Romans 6:1-14 - Corps - May 1,1979
Format: mp3,
Publication Date: May 1, 1979
On Ephesians 4:25 where I want to begin tonight, or where we will begin tonight , the first part of what the Research Team gave me is the work that Walter Cummins published in our wonderful Way Magazine on "The Spoken Word." Also, as we cover Ephesians 4:28 tonight, I had all the information in front of me from another article that Walter Cummins has in the... has had in the Magazine. The first article on Ephesians 4:25 is entitled "The Spoken Word." The one on Ephesians 4:28 is "Workers for God." Both of these pieces of work by Walter are absolutely superb. And I believe that they should appear and will appear in our research journal GMIR whenever we begin publishing that. {GMIR Aramaic word meaning ' to perfect, accomplish , mature, complete, arithmetically to be divisible without any remainder.}
And I noticed again that some of the things that were stated are just so beautifully and logically presented, I'm truly thankful for, not only Walter, but the whole Research Department. I think our Biblical Research Department is just second to none. And it' s even going to be better by God' s mercy and grace next year and in years to come than it is at this time. And right now I do not believe that our Biblical Research Department needs to take a back seat for any academic institution or work in the world.
And I thought today, I have never... I've never thought of Walter Cummins in any other capacity than to be my assistant. I know Vince Finnegan, you know, on the books is my assistant. And that' s great. But I've never thought of Walter Cummins in any other capacity for so many years as always being my assistant. And I think he' s just the most wonderful person that any president could have as his assistant. And also to be chairmen of the Department of Greek, and then the coordinator of the Biblical research of The Way International. For any one man to have that position and that responsibility is an awesome reality and I'm real proud of Walter and real thankful for him. But I am also thankful for the rest of our wonderful men and women in the Research Department.
I would like for the Corps all over the country to go to the Magazine and find "The Spoken_Word," that's the title of it, dealing with Ephesians 4:25 and other scriptures, and before the next Corps meeting next week, you endeavor to master that great piece of work by Walter Cummins. It's just, you know, the spoken Word. Over fifty Greek words are used in the New Testament in connection with the faculties of utterance. Over fifty. And then he takes the most important ones and he lists them and it' s just. .. it' s just a piece of research work that you should really as a Corps master in your heart and in your life.
Ephesians 4:25 in the King James reads, Wherefore put away lyin g, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
The ' putting away' was interesting to me again because of the Greek word aniko, a-n-i-k-o.
And this word is ' the putting away,' this word ' put away,' aniko, is the same root word as in 4:22, where we use the word ' rest,' meaning ' to rest.' Is that right? Yep, that is right. I taught you that,
didn't I? Did I or didn't I? Doesn't look right to me. It is the same root. What chapter am I missing? Am I missing anything? I don't know. Right now I'm screwed up, ha ha. First time today. You check the word again and I'll do that, too and see what I'm missing here.
But a-n-i-k-o is the word for ' putting away from you. ' To put away. And it' s the same root as the word ' rest.' I don't know where the word appears, but it's got to be in there.
Now, that word ' speak,' every man speak. That word ' speak ' is from the Greek word
laleo, l-a-l-e-long-o. And that' s where Walter' s article on "The Spoken Word"_c omes in because that is.. .he uses that word laleo in here, which I teach in Corinthians when I teach the Foundational Class. And he says the word is employed 24 times in I Corinthians chapter 14. I had forgotten that.
This word is truly significant. I couldn' t quite understand it Research Department, what you said on page 26B 16, where you defined it ' to make vocal utterance,' ' to babble,' 'to talk,' 'to exercise the faculty of speech without reference to the words spoken.' I just wondered if there might not be another word that could be substituted or utilized at this point. I know that Zachariah 8:16 is the quotation that is used here, or spoken of. And that Zachariah 8:16 adds force to what is said by using a quote, a quotation. That' s why my question to the Research Department is, How can it be without reference to what is spoken if it is truth plus the quotation of the Word of God that's given. It doesn't quite fit for me.
'With his neighbor' has to be a believing neighbor. This 'speak truth with his neighbor' is a figure of speech gnome, g-n-o-m-e, which simply is a citation. And that' s a citation from Zachariah 8:16.
There are a series of figures of speech, Corps, in chapter four which just put the 00mph, the highlight, to the particular things that are set whereby you put off the old man. This phrase here 'speak every man truth with his neighbor' is one of them. The other one appears in verse 26, 'be angry and sin not.' ' Steal no more' is another one. 'Corrupt communication' is the fourth one. 'Grieve not the holy spirit' is the fifth one. ' All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking' is the sixth. And then ' be kind' and so forth, is the seventh.
You see, the last phrase in that verse, in King James, For we' re members one of what? [Another] And it' s relative to the neighbor. Now you just look at that. Wherefore put away lying, speak every man truth with his what? [Neighbor] For we are members one of another. That doesn't mean just a neighbor who lives next door, but it has to be a believing neighbor because we are members one of what? [Another]. You could not be a member ' one of another' ifhe was an unbeliever. That's how I know this is going to work. This tells me that the neighbor is a believer. And this ' we' re members one of another' continues the imagery of the Body of Christ.
The literal according to usage of this verse is as follows: Wherefore put away the lie... and I believe in my heart, before I go on with the literal that until man is born again, it's all a lie anyways. And that' s why I believe that this translation will fit in the light of that knowledge. Because when a man is not born again, his whole life is just a lie. Now you're born again, and that ' s why I think the text states it ' wherefore put away the lie,' the life you' ve been living , the screwed up life you have lived outside of God. It' s been just a life of a lie. It' s not truth. It' s just the opposite of truth and that's my reason for translating it this way... Wherefore put away the lie.
You've got to go with that translation. You have no other text to go by both from Aramaic and Greek it's 'lie.' Not 'lying.' If the Research Department has anything to share in the light of that, I'd be blessed to hear, but you' ve heard my reasons for translating it, Research Department, this way.
