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Romans Study Lesson 7 – Romans 5

The Assurance Provided by the Gospel:
The Hope of Salvation

Romans 5:1-8:39 

Romans 5 – The Hope of Glory 

Introduction to the Next Section

5 Reasons Doug Moo Thinks It’s a Transition

1. The opening phrase

2. Shift in style for polemic to confessional (“you” to “we”)

3. Change in the vocabulary (death/die/put to death, life/to live are much more common)

4. Significantly fewer direct quotations from the OT.

5. Most importantly: The theme shifts to the hope of sharing in God’s glory (5:2 and 8:18, 30)

Relationship between Ch. 1-4 and 5-8

1. Some argue that there are two different conceptions of the Gospel. 

a. Forensic: “Christians benefit, because Christ died for us.”

b. Participatory: “Christians benefit, because we died with Christ.”

2. Paul doesn’t abandon one for the other. They rather build on each other, emphasizing different parts.

Keep an eye out for these concepts: 

1. “Already, but not yet”

2. Different realms

  1. From Justification to Salvation (v. 1-11)
    1. Justification results in:
      1. Reconciliation (peace with God presently)
      2. Hope (God’s glory in the future)
    2. Peace with God (v. 1)
      1. Greek understanding was negative–the end of fighting
      2. Jewish understanding (almost certainly Paul’s) was much broader and deeper (shalom) Num. 6:26
    3. By Jesus, by faith (v. 2)
    4. Hope helps us through difficulty (v. 3)
      1. “…all the evil that the Christian experiences reflects the conflict between this age, dominated by Satan, and the age to come, to which the Christian has been transferred by faith. All suffering betrays the presence of the enemy and involves attacks on our relationship to Christ.”
      2. The big picture is that affliction is always used by God in the lives of his children.
    5. Our hope in Christ will not leave us ashamed at the judgement. (v. 5-6)
      1. Our hope is grounded in God’s love for us (1st mention in Romans) through Christ.
      2. This is clear, because His love predates our justification.
      3. The nature of God’s love (v. 6-8)
        1. The pinnacle of human love is giving one’s life for a loved one. (v. 7)
        2. God the Father gave Christ to die for weak, ungodly sinners. (v. 6, 8)
        3. Therefore God’s love far surpasses the best human love.
      4. From harder to easier (v. 9-10)
        1. Already but not yet
        2. Reconciliation language of v. 10 is rare in other religions historically because of the power distance.
  2. Leaving the realm of death and sin for the reign of grace and life (v. 12-21)
    1. Sin entered by one man (Adam), and it has been passed to all. (v. 12) 
      1. The problem is both corporate and individual. 
      2. The knowledge of sin increases responsibility. (v. 13)
      3. Even without the direct knowledge of the the law, sin still brings consequences. (v. 14)
    2. Adam is a type of Jesus. (v. 14)
      1. Both play a role as head or representative.
      2. One affects many. (v.15)
      3. Active act vs. Passive grace (v. 15)
      4. Results: Condemnation vs. Justification (v. 16)
      5. Comparison of how much (v. 17)
      6. Summary (v. 18-21)


Tough Questions

  1. Is this fair?
  2. Does v. 18 teach universalism?
  3. What’s the purpose of the law?
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Romans Study Lesson 6 – Romans 3:27-4:25

