Thursday, 11 October, 2001 Revised

red text are other source's

The City Of Ancient Rome

Roughly sixteen miles inland from the mouth of the Tiber River a site of seven low hills became an ancient settlement of herdsmen from the eastern mountains.

This became the site of Rome around 800 B.C.

According to tradition Romulus founded ancient Rome.

The official date adopted for its founding was 753 B.C. By 600 B.C. Rome had become a wealthy, flourishing city with a monarchy. Around 500 B.C. this monarchy was overthrown.

A republic was established in its place.

By 272 B.C. this Roman Republic controlled a large confederacy on the Italian peninsula south of Genoa.

After the ensuing one hundred and fifty years of war, Rome became the only great power in the Mediterranean world and succeeded the empire of Alexander the Great.

During the century before and after the birth of Christ, Rome continued to expand its empire to its vastest limits.

This was reached in the reign of Emperor Tragan (A.D. 98-117).

Its empire then stretched from Scotland to the Sudan, and from the Atlantic coast of Portugal to the Caucasus, an area about two thirds the size of the continental United States.

At the time of Paul the city of Rome had a population well in excess of one million people.

Most of its population were slaves.

At this time the Jews were very numerous in Rome, and their synagogues were probably resorted to by Romans also, who in this way became acquainted with the great facts regarding Jesus as these were reported among the Jews.

Thus a church composed of both Jews and Gentiles at Rome.

Many of the brethren went out to meet Paul on his approach to Rome.

The conquests of Rome's legions brought immense wealth to the city. People from all over Rome's vast empire crowded the city, and including representatives of nearly every nation then known. Rome was enriched and adorned with the spoils of the world, and contained a population estimated at 1,200,000, of which half were slaves, they brought with them the religions of their lands.

To this thriving, bustling capitol of the empire, Paul desired to come that he may bring the witness of Christ; to the ends of the earth; (cf. Acts 1:8).

On the day of Pentecost there were in Jerusalem strangers from Rome who doubtless carried with them back to Rome tidings of that great day, and were instrumental in founding the church there.

Paul was brought to this city a prisoner, where he remained for two years (Acts 28:30, 31)in his own hired house.; while here, Paul wrote his epistles to the Philippians, to the Ephesians, to the Colossians, to Philemon, and probably also to the Hebrews.

He had during these years for companions Luke and Aristarchus (Acts 27:2), Timothy (Phil.1:1; Col. 1:1), Tychicus (Eph. 6: 21), Epaphroditus (Phil. 4:18), and John Mark (Col. 4:10).

Phoebe (Rom. 16:1) of Cenchrea conveyed it to Rome, she was a respected deaconess in the church in Cenchrea, which was a seaport of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea.

The fact that her home church was in Cenchrea ads support to Corinth as the place where Paul wrote his Letter to the Romans.

The important place and service of the Lord's Christian women in his church is enhanced by the fact that the delivery of this most important letter in the New Testament was entrusted to a woman.

Gaius of Corinth entertained the Apostle at the time of his writing it (16:23; 1 Cor. 1:14), and Erastus was chamberlain of the city, i.e., of Corinth (2 Tim. 4:20).

Beneath this city are extensive galleries, called catacombs, which were used from about the time of the apostles (one of the inscriptions found in them bears the date A.D. 71) for some three hundred years as places of refuge in the time of persecution, and also of worship and burial. About four thousand inscriptions have been found in the catacombs.

These give an interesting insight into the history of the church at Rome down to the time of Constantine.

The Book of Romans

Verse by verse

Lee Mowat

V1

SLAVE or SERVANT,

the position that Paul is talking about would be well understood by the people in Rome.

Rome at this time was the richest state in the world from acting as mediator in commerce between Africa, Asia and Europe.

The wealthy Roman citizens were wealthy well beyond the relative wealthy today.

It is because of the great wealth of the Romans that "slavery" differs from our modern day conceptions of it.

The rich of the day didn't work- period! all work whether domestic, professional, entertainment, labour intensive or just manual it was produced by slaves.

Slave owners tended to purchase Slaves as children (unless of course a mature Slave had experience in a profit making skill) so as to have them trained into a skill that was personally or financially valuable.

Slaves were a commodity and not considered of any value other than productivity, slaves were considered by Law and society as personal possessions of those that acquired them.

Human rights were non-existent to Slaves; they could be beaten, raped, killed, starved to death with no accountability.

Slavery of the OT under Jewish Law was something completely different from this, it was temporal to the period of 7 years and then the slave was set free, it was also a voluntary position but this Slavery was not the picture that Paul was using.

Paul, with this knowledge likens himself as a Slave/Servant of Jesus Christ, of course not referencing to OT 7 years period but for life.

Paul would not have wanted to convey the image of a bad Master with Jesus but only the complete ownership, position and function of himself relative to God.

Paul then wants the Romans to understand that God holds all rights over them plus has work for believes/Slaves/Servants.

CALLED 1

If I were to phone you one evening and ask you over for dinner, you would have a choice, you could say yes or no.

It is a request of you but the result depends upon you.

God wants everyone to change their mind and to come to him in repentance seeking mercy and forgiveness through faith,

but this call respects the choice of mankind to ignore it.

This definition of called is not the called that Paul is speaking of.

CALLED 2

If you were a policeman/woman then you would be very aware that when you are off duty for the weekend, that at a moments notice you can be called and you have no choice but to return to duty.

Maybe you are a retired policeman, one day you get called out of retirement to help with an investigation that was closed in your service but now re-opened due to new evidence.

Maybe you were once called up for national service.

A Nurse...

The point is that "called" is not always a beckoning that you can decide whether to heed or not.

In the Greek language Paul uses "called" in this way.

Called here is a predestinative call.

(ed.)

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to our own way; and the LORD has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all.

We all look to our own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

God has created everyone with the will with which to choose salvation.

God who abides in eternity (outside of time) foresaw that all mankind "turned each to his own way and that none of them understood or sought him."

Therefore God destined in eternity some to be saved by predestined call.

The conclusion then; All deserve death and punishment for their rejection and sin against God who is most Holy, but if God did choose some of those deserving of eternal death and punishment out from the “condemned” for himself, who would dare to accuse God of wrongdoing?

What grace and mercy to the objects of his grace and mercy!

Separated

Following on in the same vein, Paul uses separated.

This word is not a "picking out of" from a bunch or group, but of a "securing of in" a group or bunch.

e.g., if my friends and I pre-ordered pizza to be delivered to my home, my pizza will be the one with fish topping (cos I like fish pizza, yuck!) when it arrives with the others.

When the pizzas arrive the fish pizza will already be mine, it will belong to me even before I lay claim to it, it will be nobody else's, it is separated to me.

The pizzas are together but spoken for..

Gospel

Good news. News as in new information, word communication, Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1)

v2

This news is concerning the fulfilment of a promise of God given in the OT.

v3

The promise/gospel/Christ/good news was of the Messiah whom was to be born into the family of King David. Luke 2:1to5, Matt1:18 to 25.

v4

Jesus the Lord God became a man verse 3, he didn't become the son of God verse 4-he was the son of God became a man.

v5

The source of grace and Apostleship is through Jesus Christ-the son of God, but more directly so from the Father.

Apostle (messenger) is not without effect but is purposeful to bring faith that is obedience.

v6

All Christians are "called up" OF Christ Jesus.

v7

All Christians are named as the Church- it is a plural term that does not exist as a singular term in the NT.

All Christians are named the Saints-- it is a plural term that does not exist as a singular term in the NT.

v8

Paul's thankfulness is through Jesus, Paul recognises those in Rome to be from God.

Faith is confirmed to be something that can be judged and admired.

v9

I suppose here that Paul is playing on a reality of the Christian life to convey his heart to them and his heart to them for God.

This reality being; were you to travel to a continent at the other side of the world and meet Christians there,

you would find a common experience between yourselves and God.

v10

Paul practices what he preaches and merely requests of God in recognition of himself as a Servant/Slave.

v11

Paul pours out his heart of love for them and he wants to GIVE as is the nature and expression of Godly love, note that this love is not born of self-gratifying.

v12

How very different from the majority of Church Leaders today!

Paul continues to put himself alongside them in their experience and life with Jesus, acknowledging that they have as much to offer him as he does for them in Christ Jesus.

v13

After verses 11 and 12, the Christians at Rome would properly envisage that Paul was coming over to love them to death! Also that he didn't consider himself "above" them, however in this verse Paul defines his purpose and that being that he would be demanding of their faith and Christian Discipleship.

v14

Paul makes it clear that the demand of themselves by Paul is not of the "I AM the Pastor!” mentality, but of the debt of love.

v15

I'm coming! and I’m ready for it.

v16

I don’t mean to say that I was not ready before now or that I needed to prepare myself for Law abiding Jews, I’m not intimidated of ashamed by them because of the Gospel,

for the Gospel is the power for salvation especially the Jews!

v17

To the Jews, if something was righteous it was only by definition of it "being within the will of God."

In the OT, law abiding Jews would know the experience of having animals sacrificed for their sins on a regular basis.

