Romans 5:1-11

Since we began the book of Romans, Paul has addressed the majority of the chapters to the Jews. After beginning with the fact that God separated him unto the Gospel concerning the Son of God [Romans 1:3], which is a Gospel that has the natural ability to save [Romans 1:16], (This gospel is given in its entirety in 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4 Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures.), Paul then turned his attention to the Jews. The Jews that Paul was writing to had a false belief that just because they were Jews, they were righteous before God, regardless of how they acted. This of course was not true, and Paul uses Abraham, the father of the Jews, to prove his point. God did not declare Abraham as righteous because of circumcision, but because he took God at His word [Romans 4:3]. Righteousness comes out from faith, not by works or by any quality of law. Some of the Jews thought that because they had the Mosaic Law they would be found righteous before God; however, the Law was not given so that man could be found righteous before God, rather, it was given so that everyone would be without an excuse and all would become accountable to God[Romans 3:19]. The righteousness of God did not come through circumcision, nor was it found in any quality of law. It came through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came in the flesh, and died for the sins of the whole world. Directing faith at Christ through the Gospel for salvation – Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day – is how we become righteous before God. For it was Christ’s resurrection that proves we are righteous before God through faith [Romans 4:25]. Now Paul turns his attention from the Jews, to those that God declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1-11 “Therefore, having been declared righteous out from faith, we have peace with God though our Lord Jesus Christ. Also through whom we are in a state of having access by the faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast upon the hope of God’s opinion. And not only this, but we also boast in tribulations, intuitively knowing that tribulations work out patience and patience works out proof, and proof works out hope and the hope will not put to shame, because the love from God is in a state of having been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who He gave to us. For while we were yet weak, in due time Christ died on behalf of the ungodly. For with difficulty on behalf of a righteous man, one will die; even perhaps on behalf of a good man, one may also dare to die. However, God demonstrates His love towards us, for while we were yet sinners Christ died on behalf of us. Therefore, much more having been justified now by His blood shall we be saved from wrath through Him. For since being enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled we shall be saved by his life. And not only, but also we boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have reconciliation.”

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been declared righteous out from faith, we have peace with God though our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Therefore” always goes back to the preceding context. It was because Christ was delivered over because of the result of our trespasses and God the Father raised Him from the dead, that we have been declared righteous. We offend God before we sin because we first determine to do something that lacks in character. Although this determination is not a sin, for sin is always an act, you must determine to commit an act of lawlessness before you will do it. Since sin is the result of our trespasses, the result of these trespasses was why Christ was handed over for death. In fact, an offense caused our natures to become bent towards doing acts of lawlessness. Now it is often far easier for us to do an act of unrighteousness that an act of righteousness. However, since Christ was delivered over because of our sins – the result of trespasses – through faith, we are justified before God. The result of being justified before God is that we now have peace with God. We have peace with God through Christ only.

Romans 5:2 “also through whom we are in a state of having access by the faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast upon the hope of God’s opinion.”

We now, and always will, have access to this grace wherein we stand by faith. This is a state of having access, we had access from the point of salvation, we have access right now, and we will continue to have access indefinitely. This access is not going away, ever.

The faith that provides this access is taking God at His word regarding the work of His Son. This is not just believing, but believing something specific because faith is always based upon a promise. Our promise is this context is that all who believe that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead, who was delivered because of the results of our trespasses and was raised because of our justification, will be saved.

Grace is an attitude of God’s whereby He gives a benefit without consideration of merit. Since we now stand in this grace, in which God is not considering our merit, we can boast in the hope of God’s opinion. Not considering merit is not ignoring sin, grace never overlooks sins; rather, God provided a way for grace to be manifested through Jesus Christ.

It is God’s opinion of us that give us a basis to boast. The basis for hope is always a promise. Faith gives hope substance and makes it a reality in our lives – Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance for things hoped for, the evidence of the not seen accomplished deeds. We have promises: we are righteous before God through faith in Jesus Christ and we have peace with God. It is not about what we did, or do, it is about what He did, and continues to do. God’s opinion of one who is in Christ is that they are righteous before Him, not because they are always doing things right, but rather because Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to them. Righteousness is imputed by faith, not earned by works.

