March - Reading 7

Good afternoon -

Our scriptural readings for today are:

Matthew 23:13-24

Romans 5:12-21

Psalm 54

Numbers 15-17

May God grant you wisdom as you read from His Word.

 

Good evening all -

Numbers had some very interesting reading tonight and there are a few different directions in which to go. There is the regulations on offerings, the fellow who was stoned for gathering wood on the Sabbath, the tassel reminders on the robes and the budding of Aarons staff as a sign from God who was to be the elected high priest. But by far, I think the most interesting part of tonight's reading in Numbers is the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
Remember that this is coming right on the heels of Miriam and Aaron's rebellion in chapter 12 and the argument being used against him is much the same. If the Israelites are a "priestly nation" (Exodus 19:6) then why is Moses the spiritual leader? The answer as our story goes should be obvious. Moses was the great liberator from Egypt, had personally conferred with God on numerous occasions, performed miracle after miracle, and so on. But Korah was an ambitious man and he gained the alliance of other men hungry for power, some 250+ in all!
To make a long synopsis short, pride cometh before a fall.

For my comments on Matthew tonight, I want to explore all of chapter 23. This passage is entitled "The Seven Woes" and the red lettering doesn't stop for 38 verses. Christ is addressing the crowds and His disciples.
The soliloquy begins with Christ confirming that the Pharisees sit in "Moses' seat" (just as Korah aspired to do in Numbers tonight!) and having such authority made the faithful Jews obligated to them. The passage quickly turns to the criticism of this sect, however. He points out that it is their pride that they cherish, not their resposibility to their duties. The passage telling people not to call any on earth "father," "rabbi," or "master" is one that I have often thought of in my addressing clergy. It is a lesson that my folks taught me early in life. I generally call everyone "Mister."
The next several verses are the "woes" (13 - 29). Christ lays into a litany of hypocrisies commited by the pharisees. Notice the reference in verse 27 to whitewashed tombs. We see this echoed in Acts 23:3 when Paul addresses the Sanhedrin. Toward the end of the passage, Christ makes it clear that the Father of the Trinity tried numerous times to draw the Jews to Him "as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing." Now the time is too late. The next time that the Jews will see Christ is when He returns.

In Romans, coincidentally, we get another view of the repeated attempts at gathering the Jews like chicks under a hen's wing or at least the origins of it. The passage we read tonight boils down to a very simple concept. Adam sinned and caused us death. Christ made atonement and gives us life. There is a very interesting notion that I may post up in the theology forum posed in this scripture. In verse 13 we read that between the time of Adam and Moses, there was no law, hence, sin was not taken into account! Comments? It reminded me of our study of "righteous Lot" and his offering his daughters to the mob outside of his home. I will post the thread and give you a link.

May God bless you

- Clint

 

I had the same thought Helen!

Link to Romans 5:13 thread:

http://www.baptistboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=58;t=000179
(Password: 2002)

[ March 07, 2003, 07:48 AM: Message edited by: Clint Kritzer ]

 

Sunday School lecture – 10/16/05

Romans 5:12-21

This is a very interesting Passage of Scripture that has raised many debates over the centuries. The overall theme is rather clear and simple. It is a contrast between Adam and Christ. Arranged in the form of a hymn it shows Adam, or the one man, as a type that prefigured the One to come. Through the act of Adam, sin entered the world and as a consequence death. Through the act of Christ, justification entered the world and as a benefit life.

The controversy comes into the lesson as over the years many have sought to stretch this Passage into teaching what it was never meant to teach. It seems that the trouble began when Augustine (354-430 AD), whose Greek was weaker than his Latin, followed an erroneous translation of verse 12. The pivotal word is “sinned” which is controlled by the Greek eph’ hoi (because). Augustine followed the Latin translation in quo (in whom) and based on that mistranslation built a philosophical system that viewed original sin as a corporate responsibility. In other words, Augustine taught that we bear the punishment for Adam’s sin in addition to sharing in its consequence of death.

At first glance that may not seem to be such a big deal. For the professing believer who is justified by his faith in Christ and saved by the grace of God all sin is removed from his debt. For those who reject Christ, they are not justified and are therefore accountable at the first judgment. Therefore, for reasoning adults, whether it is our sin or Adam’s is moot. The problem arises in those who are incapable of recognizing God’s call and responding with faith, namely fetuses, infants and the mentally impaired.

The thought of those incapable of responding to Christ with faith being punished for Adam’s sin led to the implementation of infant baptism, a practice that a large portion of the Christian community still practices. If that practice is indeed based on Romans, another problem in logic arises. Paul has stated unequivocally in chapter 4 that faith precedes works. Baptism is a seal or sign of faith, not the other way around.

We know that by no means is salvation universal. By the literal letter of the Scriptures it requires grace through faith. Though most Protestant commentaries will add a note that there is some type of age of moral accountability, the Scriptures themselves are relatively quiet about the subject. We see that David was confident he would join his baby who had died in 2Samuel 12:23. We also know that Jesus held children up as examples to us, that we were to become like them (Matthew 18:3-5), that the Kingdom belonged to “such as these” (Matthew 19:14), and we are to emulate their acceptance (Mark 10:15). On the other side of the coin, while Paul did not state we sinned “in” Adam, he did say that “all” have sinned. Did the Apostle include children, infants and idiots in this “all?” Further, do those incapable of understanding become a “law unto themselves” as in chapter1? This question may be answered in verse 13.

