Throughout passages in Paul's letter to the Romans, there are many themes that we have seen before in his other letters to the Corinthians, Galatians, and Thessalonians. Paul's passage in Romans 8:1-17 is a summary of all of his main thoughts that he wants every Christian to live his or her life according to. Paul uses references of the "Spirit" and the "Flesh" to communicate his ideas.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom 8:1-2). Paul believes if you are in Christ Jesus, then you will be saved. Because of Jesus' selflessness, he has freed us from sin and death. God had created the world through wisdom and with Adam we then were under the reign of sin. Then, with the resurrection of Jesus, He freed us from the law and we entered into a period of grace with God. We are living by the Spirit in an era of grace, so therefore we should be dead to sin. Paul explains this in greater detail in the beginning of Romans in 3:9.
Paul summarizes all this preaching in seventeen stanzas by referring to the "Spirit" and the "Flesh." We are first introduced by Paul of these topics/words in his letter to the Galatians. Paul contrasts the two ways of living in a community in chapter five of Galatians. "Spirit" is the caring of others and builds interpersonal relationships within a community. The "Flesh" is a self centeredness and a natural way to live of only caring for oneself. The "works of the flesh" will break apart a community.
In Romans 8:4-5, "
who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." If God is equal to Love, then walking in the Spirit is walking with others and bringing one another into the community. Paul's focus is aimed at the building up of a community. Similarly, Paul states in Galatians 5:16 to "walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.
As observed throughout Paul’s letters, the gospel about Jesus Christ was supposed to encourage prospective followers to lead their lives in a particular way. Originally, the message of Christ Jesus directed individuals to simply devote themselves to faith in God, whereas this letter expands upon the guidelines by explaining how to lead one’s life. God used the crucifixion of Jesus to highlight the selfless behavior that Christ had exhibited. The people of Corinth were struggling to accept this new word of God because they were influenced by the preexisting ideals and normalities in place by the pagan culture.
...ectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Cor. 10) The plea for unity is not one that is born out of his own will or imagination though, Paul connects unity within the church to Jesus Christ, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ . . . I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” (Phi. 1:27-28). Within The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, Hugh J. Michael expounds further upon this passage, “The words rendered like one man literally mean ‘with one soul.’. . . The member are not only to have one spirit [pneuma] : they are to fight side by side with one soul [psyche].” (66) This teaching of Paul to the Philippians is no small topic and it bears much weight. Paul does not simply aim for the church to be of one body, but to exist and function with one soul without division.
Immediate: The Passage before this one deals with the Supremacy of Christ. It tells that Christ is God and how he reconciled us to him. The passage after this one deals with living in him. It tells of the fullness that can be found in him. Paul also writes of our forgiveness and how he was triumphant over the cross. Basically Paul tells us of the freedom we have in Christ.
...or non-violence; do not repay evil with evil, do good to all. He exhorts the people to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, as this is the will of God. “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the word of prophets, but test everything, hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thess. 5: 19-22) Paul again is instructional and tells them to let the Spirit flow in and among them, don’t stop it. Let the Spirit flow in their community in their actions and let people speak because they might have a message from Jesus. Paul is telling them to keep close to what is good and protect themselves from evil, relating again to the spiritual warfare, moral vigilance and living a countercultural life. He ends with a command by God that his letter be shared among the community and calls upon the grace of God to remain with the Thessalonians’ community.
William Tyndale was born in 1494 in England. He is most well known for his English translation of the New Testament. Tyndale has been a priest in the Catholic Church before decided to leave that part of his life to spread the Bible to his fellow countrymen. This response will cover an assessment from his work translating Romans Chapter 8.
Paul: Well, I am trying to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond and by the imprisonment of my actions. Showing my kindness to the Christians so that they can understand what it really means to be a Christian.