The Heart of the Gospel:
Justification by Faith

Romans 1:18-4:25 

Romans 3:27-4:25 – By Faith Alone

  1. Justification is by faith alone–introduction to the idea (3:27-31)
    1. v. 27-28 – There can be no boasting, because there is no mixture of faith and works.
    2. v. 29-30 – Is the Gospel for everyone?
          • Yes, because He justifies both the circumcised and uncircumcised.
    1. v. 31 – Does this undermine the Law and consequently the Old Testament?
          • No, see the next chapter.
Opening Statement in Ch. 3 Explanation in Ch. 4
No boasting (3:27) Abraham can’t boast (4:1-2)
Justified by faith, not works of the law (3:27-28) Abraham was justified by faith, not works (4:3-8)
Circumcised and uncircumcised are united in God through faith (3:29-30) Circumcised and uncircumcised are united as children of Abraham by faith (4:9-17)
  1. Abraham is the example. (4:1-25)
    1. Paul uses Gen. 15:6 as his text.
    2. Why Abraham? Judaism at this point stressed 2 things about Abraham:
      1. “He was counted righteous because of his faithfulness when tested.”
      2. “His faith in Gen. 15 needed to be coupled with his circumcision in Gen. 17.”
    3. Faith and works (4:1-8)
      1. v. 4-5 Faith/grace and works are very different.
      2. Given vs. Earned
      3. Reckoned (v. 4) compare with v. 23-24
      4. v. 5 compared with Exodus 23:7
      5. v. 6-8 Paul gives another OT quotation (Ps. 32:1-2)
        1. Justification is about a status, not a transformation (that’s another step)
        2. Forgiveness is clearly a part of  justification.

Excursion: Faith and Reckoning 

  1. Faith
    1. Faith and believe are different forms of the same word.
    2. Saving faith in the Bible carries trust as an intregal and required component.
    3. It could be thought of as our heart’s response to the revelation of God
  2. Reckon
    1. A theological term is imputation
    2. Accounting word originally about crediting something to a person
    1. Faith and circumcision (v. 9-12)
      1. v. 10 – Righteousness was imputed/credited to Abraham before the ritual
        1. Sign ceremony then becomes a confirmation of something earlier, internal.
        2. …like baptism?!
      2. v. 11 – We are then Abraham’s children and partakers of his promises on the basis of faith.
    2. Faith, the law, and the promise (v. 13-22)
      1. The promise is based on faith.
      2. v. 15 – Calvin: ““He who is not instructed by the written law, when he sins, is not guilty of so great a transgression as he is who knowingly breaks and transgresses the law of God.”
      3. The stool of religion: promise, faith, and grace
      4. Who are Abraham’s true descendants?
      5. v. 18-21 – The nature of Abraham’s faith
      6. v. 22 – The result of Abraham’s faith
    3. The connection between his faith and the Christians (v. 23-25)
      1. Though from a different age, the words of Gen. 15:6 are relevant for us today. (v. 23)
      2. The object of faith has grown more specific through the years. (v. 24)
      3. The resurrection??? (6:10; 1 Tim. 3:16)
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Romans Study Lesson 5 – Romans 3:21-26

The Heart of the Gospel:
Justification by Faith

Romans 1:18-4:25  

Romans 3:21-4:25 – Justification by Faith

Excursion: Justification

  1. Justification in the Old Testament
    1. “‘Justification’ thus takes the form of a legal recognition of an already existing righteousness.” – Westerholm
      1. “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, Even they both are abomination to the Lord.” – Prov. 17:15
      2. Matt. 11:19
      3. Luke 16:15 is the hint that this isn’t as simple as it appeared in the Old Testament.
    2. Begins the heart of the argument about justification in the New Testament.
  2. The meaning of justification in the New Testament
    1. NT usage by Paul and others:
      1. Legal
        1. How it differed from the Jewish:
          1. The verdict must be just.
          2. The verdict was only at the Judgment. 
          3. The verdict was limited to the past.
        2. Luke 18:14 is the clearest example from Jesus
      2. Definition: A declaration by God as Judge that we are righteous; not only that our sins are forgiven, but that we are righteous in Christ.
  1. How is God righteous if He justifies sinners? (3:21-26)
    1. Not divorced from the OT.
    2. v. 21 – a sea change in the book
      1. “There are no more wonderful words in the whole of Scripture than just these two words ‘But now.’ ” v. 21 – Martyn Lloyd-Jones
      2. Compare with 1:17 and 1:18
      3. Continuity and discontinuity with the OT 
    3. God reveals His righteousness apart from the law (1:18-3:20) through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (3:21ff)
      1. He is again impartial (“upon all them that believe”)
      2. He acts out of grace, unmerited favor.
        1. Pascal says, “Grace is indeed needed to turn a man into a saint; and he who doubts it does not know what a saint or a man is.”
      3. He redeems us.
        1. In the sense of deliverance, i.e. Moses and the exodus from Egypt.
        2. In the sense of a ransom paid for our sins. 

