Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson IV)

Verse 3: The law was without power because it was made ineffective by our sinful nature. But God did what the law could not do: He sent His own Son to earth, clothed with the same human form as everyone else who used it to sin. God sent Him to be an offering to pay for that sin. So God sacrificed a human life to destroy Sin.

For so long Paul sought freedom through the Law from the death sentence brought on by sin – meaning loss of all hope for salvation in this world and the world-to-come, – but it eluded him. Only after his revelation on the road to Damascus, he was able to comprehend this new way. This is what he told the people of Antioch in Pisidia: “Brothers and sisters, understand what we are telling you. You can have forgiveness of your sins through this Jesus. The Law of Moses could not free you from your sins. But you can be made right with God if you believe in Jesus.”¹ And when the Judaizers came to the churches throughout Galatia trying to convince them to keep the Law as a safety-net to grace, Paul wrote them: “The law was never God’s way of giving new life to people. If it were, then we could be made right with God by following the law… the only way for people to get what God promised would be through faith in Jesus Christ. It is given to those who believe in Him.”²

The writer of Hebrews drew the same conclusion. He wrote: “The old rules are now ended because they were weak and worthless. The Law of Moses could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us. And with that hope, we can come near to God.”³ When we read the first ten verses of Chapter 10 in the Book of Hebrews, the writer lays this out clearly. He concludes by saying: “With one sacrifice Christ made His people perfect forever. They are the ones who are being made holy.”⁴ This holiness, of which Paul speaks here, means that like vessels lying damaged on the trash heap of broken laws, we were rescued by Christ in order to be cleansed, healed, and dedicated as vessels for God’s use only.

This was not man’s plan because he would have been forced to devise it by using the Law. But the Law could only condemn, not correct; the Law I could only expose the dirty heart, not make it clean and white as snow.⁵ The plan Paul was talking about was designed by God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It offered not only grace but liberty and reconciliation with the Father. Paul explained this to the Galatians: “When the appointed time came, God sent His Son… God did this so that He could buy the freedom of those who were under the law. God’s purpose was to make us His children.”⁶ For the Apostle John, this was, without doubt, the greatest expression of God’s love.⁷

But it came at a high price. The pure and spotless Lamb of God, who committed no sin, was made a sinner by taking our sins on Himself. This required Him to suffer death on the cross. Even the Jewish leaders called Jesus a sinner.⁸ As a result, He died between two criminals.⁹ Paul says, this was necessary so that He could identify with those who were sinners.¹⁰ He even told the Galatians: “The law says we are under a curse for not always obeying it. But Christ took away that curse. He changed places with us and put Himself under that curse.”¹¹ The Apostle Peter saw it similarly: “Christ carried our sins in His body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By His wounds, you were made whole.”¹²

Early church scholar Tertullian wrote to a critic and explained to him that since the Father sent His Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh,”¹³ it cannot be claimed that the flesh in which He appeared was illusory. It was necessary for Christ to come in the likeness of sinful flesh so that He could redeem those living in sinful flesh. It could not be done by some celestial lookalike or with an imitation covering. It must be actual human flesh and bone, even though it was free of sinful tendencies.¹⁴

Then Church historian Eusebius opposed Origen’s idea that the Law of Moses was divided into two parts, one to deal with the sinful tendencies of the flesh, and the other to deal with mankind’s spirituality. In Eusebius’ view, God did what the Law could not do, so there is no reason to go back to the Law looking for answers. It is on this same basis that Christians reject having to follow Jewish customs on the grounds that they add nothing to what Christ did for us, and nor will it help us to better express our faith in Him¹⁵.¹⁶

Then Pelagius gives us his analogy of what Paul is saying and points out that, as he sees it, the Law of God was strong, but the spirit of man was weak.¹⁷ In declaring that God sent His only Son, Pelagius counters Bishop Photinus,¹⁸ who denied the Son’s existence before the incarnation. The truth is, the Son became flesh just like the rest of humanity. That allowed Him to be condemned to death in the flesh like all others. But He was victorious over that condemnation of death through His resurrection. In other words, Christ was not a Spirit trying to die for physical beings. As Pelagius sees it, Christ overcame death for us because He was like us. He then compares this to the Jewish system and points out that sacrificial birds and animals, which the Jews offered under the law, were offered in the name of sin, although they had no sin in themselves. In the same way, the Lamb of God which was offered for our sins, took the name of sin, even though they could find no fault in Him. Therefore, Christ was able to conquer sin by never sinning Himself. He arrived at the cross sinless, and was buried in the tomb sinless, and rose from the grave sinless. He did this while in the flesh in order to carry out the death sentence on sin, that sin had placed upon mankind. In reality, it was our Lord’s will that was on trial¹⁹.²⁰

Then Bishop Theodoret confirms that Christ was incarnated in what we know as sinful flesh. It was on purpose that He took on human nature. However, He did not assume human sinfulness. Even though He had the same human nature we have, He was not of the same character and same mind as we sinful human beings. Theodoret goes on to point out that since the Law was unable to accomplish its purpose due to the weakness of those to whom it was given, the only begotten Son of God broke the power of sin. He did so by taking on human flesh and then doing everything that was right according to the Law, never once giving in to the temptations of sin in any way²¹.²² Another early church scholar, named Caesarius, adds that by taking upon Himself corrupted human flesh while remaining without sin, Christ fulfilled all the righteousness required by God while condemning sin in the body. This He proved by His temptations in the desert, all of which pertained to the flesh – hunger, pride, and greed. It was a reminder of the commandments and the power of the Word²³.²⁴

The great Reformer Martin Luther had a lot to say on this verse. First, he challenges those who speculate that by our own natural powers we can awaken in us acts of love for God so that by our will we love God above all things. It is quite clear, that to do so requires following every letter of the Law with complete perfection. But Paul says here that the Law is incapable of doing such a thing since it is impossible to fulfill the Law because of the weakness of the flesh. In fact, even trying to do what is good is a bad thing because human reason seeks its own benefit, not that of God’s. So as far as Luther is concerned, if faith does not enlighten a person and love does not make them free, then they are incapable of willing into existence anything that is good on their own.²⁵