We also have peace with God. God is not angry with us. He is not sitting on his thrown waiting to punish us; He is at peace with us.

Romans 5:3 “And not only this, but we also boast in tribulations, intuitively knowing that tribulations work out patience…”

We have more to boast in than just God’s opinion of us regarding righteousness and peace, as if that is not enough. We can also boast in tribulations. How so? Tribulations are times of trouble that are brought about because of persecution. God uses these tribulations to produce patience in us. A tribulation tests our faith and through this testing, produces patience. James 1:2, 3 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into diverse temptations, experientially knowing that the testing for approval of your faith works out patience.” This testing is not to determine if you have enough faith, but rather what the quality of the faith is that you have. Remember, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of accomplished deeds not seen. Faith is not blind; it is based upon a promise. Tribulations bring opportunities to understand your faith through patience. Since faith is taking God at His word, the only way you are going to know if you will take Him at His word is through patience in tribulations. The human will produces patience in circumstances; although, not entirely on its own. The human will needs something to focus on, something the give it hope. Patience is a long holding out, usually with circumstances. Tribulations give us the opportunity to grow in patience.

Romans 5:4 “and patience works out proof, and proof works out hope…”

Patience puts hope to the test not to determine what is bad or wrong with it, but rather to determine what is good. Patience will work out proof that the hope is real, for this proof will in itself work out hope. Since a promise from God is the basis for hope, it is not a matter of if we will receive what God has promised, but when we will receive it. In tribulation with patience a promise from God can be relied upon to take you through the time of trouble. In this case, the promises that God gave us are already in our possession. We are righteous before God, not will be righteous before God. We have peace with God and we have access into this grace wherein we stand through faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:5 “and the hope will not put to shame, because the love from God is in a state of having been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who He gave to us.”

Hope will not put us to shame because the Holy Spirit pours out the love that God has for us in our hearts. The heart of a man is the center, where the spirit, soul, and body come together. Within the heart, reside the determinate will and the person.

The heart of a man:

· Has the ability to think, Matthew 9:4 “and Jesus, intuitively knowing their thoughts said, why do you think evil in your hearts?”

· Has the ability to rejoice, Acts 2:26 “Because of this my heart was caused to rejoice….”

· Can be filled with sorrow, John 16:6 “but because of said this to you, your hearts are filled with sorrow”

· Obedience can come from the heart, Romans 6:17, “…but out from the heart you obeyed that form of doctrine that was delivered to you.”

· Can be deceived, Romans 16:18, “….and through smooth and flattering speech they thoroughly deceive the hears of the unsuspecting” [unsuspecting, innocent, harmless]

· Possess the determinate will, 1 Corinthians 4:5 “…and will manifest the determinations of the heart…” All three parts of a man express desires. The desires of the body relate to physical things for its well being and comfort; the desires of the soul relate to emotions; the desires of the mind relate to logics. However, what we actually do has to be determined. We choose from the desires that we have the ones we will do.

As far as the location of the heart, it is not in your chest, but rather in your head. It is here, within the heart – the center of our being, that all we do is determined. This is where the Holy Spirit poured out the love of God with the result that His love abides in us.

The love that the Holy Spirit poured out in our hearts is a type of love that seeks the best for the one being loved. This truly is God’s love. We can show this type of love in our lives also, but only because we now have the Holy Spirit, who, when we are framing our minds on the things above – our position and possessions in Christ- and governing the manner of our life according to those things, will manifest Christ’s character in us, Galatians 5:22,23. One of the aspects of this character is this same type of love. This love is supposed to be directed at other believers, John 13:34, 1 John 4:11, which is how we show God our love for Him, 1 John 4:12.

Romans 5:6 “For while we were yet weak, in due time Christ died on behalf of the ungodly.”

