into the whole literary structure of Romans.

B. There are other NT passages, some by Paul himself, that teach basically the same thing:

1. Mark 12:13ff: Jesus' teaching to render unto Caesar. We will discuss this later.

2. I Timothy 2:1-2: prayers for the authorities; obedience is not mentioned. Motive: to live peaceable lives

3. Titus 3:1-2: Obedience is an expression of our regenerated life in the Spirit

4. 1 Peter 2:13-17: Be subject to the authorities (a) for the Lord's sake and (b) to silence                         critics.

2. Fitzmyer: “The passage has created a major problem in modern theological thought because Paul's teaching has at times been invoked to justify any sort of human government.”

O'Neill: “These seven verses have caused more unhappiness and misery in the Christian East and West than any other seven verses in the New Testament.” The reason for this comment is that Paul apparently demands absolute obedience to all earthly authorities. We will see that this is not necessarily true, and that there are at least eight caveats or limitations to our obedience that must be taken into account.

HISTORICAL CHURCH STANCE

2nd-4th cent AD Rome: Christians showed little interest in serving in the government or in the military, which was felt to be one of the reasons for the downfall of the Roman Empire. However, even during early Roman persecution, the Church Fathers taught respect for the Roman government:

Justin Martyr: “Everywhere, we, more readily than all men, endeavor to pay to those appointed by you the taxes, both ordinary and extraordinary, as we have been taught by Jesus. We worship only God, but in other things we will gladly serve you, acknowledging you as kings and rulers of me, and praying that, with your kingly power, you may be found to possess also sound judgment.”

Athenagoras: “We deserve favor because we pray for your government that you may, as is most equitable, receive the kingdom, son from father, and that your empire may receive increase and addition, until all men become subject to your sway.”

Tertullian: “We offer prayer for the safety of our princes to the eternal, the true, the living God, whose favor, beyond all other things, they must themselves desire. ..We pray for life prolonged; for security to the empire; for protection for the imperial house, for brave armies, a faithful senate, a virtuous people, the world at rest – whatever, as man or Caesar, an emperor would wish...Caesar is more ours than yours because our God appointed him.”

And Christians were allowed to serve in the Roman government as long as they were subject to church discipline and did not take part in pagan acts (emperor worship, for example). After Constantine, Christians were actually excommunicated if they refused to serve in the army.

During the Middle Ages, the church and state were usually closely aligned so there was no conflict between which one to follow.

Reformation: Luther used this text to urge that the princes crush the Peasants' Revolt, and Calvin taught that kings are to be obeyed unless they directly attack the church. This time period saw the setting up of individual state churches, still present in parts of Europe today. The modern church in America has expressed the whole gamut of views on the subject, from (a) civil disobedience for any matter of conscience (illegal aliens, abortion protests) to (b) a view that treats as almost heresy anything less than wholehearted support of a particular political party and all its leaders.

So look at the historical and literary context of these seven verses first to see where they fit, and I think that may give us some help in their interpretation.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF PASSAGE

Jews from the Hellenistic period on usually took their cue from Jeremiah's teachings to those in exile to pray for the good of the country into which they would be sent. The Jews would petition Greek and Roman authorities to listen to their grievances, but except on rare occasions did not rebel against authorities.

However, Jews were expelled from Rome about 54 AD under Claudius (see Acts 18:2) although allowed to come back when he died. Jewish zealots in various parts of the Roman Empire were carrying out acts of violence not only against Roman authorities, but also against fellow Jews who paid taxes. So it is appropriate for Paul to warn the Roman church, especially since Romans treated Christianity as a mere sect of Judaism.

Nero had been reigning for about four years at the time of writing, but the persecutions had not yet really begun. Nero in 58 AD (about the time of writing) actually reduced some of the people's taxes in reaction to widespread complaints against the indirect taxes levied by the publicans, and sped up trials against publicans accused of taking advantage of the people.

SCRIPTURAL CONTEXT OF PASSAGE

A. Romans 2:14: civil authorities who promote God's law

B. Romans 2:24: poor reputation of Jews in the Roman Empire

C. Romans 12:1: part of a Christian's sacrifice

D. Romans 12:2: obedience to worldly systems must be severely limited

E. Romans 12:3: avoidance of extreme behavior

F. Romans 12:18: living in peace in society

G. Romans 12:21: coping with hostile authorities

LITERARY CONTEXT

The Literary Structure of Romans (partial)

    V. Doing the Law (2:12-29)

        VI. Present Position of the Jews (ch. 3-4)

            VII. Justification by Faith (ch. 5-6)

                A. Christ's Death (ch. 5)

                    B. United With Christ (ch. 6)

                    B'. Dying to the Law (ch. 7)

                A'. Life in the Spirit (ch. 8)

            VII'. New Life (ch. 7-8)

        VI'. Future Position of the Jews (ch. 9-11)

V'. Living in the Spirit (ch. 12-13)

The highlighted passages are the two main exhortation sections in a letter that is otherwise mainly devoted to theology. They contrast those “doing” the law on their own vs. what Christians are to do as led and aided by the Holy Spirit. So the number one message is that Christians do not have to carry out these teachings on their own power. One possible verse in chapter 2 to consider as a context for Paul's teaching (among the others listed above) is Romans 2:14. Individual governmental officials, even though they are non-believers, may carry out actions by their nature that promote what God's law demands. Another verse in this parallel section to highlight as a possible context of 13:1-7 is Romans 2:24. Jews were despised by many Romans (as seen in the writings of Tacitus and others) in part because of their generally superior and unfriendly attitude toward Gentiles. The hypocrisy of their behavior is also pointed out by Paul in Romans 2, and Paul may be warning Christians to avoid getting this reputation – something we need to keep in mind today