Fellow Reformer, John Calvin, agrees with Luther. Calvin notes that Paul clearly declares that our sins were paid for by the death of Christ. It had to be this way because it was impossible for the law to confer righteousness upon us. This revealed one thing to mankind: The more that is required by the law than what we can perform, the more we will need to look for an alternative way to remedy this dilemma. Why should human endurance by challenged and measured by the precepts of the law? God is not interested in demanding of mankind more than they are capable of giving. God knew what His creation was competent of, and that’s all He requires. It was mankind’s sinful tendencies that let them down, just as it did Adam and Eve.²⁶ In other words, Christ Himself could not have fulfill God’s demands any other way than through the Law. That’s why He said He had not come to destroy the Law.²⁷

But Calvin does not leave it there. He sees Paul revealing the method used by our heavenly Father in restoring righteousness to mankind through His Son. By condemning sin in the very flesh of Christ, our Lord wrote a new covenant that was able to abolished the authority of sin which held us bound as prisoners before God. This then freed us from its demands because Christ met all those demands so that we could have righteousness through Him. Once our sins are blotted out and we are absolved because Christ paid the price, God can then counts us as justified. Calvin notes that Paul first declares that Christ was sent to remind us that there is no righteousness in us. That’s why any righteousness we seek must be found in Him.²⁸ Therefore, anyone who depends upon their own merits to gain this justified status, do so in vain. They can only be justified by the grace of the Forgiver. It all comes from that atonement which Christ accomplished in His own flesh.²⁹ To put this another way, Calvin is saying that there are some who believe that if they act like Christ, that alone will be enough to justify them before God. But this is an illusion. We all must be punished for our sins. God in His mercy allowed His Son to suffer that punishment for us. So it is Christ living in us that causes us to live and act righteously.

The Gospel According to Thomas is an early Christian non-canonical Gospel that is full of sayings many scholars believe provides insight into the Christian oral traditions around 50 AD before the Gospel of Matthew and others were made available. We don’t read it much, if at all because it was never made part of the New Testament. It was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 among a group of other scrolls known as the Nag Hammadi library.

In this Gospel of Thomas, we read this saying of our Lord: “If you bring forth what is within you, what is within you will save you. If you don’t bring forth what is within you, what is within you will destroy you.” The word “save” here does not mean salvation, but to preserve, keep you going, and keep you from faltering and quitting. These are what we call today: unspoken thoughts or communication. They may include an idea that could become a remedy or thought that might encourage someone or words of wisdom to give guidance.

But the most critical communication that must be delivered is that which is vital to our relationship with God and others. While serving as a Hospice Chaplain, one of the most oft-repeated regrets I heard from friends of the deceased and especially family members was, “I wish I would have told my Mom before she died how much I love her.” Or another, “I wish I would have asked Dad for forgiveness before he passed away. Now I’ll never have peace over what I’ve done.” And while serving as a Pastor, I heard some members say after a neighbor or relative died: “The Lord kept telling me to call them or go visit them and share with them what He put in my heart, but I kept putting it off. And now I’ll never be able to deliver the message He gave me.”

When someone withholds vital communication intended for you, they fail to pass on the needed information they promised to deliver to you. It may be something that clears up a misunderstanding that caused a problem or a breakdown in the relationship. When you find out, it’s as though they intentionally kept this knowledge from you to protect themselves. So when you realize what happened, you feel abused and violated.

Undelivered communications can become the source of so much agony, grief, and despair in the heart and mind of a person who didn’t take the time or make an effort to say what needed to be said for whatever reason. Don’t let it become an emotional cancer in your life. Let whatever you’re doing wait for later, but call that friend, visit your relative, share with the neighbor what is in your heart and on your mind. After all, even while you were a miserable sinner God knew He loved you. But He didn’t keep it to Himself. He sent His only Son to tell you. Aren’t you glad He did! – Dr. Robert R Seyda

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THIS WAS YOU

I was granted the opportunity to serve in the U. S. Military during the Vietnam war. Some of my friends were sent into battle, and when they came back, if they came back, they were either scarred emotionally or physically. So when I read this story some years ago, it touched me deeply. Let it speak to you, and I’m sure you will learn a lesson from it. If you heard it before, read it again to honor those who gave their all for our country and flag.

A soldier was finally returning home after having fought in Vietnam. As soon as he landed in San Francisco, he called his parents. They were excited to hear his voice and especially thrilled when he told them he was coming home. They were so happy to be able to see him again and have a good time talking things over. But before he hung up, he said to them: “Mom and Dad, I have a favor to ask. I’d like to bring a friend with me.” They were only too glad to approve and said, “Yes, we’d love to meet him.”

There was a pause on the telephone, and then the son said: “Thanks, Mom and Dad, but there’s something I think you should know. He was hurt pretty bad in the fighting. He stepped on a landmine, and it blew off his right arm and right leg. He has nowhere else to go, so I’ve invited him to come and live with us. Is that Okay?” Then there was another pause on the phone, and finally, the father said to him, “I’m sorry to hear that about your friend, son. Once you get here, maybe we can find somewhere else for him to live.”

Again there was a pause in the conversation, and with deep emotion, the son said, “But dad, it would be hard for him to take care of himself having only one arm and leg. That’s why I want him to live with us.” The father’s voice was a little sterner this time as he told his son, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point, the phone went dead. Since the parents didn’t know exactly where he was calling from, they couldn’t call back. So they waited a few minutes for him to call again, thinking they had somehow been disconnected. The minutes turned into hours, and the hours turned into days, but the call still didn’t come. That was, until about a week later. The phone rang, and thinking it was her son, the mother picked up the phone with joy. But it wasn’t her son, it was San Francisco police department. They were sorry to tell her that her son had died after falling off a building. The police believed it was a suicide.

