Romans 5: Paul's most egregious confusion

 [Note: When reading Bible passages, I apply Genesis-1 perspective. I think Genesis 1:28, in the-metaphysical-Jesus perspective (JESUS), suggests that, given each 1) mysterious-God, offering appreciation to human being (verb) and 2) JESUS, offering “my peace”, male unites-to female human-being (noun) and their spouse-hood pursues comprehensive-safety& security to the living species and to the earth (SECURITY). Every person can& may accept personal duty to SECURITY. Some persons neglect, partially or wholly, God-appreciation, JESUS-my-peace& SECURITY.

I call Genesis-1’s message, “responsible-human-independence” or RHI. A few human-beings throughout history seemed to practice, facilitate, and encourage RHI; for example, Albert Einstein. The RHI-individuals from the past are our friends and the others, not so much. I think the authentic-Jesus practiced, facilitated, and encouraged RHI. But I don’t know the-ineluctable-truth. “Ineluctable” means: not to be avoided, changed, escaped, neglected, or resisted.

Persons appreciating contemporary human being (verb) during each generation constitutes the-metaphysical-Jesus I advocate. In other words, I attribute to JESUS the civic-appreciation that human being (verb) applied “before Abraham was born” and since then. Given the question, “Was Jesus a man?”, my response, “I don’t know yet value JESUS”, seems sufficient& complete for my person. I am glad I both accept that I don’t know when that is so and seek further evidence.

It seems PHYSICS constrains the consequences of each person’s choices. I choose to accept God’s appreciation and pursue JESUS’ my-peace, in order to commit-to and trust-in the-laws-of-physics (PHYSICS). For example, I work to provide food& shelter rather than accept what a bureaucrat might provide.]

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. [Paul, by introducing “hope of the glory” pursues materialistic favor that arrogates Genesis 1:28’s RHI (responsible-human-independence). Moreover, introducing “peace with God”, Paul doubts the “my peace” Jesus proffered. I cannot evaluate “my peace”. Perhaps it is acceptance to pursue Genesis-1:28’s-“can& may”: perfect my unique person. Neither John nor Paul can persuade Phil Beaver.]³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. [I’m not as impressed with Paul’s “God’s love” as I am with appreciation when I aid humankind in pursuing Genesis 1:28’s commission to, in God’s image, perfectly live on earth. I am not responsible for humankind’s perfection, only Phil Beaver’s reliable pursuit of his perfect performance.]

⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly [This seems to directly refute John’s claim --- antinomianism --- election by God to believe Jesus; John 6:37-40.]. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. [This claim denies the many experiences when people die for people whose only qualification is that they are in peril.] ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [God’s love to persons who create chaos on earth comes through the civic-citizens who sponsor statutory justice by which to constrain the dependencies: religious arrogance, indolence, crime, tyranny, evil, atrocity, and worse. Thereby, dependent fellow citizens get the chance to reform.]

⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath [What? It’s not possible for an antinomian to suffer wrath! I do not overlook Paul’s ignorance.] through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. [Could “boast” mean, transparently share speculation?]

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned [Did Paul read Genesis 1 and doubt that humankind seemed to exist before Adam? Does Paul have the final say on this issue?]

¹³ To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. [Paul refers to the law of Moses, some 600 plus the 10 Commandments. Hammurabi’s Code came before. And before that it was obvious to each person that they were responsible to constrain chaos in their way of living.] ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam [Genesis 1 came before Adam.] to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. [What’s this? Adam patterned Jesus? Outrageous claim, if so.]

¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶ Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! [I prefer to accept the duty expressed in Genesis 1:28. And, I extrapolate Jesus’s reported claim, “Before Abraham was born I am” to the beginning of time. So Jesus’ influence was always offered.]

¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people [John claims it’s only for the antinomian; John 6:37-40]. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners [The Code of Hammurabi constrained public offenders.], so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

²⁰ The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. [The catch is that grace goes only to the antinomians---those elected by God to believe Jesus. But Jesus did not write, and the Bible writers offer chaos. Humankind can only rely on the-metaphysical-Jesus. Each generation can discover the-metaphysical-Jesus by carefully examining the physical consequences of human choices. People who behave unreliably invite subjugation to the rule of law.]