The Structure of Section V'

A. Be transformed (12:1-2)

B. Love within the body (12:3-13)

C. Attitude toward enemies (12:14-21)

C'. Attitude toward authorities (13:1-7)

B'. Love for neighbor (13:8-10)

A'. Put on Christ (13:11-14)

Sections C and C' both involve outsiders, probably hostile ones. These passages stress living in harmony with them. Both mention the wrath of God on wrongdoers: C states that vengeance belongs to God so we should not take it into our own hands; C' elaborates on this by pointing out that the state may be God's instrument for punishing wrongdoers. So these verses do fit the context.

The combined chapters 12 and 13 start out with three introductory verses, each of which has been claimed as the proper context for understanding Romans 13:1-7:

A. Rom. 12:1 (Leslie Allen): Part of a Christian's sacrifice is the idea of obedience, giving up our rights.

B. Rom. 12:2 (Jacques Ellul): Obedience to worldly systems must be severely limited. Regarding blind obedience to the government, Ellul says, “As I see it, we have an incredible betrayal of the original Christian view, and the source of this betrayal is undoubtedly the tendency toward conformity and the ease of obeying.”

C. Rom. 12:3 (Ernst Kasemann): The enthusiasts in the congregation are being called back within the limits of earthly order. They may have been influenced by earlier statements of Paul such as in Philippians 3:20. But Christian freedom is not a license to practice civil anarchy (Fitzmyer).

By keeping all of the teachings in these introductory verses in mind, we can start to formulate the bounds for our proper attitude toward any system of government.

Romans 13:1-2

Language such as “every person” (v. 1) and “he who” (v. 2) involves each individual, not just the church as a body. Marcus Barth treats this as a revolutionary step since Paul taught that all Christians, not just the men or those in power, had a responsibility in helping to maintain civil order.

The First Caveat or limitation to our obedience: “Submit” is the same word used in v. 5 and in Paul's teaching elsewhere to submit to one another. It means to recognize a claim laid upon one. But it is not the same as “obey” and not an admission that some people are more important in God's eyes or even here on earth, but a recognition of God's established order.

The Second Caveat: This involves the definition of “governing authorities.”

Fitzmyer: “Paul is not discussing in exhaustive fashion the relation of Christians to governing authorities.” Paul was speaking to a particular situation. According to Kasemann, this did not even refer to the Roman Empire as a whole, but just the relationship between individual Christians (see v 1) and the minor officials with whom they might come into contact (local tax collectors, magistrates, etc.).

Minority view: Governing authorities (lit. higher authorities) may also refer to the angelic powers behind these human officials:

either evil powers (Ephesians 6:12) or

angelic beings (compare Hebrews 1:14 with Romans 13:4)

Against this view, (a) Christians are to judge angels, (b) tax collectors in v. 7 are obviously human beings, and (c) this passage was certainly not interpreted in this manner by leaders of the early church (Clement, Polycarp).

“no authority except from God” Several OT passages may have been in mind:

A. Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar, “The Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will, and sets over it the lowliest of men.”

B. ( Isaiah 45) God called King Cyrus his “anointed” to “subdue nations” before him. “I call you...though you do not know me.”

Third Caveat: We are not to deify our leaders. I have seen this happen with politicians as diverse as JFK and Ronald Reagan. In Paul's time that referred mainly to Nero. God is the only ultimate authority. It is not a case of serving either God or the state, or God and the state, but serving God through the state.

Fourth Caveat: “Exist” is in the present tense, in other words, the Roman government, not necessarily those governments that don't yet exist (i.e., all future governments). It has been even suggested that the Roman Empire was specifically instituted by God to “restrain the man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

2. “Incur judgment” i.e., from civil authorities, and ultimately from God.

Romans 13:3-4

Fifth Caveat: “not a terror to good conduct” Civil authority is meant to help promote the righteousness of God. This poses a limitation to our obedience if the authorities actually begin to promote evil rather than good.

Ecclesiastes 8:2-5 has been cited as a parallel. Note that there is not a blanket blessing on earthly authority, and there is recognition that many injustices are carried out (Ecclesiastes 8:11, 14).

Government is concerned not with sin and goodness, but with the deeds themselves.

Sixth Caveat: “God's servant” is mentioned twice, once in the context of approving the good and once on judging the wicked. “In one fell swoop government is torn from its pedestal and made the servant of God for the Christian.” (Harrisville)

“For your good” It was actually a relatively calm time for the Christians. Pax Romana had brought order to the empire in terms of maintaining services (roads, etc.) and reducing banditry. This was aiding Christian missionary work whether or not Rome realized they were doing so. Also, the Book of Acts shows how the Roman authorities were helpful to Paul on several specific occasions.

“Be afraid” Protesters who break the law for a good cause may be compelled to do so for conscience's sake, but they should also recognize that they must pay the penalty imposed by the government.

“Sword” The Roman term ius gladii (“the right of the sword”) was applied to the ability of Roman officials such as governors and army officers to execute capital punishment on offenders who were Roman citizens or provincials. This applied not only to the death penalty, but was symbolic of all punishment.

