Category: Romans 5

Romans 5:21 – Eternal – Death or Life

Posted on by Will

so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Truth to Learn

Even though we were ruled over by sin in the past, God’s grace will reign over us because of the righteousness that He imputes to us when we submit to Him as our Lord.

 

Behind the Words

The words “reigned” and “might reign” are translated from basileuō, meaning “to reign” or “to be king” as we saw back in verse fourteen. The verb forms in this verse are very telling. “Reigned” is in the aorist, active, indicative indicating a past action occurring at a point in time. Hence, it could be translated as “began to reign” or “reigned” as we have it in this translation. However, “might reign” is an aorist, active, subjunctive, which implies something that is not necessarily occurring at the moment but that might occur in the future.

“Eternal” is translated from the Greek word aiōnios, which is from aiōn, meaning “an age” or “a long period of time.” Hence, aiōnios means “perpetual, everlasting, or eternal.

The word translated “Lord” is kurios, which comes from the noun kuros, meaning “might or power.” The word kurios means “one who is supreme in authority or power, a master, or an owner.” When we refer to Jesus Christ as our Lord we are saying that he is our owner, the one who has supreme authority over all that we do, and that we have submitted our will to His.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now ties-up the entire chapter in this one verse. Previously Paul taught us that the Law came in to make the presence of sin much more evident. It was the spotlight that made sin undeniable. And he said that where sin was more apparent, grace was even more so. That is, as the knowledge of sin became greater, the recognition of the immenseness of the grace became even greater. To use a military analogy, the greater and more powerful the enemy, the greater is the reputation of the army that conquers that enemy.

Paul now makes the final comparison. On the one hand, sin has reigned unbeatable in the past, producing death. From 2 Thessalonians we know that this death is everlasting:

… and on those who are not obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

 But in the final showdown, grace will defeat the enemy. It will reign over death and through righteousness (imputed by that grace) it will produce in us eternal life. This grace which allows righteousness to be imputed to us is only made possible through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 

Application

Thank you, Heavenly Father for helping me see my sinfulness and for your gracious gift, the blood of your only begotten son that paid for my sins. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the promise of eternal life rather than the eternal punishment that I deserve. Truly, you are worthy of my worship and my praise! You are my Owner, my Master, and my Lord, and I willingly submit my will to yours. Amen.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:20 – More Than Plenty

Posted on by Will

And law entered that the offense might increase. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much much more,

Truth to Learn

God’s grace easily covers the glaring presence of our sin.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “entered” is the Greek word pareiserchomai. This is a double compound word made up of para, meaning “alongside,” eis, meaning “into,” and erchomai, which means “to come or to go.” Hence, it means “to come in alongside.”

“Abound” is from the word pleonadzō, which means “to make more or to increase.”

The words “abounded much more” are translated from the Greek word huperperisseuō, which is a compound of huper (or hyper), meaning “over or above” and perisseuō, meaning “to be in excess or to superabound.” Hence hyperperisseuō means “to be more than in excess,” that is, “to more than superabound” or abounded much much more.

 

Meaning Explained

In these two final verses in the fifth chapter of Romans, Paul seems to anticipate an objection that might be raised against the argument he has been making. The objection would be, “If sin was already in the world and man was already condemned, then what purpose did the Law serve?” That is the question that Paul is going to answer here.

From the word that Paul used we can see that the Law came in alongside. You see, God did not deliver the Law as something new or to replace something else. It was delivered to stand alongside the sin guilt that already existed in man.

The real question is, “Why?” According to Paul, the Law was delivered so that the offense might “abound” or “increase.” Did it actually create more sin? No, it simply made it more obvious. It’s like turning-on a light in a dirty, dusty room. With the light off, the filth is there but it can’t be seen. When the light is turned on, the dirt and dust become obvious and undeniable. That was the purpose of the Law, to make our sinfulness obvious.

The greatest news in this verse, is that where sin was in abundance as a result of having had the light turned on, the grace of God did not simply more abound, it more than superabounded. When God bestows His grace to us, it is not just barely enough to cover our sin guilt, it is way more than enough. There is no question that it is more than sufficient. It was necessary for us to see our sinfulness in the light of God’s presence so that we could not deny it and so that God’s grace would be even more evident when He saved us from that sinfulness.

