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Romans Chapter
Five
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Blessings Brought by
Justification by Faith
A. Have peace with God (v.1);
B. Have access by faith into
this grace (v.2a);
C. Rejoice in hope of the
glory of God (v.2b-5a);
D. The love of God has been
poured out in our hearts (v.5b-8);
E. Be saved from wrath (v.9);
F.
Be
reconciled to God (v.10a);
G. Be saved by His life
(v.10b);
H. Rejoice in God (v.11);
The Truth of Justification
by Faith
A. Be under the power of sin
and death in Adam (v.12-14);
B. Much more the grace of God
and the gift by the grace of Christ (v.15-16);
C. Through the righteous act
of Christ the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life;
D. Grace might reign through
righteousness (v.20-21);
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Rom. 5:1 “Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
YLT: “Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have
peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Literal
Meaning:
“therefore, having been justified by faith”, the word “therefore” indicates all
the profits this paragraph enumerates after we have been justified are obtained
because of Christ’s
being and works.
Our “faith” can not only justify us, but also enable us to receive every
spiritual blessing given by God in Christ (see Eph. 1:3).
“Through our Lord Jesus Christ”,
“through” can also be translated as “because of, by, from”, which has been used
at least sixteen or seventeen times, showing that the Lord’s being and works
are the premise and way for us to receive every profit.
“Have peace with God”, our
relation with God has been broken and become worse because of our sin; “have
peace with God”, it shows the objective fact, not subjective feeling. Man is
reversed from the hostile condition toward God to a peaceful condition. Of
course, such transition of objective position has also brought us transition of
subjective feeling ---- namely, peace in spirit. From then on, it is not only
man can be bold before God (Heb. 4:16; 10:19) and have peace but also that God
can please man and grant grace to man.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Faith
is to believe the Lord is the Son of God and believe all that He has done for
us. Man can take part in the Lord Himself and the Lord’s salvation by believing
the Lord and receiving Him and what He has done for us.
2) Jesus
Christ is the patron between God and man. Without Christ, God cannot please
men, nor can men draw near God. However, through Him, God no longer condemns or
rejects us, and we can also have peace with God.
3) In
fact, Christ not only brings peace to our believers, and He Himself is our
peace (Eph. 2:14).
Rom 5:2 “through whom also we have
access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God.”
YLT: “through whom also we have the access
by the faith into this grace in which we have stood, and we boast on the hope
of the glory of God.”
Meaning of Words: “rejoice”: (make) boast, glory, joy, rejoice,
vaunt;
Literal Meaning: “through whom also we have access by faith into
this grace in which we stand”, “have access into”, it is used to describe that
situation that one is presented to a king, or that a ship is brought into a
harbor. Here, it indicates grace is a special sphere that one needs to find
special access into it. We can be brought into the sphere of grace on account
of two reasons ---- one is “through” Him, and the other is “by faith”. The
former refers to the works and fulfillments, and the latter is men’s
cooperation and responsibilities. It is the fruit of the fellow-work between
God and men so that we can have access into the realm of grace.
It is a fact that we “have had the
access into” this grace, but we still have to keep on “standing” steadfastly.
Otherwise, we may still be fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4).
“And rejoice in hope of the glory of
God”, “rejoice” refers to a kind of joy overflowed from one’s inner heart and
manifested through one’s lips. The word carries the meaning of jubilations and
boasts. “Hope”: to expect an unaccomplished thing with full assurance. “The
glory of God”, it on one hand refers to the glory that we believers shall enter
in the future (Heb. 2:10), and on the other hand it relates to the glorious
condition of believers manifested after God’s works on them (Rom. 8:18; 1John 3:2).
Another result of our justification by faith is that we have been brought into
a new standing, in which we no longer fear but can enjoy the grace of God as
much as we like and have firm assurance toward our future.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
“By
faith” and “through Him” show the cooperation between God and man ---- “by
faith” is man’s responsibility, and “through Him” refers to the works of God
---- if man fails to take his responsibility, he cannot expect God’s works
without reason.
2)
“Have
access into” is to enter, and it is the beginning. “Stand” is to keep, it is
the continuance. By faith, we have not only entered the door of the kingdom of
God, but also keep on standing in the grace.
3)
Christ
is the new position of our believers. Christ is also our grace. In Christ, we
have access into this grace and enjoy all the grace of God.
4)
The
death of Christ has brought us into the grace of Christ. The life of Christ
keeps us standing in the grace firmly.
5)
We
lived in disorderly and desperate condition because of being far off God. But
now, by Jesus Christ, we can have access into the presence of the king of kings
as well as the gracious refuge of God.
6)
The
grace of God is “present”. Behold, it is now an accepted time, and it is now
well-accepted time (2Cor.6:2).
7)
Grace
makes us turn away from despair and become a man who have rejoice and hope and
wait for the glory of God. It means that grace not only changes a desperate man
into a man who have rejoice and hope, but also makes one into the glory of God
so as to make one a glorious man.
8)
The
hope of our believers is none other than being transformed as the image of the
Son of God (see Rom. 8:29-30), namely, at measure of the stature of the
fullness of the Christ (see Eph. 4:13). If we really see the great glory of the
hope, we cannot refrain from “boasting” the hope.