Seventh Caveat: We must keep v. 4 in tension with I Corinthians 6:1-2, which states that Christians should not take all issues to secular courts to decide.

“Servant to execute wrath” This verse poses a problem to those Christians who are absolute pacifists. Some Christian pacifists confuse force with violence. There are times when controlled force/war is actually needed to combat uncontrolled violence and evil.

Cranfield: “Through the state there takes place a partial, anticipatory, provisional manifestation of God's wrath against sin.”

The Romans 13:5

The motive in following authorities should be something other than mere fear. Therefore the

Eighth Caveat is perhaps the most important. Our conscience must be followed even if it means going against the state on occasion (Acts 4:19-20; 5:27-29). Leon Morris: “Conscience at one and the same time obliges us to be obedient and sets a limit to that obedience.” We can't just say as some Nazis did: “I was only following orders.” Witness the example of the Confessing Church in Germany at that time.

Romans 13:6-7

This is very similar to Mark 12:13ff when Jesus picked up a coin and said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's.” The image of Caesar on the coin designated ownership. Jesus allows that Caesar owns whatever has his mark (money, pagan altars, public buildings). The rest properly belongs to God. Caesar has no proper right over us as human beings because we are in the image of God..

“Ministers” (leitourgos, basis of our word “liturgy”) This is not the word for servants used earlier in this passage. It is usually applied to one in the service of God. Paul applies it to himself in Romans 15:16. So in their capacity as tax collectors they are not less than “servants” but actually have a higher status, if anything.

“Taxes” are direct (like property or income tax) while “revenue” is a tax on goods (like tolls or sales or custom taxes).

One receives certain benefits from the government so he cannot in good conscience refuse to support it in some manner. This goes beyond obedience into the issue of support. I have known Christians who were rather independent and isolated from the mainstream and who refused to pay income taxes because they didn't feel the U. S. Government was doing them any personal good. But we don't have to go that far to demonstrate a basically selfish attitude toward government. What about our complaining about school taxes because our children are grown up, failing to report income to the IRS, or claiming deductions that are dubious?

Conclusion

Although Galatians 3:28 teaches our equality before Christ, we must still recognize legitimate differences in the political and social realm.

Since we do not live in a dictatorship today, our responsibilities are not necessarily limited to those spelled out by Paul. We have more opportunities to influence government in a democracy.

This is not an exhaustive treatise by Paul on the subject. There is no guidance on what to do if, for example:

1. there are rivals to a throne, or in today's terms, there are several candidates for an office.

2. a rebellion puts someone else in power. Karl Barth taught that these verses certainly give no support to revolutionaries, who in turn will set up their own unjust form of government. But at what point does the new government become the legitimate government? Take the example of the American Revolution.

 

ROMANS 8:1-17

Alexander Whyte, a famous Scottish minister, told his congregation, “You'll not get out of Romans 7 while I am your preacher.” I'm a not-so-famous Scotch-Irish teacher but I am going to say the something similar: “You can't get out of Romans 7 quite yet while I am your teacher.”

J. I. Packer said that Romans 8 is like the summit of Mt. Everest. It is the highpoint of the book, but you cannot appreciate it until you realize how far you have come from Romans 1-7.

Romans 7:21-25 Let's briefly review this last part of Chapter 7 as background.

Verse 21: “Law”: not the Mosaic Law but a general principle of behavior controlling Paul's life.

Verse 23: Screwtape says to his nephew Wormwood as they are trying to tempt a soldier: “His faculties and powers were enemy-occupied territory.” (C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters) Lewis compares the two types of wars and shows how Satan can change his strategy when one type of attack fails.

Verse 24: “Body of death” may mean this mass of sin. Or it may refer to the physical body in which the law of sin is operative and leads to death. One translation refers to it as “doomed body.” That condition prevails as long as we occupy these mortal bodies.

Verses 24-25a: It is sometimes too easy for us to take our Christian victory for granted. Paul here expresses with great feeling the depths and heights of human emotion. Both are cries of a mature believer. Paul's shout recognizes that only in Christ can the struggle against evil be won since Christ's death conquered evil. John Stott: “I do not myself believe that the Christian ever, in this life, passes for good and all out of the one cry into the other.”

Verse 25b. “I myself” makes it clear that Paul is not avoiding responsibility by saying that the flesh is responsible.

“Mind” means the higher mental part of a man which initiates thoughts and puts them into action, as opposed to the mere physical component: the same as “inmost man” of v. 22.

Some would like to delete this last sentence and others move it to a place earlier in the chapter because it seems like an anticlimax. It recognizes that life on earth for the Christian will be one of inner conflict, a thought further developed in the next chapter (read Romans 8:22-23). It reminds us that the struggle is not over even though we are assured of the ultimate victory.

One component left out of this whole chapter is the Holy Spirit. That will also be covered in the next chapter. In Chapter 7 the conflict is viewed as one between the mind and the flesh. In Romans 8 it will be viewed from a different perspective as between the Holy Spirit and the flesh, with the Holy Spirit coming to the aid of the mind. In the first 17 verses of that chapter “Spirit” appears 15 times and “flesh” 13 times.

Before beginning Romans 8, read II Peter 3:15-16. Much of the problem in understanding these passages is not cultural, historical, geographical, grammatical or literary but arises from different word definitions. The key terms appearing in Romans 8 generally appear as contrasts, and do not occur in a vacuum.