Once again, we see that God did not leave us out in the dark but provided us a way to freely come into the light!

 

Application

Anyone who has honestly faced the fact of their own sinfulness knows that they are not just a little bit of a sinner. We know how great our own personal sinfulness really is. But God’s grace is more than enough to cover all of our filthy sinfulness. Praise God!

And law entered that the offense might increase. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much much more,

Truth to Learn

God’s grace easily covers the glaring presence of our sin.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “entered” is the Greek word pareiserchomai. This is a double compound word made up of para, meaning “alongside,” eis, meaning “into,” and erchomai, which means “to come or to go.” Hence, it means “to come in alongside.”

“Abound” is from the word pleonadzō, which means “to make more or to increase.”

The words “abounded much more” are translated from the Greek word huperperisseuō, which is a compound of huper (or hyper), meaning “over or above” and perisseuō, meaning “to be in excess or to superabound.” Hence hyperperisseuō means “to be more than in excess,” that is, “to more than superabound” or abounded much much more.

 

Meaning Explained

In these two final verses in the fifth chapter of Romans, Paul seems to anticipate an objection that might be raised against the argument he has been making. The objection would be, “If sin was already in the world and man was already condemned, then what purpose did the Law serve?” That is the question that Paul is going to answer here.

From the word that Paul used we can see that the Law came in alongside. You see, God did not deliver the Law as something new or to replace something else. It was delivered to stand alongside the sin guilt that already existed in man.

The real question is, “Why?” According to Paul, the Law was delivered so that the offense might “abound” or “increase.” Did it actually create more sin? No, it simply made it more obvious. It’s like turning-on a light in a dirty, dusty room. With the light off, the filth is there but it can’t be seen. When the light is turned on, the dirt and dust become obvious and undeniable. That was the purpose of the Law, to make our sinfulness obvious.

The greatest news in this verse, is that where sin was in abundance as a result of having had the light turned on, the grace of God did not simply more abound, it more than superabounded. When God bestows His grace to us, it is not just barely enough to cover our sin guilt, it is way more than enough. There is no question that it is more than sufficient. It was necessary for us to see our sinfulness in the light of God’s presence so that we could not deny it and so that God’s grace would be even more evident when He saved us from that sinfulness.

Once again, we see that God did not leave us out in the dark but provided us a way to freely come into the light!

 

Application

Anyone who has honestly faced the fact of their own sinfulness knows that they are not just a little bit of a sinner. We know how great our own personal sinfulness really is. But God’s grace is more than enough to cover all of our filthy sinfulness. Praise God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:18, 19 – Summing it Up

Posted on by Will

Therefore, as through one offense condemnation came to all men, so also through one righteous act, justification of life comes to all men. For as through one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

Truth to Learn

We all deserve God’s wrath, but we can be saved from it by believing in the death of Jesus Christ as payment for us.

 

Behind the Words

This verse starts off with “Therefore” which is a translation of the Greek words ara oun. These two words form what in Greek is called an “inferential conjunction,” implying that the following is a summary of that which preceded it. Hence, these two verses are a summarization of what Paul has already said several different ways in the previous verses.

 

Meaning Explained

These verses are a summary statement of what Paul has been saying since verse twelve. He has stated this almost repeatedly since then, so we won’t belabor it further.

However, let’s do our own quick summary of Paul’s letter so far to put this all into context. He started out by declaring that God is evident to all men, but because some refused to recognize God for who He is, He gave them up to a depraved mind so as to not only do ungodly things but also to approve of others who do the same thing.

In chapter two he showed that God judges impartially, and to those who do well He will give eternal life, but to those who are self-seeking and unrighteous He will show His wrath. He also began his argument that circumcision of the flesh and obedience to the Law do not produce righteousness.

In chapter three he went on to show that in spite of circumcision, the Jews are no better than Gentiles because, as it has been written, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” We are all sinners deserving of God’s wrath. He continues by saying that the righteousness of God has been revealed, and it is the righteousness that only comes from faith in Jesus Christ.

In chapter four Paul cited Abraham as an example. He showed that Abraham was justified by faith when he believed God’s promise and his faith was credited to him for righteousness. Then, Paul went on to point out that Abraham was declared righteous years before he was circumcised. Obedience came after righteousness-producing faith, not the other way around.