Now since they're born again, their whole life is changed, so the life of lying, and living a lie, and being a lie, and being false, is to be put away.
And every man... this is the translation ... and everyone, everyone. The word ' man' you could use because it's an inclusive noun, but I prefer to use the word ' one.'
Wherefore put away the lie and everyone speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another. That is literal according to usage.
Now for the expanded according to understanding. It's not bad. Because of this... What we coughing for? Everybody sick?...Because of this... and the reason I went in the expanded along this line is because verse 24 last week told us that we are created by God in righteousness and in true purity, through holiness. Twenty four.
That's why 25, Wherefore ... 'wherefore' can be translated 'because of this.' Because of this what? Being created in righteousness and truly pure. See it's an inside job.
Because of this being created in righteousness and truly pure by the grace and the love of
God.. .Because of this being created in righteousness and truly pure, you put away, completely lay to rest the lie that you have been and were living and each one of you speak the truth using a quotation from the Word with his believing neighbor for we are members one of another in the Body of the Church.
Robinson {Edward} said, he translated, 'speak every man truth with his neighbor' and he said it's from Zachariah 8:16 which adds force to what is said by using a quote. That's why I translated that. I think that' s great. It adds force to what is said. If you're speaking to someone, it adds force to what you say by using a quote, a quotation from God's Word. In other words, ' you share the Word with them.' That' s why I went with that translation. I want to give it to you again in this sense.
Speak the truth using a quotation from the Word, which means 'share the Word.' Quote the Word to them. Tell them what the Word says, with his believing neighbor. Why? For we are members one of another in the Body of the Church. This verse is just mind blowing.
Here, you have a born-again believer neighbor who needs to grow up a little more. So what do you do? Each one speak the truth to that neighbor, that believer, using the Word, quoting the Word because we' re members one of another in the Body of the Church. It's a real positive thing to do.
Verse 26 in King James reads, Be angry.. .ha ha... we like that one, don't we. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Here is a verse of Scripture that' s very, very difficult for most people. And it' s not too easy for us either. But I think we are able to share the truth of the greatness of this and it's been burning in my heart for a long time to do this with our people.
Everybody has problems with ' how can you be angry and not sin?' You know, how can raise hell with something and not be sinful in doing it? Teed off and not be sinful. And how can you go... and what does it mean 'don't let the sun go down upon your wrath?' See.
In the context, here, verses 26 and 27 deal with your believing neighbor, specifically. Then the Greek word for ' anger' which is from the root orge, o-r-g-long-e means 'anger together with the desire of revenge .' That' s bad. That' s a heavy. The Hebrew word means ' to kill, and all the tumults of passion that terminate in killing.' So it's a real heavy word when it said ' be angry.'
And the way I believe it's used in God' s Word, ' be ye angry' means ' it's a long time anger with your believing neighbor until a change has ensued.' The desire to... of revenge is a change. And I, knowing the Word in the light of the new birth, it's where a change finally comes about. Until that time, you just, long-term, you just stay put witnessing the Word, sharing the Word. You do not dislike the believing neighbor; you simply dislike that he is not fully accepting the Word and walking on it. So it' s a long-term anger until a change has ensued. You just stay faithful.
I don't know what else to do with those words. It is a righteous anger. Yet it is a righteous anger without sin.
Among the scholars, there is a disagreement on these words. Well, I don't know about my being a scholar; that I don' t anything about being about. But it's simple to me because righteous anger is commanded by God's Word when it says ' be ye angry.' Well, the scholars can fight about it. I don' t care. It' s a command. Not just permitted to get teed once in a while when somebody' s off of God' s Word, a believer is off of God's Word. You' re always teed off righteously at any believer, born-again believer, who is off of God' s Word. And for those of us in the Way Ministry, it' s been a lifetime.
Get into it with them on... Oh what subject do you want to talk about? Baptism? Food? One God? See. All that stuff.
The Aramaic is accurate in the words ' and sin not.' It literally translates ' and you will not sin.' Again, this ' be angry and sin not' is that figure gnome. Quotation. A citation from the Old Testament. It' s from Psalm 4:4. But in King James, Psalm 4:4, it's translated 'stand in awe.' The real sense of the Hebrew is ' one of admonition;' sin not. Where we' re admonished to not sin. Sin not.
' Let not the sun go down on your wrath. ' Ha ha. That again is beautiful. People went to bed when the sun went down, when it got dark. That's when they went to bed. So what that simply is saying, ha ha, ' don't go to bed teed off.' Don' t let the sun go down on your wrath. In other words, go to bed; don' t go to bed mad. ' When you go to bed' is what it means. Let not the sun go down when you go to bed. And they went to bed when the sun went down. When it got dark, they went to bed, see.
' Upon your wrath.' And the word ' wrath' here is basically ' irritation.' Ha ha. Previously when I taught Ephesians, I made mention of this fact, ' don' t let righteous anger shake you, wondering if it was right on. When you go to bed, go to sleep.'
Now, this is what we have done with it in the literal, ha ha, according to usage. I got more papers up here than Carter has liver pills, or something. Then, I can' t find my... whatever it is I take off of it.
Okay, verse 26. You be righteously angry.. .this is literal according to usage.. .and you will not be sinning. Don't go to bed even with a momentary irritation, ha ha.
I don't think you get nearly as much fun out of this as I do. It's neat. It's absolutely scrumptious, see. At the opening, is that heavy word, remember? Anger. So it's a real heavy time. So what he is saying, in the heavy time, when your standing on God' s Word and sharing that with the believing neighbor, you' re righteously angry... you're not sinning. And you don't even go to bed with a momentary irritation. In other Words, when you go to bed, thank God the day is over. Say your last prayer and start snoring.
Boy, that would save a lot of sleeping pills, wouldn' t it? Practicing that principle. Boy, oh boy, what a tremendous Word. And hardly anybody understands verse 26. They argue about it, but they don' t get the understanding.