This sacrificial system was the outward act of calling for God's mercy, purposed to bring in them an inner conviction of the need for God's mercy and grace.

The Gospel which is for faith in God's mercy, does not therefore contradict the OT which itself is without question HOLY.

v18 to 32

Paul continues in apprehension of the Jewish mind under the Law and with the perfect accuracy of a Pharisee,

unleashes the full moral righteousness of God revealed in the OT against ungodliness.

This would terrify Pharisee’s, just imagine if one day both of your Elders suddenly converted to Islam then after a year or two write you a letter explaining that Christianity is a lie and "ALLAH" is God, plus also they are coming over to convert you through showing you the folly of the Bible and then to show you the truth in the Qumran. unnerving eh?

If indeed Paul had been mocked by the Pharisee’s ( I’m sure he was) and said that Paul was scared of them well, at this point they would have been shaking in their sandals!

CHAPTER 2

Following on from chapter 1:18 to 32 Paul takes this judgement and puts it in the right hands- i.e. God's.

v1

Jesus points out that condemnation is sure to follow those who judge others by the Law.

v2

A theatrical statement.....I simply declare the truth of God that judges sinful men and condemns, how can I be judged for that? it’s not my judgement but God's!.

v3

Ha!, you answered your own question!! how can the guilty become a judge.

v4

The proper function of God's revealed truth/morality is to lead all to repentance, which is not without patience-great patience! in reflection this condemns handling of God's truth in any other way.

Just look at the greater and inclusive aspects of how God judges.

v5

It is in accordance with your own selfish desires that you judge, but God's truth judges you also.

The day is coming for your judgement and in that day you will truly understand God's judgment on sin by means of your punishment and a "revelation" of God's righteous judgement that you do not perceive now.

v6

That's everyone! not just Jews.

v7 to v10

God will judge with the morality of his Law, those, who rejected repentance which was the purpose of the Law.

v11

God does not recognise any nation to be in it's right to judge.

v12

Gentiles will be judged, but not through the written Law like the Jews.

v13

If Jews obey the Law which itself commands repentance and faith in God's mercy then they will be justified however those who knew the Law but didn’t obey the commandments-repentance and faith-would find themselves condemned by the same Law.

v14

Today, some believe that "God" is in everyone, but he is not.

People mistake the characteristics retained in mankind which are Godlike-to be God.

Others regard "instinct" not to be the morality of God written upon the heart, but a nature "thingy."

Regardless of this, mankind lives a life with personal justice constantly judging one another, it is with this personal Law within themselves that God holds Gentiles accountable and will judge them with.

v15

Here the judgment upon themselves.

v16

If it wasn’t enough that God would judge the deeds of mankind it goes further to include the hidden thoughts and desires i.e. coveting, lust.

v17

Back again with the Jews, Paul states the hope of salvation for the Jew under the Law.

v18 to 23

Paul now lays out the typical mentality of the Pharisee and turns the same mentality (assumed as God's) in unto themselves.

v24

BLAM!!

The Jews in taking it upon themselves and preaching the Law of God had become judges of men, however it is the judgement of Gentiles based on the acting out of the Law by the Jews that led the Gentiles to blaspheme God.

We can see this situation all over again today! with the Church, particularly in America with "revivalists" and their "puppet" Holy Spirit which supposedly pops down from Heaven at the beck and call of any famous (infamous) leader.

This "puppet" Holy Spirit, then (at the direction of the leader) causes people to bark like dogs, throw themselves across the room, laugh (hysterically) unnervingly, run on the spot, jump on the spot, keel over onto the floor enduring themselves, shake furiously, scream like an animal caught in a mantrap, jolt spasmodically proclaiming that the Holy Spirit is poking them.

No wonder non-Christians walk into these meetings then walk straight back out mocking the name of Jesus, blaspheming God-who is

MOST HOLY AND FOREVER TO BE PRAISED.

(ed)

Revival by definition; is to bring something that was alive back to life.

Non-Christians are born dead and are dead, there is no possible reviving to be done but a new creation, is it any surprise then that Biblical revival is the repentance of back slidden believers?

If you visit an institution for mentally deranged people, in one day you will notice the common practices of the patient’s are not dissimilar to a rival meeting today.

(Of course I believe in the gift’s of the Holy Spirit-in holiness)

v25

Following on from verse 17, Paul points out that the other hope of the Jew which was the sign of circumcision,

was just another Law with the other 900 odd that already exist.

v26 to 27

Paul reasons out the hope of salvation from circumcision with logic, non-circumcision and the Law.

v28

Paul, properly defines by revelation of the truth of the Law-a Jew.

v29

Paul denounces the previous definition by discrediting the OT idea of a Jew in that he introduces a new concept "spirit" into the categorisation.

Chapter 3

The Jews as a nation continue to be a part of God's plan, the evidence is Paul (having denounced them as the Jews of God) continues to speak of them as the Jews of God.

v1 to 2

Paul makes clear again their identity and privileges of God as a nation, Paul's intention is not to discard the Jewish nation but to establish them correctly,

hat being in perspective with God.

This is the fault of the Jews who had made a mess of their image as God's people- like the Church today!

v2 to8

It is not possible to break the Law if there is no Law, faithfulness to the Law works the same way-that's just logic!

God chose men to receive and write down his Law, as indeed they received they wrote,- thus not having the opportunity to break what they received as they wrote,

the Law was pure and unhindered.

The Law is proved to be correct for e.g where it says that man is a liar, if then a man lie's then the Law is correct and the Law condemns the man.

The Holiness of the Law is evident.

Truth

v9

Paul now outlines the condemnation of the entire world.

v10 to18

Here is the evidence of the righteousness and holiness of the OT Law and how it judges and condemns man as sinful.

v19

Why the Law then, what good does it do anyone! it was given to bring humility through guilt.

v20

and how? by bringing the knowledge of sinfulness.

v21

New Jew-New righteousness

OT righteousness-morality

NT righteousness-positional

v22

This new righteousness is of faith but faith in Christ Jesus, it & he is free to all.

v23

Here is an example of God's justice, mankind failed to meet the standards of the Law so God came and succeeded where they had failed and took the punishment for their failure, upon himself.

If you have to pay a fine but struggle to meet the payments then Bailiffs will come and knock on your door at which point YOU KNOW it's all over!

The appearance of Christ on the doorstep of the world means the end of salvation by good works.

v24

again God's justice, the Bailiffs knock on your door, come in, look around your home, and then give you the money to pay your fine!

v25

The penalty to pay is God's wrath against the sin of mankind, Jesus the Christ is the propitiation for that wrath,

in other words Jesus took the wrath upon himself so that you would go free.

This provision from God is also righteousness from God, it was featured in the OT with sacrifices offered for sins and is again here with Jesus "The Lamb of God."

v26

The appearing of Jesus the Christ is a public declaration made by God to the effect of showing he alone is just and condemns and justifies.

v27

If justification is by mercy then boasting is void.....

v28

The only conclusion and final judgement is: the end of salvation by merit.

v29 to 31

Faith is the true result of living under the Law.

Chapter 4

v1

Abraham the first Jew, what did he receive from God.

v2

If it was glory by being good would he have boasted in himself? even so he wouldn’t boast before God.

v3

For Abraham trusted God and as a result was given a position of righteousness.

v4

If you work you get paid for it, it is not a gift.

v5

If you didn't work and received money for it, then that payment is a gift.

v6 to 8

King David spoke of the blessing of God which came as righteousness.

This blessing being righteousness as a gift and not payment for services rendered.

v9 to 12

A summery then Abraham was given a position of righteousness as a gift, it was given to him before circumcision and circumcision was a sign of the righteousness’ he received as a gift.

God's purpose through faith was to make Abraham the father of uncircumcised and circumcised people who received a position of righteousness through faith in God.

v13

God's promise was not made to Abraham --but "to faith" which indeed Abraham had.

v14

If God's promise was made also to those not of faith but of the Law abiders (salvation by works) then the gift or promise that comes through faith cannot be received.

v15

The Law cannot be broken if it doesn't exist.

v16

God chose "faith" knowing that faith could become "grace" through the Law.

God's promise "carried" through faith could also be carried through the Law by becoming grace.

As with Abraham.

v17

OT account of faith

Abraham believed God raised people from the dead and makes the impossible possible.

This is faith

v18

THE TWO HOPES

1, Hope as normally understood.

2, Hope to the Jewish mind was as a promise of God that was irrevocable, there was absolute certainty of fulfilment of hope regarding God.

Abraham then, fought against the normal Godless hope with the promise/hope of God.

v19

another example with Abraham showing that faith is a consistent and continuing gift, it is not a "spiritual blast" to enable one to achieve impossible things, but a status.

v20

Abraham was not distracted by the workings of God, he solely subjected his mind to God's mercy and love.

v21

God didn't need to explain "how" to Abraham, Abraham didn't need or ask for explanations.

v22

This then is faith and this faith is righteousness in God's eyes.

v24

For the Jew and the Gentile the "promises made to faith" can be ours with righteousness.

