Paul’s letter to the *Romans

An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of Romans

www.easyenglish.info

Hilda Bright and Keith Simons

This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible.

A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

About Paul’s letter to the *Romans

About the first Christians in Rome

Rome was the most important city in the world at the time of Paul. It had a vast army. That army controlled all the countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea. So the rulers of Rome were extremely powerful and wealthy. They employed many people. Many slaves had to work in Rome. And Rome was also an important city for trade.

Paul had not visited Rome at the time when he wrote this letter. Paul wrote most of his letters to churches that he himself had established. But the church at Rome was different. There were already many Christians in Rome long before Paul arrived there.

The Bible and other ancient records help us to understand the history of this important church:

1. About 30 *A.D.. The first Christian church began in Jerusalem, on the day called *Pentecost. On that day, Peter *preached to many visitors to Jerusalem. Among them were ‘visitors from Rome, both *Jews and *Gentiles who believed the *Jewish religion’. Some of these were probably among the 3000 that became Christians (Acts 2:9-11; 2:41). They carried the *gospel to Rome.

2. 49 *A.D.. The *Emperor Claudius ordered *Jews to leave Rome. There had been some trouble among the *Jews. A *Roman called Suetonius wrote that someone called ‘Chrestus’ had caused the trouble. Chrestus may have been a *Jew who caused the trouble. But ‘Chrestus’ may be the same as ‘Christus’ (that is, *Christ). *Jews opposed those who *preached the message about *Christ. So the trouble might have begun at that time.

3. Aquila and Priscilla from Rome were probably Christians before they met Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:1-3). Later they probably returned to Rome, after they worked in Corinth and Ephesus. Christians used to gather in their home (Romans 16:3-5).

4. 57 *A.D.. Paul probably wrote this letter about 57 *A.D.. He had not yet visited Rome. But he knew many people in the church at Rome. Many *Gentile as well as *Jewish Christians were already members of the church there. In his letter, Paul says that *Gentile Christians must not consider themselves more important than the *Jewish Christian *brothers (Romans 11:18-20).

5. 60 *A.D.. Paul reached Rome as a prisoner. Christians from Rome met him on the Appian road to go with him to Rome (Acts 28:14-16). Paul spent two years in Rome. Although he was a prisoner, he was able to *preach and to teach (Acts 28:30-31). His plan was to visit Spain (Romans 15:24). But we do not know whether he was able to do this.

6. 64 *A.D.. Christians received the blame for the great fire that the *Emperor Nero himself may have started. The writer Tacitus spoke about great numbers of Christians. He called them ‘enemies of the human family of people’.

7. There is evidence of Christian graves in the catacombs (underground graves in Rome) before 100 *A.D..

Paul’s letter

1. Paul dictated his letter to Tertius (Romans 16:22). Paul wrote it during his stay in Corinth, probably about 57 *A.D..

2. Paul established churches in many cities. But he was careful not to upset anyone else’s work (Romans 15:20). However, the church in Rome was not the result of the work of any one particular person. So Paul would not be upsetting anyone’s work if he visited Rome. And for many years, Paul had wanted to visit the Christians in Rome. He had completed his work in the east. There were elders (leaders in the church) to take care of the new churches. Paul wanted to visit Rome on his way to Spain (Romans 15:23-24).

3. There were several reasons for the letter:

a) to prepare the church in Rome for his visit.

b) to give a clear explanation of the *gospel.

c) to give the truth about the Christian *faith to any Christians in Rome who had false ideas about it.

d) to give practical advice about how Christians should behave towards each other (chapters 14-15).

e) to give practical advice about how Christians should behave towards their rulers (Romans 13:1-7).

f) to unite *Jewish and *Gentile Christians. In many churches, there had been serious arguments between *Jewish Christians and *Gentile Christians. The *Jewish Christians said that God had given his law in the Bible. So they told the *Gentile Christians to obey it. But the *Gentile Christians said that God had given them freedom. So, they did not want to obey any *Jewish rules or traditions.

g) to urge the Christians in Rome to help Paul in his work. He might need their help in order to continue his journey to Spain (Romans 15:24). And he needed the Christians in Rome to support and to encourage him by their prayers (Romans 15:30-32).

Chapter 1

Introduction 1:1-17

Greeting 1:1-7

Verse 1 Paul began his letter in the usual way at that time. The writer’s name came first. Paul then described himself as:

1. a ‘slave’. In the *Old Testament, ‘slave’ described a loyal servant of God. (For example, Abraham and Moses in Psalm 105:6; 105:26.) Paul was a loyal servant of Jesus *Christ. He wanted to obey Jesus. In fact, he wanted to obey God as completely as a slave must obey his master.

2. an ‘*apostle’. This showed that Paul had authority to *preach the *gospel. At first, the word ‘*apostle’ described the 12 *disciples whom Jesus had ‘sent out’ (Luke 6:13). Paul said that he too had received a special command from ‘Jesus *Christ and God the Father’ (Galatians 1:1). All Christians should declare God’s good news. But Paul knew that God had given him a special task. *Old Testament *prophets like Jeremiah had previously carried out such a task on behalf of God. God had chosen Jeremiah from before his birth (Jeremiah 1:5). God chose Paul from before his birth to take the good news to the *Gentiles (Galatians 1:15).

Verse 2 The *prophets in the *Old Testament explained that *Christ would free people from *sin. There are many true promises in the *Old Testament about the birth, life, death and *resurrection of Jesus.

Verses 3-4 These two verses show what the good news is. Probably, the Christians in Rome would already know these facts. The words in these verses may come from an early statement about Christian belief.

1. ‘Jesus belonged to the family of King David’ (verse 3). As a man, Jesus came from the family of King David. ‘Son of David’ was a name of the *Messiah. But Jesus taught that the *Messiah was more important than a *descendant of David (Luke 20:41-44; Psalm 110:1).

2. ‘Son of God’ (verse 4). The *resurrection was the evidence that Jesus was God’s son. In his speech at *Pentecost, Peter reminded his listeners about Psalm 16:9-10. God promised not to leave his ‘*Holy One’ in the grave. The *apostles were witnesses of the *resurrection. This is the evidence for who Jesus is (Acts 2:24-33).

The name ‘*Christ’ had a special meaning for *Jews. Jesus was the king that God had promised to them. The word ‘*Lord’ would mean more to *Gentile Christians. They had to obey human masters. But the word ‘*Lord’ was also the usual translation of God’s special name in the *Old Testament. So it reminded people that Jesus is God.

Verse 5 ‘*Grace’ is a gift that nobody deserves. Paul used to think that he could please God by his (Paul’s) own efforts. He tried to obey all the details of the law. Now he knew that he could not ‘earn’ *eternal life by his deeds. It was God’s kind gift. Paul had received it by means of the death and *resurrection of Jesus. Paul did not deserve to be an *apostle. It was God’s *grace that had chosen him. Paul did not want other people to praise Paul himself. Paul wanted to give honour to Jesus *Christ. God sent Paul to the *Gentiles to teach them. The *Gentiles must obey Jesus if their *faith is sincere.