Flesh (sarx) vs. Spirit (pneuma)

1. Hellenistic and Gnostic Dualism

flesh = body (sinful)

spirit = higher principle (good)

2. Rabbinical Doctrine (Two natures struggle for control and the strongest one wins. Thus, man unaided has the power to be good.)

flesh = evil intentions

spirit = good inclinations

3. Rudolf Bultmann (But Paul's sins of the flesh include “spiritual” sins such as idolatry and sorcery.)

flesh = realm of earthly, external existence

spirit = realm of the eternal

4. Usual Meaning by Paul

flesh = unregenerate man

spirit = Holy Spirit

Other meanings:

flesh: bodily tissue, physical body as a whole (II Corinthians 4:10-11 and in the last usage in Romans 8:3), man in reference to his origins (Romans 9:3,8), man in terms of his outward conditions and relationships (II Corinthians 5:16), human nature.

spirit (there was no capitalization in the original Greek): a power or influence (8:15), a disposition or frame of mind (8:15), a component of man's make-up (8:16)

Three-fold nature: spirit, soul, and body (I Thessalonians 5:23). But many commentators feel that spirit/soul is describing the same immaterial part of man in its higher and lower forms.

Two-fold nature (elsewhere in Paul, for example Romans 8:10): spirit and body (Look at Hebrews 4:12: “piercing even the division between soul and spirit.)

Below are a number of quotations from prominent commentators attempting to define the word “flesh:”

1. The whole personality of man as organized in the wrong direction, as directed to earthly pursuits rather than the service of God. (New Bible Commentary)

2. The evil intentionality and sphere in which man is hopelessly caught unless he is saved by the Spirit and grace. (Marcus Barth)

3. Man at his weakest and most vulnerable. (Victor Hamilton)

4. Human nature as controlled and directed by sin. (John Murray)

5. Human nature regarded as the seat and vehicle of sinful desire. (William Hendricksen)

6. The outlook oriented towards the self, that which pursues its own ends in self-sufficient independence of God. (Anthony Thiselton)

7. Fragile, mortal humanness severed from God's life and ultimate meaning. (N. R. Needham)

8. The entire man who is not reborn is flesh, even in his spirit. (Martin Luther)

9. Seeing nothing beyond the here and now, wrapped up in the things one wants or has set one's seal of approval on. (Leon Morris)

With that long introduction, we are now ready to tackle Chapter 8.

Romans 8:1-4

Verse 1: “Condemnation” is strong word in Greek implying punishment or doom.

“No condemnation” expresses the condition at the Final Judgment, not the present struggles described at the end of Chapter 7.

KJV adds at end “who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.”

Verse 2: “Me” = “you” or “us” in other manuscripts.

Verses 2-3: Law = principle in v. 2 and Mosaic law in v. 3.

Verse 3: “Weakness” here is not a relative quantity, but an absolute. It doesn't mean that the law was weak, but that it was powerless, totally incapable to save us and not designed to do so.

“Likeness of sinful flesh” is carefully worded by Paul to guard against two opposite heresies. He doesn't say “in sinful flesh” (i.e., Christ was wholly human) or “in the likeness of flesh” (i.e. Christ is wholly divine). This phrase teaches His identity with humanity without being identified with our sinful nature.

The Greek reads literally “For sin.” But NIV has “as a sin offering,” echoing the Septuagint's use of the phrase applied to sacrifices for sin.

Verse 4: “Walk according to” This is the first of many phrases denoting our identification with either the Spirit or the flesh. Others are: “live according to (v. 5), “in the” (v. 8), “debtors to” (v. 12), and “led by” (v. 14).

Romans 8:5-8

Another description of identification appears in these verses. The verb phronema (“set one's mind on”) appears only here in the whole Bible. It denotes not just an attitude of mind; it means aiming at or striving for something. Several commentators point out that there is a close relationship seen in these verses between what one thinks and how one acts.

Verse 6: “Death” is ultimate separation from God while “life and peace” is fellowship with God.

Verse 7. “It is not just being slightly uncooperative, this is downright hostility.” (Leon Morris)

Romans 8:9-11

These verses express an incipient trinitarianism with interchangeable phrases “Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Christ” (v. 9) and “Christ..in you” and “the Spirit in you” (vv. 10-11).

Gordon Fee notes that whenever “Spirit of Christ” is used by Paul, it refers to the work of Christ. He says that in Chapter 8 Paul is tying together the work of Christ in Romans 6 with that of the Spirit in Chapter 8. Two other times Paul distinguishes a believer from a non-believer by whether he has the Spirit (I Corinthians 2:12-14; 12:3). Without the Spirit, a person does not comprehend the work of Christ and cannot confess him as Lord.

Verse 10: “Dead” = doomed to die.

Verse 11: Promise of spiritual life now and a resurrected body later.

Romans 8:12-13

Verse 12: The sentence here breaks off in the middle and implies that we are debtors to the Spirit. It starts out with a strong expression which in the Greek is literally “wherefore therefore.” It is a deduction from the theological truths that preceded in order to give an application in living.

Verse 13: John Murray: “A believer's once-for-all death to the law and sin does not free him from the necessity of mortifying sin in his members: it makes it necessary and possible for him to do so.” You might want to read that sentence over again for emphasis.

Romans 8:14-15a

These images of being led by the Spirit (pillar of cloud?) and falling back into slavery may be drawn from the Exodus experience. (Remember the cries of the Israelites in the desert longing to be back in Egypt.) “Led” doesn't refer to a mystical experience of being led by inward voices or visions, but to not living after the way of the flesh, as made clear in verse 13.

