It is God's Gospel and His power unto salvation.
God's wrath revealed on sin, 1:18
whose root is ... idolatry 1:21 and 25
which leads to ... confusion 1:21 - 22
and ... corruption 1:24 - 32
and ... condemnation 2: 1 - 11
Judgement will be by Christ Jesus, not by Law 2:12 - 16
The Law's 'enlightenment' -
whether it is Intuitive Law 2:14 - 16
or Revealed Law 2:17 - 20
is of no avail to us; we all break it:
... the Jews 2:21 - 24 (the 'advantages'
they enjoyed like the Law, circumcision, and the oracles of God,
though real, were 'voided' by sin 2:25 - 3:9
... no less than the Gentiles 3: 9 - 20
Sin has brought all under the power of wrath, law, condemnation and death
BUT NOW - see what God has done about it 3:21 - 26 - God's propitiation avails to remedy all sin.
NOTE: God's 'righteousness', so revealed (3:21), stands in contrast to His 'wrath' (1:18): righteousness means almost the same thing as salvation.
FROM THIS POINT ON Paul develops his argument to a consistently logical pattern, thus:
A Caption verse ... followed by a
Development Paragraph ... which develops it, reaching
a Conclusion ... which in turn becomes another
Caption verse ... followed by a
Development Paragraph ... which develops it, reaching a
Conclusion ... which in turn becomes another
Caption verse ... and so on, as follows:
I - CAPTION verse: Justification is 'by
Faith' .3:26
DEVELOPMENT Para.: It has always been by faith .3:27 - 4:25
CONCLUSION: This faith is faith in Jesus our Lord, crucified and
risen. 4:24 - 25
Verses 4:24-25 are then a new Caption to ch. 5:1-11
II - CAPTION verse: Faith's object is
Christ, put to death for our trespasses and risen for our
'rightwising.' 4:24 - 25
DEVELOPMENT Para.: How his death and resurrection do this
(individually) .5: 1 - 11
CONCLUSION: Reconciled and saved 5:10 - 11
Verses 5:10-11 are then a new Caption to 5:12-21
III - CAPTION verse: Reconciled by Christ's
death and saved by His life, we rejoice in God .5:10 - 11
DEVELOPMENT Para.: How his death and resurrection 'rightwise' us
(racially).
God's grace-gift in Christ contrasted to the sin-death legacy of
Adam.5:12 - 21
CONCLUSION: As sin reigned in death, grace reigns through
righteousness to life. 5:21
Verse 5:21 is then a new Caption to 6:1-14
IV - CAPTION verse: Grace reigns through
righteousness to life .5:21
DEVELOPMENT Para.: Forgiving grace is death to sin 6. 1-14
CONCLUSION: Sin's dominion is lifted because grace, not law, now
reigns .6:14
Verse 6:14 is then a new Caption to 6:15-23
V - CAPTION verse: The reign of grace has
replaced the reign of law. 6:14
DEVELOPMENT Para.: Our new "slavery" to grace. 6:15 - 23
CONCLUSION: Sin's wage - death, God' gift - life. 6:23
Verse 6:23 is then a new Caption to 7:1-6
VI - CAPTION verse: sin's wage - death, God'
gift - life .6:23
DEVELOPMENT Para.: How we are released from the reign of Law. 7: 1 -
6
CONCLUSION: sin uses the Law to kill us, but the Spirit gives us
life. 7:5 - 6
Verse 7:5 (Conclusion Part I) is then a new Caption to 7:7-25
Verse 7:6 (Conclusion Part II) is a Caption to 8:1-11
VI - CAPTION verse: Sin uses the Law to kill
us. 7: 5
DEVELOPMENT Para.: The futility of striving to be righteous the 'Law
way' .7:7-25
CONCLUSION: In the flesh we serve the law of sin. 7:25
Verse 7:25 is then a new Caption to 8:1-11
VIII - CAPTION verse: The new life of the
Spirit. 7:6
DEVELOPMENT Para.: The blessedness of receiving righteousness the
'Grace way. 8: 1 - 11
CONCLUSION: The Spirit revivifies us in real life 8: 11
Verse 8: 11 is then a new Caption to 8:12-30
NOTE: Understanding the pattern is vital at 7:25 where it makes sense of an otherwise unintelligible break in Paul's argument: for what does he there thank God?
The break between 7:24 and 7:25 corresponds to the break between 7: 5 and 7: 6
What Paul thanks God for at 7:25 is the 'discharge from the law' referred to at 7:6 : We serve ... not under the old written code (which is what ch. 7 is about), but in the new life of the Spirit (which is what ch. 8 is about). That settles the old argument about the paragraph 7:7-25, whether it refers to the converted or the unconverted man; it refers to either whenever he seeks to establish his righteousness 'by the Law.' It describes what anyone's experience will always be when they try to be righteous that way. So to strive to be righteous is what it means to 'be living in the flesh' (7:5); it is precisely those who do who are 'carnal.' (7:15 - to be carnal, in Paul's sense of the word, is not to scorn morality, but to try and be moral 'the law way'). It makes no difference whether we be regenerate or unregenerate, the end result of striving to be righteous the law way is the same.
IX - CAPTION verse: The Spirit revivifies us
in real life .8:11
DEVELOPMENT Para.: The new aeon so inaugurated redeems all life. 8:
11 - 30
CONCLUSION: Our full redemption is assured. 8:30
Verse 8:30 is then a new Caption to 8:30-39
X - CAPTION verse: our full redemption is
assured .8:30
DEVELOPMENT Para.: the love of God has vanquished all enemies. 8: 30
- 39
CONCLUSION: Our redemption is complete. 8:39
XI - CAPTION verses: The place of the Jews
in this overall redemption. 9: 1- 5
DEVELOPMENT Para.: Israelites who are the children of promise
inherit. 9: 5 - 14
CONCLUSION: Their redemption is entirely by grace 9:14
Verse 9:14 is then a new Caption to 9:14-10:21
XII - CAPTION verse: Their redemption is
entirely by grace 9:14
DEVELOPMENT Para.: The redemption of the Israelites will rest, as it
always has, on the same basis God makes available to all 9: 14 -
10:21
CONCLUSION: They have rejected the grace of God 10:21
XIII - CAPTION verse: Has God then rejected
them? 11:1
DEVELOPMENT Para.: They inherit on the basis of grace and faith, as
do all. 11: 1- 10
CONCLUSION: Rejection of that basis leads to hardening of the heart.
11:10
XIV CAPTION verse: Rejection of grace leads
to a hardened heart. 11:10
DEVELOPMENT Para.: God will fit even that into their final
redemption. 11: 10 - 36
CONCLUSION: The mystery of grace triumphs over all 11:36
XV - CAPTION verse: The response of faith to
grace .12:1
DEVELOPMENT Paras: The standard of teaching to which we are
committed. 12: 1 - 15:33
CONCLUSION: Shalom. 15:33
PERSONAL GREETINGS: 15:14 to 16:27
Paragraph breaks are marked by the recurring phrases, 'What then?' or 'What shall we say then?' or by 'therefores'
'What thens' come at 4:1, 6:1, 6:15, 7: 7, 8:31, 9:14, 9:30, 11:1, 11:11
'Therefores' come at 1:24, 2:1, 5: 1, 5:12, 6:12
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