9)
There
is no reason for Christians to be worried, but there are sufficient reasons to
be joyful, because our hope is Christ Himself (1Tim. 1:1), who is our assurance
and He will surely bring us unto the glory of God.
10)
Peace
(v.1) and joy are the double blessing brought by the glad tidings. A certain
missionary said, “Peace is joy in rest, and joy is peace in dancing”.
11)
Peace
(v.1) is the way that we should walk in. Grace is the position that we have to
stand in.
Rom. 5:3 “And not only that, but we
also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;”
YLT: “And not only, but we also boast in the tribulations,
knowing that the tribulation doth work endurance;”
Meaning
of Words: “tribulations”:
pressure, trouble; “produce”: do work fully, accomplish, cause;
The
Background:
the word “trouble” in the original is used in extracting olive oil from the
olive, or extracting the grape juice or wine from the grape.
Literal
Meaning:
“and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations”, “tribulations” refer to
various troubles that one may experience in the world (John 16:33; 2Cor. 1:4);
“glory” and “rejoice” are the same words in the original. After we have been
justified, we still live in the world and may undergo many troubles. But what
is different from the past is that we can not only bear the troubles passively
but also rejoice and overflow such joy from our speaking. Apparently, the life
experience of believers after they have been saved is not different from that
in the last (even sometimes more unsmooth). But the inner state of mind is
totally different from that in the past ---- they can not only have peace in
the Lord (John 16:33) but also have full joy (2Cor. 8:2).
“Knowing that tribulation produces
perseverance”, we believers have joy even in tribulations, for we “know” we
have not suffered from the tribulations in vain. Tribulations are the
embodiment of God’s grace for our profit (Heb. 12:10-11; Rom. 8:28) that we can
be perfect. “Perseverance” is not passive endurance in the original, but active
persistence of overcoming the environment. Such persevering persistence shall
be worked gradually through man’s experience in tribulations.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Tribulations and suffering are common
experience of Christians, for “after many tribulations, we must enter the
kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
2) Tribulation is not only an unavoidable
portion, but also the characteristic of true faith and becomes a sign
indicating that God counts those who have undergone tribulations worthy of the
kingdom of God (2Thess. 1:5).
3)
If we have fully
known the great glory that we shall obtain in the future, we must “glory in
tribulations”, for our momentary light affliction works for us in surpassing
measure an eternal weight of glory (2Cor. 4:16-17).
4) He who refuses the cross is just refusing
victory. If man always flees from troubles and escapes from being dealt with by
man’s wisdom, he will lose many things in his life (Matt. 10:39). We should be
sure that the cross is our way as well as our crown (Gal. 6:14). Today, we
should rejoice in tribulations when we follow the Lord, for the Lord has said,
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross
daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23)”
5) When we are suffering from tribulations,
what is important is not that the difficulty can be removed early, but we shall
catch the very opportunity to learn what we should learn. Lord Reith says, “I
do not like crisis, but I like the opportunity that is provided in the crisis”.
Tribulations provide us many chances to edify us.
6) There are not many people who rejoice in
tribulations. We may usually pay more attention to these difficulties, but
ignore the God who permits them in our life. We should not be overpowered by
tribulations. On the contrary, we can regard them as opportunities of
practicing our spiritual life joyfully (James 1:2-4).
7) We should also have such spiritual
knowledge: “for knowing
that tribulation produces perseverance”.
Only when one has known it, shall he obtain the intelligence of spiritual
growth to open the door of spiritual riches and draw the fullness therein.
8) Perseverance after tribulations can still
keep on moving forward in the face of great hindrance and strong opposition.
Rom. 5:4 “and perseverance,
character; and character, hope.”
YLT: “and the endurance, experience; and the experience,
hope;”
Literal
Meaning:
“and perseverance, character”, “character” it is in the original used to
describe the pure condition of metals after being refined. Therefore, it refers
to the mature character of man like holiness, goodness and fortitude after the
refinement of God.
“And character, hope”, the
“hope” here is the same as that in verse two (see the commentary of verse two).
The ultimate hope produced from tribulations that believers have experienced is
not vain fantasy, but firm assurance, namely, the love of God has been poured
out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (see v.5).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Tribulations can purify the impurities in
the children of God and improve our spiritual reality.
2) Tribulations may work out noble virtues in
those who have experienced them, namely, perseverance and character (v.3-4).
When such virtues are related to the faith of believers, the hope shall be
elevated.
3) There are two levels of believers’ “hope”:
one is the hope (v.2) when they have just been saved, and the other is the hope
after tribulations. Both of them are the same in nature, but vary in the
extent.
4) The glory of believers’ hope will surely be
increased and strengthened after they have experienced tribulations,
perseverance and have been purified in character.
Rom. 5:5 “Now hope does not
disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
YLT: “and the hope doth not make ashamed, because the love of
God hath been poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that hath been
given to us.”
Literal
Meaning:
“now hope does not disappoint”, “disappoint”: be ashamed because the hope has
come to nothing. The “hope” of believers is not only a kind of groundless
optimism, but also a kind of assurance after having experienced God. The love
of God that we have experienced in tribulations shall be the reason of the hope
that in us (1Pet. 3:15) so that we can be sure that he who believes on Him
shall not be ashamed (Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1Pet. 2:6).