The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized his face right away. But to their horror, they discovered something they didn’t know. Their son had only one arm and one leg. The father and mother looked at each other in disbelief. Their son had not been talking about a friend, he was talking about himself. They then realized that he was testing them to see if they would accept his friend, then he had no worries that they would accept him.

Why is it some people find it easy to love those who bring them joy and they end up receiving more than they give? But when it comes to dealing with those who may be an inconvenience or cause them to feel uncomfortable, they have little time or interest. They’d rather not cope with others who are not as healthy, active, and smart as they are.

Thankfully, there is someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with unconditional love, someone who welcomed us into His family with open arms. Someone who took us in regardless of how messed up, wounded, or distressed we were. And the name of that someone is Jesus.

So tonight, before you climb into bed, ask God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different than we are. When you do that, you may be a miracle waiting to happen for someone. Another person who has no one else to love them the same way God loves you.

Think of it this way, God is living in you so you should treat others the same way God treated you. Yes, when we see some people and the terrible condition they are in it may make us cry. But how we react to them as an active listener, having a shoulder they can cry on, ready to give them encouragement instead of always giving advice, and willing to give some time to those who may not have much time left, will get the angels in heaven talking about you and put a big smile on God’s face. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson III)

Scottish theologian Robert Haldane offers his take on how we can be assured that there remains no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. As he sees it, every believer should assimilate all the comfort this verse provides for true believers. This will allow them to say with Paul, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Yet, many will question and say that this would be nice if true, but what assurance do they have of ever being freed from certain condemnation? Also, how can we know for sure that Christ is living in us when the flesh is so strong and our spirit so weak? We all know that we are still prone to acts of disobedience, and exhibit many defects. Haldane warns, that if anyone is satisfied to remain in sin and surrender to their carnal desires, and has no desire to turn from their permissive ways, they will be given no assurance that they are, in fact, free from the sentence of condemnation. No believer should live like that. However, if they groan because they get no joy out of sinning, and cry out with the Apostle, “O wretched person that I am,” then God will deliver them, and they can have that blessed assurance of salvation.

But Haldane believes we have more to learn on this subject. No Christian is every totally free from temptation and unrighteous thoughts. Paul made that clear in the preceding chapters. Nevertheless, a person should resist and fight against these desires and turn to God in repentance. They can do so by praying earnestly because of being convicted of such sins and begin meditating on God’s Word. By doing so, their heartfelt desire to be holy and to grow in grace is proof of their regeneration. Because, if their sinful tendencies are under the control of the renewed spirit within, they would not be tempted by these inclinations as often. Whoever strongly resists the desires of the flesh, with the help of the Spirit of God, will, in the end, obtain victory. The Holy Spirit in us is greater in goodness and power than all the forces against us, – Satan, the world, and the flesh. All this should inspire the believer with enough courage to fight the good fight of faith, to follow the directions of the blessed Holy Spirit, and be open to the spiritual instructions the Spirit delivers to their soul and conscience¹.²

Albert Barnes sees what Paul says here as another way of saying: While the law is not abolished, the influence that it once had over our sinful nature, producing a vicious cycle of sin, confession, and eventual death, has been broken by the Holy Spirit, setting us free to serve God willingly. In Barnes’ mind, Paul is not claiming that he is perfect. This would go against his whole train of thought and reasoning in this passage and others. As God designed it, the power of the Gospel was to produce knowledge of this freedom, and proclaim that it can be obtained by faith. That is something the Law could never deliver. In his former condition, Paul struggled under an old plan that consisted of a bitter and annoying bondage to his sinful tendencies.³ But now he lives under the influence of a new plan proclaiming the freedom it so competently produces.⁴

Charles Hodge notices that since Paul is writing to the Jewish leaders in the church in Rome, he contrasts the Law of Sin and Death with the Law of the Spirit of life. This is why Paul was able to start this narrative by saying that they need no longer to live under condemnation, namely, the death penalty. Hodge concludes that for a better understanding we should connect this verse with the preceding one so that together they read: “There is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit – this power that now is mine through Christ Jesus – has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death.” Now, having been freed from the curse of the law, and no longer required to fulfill all its demands, we live as free and willing servants of God. We no longer see living for God as a legal obligation. We have been pardoned by God’s grace through Jesus Christ for whose sake we now live and in whom we have our being. Furthermore, having been made partakers of the Spirit of God, we are transformed more and more into Christ’s image. These are the ones God has pledged to preserve unto eternal life.⁵

I like the way Charles Spurgeon expresses it: “Sin and death cannot govern me – cannot condemn me – and cannot destroy me.” That’s because we now live under another law called the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. I prefer the word “principle” instead of “Law.” This new principle has ushered us into another kingdom, under a new Ruler who took us under His personal care. That’s because the death sentence has been vacated and it can never be imposed on us again. That would be double jeopardy, something God’s new principle does not allow. Not only am I not a bond-slave to the old slave master called sin, I am now his enemy. I am free from any claim he may have over my life. I fight against him, struggling like a free man against the one who seeks to drag me back into captivity. And even if there are times my flesh makes me feel like sin still holds sway over me, my spirit cries out, “You are free! And whom the Son sets free is free indeed!”⁶

Dr Thomas Chalmers, Scottish minister, and professor of theology, in a remarkable sermon on this subject makes this point in his powerful message: Once we are released from the spirit of bondage, with which love cannot dwell in harmony, and are admitted into the fold of God’s children through faith Christ Jesus, the spirit of our adoption into the family of God is announced. It is like anointing oil poured upon our heads. That’s when our heart is brought under the mastery of one great and predominant affection, our unconditional love for God and His Word. We celebrate our deliverance from the tyranny of its former fleshly desires, knowing that this is the only way in which deliverance is possible. We celebrate this in baptism, and we begin to walk by faith revealed to us from heaven. It is our faith in the truth that it is only through Christ a sinner can be justified in the sight of God. This becomes a weapon that provides a defense and the necessary power to resist all attempts by our sinful tendencies to regain control.⁷