Verse 6 Most Christians in Rome were probably *Gentiles.

Verse 7 The words ‘in Rome’ are not in some *manuscripts. So perhaps churches other than the one at Rome received copies of Paul’s letter. Paul calls the Christians in Rome: God’s ‘*holy people’. In the *Old Testament, we can read how God loved the *Israelites. He chose them to be his *holy nation. Now *Gentiles in Rome were also God’s ‘*holy people’. God loved them and he chose them to be his *holy people.

In the desert, Aaron blessed the *Israelites. He prayed that God would show love to them. And he prayed that God would give them ‘*peace’ (Numbers 6:24-26). Paul used the same prayer on behalf of the Christians in Rome.

He also used the prayer at the beginning of all his other letters. He wanted everyone to know the inner *peace of God’s love. He also wanted *Jewish and *Gentile Christians to love each other.

The *blessing of love and *peace is the gift of God the Father and the *Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul and the Christians in Rome 1:8-15

Verse 8 Paul thanks God for the Christians in Rome. The news of their *faith has reached people everywhere.

Verses 9-10 Paul prays for the Christians in Rome, although he had not been responsible for their *faith. Paul also prays that he may be able to visit them. But he leaves the decision to God. Paul always wanted to obey God’s plan for his (Paul’s) life.

Verses 11-12 Paul wanted to make their *faith strong. ‘Some *spiritual gift’ may not mean the gifts of the *Holy Spirit as in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Perhaps Paul himself did not yet know what *spiritual gift the Christians in Rome needed. But God would show Paul what to teach them when he met them. Paul was careful not to emphasise himself as the giver. So he corrected what he had said, by the words ‘that is’. He wanted to receive help from them as well. Paul was humble. He knew that it encouraged Christians to meet together.

Verses 13-14 Many times Paul had tried to visit them. We do not know what had prevented him. Perhaps he thought that his work in Greece needed more time.

‘*Greeks’ did not merely mean ‘people who came from Greece’. It meant those people who spoke the *Greek language. It also meant those who followed the *Greek culture. ‘*Non-Greeks’ translates the word ‘barbarians’. It describes people whose language sounded like ‘bar-bar’. Many *Greeks thought that this was an ugly and strange way to speak. Paul intended the *gospel to be for people who had received education. Also, he intended it for people who had received no education. ‘Wise and foolish’ also means that Paul felt a duty to everyone. He felt that duty because the *gospel is for everyone.

The *gospel 1:16-17

Verse 16 Paul’s words about the *gospel were bold and clear. Whatever other people said, Paul would declare the *gospel. The *gospel is essential because it is God’s message. It is a message for everyone, from every nation. And the *gospel is essential because it is powerful. It changes people’s lives. It causes people who were God’s enemies to become God’s friends.

There are other important messages that Christians teach. But the *gospel is the most important message. It is the message about how people can become real Christians. It is the message about what Jesus achieved by his death and *resurrection.

This is the *gospel message:

·    Everyone has done wrong things (called *sin) against God (Romans 3:23). We all deserve God’s punishment (Romans 6:23). And we cannot save ourselves from that punishment by our own efforts. We cannot even save ourselves by good works or by religion (Romans 3:20). So our situation is hopeless. But God did not leave us in our hopeless state.

·    God sent his son, Jesus, to this world (John 3:16). Jesus lived a perfect life, without any *sin (Hebrews 4:15). He deserved no punishment. But when Jesus died on the *cross, he suffered the punishment for our *sins (Galatians 3:13; Romans 5:8; Romans 5:18). But we cannot benefit from his death if we do nothing.

·    We must be humble. God will forgive us if we confess our evil deeds (*sin) to him (Acts 3:19). We must invite him into our lives. And we must simply trust him. Then God will change our lives (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This *gospel message does not impress everyone. People may say that it is too simple. Or they may say that it is foolish. But Paul realised that many people would be ashamed to follow Jesus. In fact, Jesus himself realised that, too. Jesus knew the difficulty for his *disciples to remain loyal to him. Jesus said that people would laugh at them. People would tell lies about them, and people would even attack them (Matthew 5:11). So Jesus warned them not to be ‘ashamed’ of him (Mark 8:38).

Later, Paul warned Timothy not to be ashamed about the *gospel (2 Timothy 1:8). Paul himself suffered much because he was not ashamed about Jesus. Many *Jews could not believe the message about Jesus. They were unable to believe that God’s *Messiah would die on a *cross. *Gentiles thought that the message about the *cross was ‘foolish’ (1 Corinthians 1:23). But the message was not wrong or stupid. It was a message to be proud of. It was an honour for Paul to declare it.

God rescues a person from the wrong way of life (Matthew 1:21). God gives him the strength to live in the right way. The person who believes God’s work by means of Jesus has a new life. This new life begins on earth. And it continues into the life in heaven. This good news is for everyone. It came ‘first’ to the *Jews because God had prepared them during their history. Their *Old Testament spoke about a *Messiah whom God would send. *Jewish *synagogues provided a suitable place for Christians to give their message. Paul usually began to *preach among the *Jews. When the *Jews refused to listen, he turned to the *Gentiles (Acts 13:46; 18:6).

Verse 17 Paul uses words from the *prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:4). Paul would later use the same words in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 3:11). The writer of Hebrews emphasises this verse too (Hebrews 10:38). These few words show what Paul will explain in the rest of his letter. Only by means of trust in God’s son will God declare a person to be *righteous. ‘From first to last’ is one translation of the *Greek words ‘from *faith to *faith’. They emphasise how necessary *faith is. They mean that *faith is necessary through the whole of life, ‘from beginning to end’. By *faith, a person accepts God’s promise to forgive his *sins and to make him free from them. Then that person continues to trust God’s promises for the rest of his life.

God’s anger against *sin 1:18-32

1. The *worship of *idols 1:18-25

Verse 18 God is angry. But his anger is not like human anger, which is often selfish. He is angry because of *sin. Especially, he is angry because some people have chosen to be very wicked. So God’s anger is like a judge’s anger when the judge issues a judgement (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Verses 19-25 People can learn about God’s character from the nature of the world round them. The writer of Psalm 19:1 said, ‘The heavens (sun, moon and stars) tell about the *glory of God. The skies show the work of his hands.’ Paul explained this to the *pagans at Lystra (Acts 14:15-17). He also explained it to the philosophers (people who study the nature of knowledge) in Athens (Acts 17:24-29).

Paul was thinking about the account of how God created the world, in Genesis 1:24-27. People chose not to *worship the real God. Instead, they made *idols of what God had created. In the desert, the *Israelites had *worshipped a gold calf (a young cow or *bull). ‘They exchanged the *glory of God for the image of an ox (an animal that eats grass)’ (Exodus 32:1-4; Psalm 106:20). So the people refused to respect God in their *worship. And then they refused to respect his law in their behaviour. *Israelite men began to *worship the false gods of the country called Moab. And then they began to have sex with women from Moab (Numbers 25:1-2).

