The
Romans
(NIV)
By
Syd Cleveland
(©
1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and Revised
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“Quoted from The
PAUL = The Greek is "Paulos" (Strongs #G3972) meaning
"small." Paul's Hebrew name
was Saul, which means "asked for" (Acts 13:9). His father was a Pharisee (Acts 23:6).
"Paul was a
Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, born in the Greek city of Tarsus in Cilicia, who
inherited Roman citizenship (Acts 22:28-29).
Hence, he was well acquainted with the three great nationalities of the
Roman Empire and was providentially prepared for his apostolic mission among
the Jews, the Greeks, and the non-Greeks, who were then called barbarians. He was a student of language and literature,
and he quoted from three poets who were well-known in that day: Aratus (Acts
17:28), Menander (1 Corinthians 15:33), and Epimenides (Titus 1:12). Under the instruction of Gamaliel, a
distinguished rabbi at Jerusalem (Acts 22:3), Paul became a master of the
Jewish law (Galatians 1:14). Paul was also
a tentmaker, a trade that he performed so that he could support himself (Acts
18:3; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 9:18). It was
a Jewish custom for the father to train or provide training for his sons. Paul's residence at Jerusalem commenced at an
early period (Acts 26:4), and he was probably between twenty-two and
twenty-five years old when Christ began His public ministry. Paul belonged to the strict sect of the
Pharisees (Acts 23:6) and was among the spectators at the stoning of Stephen
(Acts 7:58 [cf. Acts 22:20]). On his way
to Damascus to arrest and imprison Christians (Acts 26:9-11), he was restrained
by a special appearance of the Lord, during which he was struck blind (Acts
9:3-9; 26:15 [cf. 1 Corinthians 15:8]).
He received his commission as an apostle to the Gentiles directly from
Christ (Acts 26:16-17; Galatians 1:1).
After the restoration of his sight (Acts 9:17-18), Paul began to preach
the gospel (Acts 9:20-21; Galatians 1:16)." -- The Complete WordStudy
Dictionary, New Testament, Zodhiates, p. 1131
A SERVANT = The Greek "doulos" (Strongs #G1401) means
"a slave who is in permanent servitude to another." By using this word Paul not only lifts up the
Lord Jesus Christ as his divine master, but also indicates that his commitment
to Christ is permanent.
CALLED = The Greek "kletos" (Strongs #G2822) means
"called, invited, welcomed, appointed."
AN APOSTLE = The Greek "apostolos" (Strongs #G652) means
"a delegate, a commissioner, an ambassador, someone who is officially sent
on behalf of another." As an
ambassador for Christ, Paul was authorized to communicate Christ's message and
exercise His authority (see Acts 9:27; 16:18).
SET APART = The Greek "aphorizo" (Strongs #G873) means
"to separate or select to some office or work." Just as the Pharisees were called "the
separated ones" (separated from the crowds in order to observe the law),
so Paul was "set apart" for the Gospel. Paul was once a strong legalist (Philippians
3:4-6), but now the Gospel so permeates his life that he is truly set apart for
the gospel of God.
FOR THE GOSPEL = The Greek "euaggelion" (Strongs #G2098)
means "good news, gospel." The
"gospel" is the good news about Christ (Romans 1:3) and His gift of
salvation offered to us and received by faith (Romans 3:23-24).
Rom 1:2
THE GOSPEL = The Greek "euaggelion" (Strongs #G2098)
means "good news, gospel." The
"gospel" is the good news about Christ (Romans 1:3) and His gift of
salvation offered to us and received by faith (Romans 3:23-24).
HE PROMISED BEFOREHAND = "He" refers back to
"God" in Romans 1:1. The
Gospel was promised by God long before the incarnation of Christ (1 Peter
1:20). Scripture is clear that Jesus'
sacrificial life and death was instituted even before creation (Revelation
13:8). The Greek "proepaggellomai"
(Strongs #G4279) meaning "to proclaim, promise, or announce
beforehand."
THROUGH HIS PROPHETS = The Holy Spirit used Biblical prophets as
His tools to communicate God's messages to His people (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy
3:16-17).
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES = This phrase is composed of two Greek words:
(1) "hagios" (Strongs #G40) meaning "holy, sanctified,
consecrated, pure"; (2) "graphe" (Strongs #G1124) meaning
"scripture, written document."
The New Testament word is in the plural and almost always preceded by
the definite article "the."
The Bible presents the consistent view that Scripture is:
a. Holy (Romans
1:2)
b. Truth and true
(John 17:17; Psalm 119:160)
c. Flawless (Psalm
12:6)
d. Perfect
(Proverbs 30:5-6)
e. Cannot be
broken (Hebrews 6:18)
f. All sufficient
(2 Timothy 3:15-17)
To teach that the
Bible contains errors, half-truths, falsehoods, or misrepresentations, is to
call our Heavenly Father, His Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible liars. And yet, many religious teachers,
particularly those in non-Christian cults, frequently claim the Bible has
mistakes and present their own ideas as superior to the Word of God. Scripture calls those who trust in their own
wisdom, "fools" (Proverbs 28:26).
Rom 1:4
SPIRIT OF HOLINESS ... GOD ... JESUS CHRIST = These are the three
members of the Trinity. The three
members of the Trinity are mentioned in Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:16; Matthew
28:19; Luke 1:35; Luke 10:21; John 3:5; Acts 7:55; Acts 10:38; Romans 1:4;
Romans 15:16, 30; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 13:14;
Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:17; Philippians 3:3; Hebrews 10:29; 1 Peter 1:2; 1
John 4:2, et cetera.
DECLARED ... TO BE THE SON OF GOD BY HIS RESURRECTION = The cross
is the point at which Jesus entered into His kingly glory (see Revelation
Rom 1:18
WRATH OF GOD IS BEING REVEALED = Paul speaks of the wrath of God in
two ways: (1) mostly it refers to a future event in which God's judgment is
personally executed on the world's sinfulness (Romans 2:5; Romans 2:8; Romans
5:9; Ephesians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 1;10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). In these contexts, God's wrath (or its
synonym "God's judgment") is clearly seen as an activity of God --
His decided action against sin. (2) It
is not only God's response in a future judgment, but it is also a present
reality (Romans 3:5; Romans
Rom 1:24
GOD GAVE THEM OVER = Our rejection of God's love separates us from
God's life-giving power. Thus God's
punishment of our sin is brought upon us by ourselves. The result is our own self-induced disintegration
and death. God does not force us to live
according to His desires, but will respect our decision to choose the way of
death (see Romans
Rom 1:26
GOD GAVE THEM OVER = Our rejection of God's love separates us from
God's life-giving power. Thus God's
punishment of our sin is brought upon us by ourselves. The result is our own self-induced
disintegration and death. God does not
force us to live according to His desires, but will respect our decision to
choose the way of death (see Romans 1:24, 28).
Rom 1:27
ABANDONED NATURAL RELATIONS ... LUST ... INDECENT ACTS = Homosexual
relationships are unnatural, indecent and perversions of the male/female
marriage relationships God prescribes in His Word. From a biological standpoint, even a simple
lesson in physiology makes the point unquestionably clear that homosexuality is
a perversion. From a medical standpoint,
homosexuals need to be aware of not only the diseases which arise from this
perversion, but also the organic
physical risks and deformities which result from anal and/or oral sex.
PERVERSION = The Greek "planay" (Strongs #G4106)
literally means "a wandering out of the right way," thus it is
translated "perverseness, wickedness, sin."
Rom 1:28
GOD GAVE THEM OVER = Our rejection of God's love separates us from
God's life-giving power. Thus God's
punishment of our sin is brought upon us by ourselves. The result is our own self-induced
disintegration and death. God does not
force us to live according to His desires, but respects our decision to choose
death (see Romans 1:24, 26).
Rom 1:30
GOD-HATERS = The only cure for this is in Romans
YOU = In context refers to the wicked people mentioned in Romans
PASS JUDGMENT = Not the legitimate and required judging that is
mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:12-6:3, but the unwarranted critical judgment
James speaks against in James 4:11.
Rom 2:2
GOD’S JUDGMENT … IS BASED ON TRUTH = “God will
judge those who are guilty of such things, not according to appearance, but in
integrity, and with righteousness. He will judge people according to the real
nature of their conduct, and not as their conduct may appear to people.”
– Barnes Notes on Romans 2:2
Rom 2:3
YET DO THE SAME THINGS = Not that judges are to be perfect saints,
but that they are to be repentant sinners (Romans 2:4-5).
Rom 2:4
REPENTANCE = The Greek "metanoeo" (Strongs #G3341) means
"to change one's mind, to think differently." Theologically, repentance involves genuine
regret or sorrow, accompanied by a true change of heart toward God.
"Repentance
is necessary for salvation, but merely as a preparation of the heart and not as
a price paid for the gift of life." -- Lectures in Systematic Theology,
Henry C. Thiessen, Eerdmans, p. 202
Rom 2:5
STUBBORNNESS = The Greek “sklerotes” (Strongs #G4643)
means “hard-hearted, obstinate, stubborn.”
UNREPENTANT = The Greek “ametanoetos” (Strongs #G279)
means “impenitent, unrepentant.”
THE DAY OF GOD'S WRATH = See Revelation 15:1.
Rom 2:6
GIVE TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE = Quoted from
Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12. This is
explained in the verses which follow as a just reward for the wicked and a just
reward for the saved.
"Disobedience
and unbelief due to ignorance do not deliver one from punishment, for ignorance
of the Law is no excuse (Leviticus 5:17).
But sins done in ignorance will not receive as much punishment as sins
done consciously in violation of known law (Luke 12:48)." -- Death and the
Afterlife, by Dr. Robert A. Morey, Bethany House, p. 153
There are degrees
of punishment for the wicked, just as there are degrees of rewards for the
saved (see Matthew 16:27; Luke 12:47):
"While the
fact of judgment is determined by what we are, i.e., our nature, the degree of
punishment is determined on the basis of true knowledge we have received and
the quality of life that we live (Romans 2:3-6)." -- Death and the
Afterlife, by Dr. Robert A. Morey, Bethany House, p. 154
Rom 2:7
SEEK ... IMMORTALITY = Notice that the person does not currently
have immortality; he is to persistently "seek" immortality.
ETERNAL LIFE = God gives "eternal life" now, but bodily
immortality is received at the second coming of Christ (1 Corinthians
Rom 2:12
ALL WHO SIN = Under the Old Covenant sin was defined for the
Israelites by the Ten Commandments and all the attendant laws and
regulations. However even under the Old
Covenant, every human had an inborn knowledge of what is right and wrong (Romans
The careful Bible
student will note that here Paul argues against the Seventh-day Adventist
teaching that the Ten Commandments are the eternal standard by which God judges
all humanity. For Scripture states the
Ten Commandments were specifically God’s Old Covenant with the Israelites
(see Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:8, 13; Hebrews 9:4) and expired at the cross
(Hebrews 8:8-9, 13; 2 Corinthians 3:6-11; Romans 7:6; Hebrews 9:15). Thus, instead of the Ten Commandments being
the eternal standard for defining sin, it is God’s own personal
righteousness which convicts both Jew and Gentile of sin:
“This is an
instance of the strict justice of God, and proves Him to be no respecter of
persons; for the Gentiles, who were ‘without law’, the written law
of Moses, not without the law of nature in their breasts, nor without some
civil laws and statutes of their own; inasmuch as they "sinned"
against the God of nature, and the law and light of nature, they ‘will also perish apart from the law’:
not that their condemnation and perdition will be illegal, or not in due course
of law; but it will not proceed upon, or be according to the law of Moses, they
never had; and much less for not believing in Christ, of whom they never heard;
but their perdition will be for their sins committed without the law of Moses,
against the law of nature: their not having the written law of Moses will be no
plea in their favor, or be a reason why they should not be condemned; their
persons will not be regarded as with or without the law, but their sins
committed by them, to which facts their consciences will bear witness.”
– John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
ALL WHO SIN UNDER THE LAW = This refers to the Israelites
“who have been in and under the law of Moses, and have sinned against it,
meaning the Jews (i.e. the Israelites).” – John Gill’s
Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Christians are not
immune from the requirements of God's righteousness, however, God's Ten
Commandments (the Old Covenant God only made with the Israelites [see Exodus
34:28; Deuteronomy 4:8, 13; Hebrews 9:4]) are not relevant to Spirit-led
Christians. The Ten Commandments of the
Old Covenant only identified wrong actions as sin and thus are not sufficient
for Christians who are to have a new heart and right thoughts. Spirit-led Christian is a new creation. He walks with Jesus under the New Covenant
which not only identifies wrong actions as sin, but also wrong thoughts. Being a Spirit-led Christian removes the Christian from God’s condemnation
because the focus is on following Jesus Christ and the leading of the Holy
Spirit (Galatians
Much confusion
regarding “the law” arises because Sabbatarians equate “the
law” with the Ten Commandments.