“Because the love of God
has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us”,
after we believers have been justified, we shall receive the Holy Spirit as the
earnest of our inheritance (Eph. 1:13-14). The Spirit shall not only lead us
into the spiritual reality (John 16:13) so as to make us foretaste the riches
of God, but also pour out the love of God so that the love shall be abundant in
us.
This verse means that the
indwelling spirit shall make us know and understand the love of God to us (Eph.
3:16-19), so we are sure that our hope does not disappoint.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
In Christ, the love
of God has been poured out in the cup and even is overflowing and has been
poured out in us. The love has been poured out from the heart of God and will
flow into us.
2)
The love of God that
we have tasted is not a little only. It is actually abundantly “poured out”
into us. The love is like a gush of water flowing into us, increasing and
abounding until it fills us to the full.
3)
Pouring out is for
the purpose of growing (see 1Cor. 3:6). Our experiences tell us that we are
really growing up everyday in the pouring out and cultivation of God’s love,
just like the growth of children in the pouring out of their parents’ love.
4)
The more the love of
God has been poured out into us, the more we can deal with the troubles we are
faced with and the more confident we are of our future in hope.
5)
The Spirit of God
and the Holy Spirit are our assurance. The goodwill of God’s love and the
mighty power of God must enable us to be unto fullness and fulfill the glory of
hope.
6)
Although man can
speak of the cross, without the work of the Holy Spirit, his heart is still
cold.
7)
If one’s hope is in
God, he will never lose hope. If one’s hope is in the love of God, his hope
will never be in vain, for God loves us in his everlasting love ---- such love
has eternal power.
8)
The love of God is
God Himself (1John 4:8, 16). Such love in us is our strength that enables us to
be more than conquer (Rom. 8:37). Therefore, we shall never be ashamed even
though we have been suffered some troubles.
Rom. 5:6 “For when we were still
without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
YLT: “For in our being still ailing, Christ in due time did
die for the impious;”
Meaning
of Words: “without
strength”: strengthless, weak;
Literal
Meaning:
“for when we were still without strength”, when we have no strength to oppose
sins or keep the will of God;
“In due time Christ died
for the ungodly”, “in due time”, it refers to the appointed time before the
foundation of the world (Eph. 1:10; Gal. 4:4; Titus 1:3).
Here, it emphasizes that
the love of God is active and is predestinated, and is granted to those who are
unworthy.
Rom. 5:7 “For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare
to die.”
YLT: “for scarcely for a righteous man will any one die, for
for the good man perhaps some one also doth dare to die;”
Literal
Meaning:
“for scarcely for a righteous man will one die”, Paul has quoted the verse
“There is none righteous, no even one” (Rom. 3:10). Therefore, here “a
righteous man” is not a man who has no transgression, but one who has done all
his duties and has not overreached others.
“Yet perhaps for a good man
someone would even dare to die”, “a good man” refers to the man who give more
to others beyond what they are merited. “Someone would even dare to die”, it
means that one is so moved that he sacrifices himself with boldness.
This verse indicates that
the love of God surpasses all the reactions of man ---- His love has no purpose
or intention.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The love of man will at most encourage him
to die for those he loves. No one is willing to sacrifice for those who are
unworthy to be loved and those who do not love himself.
2) We are neither righteous men nor good men,
but sinner who have no righteousness nor goodness. However, while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us (v.8). Such love surpasses all, and only “the love of
God” can do it.
Rom. 5:8 “But God demonstrates His
own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
YLT: “and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our
being still sinners, Christ did die for us;”
Literal
Meaning:
“while we were still sinners”: while we were doing unrighteous things (Rom.
1:18, 28) and came short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Christ died for us
when we were in the rebellious condition, and thus the love of God had been
manifested to us (1John 4:9). The Holy Spirit has portrayed the crucified
Christ before us (Gal. 3:1) and has revealed us the love of God, thus providing
us full joy in tribulations.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) That the Lord has died for us not because we
are “worthy”. He died for us while we were sinners, showing that his death was
not for the purpose of passively fulfilling His obligation, but actively
manifesting the love of God.
2) The Holy Father and the Holy Son are one.
Therefore, the sacrifice of the latter One is the sign of the love of the
former One ---- the death of Christ has fully manifested the love of God.
3) God demonstrates His own
love toward us even while we were still sinners. Since we are His children now, God will
surely love us more.
Rom. 5:9 “Much more then, having now
been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
YLT: “much more, then, having been declared righteous now in
his blood, we shall be saved through him from the wrath;”
Literal
Meaning:
“much more then, having now been justified by His blood”, “His blood” refers to
the sacrificing death of Christ. “By His blood” is parallel to “through the
death of His Son” in verse ten.
“We shall be saved from
wrath through Him”, “the wrath of God” is not only the wrath that has been
treasured (Rom. 1:18) in God now, but also the impending wrath (1Thess. 1:10).
