Romans

God's provided righteousness involves more than declaring believers righteous on the basis of faith. He declared the duty to reject sin and do what is right because of the new life received in Christ.

Paul argued that it would be a perversion of grace to argue that since grace results in freedom and [grace] increases where sin increases, people should continue in sin so that grace can abound. Paul contended that those who have been justified by Christ have died to the power of sin, which no longer has enslaving power. Believers have been identified ("baptized") with the death and resurrection of Christ, the source of their spiritual life. Since believers are dead to sin and its power, they must realize they have new life in Christ and not yield themselves to unrighteousness.

Paul stated that sin results in death. Believers have been set free from sin and no longer are in bondage to it. Now believers are slaves of righteousness and alive to God. They are now to reject sin and do what is right by serving God.

Chapter 6, like chapters 3-5, asserts the importance of Christ's death. Again the death of Christ is reasserted, but not in isolation as the death of the righteous for the unrighteous. Here the believer has been joined to Christ. Death to sin calls for resolute separation from sin, and resurrection means a new type of life in response to God.

In chapter 7 Paul pictured himself in a representative way as one wanting to live righteously and fulfill the demands of the law but frustrated by sin that still indwelt him. Nowhere else in Paul's letters, and nowhere else in ancient literature, is there such a penetrating description of the human plight and contradiction as in 7:1-25. There is a remarkable parallelism between what chapter 6 says about sin and what chapter 7 says about the law.

Paul addressed the issue of the believer and the law by a somewhat imperfect analogy with the husband and wife. These verses demonstrate the character of the law. It is "holy, righteous, and good." Paul described the role of the law in his transitional experience before his conversion.

The interpretation of these verses is as difficult as any in the New Testament. The text is gripped with tension. Paul painted for the readers a picture of the Christian life with all its anguish and its simultaneous hopefulness. This is the ongoing struggle with which believers are involved throughout their lives. Deliverance is promised. Victory is sure, but it is an eschatological hope.

Paul described one who hates sin and judges it in his or her life. In this struggle the believer constantly continues to strive for the good. Both the struggle of chapter 7 and the deliverance of chapter 8 are true and real in the believer's journey. Though Paul spoke autobiographically of the tensions of life as he experienced them, it remains apparent that he spoke by implication for all who have the struggle and need for God's enablement and blessing.

Paul's exposition shifted to a focus on the role of the Holy Spirit, who brings pardon and power for the children of God. Those who have been justified have been freed from death. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." God will give life to their mortal bodies through His spirit, who indwells believers. If believers live according to the sinful nature, they will die; but if by the Spirit believers put to death the misdeeds of the body, they will live.

In contrast to the control of sin, which enslaves to the point of fear, believers have received the Spirit of adoption. So instead of retreating in fear, Christians can approach God in an intimate way, calling Him "Abba, Father." "Abba" is a transliteration of the Aramaic term for father, implying great familiarity and intimacy (see Mark 14:36; Gal. 4:6). The portrait is one of solidarity and relatedness through the Spirit.

Verse 17 concludes and climaxes a list of conditional "ifs" (see 8:9-11,13). He lifts the issue of suffering beyond their own inner moral struggles to suffering together with Christ as a prelude to being glorified together with Him.

Hope transforms suffering. Paul pointed to creation's longing for its redemption and believers' eagerly awaiting their ultimate adoption and redemption. Here we see God's plan of redemptive suffering moving to its fulfillment at the end of the age.

The Spirit Himself groans for believers as they pray and anticipate their glorification. Even though the Spirit groans with words that cannot be expressed, the Father knows what the Spirit is thinking. Though believers during this in-between time are often unsure and unaware of what to pray, the Holy Spirit communicates their concerns for them.

Paul's conclusion to the first half of the book emphasized the majesty and glory of God and pointed to the certainty of God's redemptive plan. All that happens to them rests in the sovereign hand of God, who in all things "works for the good of those who love him." Believers gain assurance knowing that God is for them (8:31). In all the testings and sufferings that confront believers, they can be confident that they are more than conquerors through Christ who loved them. Believers can expect difficulties in this age; yet they can be certain that nothing will be able to separate them from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus."

The apostle could not deal with the issue of men and women, whether Jew or Gentile, being given a right standing before God without addressing the place of Israel in God's plan. Paul stated with great emotion his concern for the Jews, his own people. They had a special place in God's purposes in the past. They were the recipients of adoption, glory, covenants, the law, the promises, temple worship, and the patriarchs.

Paul here described God's sovereign choice of His people. Everything that has taken place in redemptive history has been due to God's faithfulness to the promise He gave to Abraham and his descendants. With Jesus, Paul could affirm that "salvation is from the Jews" (John 4:22). The problem for Paul was, How could Israel, as the recipient of all these blessings, fail to receive and recognize the promised Messiah?