Further, if children are covered under the atonement of Christ’s blood, the only way to Heaven, and then they reach an unspoken of age of accountability, do they lose their salvation? Do humans hit a certain age at which the fall from grace? We will not be answering these questions this day, nor, I suppose, tomorrow. We will approach this lesson today as applying to reasoning adults with a capacity for faith.

Romans 5:12-14 Adam as a Type

The “therefore” that begins this Passage in this instance does not serve to tie to verse 11 but rather ties to Paul’s original premise beginning in 5:1: the advantages of the plan of justification by faith. In verse 12 Paul personifies “sin” as a power coming into the world to rule over men. “Death,” also is personified as the destructive force that followed sin. Paul is not exploring the origin of sin but how it came to be on this planet – as sin came in, so death spread.

In a paranthetical Passage extending to verse 18, Paul sets before his audience three leading states in which men sinned and where the effects of sin were seen but the grace of the Gospel superabounded over them. First, Paul sets Adam (not yet named) as the model of all men. The simple grain of evil brought into mankind through the sin of Adam has grown progressively throughout history. Secondly, to relate the subject back to the Law, Paul states that sin existed before the Law as is evidenced by the death of those from Adam to Moses. This was the era without written revelation where men had only conscience and nature to guide them. Finally there was the period of the Law that existed until the time of Christ.

The plan of justification through faith abounded over all of these states. Adam as a type committed an act of sin that affected all men. Paul will expound this concept in great detail in the remainder of the chapter. For those who committed evil before the Mosaic Law, who acted unaccordingly without conscious recognition, sinned, but they did not transgress. The sin committed between the time of Adam and Moses had to be a violation the law of nature or conscience, for if there is no law to bind a man, he can not be found guilty. Those who sinned under the Mosaic Law fully transgressed, that is to say, they became conscious of their sins. Transgression, along with trespass and disobedience, requires a direct command. For Paul, this was the primary function of the Law in salvation history.

Romans 5:15-17 Christ as Antitype

Adam as the type and Christ as the antitype is now worked out in a manner that reveals the accounts of both. Adam’s account contains sin, condemnation and death whereas Christ has gift, abundance, justification and life. Adam’d sin involved tanig that to which he had no right. Likewise, God’s gift gives to man that to which he has no right.

Three major contrasts are drawn between Adam and Christ in verses 15-17. The first is that in the “one (Adam)” many died. Yet God’s graciousness abounded over this in that in the “one (Christ)” abounded for many.

The second contrast is that where Adam’s act of sin brought condemnation, Christ’s act of righteousness brought justification. The reference to “many trespasses refers to not only the sin of Adam but the sin of all those modeled after him. The word condemnation implies not only refers to judgment but also execution of the penalty. That penalty is death as Paul will plainly state repeatedly in this Letter. Christ’s act intercedes for us between sentence and execution. We are guilty of sin but are pardoned by grace through faith. This is the basic nature of the judicial definition of justification. Justification in this instance means acquittal.

Finally the contrast is made between death and life. Death reigned as queen (the Greek noun is feminine) in Adam and those who were modeled after him whereas life (also Greek feminine) reigns as queen in the new age of Christ. Note the repetition of the phrase “much more” in these Passages. This represents the superiority, triumph and abundance of Christ over Adam.

Romans 5:18-21 Résumé

Paul now picks up his thought from verse 12 and summarizes the thoughts of 13-17. The verses here are set up in a pattern of person/ act, person/act. It is the act of Adam versus the act of Christ that Paul wishes his audience to note.

As condemnation, the penalty for sin, death, came into the world through Adam, so justification, the acquittal of judgment, wrath, came into the world through Christ. The “all men” in verse 18 is not a universal notion of acquittal but refers to the offer made to all mankind through Christ. This is the “many” of verse 15. Where Adam set us down the path of disfavor, Christ’s act was designed to bring us back into favor.

For any of the Jews who still felt that the Law was a device to bring about justification, Paul states plainly that this was not its purpose. To the contrary, by stating the acts that were sinful, man became bound to uphold the covenant. Man became conscious of what was wrong as it was “in black and white” and there was no escaping the implications. The Law acted to show man his shortcomings. No one was able to keep the Law. Nonetheless, the Law’s function was part of the design for God’s plan. If man’s heart were holy, there would be a disposition to do right. The Law shows us that our inclination is to do wrong. Even in the time between Moses and Christ, sin still reigned. Despite the acts of sin moving into true transgression, Christ’s act overcame those transgressions.

That reign of sin was marked by the consequence of death, both physical and spiritual. This was man’s plight. Yet through the grace of God that extends justification through faith in Christ we obtain eternal life. The queen of death is defeated by the queen of life in the Gospel.

As not to be misinterpreted, Paul will continue the notion of the abounding of grace over sin in the next Passage.

 

Scripture for tomorrow, March 8:

Matthew 23:25-39

Romans 6:1-14

Psalm 55

Numbers 18-20

 

Scripture for tomorrow, March 8:

Matthew 23:25-39

Romans 6:1-14

Psalm 55

Numbers 18-20

 

Scripture for tomorrow, March 8:

Matthew 23:25-39

Romans 6:1-14

Psalm 55

Numbers 18-20

 

Scripture for tomorrow, March 8:

Matthew 23:25-39

Romans 6:1-14

Psalm 55

Numbers 18-20