The crucified Christ on the
cross has on one hand dealt with our sins ---- which makes us justified, and
had on the other hand crucified the old man, our “self” and the flesh with the
passions and the lusts ---- which deals with our sin and abolishes the elements
causing the wrath of God. These are the first two effects of salvation.
Rom. 5:10 “For if when we were enemies
we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
YLT: “for if, being enemies, we have been reconciled to God
through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be
saved in his life.”
Literal
Meaning:
the Son of God had not only dies for us, but also risen from the dead for us.
His death solves all the difficulties between man and God so that men are no
longer enemies of God and have been reconciled with God (Col. 1:21-22). His
resurrection gives His life to us so as to enable us to live by this life and
grow up to salvation (1Pet. 2:2). Here, “salvation” not only refers to being
saved from passive things, but also indicates that we shall experience the full
salvation of God and be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29). This
verse describes the two-sided effects of salvation.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The life and death of Jesus Christ have
close relation with our salvation. His death solves all the problems of our
“sins”. His life has solved all the troubles of our “sin”.
2) Christ we believe is not dead, but a living
Lord. Now He lives in us and brings us into the life in the new creation.
3) Everyday, we need to be saved in His life
and be delivered from many passive things, including the entanglement of sins,
the attraction of the world and the life of the natural life and etc.
Rom. 5:11 “And not only that, but we
also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
received the reconciliation.”
YLT: “And not only , but we are also boasting in God, through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we did receive the reconciliation;”
Literal
Meaning:
“the reconciliation”, it meaning being a friend of God in the original ----
one’s mind and walking conform to God so as to make God satisfied. “Rejoice in
God”, it means enjoying God and regarding God as our enjoyment and joy. The
ultimate intention of salvation is that God walks with men and abides with men
---- they enjoy and satisfy with each other unto the eternal age.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) In verse two, it is boasting the hope of the
glory of God, and this verse is “boasting God Himself” (the original), proving
that the hope of glory that we boast of is God Himself who have boundless
fullness in Christ. Just like a hymn sings, “My goal is God Himself, not my
joy, nor peach, nor even blessing…my God my glory here, from day to day, and in
the glory there my Great Reward”.
2) All those who know the hope of glory in
tribulations shall boast of both “tribulations” and “God” (v.2-3, 11), and yet
mainly boast of God ---- just like what the psalmist says, God “is the God my
exceeding joy” (Ps. 43:4).
3) We firstly “have peace with God” and then
“rejoice in God”. If we want to enjoy the blessings and joy of God, we shall
firstly keep normal relation with God.
Rom. 5:12 “Therefore, just as through
one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to
all men, because all sinned-- ”
YLT: “because of this, even as through one man the sin did
enter into the world, and through the sin the death; and thus to all men the
death did pass through, for that all did sin;”
Literal
Meaning: “therefore”,
it shows the rest part of this chapter still speaks of the same matter in the
first half of the chapter, and yet the point of view is different. The first
half (v.1-11) relates to salvation, and the rest speaks of deliverance.
Salvation means that our outside doings and sins are forgiven by God. This is
once and for all. Deliverance shows that our being, our “self” is delivered and
released from the power of sin and is no longer ruled by sin. This is what we
are experiencing every day.
The rest part of this chapter can be
surmised as follows: sin and death are out of Adam, and grace and life are of
Christ.
“Just
as through one man sin entered the world”, the word “sin” in the singular
refers to the sin in person (see Gen. 4:7). The “one man” is Adam. The world
relates to all the people in the world, namely, the whole mankind (see John
1:29; 3:16, the same world). Because of the fall of Adam, sin had entered into
the life of men so that all men had fallen into the bondage and had sinned
(John 8:34).
“And
death through sin, and thus death spread to all men”, the wages of sin is death
(Rom. 6:23), so death spread to all men.
“Because
all sinned--”, “sin” means “missing the mark”. The whole verse points that all
the works of man came short of the standard of God, for man had sinned.
This
verse tells us that all that we have in Adam is sin and death before we have
been saved.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Everyone has inherited the sin of Adam after
birth and has become a sinner. Once we have been born, we are sinner, so we can
sin. That we are sinners is not that we have sinned.
2) Sin is the sting of death (1Cor. 15:56) and
death is the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23). Sin and death cannot be separated, so
all the people shall be under the power of sin and death.
3) Anyone who wants to deal with the problem of
sin and death shall seek the way of being outwardly delivered from troubles
only, but start from the inner life.
4) Jesus Christ also took part in the blood and
flesh that through death he might annul him who has the might of death, that
is, the devil, and might set free all those who through fear of death through
the whole of their life were subject to bondage (Heb. 2:14-15).
Rom. 5:13 “(For until the law sin was
in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
YLT: “for till law sin was in the world: and sin is not
reckoned when there is not law;”
Meaning
of Words: “be
imputed”: charge into an account;
Literal
Meaning: “(for until the law sin was in the world”, though God
had not given the law when Adam fell and sin had not been manifested by the
law, the existence of “sin” was a fact.
“But
sin is not imputed when there is no law”, the function of the law is
manifesting man’s sins and sin (Rom. 3:20; 7:7). When there was not the law,
man’s sin had not been taken into the account.
