Romans 5:6-11 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

Love and Reconciliation.

Romans 5:6-8. The helplessness and ill-desert of the objects, and the timeliness of the intervention, go to commend God's love to us, shown in the death of Christ on our behalf a sacrifice enhanced when one considers that a righteous man will scarcely find another to die for him, though it may happen that a friend ventures his life for the good man (known and loved as such). God's and Christ's love are identified (Romans 5:6; Romans 5:8).

Romans 5:9 f. In the next breath the apostle speaks of God's anger: seeming incompatibles meet at the Cross. The joyous hope of Christians amid life's troubles is explained: justified at the price of Christ's blood (cf. Romans 8:32, 1 Peter 1:18 f.), we need not fear future anger; we know that God is our friend. He who has justified sinners, will never condemn the justified (see Romans 8:31-34). To the former enemies, brought into peace with God through His Son's death, that Son's risen life (cf. Romans 6:4 f., Revelation 1:17 f., Hebrews 7:25) gives pledge of final salvation. To be reconciled to God means not merely to change one's disposition toward Him, but to receive forgiveness, to exchange God's anger (Romans 5:9) for His smile. Reconciliation corresponds in point of sentiment to justification in point of status (see 2 Corinthians 5:19; also Matthew 5:24, for the use of the passive verb).

Romans 5:11. The sense of reconciliation swells again into a rapturous exultation in God (cf. Romans 5:2).

Romans 5:6-11

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due timea Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.b