Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Romans: Chapter 5].
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5:1 {Being therefore justified by faith} (\dikai•thentes oun ek
piste•s\). First aorist passive participle of \dikaio•\, to set
right and expressing antecedent action to the verb \ech•men\. The
\oun\ refers to the preceding conclusive argument (chapters 1 to
4) that this is done by faith. {Let us have peace with God}
(\eir•n•n ech•men pros ton theon\). This is the correct text
beyond a doubt, the present active subjunctive, not \echomen\
(present active indicative) of the Textus Receptus which even the
American Standard Bible accepts. It is curious how perverse many
real scholars have been on this word and phrase here. Godet, for
instance. Vincent says that "it is difficult if not impossible to
explain it." One has only to observe the force of the _tense_ to
see Paul's meaning clearly. The mode is the volitive subjunctive
and the present tense expresses linear action and so does not
mean "make peace" as the ingressive aorist subjunctive \eir•n•n
sch•men\ would mean. A good example of \sch•men\ occurs in Mt
21:38 (\sch•men t•n kl•ronomian autou\) where it means: "Let us
get hold of his inheritance." Here \eir•n•n ech•men\ can only
mean: "Let us enjoy peace with God" or "Let us retain peace with
God." We have in Ac 9:31 \eichen eir•n•n\ (imperfect and so
linear), the church "enjoyed peace," not "made peace." The
preceding justification (\dikai•thentes\) "made peace with God."
Observe \pros\ (face to face) with \ton theon\ and \dia\
(intermediate agent) with \tou kuriou\.
5:2 {We have had} (\esch•kamen\). Perfect active indicative of
\ech•\ (same verb as \ech•men\), still have it. {Our access}
(\ten prosag•g•n\). Old word from \prosag•\, to bring to, to
introduce. Hence "introduction," "approach." Elsewhere in N.T.
only Eph 2:18; 3:12. {Wherein we stand} (\en h•i hest•kamen\).
Perfect active (intransitive) indicative of \hist•mi\. Grace is
here present as a field into which we have been introduced and
where we stand and we should enjoy all the privileges of this
grace about us. {Let us rejoice} (\kauch•metha\). "Let us exult."
Present middle subjunctive (volitive) because \ech•men\ is
accepted as correct. The exhortation is that we keep on enjoying
peace with God and keep on exulting in hope of the glory of God.
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/RO5.RWP.html (1 of 6) [28/08/2004 09:08:58 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Romans: Chapter 5)