Romans 5.7-Paul Accentuates God's Love Manifested in the Cross of Christ By Comparing it to the Highest Expressions of Human Love
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday April 2, 2008
Romans: Romans 5:7-Paul Accentuates God’s Love Manifested in the Cross of Christ By Comparing it to the Highest Expressions of Human Love
Lesson # 149
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 5:1.
This evening we will continue with our study of Romans chapter five by noting verse seven.
In Romans 5:1-11, Paul discusses the results of justification by faith in Jesus Christ by stating that there is peace with God (5:1-5), the believer becomes an object and beneficiary of God’s love (5:6-8) and is reconciled to God (5:9-11) and receives righteousness as a gift through faith in Christ (5:12-21).
In Romans 5:1, Paul teaches that since the believer has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he has peace in the presence God through the Lord Jesus Christ whose spiritual death on the Cross reconciled them to God, implying that the believer now has a relationship with God.
In Romans 5:2a, he teaches that because the believer has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he also has as a permanent possession access to this gracious benefit of a relationship with God, in which he stands forever.
Then, in Romans 5:2b, we noted that in addition Paul rejoiced in the confident expectation of receiving a resurrection body.
Romans 5:3 taught us that the confident expectation of the rapture produces endurance in the believer in times of adversity.
In Romans 5:4, we noted that perseverance produces tested character and tested character produces confidence in the believer in his relationship with God, that he will be rewarded for enduring undeserved suffering and that God is conforming him into the image of His Son.
Romans 5:5 teaches that the believer’s confidence in the Lord is never disappointed because God the Holy Spirit reassures the believer that he is the object of God’s love.
In Romans 5:6, we studied that while we were still helpless, still, at that particular appointed moment, Christ died as a substitute for the ungodly.
This evening we will study Romans 5:7, in which Paul accentuates God’s love as manifested in the Cross of Christ by comparing it to the highest expressions of human love.
Romans 5:1-8, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
In Romans 5:7, “for” is the “explanatory” use of the post-positive conjunction gar (gavr), which introduces Paul’s argument of Romans 5:7-8 in its entirety.
The word introduces a statement that “explains” Paul’s statement in Romans 5:6, which teaches that while we were still helpless to justify ourselves before a holy God, at that particular moment in history, Christ died as a substitute for the benefit of the ungodly.
In Romans 5:7, the conjunction gar introduces a statement that “explains why” Christ dying for sinners was a demonstration of God’s love.
As we noted in our study of Romans 5:6, Romans 5:6-8 forms a single argument that demonstrates the unconditional and absolute nature of God’s love for the believer.
In Romans 5:6, Paul emphasizes that God sent His Son to the Cross for rebellious, undeserving sinners.
Then, in Romans 5:7, he teaches that human love, in its highest expression will motivate a person to give his or her life for someone who is attractive to them.
Lastly, in Romans 5:8, Paul argues that God’s love is superior to human love in its nature and expression by reiterating that Christ died for sinners who were antagonistic and obnoxious to God.
The apostle Paul ends each verse with the verb apothnesko, “died” in order emphasize the unity of the argument presented in Romans 5:6-8.
This argument not only provides evidence for the love of God being poured out in the believer’s heart through the Holy Spirit, noted by Paul in Romans 5:5, by pointing out that the source of this love is God’s nature, but also, in doing so, it substantiates the absolute dependability of the believer’s confidence in the Lord.
Therefore, in Romans 5:7, the conjunction gar introduces Paul’s argument of Romans 5:7-8 in its entirety and “explains” Christ dying for sinners was a demonstration of God’s love.
The word introduces a statement that presents the contrast between God’s love and human love.
In this verse, Paul brings out the unexpected and unique character of Christ’s death on the Cross.
His spiritual death for all men was unexpected and unique in character since He died for His enemies who were antagonistic towards Him.
God’s love, as demonstrated by the sacrificial, substitutionary spiritual death of Christ is superior to even the highest and most noble expressions of human love.
In Romans 5:7-8, Paul is attempting to demonstrate and emphasize the extraordinary character of Christ’s death.
In order to demonstrate the superiority of God’s love, Paul emphasizes the fact that in human affairs, it is unlikely that any would give himself for a righteous person, a person who commands respect by virtue of his being a law abiding citizen, who does right by his fellow man.
Then, he goes a step further and says that perhaps someone might die for a good person, a person who is considerate, generous and helpful towards others and causes those whom he helps to have personal love and affection for him.
He rules out that no human being would offer his life for his enemies and yet this is what Christ did when He died as a substitute for sinners.
Romans 5:7, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.”
“One” is the indefinite pronoun tis (ti$) (tis), which introduces a member of the human race without further identification.