Now in this chapter he points out that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, the Godly for the ungodly. And he said that we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because just as the sin of one man (Adam) caused us all to be sinners (and now there is none righteous, no not one), so the righteous act of one man (Jesus) results in righteousness (justification) being available to all men. By Adam’s disobedience all were made sinners and by Jesus’ obedience many (those who believe) will be made righteous.

 

Application

In spite of all your good intentions and good deeds, God says that you are unrighteous and deserving of His wrath. But, by believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins, He will declare you to be righteous. Do you believe?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:17 – A Reigning Gift

Posted on by Will

For if by one offence death reigned through one man, much more those who are receiving an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ.

Truth to Learn

We will reign with Christ because of what He has done for us.

 

Behind the Words

“Offence” is from the word paraptōma, which we saw a couple verses back meaning “a falling by the wayside.”

“Death” is a word we haven’t looked at yet. It is from the Greek word thanatos, which is based on the verb thaneskō, meaning “to die.” Thanatos is actually an adjective in form but it is a noun in usage. It is used to refer to physical death (the death of our physical bodies) as well as spiritual death (exclusion from the presence and favor of God). The base meaning of this word implies separation. Regarding physical death it is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. With respect to spiritual death is the separation of the spirit from the presence and favor of God.

The word “receiving” is translated from the Greek word lambanō, meaning “to take, to accept, or to receive.” It is expressed here as a participle (who are receiving). We are continually receiving the abundance of God’s grace.

The word translated “abundance” is perisseia, which is based on the verb perisseuō, which we also saw a couple of verses back. Perisseia roughly means “more than enough” or “an overflowing.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now combines and summarizes the previous two verses in a single statement. He starts off with, “For if by one offense death reigned through one.” This is another first class conditional phrase as we saw two verses back, so we can read it as, “For since by one offense death reigned through one (man).” Paul says death has reigned as a result of one offense by one man.

The next phrase starts out with “much more.” In other words, this phrase is of even greater impact than the previous phrase. This phrase, “those who are receiving an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness,” is talking about those of us who have been saved by grace through faith.

He now makes a play on words in the midst of this very difficult passage. In the first part of this verse, Paul talked about death reigning over all of mankind as a result of sin. Now he says that we who are saved will reign in life; that is, in heaven we will reign with Christ in a state of eternal life. And that reign of ours, with Christ, will be as a result of one man, Jesus Christ.

Now let’s read this entire verse: “For since by one offense death reigned through one man, much more those who are receiving an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ.”

 

Application

Death reigns over us because of what Adam did, and no matter how much good we try to do, we cannot earn our way out of it. Our eternal reign with Christ, however, is God’s overflowing gift to us because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:16 – One for the Many

Posted on by Will

Again, the gift of God is not like is not like the result of the one man’s sin. For the judgment which came from one man’s sin resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.

Truth to Learn

God’s free gift of righteousness takes care of all our sins.

 

Behind the Words

The word “sin” is translated from the Greek word hamartanō, which means “to miss the mark.”

As if making a play on words, in this verse Paul repeatedly uses nouns that end in ma. In each cast it indicates the result of an action. These words include:

  • The word translated “gift” – dōrēma, derived from the verb dōreō, meaning “to bestow a gift.” Hence, it refers to a gift.
  • “Judgment” – from krima, which is derived from krinō, meaning “to decide” or “to judge.” Whereas, it can refer to a decision of innocence or guilt, it is most often used in relation to a guilty judgment.
  • The word translated “condemnation” – katakrima. The prefix kata means “down” or “against” and krima, as we just saw, means a judgment. Hence, this word means “a judgment against” or “condemnation” as we have it in this verse.
  • “Justification” – from dikiōma, which is based on the verb dikaioō meaning “to declare righteous” or “to declare innocent.” Hence dikiōma refers to the result of the declaration. That is, our righteousness or justification.

 

Meaning Explained

This is a tough verse, so follow closely. It’s the second time Paul is contrasting the effects of the deeds of Adam and Jesus. Previously, he said that death (the consequence of sin) flowed from Adam but that the gift of grace flowed from Jesus.

A literal word-by-word translation of the first phrase in this verse is, “And the gift not like through the one having sinned.” A couple of words have been added in our translation in order to make the verse more clear. What Paul is saying is that the free gift is not like the one sin of Adam.