However, long before the Ten Commandments first appeared in 1450 B.C. at
Mount Sinai (where God only gave them to the Israelites as the Old Covenant
[see Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 5:2-4; Deuteronomy 4:8, 13]), God’s own
moral righteousness rebuked sin. It was
a sin for Cain to think murderous thoughts about Able even though the Ten
Commandments did not exist until 2,600 years later. God convicted the ante-diluvian world of sin
even though the Ten Commandments did not exist at that time, on the basis of
His own personal righteousness. The Ten
Commandments were a very minute portion of God’s Law, specifically
distilled for, and applied to, the Israelites as the Old Covenant (see Exodus
34:28; Deuteronomy 4:8, 13; Hebrews 9:4) and only designed to last until Christ
(Galatians 3:16-19). Jesus pointed out
that the Ten Commandments are neither sufficient, nor applicable to Christians
living under the New Covenant (see commentary notes on Mathew
Rom 2:13
WHO OBEY THE LAW = See notes on Romans 3:19-20; 1 Corinthians
9:20-21; Galatians 4:19-21.
“The apostle
here shows, that the Jews were justly condemned, notwithstanding their having
and hearing of the law; since hearing without doing it, will never nominate
persons righteous in the sight of God, however it might recommend them in the
sight of men: regard seems to be had either to the first delivery of the law by
Moses to the people of Israel, when he read it to them, and they hearkened to
it, and promised obedience; or rather to the reading and hearing it every
Sabbath day; and may include a speculative knowledge of it, without a practical
obedience to it; and which therefore must fall greatly short of entitling them
to a justifying righteousness.” – John Gill’s Exposition of
the Entire Bible
WILL BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS = This is a "declared"
righteousness, not an "earned" righteousness. See Ephesians 2:8-9.
Rom
GENTILES, WHO DO NOT HAVE THE LAW = The law (i.e. the Ten
Commandments) were only given to the Israelites under the Old Covenant, and
never given to anyone else (i.e. “Gentiles,” see Deuteronomy 5:2-4;
Deuteronomy 4:8, 13).
“The
objection of the Gentiles against their condemnation, taken from their being
without the law, is here obviated. The apostle owns that they had not the law,
that is, the written law of Moses, and yet intimates that they had, and must
have a law, against which they sinned (i.e. God’s personal righteousness,
the requirements of which are ‘written on their hearts’ [Romans
2:15]), and so deserved punishment, and which they in part obeyed.”
– John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Rom
REQUIREMENTS ... ARE WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS = When taken in
context with Romans
Rom
IF YOU RELY ON THE LAW = This is a key phrase in Paul's definition
of lost Jews, and must be taken in contrast with relying on the righteousness
of Jesus Christ.
Rom 3:8
DO EVIL THAT GOOD MAY RESULT = This is the age-old heresy of
"the end justifies the means."
The entire concept is condemned by scripture, just as it is here:
"their condemnation is deserved."
Rom 3:19
WHATEVER THE LAW SAYS = The Greek "nomos" (Strongs #G3551)
means "law in general." Here
it specifically refers to the Mosaic Law (which includes, but is not limited
to, the Ten Commandments).
IT SAYS TO THOSE WHO ARE UNDER THE LAW = Christians are not immune
from the requirements of God's Moral Law, however, God's Moral Law is not
relevant to Spirit-led Christians. God's
Moral Law (the Ten Commandments of the Old Covenant) simply identify wrong
actions as sin. But the Spirit-led
Christian is a new creation. He walks
with Jesus under the New Covenant and thus God's Old Covenant Law is no longer
relevant to him, for he is living on a higher spiritual plane. Being a Spirit-led Christian removes the
Christian from being under the condemnation of the Law, and thus the relevance
of the Law. The Spirit-led Christian
focuses on Jesus Christ and keeping in step with leading of the Holy Spirit
(Galatians
Much confusion
regarding “the law” arises because Sabbatarians equate “the
law” with the Ten Commandments.
However, long before the Ten Commandments first appeared in 1450 B.C. at
Rom 3:20
BY OBSERVING = The Greek "ergon" (Strongs #G2041) means
"deeds, work, performance."
Here it specifically means "conforming to the law."
THE LAW = The Greek "nomos" (Strongs #G3551) means
"law in general." Here it
specifically refers to the Mosaic Law (which includes, but is not limited to,
the Ten Commandments).
Rom 3:21
A RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD = The Greek "dikaiosunay"
(Strongs #G1343) means "just, righteous." "Righteousness" is what happens
when man completely conforms to all that God commands or claims.
"Since God
Himself is the standard of the believers, the righteousness of God means the
righteousness which belongs to God or to oneself from God, or God-like
righteousness (Matthew 6:33; James 1:20; and commentary notes on Romans
7:4). Thus righteousness, in general, is
God’s uprightness or standard, without reference to any particular form
of its embodiment, to which man is expected to conform." -- Complete
WordStudy NT Dictionary, Zodhiates, on Strongs #G1343.
APART FROM THE LAW = The Greek "nomos" (Strongs #G3551)
means "law in general." Here
it specifically refers to the Mosaic Law (which includes, but is not limited
to, the Ten Commandments). Scripture is
very clear that the Ten Commandments was the Old Covenant God made specifically
with the Israelites (Deuteronomy 4:13; Exodus 34:28; Hebrews 9:4) and not with
any other nation or people before or since Sinai (Deuteronomy 4:8, 13;
Deuteronomy 5:2-4). In addition, God
specifically stated in Scripture that the Ten Commandments were only to last
until the time of Jesus Christ, the prophesied Messiah (Galatians
3:16-19). Beginning with the Incarnation
of Jesus Christ, the Old Covenant of stone
would fade away and be totally replaced by the New Covenant written in
Christ’s blood on the cross (Hebrews 8:8-9, 13; Luke 22:20; 2 Corinthians
3:6-11; Hebrews 9:15; Romans 7:6).
THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS = These two great categories encompass the
entire Old Testament.
Rom 3:22
COMES THROUGH FAITH = This righteousness is not the result of
obedience to the law, nor of good works; but rather comes through faith in
Christ (Galatians
Rom 3:23
ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT = This phrase indicts all humanity
for our sins of the past ("all have sinned") and our sins of the
present ("and fall short").
See 2 Chronicles 6:36; Leviticus 5:17.
Scripture is clear that every individual of the entire human race is
full of sin (Proverbs 20:9; Isaiah 64:6; John 8:7; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8;
Jeremiah 2:35). Only Jesus Christ is
sinless (John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15).
Rom 3:24
JUSTIFIED = "Justification is an action of God by which He
declares persons as righteous (i.e., in true and right relationship to
Himself). The basic fact of Biblical
religion is that God pardons and accepts believing sinners. The doctrine of justification determines the
whole character of Christianity as a religion of grace and faith. It defines the saving significance of
Christ's life and death by relating both to God's law. It displays God's justice in condemning and
punishing sin, His mercy in pardoning and accepting sinners, and His wisdom in
exercising both attributes harmoniously together through Christ. It makes clear what faith is -- belief in
Christ's atoning death and justifying resurrection, and trust in Him alone for
righteousness. It makes clear what
Christian morality is -- keeping the law out of gratitude to the Savior whose
gift of righteousness made keeping the law needless for acceptance." --
The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, editor, page
260.
Rom 3:27
THE LAW = Greek literally says "a law of faith." Here Paul uses the term "law" in a
figurative sense to mean all the laws governing rituals, sacrifices and morals
from the time of Moses onward (see commentary notes on Romans 3:21 and Romans
10:4).
Rom 3:28
JUSTIFIED = "Justification is an action of God by which He
declares persons as righteous (i.e., in true and right relationship to
Himself). The basic fact of Biblical
religion is that God pardons and accepts believing sinners. The doctrine of justification determines the
whole character of Christianity as a religion of grace and faith. It defines the saving significance of
Christ's life and death by relating both to God's law. It displays God's justice in condemning and
punishing sin, His mercy in pardoning and accepting sinners, and His wisdom in
exercising both attributes harmoniously together through Christ. It makes clear what faith is -- belief in
Christ's atoning death and justifying resurrection, and trust in Him alone for
righteousness. It makes clear what
Christian morality is -- keeping the law out of gratitude to the Savior whose
gift of righteousness made keeping the law needless for acceptance." --
The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, editor, page
260.
Rom 3:29
GOD OF JEWS ... GENTILES = The same God saves both Jews and
Gentiles in the same way -- by faith, not by works (Romans
Rom 4:2
JUSTIFIED = "Justification is an action of God by which He
declares persons as righteous (i.e., in true and right relationship to
Himself). The basic fact of Biblical
religion is that God pardons and accepts believing sinners. The doctrine of justification determines the
whole character of Christianity as a religion of grace and faith. It defines the saving significance of
Christ's life and death by relating both to God's law. It displays God's justice in condemning and
punishing sin, His mercy in pardoning and accepting sinners, and His wisdom in
exercising both attributes harmoniously together through Christ. It makes clear what faith is -- belief in
Christ's atoning death and justifying resurrection, and trust in Him alone for
righteousness. It makes clear what
Christian morality is -- keeping the law out of gratitude to the Savior whose
gift of righteousness made keeping the law needless for acceptance." -- The
Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, editor, page 260.
Rom 4:3
ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD = In this statement Paul references Genesis
15:6.
IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS = "It" refers to
Abraham's belief. "The Jews of
Jesus' time used Abraham as an example of justification by works, but Paul
holds him up as a shining example of righteousness by faith (see Galatians
3:6-9)... Abraham had kept no law, rendered no service and performed no ritual
that earned credit to his account before God.
His belief in God, who had made promises to him, was credited as
righteousness." -- NIV Study Bible, notes on Romans 4:1, 3.
Rom 4:5
WHO JUSTIFIES THE WICKED = Here Paul makes the point that God sends
His Spirit to bring sinners to repentance while they are still wicked. (See Romans 4:10-11.)
Rom 4:6
CREDITS RIGHTEOUSNESS APART FROM WORKS = This concept of
righteousness through faith and not by works is the central message of these
verses.
Rom 4:7
WHOSE SINS ARE COVERED = The Greek "epikalupto" literally
means "to cover over," but in New Testament metaphor means to
"pardon, forgive." In the
context of this chapter, sins are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ through
His grace in response to our faith in Him.
In Christ our sins are not only "covered" (pardoned,
forgiven), but they will never be "counted against us" (Romans 4:8)
because God seals forgiven sins in a bag according to Job 14:17, hurls them
into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), and has "removed (them) from us
as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12).
Rom 4:10
NOT AFTER, BUT BEFORE! = It is faith that saves, not deeds. Thus if a person accepts Christ through
faith, but has not had the opportunity to be baptized, then he is still saved
even though he dies unbaptized. Paul's
purpose in saying this is to help the Jews understand that Abraham was still a
Gentile when God accepted his faith (see Romans 4:11-12). Therefore both Jews and Gentiles are saved by
grace through faith.
Rom 4:17
GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD = The fact that God must give life to the
dead is proof that they do not have "eternal" souls. The dead are dead until God gives them life
at the resurrection when Christ comes the second time. Also see Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:27; Luke
20:38.
CALLS THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE = The element of
faith enables us to take hold of potential reality.
JUSTIFIED = "Justification is an action of God by which He
declares persons as righteous (i.e., in true and right relationship to
Himself). The basic fact of Biblical
religion is that God pardons and accepts believing sinners. The doctrine of justification determines the
whole character of Christianity as a religion of grace and faith. It defines the saving significance of
Christ's life and death by relating both to God's law. It displays God's justice in condemning and
punishing sin, His mercy in pardoning and accepting sinners, and His wisdom in
exercising both attributes harmoniously together through Christ. It makes clear what faith is -- belief in
Christ's atoning death and justifying resurrection, and trust in Him alone for
righteousness. It makes clear what
Christian morality is -- keeping the law out of gratitude to the Savior whose
gift of righteousness made keeping the law needless for acceptance." --
The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, editor, page
260.
Rom 5:2
IN WHICH WE NOW STAND = The Greek "hesteekamen" (Strongs
#G2476) has the verbal construction of being first person plural, perfect
active indicative which means "in which we stood and continue to
stand."
Rom 5:3
SUFFERING PRODUCES ... = Here we learn that the fruits of
perseverance, character, hope and love come to us as a result of suffering (see
John 15:5, 8).
"It is beyond
human understanding, but it is a biblical truth that God makes his children
holy through suffering, both physical and mental." -- How Christian is
Christian Counseling? Gary L. Almy, M.D., p. 313
"From the
world's viewpoint, all suffering is inappropriate, unjustified, unacceptable,
and to be avoided. From the viewpoint of
Scripture, suffering has both meaning and purpose (Romans 8:17-18)." --
How Christian is Christian Counseling? Gary L. Almy, M.D., p. 309
Rom 5:5
HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT = Because "God is faithful" (1
Corinthians
"When one's
hope is properly set on God, fixed upon His promises and founded upon His Word,
that hope does not fail." -- "Christ and Your Problems," by Jaye
E. Adams, pages 18-19.
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT = See note on Acts 10:45.