Now this is the expanded one according to understanding, I hope. And again, I would like to just lay some things before the Corps, and especially before the Research Department. I translated the first part of verse 26, You always stay angry with an all-out desire to have them to change which anger will not be sin on your part.
Then I have another translation of that first part of it: You be righteously angry, 'teed off' with sin... 'Teed off' I put in quotes. But don't you sin by acting ' holier than thou' vaunting yourself by acting so righteously like you never sin.
I do not know which one of those two the Research Department feels would be the better. The last part of the phrase that I translated which would go with both of these that I have given you here on the expanded one for understanding. This, the last part, goes with that first one and with the second ... also.. .even if it is only a momentary irritation. When you go to bed, go to sleep. That's what I did with it.
Now, verse 27. King James says, Neither (or neither) give place to the Devil. The word 'place' is simply a portion, a part. No believer will give full place to the Devil, but he may be giving a part, a portion. He' ll mark off a spot, ' this is Devil' s permission over here, over here, no permission, you know. And you really give the Devil a portion or a spot if you stew about it after you go to bed and you toss and you tum and can' t sleep.
This word 'the Devil,' ' the Devil' in the Aramaic is a very interesting and exciting Word to me and it blesses my heart. It' s a compound word where the first part means ' to eat' or ' to devour.' The latter
' to slander' or ' to accuse. ' So when I got to translating this, literally according to usage, verse 27 reads: Do not give any portion or space or an opportunity to the Devil. So I used those three words synonymously: portion, space, opportunity. Do not give any portion or space or an opportunity to the Devil.
The expanded according to understanding: And you will not give a toehold, an opportunity or an occasion for the Devil to eat you. Ha ha. I get more fun than you ever will out of working this stuff, huh.
You see, and to me, that communicates to my understanding. John 10:10. The thief cometh not but for to what? [Steal, kill, and destroy] Right. To eat you out. To beat you. And that's why that Aramaic word, on the word ' Devil' really thrilled me.
And that ' s why I put it into the expanded translation: And you will not give a ' toehold.' Now, at L.E.A.D., you know how important it is to get a what? [Toehold] Ha ha. And when you' re really climbing in, you' re blessed for a toehold. How thankful you are when you get a foothold. Now the adversary can never get a foothold in a believer' s life until he first has a toehold. That's why I translated it that way.
Do not give... and you will not give a toehold ... shave all the rocks off... an opportunity or an occasion for the Devil to eat you. And that' s exactly what he likes to do to believers.
Now we go to verse 28. King James says, Let him that stole steal not more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. And here again, is another great work that I believe should be in our research journal GMIR, Walter' s work on " Workers for God."
It' s just tremendous where he... you know... he just goes into God' s men are called many things in the Word. They' re called: fellow workers, ministers, or servants, slaves, fellow slaves, partners, messengers, soldiers, fellow soldiers, athletes, fellow athletes, stewards, ambassadors, witnesses, all of those. And he covers them so beautifully. And I love very much how he covered the word ' slave,' because it' s a much stronger word than to be a minister, or to be a servant. It is to be one who is branded, marked out, sold out. And baby, from that day on, there are no ifs, and' s, or but' s. You never budge on it. You are branded. Most believers are never branded. They may be servants, they may be ministers, but they are not branded. When you' re branded, you stay faithful. You do not budge. You do not change. You stay put. If all hell breaks loose, you still live the believing Word.
I think the prophet once said, If I was in the midst of hell, God I know you' d be there. (Psalm 139:8) He' d be there. That' s the doulos. That, of course, is just a tremendous piece of work.
And the other great part that I think... and this is a second piece that I want the Corps to master before next Wednesday night, " Workers for God," the work on ' witness.' You see, it's the same word basically that's translated ' martyr,' see. And we got a lot of those canonized. That's not at all what a witness is. A witness is a living example, not a dead one. The word 'martyr' simply means that you lay down your life in witnessing. And boy, when you put the doulos together with ' witness,' then you' ve got power for abundant living. It's just a fantastic work by Walter and I' m real grateful that it was published. Because once it' s in print, people can take a look at it if they want to.
I'd like a cup of coffee, please.
Now, we are in verse 28. The Aramaic translation is ' and he who was stealing.' I understand it from the English, ' let him that stole,' past tense. The Aramaic is real simple, real strong. ' And he, the one who is born again, who was, past tense, stealing.'
Thank you.
His whole life was one of those before he was born again.
Whenever you bring a cup of coffee to a right-hand man, you put the handle to the right. When you serve a cup of coffee to a left-hand man, you put it on the left-hand side and put the handle to the left. Corps principle number seven or something, ha ha. Mrs. Wierwille would say, Well, be thankful you even get a cup of coffee. [Laughter] Ah, you're wonderful.
See, ' let him who stole, steal no more.' 'Stole and steal,' that' s a figure of speech and is polyptoton p-o-l-y-p-t-o-t-o-n. It' s a repetition of the same root word in different parts of speech or reflections. But, that's not earth shaking right now in my heart.
You see, in some Eastern culture, it was not considered a sin or a shame to steal because that's the way they lived, the only way they lived. Somebody told me... or not only told me, one of our people, but it was in a national magazine, that the basic culture of Russia today is to steal. And in some respects I can understand this. If you don't have anything and you're starving to death and there' s a loaf of bread you can get a hold of... steal the dam thing. I understand that.
So this verse is really sharp, really sharp. Let him who stole, even though that man previously considered it the way to live and there was no shame in it, no sin in it. He said, Well, let that fellow who stole, steal no more. Something has happened on the inside of that man. Something that happened, where He is able to meet all of our need according to His riches in glory. Christ in you, the hope of glory. More than conquerors.
A record in the Old Testament, I forget where it is, but it's in there, that it' s never, you never need to borrow or steal bread or... what is that in the Old Testament? Begging bread. One person stand and tell me. {Psalm 37:25, I have been young and now am old; yet have I seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread.} Psalm 27:25 who? {Psalm 37:25} 37:25. All the years, he's never seen the righteous to have to do what? {Beg bread} Beg bread.