Romans 8:15b-17

Abba is an Aramaic word for Daddy. There is an indication that the Lord's Prayer was given originally in Aramaic and started out with “Abba.” Paul may be stating that Christ, in giving this prayer to his followers gave them the permission to address God in this familiar form. See Galatians 4:6. The same verb translated as “cry” appears in both passages.

Verse 17a: The background may be Greek and Roman adoption procedures of the time period (unknown in Jewish law and tradition). These were carried out in the presence of witnesses such as in these verses and gave the same rights to adopted children as biological children had.

Verse 17b: The promise of glorification comes, as we have seen in earlier passages in Paul, together with the promise of suffering.

ROMANS 7:7-25

Romans 5-8

A. Christ's Death (Romans 5)

B. Living With Christ (Romans 6) 

B'. Dying to the Law (Romans 7)

A'. Life in the Spirit (Romans 8)

                                                        Romans 7: Dying to the Law

A. Question: “Do you not know...” (7:1)

B. Analogy: United in Marriage (7:2-6)

A'. Question: “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means!” (7:7)

B'. Analogy: Battlefield (7:8-12)

A''. Question: “Did that which is good bring death to me? By no means! It was sin working death in me.” (7:13)

B''. Analogy: Battlefield (7:14-20)

C. Two Laws: Serve God with mind and sin with flesh (7:21-25)

Romans 7:14-20

1. Condition Acknowledged (v.14) “We know...I am carnal.”

2. Conflict Described (v. 15) “I do...I do not do...”

3. Conclusion (vv. 16-17) “If I do...no longer I...but sin...”

1'. Condition Acknowledged (v. 18a) “I know that nothing good dwells in me.”

2'. Conflict Described (vv. 18b-19) “I do...I do not do...”

3'. Conclusion (v. 20) “If I do...no longer I...but sin...”

                                                        (John Stott, Men Made New, p. 75)

Romans 7:7-25 Paul begins to use the first person singular here for the first time in the letter. “I” appears 30 times in these verses. Compare this passage with Ecclesiastes 1:12-14, another first person account. “Between them, Qoheleth and Paul explore for us man's outer and inner worlds: his search for meaning and his struggle for moral victory.” (Derek Kidner)

Leon Morris: “Enormous controversy has surrounded Paul's exact meaning in (these verses).” One commentator suggests that we ignore what Paul says and pay attention to what he means. Autobiographical elements may actually express the pre-Sinai experiences of the Jews. But the emotional content argues for an autobiographical treatment. One interpretation is that Paul is speaking from first-hand experience but broadening the context to include the experience of all Christians.

Barclay: “With this passage there begins one of the greatest of all passages in the New Testament, and one of the most moving passages; because here Paul is giving us his own spiritual autobiography and laying bare his very heart and soul.”

The question arose in Paul's mind or in the mind of his critics: Is the law the same as sin? He points out the relationship between law and sin: the law reveals sin (verses 7-8), the law stimulates sin (verses 9-13), and the law creates a conflict with sin (verses 14-24).

This may be autobiographical in referring to (a) Paul's (a Christian's) present experience of paradoxically being under sin and grace at the same time (Luther, Calvin), (b) a description of the dark periods in a Christian's life when God withdraws his grace to test him, (c) intermittent falls from sanctification when the Christian does not appropriate God's grace, or (d) Paul's retrospective on his unregenerate life (Wesleyan), or more likely (e) Paul describing the man under the law whose true condition was hidden from him (Bultmann).

Romans 7:7-12

Verse 7. Paul feels the need to correct a possible misunderstanding of his words in 5:20 and 6:14, for example. It can be paraphrased, “Is the law sinful/wholly bad?” Paul uses a stronger expression. Law is not sin; in fact, Paul will later say that it is holy (v. 12) and spiritual (v. 14).

“Know” has the same meaning as in the OT: have intimate knowledge of.

“Coveting” is being drawn by created things rather than by the Creator. Coveting leads to the other sins. Desire itself is sinful regardless of the object. It represents love of self. Coveting = striving for achievement. John Murray: “Apparently covetousness was the last vice of which he suspected himself; it was the first to be exposed.” The 10^th Commandment is the one that is all encompassing because it addresses attitude rather than outward actions. See also Romans 3:20.

The law defines sin. What is pardonable in a child is not permitted in an adult. See James 1:22-25.

Verse 8. There is no verb in the Greek here. Thus, it may be “was” in place of “is.” “Dead” means inactive, inert, dormant. Sin is dead apart from law. However, see 5:13. Therefore it may mean that it is less active.

Fascination in the forbidden harkens back to the Garden of Eden.

“Opportunity” = a military term for base of operations. Sin is like a military strategist.

St. Augustine as a boy stole some pears (which he fed to pigs) just for the pleasure of doing something he knew was wrong. Warren Wiersbe (Be Right) tells a story about standing in Lincoln Park in Chicago and watching a number of people touching a bench that had the sign “Do Not Touch. Wet Paint” on it. “Why? Because the sign told them not to. Instruct a child not to go near the water and that is the very thing he will do!”

Verses 9-10.

A. This may be a reference to the story of the fall in the garden caused after the commandment was given and Satan took it as an opportunity. It explains verse 10 since the same word “deceive/beguile” is present in Genesis 3:13. By extension, Adam's experience became mankind's.