2. *Sexual *sins 1:26-27

Verses 26-27 God intended the *sexual act to be an expression of the love between a husband and his wife. God unites them so that they become as ‘one person’ (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). But both men and women chose to use their bodies in bad ways. Women had *sexual *relationships with other women. Men wanted sexual relationships with other men. *Pagan writers at the time of Paul recorded that human sexual behaviour was sometimes even worse than this. What Paul said about human bad behaviour was true. People were doing whatever they wanted to do. They did not care about God’s law.

Paul does not say what was the result of this bad behaviour. He said that they ‘received it in themselves’. Perhaps he meant physical disease, social troubles or God’s final judgement.

3. A list of wicked behaviour 1:28-32

Verse 28 God ‘allowed’ them to do these *sinful deeds. This does not mean that such behaviour is acceptable. It means that God gave to people the opportunity to make decisions. So people should realise that they will suffer the results of their actions.

Verses 29-32 There were lists of wrong social behaviour in other *Jewish and Christian books. Paul himself has lists in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:19-21. Verse 29 speaks about wrong actions in a general way. Then Paul gives several examples of how people destroy relations with each other. This happens:

·    when people are jealous;

·    when people murder other people;

·    when people fight;

·    when people cheat other people;

·    when people hate other people.

Verses 29-30 It is wrong to gossip or to lie. People use these methods to attack the character of other people. To hate God or to *boast shows that a person is very proud. And anyone who does not respect other people is also very proud. Some people try to get excitement by new ways to *sin. In both *Jewish and *Roman society, it was important to obey parents. The 5th *commandment said that children should give honour to their father and mother. When people do not obey their parents, all kinds of problems develop in society.

Verse 31 ‘Foolish’ means that people do not learn from experience. They do not remain loyal to any agreement. They do not show any natural love, even for their own children. ‘Without pity’ is an accurate description of the way in which many masters dealt with their slaves. Masters thought that slaves were mere possessions rather than people. *Roman law allowed masters to punish and even to kill slaves because of a very small mistake or accident. This was a very wicked law.

Verse 32 People had *sinned themselves. And they encouraged other people to *sin too. They knew that this behaviour was wrong. But *sin was controlling their lives.

Our societies today may be as wicked as society was in Paul’s time. Or, they may be less wicked. Or, they may even be more wicked. But Paul’s words are still true. People still refuse to obey God. They prefer to follow their own desires. And then their own evil thoughts begin to control their behaviour. And that is the reason why people behave in such a wicked manner.

Chapter 2

Paul’s answers to those who *judge other people 2:1-16

1. They cannot avoid God’s judgement 2:1-4

Verse 1 Paul begins to argue in the same way as the writers did at that time. He imagines someone who does not agree with his opinion. Then he answers that person in various ways. In the *Greek of verse 1 and verse 3, Paul speaks as if he is writing to a particular ‘man’. But Paul does not say who that man is. It might be someone who is proud. He is proud that he is not wicked. He is not like the evil *pagans that Paul described before. He might be a *Gentile. He would say that not all *pagans behaved in such wicked ways. But in verses 9-11 Paul shows that he is speaking especially to *Jews. Many *Jews wanted to teach in the first Christian churches. Unlike the *Gentiles, these *Jews knew God’s law. So they were happy to accuse other people. But Paul said that they should be accusing themselves too.

Verses 2-3 God’s judgement is true. He knows all the facts. But a man is very quick to accuse other people. He does not want to think about his own *sin, which may be worse. Jesus spoke about this attitude. He spoke about a man who had a great piece of wood in his eye. This man wanted to remove a tiny bit of dust from another person’s eye (Matthew 7:1-5). A person who quickly blames other people cannot avoid God’s judgement.

Verse 4 The proud person chooses to forget about God’s judgement. He thinks that God’s kindness and patience have no value. But God waits patiently. He wants people to *repent. His time is not the same as human time. But suddenly the time will come when God will *judge everyone (2 Peter 3:8-9).

2. God’s judgement is fair 2:5-11

Verse 5 The *Greek word for ‘store up’ usually means to store something precious. But those who will not change their ways are storing up something terrible. They will suffer because of God’s great anger. They will discover that God’s judgement is fair.

Verse 6 Both parts of the Bible record the fact that God *judges human actions. For example, in the *Old Testament, see Psalm 62:12 and Jeremiah 17:10. In the *New Testament there are examples in Matthew 16:27 and Revelation 20:12.

Paul is not saying that a person can earn *eternal life by his good deeds. Only *faith in Jesus will *save that person. But after a person has trusted Jesus, that person will want to please him. So that person will do the right things, because of the *faith that God has given to him. See James 2:17.

Verses 7-11 Paul speaks about people who continue to practise their *faith. He contrasts them with selfish people. Selfish people care only about themselves. He also contrasts what will happen to them. The good people will enjoy *eternal life. They will have close relations with Jesus and the Father (John 17:3). People who continue to do wicked things will suffer God’s judgement. Jesus told a story about this. First, he spoke about a wise person. Such a person practices what Jesus taught. That person is like a man who built his house upon a rock. Even a terrible storm could not damage that house. But a foolish person does not practice what Jesus taught. That person is like a man who built on sand. And the storm destroyed that house (Matthew 7:24-27). A building without a proper base is weak. And a person’s life is weak, if that person does not trust Jesus. That person cannot avoid God’s judgement.

‘First for the *Jews and then for the *Gentiles’ shows that God makes no difference between them. Both *Jews and *Gentiles can know God’s *salvation or God’s judgement. Peter’s *vision and his visit to Cornelius taught Peter this truth. God accepts anyone ‘who respects him’. God accepts anyone ‘who does the right things’ (Acts 10:34-35).

3. God will *judge everyone, both *Jews and *Gentiles 2:12-16

Verses 12-13 The *Jews had the *written law. So they knew about God’s standards. The *Jews had the opportunity to listen to the law every *Sabbath in the *synagogue. But to hear the law was not enough. They must obey the law. ‘Obey my orders and laws. The man who obeys them will live by them’ (Leviticus 18:5). The *Gentiles did not have the *written law. But God is still their judge. Nobody can avoid God’s judgement.

Verses 14-15 Verse 16 follows verse 13 naturally. But Paul interrupts the thoughts. He explains more about the knowledge that *Gentiles do have. He says twice that the *Gentiles do not have the law. But, they do know something about God’s standards. They have a conscience. This conscience is not as good as the *written law. Sometimes the conscience shows a person about that person’s *sin. But sometimes the conscience does not accuse that person, and the person does not feel guilty. However, the simple fact that the conscience exists shows the truth of God’s law. Because of conscience, people are aware that there is a difference between right and wrong behaviour.

Verse 16 God’s judgement will be fair because he knows every secret in a person’s life. He has a true knowledge about the facts. He also knows the reasons for an action. The writer of Psalm 139 wrote, ‘*Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You see my thoughts . . . you are familiar with all my ways’ (Psalm 139:1-3).

God will *judge by Jesus. Jesus himself said that the Father had given him authority to *judge (John 5:27). In the story about the sheep and the goats, Jesus is the judge (Matthew 25:31-33). In Athens, Paul said that the *resurrection proved this. Jesus is the judge whom God has appointed (Acts 17:30-31).