First of all, I wish the Christian world could hear this. Secondly, I wish our government in the United States could understand it. The Word says, If you don't work, you don' t eat. A lot of that stuff. Well, what we've been doing is stealing from the people who are willing to work to give to the people who don' t want to work. That's a bunch of crap. That's stealing. That's why this verse is so hot in my soul tonight. Let him who stole, quit stealing, dang it. See.
Many years ago I was really knocked for a loop along some of this line in India, from Dr. Williams. I think he loved India maybe like I love the United States, I don' t know. Because only a man knows how much he loves his own country, I guess.
But... as we were traveling together, he said to me, Dr. Wierwille, I hear you have whores in the United States.
You know, I never had given it a thought. I just took it for granted. [Laughter] And I said, yeah. He said, Why does a rich country like the United States have whores?
And I said, I don't know.
And he said, I can't understand it. Cannot your women make enough money to live? Yeah, but they figure that' s cheaper and more pleasurable or something, I don' t know. And he said, Well, I think it's sinful that the United States has whores.
And I said, What do you mean?
And he said to me, why, I can understand India. He said we don' t enough food, we don' t have enough of anything hardly for a lot of people. And we have whores because that' s the only way they can continue to live physically.
And I thought to myself, well boy, that' s slapping me in the face good. And I took it as a wonderful lesson. There is no excuse in the United States for any women being a whore because she doesn' t need to get screwed and paid for it in order to get money so she can live. There's plenty of work available and if there isn' t she ought to get born again, then there' s a guarantee of work. ..other work, available. I tell you, when you' re honest, some of these men in other countries have some real logic behind their thinking. How would you have liked to have handled that? I just simply admitted, Well, I think we' re wrong in the United States. But I said, I think you' re wrong in India, too, because no reason to have whores here if you get them born again.
So I don' t know. But this verse today as I worked the final working on this verse 28 is when my heart really went back and burned with that truth that Dr. Williams had stated. Because in many Eastern cultures, it was not considered as sin or as shame to steal, if it was a matter of livelihood. You sometimes wonder who will live in the greatest condemnation before God and justice and judgment when the time comes.
For in most of what are called poor countries even, there is sufficient money, food, and other things for the people to live if those in positions of authority were not so selfish and egotistical, and want it for themselves , and let the rest of the world die... or a country die.
The word ' labor' in verse 28 is the word which literally means ' hard work resulting in fatigue.' That's how I felt coming from the woods last night. And I didn' t do anything. It was just hard work being there with the rest of you. Today I got so tired of being with some, I came home. Ah, you' re wonderful.
' Working with his hands' is an Eastern cultural type of thing. Today in our culture, you could have it, you know, the truth is working with your mind or working with your hand, whatever you' re working at. But in Eastern culture, every son was to be trained to work with his hands, even if he was the son of a king. Had to learn a trade, a profession of business.
Jesus Christ was a saddle maker. He made them to ride, I guess, what do you want? Tennessee Walkers , or? See. I think not only did he do that, Paul did it, too, you know. Someday I'm going to find a...or Walter, or some of those, are going to find me a manuscript to prove it. .. and a wonderful carpenter by trade. Many times doing carpentry work and being a saddle maker were sort of in the same household, because building carpentry and having saddles to use for their business and carrying on, were very, very closely aligned. Well, I won' t argue the point, but I wish we' d keep looking.
II Thessalonians.. .Do your hands ever get so dry you can hardly hold anything? Golly, mine are so dry tonight, I wonder why? II Thessalonians, chapter 3:10... this we commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he what? [Eat] Right. Even unemployment is no excuse for stealing. He just doesn' t eat. Goes and gets work. Boy, when I first saw the greatness of these principles many years ago, and then of course, I uniquely by God' s grace, inculcated that into our W.O.W. program and very dynamically in the Corps leadership.
ROMANS 6:1-14
May 1, 1979
Tonight we continue in the great book of Romans. I do not believe there is any Corps
person but that you have to stand in utter amazement at the greatness of God’s grace and
mercy and all of His goodness to us. Another great thing you have to see if you’re in the
Corps and is that most Christians have lived far below par. We need to rise up to our
believing privileges of what God has wrought for us in Christ Jesus.
In the chapters preceding the fifth chapter, the section I dealt with so extensively, there are
two things that really sit like a diamond in there that you have to recognize. They are all in
the past tense. Sin reigned and death reigned. That’s what is discussed in the early part of
Romans. Now we get into grace reigns and life reigns. It is active. No longer sin reigns, but
now the lire of God in Christ in us that reigns.
The personal sins of believers are dealt with as opposed to the one sin of Adam. The one
sin of Adam was previously dealt with in the early part of Romans. Now the only thing
that will ever come up is sins. These are personal sins of believers. Those believers who
accept the Lord Jesus Christ it says shall reign. They which receive the Lord Jesus Christ
shall reign. Receive is lambanō, reign in manifestation. Before you can reign in
manifestation you have to dechomai. You first receive within, Christ in you the hope of
glory. Then you can lambanō. You have to renew your mind and put on the mind of Christ
to the end that you accept the abundance of the grace and the free gift of God’s
righteousness in your mind. You lay hold on that which you were laid hold on by Christ
Jesus.
We saw in our last session in Romans 5:6-10 that there was a fourfold description of those
for whom Christ died.
Romans 5:6 – without strength; couldn’t in any way save themselves.
Romans 5:6 – Christ died for the ungodly. That’s the second category, the ungodly.
Romans 5:8 – sinners
Romans 5:10 – enemies of God
Man is without strength to save himself; man is ungodly because he follows the lowest
senses information; he’s a sinner dead in trespasses and sins and it finally ends up where
he’s an enemy against the true God.
So the natural man of body and soul, no matter how great he looks to you in the world, no
matter how influential he appears to be, when you finally get right down to it, he’ll be at
the enemy category, against the true God.