While we were weak, feeble, had no strength, Christ died on behalf of the ungodly. Ungodly means not manifesting the life of God. Paul has already addressed that fact that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory or opinion of God. There were no righteous ones, not one. Christ’s death was not an un-timely death; rather it happened at the correct time. The Son of God came to be found in the outward form of a man at the exact time appointed by God, Philippians 2:7. The prophets spoke of this time, and many signs where presented for the Jews to identify His coming. Although Jesus came to fulfill the prophecy of a Messiah to the Jews, it was through His death that He became Christ – the risen and glorified one, Acts 2:26. Jesus’ death did many things: It showed the spirit beings that God had been acting right in regard to man’s sin in the past, Romans 4:25; It was a satisfaction for the sin of the whole world, 1 John 2:2; It reconciled man to God, 2 Corinthians 5:18; And it provided salvation for all those who direct a God given faith at Christ through the Gospel for salvation, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4. This was all done without any effort from mankind, for we did not possess that ability to do it.

Romans 5:7 “For with difficulty on behalf of a righteous man, one will die; Even perhaps on behalf of a good man, one may also dare to die…”

For whom would you die? Certainly not one who is wicked, ungodly, unmerciful, cruel, and wants nothing to do with you. Laying your life down for another is not an easy thing to do; however, there are some whom we greatly care for that we would do so.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His love towards us, for while we were yet sinners Christ died on behalf of us.”

God demonstrated His love towards us by way of comparison. The word translated “demonstrate” means to put together by way of comparison or combination; hence, to show, prove, establish, or exhibit. This comparison is the fact that while we were still sinners Christ dies on our behalf. What man would die for one who has totally rejected him?

Romans 5:9 “therefore much more having been justified now by His blood shall we be saved from wrath through Him”

We are not appointed to any quality of wrath, 1 Thessalonians 5:9. Christ’s blood has justified us before God, which means, we will not face God’s wrath. Whether it is the Great Tribulation where God’s wrath is poured out upon the earth, or judgment for our sins. Since we are justified through the blood of Christ, we are also saved from the wrath of God.

Wrath is the outward manifestation of anger. There are different ways that God manifests His wrath towards mankind. Some that we may not even think are a manifestation at all. Like, how it is manifested in Romans Chapter 1 where God’s wrath is revealed by allowing mankind to continue in its rejection of God and perversion of mind and body. At first, it seems as those who do wrong, pervert who God is, and their bodies are not punished for their wicked ways. However, this is not true, God is allowing them to fill up to the full His wrath that will come upon them.

Soon, God will manifest His wrath in a very visible way in the time known as the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation happens shortly after the rapture. The rapture is the snatching away of the Church from earth, 2 Thessalonians 2:3. All who are in Christ, both those having died and those still living, will be caught up to meet Him in the sky, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. Christ saved us from this wrath, for we are not appointed unto any quality of wrath, 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

God will not allow you as a Christian to be condemned with the world, so he chastens or child trains, you when you continue to sin, 1 Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:6, 7. This is a manifestation of God’s love towards us. Remember, the type of love that is poured out in our hearts is a love that seeks the best for the one loved. Since we are now justified before God, we will not face any of God’s wrath.

Romans 5:10 “for since being enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled we shall be saved by his life.”

Reconciliation is the act of bringing two or more parties that disagree into an agreement. The death of Christ brought about this reconciliation because it satisfied God. It paid the penalty for our sins. And now, since Christ has been raised from the dead because of our justification, we are now reconciled to God.

Romans 5:11 “and not only, but also we boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have reconciliation.”

God did all this work, therefore, our boast is in God through Jesus Christ. For it is only through Jesus Christ that we have access to this grace wherein we stand.

Justification comes by faith; it always has come by faith. Abraham believed and God counted it to him as righteousness. The promises that God gave to Abraham and his seed were not based upon them keeping the Law, but rather, by taking God at His word. Even under Law, the Jews still had to believe that God was in the temple to be saved. The Law in itself would not save them. In fact, God did not give the Law for salvation, it was given to shut every mouth and make all accountable before God. Christians do not have the promises of Abraham, nor are we included in the inheritance of the Jews; however, our salvation also comes out from faith. We direct faith at Jesus Christ through the Gospel for salvation. By taking God at His word, He reckons that faith to as for righteousness.

We did not earn the right to be saved, we could not earn the right to be saved. We had no strength and were lost in our sins. Our salvation comes because God did something no one else would do, He sent His Son to pay our penalty at a time when we in no way deserved to be saved.

