Week 4: Christ Frees Me from the Law and Saves Me from Sin

Week 4: Christ Frees Me from the Law and Saves Me from Sin

• Brief introduction about St. Paul
  
  

  • Roman Citizen: Born a Roman citizen, enabling safe travel and legal protection.
    
    

  • Greek education: Born in Tarsus, major center of Greek learning, exposure to Greek philosophy.
    
    

  • Jewish heritage: Adhering to Jewish law and traditions and studied under Rabbi Gamaliel in Jerusalem

  • 1st Journey (44 AD, 2 years):
    
    

  • Asia Minor (Turkey), with Barnabus and St. Mark.
    
    

  • After this journey, a council is held among the apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem to determine that the gentile converts need not submit to the Law of Moses regarding circumcision.
    
    

  • 2nd Journey (51 AD, 3 years):
    
    

  • Mainly in Macedonia (Greece), with Silas and Luke.
    
    

  • 2 Epistles: 1 & 2 Thessalonians.
    
    

  • 3rd Journey (54 AD, 4 years):
    
    

  • Asia minor and Macedonia
    
    

  • 4 Epistles: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians.
    
    

  • 4th Journey (Rome):
    
    

  • 8 Epistles: 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews.
    
    

• The Lord said to him: "I will send you far from here to the Gentiles" (Acts 22:21)
  
  

• Unmarried: “For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that." 1 Corinth 7:7
  
  

• His early preparation for ministry

• Missionary trips
  
  

• St. Paul wrote 14 epistles out of the 27 books in the New Testament.
  
  

• Known as the Apostle of the Gentiles
  
  

• Received 4 crowns: martyrdom, purity, apostleship, and righteousness.
  
  
  
  

• Introduction:
  
  

  • Author: St. Paul
    
    

  • Written to: believers in Rome
    
    

  • Time of writing:
    
    

    • 58 AD in Corinth, before Paul’s visit to Rome in 62 AD
      
      

  • Purpose of the book
    
    

    • The need for all people, Jews or Gentiles, to be justified by Christ.
      
      

    • How a person can obtain justification and its blessings in life.
      
      

    • The rejection of faith by many Jews is temporary, but some will return to faith in Christ after the Gentiles accept the faith.
      
      

    • Basic teachings for practical Christian living.
      
      

    • Care for those weak in faith and encourage them
      
      

• Outline
  
  

  • The apostolic blessing and encouragement of the believers (Chapter 1).
    
    

  • The need for all humanity to be justified by Christ, how they can receive it, and its blessings (Chapters 2–8).
    
    

  • God chose the Gentiles just as He did to the Jews, who rejected Him but they will repent at the end of days (Chapters 9–11).
    
    

  • Practical commandments for Christian behavior (Chapters 12–15).
    
    

  • Paul’s fatherly care and his greetings to his beloved friends (Chapter 16).
    
    

• Reading:
  
  

  • Chapters 6,7
    
    

• Resources:
  
  

  • Bible Explanation of the Epistle to Romans - Fr. Daoud Lamei English

  • The Epistle to Romans by Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty- English

• Key verse:
  
  

  • “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
    
    

• Comments: Chapters 6&7

• Chapter 6: In this chapter, St. Paul explains the role of the sacrament of baptism in cleansing and renewing our corrupted nature, inherited from Adam’s sin. He also calls us to refrain from returning to a life of sin.

1. • The Role of Baptism in Justification (Romans 6: 1-10)

     • Verse 3: "Baptized into His death" – This means that through baptism, a person dies with Christ when immersed in the water. This immersion symbolizes Christ’s death on the cross.

     • Verse 5: "We shall also be in His resurrection" – Baptism leads to a life of resurrection, victory over sin, and communion with Christ.

     • Verse 6: "Old man" – Refers to the corrupt nature inherited from Adam.

     • Verse 10: "Once for all" – Indicates that baptism is not repeated, just as Christ died once for all.
       
       

   • The Human role in Justification (Romans 6: 11-14)

     • After highlighting God's role in salvation and justification, St. Paul shifts to the human responsibility.
       

     • Our role is not to return to sin and to dedicate our bodies to righteousness and to the will of God.
     • Do not let your tongue be used for cursing, your hands for violence, or your body for impurity.
     • Instead, offer yourself—your mind, heart, and body to God.

     • St. Paul emphasizes that salvation is available to all, not just Jews, and is based on faith, not the law.

   • Slave to sin or slave to Christ (Romans 6: 15:23)

     • As Jesus said, " No one can serve two masters" Matthew 4:24. A person must choose between two paths:
       • A slave to sin:
         • Those who obey sin's desires become its slaves, leading to spiritual death.
       • A Slave to Christ:
         • Those who follow God's commandments become righteous and gain freedom and eternal life.

   • Freed from the law through Christ (Romans 7: 1-6):
     

     • St. Paul explains in this chapter that the law no longer has authority over us after Christ's resurrection.

     • After His death and resurrection, Christ fulfilled the Law and freed us from it and united us with him.
     • The purpose of the law was to show people what sin is, but it couldn't save them from sin.

   • The Law reveals sin but cannot save (Romans 7:7-13):
     

     • The Law itself is not sinful, but its role was to make people aware of sin, exposing all forms of sin, but it did not have the power to save anyone from it.

     • The Law is like a warning sin, it tells us the danger of sin but cannot save us. True salvation comes only through faith in Christ.

   • The struggle between good intentions and sin (Romans 7: 14-25)
     

     • St. Paul describes the inner conflict that we experience, the struggle between wanting to do good and being overcome by sin.

     • Paul acknowledges that he desires to do what is right, but he often finds himself doing the opposite, due to the weakness of human nature.
     • Christ is the only solution, "Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
     • Christ has come to free us from the power of sin and bring reconcile us with the Father.

2. Review/recap questions
   
   ** Servant may add more questions
   

   • What is the role of baptism in justification?

   • What is the human role in justification?
   • Can we be slave to sin and slave to Christ at the same time?
   • What is the purpose of the law?
   • What is the solution for the human between wanting to do good and being overcome by sin.?

8. Homework
   
   ** Servant may add more questions