Author : Elmer Moore (deceased)
reprinted by permission from Truth Magazine
Setting Of The Eighth Chapter In The Roman Letter
This first lesson of a planned series of lessons will place the Eighth Chapter into the proper setting in the Roman Letter; or, if you please, define the immediate context of the eighth chapter.
The word “Spirit” occurs twenty times in the eighth chapter of Romans in the American Stand Version (ASV) of the New Testament. It is my conviction that this chapter is fundamental in understanding the truth about the Spirit. I trust that you will bear with me as I attempt to examine the message contained in Romans Eight.
Romans the eighth chapter fits into a theme that the writer was addressing, beginning in the sixth chapter. I deem it necessary to have a clear picture of that theme to understand the eighth chapter. Therefore, I will present a brief outline of the letter in this first lesson of the series.
Theme Of The Roman Letter
The basic theme of the Roman letter is Redemption, or Salvation (Romans 1:16-17). Paul declares that the Gospel is God’s power to save both Jew and Gentile, and that the gospel reveals God’s plan for making man right.
The Universal Need For Salvation
The writer first shows the universal need for salvation. He does this by showing that both Jew and Gentile were justly condemned because both were guilty of sin (1:18-3:20). In Romans 1:18-32 the writer shows that the Gentiles were justly condemned because they had a knowledge of God, but failed to act on that knowledge (Roman 1:32). Paul then shows that the Jew was justly condemned because he had a written law from God and acted as if he was immune to it (Roman 2:1-3:20). In chapter three he sums up his argument by showing that both Jew and Gentile were under sin (Roman 3:9).
The Universal Provision Of Salvation
After showing the need for salvation, Paul next shows the universal provision of salvation. In other words, what man needed (salvation) had been provided (Roman 3:21-5:21). The writer declares that apart from the law, but witnessed by it, was a plan that God had for making man righteous from faith unto faith (Roman 3:21-22). He had previously declared this in Roman 1:16-17. He wrote that the gospel (the faith) was the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believed. I am convinced that whenever faith is named in the New Testament, and salvation is the result, it involves the Gospel, and man’s obedient belief of the gospel message.
The provision of man’s salvation involved an agent. After again declaring that both Jew and Gentile were guilty of sin (Roman 3:23), the writer declares that Jesus was the agent who acted on behalf of all (Roman 3:24-26). The provision of man’s salvation also involved a plan. That plan is called the “law of faith” (Roman 3:27), a plan that excluded boasting or glorying, the kind of faith that Abraham had (Roman 4:1-5). Abraham’s faith was an obedient faith (Hebrews 11:8), the same kind of faith that Paul taught in this letter (Roman 1:5; 16:26). In chapter five the writer proves that the grace of God and the gift of the grace of Christ was more than adequate to offset the evils brought into the world by Adam’s sin (Roman 5:1-21).
The Consequence Of Salvation
In Roman 5:20-21 the writer stated, “where sin abounded grace did abound more exceedingly.” This statement led Paul to ask a question and to introduce the next section of this letter. He wrote, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid (Roman 6:1). He then proceeds to show that there was a consequence placed upon the baptized to live a righteous life (Roman 6:2-8, 19). It is in this section of the letter that chapter eight appears. We shall not lose sight of this immediate context as we examine that chapter.
The Problem Of Salvation
The Jews were people who claimed a close and peculiar relationship to Jehovah, and yet many of them rejected the Christ and the gospel. This I perceive as the problem that the writer addresses in Romans 9:1 – 11:36.
The Application Of Salvation
The writer pleads with the Roman brethren to consider the mercies of God, and to live a life of holiness. A consideration of God’s mercies should cause them to live a life acceptable to God. In this line of thought he gives numerous exhortations (Roman 12:1-16:27).
In our next and subsequent articles we will look at chapter eight in the light of the immediate context introduced in chapter six and involves the consequences of salvation.