Douglas Moo gives us the important insight on what Paul means here by “law.” He notes that in verse 2 Paul explains why we need no longer worry about condemnation: “Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Moo points out that there are two other places where Paul opposes one law (nomos) Romans 3:27, to another law Romans 7:22–23. He also makes mention that in each case scholars are divided over whether Paul is comparing one function of the Mosaic law to another function of that same law. Or, whether one or both occurrences of the word “law” might refer to something in addition to the Mosaic law (e.g., a principle or authority).⁸ In other words, Paul was not indicting the Law of Moses per se by calling it the law of sin and death, but rather using the term “law” much the same way we use it in the “law of gravity.”

Jewish scholar David Stern gives his point of view on the Torah (Law of the Spirit) and torah (Law of Sin and Death.) But first, we must ask: “What are there two Laws?” Stern feels that some have given this wrong reply: “Yeshua gave a good Torah of the Spirit which produces life, in contrast with the bad Mosaic Law (torah) that produces only sin and death.” Why is this wrong? He says that such an interpretation not only contradicts Paul’s arguments in Romans Chapters 3 and 7 but is implicitly antisemitic.⁹ Now comes what he feels is the right answer: “The Torah of the Spirit is the Mosaic Law properly apprehended by the power of the Holy Spirit in believers.” Elsewhere, when Paul refers to “The Torah’s true meaning, which the Messiah upholds,” it is often rendered, “the law of Christ.”¹⁰ For Stern, the second “torah” (with a small “t”) is “sin’s torah.”¹¹ In other words, not a God-given Torah at all but an anti-God Torah. To be more specific, “It is the Mosaic Law improperly understood and perverted by our old, sinful nature into a legalistic system of earning God’s approval by our own works.”¹² What this suggests for us Gentiles is that there is but one Torah, the one given to Moses. When that Torah is misinterpreted it becomes salvation by works, which reduces it to a “torah,” but when rightly interpreted, it becomes the Torah of salvation by faith. Even though Moses taught it this way, Christ came to teach it the better way and called it the Gospel.

The author of the Messianic Bible also has quite a bit to say about the Jewish understanding of what Paul says here concerning the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Sin and Death. He believes that both can be tied to the original Torah. First, he tells us that God’s Torah given through Moses when properly understood, and rightly applied, should not be called the “law of sin and death.” For him, God’s Torah of the Spirit, is the same Torah given through Moses but it points to the Messiah. So who points us to true Torah?¹³ None other than Yeshua. He is both the giver of Torah and the embodiment of Torah. John tells us that Yeshua was, “The Word made flesh.”¹⁴

This same Messianic writer goes on to point out that God never changes. That’s why God directed Moses to teach “salvation by faith,” that is, being “born-again.” This reveals the connectivity of the Torah to Yeshua.¹⁵ God says that the Torah He has given is both a blessing and a curse.¹⁶ A blessing to those who follow it in faith,¹⁷ and a curse to those who do not.¹⁸ Thus, “Circumcision of the heart”¹⁹ is equivalent to “being born-again.”²⁰ Although being spoken of as an event, the command to circumcise the heart can also be taken in the present tense as well. The writer concludes that this is why Yeshua reprimanded Nicodemus in John, Chapter 3. Nicodemus should have known this, as a “teacher of Israel.” God says He wants us to love Him with all our heart, our soul, and our mind.²¹

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson II)

Bible teacher Charles Hodge sees a little of both the moral and judicial inference in this word “condemnation.” He offers that those who are in Christ are not liable to be condemned to die in their sins. This is not to be understood as a description of their present state, but of their permanent position. For Hodge, true believers have been placed beyond the reach of such eternal damnation. It is something they will never have to experience. Hodge knows that he has opened a subject that is often highly debated. But for him, the meaning of any proposition is best understood by the arguments given to sustain it. It is the same in this case. For Hodge, this whole chapter provides proof of the safety of believers, of their security not only from present condemnation but from future punishment. He quotes verse 38 of this chapter as proof: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.” Now, for those whose eternal separation from God has been commuted, they are best described by referring to their relationship with Christ. If we maintain the second part of the verse as it is rendered in the KJV, then it also relates to their character. That would eliminate condemnation in the moral sense. The first assigns the reason of their security as being in Christ, the second helps us to determine why such security is theirs.¹

The great orator Charles Spurgeon looks at the whole chapter and sees it beginning with no condemnation, and ending with no separation. All in between is full of grace, mercy, and truth. This is like a spiritual banquet for those who hunger for more of God and His Word. Every believer may still have doubts and insecurities, but there is no condemnation. There may be many instances of chastisement and discipline, but no condemnation. Perhaps there may even be a frown on our heavenly Father’s face at times, but no condemnation. This is not an assumption or supposition, it is the bare truth backed by a powerful argument based on inexcusable evidence.²

John Stott notes that the opening statements of Romans 5 and Romans 8 complement each other. Chapter 5 begins with the positive declaration: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Chapter 8 begins with the negative counterpart: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Stott sees Paul then going on to explain that our not being condemned is due to God’s action of condemning our sin in Christ.³ Later on, Paul will argue that nobody can accuse us because God has justified us.⁴ Also, nobody can condemn us because Christ died for us, was raised to life for us, and is at God’s right hand interceding for us.⁵ When put together, we have justification with no condemnation. Furthermore, they are both securely grounded in what God has done for us in and through Christ Jesus. Something He will never change or ever deny.⁶

