'Reigning in Life' Question Two
23 Mar 2010
Question: You said the reign death had over our lives was akin to that exercised by the tyrannical Henry VIII and not like that of Elizabeth II. I wondered whether there was a distinction in the Greek between the 'reign' that death had in Roman 5:14 and 17a to the 'reign' that we now have "in life through .. Jesus Christ", Romans 5:17b?
Answer: The Greek word that Paul uses in this passage for reign is βασιλεύω (basileuō), and is the same word used in both contexts. My Greek dictionary would define this word as: ‘Reign of a King’ to have ‘complete control’ and to ‘formally reign’. The reign of death would be like a tyrannical/oppressive king who wields his power over all people in a fearful way, this is implicit from the argument Paul uses and the juxtaposition he arrives at as he describes the ‘reign of life’, that comes to all those ‘in Christ’. Those who ‘reign in life’ are free from the ultimate ‘reign of death’, for we know that like Christ all who have received saving faith in Him will have a bodily resurrection like His when He returns (1 Corinthians 15 where Paul teaches in more depth about resurrection – great stuff!). Death therefore does not assert the same power over us as it once did before we were saved – Praise God!
Tim Blaber: Reigning in Life from the Romans Series
Tim
 
|