Letter from Paul

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Spirit = _pneuma, to_ = wind, breath, spirit, a ghost, a human soul;

the saints = _(h)oi (h)agioi_ , the holy ones, used for all Christians, all

believers;

the Holy Spirit = with the article, _to pneuma_, _to (h)agion pneuma_;

Christ = _Xristos, (h)o_ = the anointed one, from _xrio_ = to anoint (as

for a specific office or purpose);

gospel = (from Old English) good message, good news.

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_The Holy Bible_, Revised Standard Version. National Council of Churches in

the U.S.A., 1946.

 

THE

LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS

 

[8] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ

Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free

from the law of sin and death... 5 For those who live according to the

flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live

according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To

set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is

life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God;

it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot; 8 and those who are in

the flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of

God really dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ

does not belong to hirn. 10 But if Christ is in you, although your bodies

are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness.

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he

who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies

also through his Spirit which dwells in you. ...

14 For all who are Ied by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For vou

did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have

received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16 it is the

Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with

Christ....

18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth

comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation

waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; 20 for the

creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of

him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself will be set

free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the

children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in

travail together until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves,

who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for

adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies....

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how

to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs

too deep for words. 27 And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is

the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints

according to the will of God.

28 We know that in everything God works for good with those who love

him, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew

he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that

he might be the first-born among many brethren....

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or

distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who

loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor

principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor

height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to

separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[12] I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to

present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship. 2

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your

mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and

acceptable and perfect....

4 For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have

the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and

individually members one of another....

 

[13] 11 Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for

you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we

first believed; 12 the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then

cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;....

 

[16] 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and

the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery

which was kept secret for long ages 26 but is now disclosed and through the

prophetic writings is made known to all nations, according to the command

of the eternal God, to bring about obedience to the faith - 27 to the only

wise God be glory for evermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

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_The New Testament in Modern English_, trans. J. B. Phillips, 1962.

 

THE LETTER

TO THE CHRISTIANS

AT ROME

 

8.1 _The way out - new life in Christ_

 

No condemnation now hangs over the head of those who are "in" Christ

Jesus. For the new spiritual principle of life "in" Christ Jesus lifts me

out of the old vicious circle of sin and death.

.... The carnal attitude sees no further than natural things. But the

spiritual attitude reaches out after the things of the spirit. The former

attitude means, bluntly, death: the latter means life and inward peace. And

this is only to be expected, for the carnal attitude is inevitably opposed

to the purpose of God, and neither can nor will follow his laws for living.

Men who hold this attitude cannot possibly please God.

 

8.9 _What the presence of Christ within means_

 

.... Nevertheless once the Spirit of him who raised Christ Jesus from

the dead lives within you he will, by the same Spirit, bring to your whole

being new strength and vitality.

So then, my brothers, you can see that we have no particular reason

to feel grateful to our sensual nature, or to live life on the level of the

instincts. Indeed that way of living leads to certain spiritual death. But

if on the other hand you cut the nerve of your instinctive actions by

obeying the Spirit, you are on the way to real living.

 

8.14 _Christ is within - follow the lead of his Spirit_

 

All who follow the leading of God's Spirit are God's own sons. Nor are

you meant to relapse into the old slavish attitude of fear - you have been

adopted into the very family circle of God and you can say with a full

heart, "Father, my Father." The Spirit himself endorses our inward

conviction that we really are the children of God. Think what that means.

If we are his children we share his treasures, and all that Christ claims

as his will belong to all of us as well! Yes, if we share in his sufferings

we shall certainly share in his glory.

 

8.18 _Present distress is temporary and negligible_

 

In my opinion whatever we may have to go through now is less than

nothing compared with the magnificent future God has planned for us. The

whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God

coming into their own. The world of creation cannot as yet see reality, not

because it chooses to be blind, but because in God's purpose it has been so

limited - yet it has been given hope. And the hope is that in the end the

whole of created life will be rescued from the tyranny of change and decay,

and have its share in that magnificent liberty which can only belong to the

children of God!

It is plain to anyone with eyes to see that at the present time all

created life groans in a sort of universal travail. And it is plain, too,

that we who have a foretaste of the Spirit are in a state of painful

tension, while we wait for that redemption of our bodies which will mean

that at last we have realized our full sonship in him....

 

8.26 _This is not mere theory - the Spirit helps us to find it true_

 

The Spirit of God not only maintains this hope within us, but helps us

in our present limitations. For example, we do not know how to pray

worthily as sons of God, but his Spirit within us is actually praying for

us in those agonizing longings which never find words. And God who knows

the heart's secrets understands, of course, the Spirit's intention as he

prays for those who love God.

Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according

to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. God, in

his foreknowledge, chose them to bear the family likeness of his Son, that

he might be the eldest of a family of many brothers. ...

 

8.31 _We hold, in Christ, an impregnable position_

 

.... Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, pain

or persecution? Can lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the

threat of force of arms? ....

No, in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through him

who has proved his love for us.

I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life,

neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens

today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a

power from below, nor anything else in God's whole world has any power to

separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!....

 

12.I _We have seen God's mercy and wisdom: how shall we respond?_

 

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as

an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living

sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don't let the world

around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds

from within;

.... For just as you have many members in one physical body and those

members differ in their functions, so we, though many in number, compose

one body in Christ and are all members of one another. ...

 

13.11 _Wake up and live!_

 

Why all this stress on behavior? Because, as I think you have

realized, the present time is of the highest importance - it is time to

wake up to reality. Every day brings God's salvation nearer.

The night is nearly over; the day has almost dawned. Let us therefore

fling away the things that men do in the dark; let us arm ourselves for the

fight of the day! Let us live cleanly, as in the daylight...

 

Now to him who is able to set you on your feet as his own sons -

according to my gospel, according to the preaching of Jesus Christ himself,

and in accordance with the disclosing of that secret purpose which, after

long ages of silence, has now been made known (in full agreement with the

writings of the prophets long ago), by the command of the everlasting God

to all the gentiles, that they might turn to him in the obedience of faith

- to him, I say, the only God who is wise, be glory for ever through Jesus

Christ, amen!

PAUL