It is good news that Jesus is the judge. He knows what it is like to be a man. He will not punish those people who trust him. He has rescued them from *sin by means of his death on the *cross.

The real *Jew 2:17-29

1. The *Jews and the Law 2:17-24

Verses 17-20 When *Gentiles became Christians, often they hardly knew anything about God. So they wanted people to teach them about the Bible. And there were many *Jewish Christians who were pleased to teach them. Because these teachers were *Jewish, they knew much about God’s law. For centuries, their families had followed the law. So these teachers felt well able to teach the *Gentile Christians.

Verses 21-23 However, there was a problem with many of these *Jewish teachers in the churches. Paul often had to warn the churches about teachers who were not sincere (1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Acts 20:29-31). Some people were only teaching because they wanted to earn money. They seemed to have great knowledge of the Bible. But they themselves did not know God properly. They thought that they could teach the *Gentile Christians about God. But in fact, the *Gentile Christians already knew God better than these teachers did!

Perhaps these teachers were not actually guilty of the wrong deeds that Paul mentions. Paul is emphasising their wrong attitudes, not their outer physical acts (verse 28). For example, they were teaching that it is wrong to steal. But they themselves only cared about money. And they did not even care whether they obtained that money in an honest way (Titus 1:11).

Paul writes here about people who ‘rob *temples’. People used to give expensive gifts to the *temples of false gods. And these gifts included images of the *temple’s own god. Sometimes a person might steal an image for himself or herself. They wanted to keep that image, so they could *worship that god at home. This was a well-known crime (Genesis 31:19; Acts 19:37). These *Jewish teachers said that they hated *idols. But they had the same attitudes as people who robbed *temples. In public, these teachers were telling people how to serve God. But in private, these same teachers did not even care about God. See Titus 1:16.

Verse 24 In Isaiah (52:5) and Ezekiel (36:22), God says that the nations insulted him. Enemies had defeated the *Jews. So the nations wondered whether God had any power to protect his people. But these terrible things had happened because God’s people were not obeying God. Paul could see that the same things were happening again in the churches. Christians were appointing leaders and teachers who were not sincere. The results would be terrible. And people everywhere would insult God when they saw the behaviour of those Christians.

2. *Circumcision 2:25-29

Verse 25 *Circumcision was the sign that God gave to Abraham. It showed the *covenant between God and his nation (Genesis 17:9-10). Because of the *covenant *relationship, the *Jews needed to obey God’s law. Paul reminded the church in Galatia about this. ‘Everyone who receives *circumcision must obey the whole law’ (Galatians 5:3).

The *Jewish teachers said that *Gentile Christians needed to receive *circumcision. The teachers said that this was God’s law. But really, they were not sincere. Their real aim was to control people by means of the laws and traditions of religion (Galatians 4:17; Galatians 5:1-2). But this is the opposite of the real Christian message. The Bible says that we must trust Christ alone. Our own efforts cannot save us from the punishment for our *sins.

Verses 26-27 Nobody ever had a good *relationship with God because of *circumcision. The act of *circumcision does not free a person from *sin. People who are not *circumcised can serve God loyally. And many people who are *circumcised refuse to obey God. The important question is whether a person obeys God.

Verses 28-29 The *prophets taught that real *circumcision was not something physical. It meant a pure (sincere) heart. Moses told the *Israelites to ‘*circumcise their hearts’ (Deuteronomy 10:16). Jeremiah used the same words (Jeremiah 4:4). The *Holy Spirit changes people’s lives. He gives them power to live in the right manner. The law cannot do this.

A ‘real *Jew’ is anyone who obeys God. That person does not need to belong to the natural families of the *Jewish people. And that person’s body does not need to be *circumcised. But that person’s heart must be *circumcised (see above). And so that person receives the benefit of the promises that God gave to Abraham (Galatians 3:29).

Chapter 3

Some *Jewish protests against Paul’s thoughts 3:1-8

Verse 1 Paul imagines that a *Jew is protesting about Paul’s thoughts. If Paul’s thoughts were correct, then *circumcision seemed unnecessary.

Verse 2 Paul was proud that he was a *Jew. So he answered that there were many advantages. He spoke first about the honour that God had given to the *Jews. He had trusted the *Jews with all his messages (Deuteronomy 4:8). God wanted to use the *Jews in order to benefit the whole world (Genesis 12:2-3). God wanted the *Jews to show the rest of the world what God is like. Paul mentioned some other advantages later in his letter (Romans 9:4-5).

Verse 3 Some *Jews did not obey the *covenant. They did not remain loyal to God. But God always does everything that he promises to do.

Verse 4 Paul emphasised that God’s promises are certain. God’s words are always true, even if every person tells lies. Paul refers to two passages from the Book of Psalms in this verse. Psalm 116:11 says, ‘All men tell lies.’ And in Psalm 51:4, David became aware of his *sin. So he prayed to God, ‘You are right when you speak. You are right when you *judge.’

Verses 5-6 If people did not *sin, they might not appreciate God’s goodness. So people might argue that even their evil deeds give honour to God. And they might argue that God is not fair to punish people for such deeds. This idea may seem clever, but it is wrong. People who say such things are foolish. They are speaking as if God is a mere man. But God is perfect. He is never unfair. Paul was sorry even to mention such an idea. If God is true to his nature, he must *judge human *sin. ‘The judge of the entire world shall do what is right’ (Genesis 18:25).

Verses 7-8 Someone might argue like this. God ought to be grateful when people tell lies. Such lies show how truthful God is. The result is that his *glory becomes even greater. So it would not be fair for God to describe these people as guilty. In fact, Paul’s enemies pretended that Paul taught such ideas. So Paul explained to the Christians in Rome that this report was untrue. Paul had many such enemies. But Paul did not need to prove what he was teaching. God knew the truth about Paul’s work. And that fact was enough to satisfy Paul (2 Corinthians 11:30-31).

Everyone has *sinned 3:9-20

Verse 9 Paul said in verse 1 that *Jews had advantages. Now he said that they were not better than *Gentiles. They were better if they thought about their honour and responsibility. But they had no real advantage. They did not realise that God’s judgement was on them too. God would not show his kindness to one group of people more than to another. ‘Under the power of *sin’ means this. *Sin was like a master who had complete control over his slave. Everybody – both *Jews and *Gentiles – is like a slave because of the power of *sin.

Verses 10-18 Paul used verses from the *Old Testament. These verses show how wicked people can be. He put the verses together in a way that *Jewish teachers called ‘a string of precious stones’. Paul wanted to emphasise that *sin controls everybody. So he repeated the word ‘all’. He also said ‘nobody’ and ‘not even one person’ more than once.

Verses 10-12 are from Ecclesiastes 7:20 and Psalm 14:1-3. These verses explain the nature of *sin. *Sin is the result of actions against God. Nobody tries to discover what God is like. Nobody cares about what God wants. Everyone has turned away from the right way to live. And that is why people *sin.