However, now that we are saved, we can have confidence in the promises that God has given us. By taking God at His word, these promises bring hope, and hope does not put us to shame. Even when times of trouble come, no matter how hard they are, because the promises that we have are real, the only thing tribulations are going to bring is a deeper conviction in the promises, for they will in themselves put the promises to the test to determine what is good in them, which will strengthen our hope. Tribulations work out patience, patience works out proof (approval), proof works out hope. Hope, because the promises are real. Because of that, we can boast, not only in God’s opinion of us, but also even in tribulations.

In Christ Jesus, we are now righteous before God, not by our own works, rather, because God has imputed Christ’s righteousness to us. Since we now have this righteousness, shouldn’t we govern the manner of our lives accordingly?

Verse by Verse through Romans

Romans

Paul, while in Corinth, wrote the book of Romans in A.D. 57-58. Corinth was a city in Greece that Paul visited on his Second missionary journey, Acts 18:1. At the time Paul wrote the book of Romans, he had not visited Rome, Romans 1:13. It is not known how the Church in Rome began; however, we know that the Church was mixed with both Jews and Gentiles. Although Romans deals with the law, and Jewish traditions, and their issues with righteousness, it is not a book about Judaism, but rather one that is about the contrast between Law and Grace. However, because Paul is addressing three people groups, Jews, Gentiles, and the Church of God, it is important not to violate context and divide the book properly.

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, bondservant of Jesus Christ, called apostle, having been set apart unto the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in holy (set apart) writings concerning His Son, the one having been born out from the seed of David according to the flesh and marked of as the Son of God in natural ability, according to the Spirit of Holiness out from the resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom we have received grace and apostleship unto the obedience of the faith in all the nations concerning his name, in whom are you also called of Jesus Christ, to all the ones in Rome, beloved of God, called saints, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was a Jew, known as Saul, before his conversion to Christianity. Not just any Jew, but rather, you could call him, a Hebrew of Hebrews. Born of the tribe of Benjamin; according to the law, a Pharisee; circumcised on the eight day; zealous about Judaism; and blameless according to the law, Philippians 3:4-6 (though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.). He was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, a highly respected Jew among the people, Acts 5:34; 22:3 (Acts 5:34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. Acts 22:3 I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.). He was a learned man, taught according to the law and was in line to become Gamaliel’s replacement.

Because Paul’s parents were citizens of the city of Tarsus, he was by birth a Romans citizen. Several times, Paul used his Roman citizenship to get him out of trouble. In Philippi, after being beaten and thrown into prison with Silas, Paul uses his Romans citizenship to not only get out of jail, but to also shame the magistrates of the city because there were not allowed to beat a Roman citizen without a trial, Acts 16:12-40. (Acts 16:12-40 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. ¹³ And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. ¹⁴ Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. ¹⁵ And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us. ¹⁶ ¶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation." ¹⁸ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour. ¹⁹ ¶ But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. ²⁰ And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, "These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; ²¹ "and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe." ²² Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. ²³ And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. ²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. ²⁷ And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." ²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" ³¹ So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. ³⁵ And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, "Let those men go." ³⁶ So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace." ³⁷ But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out." ³⁸ And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. ³⁹ Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. ⁴⁰ So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. )

Paul also used his Romans citizenship in Jerusalem, when he was about to be scoured by the Roman guard, he informs a guard that he is a Roman citizen. Since it is unlawful for a Roman citizen to be bound and beaten without a trial, Paul is spared the beating, Acts 21:27-22:30. However, he still had to face the charges brought against him by the Jews. This eventually leads Paul to Rome, because he appeals to Caesar. It is the right of Roman citizens to have their case heard before Caesar. (Acts 21:27 - 23:1 Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." ²⁹ (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) ³⁰ And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. ³¹ Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³² He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. ³⁵ When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. ³⁶ For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him!" ³⁷ Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I speak to you?" He replied, "Can you speak Greek? ³⁸ "Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?" ³⁹ But Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people." ⁴⁰ So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, ^NKJ Acts 22:1 "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now." ² And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: ³ "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. ⁴ "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, ⁵ "as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. ⁶ "Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. ⁷ "And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' ⁸ "So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' ⁹ "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. ¹⁰ "So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' ¹¹ "And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. ¹² "Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, ¹³ "came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. ¹⁴ "Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. ¹⁵ 'For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ 'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' ¹⁷ "Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance ¹⁸ "and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.' ¹⁹ "So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. ²⁰ 'And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' ²¹ "Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' " ²² And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!" ²³ Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, ²⁴ the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. ²⁵ And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?" ²⁶ When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, "Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman." ²⁷ Then the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" He said, "Yes." ²⁸ The commander answered, "With a large sum I obtained this citizenship." And Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." ²⁹ Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. ³⁰ The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.)