Then Douglas Moo makes the distinction between moral condemnation and criminal condemnation that was pointed out earlier. He says that the opening lines of this chapter take us back to Romans 5:12–21, where Paul showed how those who belong to Christ will escape the “condemnation” (katakrima) that came to all people through Adam’s sin. In Moo’s mind, Paul continues to use the forensic imagery that is so important to his concept of the Gospel. Now, because we are justified by faith in our union with Christ, the horrible sentence of spiritual death that our sins justly earned is canceled. We are thus transferred into a new regime of living. We no longer fear that our sins will ever enslave us and put us back on death-row.⁷

Jewish writer David Stern sees this chapter as a crown on the first half of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. I would rather refer to it as an anchor. But in any case, it is meant to resolve the issue raised in Chapter 7 of whether or not Christians should be under Mosaic Law as a way solving humanity’s overriding problem with sin. Stern feels that the answer is the Ruach HaKodesh (Spirit the Holy or Holy Spirit), who is operating in us if we are living in union with the Messiah Yeshua. Stern then states that he believes that the structure of Paul’s argument making Chapters 7 and 8 relate to each other is reflected best if Romans 7:25 and here in Romans 8:28 because they are joined with the words “although” and “nevertheless.” Stern believes that it should read this way: “Although with my mind I am a slave of God’s Torah, but with my old nature a slave to sin’s ‘torah,’ nevertheless, there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union with the Messiah Yeshua.‘”⁸

Another Jewish writer shares his understanding that there is no condemnation as seen from the judgment aspect of Torah for those who have been “baptized” into Yeshua’s death and resurrection, and who trust in God for their salvation. He tells us that just as the annual Jewish Feast of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) required a sacrifice which had to be “accepted in faith” by each individual Jew in order for their sins to be forgiven. The same applies to accepting God’s salvation through His sacrificed Messiah – the perfect and final Yom Kippur sacrifice. Therefore, for this writer the term “No condemnation” means having the freedom to serve God while still living in the flesh without the Law condemning anyone and sentencing them to death. The person who is baptized into Yeshua’s death and resurrection has been “freed” from serving what the Jews call Yetzer Hara (evil inclination, aka sinful tendency) by God’s gift of justification in Yeshua. While the believer is still confronted with this evil inclination, they are no longer under condemnation because of the selfless sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah. They don’t have to keep going back to the altar with a sacrifice, they now go to the fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins,⁹ that will cleanse away their sins.¹⁰

Verse 2: That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It rescued you from the law that brings sin and death.

Now Paul points out that this acquittal from the death sentence does not need to be seen as something in the future but is present in the believer while living on earth. That’s why Jesus was able to tell the Samaritan woman He met at Jacob’s well: “You don’t know what God can give you. And you don’t know who I am, the one who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water… The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.”¹¹ Later on, Jesus would tell those who followed Him: “It is the Spirit that gives life. The body is of no value for that. But the things I have told you are from the Spirit, so they give life.”¹²

This freedom brought by the Spirit was an essential part of Christ’s teaching. Jesus talked about the freedom from sin He came to offer those who believed in Him. At first, His words were met with doubt and suspicion, but this is what He told those who followed Him: “If you continue to accept and obey my teaching, you are really my followers. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free… So if the Son sets you free, you are really free.”¹³ But that freedom is not given to make the person independent and on their own so they must provide a way to escape the penalty of sin, which is death. Rather, to give them the liberty to yield to God and His Word so that He is the one who will guarantee their eternal life. That’s why Paul could tell the Corinthians: “The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”¹⁴

Early church scholar Theodore of Mopsuestia believes that the Apostle Paul is saying here that the resurrection takes place by the working of the Holy Spirit. That’s because Paul calls the Spirit the “Spirit of life,” signifying that the Spirit is the firstfruits of the eternal life which all believers will enjoy. For Bishop Theodore, God gave His Spirit to us as a token of our immortality, and our faith in Christ has permitted us to enjoy tokens of that life with Him while we live here on earth because He has set us free from death’s sentence and sin’s control. Clearly, Paul is using the things which are to come as evidence of what has been promised to us in Christ during the present age.¹⁵

When speaking of the law of the Spirit of life, as Paul defines it, John Calvin says the meaning can be found in this: the Law of God condemns men, but His Spirit sets them free. This happens because as long as people remain enslaved under the Law, they are burdened with the chains of sin. Consequently, they are exposed to death. However, the Spirit of Christ abolishes the sovereignty that sin once possessed in them. This then allows Him to harness the prevailing sinful desires of the flesh. At the same time, He delivers them from the peril of death. Paul clearly states that keeping the law with external acts of good works will not save anyone. On the other hand, he makes known the fact that when we are renewed by the Spirit of God, we are at the same time justified by grace. This, in turn, removes the curse of sin which is death. As Calvin sees it, the verse now has the meaning that the grace of regeneration is never unconnected from the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.¹⁶

Revivalist theologian Adam Clarke has a similar view. He writes that the Gospel of the grace of Christ, which is not only a law or rule of life but affords that sovereign energy by which guilt is removed from the conscience. As a result, the power of sin is broken, and its polluting influence removed from the heart. This is what Paul means by the term, “law of the Spirit of life.” In Clarke’s view, the law was empowered by a spirit of certain death hanging over those under its control. That’s why sin was the reason for their feeling condemned. Clarke notes that the Gospel proclaims Jesus Christ as Savior for those who believe, but at the same time, declares those who remain bound by the law as headed toward spiritual death. Jesus came to set them free to enjoy eternal life, but they must accept Him and His death as the key to such freedom.

So the Apostle Paul is able to say that whether it’s his new I, or his old I, still be trying to impersonate the real him, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set him free from the law of sin and death. That’s why he can have confidence that with the help of the Holy Spirit the new I will side with the real him to win the victory. It is necessary to understand that no sinner controlled by their fleshly ambitions, and having been sold under sin and as a captive to the law of sin and death can claim to be freed from the death sentence of sin. Either the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set them free, or they are still bound. No one can be a captive of sin and freeman in Christ at the same time. God has already made His choice, now what is yours?¹⁷

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson I)

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson I) – 10/18/17

Verse 1: So then, anyone who is in Christ Jesus is, therefore, no longer living under a death sentence.