As we move into Chapter 6 and through 8:39, there are nine words I’d like for you to look
up and mark them in all their derivatives in those Chapters 6-8.
1. body
2. members
3. mind – nous and phronema
4. spirit
5. flesh
6. live – life and quickened
202 Romans 6:1-14
7. sin
8. law
9. knowledge – agnoeō, ginōskō and oida
I have worked all nine of these to a minute accuracy because there is no one who can
handle Romans 6-8 unless he understands the usage of these words. I sometimes think I’m
spending too much time with the Corps giving you these things, but I just work in order to
work the greatness of Romans. But I’m not going to take the time tonight to show you all
these different words and their usage because they are right there in Romans in these
chapters. All you have to do is look them up in your concordance.
The division of Chapter 6 and 7 that sets the division of those two chapters are the two
words, “God forbid.” In Romans 6:2 it says “God forbid.” In Romans 6:15 at the end of
the verse it’s “God forbid.” In Romans 7:7 it’s “God forbid.” In Romans 7:13 it’s “God
forbid.” Those are the four expressions that will divide Chapter 6 and 7. These words, God
forbid, mean that they are an expression of supreme horror, even the mere thought of it is
revolting. I will show you later on that a literal translation of the words would be “let it not
even be thought of.” If it’s not thought of, then you can’t consider it. If you don’t consider
it you can’t speak it. These two words, “God forbid,” divide this whole section.
Also in this section there are four major answers given. The first begins in Romans 6:2ff.
The second in Romans 6:16. The third in Romans 7:7. The fourth in Romans 7:13. No
matter how adept you may be in athletics, how beautiful a body you may have, if you have
ignorance of the fundamentals of the ball game, you are never going to be a good player,
no matter how beautiful a body you have, no matter how perfect your nerves and muscles
are in your body. If you are ignorant of the fundamentals, the basic truths of redemption,
the believer gets robbed of his reign in life.
This is one of the reasons you have seen Christians so emaciated, so poverty stricken, so
absolutely down and out, because they do not know the fundamentals. You get the
fundamentals from the rule book and then you practice them. When the believer is robbed
of his reign in life, which belongs to him because of what Christ Jesus did, he will not
manifest the more abundant life that John 10:10 speaks about. He will not manifest super
abounding conquerors. He’ll always be living below par. What most of us have seen in socalled
Christianity for centuries is Christians living below par.
Another great truth of the Word of God that hardly anybody believes is if you seek
knowledge apart from the one true God and His righteousness, it will always end up in
ignorance. All true knowledge begins with the one true God and His righteousness. But
man basically is thirsty for knowledge. But he goes to the wrong source. He goes to the
wrong fountains to drink. This is why he never gets true knowledge.
John 8:32
People outside of the Word of God and the greatness of the revelation will not know truth.
God is truth. He has manifested Himself in writing in the Word, and when you go to
academic institutions of learning, if you do not have a true knowledge of God’s Word,
you’re going to be living in ignorance. You may be able to know a little about math,
philosophy, history, but you’re going to be ignorant of life. What’s the use to have such
great brain knowledge and not know how to live? The knowledge of God and His Word
teaches people how to live.
John 8:36
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When they do not accept the Lord Jesus Christ, they will never be free. He is the one who
makes us free.
There are five great points of ignorance I’ve noted that appear in the Book of Romans.
1. They are ignorant of the law.
2. They have a zeal but no accurate knowledge. A zeal, but not according to knowledge.
3. They are ignorant of God’s righteousness. (Romans 10:3)
4. They are ignorant of the future restoration. (Romans 11:25)
5. They are ignorant of the old man. (Colossians 3:9, 10)
I made myself a little outline I want to share with you regarding Chapter 6 and 7 that I
think will help you very much.
Write “statement” on the left hand side. Below it write “question.” On the next line write
“rejection.” Then on next line write “answer.”
Now put a perpendicular line after it.
Next to statement put Chapter 5:20, 21. Now put another perpendicular line down to the
bottom of the fourth word “answer.” Now put under statement 6:14. Now put another
perpendicular line and put 7:6. Now put a perpendicular line. Now put next to statement
(your fourth category) 7:12.
In between the two first perpendicular lines where you wrote 5:20, 21, put the figure “one”
above it. The next section put “two” above it; “three” on the third one, and “four.” These
are divided into four sections with the words “God forbid” dividing it.
The statement in number one is 5:20, 21.
The question in number one is 6:1.
The rejection is in 6:2.
The answer is in 6:3-14.
That’s as far as I’m going to take you tonight. But I’ll give you the rest.
Under the category number two:
The statement is 6:14.
The question is 6:15.
The rejection is 6:15.
The answer is 6:16-7:6.
Under the category number three:
The statement is 7:6.
The question is. 7:7.
The rejection is 7:7.
The answer is 7:7-12.
Under the category number four:
The statement is 7:12.
The question is 7:13.
The rejection is 7:13.
The answer is 7:13-25.
Those are the four divisions and the verses in the order in which they appear and will
occur.
Romans 6:1
What shall we say then? – That’s the question.
I gave you 5:20, 21 as the statement. This is the translation according to usage that I gave
at the last Corps meeting.
The law to Moses came in along side in order that Adam’s offence, sin, transgression,
might be more plainly visible. But where Adam’s sin, condemnation and death abounded,
the grace of God through Jesus Christ did super abound, that as sin, Adam’s and all
mankind’s reigned in death and condemnation, even so now grace reigns unto eternal life
through the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:1 manifests and sounds forth the answer that was already posed in Romans 3:7.
“God forbid” – These words are used 15 times in the New Testament, and the greater
portion is in Romans.
Romans 3:7
Romans 6:1
This sounds forth the answer. Born again believers are just ignorant of the fundamentals,
the basic truths of redemption. So many times born again believers exchange the liberty of
the grace of God as a license for sin, and thereby they abuse the abundant grace of God.
