Chapter 7 contains the remainder of Paul's explanation of sanctification, dealing especially with the sort of life a Christian should lead after coming to faith in Jesus. Paul states that the Jewish law is only applicable when a person is alive, giving the example of marriage as an example (a woman may remarry if her husband dies, but if she marries while he is alive she is an adulteress). In similar fashion, we die to the law (Rom 6: 3-4). Calvin describes it as our conscience being freed from following the law and now should cling to it's second husband, Jesus Christ. Paul also states that we belong to Christ for the purpose of bearing fruit to God by serving in the way of the Holy Spirit, not out of obedience to the written law (v.6).
2) In verse 7, Paul discusses whether the law is sin, and discusses his struggles with sin. A major question is whether the discussion of struggling with sin refers to his pre-Christian experience, or is an example of his continuing life as a Christian. Both views have been heldby different commentators.
Paul begins by saying that the law is not sin, for he would not know what sin is unless the law had defined certain actions as such. Calvin states that the law does not encourage a person to sin, but does increase a person's awareness of sin. Wesley says the same thing, but includes the possibility that the law stirs up that action in us.
--With whom do you believe? What do you think of Calvin's statement that if the law could be said to cause our sin, then it would bear some guilt for our sin? Does Paul's statement in verse 8 that sin seizes the opportunity afforded it by the law and produces evil desire effect your opinion? Does Paul's statement that sin is dead apart from the law mean that it does not exist, or that knowledge of sin is not existent (Luther), or that it is less apparent and active (Wesley)?
3) In verse 9 Paul begins relating his own experience by stating that early in life he was alive apart from the law, but once the law came sin sprang to life and he died. Verse 10 states that the commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death, because sin deceived him and through the law put him to death (v. 10-11). Paul sconcludes by saying that the law is holy righteous and good.
--Luther says that the law makes sin more active and hostile because we cannot pay the debt required by the law. What is the debt requried by the law? Do you agree with Luther's statement? Why or why not?
--Wesley says that Paul's statement that he was alive apart from the law (v. 9) means that "I had much life, wisdom, virtue, strength: so I thought." However, the commandment, the characteristic of the law that restrains us, sin revives and whatever virtue and strength he had died away, making clear that he is liabile for death. What does Paul mean when he says he was alive apart from the law? Is Wesley correct that the life apart from the law is one of perception? Does verse 13 address this issue?
--In verse 10, Paul states the the commandment was intended to bring life, but instead brings death, because sin deceives us into disobedience, and we are thus put to death via the commandment. Both Wesley and Calvin state that the law is designed to show us a way that we can take to achieve righteousness and eternal life. Assuming God took our sinful nature into account in creating the law, how can it be said that the law was intended to bring life when in practice it does nothing of the sort? What does intended mean here?
--What does it mean to be deceived by sin (v. 11)?
--Wesley and Calvin both say that the law is good because it derives from the nature and personality from God. Is this the reason the law is good? Can you think of any other reasons?
4) In verse 13, Paul says that the law is good and did not itself become death to him. Rather, it produced death in him so that sin would be recognized for what it is.
--Why does God want sin to be seen for what it is? Does this statement shed lights on the previous questions addressed in this study? How does this fit into God's historical plan for humanity and our salvation?
2/27/2005
2/19/2005
Killearn DTS Romans 6: 8-23
1) After explaining that the Christian's old self dies and is thus freed from sin and capable of living a new life that is directed towards God, Paul further explains how this process works. In verses 8-10 Paul points out that since Christ resurrected, it is clear that death no longer has mastery over him. The death Christ died was onto sin, but after resurrection He lives a life onto God that has broken the bonds of sin and death. Similarly, we are told to count ourselves dead to sin, but alive to God via Christ (verse 11).
--Luther describes the process of living a holy life as a struggle between the Spirit and the flesh to kill of sins and sinful desires. What are some of the most difficult struggles that we deal with as individuals? As a church community?