Rom. 5:14 “Nevertheless death reigned
from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the
likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”
YLT: “but the death did reign from Adam till Moses, even upon
those not having sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a type
of him who is coming.”
Meaning
of Words: “type”:
figure, pattern, statue; sampler, model;
Literal
Meaning:
“nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses”, “from Adam to Moses”, it
relates to the times without the law, for the law was given by Moses (John
1:17). It inherits the meaning of the previous verse, showing that the
existence of sin and death has nothing to do with the law. Though there was not
the law to expose man’s “transgression”, man had really sinned. The sting of
death is sin (1Cor. 15:56) and sin brings death and death reigns in man. All
men, to the last man, are subjective to the power of sin.
“Even over those who had
not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a
type of Him who was to come”, “who was to come” is Christ, who is the last Adam
(1Cor. 15:45). “Likeness” means predestinated type. Adam is the head and type
of the old creation. Likewise, Christ is the head and type of the new creation.
How men have received all that they have in Adam, and in like manner all men
shall also receive all that they should have in Christ.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Since the grandfather Adam sinned, death
befell to all men and became a terrible power, just like a king who ruled men
and made men his bondmen. All the children of Adam ---- even they had not
committed the same sin as Adam ---- should also die.
2) Thank the Lord! His cross has redeemed our
sins. His resurrection has destroyed the power of death so that we are released
us from death and have obtained his eternal life. What transcendent and great
grace (v.21; see Heb. 2:14-15).
Rom. 5:15 “But the free gift is not
like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the
grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded
to many. ”
YLT: “But, not as the offence so also the free gift; for if
by the offence of the one the many did die, much more did the grace of God, and
the free gift in grace of the one man Jesus Christ, abound to the many;
Literal
Meaning:
this verse shows that result of the “gift” far surpasses that of the “offense”.
The offense of Adam made “many” the victims unto death. However, the grace of
God and the gift by the grace of the one Man will surely befall to “many” more
abundantly. The word “many” has mentioned twice in this verse, but refer to
different groups. The former is the old creation and all the mankind. And the
latter refers to the new creation and the whole believers.
Why does the result of the “gift” far
surpass that of the “offense”? There are reasons as follows:
1)
Jesus
Christ far transcends Adam;
2)
What
Adam did was offense, but what Jesus Christ did was grace. What Jesus Christ
did far exceeds what Adam did by nature.
3)
The
result of offense is passive and unavoidable, but the gift in grace is active
and free. The active one prevails over the passive one. The free gift is better
than forced imposition.
4)
Gift
is better than judgment and justification than condemnation. Concerning this
point, Paul gives us the supplementary explanation in the next verse.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is a fact that Adam’s fall left us
disaster. But the grace gifted by Christ in His redemption is a greater fact
that far transcends the disaster before.
2) The salvation of Christ cannot only solve
the passive troubles, but also lead men into more than fullness.
Rom. 5:16 “And the gift is not like
that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from
one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many
offenses resulted in justification. ”
YLT: “and not as through one who did sin the free gift, for
the judgment indeed of one to condemnation, but the gift of many offences to a
declaration of `Righteous,'”
Literal
Meaning:
this verse points the difference between judgment and gift as well as
condemnation and justification:
1)
Judgment
is to impute the sin of one man to many, but gift is to impute the sins of many
to one.
2)
Condemnation
relates to one man and his sins one time, and justification considers the sins
of many and many times.
3)
In
a word, judgment is not like gift, and condemnation is not like justification.
Rom. 5:17 “For if by the one man's
offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of
grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One,
Jesus Christ.) ”
YLT: “for if by the offence of the one the death did reign
through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the
free gift of the righteousness are receiving, in life shall reign through the
one -- Jesus Christ.”
Literal
Meaning:
“death reigned through the one”, “reign”, it means that death is a kind of
power. All the world lives under the shadow of the death and is ruled by the
devil who has the power of death (Heb. 2:14-15).
“Those who receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness”, “the gift of
righteousness” refers to the free gift of righteousness. It indicates that we
believers are those who have received abundance of grace and have obtained the
free gift of righteousness. Grace brings the gift of righteousness to man and
the gift of righteousness delivers man from judgment and condemnation (v.16).
“Will reign in life”,
“life” relates to the divine life, which can be obtained by believing and
receiving the Lord (John 10:10; 1John 5:12). This life is different from our
physical life (Mark 12:44 the original) and soul life (Matt. 16:25 the
original). This life is Christ Himself (John 11:25; 14:6,), who has all the
fullness of the Godhead (Col. 2:9) and the power of indissoluble life (Heb.
7:16), works in believers so that they can overcome sin and death.
This verse mainly points
that the power of life far exceeds the power of death. Though death is strong
and powerful as well as cruel and terrible (see Cant. 8:6), it can only reign
in Adam (the old man). If we live in Christ (the new man), life will sorrow
death (2Cor.5:4; 1Cor. 15:54) and make the condition of reigning manifest in
us.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus is not only our Savior who
saves us, but also our king who governs us. All those who are saved by Him
shall honor Him as the king. He reigns in our life, so we should pay great
attention to and obey the feeling of the inner life, for the feeling of the
inner life is exactly the command of the Lord who reigns in our life.