Verses 13-14 These verses describe the *sins of speech. In other words, these verses show how people *sin by their words. Such *sins are the result when people use the *throat, mouth, tongue and lips in the wrong way. Paul uses Psalms 5:9; 10:7 and 140:3. People tell lies. Their words are like poison that can destroy other people’s happiness and character. In his letter, James also compared the tongue with something poisonous (James 3:8).

Verses 15-17 Evil actions are often the result of evil words (James 3:5-6). Isaiah 59:7-8 emphasises how people are quick to attack and to hurt other people. They are even ready to kill them. They do not try to live at *peace. They cause trouble and pain wherever they go. Injury may hurt one person first. But such behaviour soon damages the rest of society too.

Verse 18 Paul repeats his thought from verse 11. All *sin is against God. Psalm 36:1 speaks about a man who has no fear of God. All *sin comes from people’s lack of honour for God who created them.

Verses 19-20 Some *Jews would think that these verses were only about wicked *Gentiles. *Gentiles did not have the law. But Paul explains that the law cannot make people *righteous. That was not its purpose. The purpose of the law was to show the meaning of *sin to people. The law proves that everyone is guilty. So the *Jews could not become *righteous by means of their *Jewish ceremonies. And they had many such ceremonies, for example *circumcision, the *Sabbath, and the food laws. And nobody can become *righteous by means of their own good works. Everybody has *sinned. And *sin controls everybody’s life.

The only way to become *righteous 3:21-26

Verses 21-22 ‘Now’ can mean: 1) the next part of Paul’s discussion, 2) the time at which Paul was writing, 3) the new age that had come with Jesus. The law and the *prophets are the two main parts of the *Jewish *Old Testament. People wrote down the *Old Testament centuries before Jesus was born. But they did not merely write their own ideas. The *Holy Spirit guided them (1 Peter 1:10-11). The Holy Spirit showed them what Jesus would do (for example, Psalm 22 and Isaiah chapter 53). And Jesus’ death is the only way for people to become *righteous. This was God’s plan. And everyone who receives Jesus into their lives receives God’s gift of *righteousness.

People need God’s *righteousness. And everybody needs it, because everybody has *sinned. This is a more important matter than anything else in a person’s life. Jesus taught that *righteousness is even more important than food and drink (Matthew 6:31-33). Moreover, it is impossible for anyone to earn *righteousness. But God offers it as a free gift to everyone who trusts him.

Verses 23-24 *Sin is the greatest problem that people have. It is a problem that affects everyone, from every nation. It is a terrible problem, because *sin ruins the *relationship between people and God. Because of *sin, people have lost their right to enter heaven. *Sin is the reason why people suffer in this world. *Sin controls the lives of everyone. It even controls the lives of the best people.

People have tried to free themselves from the power of *sin. They have tried to do this in many different ways. But all their efforts have failed. Good works cannot free anyone from the power of *sin. Moral behaviour cannot free anyone from *sin’s power. Even religion cannot succeed. People may be very sincere when they do such things. And it is better to be a good person than a bad person. But these methods still cannot make a person *righteous. They cannot make a person perfect. And God’s standards are perfect. So even the best person’s efforts are hopeless.

But the wonderful news is that God himself is willing to free us from the power of *sin. People have worked so hard to become *righteous, and they have all failed. But God offers *righteousness as a free gift.

Nobody deserves this *righteousness. But Jesus died in order to suffer the punishment for *sin. People simply need to trust him. They should confess their *sins to God. And they should invite him into their lives. Then God will forgive them. In other words, he will make them *righteous. Nobody could earn *righteousness. But it is God’s free and generous gift. And he offers it to everyone, from every nation.

Verses 25-26 Paul uses three descriptions to explain what God has done by means of Jesus.

1. In a law court, a judge will free a person if he is not guilty. God is the judge of the whole world. All people are guilty in front of him. But Jesus showed how much God loves us. God forgives those people who trust in Jesus. They have become *righteous because of *faith in Christ. *Faith is not a kind of work. It is to trust God because of what he has done by Jesus.

2. Someone could pay to free a slave. People are in the power of *sin, as slaves were in the power of their masters. Jesus paid the price to set us free. He frees us from *sin. So we can live as God wants. Jesus did this at the cost of his life. In other words, he died so that we can be free from *sin (Mark 10:45).

3. People used to offer animals as *sacrifices when they asked God to forgive their *sins. The law told them to do this. But even at that time, people knew that the death of an animal was not sufficient to pay for their *sin. (See Psalm 51:17; Micah 6:6-8.) So sincere people realised that they needed to have a humble attitude. And they knew that they needed to trust God. They knew that God would provide the perfect *sacrifice. And this happened when Jesus died (Hebrews 10:11-12).

God is *holy but he also loves us. So he gave himself by means of Jesus to make people *righteous. Our translation says, ‘the gift of his life’. In the original language, these words are: ‘the gift of his blood’. A person cannot live without blood. And one of the purposes of blood in the body is to remove anything impure (not pure). So Jesus gave his life and he makes us free from our *sins. God shows by means of Jesus that he is a perfect judge. He punishes *sin. But he himself suffered that punishment. So he is a perfect *Saviour (Isaiah 45:21). Paul said that by means of *Christ, God was ‘making the world at *peace with himself’ (2 Corinthians 5:18).

The results of God’s *grace 3:27-31

Verses 27-28 Nobody can *boast. Nobody deserves to be *righteous. Nobody earns *peace with God by means of that person’s own good actions. A person becomes *righteous only when he accepts God’s gift by means of Jesus. Paul said that he would be proud of only one thing. Jesus had died on the *cross for him (Galatians 6:14).

Verses 29-30 *Faith is the same for everyone. There is only one God. *Jews said this every day in the words in Deuteronomy 6:4. ‘Listen, *Israel, the *Lord our God, the *Lord is one.’ *Gentiles do not have a separate God. So *Jews and *Gentiles all have the same way of *faith. ‘Without *faith, it is impossible to please God’ (Hebrews 11:6).

Verse 31 The law still has value. Paul imagines someone who would oppose him about *faith. That person would say that Paul was telling people not to obey the law. But Paul was not saying that. Actually, Paul was teaching people that the law was very important. In fact, the law teaches us that we need *faith. And we can only obey the law by means of *faith.

‘The law’ can mean:

a) the law of Moses, which is in the first five books of the *Old Testament. The purpose of the law was to show what *sin is. So people will know that they need God. They must confess their *sin to God, and they must trust him. Then God by means of *Christ will forgive their *sin. When a person knows this, he will want to obey the law. He will no longer obey because he is afraid of God’s punishment. Instead, that person will gladly obey because he loves God. So he is making the law stronger.

b) all the *Old Testament. *Jews sometimes meant this when they spoke about ‘the law’. It is *faith that makes a person at *peace with God. In chapter 4, Paul will talk about the *faith of Abraham and David. So the law itself encourages *faith.