As Saul, Paul persecuted the Church “beyond measure,” Galatians 1:13-14 (For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.). He caused the death of Christians, and them bound and thrown in prison, and being zealous in his religion, excelled above all his contemporaries, Acts 22:3, 4 (I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. ⁴ "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,). God stopped this when Saul was on the Damascus road. Saul received a letter from the High Priest, granting him permission to go to Damascus, bind any Christians he found, and return them to Jerusalem for punishment. Christ directly spoke with Saul on the road to Damascus, at which time Saul became blind and was lead to Damascus by the men with him, Acts 9:1-19 (Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" ⁵ And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." ⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." ⁷ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. ¹⁰ Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." ¹¹ So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. ¹² "And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight." ¹³ Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ "And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." ¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. ¹⁶ "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake." ¹⁷ And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. ¹⁹ So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.). Paul’s conversion is one of a kind in scripture. There is no indication that this is a normal, or even special, way that God saves some people. And Paul still believed that Christ died for his sin, was buried, and rose again on the third day, just as all who become Christians must believe, to be saved, 1 Corinthians 15:3,4 (For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,). Although Acts does not specifically state that Paul believed this, as you read Paul’s writings, it become very clear that he did indeed believe the very gospel (good news) that he was teaching.

Paul had a confrontation with Christ that no other Christian had or will have because of the position that Christ appointed Paul. He was appointed as the steward of the dispensation of grace and was taught for three years direct by Christ in the wilderness before returning to Damascus, Galatians 1:11-17 (But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. ¹² For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹³ For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.); Ephesians 3:2 (if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,); Colossians 1:25 (of which I became a minister according to the dispensation from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,).

Apostle means an ambassador, or envoy; one that is sent forth with orders. As an apostle to the Church, Paul was not one of the 12 apostles with Jesus. Although some of the 12 apostle became apostles to the Church, originally they were apostles to the Jews. After Jesus’ death, they were no longer being sent forth to the Jews. As an apostle to the Church and the steward of this dispensation, Paul had authority over the church. He administered the rules of the household: he taught the church the doctrine that it needed to adhere to and levied out punishment to those saints who refused to correct their errors. He appointed bishops of the churches, and began new churches. It was through Paul that Christ revealed the gospel for Christian living.

This is the man that is writing the book of Romans. A Jew, zealous for his religion, a Pharisee, persecutor of the church, murder of Christians, saved by grace, appointed the stewardship of the dispensation of grace, taught by Christ not only the gospel for salvation, but also the gospel for Christian living, rejected by the Jews, persecuted by Gentiles, bearing the wounds in his own flesh. This is Paul, the apostle.

He was separated or “set apart” unto the Gospel of God. The word gospel means “good news.” There is more than one gospel in Scripture. There is the gospel, or “good news” of salvation; how to be saved, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4. There is also the gospel of the Christ; through this gospel, we learn how to live as Christians, Romans 2:16; Romans 15:19. There was the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus taught while on earth, Matthew 4:23; The Messiah has come. There is the gospel regarding Jesus Christ the Son of God, Mark 1:1; the good news about Jesus’ life on earth. There is the gospel of the Kingdom of God, Mark 1:14; this gospel relates to salvation. All who are saved, in all dispensations, are a part of the Kingdom of God. And there is the gospel of the grace of God, Acts 20:24; this is the good news that informs us of God’s attitude towards us who are in the dispensation of grace. Grace is an attitude whereby God gives us a benefit, without consideration of merit. This is just six of the gospels in Scripture, there are more. Since there are so many Gospels, how do we know which is referred to here? Context. In verse 2, this gospel is the one that God promised before hand through His prophets in the Scriptures. In verse 3, this gospel is concerning God Son, Jesus Christ, the one who was born out from the seed of David according to the flesh. The one who was declared the Son of God in natural ability, by the resurrection out from among dead men. By whom we have received grace and apostleship.