Rom 5:8
WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS = See Luke 5:31-32.
CHRIST DIED FOR US = This is the fulfillment of the Messianic
prophecy found in Isaiah 53:5.
Rom 5:9
HIS BLOOD = A reference to Christ's death on the cross (see Romans
5:10).
WE HAVE NOW BEEN JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD = The Seventh-day Adventist
view of a future "investigative judgment" is not Biblical, for Paul
states in 57 A.D.: "we have NOW been justified by His blood."
"Justification
is an action of God by which He declares persons as righteous (i.e., in true
and right relationship to Himself). The
basic fact of Biblical religion is that God pardons and accepts believing
sinners. The doctrine of justification
determines the whole character of Christianity as a religion of grace and
faith. It defines the saving
significance of Christ's life and death by relating both to God's law. It displays God's justice in condemning and
punishing sin, His mercy in pardoning and accepting sinners, and His wisdom in
exercising both attributes harmoniously together through Christ. It makes clear what faith is -- belief in
Christ's atoning death and justifying resurrection, and trust in Him alone for
righteousness. It makes clear what Christian
morality is -- keeping the law out of gratitude to the Savior whose gift of
righteousness made keeping the law needless for acceptance." -- The
Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, editor, page 260.
GOD'S WRATH = Scripture teaches us several things about God's
wrath:
1. God's wrath
falls upon those who reject His Son (John 3:36). Thus the saved have nothing to fear when the
seven last plagues fall (Romans 5:9).
2. A stubborn,
unrepentant heart merits God's wrath (Romans 2:5).
3. God's wrath
comes on those who are disobedient (Ephesians 5:6).
4. Rather than
seeking personal vengeance, Christians are to wait until God pours out His
wrath on their enemies (Romans 12:19).
5. God's wrath is
poured out through the seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1; 16:1).
Rom 5:10
GOD'S ENEMIES = The Greek "echthros" (Strongs #G2190)
means "hated enemy, hostile enemy, bitter adversary." In Matthew 13:39 this word is used to
reference Satan. Romans 1:30 refers to
us as "god-haters." Before
Christ saved us we were God's hated enemies, just as Satan is still God's bitter
adversary. But now, through
reconciliation, Christ has established friendly relations between us and our
holy God.
RECONCILED = The Greek "katallasso" (Strongs #G2644)
means "to change, to reconcile, to have a new relationship." Here it is in the first person plural, 2nd
aorist passive indicative form, indicating punctiliar action in the past. Our reconciliation has already occurred (see
Romans 5:11).
"In
'katallasso,' God is the subject, man the object. While 'hilasmos' (Strongs #G2434), meaning
'propitiation' (1 John 2:2; 1 John
BE SAVED = The Greek "sodzo" (Strongs #G4982) means
"heal, safely preserved, made whole, saved, delivered."
BE SAVED THROUGH HIS LIFE = The previous verse (Romans 5:9), gave
us the assurance of salvation because we have been justified by Christ's
death. Here, sanctification is
introduced as an obligation and by-product of salvation. It is through Christ's resurrection and
powerful indwelling grace that we are sanctified. Thus Christ's death and His life are a double
guarantee of our salvation.
Rom 5:11
WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED RECONCILIATION = Both justification (Romans
5:9) and reconciliation are completed acts for those who are in Christ. The SDA doctrine of an investigative judgment
for the saints is simply not Biblical.
Rom 5:12
SIN ENTERED ... THROUGH ONE MAN = The word "sin" (and its
synonym "trespass") is the key word here. Paul describes sin as our refusal to accept
our limitations as humans and acknowledge our dependency upon God our
Creator. We are severed from a saving
relationship with God because of our own refusal and bragging. "Sin" is not a "thing,"
nor is it a "genetic defect" thus sin does not pass from Adam to us
through heredity. Neither is
"sin" a perverted inner nature such as a perverted will, emotions,
passions, or reason. From a Biblical
point of view, "sin" designates a particular kind of relationship between
humans and Creator. A relationship
cannot be inherited; it can only be established or destroyed -- affirmed or
denied. Thus "sin" is a
relational reality.
BECAUSE ALL SINNED = Paul does not say that we sin because Adam
sinned. He does not say that we die
because Adam sinned. Instead, Paul say
sin (a broken relationship with God/alienation from God) entered this world
because Adam rebelled against God. The
result of this alienation is disintegration and death. The solution is in Romans 5:15, 16.
Rom 5:13
BEFORE THE LAW WAS GIVEN = The context is "before the law was
given from
Rom 5:14
THOSE WHO DID NOT SIN BY BREAKING A COMMAND = The
"natural" or "first" death comes to all as a result of Adam's
sin. Eternal life is lost, and the
second death experienced, as a result of unrepented sin ("breaking a
command"). Therefore we are not
born "lost," but become "lost" as a result of our free
choice to hold on to our sins.
"God has
placed in our hearts an intimate knowledge of what is good and evil. There may not be any specific law which we
violate when we sin, but that does not make sin any less sinful. Crucial to the understanding of all this is
Romans 2:15. ... The nonexistence of a specific law forbidding an act or a life
of sinfulness does not absolve a person from being lawless." -- AMG
Complete WordStudy Dictionary, Zodhiates.
Rom 5:15
GIFT ... OVERFLOW(S) TO THE MANY = Sin is overcome through a new
relationship (see note on Romans 5:12) with Jesus Christ. Through that relationship we are reconciled
to God and in Christ we become members of a new family: the family of God.
THE MANY DIED BY THE TRESPASS OF THE ONE MAN = This reference to
Adam tells us we inherited a sinful environment from Adam. The result of being born into this sinful
world is that we die. We did not inherit
Adam's rebellion against God, we inherited the tendency to rebel against God. Thus we are born with physical death in our
future, but we are not born "sinners" in the sense that we have
knowingly chosen to rebel against God.
The Biblical definition of sin includes a deliberate choice to disobey
what God has clearly required of us. New
born babies do not fall under that definition of sin.
Rom 5:18
BRINGS LIFE FOR ALL MEN = Here "life" is defined as
"salvation" (John 3:16). It is
God's will that all be saved, and He has made the provision for the salvation
of all through His Son, Jesus Christ.
However, our salvation is based upon our decision to receive God's free
gift through our belief in Christ (Romans 3:23-24; 6:23).
Rom 5:20
SO THAT THE TRESPASS MIGHT INCREASE = Paul has already demonstrated
that both sin and its consequence, death, is a universal reality (Romans
5:18). Sin cannot increase beyond this,
therefore this text cannot mean God intended to increase sin. Instead, the law was given to increase our
awareness of sin (Romans 3:20). Thus sin's destructive, devastating nature is
revealed for what it really is. It is
not the law which leads to sin, rather the law simply shows what sin looks like
and how it expresses itself (Romans 7:7, 8).
When all these insights are taken together, it becomes clear that
"increasing sin" does not refer to the accumulation of sins nor to
greater sins (as opposed to lesser sins).
Rather, in light of both the Law and God's grace in Christ (Romans 5:20,
21), human sin is exposed and increasingly revealed to our consciousness in all
its ugly magnitude.
Rom 5:21
SIN REIGNED IN DEATH = Death is the fruit of sin, therefore eternal
life cannot be the fruit of death.
Immortality/eternal life is the fruit of the resurrection at Christ's
second coming: 1 Corinthians 15:21-23; 26; 51-57.
SHALL WE GO ON SINNING = Contrary to the teaching of many
Christians, Paul is not advocating anti-nomianism (Romans 6:2). He is not saying there are no laws, nor
guidelines, no specific expression of God's will in various areas of our lives. Rather, Paul is advocating that we live our
lives on the higher plane of Christ and His loving grace, rather than down in
the ceremonial legalism of Judaism under the Old Covenant. We Christians live under the New Covenant
written in Christ’s blood on the cross, rather than the Old Covenant of
the Israelites written in stone (see commentary notes on Romans 3:21).
Rom 6:2
WE DIED TO SIN = Paul uses the indicative mood for "died"
indicating it is a fact that believers are dead to sin, freed from sin and
crucified with Christ (Romans 6:3). But
Paul uses the subjunctive mood (Romans 6:6) for "might be done away with
that we should no longer be slaves to sin" indicating a hope that
believers might no longer be enslaved by sin.
In this he addresses the relationship between our new life in Christ --
a life freed from sin -- and our actual day-to-day living, where sin is in fact
all too often present. Thus there is a
very real tension between the affirmation that we died to sin and are therefore
free from its bondage, and the assertion that such freedom is always and only
present as a possibility which must be attained. In our relationship with Christ there must be
constant movement from affirmation of our new life to the incarnation of that
new life. So in our relationship with
Christ we are free from the bondage of sin, yet it is possible even for
Christians to "let sin reign" (Romans
Rom 6:3
WERE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH = We are not baptized into a church
(as cults such as Seventh-day Adventists teach), but rather into Christ Jesus
who is our Savior because of His sinless life which culminated in His death for
us on the cross.
Rom 6:4
BURIED WITH HIM = Topic is the efficacy of faith evidenced by water
baptism.
JUST AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD = Our reception of eternal
life follows the pattern of Jesus Christ and requires resurrection: "just
as Christ was raised from the dead."
Baptism symbolizes our union with Christ, while our resurrection at His
second coming is the reality: 1 Corinthians 15:21-23; 26; 51-57. Also see commentary on Romans 5:21.
WE TOO MAY LIVE A NEW LIFE = Paul's argument is that we are
considered to have died with Christ and to have been buried with Him in His
burial. Therefore we are free from the
control and condemnation of sin, and are new beings living the resurrection
life.
Rom 6:5
UNITED WITH HIM ... IN HIS DEATH = Refers to Christ's payment for
our sins on the cross which is symbolized by water baptism (see note on Romans
6:4).
BE UNITED WITH HIM ... IN HIS RESURRECTION = As the outward sign of
our confession of faith in Jesus Christ, baptism guarantees eternal life for us
through Christ. More than this, the
living Christ frees us from our slavery to sin (Romans 6:6).
Rom 6:7
HAS DIED HAS BEEN FREED FROM SIN =
This is the reality of our acceptance of God's grace and our choice to
die to sin, see Romans
Rom 6:8
WE DIED WITH CHRIST = Through our decision to quit sinning,
symbolized by water baptism (Romans 6:4).
Also see note on 2 Timothy 2:11.
WE WILL ALSO LIVE = 1P Pl Fut Act In "We will/shall" not
present, but future. Immortality is not
ours now, but is received at Christ's second coming: 1 Corinthians 15:21-23;
26; 51-57. Also see my commentary on
Romans 5:21.
Rom 6:9
CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD = Jesus' physical example
demonstrates that the spiritual resurrection we experience now through the new
birth qualifies us for immortality and eternal life. We physically receive eternal life at
Christ's second coming (1 Corinthians 15:22, 26, 51-54).
HE CANNOT DIE AGAIN = When we receive immortality at Christ's second
coming, we also we not be able to die again.
In a spiritual sense, if we have once died to sin, we must be immune
from sin. The recognition of this
principle should cause us to choose not to sin again (see Romans 6:10).
Rom 6:11
COUNT YOURSELVES DEAD = The Greek "logizomai" (Strongs
#G3049) means "to reckon, consider, look upon, estimate." It indicates potential reality. As Paul discovered in Romans 7:5-25
disentanglement from the "body of death" is an on-going process. Often we "die to sin" one sin at a
time.
DEAD TO SIN = "As Mother Teresa said, 'Our progress in
holiness depends on God and ourselves -- on God's grace and on our will to be
holy.' Understanding this join
responsibility makes clear what is otherwise one of the most troublesome areas
for many Christians, found in Paul's letter to the church at Rome (Romans
6:11), where on one hand he says we are dead to sin and in the next verse
exhorts us not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies. Why should we turn away from sin that is
already dead? the answer to this seeming
contradiction underscores the joint responsibility for sanctification. We are dead to sin because Christ died to sin
for us. He settled the ultimate
victory. But as we live day by day, sin
still remains a constant reality. Though
God gives us the will to be holy, the daily fight requires continuing effort on
our part. Holy living demands constant
examination of our actions and motives." -- Victory Over Sin, Wilkinson,
(Chuck Colson), page 49.
ALIVE TO GOD = The new life experience is composed of two parts:
dying to the old life of sin and living the new life in Christ.
Rom 6:12
THEREFORE = The context is in verse 11: "count yourselves dead
to sin."
DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY = Sin "reigns"
when we "obey its evil desires."