Paul answered that God elected Abraham, but not all the descendants of Abraham receive his promises. The choice of God had nothing to do with their character or worth; it was a matter of God's purpose.

Paul contended that there is no injustice with God. His choices show forth his power so that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth. He had chosen Israel to serve His purposes as Lord over all. Only by faith are people declared righteous before God. Those who attempted to establish their righteousness on any other basis stumbled over the Messiah.

Paul argued that only a remnant of Israel ever believed (9:27-29). In rejecting Christ Israel was following a precedent already at work in earlier days. The Jews' zeal was commendable but nevertheless misguided. The only way of acceptance before God was faith in Christ and was (and is) within the reach of all. Those who believe in their heart and confess with their mouth "Jesus is Lord" will be saved. People cannot believe unless they can hear, and they cannot hear without a preacher. Though Israel heard, they still rejected God's message.

Next, Paul claimed that since a remnant of Israel had believed the gospel, it was a clear indication that Israel as a whole will yet believe. Though God may have temporarily rejected Israel, He has not finally or irrevocably rejected them. When Israel rejected God's message, the opportunity was given to the Gentiles, who were grafted into the tree. Gentiles, however, were warned not to be proud of their acceptance but humbly to rely on God's grace.

Israel's alienation is not necessarily final. God still has a future and purpose for Israel. The Gentiles are saved by a temporary hardening of Israel, which will continue until the "full number of the Gentiles has come in." Still, within God's purposes "all Israel will be saved." Paul coded this section by praising the marvelous wisdom of God demonstrated in His purposes for both Jews and Gentiles.

Paul appealed for the dedication of the whole of life to God. The basis of the appeal rested in the mercy of God. As believers are transformed in their minds and conformed to the image of Christ, they will be able to discern, desire, and approve the will of God. God's will is good and holy; it is sufficient for every need. Only through spiritual renewal can believers do the will of God.

Believers' dedication to God and the accompanying transformed lifestyle is lived out through the exercise of spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 12-14). Christians are to live together in love as members of Christ's body, the church. With their various gifts they are to serve one another. The rest of the chapter consists of a series of short exhortations that focus on the outworking of love in all relationships and under all circumstances.

Christians should recognize that civil government is ordained of God. Government is God's servant to discipline the disobedient and carry out His righteous will. Love is the sum of the Christian's duty. Christian conduct is vitally related to the hope of Christ's return and the believer's ultimate transformation.

Harmonious relationships are important. Believers should live without judging others and without influencing others to violate their consciences. Not only should the mature not hinder the weak with their freedom, but the weak must avoid restricting those who have discovered Christian freedom. Mutual love and respect are the marks of true disciples of Christ.

The apostle described how Christian living involves the desire to please others and not oneself. A need exists to welcome others as Christ Himself has received Gentiles as well as Jews to be His people.

This concluding section contains Paul's travel plans and his role as a minister to the Gentiles. He stated his aim to proclaim the gospel where it had not been preached. He wanted to go to Rome in order to extend the Christian mission westward to Spain. He requested prayer from the church for his mission.

Chapter 16 closes typically with greetings and commendations from various individuals. Greetings are offered to twenty-seven people, including a significant number of women. Paul appealed for the church to avoid divisions and disunity. He offered greetings from his colleagues and closed with an appropriate doxology: "To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen."

Theological Significance. Paul's message to the Romans means that the church must proclaim that God is the giver of salvation, the gift of righteousness, and this gift is for all who will receive it by faith. The church must not call for a faith that can be separated from faithfulness. Assurance must be grounded not in human decision but in the atoning and justifying work of Jesus Christ.

The thematic emphasis of the believer's righteousness in Christ means that our acceptance and worth before God cannot be earned but only received. When we feel depressed, discouraged, or defeated, we must remind ourselves that God has reconciled us, accepted us, and given us value and significance in His sight because of the work of Jesus Christ for us.

When troubled from all sides, we are reminded that God is for us, and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (8:31-39). When divisions occur in the church, we must turn to Paul's exhortation for mutual love, concern, and service for one another. No one has a superior place in Christ's body because of inherent worth, heritage, accomplishments, or background. There is, therefore, no place for human boasting or claim of special privilege. All nations are invited to come to Christ, in whom there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

Cranfield, C. E. B., Romans: A Shorter Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.

Hendriksen, William. Exposition of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980.

Moo, Douglas J. Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody, 1990.

Mounce, Robert H. Romans. New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995.

Vaughan, Curtis and Bruce Corley. Romans: A Study Guide Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976.