When you are born again of God’s spirit you have eternal life. You can sin like crazy and
you are still going to be in heaven. But if you do it, you are stupid. If God so loved us, then
we ought to love Him. Sure you’re going to be in heaven, but you’re going to miss all the
rewards. A person born again of God’s spirit can stay stupid and live in unbelief. He can
continue in his unbelief and sin, or he can do something within himself where he can
continue in God’s abundance. It’s in God’s abundance that the individual believer reigns,
not if he continues in unbelief or sin.
Romans 6:2
Why live in sin when super abounding grace has been made available? Because super
abounding grace does not encourage the individual to sin, nor does it give him a license to
sin.
Romans 6:3
Romans 6:11
Dead to the guilt of sin, not that man will not die. He is dead to the guilt of it.
Romans 6:12
Let not sin reign. Because of the super abounding grace of God, we are to let Christ reign.
There’s an interesting truth you ought to be cognizant of, and that is again the great truth
that Jesus Christ was never under the power of sin, like Adam was, like we are, because he
so believed God and he so walked according to the Word of God that he just never allowed
himself to be under the power of it. That’s why the Word says he had legions of angels at
his command. He was not under the power of it. He deliberately took the guilt of sin. He
became sin for us that we could become the righteousness of God in him.
For that guilt of sin he died that you and I could become the righteousness of God. With
his death we are freed, justified in God’s sight. Christ’s death was for our justification.
Christ’s life in us is for our abundant life that we may reign in this life.
Romans 6:1
Romans 6:1-14 205
You must clearly distinguish between the words “through Christ” and “in Christ.” In
Chapter 5 we dealt with that which is through Christ, or by means of, by way of Christ.
Now in Chapter 6 we deal with that which is in Christ.
“continue” – epimenō, which literally means abides, stay in it. After you are born again
you live in unbelief and you want to stay in sin. That is this word “continue.”
“that” – hina, in order that
The super abundant grace of God will cover, but if you have any sense in your head, once
you have seen the super grace of God, the remission of sins, the forgiveness of sins, then
we do not abide in that that we may see the abundance of the grace of God covering for us.
Romans 6:2
“God forbid” – no Greek words for this that are translated that way; mē genoito –
translated 15 times in the New Testament as “God-forbid.” They literally mean “let it not
be so.” It’s an expression of extreme horror. Let it not be thought of. If it can’t be thought
of, it can’t be considered, then you can’t express it.
If you’re dead to sin in Christ, then why do you want to live in it any longer? All sin brings
death, makes you live below par, uproots your life, hurts you.
Romans 6:3
“Know ye not” – literally given as “are you ignorant of”
“into Jesus Christ” = into Christ Jesus
This matter of accepting and knowing the basics I talked to you about, ignorance of the
fundamentals has caused no end of problems. Even today you see that same groups teach
that if you are not water baptized you are not a Christian. If there is any work you can do to
be saved, then Christ Jesus absolutely died in vain. Then the flesh still profits something.
Two basic words separate the old covenant and the new. The old covenant is “do,” and the
new covenant is “done.”
“into” – eis
“baptized” = immersed; immersed in Christ Jesus, not in water; immersed in his death.
There can’t be an immersion without a submersion. Immersed implies you are submersed,
below the water. Immersed in Christ’s death, submersed because they put him in the tomb,
and immersed because God raised him. You got all of this in that verse. Immersed with
him because you died with him. Submersed with him because he was three days and three
nights. Immersed with him because God raised him from the dead.
Romans 6:4
“are buried” – were buried
“with” – dia, by, genitive
“baptism” – immersion, submersion
“from” – ek, out from among; raised out from among the dead
“glory” – the glorious power
“in” – en
Death and resurrection. See why when you know the basic fundamentals of the Word of
God, why they went everywhere preaching the resurrection? Confess with your mouth
Jesus as Lord and believe God raised him. In the death it’s not all there. In the submersion
it’s not all there. There had to be the death, the submersion, in order to have the immersion
which is the resurrection. The victory is the resurrection, the stone rolled away. The only
one who ever got up. These are basic fundamental principles of the truth of God’s
revelation to the body of the church.
Since this has all happened, we should walk also in newness of life. Instead of living in sin
we who died with Christ to sin, we may now walk in newness of life and serve in newness
of life as it says in Romans 7:6.
Romans 7:6
Romans 6:4
“newness” – kainotēs; has an entirely different meaning than “new,” which is neos. Neos is
new in time. Kainotēs is a new quality of life, not new in time.
Galatians 2:19, 20
We who died to sin now walk in Christ. Christ liveth in me.
Romans 6:5
“have been” – were
“planted together” – This is not accurate enough, because in planting you don’t put one
grain of corn inside another. Each one is planted individually. Wheat the same way, oats,
barley. Each seed is planted separately. It’s better than planted. We were in Christ. When
Christ died we died with him. The Greek word bears me out on this. It is the word
sumphutos, literally meaning “became united.”
A much greater translation would have been “were grafted in him.” Even grafted, I like
what I just told you better. I like it because it communicates in my mind exactly what
happened, that in Christ’s death we became united in him. This I believe is the beginning,
the starting point of the oneness with Jesus Christ, being in Christ Jesus. It is the starting
point of our union with him. Became united, identified with him. It is our identification
with Christ that is in full bloom here at this point in the scriptures.
It’s our starting point, the beginning, the oneness, the union with Jesus Christ, our
identification with him. The conclusion is reached at the return. It says we are to reign in
life now, but the conclusion is that we will be given a new body, which will be fashioned
like unto his body. That will only occur at the gathering together, the return of Christ. For
the Old Testament believers, the resurrection, those who believed unto the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
So, if we were united with him in his death, in the likeness of his death we died with him.
We were identified with him, we were at one with him, we were in union with him. We
shall, absolute tense, be in the likeness of his resurrection, a body fashioned like unto his
body.
Romans 8:29
Romans 6:5
We shall, absolute tense.