Excursion: Propitiation

  1. Usage in the Bible as the mercyseat
    1. Majority of the OT uses in the Septuagint refer to the mercy seat
        • 21 out of 27 uses in the LXX
    1. Certainly one of the two uses in the NT
        • Heb. 9:5
  1. Continuation of the OT types and shadows into the New Testament
    1. Jesus as the new temple (John 2)
    2. Rock to be followed in the wilderness (I Cor. 10:4)
    3. Simultaneously high priest and sacrifice (Hebrews)
  2. Expiation or propitiation
    1. Expiation: the wiping away of sins
    2. Propitiation: the removing of God’s wrath so that He is pleased with someone
    3. This verse…both.
    1. God can justify the sinner and still be just because of Jesus.
  2. By what means can a person be justified? (3:27-4:25)
    1. By faith…
    2. We will see faith contrasted with:
      1. Works of the law
      2. Works
      3. Circumcision
      4. The law
      5. Sight
    3. Faith allows salvation to be:
      1. By grace alone
      2. Available to all
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Romans Study Lesson 4 – Romans 2:12-3:20

The Heart of the Gospel:
Justification by Faith

Romans 1:18-4:25 

Romans 1:18-3:20 – The Universal Reign of Sin – Part 2

  1. Jews Are Accountable to God for Sin (2:1–3:8)
    1. The Jews and the Judgment of God (2:1-16)
      1. Judgment and the Law (2:12-16)
        1. Covenant or boundary markers are not enough!
        2. The distinction of those with and without the law is the same as between Jew and Gentile.
        3. Justify – to declare righteous
        4. v. 14-15 refer to “Gentiles who do some part of the law but who are not saved”
        5. God will even judge those without the Word by the keeping of their own (flawed) consciences
          1. Matt. 5:20-27
          2. The nature of the 10 Commandments in the New Testament
    2. The Limitations of the Covenant (2:17-29)
      1. Blessing of being a Jew (v. 17-18)
      2. As a result, Jews ought be (v. 19-20)
        1. Guide to the blind
        2. Light for those who are in darkness
        3. An instructor of the foolish
        4. A teacher of the immature
      3. The problem is they don’t keep the law either (v. 21-24)
      4. The Law is not enough (v. 17-24)
      5. Circumcision doesn’t make one a Jew (v. 25-29)
        1. What makes someone a Jew?
          1. Boundary markers?
          2. “No person who is circumcised will go down to Gehenna.” (Later Judaism)
        2. Inner vs. outer distinction
          1. Circumcision of the heart (Deut. 10:16; 30:6 ; Jer. 4:4)
          2. Jesus in the Gospels
      6. God’s Faithfulness and the Judgment of Jews (3:1-8)
        1. v. 1 – What is the advantage of being a Jew?
        2. v. 2 – In every way (see  9:4-5), but especially the Scriptures
        3. v. 3-4 – Is God faithful even if some Jews are unfaithful? Yes!
        4. v. 5-8 – The relationship between our sin, God’s glory, and God’s righteousness.
    3. The Guilt of All Humanity (3:9–20)
      1. v. 10 – An introduction for the accusation
      2. v. 11-12  – Repeating the accusation
      3. v. 13-14 – Sins of speech
      4. v. 15-17– Sins of violence
      5. Quotations from the Psalms and Isaiah
      6. v. 19 – The law in the broadest sense including the Law written upon the heart. (2:12-16) 
      7. v. 20 – The conclusion