Trusting God like Abraham did, to raise people from the dead, for example "JESUS."

Who indeed was raised from the centre of the Earth (the place of the dead.)

v25

Jesus was sacrificed for sin by God his father and after justly paying the price with his own life made faith by grace--justification.

Chapter 5

v1

Unlike Abraham, we have instant justification with faith, God has peace with us through justice being done through himself.

v2

Take the verse at face value as it is perfectly stated.

Through the Law, faith became grace.

Through faith in Jesus we enter justified grace.

In grace we rejoice in the Godly hope (irrevocable) of a Godly existence.

Our standing with God is a position of grace.

To stand only is to abide in grace.

v3 to 4

The rules and experience of standing in God.

By nature of and by whatever means that it comes tribulation is opposition to your free will,

it seeks to corner you and press you down, patience is a gift from God given to sustain you.

This gift experience should be one of recognition of God's love and care for us.

This gift should be sought after.

The basis of Godly hope is God himself and patience should lead us to see that God is with us in our tribulations--that we are not alone.

v5

If God then cares for us and is evident in tribulations and personally witnessed within our hearts with the Holy Spirit then we need not feel ashamed.

v6

Look, when we were without strength to obey the righteous decrees of the Law, Jesus died for our ungodliness in love for us, so what has changed today,

God continues to be our strength and salvation.

v7

Is that not enough, well then,

you would be unlikely to find someone to die for a good person, though you might find someone only willing to risk death for an exceptionally good and kind person.

v8

but the Lord God was willing to die for us--ungodly, evil, wicked, self-seeking, self-righteous people.

A Little reminder of what Jesus went through ,or skip it to verse 9 below..red text

GETHSEMANE

After Jesus and his disciples had observed the Passover meal in an upper room in a home in southwest Jerusalem, they travelled to the Mount of Olives, northeast of the city. (Owing to various adjustments in the calendar, the years of Jesus' birth and death remain controversial.

However, it is likely that Jesus was born in either 4 or 6 BC and died in 30 AD.

During the Passover observance in 30 AD, the Last Supper would have been observed on Thursday, Jesus left Upper Room and walked with disciples to Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane, where he was arrested and taken first to Annas and then to Caiaphas.

After first trial before political Sanhedrin at Caiaphas' residence, Jesus was tried again before religious Sanhedrin, probably at Temple Next, he was taken to Pontius Pilate, who sent him to Herod Antipas. Herod returned Jesus to Pilate, and Pilate finally handed over Jesus for scourging at Fortress of Antonia and for crucifixion at Golgotha.

April 6], and Jesus would have been crucified on Friday, April 7

At nearby Gethsemane, Jesus, apparently knowing that the time of his death was near, suffered great mental anguish, and, as described by the physician Luke, his sweat became like blood.'

Although this is a very rare phenomenon, bloody sweat (hematidrosis or hemohidrosis) may occur in highly emotional states or in persons with bleeding disorders.

As a result of haemorrhage into the sweat glands, the skin becomes fragile and tender.Luke's description supports the diagnosis of hematidrosis rather than eccrine chromidrosis (brown or yellow-green sweat) or stigmatisation (blood oozing from the palms or elsewhere).

Although some authors have suggested that hematidrosis produced hypovolemia, we agree with Bucklin that Jesus' actual blood loss probably was minimal.

However, in the cold night air, it may have produced chills.

TRIALS

Jewish Trials

Soon after midnight, Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane by the temple officials and was taken first to Annas and then to Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest for that year. Between 1 AM and daybreak, Jesus was tried before Caiaphas and the political Sanhedrin and was found guilty of blasphemy.

The guards then blindfolded Jesus, spat on him, and struck him in the face with their fists.

Soon after daybreak, presumably at the temple, Jesus was tried before the religious Sanhedrin (with the Pharisees and the Sadducees) and again was found guilty of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death.

Roman Trials

Since permission for an execution had to come from the governing Romans Jesus was taken early in the morning by the temple officials to the Praetorian of the Fortress of Antonia, the residence and governmental seat of Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea. However, Jesus was presented to Pilate not as a blasphemer but rather as a self-appointed king who would undermine the Roman authority.

Pilate made no charges against Jesus and sent him to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Judea. Herod likewise made no official charges and then returned Jesus to Pilate again, Pilate could find no basis for a legal charge against Jesus, but the people persistently demanded crucifixions Pilate finally granted their demand and handed over Jesus to be flogged (scourged) and crucified.

The rigors of Jesus' ministry (that is, travelling by foot throughout Palestine) would have precluded any major physical illness or a weak general constitution.

Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus was in good physical condition before his walk to Gethsemane.

However, during the 12 hours between 9 PM Thursday and 9 AM Friday, he had suffered great emotional stress (as, evidenced by hematidrosis), abandonment by his closest friends (the disciples), and a physical beating (after the first Jewish trial). Also, in the setting of a traumatic and sleepless night, he had been forced to walk more than 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to and from the sites of the various trials. These physical and emotional factors may have rendered Jesus particularly vulnerable to the adverse hemodynamic effects of the scourging.

SCOURGING

Scourging. Short whip (flagrum) with lead balls and sheep bones tied into leather thongs.

Naked victim tied to flogging post.

Deep stripelike lacerations were usually associated with considerable blood lictors. Right, Inferomedial direction of wounds.

Scourging Practices

Flogging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution, and only women and Roman senators or soldiers (except in eases of desertion) were exempt.

The usual instrument was a short whip (flagellum or flagellum) with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals Occasionally, staves also were used.

For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post.

The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or by one who alternated positions.

The severity of the scourging depended on the disposition of the lictors and was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death.

After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim.

Medical Aspects of Scourging

As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim's back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and Subcutaneous tissues.

Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.

Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock.

The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross.

Scourging of Jesus

At the Praetorian, Jesus was severely whipped. (Although the severity of the scourging is not discussed in the four gospel accounts, it is implied in one of the epistles [1 Peter 2:24]. A detailed word study of the ancient Greek text for this verse indicates that the scourging of Jesus was particularly harsh.)

It is not known whether the number of lashes was limited to 39, in accordance with Jewish law.

The Roman soldiers, amused that this weakened man had claimed to be a king, began to mock him by placing arobe on his shoulders, a crown of thorns on his head, and a wooden staff as a sceptre in his right hand. Next, they spat on Jesus and struck him on the head with the wooden staff. Moreover, when the soldiers tore the robe from Jesus' back, they probably reopened the scourging wounds.

The severe scourging, with its intense pain and appreciable blood loss, most probably left Jesus in a pre-shock state.

Moreover, hematidrosis had rendered his skin particularly tender. The physical and mental abuse meted out by the Jews and the Romans, as well as the lack of food, water, and sleep, also contributed to his generally weakened state.

Therefore, even before the actual crucifixion, Jesus' physical condition was at least serious and possibly critical.

CRUCIFIXION

Cross and titulus. victim carrying crossbar (patibulum) to site of upright post (stipes).

Low Tau cross (crux commissa), commonly used by Romans at time of Christ.

Rendition of Jesus' titulus with name and crime Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

Variations in Crosses Used for Crucifixion

Latin Designation Characteristics

lnfelix lignum

Tree

Crux simplex,

Upright post

Crux humilis

Low cross

Crux composita

Stipes and patibulum

Crucifixion Practices

Crucifixion probably first began among the Persians.

Alexander the Great introduced the practice to Egypt and Carthage, and the Romans appear to have learned of it from the Carthaginians. Although the Romans did not invent crucifixions they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering. it was one of the most disgraceful and cruel methods of execution and usually was reserved only for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, and the vilest of criminals. Roman law usually protected Roman citizens from crucifixion except perhaps in the ease of desertion by soldiers.

In its earliest form in Persia, the victim was either tied to a tree or was tied to or impaled on an upright post, usually to keep the guilty victim's feet from touching holy ground only later was a true cross used; it was characterized by an upright post (stipes) and a horizontal crossbar (patibulum), and it had several variations. although archaeological and historical evidence strongly indicates that the low Tau cross was preferred by the Romans in Palestine at the time of Christ crucifixion practices often varied in a given geographic region and in accordance with the imagination of the executioners, and the Latin cross and other forms also may have been used.

Nailing of wrists.

Location of nail in wrist, between carpals and radius.

Cross section of wrist, at level of plane indicated at left, showing path of nail, with probable transection of median nerve and impalement of flexor pollicis longus, but without injury to major arterial trunks and without fractures of bones.

It was customary for the condemned man to carry his own cross from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion outside the city walls.

He was usually naked, unless this was prohibited by local customs. since the weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 lb. (136 kg), only the crossbar was carried.

The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb. (34 to 57 kg), was placed across the nape of the victim's neck and balanced along both shoulders.

Usually, the outstretched arms then were tied to the crossbar.

The processional to the site of crucifixion was led by a complete Roman military guard, headed by a centurion.

One of the soldiers carried a sign (titulus) on which the condemned man's name and crime were displayed.