B. Or it may refer to Paul at his bar mitzvah when, at age 13, he became morally responsible under the law for his actions. But he certainly knew of its obligations beforehand, so that interpretation is unlikely.

“Alive” does not mean alive in Christ, but blissful, self-complacent.

“Revive” (came to life again). The Greek may only mean “spring to life.”

“I died” = I fell under the judgment of the law.

See I Corinthians 15:56.

“The coming of the law into our lives kills off our cheerful assumption of innocence. We see ourselves for what we really are, sinners, and we die.” (Leon Morris)

“Commandment came” indicates that Paul did not have to vigorously search for it.

Verses 10-11. The law kills in several ways; for one, it can lead to a legalistic attitude. Sin works through the law by convincing man that he can fulfill the law on his own, thus condemning him to defeat. The law does not only serve sin when it is transgressed, but also when it is followed (by fooling man into thinking he is able to do it alone).

Verse 12. “Holy” The Greek root of this word means “different.” “That is to say it is the very voice of God.” (Barclay)

There is nothing wrong with the law itself, just the use that sin made of it.

Romans 7:13-25.

Does this passage refer to the regenerate or the unregenerate? Morris states that there is nothing approaching a consensus on this point.

1. Arguments for the former: exclusive use of the present tense, doesn't fit Paul's own description of himself before conversion (Galatians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:6), the description of one who desires the good doesn't fit the unregenerate and neither does the cry in verse 25.

2. Arguments for the latter: it seems to imply that Christ cannot defeat sin in a believer if it refers to a regenerate state, the Christian life is one of peace (see chap. 8), the Holy Spirit is not mentioned in this passage and Jesus is only mentioned at the end, description of the person as a wretched man and a slave to sin do not seem to apply to a believer, the “Now” in 8:1 seems to mark the commencement of the Christian life.

3. Other possibilities: it refers to a backslider or to an immature or legalistic Christian. Most likely view (Morris) is that it represents part of the story of a Christian's experience (when he has sinned) but not the, on the whole, victorious life.

The experiences of a person in a transitional state: no longer in blissful ignorance but convicted of sin. However, not yet regenerate.

Verse 13. The law reveals the demonic character and origin of sin.

Verses 14-25. Use of the present tense may be for vividness, although describing the past. Five understandings for the use of “I”: autobiographically (Paul's experiences before his conversion), psychologically (a Jewish boy prior to age 12), Adam, a new Christian, or all unregenerate humanity. Fitzmyer believes that it is Paul's view of unregenerate humanity faced with the Mosaic Law, but as seen by a Christian.

He defines our inadequacies: partial human knowledge (just knowing what is right is not enough to do it), of human resolution (weakness of the will), limitations of diagnosis alone without ability to cure. The Jewish idea was that of two natures within man that struggle between themselves. Paul's idea is more of a human's struggle with an alien (sin) who has taken up residence within that person.

Verse 14. At this point, Paul turns from the past tense to the present tense.

“Carnal” = of the flesh. Man oriented toward the physical world rather than toward God.

Paul's earlier paragraph demonstrated that before he became a believer, he could not keep the law. Now he will show that even as a Christian, he (by himself) cannot keep the law.

Verse 15. “Know” may mean understand (just a slave following orders), comprehend why one is doing it, or approve of (acknowledge).

It deals with sins of omission as well as sins of commission.

Another interpretation: Failure is not one of being unable to obey the law, but of not realizing what are the consequences of trying to obey the law. It does not lead to reward, but to condemnation.

Ovid parallel: “I see and approve the better life, but I follow the worse one.” Seneca said that men hate their sins and love them at the same time. Pagan parallels refer to the interesting psychological phenomena in a person who is trying to follow his duty or striving for perfection. Psychologists call this the inner conflict between the organized and disorganized self. This is not really the same situation since Paul is describing a real struggle against the intruder sin.

Ernst Kasemann: “What man wants is salvation. What he creates is disaster.”

Verses 15-17. There is a possible parallel in Galatians 5:17, which deals with a slightly different situation. In Romans, it is indwelling sin that prevents the person under the law from fulfilling the law. The Galatians text addresses Christians who have the Spirit. When they yield to the flesh, the Spirit opposes them; when they follow the Spirit, the flesh opposes them.

Both passages use two Greek words for “do,” but there is no significant difference in meaning because the usage is reversed in v. 19.

Verse 16. Law is good (kalos – beautiful, noble, excellent). In verse 12, law is good (agathe – useful, upright).

Verse 17. Paul is not absolving himself by saying the Devil made me do it.

Verse 21. There are three possibilities for “law”: general principle of behavior, Mosaic Law (this is what I have found out about the Law), or controlling principle in Paul's life. “Law” can also refer to the law of God (v. 22) or the law of evil (23).

Verses 21, 23. “Evil rules in man like a strange law and yet it is an expression of his existence and nature.”

Verse 22. Delight in law is also found in Psalms 1:2; 119:16, 24, 47, etc. This concept is hard for us to relate to. In the OT it may refer to the Pentateuch. Here it may refer to all spiritual truths coming from God.

Verse 24. Morris: It is too easy to take our Christian victory for granted. Paul here expresses himself with great emotion.

“Body of death” may mean this mass of sin. Or it may refer to the physical body in which the law of sin is operative and leads to death. It is called “doomed body,” according to one translation. This condition prevails as long as we occupy these mortal bodies.

Verses 24-25. Both are cries of a mature believer. Stott: “I do not myself believe that the Christian ever, in this life, passes for good and all out of the one cry into the other.”