Paul now shows why the one sin is not like the free gift. Here’s what the remainder of this verse says,

for (on the one hand) the judgment is out of one (deed) resulting in condemnation, but (on the other hand) the free gift is out of many transgressions resulting in justification.

 Though the grammatical construction is a bit awkward in English, Paul is saying: “on the one hand the judgment that came from one deed resulted in condemnation, but on the other hand the one free gift that handles many transgressions results in justification.”

If we were to sum up this verse it would be to say that death (the consequence of sin) flowed from one transgression (one sin), but the one gift of grace is effective over many transgressions resulting in our justification.

 

Application

Once again, we should be driven to our knees in prayer giving thanks for the gift of the sinless life of Jesus and the gift of grace whereby we will one day stand in the presence of God as righteous saints, not as condemned sinners!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:15 – More Than Enough

Posted on by Will

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 grace which is of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Truth to Learn

God’s free gift of grace is more than enough for our sins.

 

Behind the Words

The words “free gift” are from the Greek word charisma, a noun based on the verb charidzomai, meaning “to show a favor” or “to be kind to.” Charisma, therefore, refers specifically to the kindness or favor shown. It typically refers to “an undeserved gift or favor.”

“Offense” is translated from paraptōma, which is the noun form of the verb parapipto, meaning “to fall by the wayside” or “to fall away.” Some claim that this word indicates accidental or unintentional sin. The common usage of this word in Koinē Greek, however, does not support this interpretation.

The word “abounded” is from the Greek word perisseuō, which does not just mean abounded but “superabounded” or “was in excess.” In other words, it was more than enough. Hence, Paul is saying that the gracious gift of God in Jesus Christ was more than enough for all the sins of all mankind.

 

Meaning Explained

In this verse Paul begins his contrasting of the consequences of the actions of Adam and Christ. Paul says that God’s gift of grace (the free gift) is not like the offense (Adam’s sin.) He doesn’t explain how it is different; he merely states it as a fact.

He then goes on to show that the work of grace of God through the Messiah is much greater than the offense of Adam. The next statement, “For if by the one man's offense many died” is a Greek first-class conditional expression, which means it is assumed to be true. Some would contend that it could, therefore, be translated as “For since by the one man's offense many died.” That is, as a result of Adams offense many (all of mankind) have died (and will die). Because of Adam’s sin we have all become sinners and, as a result, we all die (physically).

He now goes on to say that the grace of God, and His gift of eternal life which is given to us by that grace, is greater than the offense that brought sin and death to us all. Paul is simply telling us that God’s gift (salvation through faith) is offered to all freely (by grace) and that it is more than enough to counter the sin that we commit as a result of being Adam’s descendants. And, this gracious gift is given through one man, Jesus Christ. We receive this gift not by obedience to the Law but by belief in the sacrificial death of the one innocent man, Jesus, the Christ.

The final phrase in this verse should be translated as “abounded to the many.” The words “the many” are referring back to the first part of this sentence which says, “For if by the one man's offense many died” so it is also referring to all of mankind. In other words, the gift of grace “superabounds,” or “is more than enough” for the many (all of mankind) who have sinned.

 

Application

You may consider yourself as a decent person who slips-up occasionally, or you may consider yourself as a wretched sinner who deserves all that Hell can deliver. It really doesn’t matter because the blood of Christ, and God’s free gift of salvation through faith in that blood, is more than enough to cover your sins.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:14 – Sin on the Throne?

Posted on by Will

but death reigned from Adam to Moses, even on those who had not sinned in to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who is coming.

Truth to Learn

Even those who lived before the Law were sinners and suffered death as a result.

 

Behind the Words

“Reigned” is from basileuō, which is the verb form of the noun basileus, meaning “a king.” Thus we see that basileuō literally means “to be king” or as we have it in this verse, “to reign.”

The word “likeness” is translated from homoiōma, which is derived from the verb homoioō, meaning “to make like.” Hence, homoiōma means “a resemblance” or “a likeness.” This word does not imply any relationship between the two things, only a similarity in appearance or function.

The word translated “transgression” is the Greek word parabasis, meaning “to go beyond, cross over, or overstep.” It is most often used to indicate an overstepping of a legal limit. Hence, it usually means “to violate a law or regulation.”