Later, the titulus would be attached to the top of the cross.

The Roman guard would not leave the victim until they were sure of his death.

Outside the city walls was permanently located the heavy upright wooden stipes, on which the patibulum would be secured. In the case of the Tau cross, this was accomplished by means of a mortise and tenon joint, with or without reinforcement by ropes. to prolong the crucifixion process, a horizontal wooden block

or plank, serving as a crude seat (sedile or sedulum), often was attached midway down the stipes only very rarely, and probably later than the time of Christ, was an additional block (suppedaneum) employed for transfixion of the feet.

At the site of execution, by law, the victim was given a bitter drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) as a mild analgesic .

The criminal was then thrown to the ground on his back, with his arms outstretched along the patibulum.

The hands could be nailed or tied to the crossbar, but nailing apparently was preferred by the Romans..

The archaeological remains of a crucified body, found in an ossuary near Jerusalem and dating from the time of Christ, indicate that the nails were tapered iron spikes approximately 5 to 7 in (13 to 18 cm) long with a square shaft 3/8 in (1 cm) across.

Furthermore, ossuary findings and the Shroud of Turin have documented that the nails commonly were driven through the wrists rather than the palms After both arms were fixed to the crossbar, the patibulum and the victim, together, were lifted onto the stipes.

On the low cross, four soldiers could accomplish this relatively easily. However, on the tall cross, the soldiers used either wooden forks or ladders.

Next, the feet were fixed to the cross, either by nails or ropes. Ossuary findings and the Shroud of Turin suggest that nailing was the preferred Roman practice.

Although the feet could be fixed to the sides of the stipes or to a wooden footrest (suppedaneum), they usually were nailed directly to the front of the stipes to accomplish this, flexion of the knees may have been quite prominent, and the bent legs may have been rotated laterally Nailing of feet.

Position of feet atop one another and against stipes. Upper right, Location of nail in second intermetatarsal space.

When the nailing was completed, the titulus was attached to the cross, by nails or cords, just above the victim's head.

The soldiers and the civilian crowd often taunted and jeered the condemned man, and the soldiers customarily divided up his clothes among themselves, The length of survival generally ranged from three or four hours to three or four days and appears to have been inversely related to the severity of the scourging.

However, even if the scourging had been relatively mild, the Roman soldiers could hasten death by breaking the legs below the knees (erurifragium or skelokopia).

Not uncommonly, insects would light upon or burrow into the open wounds or the eyes, ears, and nose of the dying and helpless victim, and birds of prey would tear at these sites.

Moreover, it was customary to leave the corpse on the cross to be devoured by predatory animals.

However, by Roman law, the family of the condemned could take the body for burial, after obtaining permission from the Roman judge.

Since no one was intended to survive crucifixions the body was not released to the family until the soldiers were sure that the victim was dead. By custom, one of the Roman guards would pierce the body with a sword or lance.

Traditionally, this had been considered a spear wound to the heart through the right side of the chest -- a fatal wound probably taught to most Roman soldiers.

The Shroud of Turin documents this form of injury. Moreover, the standard infantry spear, which was 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m) long,lø could easily have reached the chest of a man crucified on the customary low cross

Medical Aspects of Crucifixion

With a knowledge of both anatomy and ancient crucifixion practices, one may reconstruct the probable medical aspects of this form of slow execution.

Each wound apparently was intended to produce intense agony, and the contributing causes of death were numerous.

The scourging prior to crucifixion served to weaken the condemned man and, if blood loss was considerable, to produce orthostatie hypotension and even hypovolemie shock.

When the victim was thrown to the ground on his back, in preparation for transfixion of the hands, his scourging wounds most likely would become torn open again and contaminated with dirt.

Furthermore, with each respiration, the painful scourging wounds would be scraped against the rough wood of the stipes.

As a result, blood loss from the back probably would continue throughout the crucifixion ordeal.

With arms outstretched but not taut, the wrists were nailed to the patibulum.

It has been shown that the ligaments and bones of the wrist can support the weight of a body hanging from them, but the palms cannot.

Accordingly, the iron spikes probably were driven between the radius and the carpals or between the two rows of carpal bones, either proximal to or through the strong band like flexor retinaeulum and the various interearpal ligaments.

Although a nail in either location in the wrist might pass between the bony elements and thereby produce no fractures, the likelihood of painful periosteal injury would seem great.

Furthermore, the driven nail would crush or sever the rather large sensorimotor median nerve.

The stimulated nerve would produce excruciating bolts of fiery pain in both arms.

Although the severed median nerve would result in paralysis of a portion of the hand, isehemie eontraetures and impalement of various ligaments by the iron spike might produce a claw like grasp.

Respirations during crucifixion.

Inhalation. With elbows extended and shoulders abducted, respiratory

muscles of inhalation are passively stretched and thorax is expanded. Right, Exhalation.

With elbows flexed and shoulders adducted and with weight of body on nailed feet,

exhalation is accomplished as active, rather than passive, process. Breaking legs below

knees would place burden of exhalation on shoulder and arm muscles alone and soon would

result in exhaustion asphyxia.

Most commonly, the feet were fixed to the front of the stipes by means of an iron spike

driven through the first or second intermetatarsal space, just distal to the

tarsometatarsal joint. It is likely that the deep peroneal nerve and branches of the

medial and lateral plantar nerves would have been injured by the nails.

Although scourging may have resulted in considerable blood loss, crucifixion per

se was a relatively bloodless procedure, since no major arteries, other than perhaps the

deep plantar arch, pass through the favored anatomic sites of transfixion.

The major pathophysiologic effect of crucifixion, beyond the excruciating pain, was a

marked interference with normal respiration, particularly exhalation.

The weight of the body, pulling down on the outstretched arms and shoulders, would

tend to fix the intercostal muscles in an inhalation state and thereby hinder passive

exhalation. Accordingly, exhalation was primarily diaphragmatic, and breathing

was shallow. It is likely that this form of respiration would not suffice and that

hypercarbia would soon result. The onset of muscle cramps or tetanic contractions, due to

fatigue and hypercarbia, would hinder respiration even further.

Adequate exhalation required lifting the body by pushing up on the feet and by flexing

the elbows and adducting the shoulders.

However, this manoeuvre would place the entire weight of the body on the tarsals and would produce

searing pain. Furthermore, flexion of the elbows would cause rotation of the

wrists about the iron nails and cause fiery pain along the damaged median nerves.

Lifting of the body would also painfully scrape the scourged back against the rough wooden

stipes. Muscle cramps and paresthesias of the outstretched and uplifted

arms would add to the discomfort. As a result, each respiratory effort would become agonizing and

tiring and lead eventually to asphyxia.

The actual cause of death by crucifixion was multifactorial and varied somewhat with

each ease, but the two most prominent causes probably were hypovolemie shock and

exhaustion asphyxia.

Other possible contributing factors included dehydration, stress-induced

arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure with the rapid accumulation of

pericardial and perhaps pleural effusions.

Crucifracture (breaking the legs below the knees), if performed, led to an asphyxic death

within minutes. Death by crucifixion was, in every sense of the word, excruciating

(Latin, excruciatus, or ...out of the cross.

Crucifixion of Jesus

After the scourging and the mocking, at about 9 AM, the Roman soldiers put Jesus'

clothes back on him and then led him and two thieves to be crucified.1 Jesus apparently was

so weakened by the severe flogging that he could not carry the patibulum from the

Praetorian to the site of crucifixion one third of a mile (600 to 650 m) away.

Simon of Cyrene was summoned to carry Christ's cross, and the

processional then made its way to Golgotha (or Calvary), an established crucifixion site.

Here, Jesus' clothes, except for a linen loincloth, again were removed, thereby

probably reopening the scourging wounds. He then was offered a drink of wine mixed with

myrrh (gall) but, after tasting it, refused the drink. Finally, Jesus and

the two thieves were crucified. Although scriptural references are made to nails in the

hands, these are not at odds with the archaeological evidence of wrist

wounds, since the ancients customarily considered the wrist to be a part of the hand.

The titulus (Fig 3) was attached above Jesus' head.

It is unclear whether Jesus was crucified on the Tau cross or the Latin cross;

archaeological findings favour the former and early tradition the latter.

The fact that Jesus later was offered a drink of wine vinegar from a sponge placed on the

stalk of the hyssop plant1 (approximately 20 in, or 50 em, long) strongly supports the belief

that Jesus was crucified on the short cross.

The soldiers and the civilian crowd taunted Jesus throughout the crucifixion ordeal,

and the soldiers east lots for his clothing. Christ spoke seven times from the

cross.' Since speech occurs during exhalation, these short, terse utterances must have

been particularly difficult and painful. At about 3 PM that Friday, Jesus cried out in a

loud voice, bowed his head, and died. The Roman soldiers and onlookers recognized his moment of death.

Since the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the crosses after sunset, the

beginning of the Sabbath, they asked Pontius Pilate to order erueifraeture to hasten the

deaths of the three crucified men.1 The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but when they came

to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Rather, one of the

soldiers pierced his side, probably with an infantry spear, and produced a sudden flow of

blood and water. Later that day, Jesus' body was taken down from the cross and

placed in a tomb.