Verse 25. “Mind” means the higher mental part of a man which initiates thoughts and puts them into action, as opposed to the mere physical component.

Paul's shout recognizes that only in Christ can the struggle against evil be won, since Christ's death conquered evil.

Verse 25b. This recognition that life on earth for the Christian will be one of inner conflict is further developed in the next chapter (especially 8:22ff). It reminds us that the struggle is not over even though we are assured of the victory. It does not mean that the believer will continue to lead a divided life, but it is the recognition of a battle in which one party must triumph ultimately.

Some scholars feel, without any textual evidence, that this belongs better after verse 23. Some even omit this sentence altogether as being a later addition. It is better to take it as a summary of the whole preceding argument.

“I myself” makes it clear that Paul is not avoiding responsibility by saying that the flesh is responsible. 

"Mind" of v. 25 is the same as "inmost man" of v. 22. Paul will elaborate in the next chapter.

One component left out of this whole passage is the Holy Spirit. That will also be covered in the next chapter. Here the conflict is viewed as one between the mind and the flesh. In Romans 8 it will be viewed from a different perspective as between the Holy Spirit and the flesh, with the Holy Spirit coming to the aid of the mind.

 

 

ROMANS 5

A. (Romans 5-8)

These chapters form the exact center of the Book of Romans. So it is not surprising that John Stott states, “They are without doubt among the greatest and most glorious chapters of the whole New Testament.”

A fourfold division along present chapter lines seems justified by literary considerations, most notably their similar endings: “by, or through, Jesus Christ our Lord.” The complex organization of this section is pictured below:

 Romans 5 and 6

These chapters share an emphasis on the death of Christ, the fact that sin's power has been broken, and the concept of our life being in His. Each of the two chapters begins with a long passage in which "we" appears repeatedly.

Romans 5

Everyone agrees that Chapter 5 is divided into two sections: 1-11 and 12-21. Some see 5:1-11 as an introduction to the whole of Romans 5-8 introducing the salvation for those justified theme of by faith. This may be true, but the parallels between these two parts is rather obvious.

Romans 5

Verses 1-11                                                                 Verses 12-21

Inclusio: “God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”         Inclusio: “Sin came into the world,
“rejoice”                                                                     "law came in"

Contrasts Christ's death with human sacrifice           Contrasts it with Adam's sin.

Love is keynote                                                         “Grace/free gift” (7x) is keynote

Results of our justification                                         Cause of justification

Personal (recurring “we”)                                         Objective truths

Romans 5:1-11: Blessings of our justification: peace with God (1), access to God (2a), hope of glory (2b, 5), joy (2-3), Christian character (3-4), God's love within (5-8), salvation from future wrath (9-10), reconciliation with God (11).

Romans 5:1-2

“Therefore” either refers to previous verse or to the whole argument up to that point.

“Justified” is in the aorist tense (one-time event referring to either an individual's justification or, more likely, the event of the cross.

Verse 1b. “We have peace with God” or “Let us have peace with God.” (other translations?) Almost all modern translations read “we have” for two reasons: (1) “let us” usually appears in second half of Paul's letters (dealing with Christians' behavior) and (2) “peace” as used by Paul is a theological term, not something we can strive after.

“Peace” is not peace of mind or absence of conflict. It has the same meaning as the Hebrew shalom. Peace with God = reconciliation; it refers to our relationship with God.

The problem is that almost all the older manuscripts of the New Testament read “let us.”

The difference between the two readings is long or short O in ECHOMEN. Most textual differences are due to errors in copying a manuscript by hand (confusing the shape of one letter with another). This case is different since omicron and omega do not resemble one another, but at the time of the writing they were pronounced almost the same.

Let me explain by digressing for a moment with a more recent literary parallel: James Joyce, who was legally blind, dictated his book Finnegan's Wake to his secretary Samuel Beckett. At one point in the dictation, Joyce heard the sound of a branch tapping against his window in the wind. He thought someone was knocking on the door so he said, “Come in.” Beckett thought Joyce was still dictating so he added those words to the manuscript. When Joyce much later realized the mistake, he decided to leave the words in his novel.

Romans 16:22 indicates that Paul, who also had eye problems (Galatians 4:15), originally dictated Romans to Tertius, who may have mistaken Paul's pronunciation of this word. This could explain why most reliable manuscripts (earliest copies of that original letter) read “let us.”

“Through” – All blessings are in Christ, but they are also enjoyed through the continuing mediation of Christ.

Verse 2. Access or introduction are the two main usages of this noun in Greek: (1) entering a safe harbor or (2) being ushered into the presence of royalty. The first picture emphasizes our actions; the second one is preferred because it recognizes the role of Jesus in providing access. Either is possible in the Greek. Access to the Jewish sanctuary as the place of God's presence has been proposed as an allusion here, but that is a doubtful meaning.

“Rejoice”: When the Greek word is used elsewhere by Paul it is often translated “boast” (2 Corinthians 11:30). In both cases, our only appropriate boasting is in something beyond our control.

“Hope” doesn't mean that the possibility is in doubt. J. B. Phillips translates “hope” as a “happy certainty.”

“Glory”: This is a process that is going on today (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). And ultimately, we will see God's manifesting his glory in heaven and even share in the reflection of that glory (1 John 3:2).

Verses 3-5. Suffering leads to endurance leads to character leads to hope that does not disappoint

Similar progressions are laid out by two other NT writers: James 1: 2-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7.