If the one is true then the other must be true. That’s why we have newness of life, that’s
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why we walk in that newness of life, and that’s why we have liberty in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:6
“Knowing this” – points to the cross, while in Verse 9 it says “knowing that.” “Knowing
this” points to the cross; “knowing that” points toward the return and the resurrection.
“is crucified” = was crucified
Our old man, old Adam, sin and death, condemnation, all of that was crucified with him.
Have you ever thought of this in relationship to the record of the four crucified with Jesus?
Our old man was crucified with him. Two of those four were malefactors. The other two
were what? Both of the robbers cast the same into his what? One of the malefactors, what
did he say? Lord, remember me when thou enterest into thy what? One out of the four. All
four were condemned to death. Two malefactors, two robbers, all four.
Luke 23:39-42
This man has done nothing amiss, he hasn’t sinned. He’s not a robber, he’s not even a
malefactor. And yet he was dying on that cross in the midst of those four. That’s what this
verse is talking about.
Romans 6:6
All four condemned to a criminal’s death on the cross. But the fifth one also, not because
of his sin, but because he took the guilt of sin upon himself and died the death of a
condemned criminal, even like the other four.
Galatians 2:19
Was crucified with him, old man, old Adam, old sin nature, was crucified with him.
Romans 6:6
“body” – sōma; body of sin, which literally means sin as. an organized power, as a body,
sin as a body
“destroyed” – inaccurate, because the last enemy to be destroyed is death (Corinthians).
Greek word is katargeō, made ineffective. I think it’s Conybeare and Howson that translate
it as paralyzed. The body of sin might be made ineffective.
“henceforth” – from now on
“serve” – doulos, be slaves to sin; Because when a man is dead in Christ, he has to be freed
of all bondage in life. A man who is dead physically is freed of all the bondage of the law
because he is dead. Likewise a man dead to sin is acquitted from the guilt of sin and he is
freed from its bondage.
The greatest thing for a man is life. I do not believe that any person really likes to die. I
think the basic fabric of every human being is to live. He wants life. He does not enjoy
suffering to the death. The basic cry of the soul of every man is life. That’s the greatest
thing a man wants is life. He’d give all his possessions, all his money, if he could gain life.
If somebody would just guarantee it to him, I think he would give everything he had,
especially if he knew he only had one more hour to live. The point is that basically every
man wants life. And without the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ there isn’t any.
With the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ man is guaranteed life. The only difference
is he may have a slight interruption. That’s all. Look at that. Man wants life. Without
Christ Jesus there never would have been any. With his coming and with his death and
with his resurrection there’s a guarantee of every man living again. That’s life. And not
only living again for the believers but living in a body fashioned like unto his body that
will have no shortcomings, no sickness, no disease, no death. You talk about life with a
capital L-I-F-E, that’s only in Christ. Isn’t that wonderful? In the first Adam sin and death,
and we are all in Adam’s sin. Therefore, we are all going to die. But with the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ who is the light, we who have accepted him have his life, with his return
no matter if we died tonight we would get up. That’s why people you ought to master Are
The Dead Alive Now. In death there is no consciousness, and where there is no
consciousness there is no time. So the moment of a man or woman’s death is the moment
of the return. One breath after a man dies, the next one is the new breath of the return of
Christ. Throughout all eternity. With the return we have it throughout all eternity. You talk
about basic fundamental principles of the truth of the body of the church, the mystery,
you’ve got it here in Romans. Old man was crucified so quit stewing about the old man.
Renew your mind and walk in newness of life. Walk like a son of God.
Romans 6:7
“freed” – dedikaiotai, meaning justified
“from” – apo, away from, away from all sin; justified from sin
The translation “freed from sin” isn’t bad. But you must remember that it’s the word
justified that sets you free. If you died in Christ when he died, you were freed, justified
from sin, not sins, but the root of it, sin.
Romans 6:8
This is the freedom from bondage which is the whole subject of this section in Romans 6.
Text reads “if we died together with Christ, in Christ.”
“We believe that we shall live also with him.”
That’s a transition phrase. We shall live also with him. Knowing this points to the cross.
This lays the transition to knowing that of Verse 9, which points to the resurrection. We
shall live also with him.
Romans 6:9
“Christ being raised” – Having been raised
Dieth no more – Now you could go to Hebrews – entered in once.
Death no longer will have dominion over him.
“dominion” – rulership, lordship – kurieuō, meaning lord it over. Death no longer has
dominion over him, no longer lords it over him.
So likewise over us, if we are in him, then death will no longer lord it over us. Therefore,
we are going to be in the gathering together. If we are dead, the corruption must put on
incorruption. But if we are living the living must put on immortality. That’s the whole
thing wrapped up in spiritual cellophane.
Romans 6:10
Now we get toward the conclusion of this section in Romans 6:1-14.
In Adam we have sin and death. In Christ we have righteousness and life. Since we
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absolutely have the one in Adam, which has been proven through the centuries because
Abraham died, Moses died, Paul died, etc. no question about death. If it is true that in
Adam all men died, then it is equally true that in Christ all men are going to live.
“For in that he died” – That’s not just it. It’s the death he died. That would be a better
translation. For in the death he died, the manner, the fashion, the way. Remember he took
the guilt of sin without having any sin himself. He was our substitute. He deliberately went
to the cross. He prayed about it, but he made a decision and by the freedom of his will he
chose to go to the cross. The death he died he died unto sin.
“once” – completely complete once; once and for all; ephapax, meaning once for all
“but” – in contrast
He liveth unto God because God raised him.
I think I ought to explain a little to you about this believing. We believe unto salvation. But
once you get the basic fundamentals and principles in your mind, then the believing gets to
be a knowing. Believing finally issues in absolute awareness, absolute knowing. Knowing
that you know that you know. You don’t even think about it. You just know it. That’s
where the newness of life and the reigning comes in.
Romans 6:11
“likewise” – houtō so
So, since you are in him, when he died you died with him, when he arose you arose with
him, when he ascended you ascended with him, so, right now reckon ye yourselves also to
be dead indeed unto sin. Christ died unto sin in Verse 10. Now you have to reckon yourself
also to be dead indeed unto sin, for you were in Christ.