This is the gospel for salvation. The gospel that tells us of Christ’s death for our sins, burial, and resurrection out from among dead men. Through the resurrection of Christ out from among dead men, It was proven that He is the Son of God. His resurrection also proves that we are righteous before God, Romans 4:25. It is through this gospel that we have obtained grace. And, as we will see shortly, this gospel has a natural ability. This is the Gospel Paul is referring to, that he was set apart unto.

Paul is addressing this letter to all the saints that are in Rome. Since these saints are of the dispensation of a grace, most of what Paul writes about will be applicable to the saints today. However, we still cannot violate context. Within the book of Romans, Paul deals with the law, grace, the issue the Jews are having with righteousness, the gentiles, and parts of the Christian life.

The Roles of Authority within the Local Church

What is the role of individuals within the local church? Does the pastor have full authority over ministry activities, finances, staff, and the facility? Should a church have an board of elders? What about women in the local church, do they have a role within the government of the local church? The authority of individuals within the local church is important to understand because when this authority gets out of balance, people gain or usurp authority that they do not have the right to posses. When the authority within the church is in balance, then the church can grow, and the church can glorify God through its ministries, members, and staff. Today, we are going to look at what the positions that hold authority within the local church are, who can hold those positions, how women serve in the government of the local church, and how authority functions in a balanced church.

It is very clear from Scripture that there is only one head of the Church. He is the one that has final say over everything that happens within the church body. He not only has authority over the ministries within the church, but also over who can become a member of the church. It is upon his word alone that the local church should act. Who holds such authority within the Church? Well…God. Christ Jesus is the head of the Church, Ephesians 1:22 “and he has put all things under his feet, and he has given him to be the head over all the assembly (Church).” Colossians 1:18 “and he is the head of the body; they assembly, who is the beginning, the first born out from the dead, in order that he should become first in all things.” God the father chooses who becomes a member of the church, Ephesians 1:4 “according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the universe, that we should be holy (set a part) and blameless before him in love.” And the Holy Spirit places members into the body of the Christ and governs the activities of the Church, 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. ² You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I make known to you, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. ⁶ And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. However, if you go to a local Church, you will not find the Godhead answering phones, doing the accounting, cleaning the building, or preparing ministries. For these tasks, the Holy Spirit has given a special gift to each member of the body. This gift is for the edification of the members of the church and governs a large part of the role the individual plays within the local church.

Not only does the universal Church function as a body, the local church also functions in the same way. Each member has a specific role within the local church. However, within the local church, in order for it to function properly, it has to have a ranking of authority. The church needs pastors, administrators, evangelists, teachers, and other positions of authority. Each one of these roles plays a vital part within the church government, Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13; Ephesians 4:11, 12. Since the Holy Spirit provides us with only one Spiritual gift, no one should hold more than one position of authority within the local church, 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. This is not to say that no one should be involved in more than one area of the church. Rather, that no one should have two votes, or more authority than anyone else has. Moreover, since Christ is the head of the church, none of these roles has absolute authority over the local church. The ultimate authority within the local church should be the Holy Spirit, and when the body is spiritual, (framing their minds of the things above, and living according to God’s opinion of them – The saint’s position before God and possessions in Christ.) the members of the church will all be in one accord with what God’s will is for the church. However, as I said before, there still needs to be a hierarchy of authority within the local church so the day to day tasks are completed. So what is this hierarchy of authority? Should “elders” rule over the church? Should there be a senior pastor who rules over the church?

On the top level of authority, are the members of the local church, Acts 6:1-5. The remaining positions of authority are subject to the will of the congregation; however, none of these positions has the biblical right to usurp the authority of the members. The members have the authority to chose who will serve and in what capacity they will serve within the local church. If a church decides to elect a board of elders, that is the congregations right; however, the elders are accountable to the congregation, not above them.

Where do the ones with the Spiritual gifts to govern the church come into play? Well, let us look at their roles within the church so we can understand what realm of authority they should have. We will begin with the spiritual gift that is most visible within the local church, the pastor. One with the gift of pastor even teacher, has a gift that is used to lead the church in the realm of how to live the Christian life. (Ephesians 4:11 the words “pastor” and “teacher” are synonymous with each other in the Greek’s grammatical structure. One who is a shepherd, is also a teacher.) He is the shepherd of the flock, Acts 20:28. A shepherd is not one who drives the flock, but rather leads the flock by example. Anyone holding the position of a pastor within the local church must meet the standards set by scripture for the position, 1 Timothy 3:1-7. This position does not hold authority over the members of the church, 1 Peter 5:1-3 “…neither lording it over the inheritance but becoming an example for the flock.”

Before we move on to the next spiritual gift, I want to go back to the subject of an elder’s board. Many churches today have what they call an “elder’s board” that ultimately rules over the church. Is this biblical? Scripturally, there is no prohibition to having multiple elders within in a church. However, the word “elder” is synonymous with the word “overseer” in scripture. In Acts 20:17 Paul calls for the elders of the Ephesians churches. It is these same elders that Paul calls overseers (or bishops) and warns in verse 28 to take heed to themselves, and the flock and to feed the assembly. In 1 Timothy 3:2- 7 and Titus 1:6-9, the requirement for the character of an overseer are stated. If the church is going to have a board of elders, each member must meet these requirements. In order for each member to qualify, each one would also have to possess the Spiritual gift of pastor even teacher to meet the requirements. Titus 1:9, an elder must hold fast the doctrine that is to be learned and practice, so that he is able to exhort in sound doctrine, which is to be learned but not practiced and reprove those who oppose proper doctrine (Those who take Old Testament doctrine and say it is for the practice of New Testament saints). This falls into the realm of what a pastor does. The pastor, through the study and practice of the Word of God, gains insight from the Holy Spirit into the doctrine of the faith – the doctrine by which Christians are to live. He passes this doctrine on to the congregation by being an example. Also, through studying and practice, the pastor learns to rightly divide the doctrines in the Scriptures from those that are to be practiced and those that are to be learned, but no practiced. Although Scripture does not prohibit multiple elders “overseers” within a church, since a pastor “overseer” is not to use his position to rule over the church, the board of “elders” cannot be used to rule over the church. There is nothing Scripturally wrong with an elder board, so long as each member qualifies according to Scripture and each member is subject to the authority of the congregation.

The next position within the church is a deacon. Deacons are appointed by the local assembly to manage the daily duties of the church, while the pastor(s) concentrate on the studying, preaching, and guiding of the flock, Acts 6:1-6. Anyone holding this position must also meet the qualifications that the Scriptures have set, 1 Timothy 3:8-12. The local assembly governs the level of authority that the deacons hold. The only area in which the deacons have no authority is over what the pastor teaches. If the pastor is teaching heresy, they have the rights, as members of the congregation, to present the issue before the congregation so they can correct it. Since the pastor is the shepherd, God is going to instruct the pastor on what He wants delivered and shown by example to the flock through the guiding of the Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit puts spiritual things together with spiritual words when the pastor is studying God’s Word, 1 Corinthians 2:13. Therefore, a deacon does not have the authority to instruct a pastor in what to teach.