2) Death is the greatest power ---- no one can
overcome or flee from death. But now life has swallowed the death by Jesus
Christ. As long as we live in His life, we shall all have the experience of
“swallowing the death”.
3) The boundary of Adam is the boundary where
death reigns. If a believer who has been saved goes back to the life in the old
creation, he will immediately smell the death and thus be ruled by death.
4) If we believers who receive abundance of grace and of
the gift of righteousness “live in life”, we shall also “reign” with
the Lord. However, note that we are only the channel that lets life reign. Life
is the reality of life, without which we can do nothing.
Rom. 5:18 “Therefore, as through one
man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so
through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in
justification of life.”
YLT: “So, then, as through one offence to all men to
condemnation, so also through one declaration of `Righteous' to all men to
justification of life;”
Literal
Meaning:
because of Adam’s “fall” (offense), all men are condemned and are all under the
power of sin and death. Likewise, on account of the righteous work of Christ on
the cross, all men shall be justified and thus obtain the life of God and enjoy
the great power of life.
Rom. 5:19 “For as by one man's
disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will
be made righteous.”
YLT: “for as through the disobedience of the one man, the many
were constituted sinners: so also through the obedience of the one, shall the
many be constituted righteous.”
Literal
Meaning:
the “one” in the previous verse refers to the matter concerning outside works,
and the “one man/Man” in this verse relates to the matter of the inner life.
Because of the disobedience to God, sin had been constituted into men and all
men became “sinners”. In like manner, since Christ one Man had obeyed God unto
death (Phil. 2:8), the righteous life and disposition shall be constituted in
men and all righteous men shall be “righteous men”.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We receive all that are of Adam in Adam.
Likewise, we receive all that are of Christ in Christ.
2) All true believers shall have righteous life
and disposition in them and shall manifest their righteous works and life
outside.
Rom. 5:20 “Moreover the law entered
that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much
more,”
YLT: “And law came in, that the offence might abound, and
where the sin did abound, the grace did overabound,”
Meaning
of Words: “moreover”: come in alongside, supervene additionally;
Literal
Meaning: “moreover the law entered
that the offense might abound”, this verse follows the thought of verse
thirteen and shows the relation between the law and the sin. Besides, it
points that grace in Christ far transcends the sin in Adam.
“Moreover the law entered”, it
indicates that to give the law is not God’s original intention. Since men had
sinned and had no knowledge of sin, God brought in the law. “That the offense might
abound”, the function of the law is to expose men’s sins, which
abound more, and so men will know their depravity and powerlessness and thus
turn to the salvation of Christ.
“But where sin abounded,
grace abounded much more”, there are two aspects of meaning in this verse:
1) The
more we have realized the dreadfulness of sins, the more we shall rely on grace
and draw grace so that grace shall abound on us increasingly.
2) Grace
always surpasses sins. Grace is not only stronger or more powerful than sins,
but also more than sins and more effective than sins (see 2Cor. 12:9).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Though the power of sin is terrible, it is
merely serving as a foil to the glory and fullness of grace before grace.
2) The power of grace is greater than that of
sin. Sin cannot meet grace. Once sin meets grace, sin will flee ---- just like
the power of medicine is stronger than that of the illness.
Rom. 5:21 “so that as sin reigned in
death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.”
YLT: “that even as the sin did reign in the death, so also
the grace may reign, through righteousness, to life age-during, through Jesus
Christ our Lord.”
Literal
Meaning:
it is the third time of using the word “so” (v.18, 19, 21) in this verse, thus
showing the contrast between the result in Adam and that in Christ. In Adam,
men were not only condemned and but also became sinners. Moreover, they were
brought under the bondage of the power of sin and death.
“So that as sin reigned in death, it was
not only death reigned, but also sin reigned (v.14, 17). Sin reigned through
death, for men were subject to bondage through fear of death (see Heb. 2:15).
“Even so grace might reign
through righteousness”, the righteousness of God is the premise and channel for
us to enjoy the grace of God. As long as we are united with Christ by faith,
the righteous demand of God will be fulfilled and we will obtain the gracious
presence of God (1Cor. 15:10). And such grace has surpassing power (2Cor. 12:9)
to dwell upon, strengthen, dominate and govern us so that we shall have the
eternal life of God richly in order to reign in life (v.17).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Sin can only reign in the sphere of death,
but can never reign in the sphere of grace.
2) Thank the Lord! All men in Christ shall not
only be justified but also become righteous. Besides, they are put in grace and
the power of life and are governed by them.
3) He who reigns has power. If one has not
passed through the procedures according to God’s righteousness, God will still
not let His grace befall to us, not to mention working His power on us.
4) Grace might reign through righteousness. Grace is the flow of water, and
righteousness is the water pipe. The flow of water of grace flows in the water
pipe of righteousness. Righteousness is the premise that grace can reign.
5) If the grace of God is given by His mercy,
it may not be stable. Now, His grace has manifested surpassing power through
His righteousness ---- “reign”, so that we must obtain “eternal life”. How sure! How stable!