Both the KJV and NIV use the phrase “no condemnation,” as do many other standard English translations. The New Life Version has, “the punishment of sin,” While the Amplified Bible renders it as, “no adjudging guilty or wrong.” It comes down to understanding the two words used in Greek for “condemnation:” One is “katakrisis,” which means to make a judgment on something as being right or wrong, good or bad.¹ The other is “katakrima,” which means having a judgment rendered with a sentence to follow.² For the English reader, it is obvious that “krisis” relates to our English phrase, “crisis,” while “krima” has an affinity to our English word, “crime.” Here in verse 1, Paul uses “katakrima,” meaning that we are no longer under the sentence of spiritual death brought on by Adam’s sin and perpetuated in us because we could not extricate ourselves from this curse on our own. This led the translators of the New Matthew Bible to render this verse as: “There is then no damnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” In the commentary of the 1599 Geneva Bible, they paraphrase the next line: “who are grafted in Christ through His Spirit.

Paul made this distinction clear in his letter to the Galatians where he tells them: “The law says we are under a curse for not always obeying it. But Christ took away that curse. He changed places with us and put Himself under that curse.”³ And he shares this message with the believers in Corinth: “It is God who has made you part of Christ Jesus… He is the reason we are right with God and pure enough to be in his presence. Christ is the one who set us free from sin.”⁴ And by being set free from the power of sin, we are, therefore, free from the penalty of sin – which is spiritual death. That’s why Paul goes on to tell the Corinthians: “In Adam, all of us die. And in the same way, in Christ, all of us will be made alive again.”⁵ Paul is talking here about the fact that we may physically die under the sentence of death due to Adam’s sin. However, while the body is destined for the grave, once we are born-again we will never spiritually die because the soul has been given eternal life.

Among the early church scholars, there are some, such as Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Pelagius, etc., who see Paul using the term “condemnation” in a moral sense. However, Bishop Diodore and Ambrosiaster apply the judicial connotation of “damnation.” Gennadius believes that having been released from the curse of a death sentence makes God’s grace look even more compassionate and forgiving.⁶ His grace implies that we need no longer walk around feeling like a condemned person because of the sins of the past. Paul may be the first writer to signify what became a movie title in 1995, – Dead Man Walking.

Reformer John Calvin offers his understanding of what Paul is saying here. He notes that after Paul describes the conflict that believers have within themselves, he returns to the theme of consolation which they need to hear. And that is, although they were still in a battle with sin, yet they were exempt from sin’s penalty of death because Christ paid the price to set them free. So why not live like free people. They no longer had to figure-in their certain demise as a factor in calculating their future. This life down here became only the first chapter in their promised eternal existence. So stop living for this world and start living for the world hereafter.

John Bengel points to the grammatical highlights that help us better understand what Paul is saying in this important verse. He begins by showing that Paul is writing about deliverance and liberty. Moreover, he does not employ the antithesis, “but there is now no condemnation,” rather he uses the conclusive “therefore, there is now no condemnation”⁷ because, at the end of the previous chapter, he was suffering in the final stage of a fatal sinful condition. Bengel believes that Paul returns from his admirable diversion of thought to the new way of the Spirit which he has pursued beginning in Romans 7:6. And, as proof of this, Paul uses the particle “now no condemnation,” which denotes that he is speaking in the present tense.⁸ We also see that the phrase in verse 1, “Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” as retained in the King James Version, but is missing in the New International Version. When we look at what Bengel points out, we can confirm that such a change in the text is permissible. Not only is this backed up by the most respectable Bible scholarship, but seems to have been a scribal, or clerical error. Whoever did the copying back then, before the printing press, inserted this phrase from verse 4. Whether this be the case or not it doesn’t matter because the statement is true regardless of where it appears in the text.

Adam Clarke also speaks about how the believer must not live as though they were comfortable in a worldly lifestyle. He credits Paul for having put in this one verse the power and virtue of the Gospel plan, which is to pardon and then sanctify. No doubt Paul felt this necessary since the Jewish law could do neither. It is only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the repentant sinner, already condemned by the law, can be forgiven and pardoned. Not only that but then the forgiven sinner can surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit and be sanctified for God’s glory and the Spirit’s full use. No longer does the sinner need to be afraid as though they are only out on parole. The sentence of death that would permanently separate them from God for eternity has been reversed. They are freely justified by the work of Christ on the cross. That means, they need not fear that if they were saved by works some of those works would fail the test at heaven’s gate and they would be barred from entering.⁹ They are now moving forward in sanctification so the flesh can be brought more and more under control of the spirit.¹⁰

Robert Haldane also writes concerning the cancellation of condemnation. He says that Paul’s statement that there is now no condemnation implies that there would have been condemnation to those to whom he wrote had they remained under the law. But now, through Christ, the penalty for sin has been paid and thereby the demands of the law have been completely satisfied. Paul explains in verses 2-4 how this exemption was completed. Then Paul distinguishes between conditions under the Law, and conditions under Grace, for the believer. Paul is referring to their natural and their supernatural status. Haldane points out that by nature we were all bound for punishment. But God, in His mercy, identified us as accepted through His Beloved Son and removed that penalty. Now that we are in Christ, we are no longer judged under the curse of the Law. Our Savior has carried it all for us to the cross. You are guaranteed that from the moment you believed in Him, you were ransomed from its curse because the price has been paid on Calvary. Not only that, but you have entered into a new covenant totally unlike the Law. This covenant is based on nothing but grace and pardon.¹¹

