Rom 5:1-11 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Rom 5:1: 5:1–8:39 Paul now turns from the Good News about how people enter a relationship with God to the security of that relationship. Christians have a strong and unassailable promise because of God’s work in Christ, God’s love for them, and the power of the Holy Spirit. This theme frames the teaching of these chapters (5:1-11 ; 8:18-39 ) as Paul grounds that promise in the transfer of believers from the realm of Adam to the realm of Christ (5:12-21 ). No power—whether sin (ch 6 ), the law (ch 7 ), or death (8:1-13 )—“will ever be able to separate us from the love of God” (8:39 ). 5:1 we have peace: In many manuscripts, the underlying Greek verb is indicative, as translated here. A number of other manuscripts use the subjunctive instead ( let us have peace ). • Peace with God does not refer to a mere feeling of peacefulness but to a real situation of peace. It is the end of hostilities between God and sinful human beings when they believe in Jesus Christ and the state of blessing and salvation that God promised his people in the end (see Isa 9:6-7 ; 52:7 ; Ezek 34:25 ; Nah 1:15 ).

Summary for Rom 5:1: 5:1–8:39 ^a Paul now turns from the Good News about how people enter a relationship with God to the security of that relationship. Christians have a strong and unassailable promise because of God’s work in Christ, God’s love for them, and the power of the Holy Spirit. This theme frames the teaching of these chapters (5:1-11 ^b; 8:18-39 ^c) as Paul grounds that promise in the transfer of believers from the realm of Adam to the realm of Christ (5:12-21 ^d). No power—whether sin (ch 6 ^e), the law (ch 7 ^f), or death (8:1-13 ^g)—“will ever be able to separate us from the love of God” (8:39 ^h). 5:1 ⁱ we have peace: In many manuscripts, the underlying Greek verb is indicative, as translated here. A number of other manuscripts use the subjunctive instead (let us have peace).

• Peace with God does not refer to a mere feeling of peacefulness but to a real situation of peace. It is the end of hostilities between God and sinful human beings when they believe in Jesus Christ and the state of blessing and salvation that God promised his people in the end (see Isa 9:6-7 ^j; 52:7 ^k; Ezek 34:25 ^l; Nah 1:15 ^m).
5:2 ⁿ undeserved privilege (or grace): So basic is God’s grace (Greek charis) that Paul can use the word to sum up our present situation as believers.

• Where we now stand indicates that God’s grace is needed throughout the Christian life, not just at the beginning.

• Sharing God’s glory describes the content of Christian hope, which Paul introduces here and expounds more fully in 8:18-30 ^o. Behind Paul’s use of the word glory (Greek doxa) is the Hebrew word kabod, which depicts God’s majesty and overwhelming presence. The prophets predict a day when God’s glory will return to dwell in the midst of his people (see, e.g., Isa 60:1-2 ^p).
Summary for Rom 5:3-4: 5:3-4 ^q See also Jas 1:2-4 ^r; 1 Pet 1:6-7 ^s. The similarities in these passages indicate early Christian teaching common to all three of these writers.
5:5 ^t this hope will not lead to disappointment (literally will not put to shame): In the Old Testament, shame sometimes refers to a negative verdict from God’s judgment (e.g., Isa 28:16 ^u, quoted in Rom 9:33 ^v).

• he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love: See Jer 31:33-34 ^w; Acts 2:17-21 ^x.
5:6 ^y At just the right time might mean that God sent Christ at the time appointed in history, or that our condition as utterly helpless was the right time for God to demonstrate his love by sending his Son on our behalf.
5:9 ^z The blood of Christ refers to Jesus’ sacrificial death (3:25 ^aa). In the Scriptures, blood is shorthand for a violent death (Lev 17:11 ^ab), especially when that death atones for sins.

• he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation: Paul frequently speaks of salvation as the final deliverance of believers from God’s wrath and the tribulations of this life (see Rom 13:11 ^ac).
5:10 ^ad saved through the life of his Son: Believers already share in the new life that Christ provided through his resurrection (6:11 ^ae). Through this vital connection with Christ, believers will also be spared from God’s wrath in the last day (see also Col 3:4 ^af).