October 2018 TRANSCRIPT

Romans Class SRL, Medellin

1) ON VERSE 1: Therefore, since we have been justified by (ἐκ) faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ2
a) Grammar: Δικαιωθέντες (aorist, passive, participle) word is fronted); εἰρήνην (“peace” fronting
ἔχομεν (verb, present, active, indicative, first person plural) “we are having”
b) Calvin, John: Being then justified, &c. He had said before, that faith is abolished, if righteousness is
sought by works;
i) He teaches us now, that they are rendered quiet and tranquil, when we have obtained righteousness by
faith, we have peace with God; and this is the peculiar fruit of the righteousness of faith.
ii) Peace with God is opposed to the dead security of the flesh, and for this reason, —no one can stand
boldly before God. A
iii) A fact, that miserable souls always tremble, except they rest on the grace of Christ.
c) A textual problem as to how we should read “we have peace” or “let us have peace”. The context favors
the former reading “we have peace”, The entire passage has no exhortation. 1–11,
d) Sproul, R.C.: When God declares peace, when he declares us just, the war is over. And it is over for ever.
To be sure, believers may incur his displeasure, they may cause him to respond with chastisement, but
never again does God lift up the sword against his children. The war is over; the peace of God is ours.
2) ON VERSE 2: Through him we have also obtained access by (τῇ circumstance) faith into this grace in which
we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
a) Moo, D. J: It is not just to “grace” in general that we have access; but to “this grace in which we stand.”
Grace describes the free, unconstrained manner in which God acts toward his creatures (see also Rom.
11:5–6).
b) Morris, Leon: The stress is on Christ’s activity, not ours. The verb is in the perfect (verb, perfect, active,
indicative) tense, which points to the ongoing result of a past act. Christ’s bringing us to God has
continuing effect (which may be why so many translations favor “access”).
c) Sproul, R.C We can’t pass that phrase ‘the glory of God’ without a brief comment. The Greek word is
doxe; its Hebrew equivalent, kabod, meant ‘heaviness’ or ‘weightiness’. Glory has to do with the intrinsic
significance, weightiness and dignity of God himself.3
d) ON VERSE 3: Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
Suffering: Of distress that is brought about by outward circumstances4 (θλιψις), “a pressing, pressing

1
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ro 5:1–12). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
2
Aland, B., Aland, K., Karavidopoulos, J., Martini, C. M., & Metzger, B. M. (Eds.). (2014). The Greek New
Testament (Fifth Revised Edition, Ro 5:1). Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.
3
Sproul, R. C. (1994). The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (p. 93). Great Britain: Christian Focus
Publications.
4
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New
Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 457). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
 together, pressure, oppression, affliction, distress, straits.” It is preceded by the article, marking these out
as things naturally expected in a Christian’s life.5
e) Calvin, John: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;6
suffering produces endurance;
f) MOO, D.J.: The believer should boast “not only” in the hope of the glory of God “but also” in afflictions.
This is, to view them as a basis for further confidence in our redeemed status.
g) MORRIS, LEON: “afflictions” (see on 2:9), is a strong term. It does not refer to minor inconveniences,
but to real hardships.
h) SPROUL, R.C.: The thing that is most characteristic of Job’s life was not patience, but tribulation.
i) He was a man who suffered, perhaps like no human being apart from Christ ever suffered.
ii) Yet it was out of that suffering and pain that the virtue, the character, the steel of his soul was fashioned
into perseverance, and from perseverance, character; and character, hope.
3) ON VERSES 4-5: and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not
put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been
given to us.
a) “Endurance”: OT to wait on or cleave to God, NT to expect to stand fast
b) “Character”: Tested in battle, reliable, trustworthy, genuine
c) Calvin, John: even when they experience, while patiently enduring they stand firm
i) how much avails the power of the Lord, which he has promised to be always present with his people
d) MOO, D.J.: This hope will not put us to shame”
i) OT passages that affirm that those who hope in God will not “be put to shame.”
ii) Christians need not fear that the judgment will “put them to shame,”
iii) The foundation on which they have built their lives and hope for eternal blessing will be inadequate.
e) God’s love has been poured: Grammar: verb, perfect passive, indicative, third person, sing. (explanation)
f) Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Grammar: verb, aorist, passive, participle, singular. (explanation)
g) It is the action of the Spirit of God on our human spirits.
4) ON VERSES 6-8: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will
scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
a) For while we were still: Greek text fronts the word “Still” ἔτι γὰρ3 Χριστὸς ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν7
Literally: “Still for Christ, being we without strength, in due time for the ungodly died.
b) Calvin, John: When, therefore, we were weak, that is, when we were in no way worthy or fit that God
should look on us, at this very time Christ died for the ungodly: for the beginning of religion is faith, from
which they were all alienated, for whom Christ died.8
c) MOO, D.J.: Verses 6–8 form a single argument that demonstrates the abundant and absolute nature of
God’s love for us.
i) We may summarize Paul’s argument (making explicit some points that are implicit):