Spear wound to chest.

Probable path of spear. Right, Cross section of thorax, at level of plane indicated

at left, showing structures perforated by spear. LA indicates left atrium; LV, left

ventricle; RA, right atrium; RV, right ventricle.

DEATH OF JESUS

Two aspects of Jesus' death have been the source of great controversy, namely, the

nature of the wound in his side and the cause of his death after only several hours on the cross.

The gospel of John describes the piercing of Jesus' side

and emphasizes the sudden flow of blood and water. Some authors have

interpreted the flow of water to be ascites or urine, from an abdominal

midline perforation of the bladder.

However, the Greek word (plvra, or pleura) used by John clearly denoted laterality and often implied the ribs.

Therefore, it seems probable that the wound was in the thorax and

well away from the abdominal midline.

Although the side of the wound was not designated by John, it traditionally has been

depicted on the right side. Supporting this tradition is the fact that a large flow of blood

would be more likely with a perforation of the distended and thin-walled right atrium or

ventricle than the thick-walled and contracted left ventricle. Although the side of the

wound may never be established with certainty, the right seems more probable than the

left.

Some of the scepticism in accepting John's description has arisen from the difficulty

in explaining, with medical accuracy, the flow of both blood and water. Part of this

difficulty has been based on the assumption that the blood appeared first, then the water.

However, in the ancient Greek, the order of words generally denoted prominence and not

necessarily a time sequence. Therefore, it seems likely that John was emphasizing the prominence

of blood rather than its appearance preceding the water.

Therefore, the water probably represented serous pleural and pericardial fluid,

and would have preceded the flow of blood and been smaller in volume than the blood.

Perhaps in the setting of hypovolemia and impending acute heart

failure, pleural and pericardial effusions may have developed and would have added to the volume of apparent water.

The blood, in contrast, may have originated from the right atrium or the right ventricle or perhaps from a hemoperieardium.

Jesus' death after only three to six hours on the cross surprised even Pontius Pilate.'

The fact that Jesus cried out in a loud voice and then bowed his head and died suggests the possibility of a catastrophic terminal event. One popular explanation has been that Jesus died of cardiac rupture. In the setting of the scourging and crucifixions with associated hypovolemia, hyperaemia, and perhaps an altered coagulable state, friable non-infective thrombotic vegetations could have formed on the aortic or mitral valve.

These then could have dislodged and embolized into the coronary circulation and thereby produced an acute transmural myocardial infarction.

Thrombotic valvular vegetations have been reported to develop under analogous acute traumatic conditions. Rupture of the left Ventricular free wall may occur, though uncommonly, in the first few hours following infarction.

However, another explanation may be more likely. Jesus' death may have been hastened simply by his state of exhaustion and by the severity of the Scourging, with its resultant blood loss and preshock state.

The fact that he could not carry his patibulum supports this interpretation.

The actual cause of Jesus' death, like that of other crucified victims, may have been multifactorial and related primarily to hypovolemie shock, exhaustion asphyxia, and perhaps acute heart failure.

A fatal cardiac arrhythmia may have accounted for the apparent catastrophic terminal event.

Thus, it remains unsettled whether Jesus died of cardiac rupture or of cardio respiratory failure.

However, the important feature may be not how he died but rather whether he died. Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between his right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death.

Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge.

Oh, welcome back!!

v9

With such an act of love on God's part even the blood of Jesus to justify us, how can there be any question of God's wrath concerning us?

v10

Reason this out, would God now reject us having paid such an astronomical/divine price? and if he did would that not devalue the price paid.

v11

We have the joy of God within for he is there, Jesus donated his life his innocent blood for our sin, and this was acceptable in the sight of God.

v12

Why the blood of an innocent man?

one man brought sin and death into the world that is the first reason, the evidence is all men sin and all men die.

v13

OK, what about the people who died before the law, how could they sin and die for disobeying the law, how could they be held accountable if it didn't exist.

v14

Death came into the world through Adam's sin, even though Adam eventually died, sin and death remained present in the world.

Adam was a man in God's image, so was Jesus, however where Adam failed Jesus did not.

Jesus was no different to Adam in humanity before sin, if it was otherwise justice could not be conducted. EQUAL.

v15

Adam as a man, gave an unrequested gift of sin and death to mankind.

Jesus likewise brought an unrequested gift to mankind although it was not sin and death.

Adam's one single deed resulted in an unprecedented massive result.

Jesus in one single deed has equalled that result, but yet even more because the result is that not all are born to condemnation through sin finishing in death.

v16

Don't make to close a parallel between the two, the free gift was only "partly" received and given a place in the human heart by the law.

Salvation in nature of itself is unlike automatic condemnation passed on by Adam, salvation requires activation in the heart.

In other words salvation is not passed on to mankind like sin and death is.

v17

Death reigned over man through Adam's disobedience.

Life reigns over us through Christ's obedience.

v18

Again the parallel line between the result of Adam and Jesus Christ

v19

Verse 17

v20

The Law gave sin SOIL to flourish, the Law also brought SOIL for grace/faith.

v21

Sin has ABSOLUTE DOMINION over man to the degree of killing him,

grace could reign likewise over man to the point of recreating him new out of death through the Lord God Jesus Christ.

Chapter 6

So what have we learnt from Chapter 5 ?

Well in a nutshell, that our sins are no longer counted against us through Jesus settling the whole matter himself.

Chapter 6

Verse 1 is so perfectly stated that I can’t really explain more.

It is a wonderful verse though, for were we to continue to sin grace would abound all the more.

Naturally questions can arise from an honest point of view and a sceptic regarding the complete freedom from sin, death and the wrath of God for sin.

The honest point being ” we can sin without conscience?”

The sceptics point “do what ever you like cos Jesus just loves you, yeah right!

Verse 2

BY NO MEANS !

The concept of death for Paul meant gain, for freedom from sin and death and the Law.

As to the nature of this death see next verses.

Paul insists that we have died and as a result of this not only are we free from sin and the judgement for it, but also to not live as if we were still alive and hadn’t died.

For if we died and also to the principles of the world through death, how can we continue in them?

“its like a corpse playing tennis.”- I copyright that…..

Verses 3 to 4

The meaning of a Baptism.

Many "Leaders" of Church's today, feel that it is their exclusive right, to Baptize a believer, yet in the Bible there is no ordination of "Eldership Baptism,"

this can only mean one thing and that being any Christian can baptize a believer.

Also, it is said in scripture that a sinner must confess and be baptized, so this begs the question--- how can a baby comply ?

Infant baptism is a farce for, how can a baby believe, confess, and request baptism ?

It cant, and therefore is not accountable to such requirements.

Generally, baptism is a joyful celebration, like an initiation ceremony into a various group but this is not the Spirit in which baptism should be taken, why is that you ask ?

Well, although many believe the word baptism means "to dip" or "to dunk" it actually doesn't.

What it does mean is "to immerse" and this word would be commonly used when explaining of people being drowned or maybe a shipwreck.

Baptism is death.

We tend to think of water as a cleansing agent, we think Holy water cleanses us from sin, but only death sets us apart from the presence of sin, and immersion in water is symbolic of a death that sets us free.

Question, the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' cloak and was healed, was she healed by her faith in God or by the Spiritual power induced cloak of Jesus ?

Answer ; is by her faith in God for Jesus said your faith has made you well.

Where then does the idea of relics or objects being possessed with Holy power come from ? not the teaching of the Bible that is for sure !

Bye bye Holy Water.......

Death by chocolate, death by fire, death by ticked to, death by crucifixion, death by murder death by electric chair, death by immersion in water (drowned.)

The law of sin and death has power over those who live, but to those who are dead, it has no power.

Baptism is not a "cleansing liquid" in the Bible only Jesus' blood cleanses.

Our baptism= to be swallowed up in Jesus' death and not the death that comes as a result of sin,

death is still death nethertheless and so we see freedom from the law of sin and death and the wrath of God by participating in Christ's death.

As for Jesus' resurrection life which is a life that he lives to the Father, so also we have a resurrection existence to live to serve God.

Jesus did die in sin (our sin) and was resurrected without sin.(Having died)

V5

From verse 4 regarding resurrection life, Paul pictures a seed which having been planted dies, then becomes a new life .

A seed is the old life, being a result of a dead plant, the plant being the result of resurrection from dead seed.

V6 to 7

Sin, previously having ABSOLUTE DOMIMINION over mankind “in effect” had the world as a body/Church.

For ourselves once being members of that body/Church of sin, have been dismembered or cut off through sharing in Jesus’ crucifixion.

V8

Once again, when a seed dies there simply is a result it is unavoidable.

V9

Yes indeed if you are dead- you are dead so it is the same with sin-it is dead.

V10

But that doesn’t mean that you are now unable to sin. Sorry.

V11

So regard the Lord God Jesus Christ and follow his example in your new life.

V12

From verse 1 the answer.

V13

Serve God.