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
What We Have
Obtained After Being Justified by Faith
A. We have received a new standing (v.1-2):
1. “Have peace with God” ---- be brought into the relation of “having
peace with God”;
2. “Have access by faith into this grace in which we stand” ---- come into the sphere of grace;
B. We have received a joyful life (v.3-5a):
1. “Glory in tribulations”;
2. “Knowing that tribulation produces…does
not disappoint”;
C. We have received a sure proof (v.5b-8):
1. “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit who was given to us”;
2. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us”;
D. We have received the perfect salvation
(v.9-11):
1. “Be justified by His blood…
be saved from wrath through Him”;
2. “Be reconciled
to God… be
saved by His life”;
3. “Rejoice in God through the Lord Jesus”;
The Result of
Justification by Faith ---- Have Access into the Blessed Salvation
A. A new standing ---- which makes us stand in
new position (v.2);
B. A new relation ---- be reconciled to God through Christ (v.6-10);
1. In due time Christ died for the ungodly;
2. God demonstrates His own
love toward us;
3. Be justified by His blood;
4. Be saved from wrath through Him;
5. Thus He has become our peace;
C. Inside filling inside ---- the love of God has been
poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (v.5);
D. Outside life ---- boast God Himself in every
environment through Christ (v.2-4);
1. Glory in tribulations;
2. Boast the glory and hope of God in
tribulations;
3. Tribulation produces perseverance, and
perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now
hope does not disappoint;
4. Finally, God Himself is their glory and
reward;
The Confidence of A
Believer
A. His past ---- have
been justified by faith (v.1);
B. His present ---- have access by faith into this grace
in which we stand (v.2);
C. His hope ---- the glory of God (v.2);
D. His experience ---- including tribulations (v.3);
E. The outcome ---- the love of God has been poured out in
our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (v.5);
Three “Rejoice”s or
Three “Boast”s
A. In hope (v.1-2);
B. In tribulations (v.3);
C. In God (v.5-11);
Grace, Glory and
Love
A. Grace (v.102a): one shall enter and stand in
the grace. We have peace because of grace.
B. Glory (v.2b-5a): one shall rejoice and boast
in glory. We have hope because of glory;
C. Love (v.5b-11): one shall receive and
understand. We are justified and saved and boast in God because of His love.
Through the Lord, We
shall…
A. We shall have peace with the Lord (v.1);
B. We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand (v.2);
C. We shall be saved from wrath through Him (v.9);
D. We shall be reconciled to God through the death of the Son of God (v.11);
E. We shall boast in God (v.11);
God
A. Have peace with God (v.1);
B. Rejoice in the glory of God (v.2);
C. The love of God has been poured out in our hearts (v.5);
D. Be saved from wrath through Him (v.9);
E. Be reconciled to God (v.11);
F. Boast in God (v.11)
Three Equivalent
Structures in Chapter Five of the Book of Romans
A. Have peace with God ---- experience in the
past (v.1); enter into this grace ---- the standing at present (v.2); the hope
of glory ---- hope in the future (v.2);
B. Faith (v.1); hope (v.2); love (v.5);
C. Perseverance; character; hope (v.4);
D. Have peace with God (v.1); be poured out by
the love of God (v.5); boast in God (v.11);
E. Rejoice in hope of the glory (v.2); glory in tribulations (v.3); boast in God (v.11);
F. Ungodly (the original); a righteous; a good man
(v.6-7);
G. Christ died for the ungodly (v.6); Christ died for sinners (v.8); Christ died for the enemies (v.10);
H. The divine Trinity ---- God the Father
(v.1); God the Spirit (v.5); the Lord Jesus Christ (v.11);
I. Grace (v.15); abundance of grace (v.17); grace abounded much more (v.20);
Free Gifts
1. The giver of grace ---- God (v.15);
A. He is a God of peace ---- have peace with
God (v.1);
B. He is a God of glory ---- the glory of God
(v.2);
C. He is a God of love ---- the love of God
(v.5-8);
D. He is a God of reconciliation ---- be reconciled to God (v.10);
E. He is a God of joy ---- boast in God (v.11);
F. He is a God of grace ---- the grace of God
(v.15);
2. Gift ---- Jesus Christ (v.15-17) ---- the
gifts provided as follows:
A. Have peace with God (v.1);
B. The access into God (v.2);
C. The joy of hope (v.2);
D. God gives the Holy Spirit (v.5);
E. Redemption (v.6, 8-9, 16);
F. The eternal life (v.21);
G. Be justified (v.1-9);
3. The ground of gifts ---- the grace of God
(v.15):
A. The origin of grace ---- God (v.15);
B. The objects of grace ---- man without strength (v.6); sinner (v.8); enemies (v.10); disobedient man (v.19); man who
died in sin (v.12); man who is condemned (v.18);
C. The ground of grace ---- righteousness
(v.21);
D. The transcendence of grace ---- abound much
more (v.20);
E. The power of grace ---- reign (v.21);
4. The glory of gifts ---- abounded to many (v.15)
5. The nature of gifts ---- free (v.15)
Rejoice
A. Rejoice in hope (v.2);
B. Rejoice in tribulations (v.3);
C. Rejoice in God (v.11);
Three Elements of
Joy
A. Hope (v.2);
B. Tribulations (v.5);
C. God (v.11);
Love and the Divine
Trinity (v.5, 8)
A. God the Father is the origin of love ----