2) In verses 12-14, Paul starts to give some practical and pastoral directions on how the Christian is supposed to live the holy life directed towards God that should be the normative experience of the Christian. We are told first not to let sin reign in our flesh, so that we will not obey its desires. Further, we are not tooffer the parts of our body to sin, but rather to offers ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. This is possible because we are under grace and not law, and thus sin is not our master.
--Wesley points out that sin is a tyrant, while God is our lawful King. He then says that because we are under grace, and not law (v. 14), we are enabled to have complete mastery over sin through the Gospel. Do you think that the Gospel enables us to have complete mastery over sin? What is Paul saying in this chapter?
3) Paul brings us back to the original issue in verse 15, asking again whether we should sin because we are under grace, and reiterates his answer, "by no means!" We are then given a metaphor of sorts that tries to explain why we are obliged not to sin. Paul says that when a person offers to serve another, that person is a slave to the person they have chosen to obey. We are either slaves to sin, which leads to death, or choose to be obedient to God, a course of life that leads to righteousness. Paul gives thanks to God that the Christians he is writing to obeyed the teaching he made. He then states that they have been freed from sin and are now slaves to righteousness (v. 18). Paul makes the point that his examples of slavery were made to make the concept understandable to his audience. Paul reitierates in verses 19-20 his his instruction to offer our bodies in slavery to righteousness, which will lead to living a holy life. He also states again that at one time, the believer is a slave to sin and unable to live a righteous life before God.
--Calvin makes the argument that no one can be a slave to righteousness until Christ has set him free from the tyranny of sin. This happens according to Calvin via regeneration, whereby God chooses to change the hearts of the elect. Calvin says our free will has nothing to do with the transactions, since the gift is from God and only available because of His kindness. Do you agree with Calvin's argument? Is Calvin correct in presupposing that any exercise of free will would negate the Gospel being a gift, and salvation being totally from God?
--Wesley says that the center of the Gospel is faith, whereby a person chooses to embrace the righteousness of God, which is given to all who believe (Rom 3:22). How is the view different from Calvin's? Which do you think is correct?
4) Paul asks a question in verse 21, whether any benefits are realized from living in sin. Paul rightly points out that since such thinngs lead to death, it is hard to say they are worthwhile. However, in our new lives where we are freed from sin and slaves to God, our benefit is eternal life. As Paul puts it very well in verse 23, "[T]he wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eteral life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
--Luther says that God's grace gives us true freedom from sin and the law. It is a freedom to do good with eagerness and live a good life. The freedom does not suspend the law, but allows us to fulfill its requirements: eagerness and love. How can we improve in desiring to eagerly live a loving life? Is this what the law seeks? Is this God's goal for our actions?
--Luther describes the process of living a holy life as a struggle between the Spirit and the flesh to kill of sins and sinful desires. What are some of the most difficult struggles that we deal with as individuals? As a church community?
2) In verses 12-14, Paul starts to give some practical and pastoral directions on how the Christian is supposed to live the holy life directed towards God that should be the normative experience of the Christian. We are told first not to let sin reign in our flesh, so that we will not obey its desires. Further, we are not tooffer the parts of our body to sin, but rather to offers ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. This is possible because we are under grace and not law, and thus sin is not our master.
--Wesley points out that sin is a tyrant, while God is our lawful King. He then says that because we are under grace, and not law (v. 14), we are enabled to have complete mastery over sin through the Gospel. Do you think that the Gospel enables us to have complete mastery over sin? What is Paul saying in this chapter?
3) Paul brings us back to the original issue in verse 15, asking again whether we should sin because we are under grace, and reiterates his answer, "by no means!" We are then given a metaphor of sorts that tries to explain why we are obliged not to sin. Paul says that when a person offers to serve another, that person is a slave to the person they have chosen to obey. We are either slaves to sin, which leads to death, or choose to be obedient to God, a course of life that leads to righteousness. Paul gives thanks to God that the Christians he is writing to obeyed the teaching he made. He then states that they have been freed from sin and are now slaves to righteousness (v. 18). Paul makes the point that his examples of slavery were made to make the concept understandable to his audience. Paul reitierates in verses 19-20 his his instruction to offer our bodies in slavery to righteousness, which will lead to living a holy life. He also states again that at one time, the believer is a slave to sin and unable to live a righteous life before God.