V14

Regarding God, sin is finished with you, it is as if it not longer exists because of grace.

V15

From verse 1-the answer again.

V16

You wages as a servant of sin was death, your wages as a (servant by grace as a gift) of God is God’s character.

V17

You cannot be the servant of sin because sin brings death-but you are already dead,

So how can you be a servant of sin?

V18

What you are (whether you like it or not) is a slave of God and there is nothing you can do about it.

V19

If you cant understand the spiritual truth in this then understand it simply, you gave your body as a slave to be a servant of sin,

now don’t! serve God with your body.

V20

Before you were slaves of sin and by defintion you couldn’t be a slave of righteousness.

V21

Now you are ashamed of what you gained from that life of service and indeed death was your wages.

V22

All you can do now is serve God because you are owned by him, your end is eternal life with him.

V23

You want sin? Then you desire death! But you have life as a gift from God.

(ed) Halllelujah.

Chapter 7

Verses 1 to 6 you don't need me to explain again do you ?

Verse 7

V1

To the Jewish believers.

As with sin- the Law has ABSOLUTE DOMINION over those under it for as long as they live.

V2 & 3

An example.

V4

If indeed you were married to the Law but the Law died, then you would be free to marry another-Jesus?

If you died you would no longer be married to the Law but free to marry another-Jesus-if indeed you were raised from the dead (born again)

V5

WOW WHAT A VERSE

Sin (being bound by the Law) was forced to constuct the sinner into Gods judgment.

Sin was given the opportunity to florish nito all kinds of wickedness by given opportunity of the Law,

But the result of this opportunity was for sin to have freedom to express itself in every manor of disobedience was a trap.

It was a trap because then sin could only have freedom and power within the confines of the Law that it so heartly disobeyed.

Sin therefore (having ABSOLUTE DOMINION over mankind) was DOMINATED ABSOLUTLY….by the Law.

The wages of sin which is death was the judgement of the Law and not of sin.

V6

As a result of the above verse we are not dead to sin DIRECTLY but INDIRECTLY by being dead to the Law.

V7

Paul now begins to explain how sin flourished through the Law but at the same time being careful to ensure the “Hoiliness” of the Law first.

Verse 8 to 13

Let's pop back to the people who lived after Adam and Eve, and before the law.

We saw that death reigned in their mortal bodies because of Adam sin, but for them there is the problem that sin is non-deductible.

why ? Because sin was not accountable until it was manifested in/into disobedience.

So how does sin become manifest so as to become accountable ?

By God giving sin the opportunity through the law, to revive from a dormant position.

God said to Adam here is one law :

Don't eat from the tree of life dude ! (The new Lee Bible version)

and so sin finding the opportunitybroke that Law and revived.

Now after Adam ate, he was expelled from the garden. so how now, can sin seize an opportunity to disobey ? It can’t, for nobody can get back into the garden to eat from the tree.

So God wishing to set man free from sin introduces not just one law but over 900 of them, and sin exploded into all manifestations of disobedience and then into perfect accountability.

Chapter 7

verses 14 to 25

Many Bible commentators like to put a structure around this and the proceeding verses, and say that Paul is talking about his life presently, I have no problem with creating an encompassing frame work to help understand what the Bible teaches, but not getting the Bible to encompass their frame work.

with this in mind let's have no opinions and just understand the Bible as it teaches us.

In the preceding chapters we saw that righteousness was obtainable by two means.

One was through obeying the law and the other by faith in Gods provision of a sacrifice for one's disobedience to the law.

However you will remember that the righteousness of the law was proved to be unobtainable by man, but the righteousness that came by faith was obtainable but only by means of "faith" in God.

So we have positional righteousness from God and not dispositional righteousness of the law.

FOR WE KNOW THAT THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL , BUT I AM OF THE FLESH.

We saw earlier that Adam was made in Gods image, he was spiritual and had perfect love with God.

Adams image changed catastrophically when he sinned, no longer having that perfect love as God had created in him he became finite instead of Gods infinity, and his spirit died within so as his oneness with God died, which left him with only his desires (desires of the flesh) no spirit.

For Adam, previous to his disobedience he did as he wished,to serve God was a desire of his own, there were no chores to do as some understand chores to be, this also means that Adam was not a slave to righteousness, for God is God, and Adam his image.

We however were conceived and born in sin resulting in slavery.

Though we might desire to do Gods will we find the opposite in action, maybe not all the time but enough to know something has mastery over our will at times. This is a clear point of experience in life.

Sin has a definite controlling authority in our lives.

In a nutshell, Paul is talking about his pre-Christian life under the law, his experience was one of wishing to live in obedience to the law, which he considered as good, yet unable to do so due to the irresistible urge and obedience to do evil.

Aware of this vicious circle he sees deliverance from his desires,to be God, through Jesus Christ, this also serves to prove the point that the law was good and the fault of sin and death abided with him.

Chapter 8

verse 1

Regarding "condemnation."

In England we tend to think of condemnation as someone standing in the dock listening to their list of crimes with a real bad guilty feeling, but this word is more meant towards the actual punishment that follows e.g., "you are condemned to life imprisonment" or maybe "he knew he had the lethal disease, he knew he was condemned to die......"possibly the condemnation of the leper was a sure thing."

Verse 2

.

Verses 3 to 4

So Jesus took the punishment for sin that the law demanded for sin, that the purpose of the law (to bring people to repentance, and to rebirth) might be ultimately fulfilled in us.

Verses 5 to 8

Maybe Paul has thought back to chapter 7 and is just clearing up his comments regarding a righteous individual living in obedience under the law, and making the point that no such morality exists with mankind.

verses 9 to 11

This is a bit tricky for in one sense Paul is talking about our physical resurrection plus also our spiritual resurrection that happened at conversion, nethertheless the Spirit is life for us because of our positional righteousness with god, witch leads us in to dispositional righteousness.

Verse 12

Basically, the chains of slavery to sin and death are gone.......!

You are set free and there is no more cost or price upon you to pay, so then in the face of this fact, you are free in the Spirit and in Christ.

Verse 13

I have experienced death from the new life that I have received through Christ Jesus, when I sowed to the wind I reaped a whirlwind but when I sowed to the Spirit I reaped life in its fullness.

You may have known a Christian yourself, who fell away and pursued the desires of their flesh, do you remember that whereas once they full of light and love and reason yet now are in chaos with dark accusations, selfish and totally unreasonable when it comes to sacrifice ?

Verse 14

I would like to use this verse for a platform against man's religion.

Christianity is different from all the religions of the word for one important reason.

All religions teach that you can EARN your way to heaven by being a good person which in a sense is no different to being under the law.

Christianity teaches that man however religious he may be, is UNABLE TO EARN his way to Heaven and is ONLY able to get there by calling upon the mercy of God.

My next point is religion in Christianity !

Now I am referring to Christians who consider themselves disciples. (people who build their life around Jesus, not people who build Jesus around their lives.) It is a fact that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are at work in the Christian who wishes to follow but in such a way that it is none less than the work of them alone. Now some Christian’s fall into the trap of trying to live "Christ's life" themselves believing that it is their own love for God that compels them to live in obedience.

This is very dangerous, for self-righteousness has fertile ground to grow in, and defeat becomes a snare rather than deliverance from "dirty rags," so all I can really say about this is be careful for it is very subtle.

So we are led by the Spirit only !

Verse 15

Is Paul saying here, that we are not in a religion where we are enslaved by a moral code that in turn is a covenant of fear ? Obey or burn !

"Abba" meaning FATHER is a infant child's term taken from the equivalent of "Dada" or "papa" the overtones are of course a Father/Child thing.

Verse 16

I understand theoretically this verse but practically I can’t explain.

Verse 17

Paul certainly does not have material possessions in mind here for although we normally associate heirs as in succession upon a death, the Greek meaning is not this.

Heir spoken of here is of a secured object to receive later like one of Gods promises, heirs of God-God himself being our inheritance.

God truly is more wonderful than anything of the earth or in Heaven,

Lord you are more precious than silver

Lord you are more costly than gold

Lord you are more beautiful than diamonds,

And nothing that I desire

compares with you.

Truly we will be consumed completely by him and we will want for nothing.

"SUFFERING"

Did you know ........... how a pearl is formed ?

What happens is;

A single grain of sand gets trapped inside an oyster, the oyster very irritated by this releases a chemical to cover the sharp edges of the grain.

As time goes on the sand becomes a pearl which is just as irritable to the oyster but a bigger problem, so it continues to add more of the chemical to get rid of it.

Eventually the pearl is so big that the oyster gives up and becomes a host to the pearl.

So, out of the suffering of the oyster comes a beautiful pearl.

Did you know that the gates that lead in to the New Jerusalem are made of Pearl........

Verse 18

See above

Verse 19

That's us !

Verse 20

This verse is the reason why there are no Aliens on other planets.

You have Adam on planet Earth OK ?

You have Bob the Martian on planet Bloberth 30 light years away OK.

Adam sins and brings death and decay into the universe.

