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| The Great Wall of China, seen from below |
Some authors see the ending of Romans 4 as the Great Wall of China, as if the topic changes in Romans 5:1-2. Moreover, they seldom view Chapter 4 as a unit or Romans 3 - 5 as a larger unit.
A formal letter, a doctrinal epistle, is going to have transitions. Survivors of my ongoing Greek class know that I emphasize the use of words to substitute for the punctuation we use today. Post-positives like gar and de alert us to breaks. Alla is a contrasting big break. Kai is often a marker for a big break. Oun is therefore, a word which we use today to create a conclusion or a transition. Therefore, I will demonstrate this.
Romans 4:24-5:2 King James Version (KJV)
4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;The conclusion cannot be that the entire world has been justified, because the whole world does not have faith. Romans 4 is summarized by the first two verses of Romans 5
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
5 Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
- We are justified by faith
- We have peace with Christ as a result
- We have access to grace through faith
- We stand on this faith in Him and rejoice in the glory of God.
Various terms are used for the Jesus atoning for the sins of the world, but they are not the divine declaration of innocence. The debt wass paid by Christ, once for all. As Luther said so plainly - and plainly missed by the Rationalists, Calvinists, Pietists, OJists - the treasure of the Gospel lies in one heap until it is distributed by the Spirit through the Means of Grace.
The Holy Spirit teaches Justification by Faith in Romans, using the same Greek words for Abraham in Genesis 15:6 (Septuagint)
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.
Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
In both Scriptures, many centuries apart - the same three words - believed, counted, righteousness.
LXX Genesis 15:6 καὶ ἐπίστευσεν ῞Αβραμ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.
Romans 4:3 τι γαρ η γραφη λεγει - επιστευσεν δε αβρααμ τω θεω και ελογισθη αυτω εις δικαιοσυνην
In Septuagint Greek and St. Paul's own words, the same three words - believed, counted, righteousness.