But the real meaning of the law is how God wants people to live. He wants people to show love and kindness. He wants people to be fair. He wants people to have a humble attitude and to respect him. The rules in the *Old Testament exist in order to teach people about this. But these rules are less important than the law itself (Micah 6:8; Psalm 51:16-17). And *faith does not make the law weaker. *Faith makes it possible for people to love God with their whole heart. *Faith teaches people to live as God wants them to live. So *faith makes the law stronger.

Chapter 4

Abraham’s *faith 4:1-8

Verses 1-3 Paul wanted to teach about *faith. And he wanted to prove that his message about *faith was not a new message. So he explained how the *Old Testament taught the same message about *faith. Paul chose Abraham and David in order to show *faith in the *Old Testament. Abraham began the *Jewish nation. David was the most famous king of the *Jews. Paul wanted to show that they received *righteousness because of *faith, and not because of their good deeds.

Abraham was called the ‘friend of God’ (Isaiah 41:8). He was a *righteous man (Isaiah 51:1-2). He might have been able to *boast to other people. But he could not *boast to God his *Creator. God did not accept Abraham because of his (Abraham’s) good works. God accepted Abraham because he (Abraham) believed God. In other words, Abraham had *faith. Abraham believed God’s promise that he would have a son. He would have more *descendants than there are stars in the sky. Abraham had *faith that God would make this happen. He had *faith although he was an old man. His wife Sarah was old too. She was far beyond the age when women have children. God accepted Abraham’s *faith and God considered him *righteous (Genesis 15:6).

Verses 4-5 A person who works receives wages. That person has earned those wages. But a person cannot earn a right *relationship with God. *Righteousness is a free gift from God. A person receives it because of *faith. That person used to be a *sinner. But, because of God’s great love, God has changed that person’s life.

Verses 6-8 In Psalm 32, David describes the person who has real joy. This person knows that God has forgiven him. He has not obeyed God’s laws. He has failed to reach God’s standards. But then God made that person *righteous.

Jesus told a story about a tax-collector (a man whose job was to collect taxes for the government) in Luke chapter 18. That tax-collector asked God for *mercy (Luke 18:13-14). The tax-collector was humble and he was sincere. He put his trust in God. God does not accuse such a person because of his *sins. Instead, God considers him *righteous.

Abraham is the *father of all who have *faith 4:9-12

Verses 9-11 *Jews believed that a man needed *circumcision. They did not consider anyone a real *Jew without *circumcision. A *Gentile might believe the *Jewish religion. But he could not be a proper member of the *Jewish *faith without *circumcision. This matter caused a very serious argument in the first churches. Many *Jewish Christians insisted that *Gentiles had to be *circumcised in order to become real Christians. Paul dealt with this problem in his letter to the Galatians. God considered Abraham *righteous before he received *circumcision. His genuine *faith in God began 14 years before the sign of *circumcision. *Circumcision was the proof of the *covenant that Abraham had already made with God (Genesis 15:6-21; 17:10).

Verses 11-12 True *descendants of Abraham are those who trust God in the same way as Abraham. Whether they are *circumcised or not makes no difference. ‘In *Christ, neither *circumcision nor *uncircumcision matters’ (Galatians 5:6). Abraham is the *father of *Gentiles who believe. He is also the *father of *Jews who believe. *Circumcision separated *Jews from other people. *Faith unites *Jews and *Gentiles who trust in *Christ.

God’s *grace 4:13-17

Verse 13 The *Greek word for ‘promise’ means a promise that someone makes because of love. So there must be no demand to give a promise back. God promised to Abraham that by him (Abraham) all the people on earth would receive *blessing (Genesis 12:3). God also promised that Abraham would have more *descendants than stars in the sky. But God’s promises did not depend on law. God did not give the law until 430 years later (Galatians 3:17). Abraham accepted God’s promises by *faith. That is, Abraham trusted God (Hebrews 11:8-12).

Verse 14 One must not add to God’s promise what the law orders. This would cancel the promise. Nobody can obey the law perfectly. So if the promise depended on the law, God could not carry out his promises. *Faith would no longer have any value.

Verse 15 The result of law is punishment, because people do not obey the law. So people could not receive the benefit of God’s promise by means of the law. People must receive this benefit by *faith. And they can only receive it because of God’s kindness (his *grace).

Verse 16 The promise comes from God’s *grace. Abraham and his *descendants can be sure about God’s gift. This is because they can accept it by *faith. The promise is for anyone who has the same *faith as Abraham. It is for *Jews and for those who never had the law. So Abraham became the *father of those with *faith. Paul showed that the promise came true by means of Jesus *Christ. By *faith, people all over the world receive God’s love. He cares about them. The law would say that they are guilty. But people can become *righteous by *faith in God. God forgives them because of his great love.

Verse 17 The change of Abram’s name was a sign that God had made a *covenant with him. ‘Abraham’ means ‘*father of many nations’ (Genesis 17:5). Abraham’s God can bring life to dead people. Here Paul is thinking especially about the promise of a son to Abraham. Abraham was so old that his body seemed ‘almost dead’ (Romans 4:19; Hebrews 11:11-12). But God is the powerful God who created the world from nothing. So it would be no problem for God to create many *descendants for Abraham.

The *faith of Abraham 4:18-25

Verses 18-21 From a human point of view, it was impossible for Abraham to have children. Both he and his wife Sarah were much too old. But Abraham believed in God’s power. He did not lose hope that God would carry out his promise. Instead, Abraham’s *faith increased. He trusted God’s promise. He was sure that God would carry it out.

Verses 22-24 It was not only Abraham whom God would consider *righteous. We believe that God raised Jesus from death. So God considers us *righteous too. Jesus becomes our *Lord.

Verse 25 The priests and Judas handed over Jesus to Pilate. The *Romans then killed Jesus on a *cross. These men thought that they had control over these events. But in fact, these events were part of God’s plan to ‘hand over’ Jesus. God ‘did not keep back (rescue) his own son, but he gave him up for us all’ (Romans 8:32). Jesus’ death was a *sacrifice to cancel the effect of human *sin. God accepted his *sacrifice and raised him from death. So if we believe in the death and *resurrection of Jesus, God considers us at *peace with himself. He considers us as *righteous.

Chapter 5

The *blessings that we receive because of God’s *grace 5:1-11

Paul shows the *blessings that come to people. These *blessings come to people after they have invited God into their lives. So they have trusted God. And God has made them *righteous because of their *faith. Paul says ‘we’. So he includes in these *blessings himself and everyone who has *faith.

Verse 1

1. Friendship with God. We used to be God’s enemies (James 4:4). But he has made us into his friends (Ephesians 2:13-19).

Verse 2

2. We receive God’s *grace. For the word ‘receive’, Paul uses the word ‘prosagoge’, which means ‘introduction’. People use this word to introduce someone to a king. Jesus prepares the way for us to approach God the King. Then we can receive God’s *grace. Paul uses the same idea in his letter to the Ephesians (2:18; 3:20).

‘We remain in this *grace.’ This means that nothing can separate us from God’s love. (See Romans 8:38-39.) Human kings may sometimes be kind. But then they may stop their kindness to anyone who no longer pleases them. God’s love never changes.