Bob, is subjected to death and decay through no fault of his own and God will at some point later destroy the entire universe and start again cos he don't like decay.

Question, should Bob die ? Did Jesus die for Bob ? Shall I go on..... Heh heh.

Back to the verse,

life without God is futile "let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die"

creation itself lost its divine purpose along with Adam and was subjected to futility Genesis 3 v 17, 18

However in this judgment upon Adam, it was Gods intention to bring about a solution to the universal problem of sin and decay, remember the hope of God ?

Verses 21 to 23

It appears to me that in the same way that our bodies will be raised imperishable one day, that some how through the destruction of the universe God will raise out of that a new creation-though I really don't understand how !p; As for "Groaning" we know that the Holy Spirit groans within us, and so also creation groans also.

Verses 24 to 25

I refer you back to the study I did on "Hope" earlier.

V26

Groanings that cannot be uttered, why? One groan is pretty much the same as any other groan!

Oh no my good friend oh no!!

Let me tell you a story.

One evening whilst working as a night porter in a Hotel, I was sitting on a sofa alone in the lounge as everyone was asleep in bed,

And I had nothing to do.

Although it was 2:30am to me it was 2:30pm as I slept days and worked nights.

I was listening to some music on the PA system with my eyes open ( I wasn’t asleep) when I heard singing,

distant at first but then clear as I became aware I was in the throne room of God.

My eyes are still open!

I could see the throne of God in the distance maybe 50 meters I guess, there was a bluish kinda light with a bluish sort of thin mist

that I wasn’t sure was there or not because of the distance.

I saw nobody, the throne seemed empty! But I did hear something the singing.

At first I thought it was one person, but it was so great (but not to hurt my ears) that I realised it was possibly thousands (but I thought

it was just one person because they sang in perfect unity making it hard to immediately distinquish one from many.

There was something else about the song/voice/voices, it didn’t rise up and down like people on the Earth it was a constant tone.

This was no horrendous drone as you might imagine, the voices were pure, so pure infact that it was beautiful.

Then it all faded with the sight that I saw, and I was just staring at the sofa opposite me.

Then I considered what i had seen, I understood the difference between the purity of the voices of heaven and that of us here.

SIN is the difference, it has destroyed the perfect voice of humanity and now I see the great effort made on mankinds part so as to sing in such a way that is pleasing to the hearer and bearer.

I’m not knocking the great singers of our day and history, they have most skilfully mastered the voice and can do wonderful things with it but, it is not natural and pure, and it is marred by sin-it really makes all the difference.

As a result of this I can now gauge between my imagination and a vision because I saw things I didn’t know or understand, then did.

If you see something that you could imagine how do you know if it not your imagination?

1, I always believed there was two thrones; the Fathers, and on the right the Sons—but there was only one.

I thought when I saw oh, I thought there was two! Opps

2, I couldn’t see anyone! What with all the descriptions in scripture I would have imagined someone! Please!!

3, The voices in one tone almost not really a song yet so pure because sin was not there.

4, The sound of just one voice yet many in unity.

These things were completely beyond my imagine till now!

Anyway, the groaning of the Holy Spirit besides not being marred by sin, is the voice of God.

That’s why they cant be uttered…..i reckon.

verses 27 to 39

If God is for us, who ? can overcome us !

Chapter 9

verse 1

My conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit.

Many Christians believe that their conscience is their "plum-line" for morality.

However this is a huge mistake for even our conscience is corrupt.

An example of this would be myself, now let me make this very clear I AM NOT A RACIST , but I was raised with a hatred for black people.

My girlfriend Davee is black, and I love her very much but my conscience condemns me for being with her because I was raised to believe black people are scum.

So I find then that I have to go against my conscience, which is corrupt, and forsake it for the Bible, that is the "plum-line" for morality.

This is just one example of how the conscience can be corrupt, so for a "plum-line" we need a pure source.

So we today need the Holy Spirit to be our conscience just like Paul did, for we can only please God in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

This is quite odd ! Yet not quite so odd, but odd enough for me to comment that I think it is odd - which is a little odd, but not odd if you knew I was a little odd anyhow - odd as that might seem, but not if you yourself are odd, which would be odd, it nethertheless seems odd that Paul was speaking here as if to insinuate that he was only speaking his heart and not by the Holy Spirit, whilst yet being mindful of the Holy Spirit and Christ present with him as spoke these words.

Verse 2 to 5 is the outpouring of his hearts burden as a Jew.

Verses 6 to 29

It has to be said that though Abraham's children and true Israelites didn't necessarily belong to Israel or Abraham but is just a term for Gods chosen, God nethertheless did and still does see Israel the nation as his own and will return one day only when they say "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" so Gods plan for Israel has not finished yet !!!!

For "predestination" see study 2

Verse 30

This is the end conclusion of religion and the law and Faith.

Chapter 10

verse 1

There are many costs to the person who wishes to follow Jesus.

the nature of love or indeed "Jesus" to be distinctive.

Is never without sacrifice, the very working of God's power is an act of sacrifice which is always born out from love.

Recently I have been blessed with a short ministry to some Christians.

the consequences for them have resulted in blessing however for me I have had to pay a price for this.

The enemy has been quite annoyed with God's working in my life and so have been attacking me through people and situations.

As I pondered over this situation I found the realization of Jesus paying a price for our freedom, and I also wondered if this was what is meant when the Bible speaks of carrying our cross, unmindful of this, there is a price to pay nethertheless.

How wonderful is the sacrifice of my brother/sisters for me, their love is not a matter of words, but deeds of sacrifice !

How great must our Fathers joy be when he sees his character in his children.

Love is like an empty cup, without sacrifice it remains empty.

Every requirement of the Bible is born from love, so let any obedience be born likewise, otherwise it is like salt that has lost it's flavour.

Chapter 10

verses 1 to 3

Paul is now speaking about them (the Jews)

but to the gentile Church, he is speaking from the "practicing law perspective" as he himself once did and he says regarding Israel ; they have great zeal for the commands of God however their zeal is misplaced, for the righteousness of God is positional and not dispositional-- but mistakenly they had sought to establish dispositional.

There is an important point to see in this and that being that one can be Zealous for God whilst yet being Zealous for something that could be wrong.

JOHN 16:1 TO 3 remember Paul said "my conscience confirms it by the......

So consequently they did not submit to Gods righteousness though they were zealous for god.

We also can make the same mistake not regarding salvation

so we should remain open minded to be wrong and humble enough to change.

Verse 4

With the appearance of Jesus and his sacrifice and punishment for the sins of the word we see a statement made by God.

THE LAW IS FINISHED, FOR DISPOSITIONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS FAILED 1

Verse 5

Paul now says that if some were true to the law and zealous in that way then they would have seen that their life did not compare to its standards and they would have seen the necessity for faith.

verses 6 to 7

What is the requirement and nature of positional righteousness of God ?

It is not like the law which was physically impossible to follow-this is why Paul uses a physical analogy,it is a physical possibility that man can obey.

(my yoke is easy, and my burden is light)

Also we see in this verse that positional righteousness sticks to Jesus' death and resurrection like glue !

Verses 8 to 10

Simply the burden/nature/requirement that any man can do.

Verses 11 to 13

Isaiah 28:16

all people are offered to take this faith regardless of nationality.

Verses 14 to 21

I only need comment on verse 15

In Paul's day they didn't have transport as such, and the messengers travelled by foot, now after a couple of miles those feet would be smelly and dirty yet those same feet would be beautiful to the recipient of the good news of the messenger.

Chapter 11

Verses 1 to 12

Israel is not completely out of the picture.

Verses 13 to 15

Paul sea's his ministry as a part of Gods divine plan to gather Israel under his wing once again, and Paul is very happy to be a part of this for he loves them.

Verses 16 to 36

Anti-Semitism BY NO MEANS !

Chapter 12

Verse 1

Quoted from "Morris " (From The epistle to the Romans page 434)

Many translators do as the NIV and speak of living sacrifices,

qualifying with holy and pleasing to God, but the Greek speaks of a sacrifice and follows the word with three qualifiers ; in other words, living, is not separated from holy andpleasing to God.

Living marks a difference from the general run of sacrifices.

It is true that animal victims were living when they were brought to the alter, (a dead animal could not be brought for sacrifice), but as offered they were dead.

Paul can speak of dying to sin (6:2), but his emphasis is on the glorious life they now live with Christ (6:8); they are "alive from the dead" (6:13)

As offered they are alive.

The sacrifice of which Paul writes demands not the destruction but the full energy of life.

it is positive and dynamic.

This sacrifice is also holy which we understand as "consecrated" (Moffat) or "dedicated" (NEB).

It is given over entirely to God ; the believer is his alone.

Further, it is pleasing to God.UNQUOTE.

From this verse we learn then that God regards us as pleasing acceptable sacrifices and that we should consider out of this knowledge to offer ourselves as "instruments of God".

This is also another reference to us sharing in Jesus' death and resurrection.

Verse 2

have you heard the saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do ?".

what this means is, that whatever country you are in, you should conform to their culture/language etc.