“the love of God” (see 1John 4:8, “God is love.”);
B. God the Son is the manifestation of love
---- “God
demonstrates His own love toward us…Christ died for us”;
C. God the Spirit pours out the love ---- “love of God has been poured
out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us”;
Man’s Standing and
Condition Before God
A. When we were still “without
strength” (v.6) ---- have no
strength to do good;
B. While we were still “sinners” (v.8) ---- be ungodly to God and offend
Him;
C. When we were “enemies” (v.10) ---- be enemies of God;
Much More
A. “Much more”, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him (v.9);
B. “Much more”, we shall be saved by His
life (v.10);
C. “Much more” the grace of God and the
gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many (v.15);
D. “Much more”… will reign in life through
the One, Jesus Christ (v.17);
E. Grace abounded “much more” (v.20);
Three Layers of
Effect of Salvation
A. The first layer: now ---- be justified by
His blood; future ---- be
saved from wrath through Him (v.9);
B. The second layer: now ---- be reconciled to God through
the death of His Son; future ---- be saved by His life (v.10);
C. The third layer: now ---- have received the reconciliation; future ---- rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ (v.11)
The Contrast Between
Justification and Reconciliation
A. Be justified ---- by His blood ---- be saved
from (v.9);
B. Be reconciled to God ---- through the death
of the Son of God ---- be saved (v.10);
The Reasons for
Boasting of God
A. We are justified by His blood (v.9a);
B. We are saved from wrath through the suffering of the Lord (v.9b);
C. We are reconciled to God through the death of God’s Son (v.10a);
D. We shall be saved by His life (v.10b);
The Contrast Between
the Result in Adam and That in Christ
A. The result in Adam (v.12-14a):
1. “Sin entered the world…and
thus death spread to all men”
2. “Death reigned”;
B. How men obtain the outcome in Adam, so also
that in Christ:
1. “Adam is a type of Him who was to
come” (v.14b);
2. All men became sinners in
Adam, even so
through Christ men are
justified (v.18-19);
3. Sin reigned because of death, even so
through righteousness grace reigns (v.21);
C. The result in Christ far surpasses that in
Adam:
1. “The free gift is not like the offense, … the grace of God … abounded to many” (v.15);
2. Judgment is not like grace, and condemnation
is not like justification (v.16);
3. That death reigned is not like that Christ
Jesus reigns in life (v.17);
4. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (v.20);
In Adam and In
Christ ---- Two Great Corporate Men
A. Through Adam one man (in Adam):
1. Through one man sin entered the world
2. One offense resulted in condemnation
3. By one man's disobedience many were constituted sinners
B. Through Christ one man (in Christ):
1. Life and grace are brought through one man;
2. Through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all
men, resulting in justification of life;
3. By one Man's obedience many will be constituted righteous;
C. Four “reign”s today:
1. Death reigned through sin;
2. Sin reigned in death;
3. Life reigns ---- he who has obtained the
grace reigns;
4. Grace reigns ---- grace reigns through
righteousness;
D. “In Christ” is a greater fact:
1. The grace in Christ is more greater than the
fall in Christ;
2. Reigning in life is more greater than being
ruled by death;
3. That grace reigns through righteousness is
more greater than that sin reigns through death ---- where sin abounded, grace abounded
much more;
The Plan of God ----
Grace Reigns In Christ
A. Two men: Adam and Christ (v.14);
B. Two actions:
1. The transgressions of Adam (v.12, 15,
17-19);
2. The righteous deeds of Christ (v.18);
C. Two kinds of results:
1. Adam was condemned, punished or death
(v.15-16, 18-19);
2. Christ is justified, and had life and reigns
(v.17-19);
D. Two “given”s:
1. In status, the grace of God is in Christ
fully given to those who are the seeds of the creature, Adam (v.15);
2. In action, all men’s sins are imputed to
Christ so that all those in Christ who have obtained the grace shall be
justified (v.16);
E. Two “reign”s:
1. Sin reigned in death (v.20);
2. Grace reigns so that one shall be
justified (v.21);
F. Two kinds of abundance:
1. The abundance of grace (v.17);
2. The abundance of righteous act
(v.17);
G. Two covenants
1. In Adam, men are condemned as the slaves of
death;
2. In Christ, men are justified as the slaves
of righteousness;
The Brief Objective
Facts Proving the Assurance of Justification by Faith
A. Opposition: the opposition between Christ
and Adam ---- “Adam is a type of Him who was to come” (v.12-14);
B. Contrast: the contrast between grace and
offence ---- “the
free gift is not like the offense”
(v.15-17);
C. Comparison (v.18-21):
1. Being justified through righteous
act versus being condemned by offence;
2. Obedience be made righteous versus disobedience many were made sinners;
3. Grace reigns and life versus sin reigned and
death;
4. Grace versus the law;
The Abundance
of Grace
A. Much more the grace of God and the gift abounded to many
(v.15).
B. Abundance of grace (v.17);
C. Grace abounded much more (v.20);
D. Grace might reign through righteousness (v.21);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou