Intro to Romans, Final Paper An interpretation of Paul’s doctrine that believers die and rise again with Christ. By Mike Ivaska, 10/11/2010

The beginning of chapter six of Paul’s letter to the Romans appears to be a shift in Paul’s thinking. At this point in the letter, Paul seems to leave behind the doctrine of justification by faith and move into the doctrine of sanctification – indeed of the necessity of sanctification for true and final salvation (cf. 6:16). While it is not entirely incorrect to view this chapter this way, I think it is better to see chapter six as a further elaboration of the singular argument of this letter – that salvation is an act of God alone that can only be entered into by faith in the promises of God which find their culmination in Jesus Christ. I especially see chapter six as an elaboration of the comparison between Adam and Christ in the second half of chapter five.

In 1:16, Paul states that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Beginning in verse 18 of the same chapter, he then lays out the dire facts of man’s unrighteous standing before God. Pagans, moralists, and Jews are all alike guilty before God. In 3:21-22 he reintroduces the gospel theme by saying that “now the righteousness of [or ‘from’] God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of [or ‘from’] God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” Paul spends the rest of chapter three explaining how justification through faith in the gospel of Christ is a just act, consistent with God’s righteousness.

In chapter four he uses Abraham as the prime example of justification by faith, as opposed to justification by works or by law-keeping. In describing the faith that justified Abraham, Paul says that Abraham believed in God “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (4:17b). Regarding the promise that Abraham would be the father of many nations, “he did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb” (4:19). Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God’s promise. Abraham’s faith did not make Sarah pregnant. God made Sarah pregnant despite Abraham and Sarah’s age. Abraham simply believed that he would.

From discussing Abraham, Paul goes on in chapter five to discuss the benefits of justification by faith and to contrast man’s position in Adam with man’s position in Christ. A more traditional approach to dividing up Romans topically would see this chapter as the end of the Justification section. However, I believe that it is Paul’s argument regarding Adam that is the actual hinge point in the letter. What would generally be viewed as the separate doctrine of sanctification, beginning in chapter six, should actually be viewed as the doctrine of our union with Christ, beginning with chapter five, which is a result of our faith in him. Union with Christ is the outcome, logically speaking, of our faith. It is an offshoot or benefit of that fact. Thus justification by faith in Jesus leads Paul naturally to consider that what Adam did to mankind has been countered and overcome by what Jesus has done for mankind. Sinners are one with Adam. The Justified are one with Jesus. And because Adam’s original, imputed sin leads to actual sin (5:12), Christ’s redemptive, imputed righteousness leads to actual righteousness. This is the argument of chapter six. Just as Abraham “did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead” (4:19), the believer is to “consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God” (6:11).

But on what basis is the believer to reckon himself dead to sin and alive to God? On the basis of his union with Christ!

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (6:5-11)

So on what basis are we united to Christ in this way? Paul introduces this section with the theme of baptism in 6:3. Does this mean that baptism unites us to Christ? If so, then Paul’s argument that Abraham’s justification was apart from and prior to his circumcision would be compromised. In essence, Paul would be saying that we are justified by faith but only united with Christ by a physical act of obedience, a “work.” This interpretation would be further complicated by the fact that the result of this union, dying to sin and living to God, is necessary for final salvation (6:16, 21). This would bring us into Roman Catholicism, where a distinction can be drawn between “initial justification” and “final justification,” one by faith and the other by works. If this were the case, Paul’s whole argument prior to chapter six would begin to unravel. We would return to the principle of justification by works of law, even if this happened to be a “Christian law.” We would be setting Paul against himself.

The only way to consistently interpret Paul at this point would be to press on with the doctrine of justification by faith. Without weakening the force of Paul’s doctrine of imputed righteousness (we are declared righteous while still wicked, 4:6-8), and without weakening the fact that we are indeed declared righteous solely on account of our faith (3:21-22), chapter six needs to be read with the understanding that whatever God declares regarding someone, it is not a fiction. It is a fact. God “calls into existence things that do not exist” (4:17b). We trust in Christ and God declares us righteous. We are at that point, in fact, righteous. God’s appointed means of acquitting sinners while remaining righteous and just himself is the death of Christ. In this sense, then, not only has Christ’s death acted as a substitution for my death, but the sinner who I used to be gets executed on the cross of Christ. The moment I come to Christ by faith, I am not only declared righteous. I am also executed. In fact, as Paul puts it elsewhere, “I am crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live. It is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). It is then God’s act for me in Christ that I place my faith in, just as Abraham placed his faith in the promise of a child. Abraham was declared righteous for his faith and was given Isaac. I am declared righteous for my faith and am given a new life.