Problems to be Addressed

  1. Contradiction between 2:13 and 3:20  — There is an assumed step that is left out: “No one can do the law.”
  2. The meaning of justification
    1. OT: “Justification” thus takes the form of a legal recognition of an already existing righteousness.” – Westerholm
    2. NT usage by Paul:
      1. Legal
        1. How it differed from the Jewish:
          1. The verdict must be just.
          2. The verdict was only at the Judgment. 
          3. The verdict was limited to the past.
      2. Definition: A declaration by God as Judge that we are righteous; not only that our sins are forgiven, but that we are righteous in Christ.
  3. Missions to unreached people
  4. Babies, children, and the developmentally challenged
    1. Grace, not innocence
    2. 2 Samuel 12:21–23
    3. Romans 1:18ff
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Romans Study Lesson 3 – Romans 1:18-2:24

Romans 1:18-4:25 

The Heart of the Gospel:
Justification by Faith

Romans 1:18-3:20 – The Universal Reign of Sin

  • The righteousness group of words (righteous, righteousness, just, justify) 24x in this section. The faith group (faith, believe/trust) is used 27x!
  • The coming revelation of righteousness was expected
      1. (1) That it came as an act of grace and (2) could be experienced by Jew and Gentile alike was not.
  • “For only if sin is seen to be the dominating, ruling force that Paul presents it to be in this section (see 3:9) will it become clear why God’s righteousness can be experienced only by humbly receiving it as a gift—in a word, by faith.” – Doug Moo
  • Universal aspect
      1. Romans 1:18, 2:9, 3:9, 3:19, 3:20
  • From general to specific back to general
      1. All humans are under God’s wrath (1:18) 
      2. All humans apart from special revelation are “without excuse” (1:18–32)
      3. The Jewish people are also “without excuse” (2:1–3:8)
      4. All humans are under sin and helpless to change their situation (3:9–20) 
  • All people are accountable to God (1:18-1:32) – An Awful Exchange
    1. Does not exclude Jews because it is universal, but it is not speaking directly to them.
    2. Cranfield on v.18: Ungodliness characterizes sin as “an attack on the majesty of God,” unrighteousness as “a violation of God’s just order”
    3. v. 18 – “‘Truth’ in the NT is not simply something to which one must give mental assent; it is something to be done, to be obeyed.”
      1. Obedience that flows out of faith
        1. Luther: “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”
        2. Barth: “They belong together, as do thunder and lightning in a thunderstorm.”
    4. v. 21 – The heart is the thinking, feeling, willing part of man, especially “with particular regard to his responsibility to God.”
    5. OT parallels of such an exchange: Ps. 106:20; Jer.2:11
    6. Human vs. divine responsibility in the exchange. v. 24 cf. Eph. 4:19
      1. As Godet puts it: “He [God] ceased to hold the boat as it was dragged by the current of the river.”
  • Jews Are Accountable to God for Sin (2:1–3:8)
    1. He switches from speaking of “they” to “you” — literary style of diatribe, which is imaginary dialogue in order to teach.
    2. The Jews and the Judgment of God (2:1-16)
      1. The one who feels like they can judge after chapter 1 stands under the same judgment
      2. While it generally applies to all “moral” people, v. 17 makes it clear that the Jew is being addressed
      3. Paul’s logic in v.1-5:
        1. God’s judgment falls on those who do “these things.”
        2. Even the self-righteous judge does “these things.”
        3. Therefore: even the self-righteous judge stands under God’s judgment.
      4. God is impartial – v. 6-11
        1. v. 7,10 are challenging but are true. See 3:10-20
      5. Judgment and the Law (2:12-16)
        1. The distinction of those with and without the law–same as between Jew and Gentile
        2. Justify – to declare righteous
        3. v. 14-15 refer to “Gentiles who do some part of the law but who are not saved”
        4. God will even judge those without the Word by the keeping of their own (flawed) consciences
    3. The Limitations of the Covenant (2:17-29)
      1. Blessing of being a Jew (v. 17-18)
        1. Belonging to the chosen people.
        2. Reliance on the Law
        3. Special relationship with God
        4. Knowing His will
        5. Approves those things which are best
      2. As a result, Jews ought be (v. 19-20)
        1. Guide to the blind
        2. Light for those who are in darkness
        3. An instructor of the foolish
        4. A teacher of the immature
      3. The problem is they don’t keep the law either (v. 21-24)
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