3. A part in God’s *glory. This promise gives great hope to Christians. People usually use the word ‘hope’ when they merely want something to happen. For example, people say, ‘I hope that it will rain.’ They want it to rain. But they are not sure that it will rain. Christian hope is different. God will do everything that he has promised to do. We can be sure about this. God created people to have a part in his *glory (Isaiah 43:7). *Sin has spoiled our *glory. But we are sure that one day we shall see God in all his *glory. Then God will change us, so that we can have a part in his *glory (1 John 3:2).

Verses 3-4

4. Joy when we suffer. Paul does not mean the ordinary pains and troubles in life. He means when people suffer as Christians. This happens because other people oppose their *faith. People may insult Christians and attack them. But we should be joyful even when we suffer. Of course, this does not mean that we want to suffer. But we are joyful for a different reason. This is the reason. We are sharing what *Christ suffered. When we suffer it will help to prove our sincere *faith. When *Christ suffered, the result was *glory. And when we suffer, the result will be *glory too (Romans 8:17).

When a person suffers it can produce good qualities in his character. We know this from human experience. A person who is suffering may learn courage to continue his life as a Christian. The *Greek word for ‘character’ (dokime) means that his troubles are like fire. Fire removes anything dirty from metal. Troubles test a person. It makes him a stronger and better Christian. Then his hope for the future will be stronger too.

Verses 5-8 We know that God will never disappoint us. One writer says that God’s love is ‘like rain that pours onto dry ground’. We know God’s love in two ways:

a) He has given us the *Holy Spirit. The Spirit helps us to know that God loves us. His love will never give us up. It is like Paul’s words, ‘The Spirit joins with our spirit to declare that we are God’s children’ (Romans 8:16).

b) God has proved his love by *Christ’s death on the *cross. When God gave his son, God was giving himself. He was giving his love to those who do not deserve it. ‘We had no power of our own.’ So we cannot rescue ourselves from *sin. But God chose the right time to rescue us. God is very different from men. On a rare occasion, a person might be willing to die on behalf of a good person. But *Christ died for bad people. We were *sinners who could not earn our own *salvation. So our *salvation was entirely the result of God’s love.

Verses 9-10 God considers us *righteous because of Jesus’ death. So God has forgiven our *sin. This means that we will not suffer punishment from God for our *sin. Our *salvation is complete. We have become God’s friends, although we used to be his enemies. This happened because of Jesus’ death. But God raised Jesus to live. And the result is that we too have a new life (Romans 6:4).

Verse 11 In chapter 2:17, Paul spoke about some *Jews who were *boasting about their *relationship to God. They were wrong to think only about themselves. Paul uses the same phrase here when he writes about our *relationship with God. But here, he means that we can be joyful. Our joy is because of everything that God has done for us. He has made us his friends.

Adam and *Christ 5:12-21

Adam’s *sin 5:12-14

Verses 12-14 Adam *sinned because he did not obey God’s command. There was one special tree in the garden. God told Adam that he must not eat from that one. If he did not obey this command, he would die (Genesis 2:17). So death was the result of his *sin (Genesis 3:19). All people *sin. So death, both physical and *spiritual, came to everyone. There are different ideas on how this happened:

1.  Everyone *sins because they behave like Adam. And he did not obey God.

2.  Everyone has the same nature as Adam. So everyone has a tendency to *sin.

3. The *Hebrew name ‘Adam’ means ‘man’. Adam is more than just a person from the past. All people belong together. So everyone *sins in Adam’s *sin.

In chapter 3:9-23, Paul emphasised that everyone has *sinned. So the result of Adam’s *sin is that everyone is guilty. In 5:17, Paul explains that Adam was just one man. And in 5:16, Paul showed that Adam’s *sin was the first of many *sins. Adam *sinned the first time, and since then, everyone has continued to *sin. So everyone is guilty.

There was *sin in the world even before God gave the law to Moses. The law made people recognise the nature of *sin more clearly.

The difference between Adam and *Christ 5:15-19

Verse 15 Adam chose to do what he wanted to do. *Christ’s gift came because he loves us. He did what God wanted. Many people died because of Adam’s *sin. Many people received the gift of life because of Jesus.

Verse 16 Adam’s one *sin brought God’s judgement. Adam was guilty. Afterwards, people *sinned very many times. But the death of Jesus was sufficient to make people *righteous. He did not need to die many times (Hebrews 9:28). His death was the perfect *sacrifice for *sin.

Verse 17 People suffer death because of the *sin of one man, Adam. God’s huge supply of *grace and his gift of *righteousness come by means of one man, Jesus *Christ. Those who accept God’s gift will rule with Jesus in his *kingdom. In the end, God will defeat death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Verse 18 The result of Adam’s *sin makes everyone guilty. The result of *Christ’s *righteous act is that everyone can become *righteous. God offers *righteousness to everyone who will invite him into their lives.

Verse 19 Many people became *sinners because Adam did not obey God. Many people became friends with God because *Christ obeyed him.

God’s *grace 5:20-21

Verse 20 When the people received God’s law, they knew about God’s standards. But few people even tried to live their lives by God’s standards. People knew what God wanted them to do. But most people preferred to continue their *sinful lives.

So people’s *sin increased. But God’s *grace is greater than people’s *sin. God had a wonderful plan to rescue people from the power of *sin.

Verse 21 God sent Jesus to die on the *cross (John 3:16). God did this because of his great *grace, in other words, his kindness. And that act was sufficient to make people *righteous. It was more than enough to bring *salvation to everyone who trusts him.

Chapter 6

Freedom from *sin 6:1-23

Dead to *sin, alive in *Christ 6:1-14

Verses 1-2 Paul has emphasised God’s *grace. So some people were suggesting that they were giving God honour by continuous *sin. They were providing God with the opportunity to show more of his *grace. Paul opposed this idea very strongly. It was a terrible idea. It was a strange way to think.

We know that *sin used to control our lives. But our *sinful lives ended when we became Christians. God rescued us from the power of *sin. Of course, Christians still do wrong things. But they should certainly not allow *sin to control their lives again.

Verses 3-5 Paul reminded them about the meaning of their *baptism. People decided to turn away from their *sins. *Baptism followed (Acts 2:38). So by *faith they began a new *relationship with *Christ. Because of this experience, we take part in his death and *resurrection. Our old, *sinful lives have ended. And we rise again to a new life where we live in order to serve *Christ.

Verses 6-7 Our ‘*sinful bodies’ does not mean that the physical body itself is wicked. People called Gnostics thought this. But it is not true. ‘*Sinful bodies’ means that *sin controls our natural desires. Then our natural desires become *sin. For example, it is natural for the body to need food. *Sin can change our desire for food. We can want more food than we need. Perhaps we steal because we are greedy. And then other people suffer because we have taken their food away.

But now we are united to *Christ by *faith. So our old nature has ended. It is as if our old nature died on the *cross with *Christ (Galatians 2:20). Therefore *sin has no power over us. *Sin was like a master and we were his slaves. *Christ has freed us to obey him.