"As God looks
at us 'in Christ' our standing before Him as Judge is perfect; no fault can be
found. We have been completely forgiven
when we believed, and now God sees us as brand-new people in His Son. In Him all the old ways have gone and the new
ways have come to stay. ... (Thus Paul's) purpose is to urge us to become in
everyday living what we already are counted to be in Christ. In other words, he wants us to see that in
ourselves we fall far short of what we are in Christ. ... What is clear is that
Paul's purpose in urging us to 'consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to
righteousness in Christ is to get us to live differently. ... Paul does not
say, 'Therefore you ought to feel good about yourselves.' He does say, 'In daily life start living up
to the high standard of your legal standing in Christ." -- The Biblical
View of Self-Esteem, Self-Love, Self-Image, by Jay E. Adams, pages 76-77.
Rom 6:13
OFFER THE PARTS OF YOUR BODY = See Romans 12:1-2.
Rom 6:14
SIN SHALL NOT BE YOUR MASTER = See note on 1 Corinthians 9:27.
NOT UNDER THE LAW = This statement does not mean that the
"law" has been abolished and thus there is no legal definition of
sin, for verse 15 indicates "sin" still exists whether or not a
person is "under" the law. If
we look at this phrase in context ("sin shall not be your master, because
you are not under the law") it is clear that "you are not under the
law" means "you are not under the power of the law." Thus being under "grace" does not
mean the law has been abolished, but rather God's grace forgives our sins and
thus removes us from the power of the law to condemn us.
Rom 6:23
WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH = To believe in the immortality of the sinner
is to contradict this plain teaching of scripture. The wages of sin is eternal death, not a life
of eternal torment.
GIFT OF GOD = Eternal life is God's gift to us as long as we remain
in Christ. Personal choice always
enables us to choose to depart from Christ, but the knowledge of God's loving
grace constrains us to remain in Christ (John 3:16).
ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST = We are "in Christ" when we hear
and believe the Gospel (Ephesians
Rom 7:4
YOU ALSO DIED TO THE LAW = The Greek "nomos" (Strongs
#G3551) means "law." Simply
put, this is referring to Judaism, but it also includes God's Ten Commandments
as a means of salvation (see commentary notes on Romans 3:21 and 2 Corinthians
3:11).
"The believer
has been made free from the law, but liberty does not mean license. To offset this danger of antinomianism, the
Scriptures teach that we have not only been delivered from the law, but also
'joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit
for God' (Romans 7:4). We are thus not
'without the law of God but under the law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21; cf.
Galatians 6:2). Freedom from law should
not result in license but love (Galatians 5:13; cf. 1 Peter 2:16). The believer is, consequently, to keep his
eyes on Christ as his example and teacher, and by the Holy Spirit to fulfill
His law (Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:18).
This does not mean that the precepts of the Decalogue which are grounded
in the character of God have no authority today. As a matter of fact, careful investigation
reveals that every commandment of the Decalogue, except the fourth, is
reaffirmed in the New Testament. They
are repeated for our instruction as to what the will of the Lord is, but not as
precepts that we are to endeavor to keep in order to become righteous." --
Lectures in Systematic Theology, by Henry C. Thiessen, p. 170.
IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT BEAR FRUIT TO GOD = Jesus turned away from
the Jews to the Gentiles because the Jews did not bear the fruit God required
(Matthew 3:8-10; 8:11, 12; 21:43). The
warning is clear to Christians: either be fruitful or be cast out!
Rom 7:5
THE LAW = Greek ("Nomos"). Simply put, the Jewish Religion. See commentary notes on Romans 3:21.
Rom 7:6
DYING TO WHAT ONCE BOUND US = This is defined as the "sinful
nature" in verse 5.
THE LAW = Paul quotes the tenth commandment in verse 7 to define
"the law" specifically as the Ten Commandments. See commentary notes on Romans 3:21.
RELEASED FROM THE LAW = This release comes from "dying to what
once bound us" (defined in verse 5 as the "sinful nature"). We are not released from the law in the sense
that there is no longer any definition of what is moral or righteous (see
commentary notes on Romans 3:21).
However we are "released from the law" in at least two ways:
(1) In Christ we
are released from the law's condemnation of our sins through Christ's grace
(Romans 7:25; 8:1). This is described as
being "in Christ."
(2) Empowered by
the Holy Spirit we are released from a legalistic, mechanical adherence to the
letter of the law. Instead, we live
according the spirit of the law.
Christ taught
that, in Christianity, the law is enlarged far beyond the "letter" to
the "spirit" (Matthew 5:21, 22, 27, 28, 33-37). The serving "in the new way of the
Spirit" places a higher obligation and a higher ability upon the Christian
to conform to God's moral character and highest spiritual ideals for His children
(Hebrews 5:13-14; 8:4).
THE OLD WAY OF THE WRITTEN CODE = In other words, a Christian life
goes far beyond legalism, Judaism, and minimalism (see commentary notes on
Romans 3:21).
Rom 7:7
NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT SIN WAS EXCEPT THROUGH THE LAW = See note on
Romans 5:20; 6:1.
Paul "does
not mean that he had not known sin in any sense, but that he had not known it
as exceedingly sinful." -- Lectures in Systematic Theology, Henry C.
Thiessen, p. 170.
LAW ... 'DO NOT COVET' = The law Paul is referring to here is the
Ten Commandments. "Do not
covet" is the tenth commandment.
Rom 7:8
APART FROM LAW, SIN IS DEAD = Some antinomians believe Paul is
saying here that if we get rid of the law there will be no sin. What Paul is saying is that sin is not fully
recognized apart from the law. Sin is
our friend until we realize God's law condemns sin in our lives. Because sin is our friend we see no danger
and thus, for us, sin is inconsequential, or "dead."
Rom 7:9
I WAS ALIVE ... I DIED = Symbolic since there is no record of Paul
literally dying twice (compare with 1 Corinthians 15:31). Also see Romans 6:4, 5, 7, 8; 7:11; 8:10 for
other texts speaking about symbolic "death."
SIN SPRANG TO LIFE = In the context of the previous verse (see note
there), Paul is saying that when God's law identifies the terribleness of sin
it suddenly "springs to life."
The consequences of sin are very real and very great -- condemning the
sinner to death (Romans 7:11).
Rom 7:10
INTENDED TO BRING LIFE = By pointing out sin, the commandment
"brings life" in two ways: (1) By pointing out sin a person
recognizes sin and thus is enabled to choose not to be involved in sin. (2) By convicting the sinner that he is under
a death sentence, the law points him to the Life-giver, Jesus Christ. As a result, "the law is holy, and the
commandment is holy, righteous and good" (Romans 7:12).
Rom 7:11
PUT ME TO DEATH = In the present this is symbolic, but it is also
literal in potential reality. Also see 1
Corinthians 15:31.
Rom 7:12
LAW ... COMMANDMENT = The law referred to here is defined as the
Ten Commandment law (Romans 7:7). Here
Paul is specific that the law/Ten Commandments are not evil or sinful. Under the Old Covenant, they were designed to
point out sin, but are not themselves sin under the New Covenant. Paul states that the Ten Commandments expired
at the cross and faded away as the Old Covenant was replaced with the New
Covenant (Galatians 3:16-19; Hebrews 8:8-9, 13; 2 Corinthians 3:6-11; Romans
7:6; Hebrews 9:15). Thus we are not
“under the Law,” but can use the law in constructive ways (1
Timothy 1:8).
"Paul
concedes here (as in 1 Timothy 1:8) that the law is good, although elsewhere he
makes clear that it cannot lead to salvation.
The main function of the law is to condemn 'lawbreakers.' The negative side of the law is most
prominent. The various types of
offenders mentioned (1 Timothy 1:9-10) are all those against whom the law can
operate, as they have committed specific offences. ... Although the law has
been superseded by the Gospel, Paul does not deny that it has a continuing
function." -- New Bible Commentary, 21st Century Edition, edited by
Wenham, Motyer, Carson, France, pages 1295-1296.
Rom 7:14
SLAVE TO SIN = See comment on Romans 6:2 and Romans 6:7.
Rom 7:15
WHAT I WANT TO DO = This is what Paul chooses and wills himself to
do.
Rom 7:16
WHAT I DO NOT WANT TO DO = Paul has exercised his will and choice
to refrain from committing sin, but sin overpowers him.
THE LAW IS GOOD = "The law is good" because the law
condemns the sinful actions and turns us to Jesus for forgiveness and
repentance. If there was no moral law
there would be no definition of sin, no conviction of sin, and no need for
Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Rom 7:18
BUT I CANNOT CARRY IT OUT = At best, humans have the desire to do
what is right, but we are incapable of acting on that desire apart from the
power of Jesus Christ.
"Have you
tumbled down the manhole of temptation one too many times? Then consider the following ideas.
1. First, recognize Satan.
Our war is not with flesh and blood but with Satan himself. Do like Jesus did when Satan met Him in the
wilderness. Call him by name. Rip off his mask. Denounce his disguise. He appears in the most innocent clothing: a
night out with the boys, a good book, a popular movie, a pretty neighbor. But don't let him fool you! When the urge to sin rears its ugly head,
look him squarely in the eye and call his bluff. "Get behind me, Satan!' 'Not this time, you dog of hell! I've walked your stinking corridors
before. Go back to the pit where you
belong!' Whatever you do, don't flirt
with this fallen angel. He'll thresh you
like wheat.
2. Second, accept
God's forgiveness. Romans chapter 7 is
the emancipation proclamation for those of us who have a tendency to
tumble. Look at verse 15: 'I do not
understand what I do. For what I want to
do I do not do, but what I hate I do' (NIV).
Sound
familiar? Read on. Verses 18-19: 'For I have the desire to do
what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do;
no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing' (NIV).
Man, that fellow
has been reading my diary!
'What a wretched
man I am! Who will rescue me from this
body of death?' (verse 24, NIV).
Please, Paul,
don't stop there! Is there no oasis in
this barrenness of guilt? There is. Thank God and drink deeply as you read verse
25 and verse 1 of chapter 8: 'Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our
Lord! ... Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus' (NIV).
Amen. There it is.
You read it right. Underline it
if you wish. For those in Christ there
is no condemnation. Absolutely
none. Claim the promise. Memorize the words. Accept the cleansing. Throw out the guilt. Praise the Lord. And ... watch out for open manholes." --
Victory Over Temptation, Wilkinson, (Max Lucado), pages 101-102.
Rom
I KEEP ON DOING = The Greek "prasso" (Strongs G#4238)
means "what I continually do, what I habitually do." It expresses on-going action.
"Becoming a
Christian and living like one is like moving into a house where the old
inhabitants were dirty and grimy and their filthy things were thrown all
over. You move in and start cleaning. You paint the walls, get new carpet and
appliances, and eventually the place looks totally different on the
inside. It's the same house outside, but
it's brand-new on the inside. ... Your inner person, which has been made
brand-new in the image of God, doesn't want to sin. But your outer person, your old fleshly
nature, is used to sinning and doesn't want to stop." -- Victory Over Sin,
Wilkinson, (Tony Evans), pages 157-158.
The answer to our
on-going sin is to accept Christ's continuous cleansing (1 John 1:7), and
permit His Spirit to make us victorious Christians (Romans 8:2, 11-13).
Rom
IF I DO WHAT I DO NOT WANT TO DO = Here the will comes into
focus. When our will is overcome by the
power of sin, "it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me
that does it."
IT IS NO LONGER I WHO DO IT = The sinful action is done contrary to
one's will, thus in a technical sense, the human is not culpable because
"it is sin living in me that does it."
IT IS SIN LIVING IN ME = The antidote for "sin living in
me" is to have Jesus Christ living in me (Colossians
Rom
I FIND THIS LAW AT WORK = Here "law" is used in the sense
of a basic principle or basic truth.
EVIL IS RIGHT THERE WITH ME = The Greek "parakeimai"
(Strongs #G3873) literally means "to lie close at hand." Here this verb is in the 3 person singular,
present middle/passive deponent, indicative mood indicating that the action is
continuous. Thus even when wanting to do
good, "evil is continuously right there with me."
Rom
GOD'S LAW = This involves at least the Ten Commandments, and can
include all the "Torah."
(However, read the commentary on Romans 3:21).
Rom
ANOTHER LAW = In context, this "law" is contrary to
"God's law" (Romans
THE LAW OF MY MIND = Paul is using the word "law" in a
figurative sense to describe the will (see Romans
Rom
THIS BODY OF DEATH = The human body with its propensities for sin
is truly a "body of death."
Only in Christ is there deliverance from sin and death (Romans 8:1-3).
Rom
IN MY MIND = A reference to the action of the will. Paul chooses to be "a slave to God's
law," but his "sinful nature" pushes him into "slavery to
the law of sin."