“Type” is translated from the Greek word tupos, which literally refers to “a die or a stamp that is used to make similar impressions or representations.” Figuratively, it refers to something that has the form or resemblance of something else.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul is now driving home the fact that we discussed in the previous verse. That is, that death was visited upon all men from Adam all the way up until the Law was delivered by Moses. Therefore, all the people who lived before the Law must have been sinners.

Just to help us all with a little bit of perspective: the time from Adam to Moses is around 2500 years. That’s longer than from the time of Christ until the present. The period of “the Law,” the time from the giving of the Law until the death of Christ, is about 1300 years. So the amount of time between Adam and Moses is roughly 40% of the entire history of mankind.

Paul here says that death reigned over mankind before the Law even though these people didn’t sin in the same manner as Adam. Sin is sin no matter how great or how small, and it doesn’t matter whether a person sinned once or many, many times. Everyone who descended from Adam, even before the Law was delivered, is a sinner and suffers death as a result of their sin.

The closing statement in this verse is a significant transitional statement. It says that Adam was a “type” of the one who is coming (referring to Christ). In other words, Jesus Christ is a type of Adam. Paul gives a description of what he means by this in 1Corinthians15:45-49 where he refers to Christ as the “last Adam.” But here, Paul will compare, or more correctly, contrast, the two men (Adam and Jesus) to show us how the conduct of both Adam and Jesus has a lasting effect on each one of us personally. But he will also show us the distinct difference in the results of their actions.

 

Application

While it’s true we can all blame Adam for our sinfulness, we can’t blame him for our sins. Because of our sins we face death. However, because of Jesus Christ, we can experience eternal life, even though we may experience physical death.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:13 – Sinless Without Law?

Posted on by Will

For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Truth to Learn

We don’t have to break the Law of Moses to be sinners.

 

Behind the Words

 “World” is from the Greek word kosmos, which is probably derived from komeō, meaning “to take care of.” Kosmos specifically refers to “an orderly arrangement.” This word is used in the New Testament to refer to the world system, not the physical world.

The word “imputed” is similar to a word we saw in the previous chapter. It was the word logidzomai, meaning “to credit to someone’s account.” This word is ellogeō, which is sometimes used synonymously but it has a subtly different meaning. It means “to take into account” or “to take into consideration.”

 

Meaning Explained

Remember that this letter was originally written to Christians in Rome who were predominantly Jewish and who were still tied to keeping the Law, even after their conversion to Christianity. Throughout this letter Paul has been showing them (and us) that righteousness before God is not attained by keeping the Law but by the free, gracious gift of God, which comes only after we believe His promises.

In the previous verse Paul told us that sin (and death as a result) entered the world through Adam, and death passed on to all of us because all of us have sinned. Since the recipients of this letter were convinced that sin was a result of not keeping the Law, Paul now points out to them that sin existed in this world even before the Law was delivered to Moses. In other words, sin did not commence with the Law, sin commenced with Adam.

Now look at this carefully! Paul then says that sin is not imputed (taken into consideration) when there is no law. If we read this too quickly we might want to respond, “If sin is not imputed where there is no law then it wasn’t imputed to those who lived before the Law was delivered!” This is precisely the argument that Paul is refuting. You see, since death is the penalty of sin and death passed on all men after Adam, then all have sinned. Therefore there must have been a “law” (not “the Law”) that was transgressed even before the Law of Moses was delivered.

For those of you who think we Christians have to keep the Law (the Ten Commandments) in order to be “right” with God, you will find that Paul is arguing against you. Keeping the Law (or even keeping God’s higher moral law) is not what makes us acceptable (righteous) in God’s sight (for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God [Romans 3:23]). Only the righteousness that God gives to us when we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as payment for our sins can make us acceptable in His sight.

 

Application

We don’t have to keep the Law of Moses to be righteous, but we don’t have to break the Law of Moses to be sinners either. However, if you know that you are a sinner and believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty of your sin, then you are reckoned as righteous in God’s record book.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:12 – Ancestral Sin

Posted on by Will

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Truth to Learn

Our sinfulness is a result of our being a descendant of Adam.

 

Behind the Words

The words “just as” are translated from the Greek word hōsper, which is used to introduce the first member of a comparison. However, Paul never grammatically introduces the second member, although it is clear that he is comparing the sin-producing work of Adam with the atoning work of Christ.