We have left the world and are on a pilgrimage if you like to Heaven, but for us we haven't left our own land as of yet and furthermore we are Ambassadors of Heaven to this land.

Paul is saying then; that we should not conform to the world and it's culture and ways but that we should conform to the new place where we are going which we learn about through the Bible and the Holy Spirit.

There is also the matter of God being our King, we are answerable to him, the ways of the world are not good, acceptable and perfect and he does not expect us to live to those bad, unacceptable and imperfect ways of the world.

Chapter 12

Verse 3

So we have to judge according to the measure of faith that God has assigned to each ? No not quite !

What the verse really say's and taking the proper meaning of "measure" would read thus;

to observe the proper measure and to each God has given faith to be that measure, the measure of faith !

How can we apply faith as a measure ?

if as a result of faith, the many are made righteous and are blessed on account of Jesus Christ, where is the proud or boasting !

Faith becomes the base of our humility and a measure/standard/plumb-line.

Not a measure quantity.

Verses 4 to 5

The great western anti-biblical whore or Church businesslikestructure, have made Christian's fellowship into an institutionalised "Membership".

Let us look at what the Bible says about membership then judge our preconceived opinions by the truth that is a measure that God has assigned to all.

FOR AS IN ONE BODY WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS, AND NOT ALL THE MEMBERS HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION, SO WE, WHO ARE MANY, ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND INDIVIDUALLY WE ARE MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER.

This is a clear statement, I have nothing to say than quote the above verse.

Verse 6

Still on the same theme of Gods blessings through faith we come to gifts that come from Him.

Romans 1:1 - "Are You Willing To Be A Slave?"

Romans 1:2-7a - "Called By God For A Holy Purpose"

Romans 1:7b-10 - "Walk In His Grace As A Grace Extender"

Romans 1:11-12 - "I'll Encourage You, You Encourage Me"

Romans 1:13-16 - "The Power Of The Gospel Is God's Power In Your Life"

Romans 1:17-20 - "Every Knee Will Bow, And Every Tongue Confess, Jesus Christ As Lord"

Romans 1:21-25 - "Professing To Be Wise, They Became Fools"

Romans 1:26-32 - "God's Grace Is Greater Than The Vileness Of Sin. Praise God!"

Romans 2:1-6 - "There Is No Partiality With God's Righteous Judgment"

Romans 2:7-16 - "Everyone Will Be Judged By God. How Will He Determine Your Case?"

Romans 2:17-29 - "Praise God For The Circumcision From Above"

Romans 3:1-8 - "Prove Yourselves Doers Of The Word, In Christ"

Romans 3:9-18 - "Oh, The Sinfulness Of The Sinful Heart!"

Romans 3:19-26 - "God Is Just And The Justifier"

Romans 3:27-31 - "Let Him Who Boasts, Boast In The Lord!"

Romans 4:1-12 - "Blessed Is The Man Whose Sin The Lord Will Never Count Against Him"

Romans 4:13-21 - "Do Not Waver In The Promises Of God, Give Him Glory!"

Romans 4:22-25 - 5:1-2 - "We Wait For The Glorious Appearing Of Jesus Christ"

Romans 5:3-5 - "We're Not In This Alone"

Romans 5:6-11 - "In Christ, We Have Been Reconciled Even While We Were His Enemies"

Romans 5:12-21 - "For As In Adam All Die, So In Christ All Will Be Made Alive."

Romans 6:1-11 - "If Anyone Is In Christ, He Is A New Creation"

Romans 6:12-23 - "Slaves Of God, Or Slaves Of The World... Which Are You?"

Romans 7:1-8 - "Dead To the Law, Alive To Christ"

Romans 7:9-15 - "Why Do I Struggle With Sin? The Answer May Surprise You!"

Romans 7:16-25 - 8:1-7 - "How Do We Live By The Spirit, As Opposed To The Flesh?"

Romans 8:8-11 - "The Spirit Of Christ Resides In Every Child Of God"

Romans 8:12-17 - "To Be Adopted By God... What A Concept!"

Romans 8:18-23 - "We In Christ Groan Inwardly As We Await Our Adoption"

Romans 8:24-28 - "With Perseverance, Wait Eagerly For Your Hope In Christ"

Romans 8:29-30 - "For Those God Foreknew He Also Predestined"

Romans 8:31-39 - "If Christ Is For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?"

Romans 9:1-8 - "For They Are Not All Israel, Who Are Descended From Israel"

Romans 9:9-13 - "Jacob I Loved, But Esau I Hated"

Romans 9:14-23 - "What Then Shall We Say? Is God Unjust? Not At All!"

Romans 9:24-33 - "I Will Call Them My People, Who Were Not My People"

Romans 10:1-10 - "Confess; Believe, that "Jesus is Lord", And You Will Be Saved"

Romans 10:11-15 - "How Beautiful Are The Feet Of Those Who Bring Good News"

Romans 10:16-21 - 11:1 - "Did God Reject His People Israel? By No Means!"

Romans 11:2-10 - "God Gave Israel A Spirit Of Stupor"

Romans 11:11-16 - "Israel's Loss Is The Gentiles' Gain"

Romans 11:17-25 - "God Is Able To Graft Israel In To Life Again"

Romans 11:26-36 - 12:1 - "All Israel Will Be Saved. What Does This Mean?"

Romans 12:2 - "Be Transformed By The Renewing Of Your Mind"

Romans 12:3-5 - "In Christ, We Who Are Many Form One Body"

Romans 12:6-8 - "What Is The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit As It Relates To Him Gifting Us?"

Romans 12:6 - "Gift Of Prophecy Part 1"

Romans 12:6 - "Gift Of Prophecy Part 2"

Romans 12:7 - "Gift Of Service For Ministry.... Gift Of Teaching"

Romans 12:8 - "The Gifts Of Exhortation, Of Giving, Of Leadership And Mercy"

Romans 12:9-12 - "Be Fervent In Spirit, Serving The Lord"

Romans 12:13-15 - "Seek To Meet The Needs Of Others"

Romans 12:16-21 - "Do Not Be Overcome By Evil, But Overcome Evil With Good"

Romans 13:1-3 - "Be Subject To Every Governing Authority"

Romans 13:4-10 - "Owe No One Anything Except To Love One Another"

Romans 13:11-14 - "The Hour Has Come For You To Wake Up From Your Slumber"

Romans 14:1-12 - "Each Of Us Will Give An Account Of Himself To God"

Romans 14:13-23 - "What Are Christian Liberties And How Do We Practice Them?"

Romans 15:1-13 - "Each Of Us Should Please His Neighbour For His Good, To Build Him Up"

Romans 15:14-21 - "Whoever Serves, Let Him Do So As By God's Strength"

Romans 15:22-33 - "Paul Plans His Visit To Rome"

Romans 16:1-16 - "Ordinary People Doing An Extraordinary Work In Christ"

Romans 16:17-20 - "Keep An Eye On Those Who Teach Falsehood In The Church"

Romans 16:21-27 - "To The Only Wise God Be Glory Forever"

Romans

Who was the author of Romans? (Romans 1:1)

Was Paul "called to be an apostle and set apart for The Word of God," or did he volunteer? (Romans 1:1) (See On The Road To Damascus)

Did the prophets announce the Gospel long beforehand? (Romans 1:2) (See Prophecy and Bible History) (Note: Paul could only have been talking about what is now known as the Old Testament because when he was writing Romans the New Testament did not yet exist)

Is Grace received through Jesus Christ? (Romans 1:5)

Were some in Rome called to be saints? (Romans 1:7) (See What Is A Saint?)

Is The Gospel for all people? (Romans 1:16-17)

Does God show favouritism? (Romans 2:11)

Are all people sinners? Is there anyone, anywhere, who is not a sinner? (Romans 3:23) (See What Is Sin?)

Did God declare Abraham righteous for what he did, or what he believed? (Romans 4:3)

Is Christian baptism a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? (Romans 6:4) (See Baptism)

Despite his great work as an apostle (see Paul's First Missionary Journey and

Paul's Second Missionary Journey and

Paul's Third Missionary Journey and Paul In Athens) was Paul still very much a normal human being who had to struggle endlessly with sin? (Romans 7:21-25)

Are the sufferings of a human lifetime worth comparing to the glory that awaits those who repent? (Romans 8:18) (See Why Does God Allow Suffering?)

Does "the creation await our change"? (Romans 8:19) (See Why Were You Born? and If You Could Create A World)

Are the political "powers that be" in existence only because God allows them, for now, according to His purpose? (Romans 13:1) (Note: In Paul's life, which meant the Roman Empire - see Ancient Empires - Rome and Emperor Nero)

How did Paul summarize The Ten Commandments?

Brief Outline

Introduction (1:1-15)

Sinfulness of man, including both Gentiles and Jews (1:16-3:20)

Justification by Faith (3:21-5:21)

Sanctification (6-8)

Israel and world Salvation (9-11)

Details of Christian conduct (12-15:13)

Concluding remarks, greetings (15:14-16:27)