But alive unto God because God raised Jesus Christ. When He raised him He raised you
up. Alive unto God right now.
“through” – in; in Christ Jesus our Lord; Some texts omit “our Lord,” but I like it, because
of what I know about the Word. Confess with your mouth, believe God, manifest by
speaking in tongues and speaking in tongues is the indication that you have made him
Lord. That is a reality. We are alive unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“reckon” – logizomai: Logic comes from it. Arithmetic comes from it. It’s an arithmetical
structure. Perhaps a translation could be “so number you yourselves also to be dead.”
Luke 22:37
“reckoned” – numbered
As Jesus Christ was numbered, so we are to be numbered. We are to reckon.
Isaiah 53:12
“numbered” – logizomai
Isaiah 53:5
You have to reckon yourself also to be dead unto sin. If you don’t reckon the old man
dead, you’re going to have trouble with him all the time.
Romans 6:11
A fantastic translation would be “ye yourselves also to be permanently dead unto sin on the
one hand but on the other hand permanently alive unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:12
This is the first exhortation in the Book of Romans.
“let not” = yield not
Yield not to sin that it is the king in your mortal body.
“reign” – word “king” – When somebody reigns he is king. Yield not to sin therefore as
king, as the king in your mortal life, because who is your Lord? See it? Not the old man,
not the old Adam.
“lusts” – epithumia, desires
Desires which are contrary to the deliverance in Christ Jesus of sin and death.
When it comes to this word “lusts,” lusts begin where need terminates. That again is
sometimes difficult to document. The legalists have no problem documenting, because
anything against what they say has to be lusts. But it isn’t as simple as that when you
handle the Word of God rightly, not deceitfully.
Not to be king in your mortal body, in lusts of your mortal body that it would be your king.
Anything that you cannot control or do not control that takes possession of you has to
always be in the category of lusts.
Included with that are some of the sins that everybody talks about, but that’s not all. I think
many people have more lusts about food than they do about sex. Money is a dandy! It’s a
biggie, and it says the love of money is the root of all evil, so it has to be a big one.
Galatians 5:24
“passions” – affections; beyond the need category
In light of this whole section in here I was thinking about the record in Exodus.
Exodus 4:22, 23
Israel could no longer be slaves to Pharaoh after they crossed the Red Sea. God said let my
sons go. When Jesus Christ entered in once and for all, and we have crossed the Red Sea,
we can no longer be slaves to sin. We can no longer be slaves to Pharaoh. We have crossed
over with the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s what I see in here. As Israel could no longer be
slaves to Pharaoh after crossing the Red Sea, so you and I can no longer be slaves to the
mortal body, the lusts and everything else, because we have crossed with Jesus Christ.
That they may serve me – That’s what Moses told Pharaoh. So we as sons have crossed
over and we are to serve him in newness of life and spirit.
Romans 6:13
“yield” – paristēmi, means that you by your own will you give over to another; So don’t
give over to another your members, your body.
“instruments” – tools; The word is most frequently used in a military sense, like a military
weapon, instrument.
Neither voluntarily give over to another your members, the body, as tools of service for
unrighteousness. That would be a good translation.
But voluntarily by the freedom of your will yield, give over yourself onto God. By the
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freedom of your will you make the decision to follow His Word.
Ephesians 4:28, 29
Yield yourselves servants unto God
Romans 6:13
Yield yourselves servants unto God as those that are alive, living ones from dead ones
(literal). Those who are alive from the dead. Living ones from the dead ones.
“members” – the body
“righteousness” – right action – dikaiosunē
Romans 6:14
A promise
“shall not have dominion over you” – shall not reign over you, shall not lord it over you
All sin issues in death, and death is not going to lord it over you because God raised Jesus
Christ from the dead, and you have Christ in you the hope of glory.
“for ye are not under law” – Scratch “the.” You’re not under any law principle, is what he
is saying.
Christ the end of the law, sin, death, old Adam, not have dominion over you, for you are
not under law principle, but you are under the principle of grace.
Galatians 5:13, 14
Your neighbor is not the fellow living next door to you, but the one who stands on the
same principle of truth who is born again of God’s spirit like you are.
Galatians 5:1
Sin shall not lord it over you. You are not under law.
Romans 13:8, 9
Things are to be used; people are to be loved. Whenever people get to be things, it’s
wrong. Whenever an individual is a thing, it’s wrong if that individual is born again of
God’s spirit.
Romans 13:10
Grace is not lawless.
Romans 8:2
The law of the spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death.
I think Wamath has a beautiful translation of Romans 6:12-14, and I’d like to read it to
you.
Romans 6:12-14
Let not sin therefore reign as king in your mortal body causing you to be in subjection to
their cravings, and no longer lend your faculties as unrighteous weapons, tools,
implements, for sin to use. On the contrary surrender your very self to God as living men,
as men now living, who have risen from the dead and surrender your several faculties to
God to be used as weapons to maintain the right, for sin shall not be lord over you since
you are subject, not of law, but of grace.
That’s a fantastic translation.
This New English translation isn’t bad.
Romans 6:12-14
So sin must no longer reign in your mortal body exacting obedience to the body’s desires,
you must no longer put its several parts at sin’s disposal as implements for wrong doing.
No. Put yourself at the disposal of God as dead men raised to life, yield your bodies to him
as implements for doing right, for sin shall no longer be your master because you are no
longer under law, but under the grace of God.
The word “believe” when we believed has given us a number of beautiful things.
1. identification with Christ, oneness with him
2. a state of being which is freedom from bondage
3. life with a newness of life
This section in here is where I get that phrase that man is born to live but born again to
serve.
The way to accomplish it, point number four, is reckoning the old man dead.
4. Reckon the old man dead
This gives us freedom to serve the Lord, not as a slave under the law, but as a son of God
by birth, all of which is due to the grace of God.
That’s Romans 6:1-14.