“Suffering”: This particular Greek word has the root meaning of pressure.

“Endurance”: hypomone (lit. a remaining under)

“Character”: has the meaning of a person who has undergone testing. A veteran rather than a raw recruit.

Clarification on suffering:

    A. It doesn't refer to all tribulations to all mankind, but only for the Christian.

    B. We are not called to be masochists who enjoy suffering for its own sake, but we are to rejoice in what suffering will produce (analogy – like undergoing a painful medical treatment to be cured).

Verse 5. “Disappoint” is lit. “put to shame,” referring to an eschatological situation (i.e., at the Last Judgment).

“God's love” does not refer to our love for God (as in St. Augustine and older commentators) or to God's act of love. The reference is to the encompassing power of God's love.

Verb tenses: The Holy Spirit was given to us at a certain point in our life, but God's love continues to be poured into our hearts. The image is of life-giving water being poured out (see Isaiah 44:3). 

The giving of the Holy Spirit provides evidence for our hope and is the medium for God's love. The medium is the message.

Romans 5:6-11. Look at the terms describing our state: helpless (6), ungodly (6), sinners (8), enemies (10). There is somewhat of a progression from first to last. Two of these terms need a little explanation. Not “the ungodly” as in NIV and RSV, but ungodly mankind (everyone). “Enemies” does not depend necessarily on an actively antagonistic attitude of man toward God; it is rather the objective state separating man from God.

Verse 6. “The right time”: (a) May mean the fitting time in that we were sinners and helpless.

(b) More likely, the psychological moment of the world's clock as also expressed in several of Paul's letters. See Galatians 4:4-5. In any case, it was not an afterthought of God, but planned all along.

Verse 7. Parenthetical comment. Many commentators have had trouble with the meaning of this verse and even proposed to delete it as a later addition. It has always bothered me since righteous seems better than good. There are at least five different understandings for translating tou agathou (“good”).

1. his benefactor

2. good friend

3. William Barclay translates the end of sentence “good cause,” taking tou agathou as neuter.

4. Calvin and others feel there is only one man in mind so that second clause means “for such a good man.”

5. My favorite: Several noted commentators compare a righteous man (morally, but perhaps coldly, upright) with a man who is warm, generous and friendly in his goodness.

Verses 8-9. God's love and wrath are both mentioned. (“Wrath” clearly points to the Day of Judgment.) This counters the idea that the love of Christ overcame the wrath of God. Interesting that it is God's love, not Christ's, that is demonstrated on the cross. Do you think it was harder on God or on Christ?

Romans 5:9-11. Paul uses a rabbinical argument from the lesser to the greater.

Verse 9. Justification by Christ's death. Revisit Romans 4:25 where justification appeared to be due to Christ's resurrection.

Verse 10b. “Saved by his life” probably refers to our sanctification, even though the actual word is not used. It turns the negative conclusion of 9b into a positive one. Not only salvation from but also salvation to.

Verse 11. “Now” is best translated as “already.”

“Reconciliation” = restoring a right relationship with God. The Greek katallage means “change.” Reconciliation signals a change of attitude of God toward man and man toward God. It is an objective fact, though, not just a subjective feeling.

Romans 5:12-21: Introduction

These verses are the cornerstone of the doctrine of original sin. William Barclay: “There is no passage of the NT which has had such an influence on theology as this passage.” It is also said to be one of the most condensed passages in Paul's writings, and therefore we may not be certain of its interpretation.

Paul concentrates on objective facts, not our participation in the events.

In these verses, the word “one” appears exactly 12 times. It is based on two Jewish beliefs: the solidarity of a group and the fact that death came to the world because of Adam's actions.

Verse 12a begins a long digression that isn't completed until verse 18. Some translations put this whole passage in parentheses in order to deal with some difficulties in expressing the similarities and contrasts between Christ and Adam, “the two heads of the human race” in the words of one commentator.

The idea of this verse is expressed by Paul more clearly in I Corinthians 15:21.

“Reign” appears five times. Adam and Christ each reigned over a kingdom.

Verse 12. Segal's tongue-in-cheek Law says, “A man with one clock knows what time it is; a man with two is never quite sure.” This expresses the difference between to types of Christians, and I have encountered both. Some just want to be told by someone else what a given passage of Scripture says while others would rather hear all the possibilities so they can decide on their own. The first group will be disappointed in the comments below:

Victor Hamilton lists six possible interpretations for the last clause of this verse:

a. death in which all sinned

b. one man in whom all sinned

c. one man because of whom all sinned

d. because all participate in Adam's sinning

e. because each one sins apart from Adam's sinning

f. because all sin since they inherit Adam's tendency to sin

Augustine, Luther and Calvin favored option b. Victor Hamilton feels that option f does the best justice to the leading role of Adam and to our individual responsibility.

The New International Dictionary of NT Theology explains that interpretations depend on whether eph' refers to death or to one man with epi meaning “in” or “because of”; or eph' ho meaning “on the ground of this fact, that.” The author concludes that the most likely meanings are (1) death spread to all men because all sinned (in Adam) or (2) death spread to all men because all since the time of Adam have sinned, or do sin, because of inherited tendency.

Barclay gives the following interpretations: (1) each man is his own Adam; Adam is a type of all mankind, (2) Adam was the representative of mankind and we share legally in his sin, (3) we inherit from Adam his tendency to sin, (4) because of the solidarity of all mankind, we share literally and legally in Adam's sin.