Romans 5.6-11
6 For while we were still helpless, yet at the proper time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will seldom die for a righteous man, although for a good man one might dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more, then, since we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved from wrath through him. 10 For while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, since we have been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 Not only this, but we are also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have received reconciliation.
Paul begins this piece of his argument with ‘for’ grounding what was previously argued. It seems though that this piece of the argument is not simply grounding verse 5 but all of verses 1-5. So, all of verses 1-5 is true because ‘while we were still helpless, yet at the proper time, Christ died for the ungodly.’ That Christ died for the ungodly reminds us of what Paul wrote in 4.5 ‘God who justifies the ungodly’. This amazing fact, that Christ (God’s appointed king) died for the ungodly, is highlighted even more in verse 7, as Paul reminds us that humanity in general will not easily give up life for a righteous man or good man. It is a truly heroic event when one dies for the sake of a righteous or good man. But God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We won’t give up our lives for those who may deserve such sacrifice, but we (Jew and Gentile) were sinners when Jesus gave himself up for us. This sacrifice by Christ demonstrates God’s love. It demonstrates God’s love, because no father would give his son even for a good cause. But God gives his Son for sinners.
From this Paul argues from the greater to the lesser. If we are declared righteous by Jesus blood (a synecdoche referring to Jesus’ death on the cross), how much more will we be saved from God’s wrath in the last day. Because we who belong to Jesus already know the God’s verdict, we can be assured that on the last day we will not experience God’s wrath. We will have no shame before him in the last day. This already/not yet tension is expanded in the next verse. Since we are already reconciled to God in Jesus’ death for us, while we were still sinners, we will shall be saved by his life. Reconciliation is the already category. Since we are already reconciled by the death of God’s own Son, we shall be saved by his life. That is, Jesus’ death reconciled us, and his resurrection shall save us. This ‘not yet’ will be explored more fully in chapter 6 and in chapter 8. In verse 11, the echoes of ‘boasting’ are heard again. We do not boast in the Law, we boast in the glory of God (5.2), and this is specified in v. 11 as a boasting through our Lord Jesus Christ. As Wright states, we “Celebrate the reconciliation between the creator and those who bear the creator’s image” (Wright, Romans NIB 10, p. 520). This reconciliation has taken place in one man, and one man alone, Jesus who is Lord and King.
Paulos, please fill in holes here where necessary, and if you would, would you please talk a bit about not experiencing wrath on the last day. I hear from many different Christian preachers and teachers that Christians will experience some form of wrath/judgment/shame on the last day. Though this idea is popular it seems to fly in the face of this passage and others like it. Do you have any thoughts on this?
6 For while we were still helpless, yet at the proper time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will seldom die for a righteous man, although for a good man one might dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more, then, since we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved from wrath through him. 10 For while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, since we have been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 Not only this, but we are also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have received reconciliation.
Paul begins this piece of his argument with ‘for’ grounding what was previously argued. It seems though that this piece of the argument is not simply grounding verse 5 but all of verses 1-5. So, all of verses 1-5 is true because ‘while we were still helpless, yet at the proper time, Christ died for the ungodly.’ That Christ died for the ungodly reminds us of what Paul wrote in 4.5 ‘God who justifies the ungodly’. This amazing fact, that Christ (God’s appointed king) died for the ungodly, is highlighted even more in verse 7, as Paul reminds us that humanity in general will not easily give up life for a righteous man or good man. It is a truly heroic event when one dies for the sake of a righteous or good man. But God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We won’t give up our lives for those who may deserve such sacrifice, but we (Jew and Gentile) were sinners when Jesus gave himself up for us. This sacrifice by Christ demonstrates God’s love. It demonstrates God’s love, because no father would give his son even for a good cause. But God gives his Son for sinners.
From this Paul argues from the greater to the lesser. If we are declared righteous by Jesus blood (a synecdoche referring to Jesus’ death on the cross), how much more will we be saved from God’s wrath in the last day. Because we who belong to Jesus already know the God’s verdict, we can be assured that on the last day we will not experience God’s wrath. We will have no shame before him in the last day. This already/not yet tension is expanded in the next verse. Since we are already reconciled to God in Jesus’ death for us, while we were still sinners, we will shall be saved by his life. Reconciliation is the already category. Since we are already reconciled by the death of God’s own Son, we shall be saved by his life. That is, Jesus’ death reconciled us, and his resurrection shall save us. This ‘not yet’ will be explored more fully in chapter 6 and in chapter 8. In verse 11, the echoes of ‘boasting’ are heard again. We do not boast in the Law, we boast in the glory of God (5.2), and this is specified in v. 11 as a boasting through our Lord Jesus Christ. As Wright states, we “Celebrate the reconciliation between the creator and those who bear the creator’s image” (Wright, Romans NIB 10, p. 520). This reconciliation has taken place in one man, and one man alone, Jesus who is Lord and King.
Paulos, please fill in holes here where necessary, and if you would, would you please talk a bit about not experiencing wrath on the last day. I hear from many different Christian preachers and teachers that Christians will experience some form of wrath/judgment/shame on the last day. Though this idea is popular it seems to fly in the face of this passage and others like it. Do you have any thoughts on this?
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