A SLAVE TO GOD'S LAW = A Christian’s highest privilege is to
live his life in accordance with God’s will for him. To reduce God’s will to tablets of stone
(i.e. Ten Commandments) is to limit God, return to the Old Covenant, and deny
the New Covenant written in Christ’s blood on the cross. See the commentary notes on Romans 3:21.
A SLAVE TO THE LAW OF SIN = "Paul says, 'I've got two laws
working in me. I've got the law of sin
telling me, "Come over here. Do
this. Try this. Touch this." And I've got the law of God saying, "No,
come over here. Do this. Don't do this. Don't touch this."'" -- Victory
Over Sin, Wilkinson, (Tony Evans), page 159.
NO CONDEMNATION = See notes on Romans
IN CHRIST = We are "in Christ" when we hear and believe
the Gospel (Ephesians
Rom 8:2
LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE = Paul is using "law" in a
figurative sense here (see Romans 10:4).
The "Spirit of life" is another name for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live so we are
not under the law of sin and death (see Romans 8:2, 11-13).
LAW OF SIN AND DEATH = Not the Ten Commandments, but God's
universal law which states if you sin, you will die (see Romans
Rom 8:3
THE LAW WAS POWERLESS = Not that God's Law was faulty, but that it
cannot eradicate sin from human life.
GOD DID = Through Jesus Christ God paid the penalty for our sins
and condemned our sins "in order that the righteous requirements of the law
might be fully met in us" (Romans 8:4).
IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL MAN = The Greek “homoioma”
(Strongs #G3667) means “to make like, likeness, resemblance.” Some argue that Paul teaches the divine Jesus
was not fully human, because He only “resembled” a human. Of course this argument ignores the context:
Jesus was sent “in the likeness of SINFUL man.” Jesus, who had no sin, was not Incarnated as
a sinful man, for He was a morally perfect man.
Thus Paul uses the word “likeness” to distinguish
Christ’s moral perfection as a true human from the rest of immoral
humanity. Also see commentary on
Philippians 2:7-8.
Rom 8:4
MIGHT BE FULLY MET IN US = Throughout Scripture the result/fruit of
loving God is "obedience;" "walking in His ways;"
"keeping His commands, decrees, and laws" (see Deuteronomy 6:5, 6;
11:1, 13, 22; 19:9; 30:16, 20; Joshua
22:5; 23:11; Psalms 31:23; 97:10; 116:1; Romans 8:4, 5; 1JO 5:3; et
cetera). Love for God results in
obedience; but obedience without love is worthless legalism.
"The believer
has been made free from the law (the Old Covenant of Ten Commandments written
in stone), but liberty does not mean license.
To offset this danger of antinomianism, the Scriptures teach that we
have not only been delivered from the law, but also 'joined to another, to Him
who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God' (Romans
7:4). We are thus not 'without the law
of God but under the law of Christ (1 Corinthians
WHO DO NOT LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SINFUL NATURE = Through Christ the
requirements of God's law are fulfilled in us and sin is condemned. But this miraculous releasing from the
penalty of sin is only for "those who do not live according to the sinful
nature." For those who believe
Christ's sacrifice frees them to sin
Rom 8:8
CANNOT PLEASE GOD = "We must understand that our goal as
believers is to seek what we can do to please God, not what He can do for
us." -- Victory Over Temptation, Wilkinson, (Chuck Colson), page 50.
Rom 8:9
YOU, HOWEVER, ARE CONTROLLED = Every person who belongs to Christ
has been transferred into the
SPIRIT OF GOD ... SPIRIT OF CHRIST = These terms are used
interchangeably. This text does not
teach there are two separate "spirits" in the Trinity. Instead it teaches the intense unity of the
Trinity in that the Holy Spirit can be thought of as "belonging"
equally to both the Father and the Son at the same time. For example, a daughter could say: "I am
my mother's daughter, and I am also my father's daughter." The fact she is both her mother's daughter
and her father's daughter in no way reduces her personality or ability to think
and act on her own.
Through the terms
"Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ," we see the equality
of Christ and God in that both "possess" the Holy Spirit
equally. The fact that the Holy Spirit
is here referred to as the "Spirit of God" and the "Spirit of
Christ" in no way detracts from His personhood any more than when He is
called the "Spirit of Life" in Romans 8:2.
The personality of
the Holy Spirit is taught in Romans 8:10-11 where the indwelling presence of
Christ is equated with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit is every bit as much a
Person as is Jesus Christ, for both can live within us (Romans
DOES NOT HAVE ... DOES NOT BELONG TO CHRIST = Belonging to the
kingdom of God is demonstrated through the working of the Holy Spirit in our
life: "The decisive test of belonging to Christ is possession of the
Spirit which is demonstrable (cf. Acts 10:45 and forward), being outwardly
verified by evidence of His gifts (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11) and/or of His
fruit." -- The International Bible Commentary, F. F. Bruce, editor, page
1331.
Not belonging to
the
This passage is
helpful in showing Jehovah's Witnesses their extreme need to be born again as
children of God. Beginning at Romans 8:1
have the JW read through verse 17. See
the notes on John 3:3.
Rom
IF CHRIST IS IN YOU = This is the central thought. Also see Romans 8:9, 11 to understand that
both "Christ," and the "Spirit of God/Christ" lives in
us. Also see note on Colossians 1:27.
YOUR BODY IS DEAD BECAUSE OF SIN = In the context of Romans 8:5-9,
this is symbolic of our death to fleshly sins given life by our sinful carnal
nature.
YOUR SPIRIT IS ALIVE = Symbolic of the new man in Christ as
contrasted with the carnal man. Nothing
said about what happens after literal death occurs. No case for "life" after death
here. See Romans 8:11.
Rom
THE SPIRIT ... WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD = Reference to
Christ's resurrection.
HE WHO RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD = Reference to Christ's
resurrection.
WILL ALSO GIVE LIFE TO YOUR MORTAL BODIES = If Christ was
resurrected, we also will be resurrected.
If our "mortal bodies" are resurrected, then Christ's
"mortal/literal body" was resurrected. The comparisons are conclusive. What is resurrected is “your mortal
body” – not your immortal soul.
Rom
A SLAVE AGAIN TO FEAR = See 1 John
"ABBA, FATHER" = In their prayers the early Christians
followed the example of Christ (Matthew 6:9) and habitually referred to God as
"Father." There is simply no
evidence in the NT to require the use of “Yahweh” or
“Jehovah” when referring to God.
As a matter of fact, the name “Jehovah” is an invented word
which does not appear in Scripture. It
is derived by taking the consonants of one of God’s Old Testament names
and adding the vowels of another of God’s names! “Yahweh” is also an invented name
whose consonants do appear in scripture, but whose vowels do. Cults, such Jehovah’s Witnesses, who
insist on calling God “Jehovah” or “Yahweh” perpetrate
a nonsense which overlooks the fact that God specifically said His name is
“I am” (Exodus 3:14); and that Jesus specifically told believers to
call God “Father” (Matthew 6:9).
Rom
OUR PRESENT SUFFERINGS = In context, our "sufferings" are
the result of our battle to overcome sin in our life (see Romans
THE GLORY = Glory is always related to suffering, for it grows out
of suffering. For Christians, the hope
of glory results from Christ dwelling in us (Colossians
THAT WILL BE REVEALED IN US = Not "that will be forced by us
through will power." The Greek word
"apokalupto" means "to uncover (as in to remove a veil), to expose
to view, to reveal what was hidden."
See 2 Corinthians 4:10.
Rom
THE SPIRIT HIMSELF = The Greek "autos" (Strongs #G846) is
a singular masculine pronoun meaning "himself." It is also translated "himself" in
Mark 6:31 and John 16:27, et cetera. The
"Spirit Himself" is just as distinct and personal a being as the
"Father Himself" is in John 16:27.
Jehovah's Witnesses seldom encounter these two verses (Romans
Rom
AND HE WHO SEARCHES = The "He" is God (see 1 Samuel
16:7;1 Kings
MIND OF THE SPIRIT = See note on Romans
Rom
GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD = God works in all things "for the
good" of His people -- that being the ultimate incarnation of Christ in
our lives (Romans
Notice that while
"God works for the good" in all things, this Scripture does not say
that "all things are good." As
Christians we must understand that the process (or journey) may be very
difficult, painful and discouraging even though the ultimate goal (or
destination) is "good." A
Pollyanna view of the process of sanctification denies the reality of our
battle to overcome Satan.
CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE = To understand this phrase we must
first understand the Greek grammar and the meaning of these key words. The Greek "kletos" (Strongs #G2822)
means "called, invited, welcomed."
And "prothesis" (Strongs #G4286) means "purpose, plan,
will, design." Here God's purpose
is to invite all humankind, Jews and Gentiles, to salvation through faith in
Christ (John
Rom
THOSE GOD FOREKNEW = God knows beforehand what each person will
freely choose to do. God's foreknowledge
does not cause us or force us to make choices against our free will. When Romans
HE ALSO PREDESTINED = God predestined some things (meaning He
"set certain boundaries and limits beforehand") for everyone who
chooses to be saved through Jesus Christ.
What were these boundaries, or limits that God predestined? They are found in the next phrase, "to
be conformed to the likeness of His Son."
TO BE CONFORMED TO THE LIKENESS OF HIS SON = God did not predestine
(limit beforehand) who would be saved.
God did not arbitrarily choose some people beforehand to be saved
against their own choice. But God did
set certain boundaries/limits beforehand for everyone who has freely chosen to
be saved: everyone must be "conformed to the likeness of" Jesus
Christ. God has predetermined that Jesus
would be our example. Everyone who
chooses to follow Jesus is required to become "like" Him in all we
do.
FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BROTHERS = The result of our being
"conformed to the likeness of" Jesus Christ is that He becomes
pre-eminent over all of us who are now His "brothers." Just as we sinners can only become
"like" Him in the sense of our new character but not in our being, so
the sinless Jesus can only be our "brother," in the sense of our
humanity (through the Incarnation), but he cannot become our
"brother" in sin. See the next
verse (Romans
Rom
NOTE: this is a continuation of the commentary which began in the
previous verse (Romans
THOSE HE PREDESTINED = This refers back to the people mentioned
previously: every person who has chosen to accept Jesus Christ, and who now has
the requirement to "be conformed to the likeness of His son."
HE ALSO CALLED = Every person who ever chose to accept Jesus Christ
has been called ("invited") to "be conformed to the likeness of
His son."
HE ALSO JUSTIFIED = Every person who ever chose to accept Jesus
Christ has not only been invited to "be conformed to the likeness of His
son," but God has also declared that person to be conformed to the
likeness of His son. In other words, God
has made each Christian into the "likeness of His son." If we have chosen Jesus as our Savior and
Lord, then we have been "called" to be conformed into the likeness of
Jesus Christ. More than that, God
legally declares us to have been conformed into that likeness. Thus, once a person accepts Christ, the
result (conforming to the likeness of Christ) is certain (predetermined).
"Justification
is an action of God by which He declares persons as righteous (i.e., in true
and right relationship to Himself). The
basic fact of Biblical religion is that God pardons and accepts believing
sinners. The doctrine of justification
determines the whole character of Christianity as a religion of grace and
faith. It defines the saving
significance of Christ's life and death by relating both to God's law. It displays God's justice in condemning and
punishing sin, His mercy in pardoning and accepting sinners, and His wisdom in
exercising both attributes harmoniously together through Christ. It makes clear what faith is -- belief in
Christ's atoning death and justifying resurrection, and trust in Him alone for
righteousness. It makes clear what
Christian morality is -- keeping the law out of gratitude to the Savior whose
gift of righteousness made keeping the law needless for acceptance." --
The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, editor, page
260.
HE ALSO GLORIFIED = The final result of our free choice to accept
Jesus as our Savior and Lord is that we are "called,"
"justified," and finally "glorified" (meaning:
"rendered glorious, worthy of glory/praise").
Rom
NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE = Specific that neither death nor life
separates us from the love of God (verse 39).
Rom
SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD = See note on Psalm 23:4.
CONSCIENCE CONFIRMS IT = A
correctly trained conscience is one of the tools of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 9:5
CHRIST, WHO IS GOD OVER ALL = This is a clear affirmation of
Christ's divinity.
Rom
OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER = Not a statement of predestination,
but an affirmation of God's prophetic foreknowledge.
Rom
LOVED ... HATED = Not a statement of predestination, but of God's
prophetic foreknowledge of the characters and choices each would make. This is a quotation from Malachi 1:2, 3 where
the prophet is demonstrating God's love for
Rom
IS GOD UNJUST = This question must be taken in the context of
Romans
Rom
IT DOES NOT, THEREFORE, DEPEND = The "it" referred to
here is God's justice (Romans
BUT ON GOD'S MERCY = What ever God chooses is because of His mercy
and not because of any arbitrary meanness on His part.
Rom
HE HARDENS WHOM HE WANTS TO HARDEN = The Greek word
"skleruno" (Strongs #G4645) means "to make stubborn,
hard." This "hardening"
is in context of the potter and the clay (Romans
Rom
WHY DID YOU MAKE ME LIKE THIS = The clay, by virtue of it
pliability, has no right to demand it be made into a different object. If the clay was able to object, then it would
have lost is primary characteristic of being pliable and moldable (see Romans
Rom
RIGHT TO MAKE = Here Paul emphasizes God's sovereign will. However, a companion passage in Jeremiah
18:1-10 emphasizes man's free choice and indicates our choice strongly affects
God's sovereign actions. There is a
proper balance between God's sovereign will and our human choice.
LUMP OF CLAY = The basic characteristic of clay is that it is
moldable. Thus, when applying this
illustration to humans, the humans involved are willing to be molded by
God. Before God even makes Christians
into objects for "noble purposes," or for "common use" they
are already willing to have God mold them.
Thus God is not forcing His sovereignty upon Christians. (Note: non-Christians are addressed in the
next verse: Romans 9:22).
Rom
BORE WITH GREAT PATIENCE = God is very long-suffering towards the
wicked ("the objects of His wrath"), "not wanting any to
perish" (2 Peter 3:9).
THE OBJECTS OF HIS WRATH = The wicked who deserve to be destroyed.
PREPARED FOR DESTRUCTION = In the context of the previous verse
(Romans
Rom
HE PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR GLORY = Greek literally says:
"which He had prepared beforehand ("proetoimazo") to
glory." "Proetoimazo" (Strongs
#G4282) literally means "to make ready beforehand." It appears only twice in the New Testament
(Romans
Rom
ROCK = Greek "
STUMBLE = See 1 Peter 2:8.
Rom 10:4
END OF THE LAW = Greek "telos" (Strongs #G5056) means
"goal, conclusion, end, termination."
"In Romans
10:4 it ('telos') means either termination or goal. Christ is the end of the
Law for righteousness to everyone who believes. This means that the Law as a
demanded obligation has come to an end because Jesus has fulfilled its demands
and imparted His righteousness to those who believe. Christ has freed believers
from its tyranny. The standards of righteousness come to us now not from
without by imposition, but from within by the Spirit who writes the Law upon
our hearts." -- AMG Complete WordStudy Dictionary, Zodhiates
Paul uses the term
"law" in both the figurative and literal sense. When he speaks of "the law of my
mind" (Romans
Here in Romans
10:4 Paul uses the word "law" in the literal sense to mean the
"Law of Moses." According to
his own testimony, as a Jew, Paul believed it was possible to keep all the
Mosaic laws (Philippians 3:6). But after
his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to
SO THAT THERE MAY BE RIGHTEOUSNESS = The end of the law is Jesus
Christ. In Christ's righteousness is the
obedience to the law that we each may obtain through faith.
Rom 10:7
INTO THE DEEP = The Greek word translated "deep" is
"abussos" meaning "the Abyss, or an extremely deep place." The Septuagint translates the word
"deep" in Genesis 1:2 as "abussos." Thus the Abyss is linked to the concept of
the "formless" and "empty" earth prior to creation. Romans 10:7 refers to the Abyss as the place
of the dead. Revelation 9:1-2 suggests a
hole in the ground (i.e. a "shaft") leads to the Abyss, and it is
filled with "smoke." The Abyss
is the home of demons (Luke 8:30-31; Revelation 9:11). Revelation 11:7 indicates the Abyss is also
the home of the "beast."
Revelation 17:8 agrees that the "beast" comes up out of the
Abyss, and that this beast in John's day "once was, now is not, and yet
will come." Revelation 20:1-3
states that Satan will be bound and sealed in the Abyss for one thousand
years. This Abyss is not the
Rom 10:9
IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH = See note on Revelation
YOU WILL BE SAVED = The assurance of salvation has two parts: (1)
"Confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord.'" This confession is a person's heart-felt
commitment accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord of his life. It means he will follow where ever Jesus
leads and bring his life into conformity with God's will through the power of
the Holy Spirit. (2) "Believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead."
This is a dynamic, living belief in the power of the resurrected Christ
to change lives. Jesus is alive and
all-powerful today and thus able to rescue us from sin and preserve us safely
in His loving care until He comes to earth again.
Rom
JUSTIFIED = "Justification is an action of God by which He
declares persons as righteous (i.e., in true and right relationship to
Himself). The basic fact of Biblical
religion is that God pardons and accepts believing sinners. The doctrine of justification determines the
whole character of Christianity as a religion of grace and faith. It defines the saving significance of
Christ's life and death by relating both to God's law. It displays God's justice in condemning and
punishing sin, His mercy in pardoning and accepting sinners, and His wisdom in
exercising both attributes harmoniously together through Christ. It makes clear what faith is -- belief in
Christ's atoning death and justifying resurrection, and trust in Him alone for
righteousness. It makes clear what
Christian morality is -- keeping the law out of gratitude to the Savior whose
gift of righteousness made keeping the law needless for acceptance." --
The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, editor, page
260.
ARE SAVED = See note on Romans 10:9.
Rom
EVERYONE WHO CALLS = The next verse makes it clear that one who
"calls" on the Lord must first have a saving belief in the Lord
(Romans
Rom
SOMEONE PREACHING TO THEM = The necessity and value of preaching is
brought out here. Also see Paul's
comment in Titus 1:3.
Rom
THE WORD OF CHRIST = Specifically this is the Gospel which
proclaims Christ.
Rom
FAITH COMES = The Greek "pistis" (Strongs #G4102) means
"persuasion, firm conviction, belief, faith, as well as what is believed
(i.e. doctrine)."
FROM HEARING = The Greek "akoees" (Strongs #G189) means
"hearing, listening."
Absenting oneself from the church environment reduces one's opportunity
to hear the messages which build one's faith.
See Leviticus 23:3.
DID GOD REJECT HIS PEOPLE = The Greek word "
Rom 11:2
GOD DID NOT REJECT HIS PEOPLE = See note on Romans 11:1.
Rom 11:5
SO TOO, AT THE PRESENT TIME = Paul has just drawn a comparison
between the time of Elijah and the time when Paul lived among the
Israelites. In both times, God rejected the
nation but continued to bless individuals.
Rom 11:7
THE OTHERS WERE HARDENED =
The Greek "poroo" (Strongs #G4456) means "petrify,
harden," figuratively it means to become stupid or calloused.
"Something
should be said on the word "hardened" (GK G4800), especially since it
is not the same word as the term used in Romans 9:18. It is a strong word,
suggesting petrification and permanent bluntness and insensibility in the
intelligence." -- Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary
Rom 11:8
AS IT IS WRITTEN = This first quotation is taken from Deuteronomy
29:4 and Isaiah 29:10. We must remember
that the Bible was not divided into chapters and verses until nearly 1,500
years after Paul's day. Thus it was
common to preface a quotation from Scripture with the words: "It is
written."
Rom 11:9
AND DAVID SAYS = This quotation is from Psalm 69:22-23.
Rom
THEIR FULLNESS = Here refers specifically to
Rom
IF THEY = A reference to the people of
Rom
IF YOU = A reference to the Christian church which replaced the
nation of
THE NATURAL BRANCHES = The Jewish people.
Rom
FULL NUMBER OF THE GENTILES = Here refers specifically to the
Gentiles, and is from the Greek "playroma" meaning "fullness,
completeness" (see Romans
Rom
ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED = This does not mean that every Jew, or
that the entire nation of
The point of
Paul's discussion in Romans chapters 7 through 11 is that God's purposes for
the salvation of
Those who argue
that "all Israel" (i.e. "all literal Jews") will be saved
need to carefully consider the warning God gives in Malachi 4:4 -- and in
particular the fourth of God's Old Covenant Ten Commandments.
THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION = This is a reference to Jesus
Christ. Thus "all
Rom
GIFTS = The gift of God is eternal life (Romans
CALL = God calls all to repentance and life in Christ Jesus (Acts
IRREVOCABLE = The Greek “amatameletos” (Strongs #G278)
means ”without changing one’s mind, without regret, irrevocable,
not subject to recall.” Both the
eternal life that God offers to give us, and His call to repentance
(willingness to forgive when we repent) are irrevocable (see Numbers
“What the apostle is saying here is that when God
has given gifts to men and has extended His salvation to them, He never regrets
the extension of His grace or changes His mind as having made a mistake because
of the behavior of the ones that He saved and gifted. Salvation should never be
considered as merely man’s decision to follow Christ, but also
God’s acceptance of the genuineness of that decision and the birth and
existence of faith.” – The Complete WordStudy Dictionary,
Zodhiates, AMG, on Romans 11:29.
“God
does not bestow the gift of repentance and faith, of pardon and peace, on
people, for a temporary purpose; nor does he capriciously withdraw them, and
leave the soul to ruin. When he renews a soul, it is with reference to his own
glory; and to withdraw those favors, and leave such a soul once renewed to go
down to hell, would be as much a violation of all the principles of his nature
as it would be to all the promises of the Scripture. for
God to forsake such a soul, and leave it to ruin, would imply that he did repent.
It would suppose a change of purpose and of feeling. It would be the character
of a capricious being, with no settled plan or principles of action; no
confidence could be reposed in him, and his government would be unworthy the
affections and trust of his intelligent creation.” – Barnes’
Notes on Romans 11:29
“By ‘gifts’ are meant,
not the gifts of nature and providence, as life, health, strength, riches, and
honor, which God sometimes gives, and repents of, and takes away; as he
repented that he had made man upon earth, and Saul king of Israel; which must
be understood by an "anthropopathy", after the manner of men, and
that not of a change of the counsel of his mind, but of the course of His
providence: nor do gifts here design external gifts of grace, or such gifts of
the Spirit, which qualify men for ministerial work, for public service in the
church; for these may be taken away, as the "parable" of the
"talents" shows, Matthew 25:29; see 1 Corinthians 13:8; but the
special and spiritual gifts of God's free grace, which relate to the spiritual
and eternal welfare of the souls of men, even that, grace which was given to
God's elect in Christ before the world was, and all those spiritual blessings
wherewith they were then blessed in Him: these ‘are without
repentance.’ That is, they are
immutable and unalterable. God never
revokes them, or calls them in again, or takes them away from the persons to
whom He has made such a previous donation: the reasons are, because that His
love from whence they spring is always the same; it admits of no distinction,
nor of any degrees, nor of any alteration; and electing grace, according to
which these gifts are bestowed, stands sure and immovable; not upon the foot of
works, but of the sovereign will of God, and always has its sure and certain
effect; and the covenant of grace, in which they are secured, remains firm and
inviolable; and indeed, these gifts are no other than the promises of it, which
are all yea and amen in Christ, and the blessings of it, which are the sure
mercies of David. Whatever God purposes, or promises to give, or really does
give to his people, whether into the hands of Christ for them, or into their
own, He never repents of or reverses.” – John Gill’s
Exposition of the Entire Bible, Romans 11:29.
“Repentance is sometimes taken for a
change of mind, and so God never repents, for He is in one mind and who can
turn Him? Sometimes for a change of way, and that is here understood,
intimating the constancy and unchangeableness of that love of God which is
founded in election. Those gifts and callings are immutable; whom He so loves,
He loves to the end. We find God repenting that He had given man a being
(Genesis 6:6), and repenting that He had given a man honor and power (1 Samuel
15:11); but we never find God repenting that He had given a man grace, or
effectually called him; those gifts and callings are without repentance
(irrevocable).” – Matthew Henry Complete Commentary, Romans 11:29.
The context of this verse involves
Rom
GOD HAS BOUND ALL MEN OVER TO DISOBEDIENCE = This is not an
arbitrary act of God designed to make all mankind lost sinners, for God wants
all mankind to be saved (John 3:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Ezekiel
33:11). Instead God allowed mankind to
become prisoners of their own sinful disobedience. God neither predestined that disobedience,
nor did He force mankind to disobey Him.
God's permissive will allows humans to choose to sin and, as a result,
to become prisoners of the sins they choose to commit.
THAT HE MAY HAVE MERCY ON THEM ALL = God's mercy is such that He
has provided a Savior to redeem all mankind from the prison house of sin
(Matthew 9:12-13; 1 Timothy 1:15). Thus
when, on the basis of His perfect law, God declared all humans to be sinners,
He mercifully opened the door to salvation for every one who believes in Christ
(John
THEREFORE = On the basis of God's mercy Paul switches gears here and
urges us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. This is to be taken in the context of Romans
11:32 (see note there).
URGE = The Greek word "parakaleo" (Strongs #G3870) means
"to call near, implore, beseech, urge, admonish, comfort." It is a synonym of "parakletos"
(Strongs #G3875) the name of the Holy Spirit meaning "Counselor."
IN VIEW OF GOD'S MERCY = It is only because of God's mercy that we
are able to present our lives to Him in an on-going act of worship.
OFFER YOUR BODIES AS LIVING SACRIFICES = "Since the root
meaning of holiness is 'to be set apart' or 'to consecrate' or 'to dedicate
to,' you can easily see that if a man decided to give himself whole-heartedly
to the Lord and live for Him, then he would indeed be fulfilling the true meaning
of holiness. ... The Apostle Paul literally is begging you to present (devote,
give) yourself to God as a sacrifice.
You see, this step is an optional step.
The people Paul was writing to were already Christians, but they had not
yet taken this further step. They
believed in Christ as their personal Savior, but they had not responded by
'presenting' their lives back to Him as a 'living sacrifice.'" -- Personal
Holiness in Times of Temptation, Dr. Bruce H. Wilkinson, page 13.
"The word
'living' reminds us of what God has made us: we are people who are now 'alive
to God in Christ Jesus' (Romans
"A
Christian's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
Also see Romans 6:13.
YOUR SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP = The Greek word "logikos"
(Strongs #G3050) means "reasonable, logical." (translated "spiritual" in the
NIV). This "logical" act of
worship occurs when we order our entire life according to God's will. This "act of worship" is not
emotional and not a matter of giving in to our feelings. On the contrary it is calmly deliberate,
carefully considered, and determinedly pursued through out our entire
life. It is not relegated to sitting in
a pew for an hour at church.
"In Romans
12:1, the 'reasonable service' or worship is to be understood as that service
to God which implies intelligent meditation or reflection without the kind of
heathen practices intimated in 1 Corinthians 12:2 and without the obsolete
system of OT worship (Isaiah 1:12-15)." -- The Complete Word Study
Dictionary, New Testament, by Zodhiates, page 923.
Rom 12:2
BE TRANSFORMED = The Greek word "metamorphoo" (Strongs
#G3339) means "change, transfigure, transform." It is the root of our English word
"metamorphous." Grammatically
it is in the present passive imperative case meaning "keep on being
transformed" -- thus the process is on-going. Also see Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2.
"Transformation
is not an overnight matter. It takes a
lifetime, but continuous progress in holiness is assured." -- Victory Over
Temptation, Bruce H. Wilkinson, (John White), page 22.
This
transformation/metamorphous "is a total change from the inside out (2
Corinthians
BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND = The Greek word
"metamorphousthe" (Strongs #G3339) means "to transform,
transfigure, change one's form." It
is the origin of our English word "metamorphosis." Here the Greek is a second person plural,
present passive imperative, which indicates that continuous, on-going action is
commanded. The "renewing of your
mind" is directly linked to our obedience to God's Word. We cannot experience this new mind if we are
only "hearers" and not "doers" of the Word (James
TEST AND APPROVE = The Greek word "dokimadzo" (Strongs
#G1381) means "to test or try, to prove, discern and approve." Here it means to put God's will to the test
in order to prove that His will is best for us -- just as He says it is. This is the opposite of "blind
faith," it is the logical way to establish faith.
"The essence
of successful Christian living is the 'renewing' of our minds so that we might
be able to 'approve what God's will is' -- that is, to recognize and put into
practice God's will for every situation we face." -- New Bible Commentary,
21st Century Edition, by Wenham, Motyer,
WHAT GOD'S WILL IS = One of the most frequently asked questions is
"what is God's will?" -- even though God specifically states His will
in several areas of our lives. See note
on 1 Thessalonians 4:3 for a larger study of this question.
"As a
Christian is transformed in his mind and is made more like Christ, he comes to
approve and desire God's will, not his own will, for his life. Then he discovers that God's will is what is
good for him, and that it pleases God, and is complete in every way. It is all he needs. But only by being renewed spiritually can a
believer ascertain, do, and enjoy the will of God." -- The Bible Knowledge
Commentary, by Walvoord & Zook, page 488
Rom 12:3
THINK OF YOURSELF WITH SOBER JUDGMENT = To believe lies about
yourself is sinful, thus if you claim you have a "bad self-image" you
have accepted other people's lies about you as truth. You should have refused to accept other
people's "put downs," refused to have thought of your self in such
inaccurate ways, and refused to have had your life shaped by their negative
thoughts. To overcome your "bad
self image," follow Scripture and begin to "think of yourself with
sober judgment." If you have been
taught lies, discard them. If there are
some elements of truth in what you have been taught, then act on those truths
to correct what is not in harmony with God's will for your expressed in His
Word. Most of our problems are caused by
our own choices, we cannot blame others for our own sorry condition!
Rom 12:5
IN CHRIST = We are "in Christ" when we hear and believe
the Gospel (Ephesians
Rom 12:6
IF ... PROPHESYING = The Greek “propheteia” (Strongs
#G4394) means “a prophesying or prophecy.” It can mean the prediction or foretelling of
future events, or the preaching of God’s Word. “A prophet prophesies, but one who
prophesies is not necessarily a prophet.” – The Complete WordStudy
Dictionary, by Zodhiates, AMG publishers.
Rom 12:9
WHAT IS GOOD = The Greek "agathos" (Strongs #G18) means
"good."
The Old Testament
defines "good" as obeying all God's regulations (Deuteronomy
Rom
IF IT IS POSSIBLE = It is not always possible to live in
peace. Even though a person may live a
righteous life, wicked people may prey on him and persecute him.
AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU = Our life should be one of peace. We should not be the cause of a lack of
peace. This does not mean that we never
go to war, but that we do not start the war and we do everything in our power
to pursue peace before going to war. The
war is always to be started by the other party.
LIVE AT PEACE WITH EVERY ONE = The qualifying phrase "if it is
possible" precedes this command.
One of the great reasons for a lack of peace is addressed in Romans
12:19.
Rom
REVENGE = The urge for revenge is a great cause of distress (see
Romans
GOD'S WRATH = Scripture teaches us several things about God's
wrath:
1. God's wrath
falls upon those who reject His Son (John
2. A stubborn,
unrepentant heart merits God's wrath (Romans 2:5).
3. God's wrath
comes on those who are disobedient (Ephesians 5:6).
4. Rather than
seeking personal vengeance, Christians are to wait until God pours out His
wrath on their enemies (Romans
5. God's wrath is
poured out through the seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1; 16:1).
Rom
BURNING COALS = The context in this verse and the larger context of
chapter 12 makes it clear that this is not a negative, vindictive statement
(Romans
In ancient days
there were no matches, therefore starting a fire was difficult. When the fire in the hearth at home went out,
another was started by borrowing live coals from a neighbor -- who may have
been reluctant to part with a few of them.
Here Paul tells us if we are kind to our enemy, it is the equivalent of
giving so abundantly to a neighbor needing "burning coals" that they
could be said to be piled as high as his head.
SUBMIT ... TO ... GOVERNING AUTHORITIES = The New Covenant church
did not interpret this to mean that civil government is to be obeyed when it
contradicts the Word of God (Acts
Rom 13:2
HE WHO REBELS AGAINST THE AUTHORITY = This does not mean that we
cannot object to government's excesses or evils. Rather, that our objection is to be made in
such a way that we legally change the system, not that we do so through
anarchy. Sometimes in clear-cut, extreme
cases, such as in the civil-rights movements of the 1950’s-1960’s,
civil disobedience is the means of last resort.
Rom 13:5
POSSIBLE PUNISHMENT = In the context of Romans 13:4 this punishment
of the wrongdoer comes from the civil authority.
CONSCIENCE = If a Christian is to maintain a good conscience toward
God and his fellow man, he must submit to legitimate civil authority. The definition of "legitimate"
civil authority is made by Scripture, not by the situation in which I find
myself.
Rom 13:6
YOU PAY TAXES = The point Paul is making here is: "You pay tithes/offerings
so you can have a full-time pastor. In
the same way you pay taxes so you can have a full time civil servant. Both your spiritual and secular life requires
full-time care and guidance."
Rom 13:7
PAY TAXES = Paul does not say "only pay taxes to Godly
governments." Government, both
secular and religious has the power to tax (2 Chronicles 24:6, 9; 1 Samuel
Rom 13:8
DEBT = In verse 7 we are to pay what we owe. The one debt that is never
fulfilled/cancelled is the continuing debt to love one another.
LOVE ... HAS FULFILLED THE LAW = See note on 2 Corinthians 3:6.
Rom 13:9
COMMANDMENTS = Specifically listed are the four dealing with our
duty to our neighbor. "Love"
is defined as an action rather than a philosophy.
ARE SUMMED UP = This terminology indicates the New Covenant is not
a continuation of the Ten Commandments, but rather a “summing up”
of the second tablet of the Ten Commandments.
The principles behind those commands are incorporated into the New
Covenant under the broad scope of God’s own personal righteousness.
Rom
FULFILLMENT = Not an intellectual philosophy but an active
life-style that does good to our neighbor (see verses 8 and 9). See note on 2 Corinthians 3:6.
Rom
CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST = "Progress in
the Christian life is attained through living in union with Christ through
faith. This thought is expressed in a
variety of ways (see Colossians 2:6-7; Galatians
Here two aspects
of the sanctified life are outlined: (1) “clothe yourselves with the Lord
Jesus Christ” and (2) “do not think about how to gratify the
desires of the sinful nature.” No
spiritual victory is achieved without Christ, thus the Christian is to immerse
himself (“clothe” himself) with Christ. Then the necessity of controlling one’s
thoughts comes into focus. The Christian
is “not to think” about the evil desires he has left behind. Second Corinthians 10:5 expresses it this
way: “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ.” Modern Christians often
complain they cannot control their thoughts – but Scripture disagrees
with them. A disciplined life which
seeks to honor Jesus Christ will choose the subject matter the mind is
permitted to dwell upon. Also see 1
Corinthians
ACCEPT HIM = The Greek is in the imperative and literally means
"you-all must receive/accept him into your home, society,
acquaintances." The same word is
used in Acts 28:2. We are to accept one
another according to the example of Christ.
See Romans 15:7.
"Christians
have no right to judge others' convictions, their motives, or what a fellow
believer is convinced is God's will for him or her. Church discipline has nothing to do with any
of these things. Instead church
discipline has to do only with the habitual practice by Christians of those
things the Bible clearly identifies as sin.
In this case the church does not judge the sinning believer but agrees
with God's pronouncement that a particular behavior is sin. God determines what is sin; the church simply
agrees with God when it acts to discipline a fellow believer. It should be noted that church discipline
involves a process of confrontation as described in Matthew 18:15-17. This is intended to bring about the
repentance and restoration of the one who sins.
f that person fails to respond, the final step is to expel him or her
from the church. Even this is no
intended as punishment. Rather, the
church, by acting out on earth the reality of sin's spiritual impact of
separating the believer from fellowship with God, seeks to help the sinner to
grasp the consequences of his sin and repent."-- 735 Baffling Bible
Questions Answered, by Larry Richards, page 340.
FAITH = The Greek literally says "being weak in the
faith." The faith referred to here
is not a belief in someone, not defective doctrines, but being new to the
Christian faith in general. The
suggestion is that this person is a new convert, and stuck on legalism.
WEAK = Used figuratively to mean "over-scrupulous."
JUDGMENT = Greek says literally "not to
judgments/quarrels." The intent
that Paul has here is to welcome the new Christian, without getting into
quarrels about personal opinions.
DISPUTABLE MATTERS = Greek means "thoughts,
opinions." What is at issue here is
personal preferences rather than God's direct commands. The apostles meeting in
1. Old Covenant
laws regarding food sacrificed to idols (Romans 14:2, 3, 6)
2. Old Covenant
laws regarding "clean" versus "unclean" meat (Romans 14:2,
3, 6, 14, 20, 21)
3. Old Covenant
laws regarding the Sabbath and annual holy days (Romans 14:5-6)
4. Old Covenant
laws regarding drinking wine (Romans
Rom 14:2
ONE MAN'S FAITH ALLOWS HIM = Literally "one indeed believes to
eat all things." The sense is that
he trusts himself to eat anything. See
Galatians 5:13.
FAITH IS WEAK = Vegetarianism does not necessarily mean "weak
faith." At times it is an example
of great love for one's brother: see 1 Corinthians 8:13.
EATS ONLY VEGETABLES = He is a vegetarian for religious
reasons. Beyond the concept of
vegetarianism was also the concept of ceremonially "clean" and
"unclean" foods that some would eat and others would not eat (cf.
Leviticus 11:4-8 and Hebrews 13:9).
Rom 14:3
GOD HAS ACCEPTED HIM = God's acceptance of a person deals more with
the person's motives than with his actions.
A person who believes God's grace enables him to eat everything, and who
is genuinely loving God by refusing to be shackled by what he considers
erroneous teachings, is accepted by God.
Rom 14:4
JUDGE = The Greek "krino" (Strongs #G2919) literally
means to "criticize, find fault with, condemn." Genuine Christianity is concerned with
building one another up through exhortation and encouragement.
Rom 14:5
ONE MAN CONSIDERS = The issue here is personal preference regarding
which day(s) is to be regarded as "sacred." This is one of the "disputable
matters" Paul referred to in Romans 14:1.
Notice Paul is not speaking about direct commands from God. God repeatedly blessed Christians who kept
His direct New Covenant commands. That
is why five years after Christ's resurrection, a Christian named Ananias, who
was a "devout observer of the law," was used by God to give Paul his
sight, impart the Holy Spirit to him through the laying on of hands and baptize
him: Acts 22:12. There is a difference between obedience to
God's direct commands and legalism. And there is a difference between
"disputable matters" and what God has clearly stated is a requirement
for all people at all times.
"The
principle (Paul) adduces is the Christian's personal responsibility to his Lord
and Master. He is God's, for it is God
who has accepted him into fellowship with Him; and so others are obliged to
accept him too, not give him the cold shoulder.
He is Christ's servant (cf. Romans 4:9) and responsible to Him. It is nothing less than usurping Christ's
sovereign authority over a fellow-Christian for one to criticize him over a
difference of opinion: for the less scrupulous to 'look down" (cf. Romans
14:3) on the more scrupulous, and for the more scrupulous to judge the less
scrupulous. Christian fellowship does
not imply a right to run other people's lives for them: only Christ can -- and
will -- discharge such a right. The
temptation to criticize some one else must be resisted. Instead one must re-examine one's own views,
in case they are based upon selfish expediency and personal profit, and in an
exercise of spiritual judgment come to as informed and responsible a conviction
as one is psychologically capable of.
Whichever conclusion one comes to, one must consecrate it and its
outworking to the Lord, for the whole of life is to be devoted to Him as 'a
living sacrifice' (cf. Romans 12:1).
Whatever a Christian does is to be his personal act of worship to Christ
and of thanksgiving to God." -- The International Bible Commentary, F. F.
Bruce, p. 1342.
ONE DAY MORE SACRED THAN ANOTHER ... EVERY DAY ALIKE = Notice how
the Apostle Paul, who was a very strict Jew (see Philippians 3:4-6), does not
take sides on this issue. This was the
perfect opportunity for Paul to teach the Roman Christians all about
Sabbath-keeping, but Paul refrains.
Why? Because Christianity is not
about "keeping" a "day" but about a relationship with
Christ (Matthew 12:8; Mark
"The
Christian-Jew or proselyte had been in the habit of regarding certain days as
holy, such as the weekly Sabbath and the annual Day of Atonement. It was ingrained in his conscience that not
to observe them was wrong. On the other
hand, an ex-pagan could make a foolproof case to prove that such practices were
no longer necessary (cf. Colossians
FULLY CONVINCED IN HIS OWN MIND = Again, Paul speaks about a
personal conviction, not a direct command from God. We cannot force others to accept our own
personal convictions. However, our
personal convictions are to be in harmony with the will of Christ (Romans 14:4,
8).
Rom 14:6
REGARDS ONE DAY AS SPECIAL = The Greek "phroneo" (Strongs
#G5426) means "to have affection for, highly regard, be devoted to,
keep." The word "special"
(NIV) is not in the original text, but is implied.
Paul did not write
"regards one day as the Sabbath," thus we cannot be certain the
Sabbath was an issue. In society there
are "special" days such as holidays and memorial days. However, while the observance of these
"special days" is optional under the New Covenant, under the Old
Covenant God commanded the Israelites to rest from their work on the Sabbath
(Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11). The
Sabbath is Old Covenant – and not applicable to Christians. It is likely the "judging" involved
Jewish Christians attempting to drag Christians back under the Old Covenant by
observing the weekly Sabbath as well as the six annual holidays of Scripture,
while Roman Christians attempted to promote their secular and religious
holidays. The key thought is in Romans 14:12, "Each ... will give an
account of himself to God." Acts
chapter 15 and Titus 1:10-11 give glimpses into the running battle that was
waged by Judaizers as they tried to impose the requirements of the Old Covenant
upon New Covenant Christians. This
ancient heresy is promoted today by modern Sabbatarians such as Seventh-day
Adventists, Seventh-day Baptists,
EATS MEAT ... ABSTAINS = In the context of Romans 14:20, Paul is
not simply addressing items of personal preference, i.e. eating meat versus
vegetarianism, but rather he is speaking about eating "unclean" meats
versus eating "clean" meats (see Leviticus 11:1-47 and compare with
Romans 14:20 and Mark 7:19). Both the
Jewish Christians who abstained from eating "unclean" meat, and the
Gentile Christians who ate "unclean" meat could appeal to Scripture
to support their traditions. However,
all of our personal preferences must always be tempered by the direct commands
of God (Romans
Rom 14:7
NONE ... LIVES ... DIES TO HIMSELF ALONE = Our entire lives
influence others. Thus while something may
be permissible to us, it may not be beneficial as far as our influence on
others (1 Corinthians
Rom 14:8
LIVE TO THE LORD ... DIE TO THE LORD = Does not say if we die we
live with the Lord. No case for
"life" after death here. This
is an excellent example to cite when demonstrating the Jehovah's Witnesses' NWT
of the bible is a twisted translation containing numerous verses that have been
changed to fit Watchtower doctrines. In
Romans 14:7, 8 the NWT renders the same Greek root "Kurios" as
"Jehovah," but as "Lord" in Romans 14:9. JWs teach that "Jehovah" is the
name of God the Father only, and so to keep the text from demonstrating Jesus
is also called "Jehovah" they change the translation to
"Lord." Show the JW that in
their own Kingdom Interlinear Translation the same root word "Kurios"
("Lord") appears in all three verses and should be translated
"Lord" in each case.
WE BELONG TO THE LORD = In context of Romans 14:7, we must remember
that we have been "bought with a price" and thus must honor the Lord
in all we do (1 Corinthians
Rom 14:9
CHRIST DIED AND RETURNED TO LIFE = Does not say He died and went on
living. Christ's example proves that
there is no "life" that continues on through death.
Rom
ALL STAND BEFORE GOD'S JUDGMENT SEAT = According to the context,
especially Romans 14:4, 8, Paul is stating that each Christian is personally
responsible for his actions and fully accountable to God.
Rom
NO FOOD IS UNCLEAN = Greek word translated "food" is
"oudeis" meaning "nothing."
The word "food" is not mentioned in this verse, but is
appropriate from the context of the next verse, and from Romans 14:20.
Rom
NOT A MATTER OF EATING AND DRINKING = God's kingdom is not
"doing" but "being" (1 Corinthians
PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT = Peace and joy are fruits of the
Holy Spirit (see Galatians
Rom
ALL FOOD IS CLEAN = This statement agrees with Jesus' teaching in
Mark
Rom 15:4
EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRITTEN ... SCRIPTURES = Specifically this is
"everything" that was written in Scripture is to be used to
"teach us" (see Romans
TO TEACH US = Scripture is the basis of everything Christians need
to be taught to be equipped for "every good work" (see 2 Timothy
WE MIGHT HAVE HOPE = Our hope comes from "endurance and the
encouragement of the Scriptures."
Without endurance there is no hope.
With endurance but without Scripture, there is also no hope. But when we endure in the unfailing Word of
God, we have every hope because God is the "God of hope" (Romans
Rom 15:5
WHO GIVES ENDURANCE = The Greek "hupomone" (Strongs
#G5281) means "patiently bearing up under hard circumstances, patiently
enduring difficult circumstances."
This endurance comes from God.
AND ENCOURAGEMENT = The Greek word "paraklesis" (Strongs
#G3874) means "exhort, encourage, comfort." The purpose of encouragement is to strengthen
us in the faith and establish us in God's ways.
A similar word, "Paraclete" (Strongs #G3875) is a title for
the Holy Spirit which describes His work: "Comforter" (John
Rom
THE GOD OF HOPE = This hope does not just come out of the
"sky" -- it is the result of "endurance and the encouragement of
the Scriptures" (Romans 15:4).
THE HOLY SPIRIT = The Holy Spirit is a person, a separate
individual from the Father, and an equal member of the Trinity. Also see Romans 15:16. Notice "the God of hope" is
synonymous with the Holy Spirit who brings "hope" through His own
power -- thus the text is calling the Holy Spirit "God."
Contrary to the
Jehovah Witnesses' belief that the Holy Spirit is just an "active
force" like electricity, "the idea of 'spirit' excludes not only the
idea of material substance, but also that of inanimate substance. It implies that God (or in this case, the
Holy Spirit) is alive." -- Lectures in Systematic Theology, by Henry C.
Thiessen, Eerdmans, p. 76.
Rom
MY BROTHERS = This is written to fellow Christians.
COMPETENT TO INSTRUCT ONE ANOTHER = This "instruction" is
to be grounded in the Scriptures (Romans 15:4).
Those who “instruct” others will be “judged more
strictly” by God (James 3:1), and must have graduated from knowing the
“milk” of the Word to knowing the “meat” of the Word (1
Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews
Rom
CHRIST JESUS ... GOD ... THE HOLY SPIRIT = These are the three
members of the Trinity. The three
members of the Trinity are mentioned in Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:16; Matthew
28:19; Luke 1:35; Luke 10:21; John 3:5;
Acts 7:55; Acts 10:38; Romans 1:4; Romans 15:16, 30; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1
Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:17;
Philippians 3:3; Hebrews 10:29; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 4:2.
SANCTIFIED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT = Here the Holy Spirit
"sanctifies" the Gentiles. The
work of sanctification requires thoughtful reasoning and knowledge as well as
implementing decisions -- all the work of a Personal Being. Contrary to the Jehovah Witnesses' belief that
the Holy Spirit is just an "active force" like electricity, "the
idea of 'spirit' excludes not only the idea of material substance, but also
that of inanimate substance. It implies
that God (or in this case, the Holy Spirit) is alive." -- Lectures in
Systematic Theology, by Henry C. Thiessen, Eerdmans, p. 76.
Sanctification is
the process of making something or someone holy. It involves being set apart from what is
common or secular.
"The most
common understanding of sanctification is the growth in holiness that should
follow conversion. ... In justification, God, at the beginning of Christian
life, declares us acquitted. In
sanctification, God accomplishes His will in us as Christian life
proceeds. Sanctification never replaces
justification. Sanctification is of the
Spirit, and is the outflow of an overflowing life within the soul, the 'fruit'
of the Spirit. How far does sanctification
go? The Greek root 'telei' does not mean
'sinless,' 'incapable of sinning, but 'fulfilling its appointed end, complete,
mature.' Such maturity is clearly part
of the Christian's goal. Paul's denial
that he is already 'perfect,' and his exhortations to ongoing sanctification,
show that he does not think a final, complete sanctification can be claimed in
this life." -- The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A.
Elwell, editor, page 446.
Rom
LORD JESUS CHRIST ... SPIRIT ... GOD = These are the three members
of the Trinity. The three members of the
Trinity are mentioned in Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19; Luke 1:35;
Luke 10:21; John 3:5; Acts 7:55; Acts 10:38; Romans 1:4; Romans 15:16, 30; 1
Corinthians 6:11; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:6;
Ephesians 1:17; Philippians 3:3; Hebrews 10:29; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 4:2.
PHOEBE = "Phoebe was undoubtedly the person who carried Paul's
letter to the Romans at
Rom 16:3
PRISCILLA AND AQUILA, MY FELLOW WORKERS = The wife (Priscilla) is
mentioned first here indicating that she was the more prominent (also see
verses 18-19). This couple led the
church which met in their home (1 Corinthians
IN CHRIST = We are "in Christ" when we hear and believe
the Gospel (Ephesians
Rom 16:7
IN CHRIST = We are "in Christ" when we hear and believe
the Gospel (Ephesians
Rom 16:9
OUR FELLOW WORKER IN CHRIST = We are "in Christ" when we
hear and believe the Gospel (Ephesians
Rom
CHOSEN = The Greek "eklektos" (Strongs #G1588) means
“chosen, beloved, cherished, loved.” Also see Luke 23:35.
Rom
THOSE WHO CAUSE DIVISIONS = See commentary notes on 1 Corinthians
5:2, 5, 7, 11, 13; Galatians
Rom
WILL SOON CRUSH SATAN = See note on Genesis
THE GRACE OF ... = In some of the less accurate manuscripts the
last half of verse 20 was copied over to verse 24, thus duplicating this
benediction there. Most copyist errors
tend to expand the text, adding words by way of explanation. Very seldom did copyists leave out words.
Thus, generally speaking, the shorter version of a text is more accurate. See note on verse 24.
Rom
NOTE: The evidence indicates this verse was copied from verse 20
and inserted at this point by a copyist.
The earliest and best manuscripts do not include verse 24. See note on verse 20.
Rom
REVEALED AND MADE KNOWN THROUGH THE PROPHETIC WRITINGS = The
context is found in the previous verse (Romans
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