5
Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 2, p.
78). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
6
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (2 Co 4:8). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
7
Aland, B., Aland, K., Karavidopoulos, J., Martini, C. M., & Metzger, B. M. (Eds.). (2014). The Greek New
Testament (Fifth Revised Edition, Ro 5:6). Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.
8
Calvin, J., & Owen, J. (2010). Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (p. 195).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
 (1) Human love, at its best, will motivate a person to give his or her life for a truly “good” person.
(2) Christ, sent by God, died, not for “righteous” people, or even for “good” people, but for rebellious
and undeserving people
(3) Therefore: God’s love is far greater in its magnitude and dependability than even the greatest
human love.
d) The apostle emphasizes that the death of Christ took place, not for good people, but for people still
sinners.
i) The emphasis is on how we were weak, ungodly sinners (v. 8),
ii) God’s love triumphed where human power failed. Paul says that God acted at just the right time.9
e) Sproul, R.C.: The point is that Jesus did not die for people who are either righteous (righteous man does
what he ought) or good (‘does as much as ever he can, and proves his moral quality by promoting the
well-being of him with whom he has to do10).
i) Fallen man is not kindly disposed toward God.
ii) A sinner is a transgressor of the law, at that time, while we were at enmity with God, Christ died for
us.
5) ON VERSES 9-11: 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved
by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his
Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice
in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
a) ON VERSE 9 As in verse 1, we have been justified presents our justification as an accomplished fact.
i) Justification by grace (3:24), by faith (3:28), connected with the resurrection (4:25). Now by his blood.
ii) If Christ has done the great work of justifying sinners, dying for God’s enemies, why and how can he
fail to save us,
(1) John 6:37-39: 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will
never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him
who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he
has given me, but raise it up on the last day.11
iii) “We shall be saved” this verb is in the future tense in seven of its eight occurrences in Romans.
iv) Here he speaks of salvation from “the wrath”
v) Clearly Paul is referring to the wrath to come, the eschatological wrath. Christ’s salvation is effective
not only now, but in what lies beyond this life. Believers will not experience the wrath of God then.12
6) ON VERSE 10: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more,
now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life,
a) Moo, D.J.: Perhaps the most interesting is the substitution of “reconciled” for “justified.”
i) Justification language is legal, law-court language, picturing the believer being declared innocent by
the judge.
ii) Reconciliation language, on the other hand, comes from the world of personal relationships.

9
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 222). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans;
Inter-Varsity Press.
10
Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 2, p.
80). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
11
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 6:37–39). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
12
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 224–225). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B.
Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
 iii) “To reconcile” means to bring together, or make peace between, two estranged or hostile parties (cf.
1 Cor. 7:11 To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from
her husband 11 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband),
and the husband should not divorce his wife13 ).14
b) Morris, Leon: Enemies is a strong term; sin had put us completely in the wrong with God (in 11:28 this
term is opposed to “beloved”). An enemy is not a person who comes a little bit short of being a friend; it
means someone in the opposite camp.
c) ON VERSE 11: More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
we have now received reconciliation.
d) have now received (verb, aorist, passive, first person plural): Explanation.
e) Reconciliation: reestablishment of an interrupted or broken relationship,15
f) Calvin, John: We then attain this by faith, that nothing is wanting to us as to happiness.
i) Reconciliation: is, first, that we may be taught to fix our eyes on the death of Christ, whenever we
speak of our salvation;
ii) Secondly, that we may know that our trust must be fixed on nothing else, but on the expiation made
for our sins.16
g) Sproul, R.C.: Reconciliation is not something that is going to happen in the future.
i) In the future, we will receive our glorification, and we will be made perfect. But in the meantime, we
are still mortal, we are still imperfect, we are still weak, we will still fail from time to time.
Nevertheless, we have reconciliation, for we received it when we believed in Christ.
ii) Yet there is a past, present, and future aspect to the work of God on our behalf.
iii) Therefore, our rejoicing is for what God has done, is doing, and will yet accomplish for us. But at this
point Paul encourages us to rejoice not only in the work of God, but more so in the person of God.
Praise and adoration are appropriate for who God is in his being—his wisdom, power, grace, love and
so on. Even if we never knew or experienced the work of God on our behalf, praise for him would still
be our appropriate response.17

13
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Co 7:10–11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
14
Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 311). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
15
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New
Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 521). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
16
Calvin, J., & Owen, J. (2010). Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (pp. 198–199).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
17
Sproul, R. C. (1994). The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (p. 100). Great Britain: Christian Focus
Publications.