Outline of Paul's Overall Argument
One of the many challenges of understanding Romans is that Paul is presenting a long, sustained argument that you need to hold in your head in its entirety in order to understand how each piece fits into the puzzle. Below is my evolving attempt to outline that argument.
Summary of Chapter 5 conclusion:
Chapter 6 describes a new reality brought about by God's action through Jesus. Chapter 6 addresses "where do we live on this new map of reality"? "A theology of the Christian life"
Chapter 7
Summary of Chapter 5 conclusion:
- 18: Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience, the many were made righteous.
- Christ is the "new Adam". But much more. Adam's sin brought death and decay. Jesus' grace brought the opportunity for life. Specifically "the life of the age to come"
- 21: Just as sin reigned in death, even so, through God's faithful covenant justice, grace might reign to the life of the age to come, through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord
- We have the choice of two different kingdoms that we can live under. Two different modes of life. Adam, sin, and death or Grace and life (kingdom of God/Heaven).
Chapter 6 describes a new reality brought about by God's action through Jesus. Chapter 6 addresses "where do we live on this new map of reality"? "A theology of the Christian life"
- Paul's Chapter 6 argument is based on the Exodus story
- The ancient Israelites were lead out of slavery in Egypt and through the waters of the Red Sea towards freedom. But they had to make the choice of which direction they wanted to go - back to slavery or ahead to freedom, but they were lead by the pillar of cloud and pillar of light and were fed manna by God for the journey. By choosing Passover as the time for his final dramatic act, Jesus was clearly tying together his mission with the Exodus story. We are now living in our own "40 years in the wilderness"
- We have been lead out of slavery by the Messiah, but we still must persevere through the wilderness until we get to the promised land and avoid the temptation to return to Egypt, to return to slavery.
- The ancient Israelites were lead out of slavery in Egypt and through the waters of the Red Sea towards freedom. But they had to make the choice of which direction they wanted to go - back to slavery or ahead to freedom, but they were lead by the pillar of cloud and pillar of light and were fed manna by God for the journey. By choosing Passover as the time for his final dramatic act, Jesus was clearly tying together his mission with the Exodus story. We are now living in our own "40 years in the wilderness"
- Twice asks: "shall we go on sinning?" Verse 15: "What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!"
- A common question to people as they are starting to learn about Christianity when they first hear "justification by faith alone". Also used by critics of Christianity.
- Clearly, Paul is not saying that it doesn't matter how we act!
- Barth: "The emergence of this question could almost be regarded as a criterion for the authenticity of the preaching of the Gospel. Wherever the true Gospel is preached, the fools are sure to ask this question. Wherever they do not, we can be sure something very different is being preached."
- How do we reconcile grace with works? "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure"
- When all apparent possible answers don't work, it's time to check your premises
- The purpose of life as a Christian is not to pass a pass/fail test in order to get into heaven. The purpose is to assume our truly human role, our Genesis 1 role, to be God's agents, stewards, and heralds in the process of bringing about new creation.
- Chapter 6 summary
- We have a choice of two roads. One leads to sin and death. The other's destination is the life of the age to come. (Exactly as in Moses' final words to the Jews in Deut 30. Choose life.)
- "The wages paid by sin, you see, are death; but God's free gift is the life of the age to come in the Messiah."
Chapter 7
- For centuries, chapter 7 has been viewed as one of the most difficult chapters in Romans and in all of Paul
- Before Paul can go on to talk about the spirit and living in the new life that has been thrown open for us, we need to see what the law was trying to do and why it was bound to fail
- Structure of 7.1 through 8.11
- 7.1-4 starts with a marriage metaphor
- Israel was married to Adam/"Old Man"/fallen humanity by the Torah
- Now Israel is married to the Messiah by faith
- We have moved from a covenant family defined by law (Torah) to a covenant family defined by the Messiah and the spirit
- Verses 5 and 6 are a summary description of the old life and the new life
- Verse 5 can be seen as a "heading" of what is to follow in 7.7-25
- If "passions of sin" are aroused by the law, what are we saying about the law? Is it virtually identical to sin itself? 7.7-25 addresses this
- Verse 6 serves that same function for 8.1-11
- Verse 5 can be seen as a "heading" of what is to follow in 7.7-25
- Structure of 7.7-25
- Section subdivides into three parts
- 7-12: Is the law sin?
- 13-20: Did something which is good (Torah) cause my death?
- 21-25: Draws the conclusion - the law cannot give life and I cannot obtain it by my own efforts
- Leads into Chapter 8 and the spirit
- 7.7-12
- "What shall we say then, that the law is sin? Certainly not. But I would not have known sin except through the law."
- Acknowledges the strength of the argument
- "For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (7.11)"'
- What event are we talking about here? Genesis 3? Sin = serpent?
- Conclusion: "So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good (7/12)"
- Warning to gentile Christians in Rome?
- Q: Was God's covenant with Israel simply a mistake?
- A: No, but it's purpose was stranger than can be imagined. Read on.
- "What shall we say then, that the law is sin? Certainly not. But I would not have known sin except through the law."
- 7.13-20
- Having described what happened when the Torah arrived in Israel, Paul now moves to the present tense, to describe the actual experience of Israel living under the law
- Paul has exonerated the law (verse 12)
- Now he exonerates the "I"
- The real problem is capital-S "Sin"
- God wanted to sin to be brought to its full height in order that he might deal with it, condemn it, punish it once and for all
- Paradoxiaclly, this must happen in Israel itself!
- Having described what happened when the Torah arrived in Israel, Paul now moves to the present tense, to describe the actual experience of Israel living under the law
- Section subdivides into three parts
- 7.1-4 starts with a marriage metaphor