Albert Barnes shares his view that the Gospel does not seek to pronounce condemnation like the Law. Its main purpose is to pardon, while the central function of the law is to condemn. None of us could ever afford the price of deliverance. All we ever received was the wages of sin, – death. The object of the Gospel is to set us free from condemnation and to bring liberty to our soul. So the Gospel does not aim to enforce the death penalty. Its basic design and disposition are to provide an acquittal for all who believe, thereby freeing them from the condemning sentence of the Law. Little do people know that when the angels sang on the night of our dear Savior’s birth the song they sang contained an untold message that He came to save the lost and forsaken, lying helpless upon sin’s trash heap, clean them up and free them from the most fearful and terrible condemnation possible, eternal separation from God and His love.¹² That certainly fits in with what the angels did sing: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”¹³

For British Baptist preacher Octavius Winslow, when a person claims they are “in Christ,” it means they have been accepted by God, not on their own account, but on account of the work of Christ. And that work on the cross has resulted in their being justified to receive eternal life, not everlasting separation from God. And when they came to be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, it required laying out on the altar all their wickedness, deficiencies, and guilt. The reason they were laid on the altar is because they must all to be sprinkled with His blood and done away with. Nothing they were lauded over that was that good, nor anything they might have been accused of that was so bad, did meet the requirement in fulfilling the request by the Father for a perfect sacrifice, without blemish or disfiguration. Like the thief on the cross, who was crucified openly next to our Lord, so the sinner must be willing to meet Christ openly so that all can see what a poor, helpless, ruined, and condemned sinner is being ransomed and rescued from the trash heap of sin. So that they could receive their pardon through the free mercy of God in Christ Jesus with great joy.

Winslow also added that to be “in Christ,” was subject to living a holy life, based on the influential principle of faith. They have surrendered to the will of God and the leading of the Spirit to be led into the blessed state described by the Apostle Paul: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”¹⁴ Not only that but to be “in Christ” also means being one with Him. To put it another way, to be in unison with Him based on everything He stands for and all that the Word of God says. It also denotes being part of the mystical body of Christ – the Church, of which He is the spiritual head, and the believers are individual members.

Furthermore, it is not only Christ dwelling within, but also our dwelling in Christ: “Christ in you the hope of glory”¹⁵ By having Christ dwell in us, we are easily identified as not one of the lost,¹⁶ but one of the found.¹⁷ Yes, to dwell in the heart of Christ is to rest in the pavilion of His love. It is to have found a hiding place in the shadow of the Almighty.¹⁸ There we can be better sheltered from evil and to find comfort there in times of sorrow. Being “in Christ” is a blessed state of existence. Who would not want to experience that? ¹⁹

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

PREVIEW OF CHAPTER EIGHT

This is without a doubt one of the, if not the, most monumental chapters written by the Apostle Paul. Its brilliance of thought is overwhelming. It is a real masterpiece of Christian theology. It takes us from the starting point of being set free from sin’s dominion over our lives, which guarantees had we not been freed by God’s act of love our death sentence of eternal separation from God would have been carried out. However, to the point that as long as we hold on to that love, God will never allow it to be removed so that sin can reimpose that sentence of condemnation.

Paul touches on the consequence and association of man’s tripartite existence (body, soul, and spirit) and the effects of sin as opposed to the forces of righteousness. Man’s body, this is the seat of our carnal nature and its warring members. The soul, this is the core of our spiritual longings, for which the supreme sacrifice was given. And the spirit, the center of our expressions which provides life to the soul,¹ and animates the body. All of these have all been tainted by Adam’s sin and our own sins; all of which are groaning for redemption through Christ. That redemption offers the paradox of eternal life through death, the death of our sinful nature, and freedom through submission to the Holy Spirit. This helps fashion a hope by faith that this is the fulfillment of God’s destiny for all those who believe.

There are many times when verse 1 is misused to denote the absence of any condemnation in our hearts and conscience about our past sins because they have been washed away. Who, after being saved, have not thought of some sinful deed they committed in the past and felt sorry or grieved for having done it? So on the surface, we can see this interpretation as questionable. If our conscience is now unresponsive to condemnation, how will the Holy Spirit convict us when we do wrong or step out of God’s will and purpose for our lives; or when we dabble in the works of the flesh as Paul outlines in Galatians 6? But the Apostle Paul uses the correct word to explain what the condemnation is and it gives the chapter a whole new meaning.

To all my precious, faithful readers who take the 15 minutes each day to read the lesson, may God bless you. And to all those who take the extra time to look up the Scripture verses that are cited but not printed in the text, may even more of His blessings be on you. And any of you who consult the works in the footnotes to see what else these great scholars had to say on the subject, may God’s Spirit shower you with understanding. You don’t know how proud your heavenly Father is of your dedication and desire to know more about His Word. And from a human standpoint, you make me happy that the time was taken for research so that you could have these tools to work with.

We will begin Chapter 8 tomorrow. If you have any friends, know any pastors or Bible teachers that may enjoy these expositions of Romans. Even if they do not have a Facebook page, they can follow it right here on my blog. May God bless you and keep you and anoint you for His service.  Dr. Robert R Seyda

1 See Genesis 2:7

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER SEVEN

The Apostle Paul has several objectives in this chapter. For one, he wanted the Christian believers in Rome to better understand the relationship they had with the Law of Moses as compared to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And second, to better comprehend the dilemma a believer faces when they chose the Law over the Gospel and try to seek justification with God by works instead of justification by faith. That justification was necessary in order to become right with God so that the condemnation of eternal separation from God, which had been announced upon all who sin, could be removed. Then they could live free of such condemnation and willingly serve God with their whole heart and mind.

Paul had previously discussed how being baptized into Christ makes us dead to sin and sets us free to present our bodies as instruments of righteousness leading to holiness. For the benefit of his Jewish readers, however, since they knew all about the Law, Paul now carries this concept of dying to sin and freedom in the Spirit one step further. Jewish believers must understand that serving the Law in their flesh is a dead thing since they are now joined to Christ in their spirit.