--Calvin makes the argument that no one can be a slave to righteousness until Christ has set him free from the tyranny of sin. This happens according to Calvin via regeneration, whereby God chooses to change the hearts of the elect. Calvin says our free will has nothing to do with the transactions, since the gift is from God and only available because of His kindness. Do you agree with Calvin's argument? Is Calvin correct in presupposing that any exercise of free will would negate the Gospel being a gift, and salvation being totally from God?
--Wesley says that the center of the Gospel is faith, whereby a person chooses to embrace the righteousness of God, which is given to all who believe (Rom 3:22). How is the view different from Calvin's? Which do you think is correct?
4) Paul asks a question in verse 21, whether any benefits are realized from living in sin. Paul rightly points out that since such thinngs lead to death, it is hard to say they are worthwhile. However, in our new lives where we are freed from sin and slaves to God, our benefit is eternal life. As Paul puts it very well in verse 23, "[T]he wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eteral life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
--Luther says that God's grace gives us true freedom from sin and the law. It is a freedom to do good with eagerness and live a good life. The freedom does not suspend the law, but allows us to fulfill its requirements: eagerness and love. How can we improve in desiring to eagerly live a loving life? Is this what the law seeks? Is this God's goal for our actions?
2/10/2005
Killearn DTS Romans 6: 1-7
This post is intended for members of the Killearn Dead Theologians Society sunday school class on Feb. 13, 2005, though folks who are bored and like reading Bible study outlines are more than welcome to peruse it. This week, we are covering the last two questions from class two weeks ago that we did not get to along with the seven verses at the start of Romans 6.
In Chapter 5, Paul explains how we are justified in God's sight, reconciled to God and have peace with Him through our faith in God because of the atoning acts of Christ on the cross. We are also told that we now have hope because Christ's resurrection and God's grace grants eternal life to those who believe. In this way, Christ is the "new Adam", for as Adam's decision to sin led to death for our race, eternal life is offered to our race through the work of Christ. Having established that those who have faith in the triune God are reconciled to Him, Paul address in Chapter 6 how Christians are to view sin in the light of God's grace exhibited in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul begins by tackling the question of whether God's grace gives the Christian a license to sin.
1) In Romans 5: 20-21, Paul points states that God's grace abounds (is more powerful) than our sin that leads to death, with the result being that God's grace (unmerited favor and love) reigns through righteousness (note that God is loving and holy) and leads us to eternal life through Jesus Christ. Paul then asks (Rom 6:1) whether the fact that grace is stronger than sin and death permits us to continue in sin, because the more we sin the more God can exercise his grace towards us. In other words, should we sin since it gives God the opportunity to display his love and forgiveness?
Wesley notes that Paul had already mentioned this issue in Romans 3: 7-8, where he writes that many people are "slandering" him by saying that the gospel he preaches tells people to do evil that good may result. It appears that Paul is intent on disproving the sort of argument that says humans may commit evil in order to bring glory to God, or to allow God to exercise His glory.
--What are some of the possible reasons that people had (have) for saying that the Gospel encourages sin? Do you think it is always impermissible for a person to do evil under the rationale that it will bring glory to God and allow Him to display His glory?
2) In Romans 6:2, Paul gives his answer, an emphatic "certainly not!" He then follows with a question, "We died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?" Wesley explains what being "dead to sin" involves, namely, to be freed from the guilt and power and sin. Calvin uses the opportunity in his commentary to note that regeneration is necessary for a person to be reconciled to God and live a holy life, thus it is foolish to think that regeneration leads to sin.
Paul goes on to explain in verses 3 & 4 that once we become Christians we are baptized into Christ's death so that we can be raised to live a new life. To summarize, just as the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection had a purpose (to pay the penalty of our sins for the purpose of conquering death), our decision to submit to Christ results in his atonement being applied to us, freeing us from being slaves to sin and allowing us to live in love and holiness as God intended. Paul will expand upon this point for the rest Chs 6 and 7.
In verses 5-7 Paul states that we are part of Christ's death and resurrection, and that our old self was crucified with Christ and that we are no longer slaves to sin. Wesley states that the crucifixion of our old self takes place gradually by virtue of our union with him (recall Jesus' teaching of Him being the vine and we the branches). This crucifixion allows us to be freed both from the guilt of past sin, and the power of present sin. Calvin also states that the crucifixion of the old self takes place over tme and adds that we should not think that this doctrine is not true.
--What do you think are the keys to putting the old self to death? What does God contribute to the process? What do we contribute to the process?
--Christ's death is sufficient to pay the completely pay the penalty for our sins. Why is it that our baptism into His death does not result in the cessation of sin? Is it possible to eventually not sin? Explain your answer.
In Chapter 5, Paul explains how we are justified in God's sight, reconciled to God and have peace with Him through our faith in God because of the atoning acts of Christ on the cross. We are also told that we now have hope because Christ's resurrection and God's grace grants eternal life to those who believe. In this way, Christ is the "new Adam", for as Adam's decision to sin led to death for our race, eternal life is offered to our race through the work of Christ. Having established that those who have faith in the triune God are reconciled to Him, Paul address in Chapter 6 how Christians are to view sin in the light of God's grace exhibited in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul begins by tackling the question of whether God's grace gives the Christian a license to sin.
1) In Romans 5: 20-21, Paul points states that God's grace abounds (is more powerful) than our sin that leads to death, with the result being that God's grace (unmerited favor and love) reigns through righteousness (note that God is loving and holy) and leads us to eternal life through Jesus Christ. Paul then asks (Rom 6:1) whether the fact that grace is stronger than sin and death permits us to continue in sin, because the more we sin the more God can exercise his grace towards us. In other words, should we sin since it gives God the opportunity to display his love and forgiveness?
Wesley notes that Paul had already mentioned this issue in Romans 3: 7-8, where he writes that many people are "slandering" him by saying that the gospel he preaches tells people to do evil that good may result. It appears that Paul is intent on disproving the sort of argument that says humans may commit evil in order to bring glory to God, or to allow God to exercise His glory.
--What are some of the possible reasons that people had (have) for saying that the Gospel encourages sin? Do you think it is always impermissible for a person to do evil under the rationale that it will bring glory to God and allow Him to display His glory?
2) In Romans 6:2, Paul gives his answer, an emphatic "certainly not!" He then follows with a question, "We died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?" Wesley explains what being "dead to sin" involves, namely, to be freed from the guilt and power and sin. Calvin uses the opportunity in his commentary to note that regeneration is necessary for a person to be reconciled to God and live a holy life, thus it is foolish to think that regeneration leads to sin.
Paul goes on to explain in verses 3 & 4 that once we become Christians we are baptized into Christ's death so that we can be raised to live a new life. To summarize, just as the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection had a purpose (to pay the penalty of our sins for the purpose of conquering death), our decision to submit to Christ results in his atonement being applied to us, freeing us from being slaves to sin and allowing us to live in love and holiness as God intended. Paul will expand upon this point for the rest Chs 6 and 7.
In verses 5-7 Paul states that we are part of Christ's death and resurrection, and that our old self was crucified with Christ and that we are no longer slaves to sin. Wesley states that the crucifixion of our old self takes place gradually by virtue of our union with him (recall Jesus' teaching of Him being the vine and we the branches). This crucifixion allows us to be freed both from the guilt of past sin, and the power of present sin. Calvin also states that the crucifixion of the old self takes place over tme and adds that we should not think that this doctrine is not true.
--What do you think are the keys to putting the old self to death? What does God contribute to the process? What do we contribute to the process?
--Christ's death is sufficient to pay the completely pay the penalty for our sins. Why is it that our baptism into His death does not result in the cessation of sin? Is it possible to eventually not sin? Explain your answer.
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