Throughout the New Testament there are several noteworthy characters who draw a reader 's attention and help share the Good News message. This being said just who are these characters? There is of course the most important one who is known as Jesus, then there are those like Peter and John the Baptist who are often mentioned throughout the Gospels, but by far one of the most prominent characters (aside from Jesus) is Paul the Apostle. But, the question then becomes just why can Paul be placed at such a high standing? In party the reason for this is because he wrote much of the New Testament, but not only this he also lived quite the interesting life. For instance, his life prior to his conversion adds important information to his post conversion
In order to understand the passage better then one has to understand was genre. In the genre analysis one can observe that Paul follows the format of a letter as he is writing this one. He starts with the introduction which contains the greeting, author, thesis and prayer then he move straight into the body which in
Pauls’ letter verses begin with the conclusion of a greeting to all saints. All the believers in Philippi regardless of your status; rich or poor, preacher or non-preacher Paul referred to them as “saints” or “holy one.” Paul mentioned in verse twenty-two that all saints will be added, meaning all believers in Christ Jesus, he was working with in Rome sending greetings to the Philippians. Today’s society have a different perception of saints as a special class of spiritual individuals. Paul’s greeting letter presents beliefs in the love and brotherhood in God the Father and of the established Christian church. Apostle Paul’s reference regarding the household of Caesar, it indicates his belief in Jesus’
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV) We should follow and love God with everything we say, feel and do. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul teaches of entire sanctification, and how Christ followers’ should live throughout life. The holiness code gives laws for believers to follow. This teaching should be as important for people today as it was for those in the times of the Bible. We should encourage others, and share this teaching through the churches. Churches these days seem to sugar coat the teachings of Paul, and in most instances, it seems that holiness and entire sanctification are not as crucial in Christ followers lives.
Romans 12:1-2 means to me that God has given me the free will to do as I please, but it is up to me to use this freedom responsibly, but I must persecute my flesh daily to be able to present myself as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is my reasonable service. Thus, this verse is call to commitment by Paul to the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a choice as a Christian to be committed to God but it is a responsibility to do so wisely not out of greed, not out of self-interest, and not out of guilt, but out of love. The goal as a Christian is to please God and to please Him I must be an obedient follower, helping others, loving thy neighbor, to always have good intentions, and to spread His word of love through worship. The goal of a Christian is the call to action Paul wrote. Paul wants Christians to sacrifice the life of sin for the life of God. The verse is also a call
Through his death Christ gained forgiveness of sins for all who follow him (see "baptism"). Titus 3:13,14 says "our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity".
In chapters three through five, Paul talks about being justified through faith. God reveals His righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, and explains that everyone has sinned had fallen short of His glory (3:16), but we can be redeemed by our faith in Jesus. Paul uses Abraham as a prime example of someone who had faith in God, and God used him before circumcision (example of Gentiles) and after circumcision (example of Jews). Paul explains that we are all sinners, and that Christ died for all of us (5:8). It started with Adam in the beginning and spread throughout time, and by our faith in Christ and the grace of God we are saved. In chapters six through eight, he talks about our new life in Christ, and how our old self dies, while we are made new in Christ with the Holy Spirit. He explains we are no longer slaves to sin, but we are enslaved to God’s righteousness and are to produce good fruits.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that world might be saved through him” (Jn. 3:16-17, ESV). A sermon approach should convey this type of message delivery by ways of exploiting Jesus Christ coming to do the will of his Father, God. Jesus Christ came as a servant of God. Likewise, a person’s message delivery should be as a servant of God empowered and equipped with Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul was a chosen vessel of God. God used him as a servant to minister to His people after Paul conversion and receiving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is vital tool needed in ministry. The Holy Spirit was sent the after Jesus Christ ascended into the heavens. In closing, all ministry is God’s ministry regardless of how it is ministered to God’s people. Ray Anderson writes,
Because of sin, humans are separated from God. In chapter three, Paul professes that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (v 23) Mankind’s relationship with God had been broken since sin entered the world through Adam, (v 5:18) rendering any relationship between God and humanity impossible. (Rose Publishing, 2012) Paul continues in chapter three to explain how people can restore a right relationship with God: “They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (v 24) Through this justification, believers are given a new life through the death and resurrection of Jesus, (Porter, 2004) and are no longer slaves to sin but should desire to be slaves of righteousness. (vv 6:15-23) Paul also explains that sin affects people’s relationships with each other, mentioning that the unrighteous were prone to gossip, slander, quarrels, and even murder because of their sinful nature. (vv 1:28-32) Since Christians are free from sin’s control, however, Paul admonishes believers to offer themselves as “weapons for righteousness” (v