To do this, Paul uses the illustration of a marital relationship. They were once married to the Law and served it faithfully just as a man would take care of and provide for his wife. But the Law, like the wife, has died. So through the grace of God, they have been given the gift of being married to Christ. Their previous marriage to the Law was based on a contract as any marriage is. But since the Law has died, that contract is now null and void. They have been married to Christ under a new contract. And this was to their benefit because the Law could not bring them into a right relationship with God. All they could do when they made mistakes was making up for their shortcomings with sacrifices. But that was only temporary forgiveness. They would need something greater in order to keep them from dying and being eternally separated from God. But under grace, the power of the Gospel and the blood of the Lamb of God has brought them into union with Christ and saved them from potential eternal separation from God.

But Paul faced the danger of his Jewish readers thinking that he was implying that because the Law could not forgive them and, in fact, even worked against them, that it was somehow sinful. Paul wanted no part of such a notion. He was quick to state that the Law was “holy, just, and good.” And by being holy, it made known all that was sinful and not pleasing to God. But instead of this prompting them to get in line so they would not offend God, there was a sinful tendency inside them which rebelled against such regulations and forbidding of certain pleasures. So instead of doing what the Law said, they did just the opposite. And by doing the opposite, they sinned against God and His Law. That was a shocking revelation of how their evil tendencies took the opportunity provided by the commandments to deceived them and lead them on the path to death and eternal separation from God in the world to come.

To make this even more graphic, Paul uses himself as an example of such a man living under the Law. He was dealing with a terrible dilemma. In his mind, he knew what was good and pleasing to God and really wanted to do it. But when he went to do what he knew was right, he ended up doing the exact opposite. He knew that the opposite of the Law was evil and tried his best to avoid it. That’s when he was alerted to this sinful tendency that ruled his heart and mind through the flesh. And each time this sinful tendency got into an argument with his heart mind, for some reason the lust of the flesh always won against the desires of the spirit. So he felt like a person who was chained in their flesh as a prisoner.

This brought on an even more startling reality. No matter what he did or how hard he tried, he could not break free. He became angry that the Law could only point out his faults and failures but could do nothing to rid him of this sinful tendency. Even those around him no matter how learned they were in the Law could offer no solution. So he had to look for some power greater than his own and stronger than this sinful tendency to free him. And praise God he found it! There was still hope! The Gospel told him that God had provided the solution through His Son Jesus Christ. So he needed to call upon Him and ask Him to save this wretched man. And that experience is what Paul deals with in the next chapter

When you read the Old Testament, you will find instances where the Hebrew word towb – “Goodness” is defined or described in the text. For instance, we read that “Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the goodness the LORD showed to Israel when He rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.”¹ Then there is God’s word to Israel through Moses, “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and goodness, death and disaster.”² King Solomon also warned, “Those who lead the righteous along the path of evil will fall into their own trap, but those who live right keep all their good things in their possession.”³ Here we see goodness as love making itself useful in responding to a need situations.

We also read where from the beginning after God set lights in the sky, one to govern the day and many to rule the night, it was His way of separating light from the darkness. So God labeled this as something good in the sense of being very appropriate.⁴ Israel also learned that God does things in various ways to benefit His people that are very good because they are very relevant.

We see this after Joseph’s brothers came down to Egypt and learned that the one they sold into slavery was now second in command. After Joseph revealed who he was, he told them, “You intended it for my harm, but God intended it for my good (benefit). He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”⁵ Even the Psalmist declared “Taste and see that the LORD is good; Oh the joys of those who take refuge in him!”⁶.

No wonder the Apostle Paul told the Christians in Rome that they should add goodness to their knowledge.⁷ And Paul reiterated to the Roman believers what he also shared with the Ephesians that one Fruit of the Spirit is goodness.⁸ So again we see how those show kindness will see how it becomes goodness when they put it into action. Goodness is love that is mature and responds to those in need. So don’t hesitate to let your love flow into the hearts and souls of others to the glory of God. Don’t claim to be kind if you cannot show it in goodness. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

A TRUE STORY OF TRUSTING GOD

Jonathan and Robert Loveall were the two sons of Andrew and Rebecca Loveall. Their parents served as missionaries in Central America, and administrators of a unique school, Escuela Integrada de Ninos Trabajadores. It was for street kids who helped support their families as shoeshine boys, souvenir sellers, tour guides, and food vendors for the tourist city of Antigua in Guatemala.

A few years ago, the three teens who attended the school, Elbert, Keven, and Arlyn, were babysitting Jonathan and Robert. Without warning, four masked robbers stormed into the Loveall home with guns. They tied up all five boys and threw them onto the kitchen floor. Then they began to ransack the house. In the middle of the robbery,  Andrew, the boys’ father, came home. The robbers shoved their guns to his face and demanded all of the family’s valuables! Usually, such home invasions end with the robbers killing all the witnesses.

Tied up on the floor, Keven, one of the babysitters, whispered, “Let’s all pray that Jesus will protect us and make the bad guys go away.” The five boys whispered their prayer together. Suddenly, for reasons that no one has ever explained, the robbers left without taking a thing. Why did they leave so abruptly? That’s what everybody kept asking themselves. Finally, little Robert, who was five at the time, said, “I know!” His father asked him to explain. Robert recounted: “Dad, when I was tied up on the floor, and we were all praying for you, Jesus told me not to worry. And so,” said Robert, ”that’s what I did. I quit worrying because he knew Jesus was going to take care of everything. And He did!”

If a young child can have that much faith in such a dangerous situation, shouldn’t we be able to have at least that much faith when we encounter everyday troubles and difficulties? No wonder Jesus told His disciples that unless they began to believe like a young child, they would never make it all the way to heaven. – Dr. Robert R Seyda