“Will die” is the verb apothnesko (a)poqnhv|skw) (ap-oth-nace-ko), which refers to physical death of a member of the human race.
“Hardly” is the adverb molis (movli$) (mol-is), which refers to the difficulty of finding someone to die for a righteous person rather than to the number of occasions when this happens.
“For a righteous man” is composed of the preposition huper (u(peVr) (hoop-er), “for” and the adjective dikaios (divkaio$) (dik-ah-yos), “a righteous man.”
The adjective dikaios is referring to a human being who possesses “relative human” righteousness in the sense that by imperfect human standards, he possesses virtue and integrity of character.
The adjective describes a law abiding citizen, who does what he is obligated to do and gives every one his due and implies an innocent man who commands the respect of his fellow man.
The preposition huper is used with the genitive form of the adjective dikaios and functions not only as a marker of a participant who is benefited by an event but also as a marker of substitution.
Therefore, huper with the genitive form of dikaios not only marks a righteous person as “benefited” by the physical death of a fellow human being but also it denotes substitution as well.
So Paul is saying in Romans 5:7a that it is unlikely will you find anyone who will die for a righteous person, i.e. a law abiding citizen, who does what he is obligated to do and gives every one his due, an innocent man who commands the respect of his fellow man.
In Romans 5:7, the prepositional phrases huper dikaiou, “for a righteous man” and huper tou agathou, “for the good man” stand in contrast with the prepositional phrase huper asebon, “for the ungodly” demonstrating the superiority of God’s love with human love.
Romans 5:7, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.”
“Though” is the “emphatic” use of the post-positive conjunction gar (gavr), which is used to advance Paul’s statement in the first half of this verse that it is unlikely that anyone would die for a righteous person by emphasizing in the statement to follow that perhaps for a good person someone might dare to die.
“Perhaps” is the adverb tacha (tavxa) (takh-ah), which has the meaning of a low probability of something happening or being done.
“For the good man” is composed of the preposition huper (u(peVr) (hoop-er), “for” and the articular genitive masculine singular form of the adjective agathos (a)gaqov$) (ag-ath-os), “the good man.”
The adjective agathos describes a person who is generous, helpful, considerate and sympathetic towards his fellow human being, which causes those who have benefited from his gracious actions to have personal love and affection for him.
The dikaios person commands only our respect whereas the agathos individual not only commands our respect but is also someone we have a personal love and affection for.
Romans 5:7, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.”
“Would dare” is the verb tolmao (tolmavw), which means, “to have the courage” to die as a substitute for the benefit of the good person.
“Even” is the “adjunctive” use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which introduces an “additional” type of person someone might have the courage to attempt to die for as a substitute, namely, the good person.
“To die” is the verb apothnesko (a)poqnhv|skw) (ap-oth-nace-ko), which once again refers to physical death of a member of the human race.
In Romans 5:7, Paul is presenting two types of human beings that one fellow human being would be willing to die for as a substitute.
The first is a righteous person meaning one who is a law abiding citizen, who does what he is obligated to do and gives every one his due and implies an innocent man who commands the respect of his fellow man.
In this instance, Paul says that it is unlikely anyone would die as a substitute for the benefit of this type of person.
The second is a good person meaning a person who is generous, helpful, considerate and sympathetic towards his fellow human being.
This type of person causes those who have benefited from his gracious actions to have personal love and affection for him.
In this case, Paul says that it is possible that someone might have the sufficient courage to voluntarily die as a substitute for this person.
To die for either type of person would be the highest and noblest expression of human love and devotion.
Barnes has an interesting anecdotal story regarding the phrase “though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die,” he writes, “Instances of this kind, though not many, have occurred. The affecting case of Damon and Pythias is one. Damon had been condemned to death by the tyrant Dionysius of Sicily, and obtained leave to go and settle his domestic affairs on promise of returning at a stated hour to the place of execution. Pythias pledged himself to undergo the punishment if Damon should not return in time, and deliver himself into the hands of the tyrant. Damon returned at the appointed moment, just as the sentence was about to be executed on Pythias; and Dionysius was so struck with the fidelity of the two friends, that he remitted their punishment, and entreated them to permit him to share their friendship. (Val. Max. iv. 7.) This case stands almost alone. (Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
Though dying for either a righteous or good person would be the highest and noblest expression of human love and devotion, no one would die for one’s enemies, which is exactly what Christ did on the Cross.
Therefore, in Romans 5:6-8, Paul is saying that God’s love as manifested in the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross is totally unprecedented and unparalleled in human history.
There was nothing attractive about sinful humanity in the eyes of a holy God.
No member of the human race merited being loved by God whose standards are perfect.