Verses 8-10 We believe that we shall have a part in *Christ’s new life. We have a new kind of life in the present. We also have a part in his *resurrection. *Christ was not like Lazarus, whom *Christ brought back to life (John 11:1-44). Lazarus would die again in the end. *Christ’s new life was a completely new kind of life. He died once only. He would never die again. He lives always in order to praise God the Father. Our *resurrection will be like *Christ’s *resurrection. We too shall not die again. We shall live with *Christ always in order to give honour to God.

Verse 11 So a Christian should remember the meaning of his *baptism. He died with *Christ and rose again with *Christ. So that Christian will have a new attitude to the way that he lives. ‘If anyone is in *Christ, he is a completely new person’ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Verses 12-14 These verses show how Christians must behave in their new *resurrection life. Their whole attitude to *sin must change. Every part of the body can *sin. With our eyes, we can look at wrong things. With our ears, we can listen to bad talk. Our mouth can say things that can hurt other people’s minds. Our hands can work in bad ways. Our feet can take us to places that we should avoid. We should not use our bodies as tools to serve *sin. Instead, Christians should use their bodies to serve God. They should do what God wants. They should go where God wants them to go. Therefore *sin should not be a Christian’s master. The law orders us to obey God. But God’s *grace gives us the desire and power to obey him.

Two kinds of slave 6:15-23

Verse 15 Paul repeats his thoughts from verse 1. Law no longer rules them. But to continue in *sin is a terrible and stupid idea. If they have accepted God’s *grace, they will try to obey him.

Verse 16 People who choose to obey someone become that person’s slave. A slave must do everything that his master orders. A person who *sins becomes *sin’s slave (John 8:34). The result of *sin will be *spiritual death. Those who obey God will live in the right way. God has forgiven them. He has considered them to be *righteous. Nobody can serve *sin and serve God at the same time. ‘Nobody can serve two masters’ (Matthew 6:24).

Verse 17 Paul praises God because of the Christians in Rome. They have accepted God’s promises and they have obeyed him. And, like other new Christians, they learnt how to please God. Since the beginning of the first church, the *apostles taught that (Acts 2:42). And Paul too could write to the Christians in Thessalonica, ‘We taught you how to live in order to please God’ (1 Thessalonians 4:1). So Christians knew that they should not *sin.

Verses 18-19 God has freed them from *sin. So they can become as slaves to a right manner of life. Paul is sorry to compare the life of a Christian to that of a slave. But he uses this language to help them. They are slow to understand. They need someone to remind them about the results of *sin. It is like the effect when someone becomes a slave. That person has to learn how to obey his master. In the end, the master controls the slave completely. And if Christians begin to *sin, they will soon become more and more wicked. It is easy to *sin at first in small ways. But one *sin follows another sin. And worse *sins follow. However, if Christians obey God they will begin to live a *holy life. And their lives will please God.

Verses 20-22 *Sin does not really benefit anyone. It controls people. It ruins people’s lives. And it causes death. ‘Death’ is what Revelation (20:14; 21:8) calls the ‘second death’. This is the terrible punishment that is the result of *sin. And it is permanent. But people do not have to suffer that punishment. *Christ died so that we can be free from the power of *sin. And we are free as soon as we invite him into our lives. Then, because *Christ has freed us from *sin, we can be God’s slaves. We can live a *holy life on earth. And afterwards, we will live with God in heaven.

Verse 23 A soldier received his pay because he had earned it. His wages were what he deserved. A slave also had to work hard. But he did not receive any wages. He worked because his master forced him to work. So a slave’s efforts achieved nothing good for the slave

Paul has explained that Christians used to be slaves to *sin. In other words, *sin was like a master. *Sin controlled their lives. But they received no wages and no benefits for their efforts. Death was the only result of their efforts.

God’s *grace is wonderful. He gives a free gift that nobody deserves. People receive this gift of *eternal life by *faith in what Jesus did. People receive this free gift when they invite Jesus into their lives. Nobody could earn their own *salvation. Only Jesus could pay the price to free people from *sin. And he did that when he died on the *cross.

And so Christians are glad that Jesus is their *Lord (in other words, their master).

Chapter 7

Freedom from Law 7:1-25

1. An example from *marriage 7:1-6

Verses 1-3 Paul wanted to emphasise a Christian’s freedom from law. So he used an example from a law that the Christians in Rome knew well. A woman belongs to her husband while he is alive. If she marries another man during her husband’s life, she is guilty of the crime called *adultery. But after her husband dies, she can marry another husband. The first husband’s death ends the control that the law had over that woman.

Verse 4 Before we became real Christians, *sin controlled our lives completely. A cruel husband acts as if his wife is a mere slave. And *sin had a similar effect on us. We wanted the law to free us from *sin. But the law was unable to achieve this. In other words, our best efforts to obey the law could not free us from *sin. Instead, the law declared that we were guilty. And it declared that the punishment for our *sin was death.

But, because of God’s *grace, *Christ died for us. By *baptism we take part in the death of *Christ. So, like a woman whose husband has died, we are free from the law. *Sin used to control us like a cruel husband. But death has ended that situation. And we have chosen to love *Christ. Our *relationship with him is also like *marriage. But it is a good *relationship. We want to belong to him. We want to serve him. And we shall live with him always.

Verses 5-6 Because of our human nature, our desires were *sinful. We wanted to do what the law forbids. So we did not obey the law. The result of this is death. But because we are now free from the law, we can serve God in a new way. The law told us that we must be loyal to God. So we obeyed the law because we were afraid of punishment. But now we belong to *Christ. So we obey him because we want to. We obey *Christ because we love him.

2. The law is good 7:7-13

Verses 7-8 Verses 1-6 do not mean that the law is *sinful. Paul says that such an idea is certainly not correct. The law showed us what *sin is. Paul chose the last of the 10 *commandments as an example. It is easy to think that an action may be wrong. It is more difficult to realise that our thoughts can be *sinful. To want other people’s possessions is a *sin. Paul would not know this until the law told him (Exodus 20:17). So the law is good. It shows what *sin is. But our human nature seems to want things just because God forbids them. St. Augustine said that he and some of his friends stole some fruit. He did not even want to eat them. He knew that it was wrong. And that was the only reason why he stole them.

Verses 9-11 Paul discovered that *sin cheats us. This is what we think: ‘I shall be happy when I have more things. I want things that I cannot have.’ But these things cannot satisfy us. We think that we can avoid the punishment for our *sin. But such things do not make our lives better. Instead, they bring death. Paul uses a military description. The word for ‘opportunity’ also means the place where soldiers begin an attack. *Sin used the *commandment as a place from which to attack people.

Verses 12-13 The law is *holy because God gave it. And God is holy and perfect. So the law is *righteous. God intended the law to help people. Paul says that the law is good. It is not responsible for death. It is *sin that causes death. The law was good for people. But *sin used it to cause death. That is what *sin does. It turns something good into something wicked. For example, it can turn love into a wrong sex desire. *Sin uses the law wrongly. This shows how terrible *sin is.

3. The struggle against *sin 7:14-25