Both the position of pastor (elder, overseer, or bishop – these terms are synonymous in Scripture.) and deacon can only be held by males because part of the Scriptural qualifications require them to be a one-woman type of man. This means they can only have one wife at a time, 1 Timothy 3:2, 12. (Although this may be an odd requirement for our culture, to understand why this is a requirement, we need to understand the culture and background to which it was written. In the time in which Paul is writing, having multiply wives was part of the culture. However, because the husband and wife are now a representation of Christ and the church, God requires that a man only have one wife at a time. Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, be submission for a benefit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.) The only other position of authority within the churches government that is restricted is the teaching of males. Although a woman is allowed to teach, she is not allowed to teach men within the local church setting on matters of the Christian life, 1 Timothy 2:12 (in context, Paul is writing about the Christian life.) A woman is not to teach because of what happened with Adam and Eve. Eve was thoroughly deceived, but Adam was not deceived, 1 Timothy 2:13, 14. For those of you who are thinking that this makes the man better than, or above the woman, think again. It was the sin of the man that brought death into the world, not the woman, Romans 5:12. Although both are guilty, Eve transgressed the law because she was deceived. Adam out right broke the law, knowing full well what he was doing. So I would ask, who is better, the one thoroughly deceived or the one who is not deceived but chooses to sin anyway? Remember, in Christ we are all equal, Galatians 3:28. Our position within the local body of the church does not put us in a position that is less than or greater than others. We are all equal in Christ. However, we have differing responsibilities within the local church. These responsibilities do not make us unequal; we are all one in Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:12.

As far as other positions of authority within the local church go, it is completely up to the local assembly to create and give authority to positions they deem necessary. Each local assembly governs its own matters and has the freedom to appoint members to positions of authority. - A good example of the individuality of the local assembly is found by comparing the church in Corinth to other churches. In the Corinthian churches, women were required to wear a head covering. This head covering showed that she was under the authority of a husband, within their culture. However, Paul specifically states that the other churches did not have this requirement or custom, 1 Corinthians 11:16. Why did the church in Corinth have this custom if the other churches did not? Within their culture if a woman did not cover her head, the people considered her to be a prostitute. This was a cultural thing that only affected those saints in Corinth. - If a local church determines to elect a woman to oversee the finances, the facility, outreach, children’s ministries, or any other position, so longs as she is not a pastor, deacon, or one who is teaching men, they are free to do so, without violating scripture. Rather than being a pastor, deacon, or teacher of men, her responsibilities are within the home; however, she is not limited to serve in any other capacity within the government of the local church. She may even hold a position of authority within the church that exceeds the authority of the pastor. (Not in the realm of what the pastor teaches; however, she could be appointed to control the finances, or use of the building, etc.)

Within the local church, there is no one that holds absolute authority. It is the responsibility of the pastor to feed the flock by example, not rule over them. It is the responsibility of the deacons to ensure the pastor has time to study and tend to the flock, by tending to the daily responsibilities of the church and members. It is the responsibility of the local church to determine who the pastors are, who the deacons are, when they meet for services, when the Lordian table is served, what ministries they do, and whom they appoint to different position of authority within the local church. When the church is functioning in this manner, the gift that the Holy Spirit gave to each member of the assembly will work towards the edification of the saints.

The active gifts today are: evangelist, administration, helps, mercy, pastor/teacher, teacher, giving, exhortation, faith, and organization. Ephesians 4:11; Romans 12:7, 8; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28; 13 :2. When these gifts work together, the church functions as a body. Each member serving his or her part to edify the whole, 1 Corinthians 12:14-27. It is only when a local church is functioning as members of one body, where all are equal, that it can truly glorify God through its actions.

Communion

Communion was instituted by Christ before his death, for a reminder to the church that through His death, burial, and resurrection the church is one body, and under a new covenant.

The bread is a representation of the body of Christ. Within this body, we are all equal. There is no difference between male or female, there is not racial or social distinctions. Galatians 3:28 “there is not Jew nor Greek, there is not slave nor free, there is not male and female, for all of us are one in Christ Jesus.”

Within the body are many members, but we are all still part of one body. And we are all equal within the body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

…Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17

1 Corinthians 11:23-24 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

Let us partake.

Not only did Christ institute the breaking of bread to represent the oneness we all share within the body of Christ, He also took a cup. This cup represents the new covenant that was made by the shedding of his blood.

Hebrews 9:11-15 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; ¹² and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ¹⁵ And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant…

This new covenant is built upon better promises. Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

1 Corinthians 10:16, Is not the cup of blessing which we bless the sharing in the blood of Christ?

1 Corinthians 11:25, In the same manner, he took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant by my blood, do this as often as you drink in remembrance of me.

Let us partake.

Let us go in peace, with an unruffledness of mind, and enjoy the wonderful salvation that God has provided for us.