“Entered” is from the Greek eiserchomai, which is composed of eis, meaning “into” or “unto” and erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” Hence, it means “to come into.” It is expressed in the aorist tense indicating an action that was completed at a point in time in the past.

The word “spread” is dierchomai, which is composed of a form of dia, meaning “through” or “throughout” and erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” This word is immediately followed by the preposition epi, meaning “upon.” So, we see that Paul is saying that death “came through upon” or “spread to” all of mankind.

 

Meaning Explained

This passage, beginning here and continuing through verse twenty-one, has been described as one of the most difficult parts of the New Testament. Unfortunately the brevity of these daily devotional studies will prevent us from going into the depth necessary to have a full understanding of this passage.

The first thing we see in this verse is that sin entered this world through one man, Adam. Adam was commanded not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam disobeyed, thus sinning against God. Up until that time sin had not existed in our physical world.

The second thing we see is that death entered into this world by this sin. Paul will tell us in the next chapter that the result of sin is death. Here he tells us that it was through Adam’s sin that death became a reality to us all. We see by implication that had Adam never sinned, he never would have died. In fact, God warned him about death being the consequence of disobedience when He first commanded Adam not to eat of that tree, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” [Genesis 2:17]

The third thing we see in this verse is that from Adam’s sin, death spread to all of us. There is no disputing that all men die. Paul is simply telling us here that this death that Adam suffered as a result of his sin is passed on to all of his descendants. The reason that we all die is because we all sinned.

In this passage Paul does not say whether he is referring to physical death or spiritual death, though his implication is physical death based on the next few verses.

Now, hang in there because there’s more to come in the following verses.

 

Application

We are sinners because we are descendants from Adam. We can blame Adam for our sinfulness, but we can’t blame Adam for our sins. That’s why we need a Savior.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:11 – Bragging Rights

Posted on by Will

And not only that, but we also are rejoicing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Truth to Learn

We have the right to rejoice and brag about God our Father.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “rejoicing” is the Greek word kauchaomai. This word is derived from auchen, meaning “the neck,” which vain people are apt to carry in a proud manner. Hence, the meaning has come to be recognized as “prideful or boastful either in a good or a bad sense.” As a result, some interpret this word as meaning to rejoice in a celebratory manner.

The word translated “we have now received” is lambanō, meaning “to take, to accept, or to receive.” It is expressed in the aorist indicative tense indicating something that was completed at a point in time in the past.

“Reconciliation” is from the Greek word katallagē, which is based on the verb katallassō, meaning “to exchange or to restore to a former state.” Hence, katallagē refers to “a restoration or a reconciliation.”

 

Meaning Explained

Not only have we been justified by the death of Jesus and we will be saved from the wrath of God by the life of Jesus, but we now are rejoicing in God because of it, according to Paul.

My friends, Christians should be the most joy-filled and rejoicing people on the face of the earth! Why? Because we have been justified (declared righteous) by God and have been promised that we will not suffer His wrath in the future. This justification allows us to fellowship with Almighty God right now, and the promise allows us to patiently endure the trials of this life knowing that we will not see His wrath.

But, I believe the root meaning of the word kauchaomai (to boast or to brag) is what Paul is trying to show us. There isn’t a child alive who, because he or she loves his or her father, won’t brag about him to his or her friends. It’s a natural thing to do. Christians, because we no longer have to fear the wrath of God (our Father), will naturally boast or brag about the greatness, the power, the infinite wisdom, the grace, the love … (I could go on for quite a while) of our Father. And we do so through the person of Jesus Christ who is the visible manifestation of the Father, for Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

Finally, Paul says that it is through Jesus Christ that we have received the reconciliation. Don’t miss this, now! The Greek verb lambanō, translated “received,” is in the aorist tense. In Greek that means action that was completed at a point in time in the past. Paul says that now, at the present time, we have already received the reconciliation (completed at a point in time in the past). That’s why we can boast about Him, because we are now, and always will be, reconciled with, and at peace with, our Heavenly Father. And since we are reconciled with Him and will never have to know His wrath, we brag about Him as the greatest there ever was or ever could be!

 

Application

The next time you sing a song of praise to God, remember that we have eternal bragging rights. We can brag about our Father and rejoice because we have been completely reconciled to Him, forever and ever!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved