Chapter V
1 Therefore being made righteous by faith we have shalom to God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
v. 1-2 are an early statement of what will be fully said in 8:31-39, what would be, in musical terms, the development of Paul’s argument so far. Having established that God is faithful to his promises through the Messiah Jesus, Paul now begins to explain how the privileges which ought to have been enjoyed by Israel are now given to the people of the Messiah, through the Messiah’s re-making of the Israel story around himself. First off is the peace with God, standing against the wrath of God which is to be poured out against the ungodly earlier.
2 Through whom we also have the coming-near [in faith] unto this grace in which we stand and we boast upon the hope of God’s glory
Just as the Messiah people now have the shalom to God that should have been the privilege of God’s elect, so also they have the entrance before—prosagogen—that would have been associated with the approach to God’s dwelling in the holy temple on Mount Zion, and a portion of the hope of his glory, which was, as God’s elect, to have been the privilege of ethnic Israel. Remember that the entrance before God was not a spiritual abstraction. In temple language, God really did dwell on Mt. Zion. (At least he did in the old temple) To enter higher and further within the temple really was to approach God. That privilege, through the Messiah, is now given to the Messiah’s family—Gentiles are allowed within, regardless of their status to purification, circumcision, or Torah.
3 And not only this, but we also boast in troubles, knowing that trouble produces endurance
Paradoxically, the situation of the persecuted early Christian is to glory in his distresses, for this is how the Messiah accomplished his great victory. It was not by raising arms and striking his enemies, but by submitting to their strikes. Boast is kauchometha again.
4 And endurance character and character hope
Dokime can mean character, worth, proof, or evidence.
5 And the hope is not disgraceful, since God’s love is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us.
Kataischunei is often translate “disappoint,” but I think that Paul writes about the Christian dokime in contrast with that of pre-Messianic Judaism, which was disgraced because it had, through its disobedience, allowed itself and its God to be shamed by the pagans who had taken it and subjected it to troubles. In contrast, the people of the Messiah, looking to him as their model, expect and glory in the troubles they are given. Again, Paul is not writing in abstract spiritualisms when he talks about God’s love in the Holy Spirit—it is as concrete as the glory which once filled the temple, but now is indwelt within the Christian heart.
6 For the Messiah with our yet being weak at the right time for the sake of the ungodly died
Ungodly (asebon) might also be irreverent? If vv. 1-5 are a preview of ch. 5-8, vv. 6-11 are a sort of recap of the letter so far. Paul restates the propitiatory death of the Messiah for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely will anyone die for the sake of the just. For concerning a good man someone might dare even to die
I’ve always wondered (and I can’t find any footnotes to see if anyone else has followed this up) if Paul is quoting from another source here. He breaks the line of his argument, and the sentence just doesn’t quite sound Pauline. But I have no real evidence for this. It just doesn’t sound quite right. Dik language again.
8 But God demonstrated his love unto us, that with our yet being sinners the Messiah died for our sake.
Though we (the Messiah people) were not worth saving, the Messiah made God’s rescue by sacrificing himself to suffering and death. Keep the verse within the context of the argument before and after. (Although, of course, it is one of the key verses of whatever atonement theology ought to be drawn out of the New Testament.)
9 Therefore much more being justified now in his blood we are saved through him from wrath
Justified is again dikaiothentes, which ought to be read as a shorthand way of saying “given covenant membership.” The problem of God’s just wrath in ch. 1 is addressed by the sacrifice—which is somehow a temple sacrifice—of Jesus.
10 For if being enemies we are reconciled to God through the death of his son, how much more being reconciled will we be saved in his life?
Reconciliation here and throughout is katellagemen, which could also be read as “being put into friendship” but comes from a term from the reconcilement of an estranged man and wife. Here is powerful resurrection language—as the cross has accomplished covenant membership through sacrifice, so also will Jesus’ victory over death be translated into our final salvation. (Note, this is a future salvation)
11 And not only this, but also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah through whom now we receive reconciliation.
Parallels v. 3, concluding the expository section.
12 On account of this just as through one man sin entered unto the world and through sin Death, even thus unto all men Death spread over, upon which all sinned.
Paul now begins to retell the whole Israel story, starting with Adam and the problem of sin. Adam is the type of the Messiah, but everywhere he has failed Jesus has conquered. Spread over is dielthen, which also could mean passed through.
13 For before Torah sin was in the world, but sin was not charged with the Torah not being
A complex sentence grammatically. Basically it means that there was Sin before there was the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, and though the penalty was paid for Sin (Death), sin could not be charged in the same way. (I’ll get a little ahead of Paul’s argument and say that the giving of Torah served as a warning against sin but also as a stumbling block by which Israel and the world would be convicted.)
14 But Death ruled from Adam until Moses and upon those not sinning upon the likeness of the overstepping of Adam who is the type of the intended one
Without sin, Death held dominion. (ebasileusen, was king.) Overstepping is again parabasis. Adam is the typos—model, figure, example--of the intended one, who is the Messiah.
15 But not as sin, thus even the gift. For if by one all die in sin, how much more the grace of God and the gift in grace of the one man the Messiah Jesus unto all abounds
The original word order makes less sense. The meaning is, “but the gift of the Messiah is not as the sin of Adam.” The Messiah not only counteracts, but does more than Adam, for the gift abounds. (or overflows)
16 And not as through one sinning the gift. For indeed the judgment from one sin unto condemnation, but the grace from many sins unto justification
The first part of the verse (all the references to one, one, one are comparing to Adam to the Messiah) says that the gift is not as the sin of the one sinning. Though it was but by one sin from the one first sinner that death/condemnation came, the gift can and does cover many sins. Dik language implying covenant again.
17 For if by one in sin Death ruled through the one, how much more those the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification receiving in life will rule through the one Jesus the Messiah.
Death did rule the world through the one sin of Adam, but we will rule the world in Death’s place through the gift and justification of the Messiah.
18 Therefore then as through one sin unto all men unto condemnation, thus even through one righteousness unto all men unto justification and life.
Righteousness and justification, here as always, cognate through dik.
19 For just as through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, thus even through the obedience of one many will be made justified
Many are entered into the covenant by the obedience (which elsewhere, Paul calls faith) of the one man, in contrast to the disobedience of Adam. Will be made might also be translated “proved” in a legal sense, continuing Paul’s courtroom metaphors.
20 And the Torah arrived, that Sin might abound. But where Sin abounded, Grace overabounded.
Paul doesn’t leave us hanging with this mysterious statement that Torah came and Sin abounded—this will be the task of ch. 7-9 to explain. But please do read as “Torah came, with the result that Sin abounded.” Abounded (epleonasen) becomes overabounded (upereperisseuesen)
21 That just as Sin ruled in death, thus even Grace might rule through justification unto eternal life through the Messiah Jesus our Lord.
Where Sin had dominion (ebasileuisen) now Grace has dominion unto the covenant justification, and ultimately eternal life (the victory over death) through the Messiah.
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