You Must Be Gentle, Part 1

Alexander in Ingmar Bergman’s film “Fanny and Alexander” encouraged the ghost of his “good” father (who looks disconcertingly like Adolf Hitler) to stop haunting him, to go on to heaven and convince God to kill his stepfather.  The ghost of his “good” father...

Romans, Part 28

Did that which is good, then, become death (θάνατος) to me?1 Paul continued.  It is a reasonable question considering that the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good,2 and that Paul found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life...

Romans, Part 27

Or do you not know, brothers and sisters, Paul continued, (for I am speaking to those who know the law [νόμον, a form of νόμος]), that the law (νόμος) is lord over a person as long as he lives?1  Thus Paul introduced another value of the death of those who were...

Romans, Part 26

Therefore, Paul continued, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey1 (ὑπακούειν, a form of ὑπακούω) its desires (ἐπιθυμίαις, a form of ἐπιθυμία).2  This is clearly Step #2 how to experience the credited righteousness of God apart from the law,3...

Romans, Part 25

What shall we say then? Paul continued.  Are we to remain (ἐπιμένωμεν, a form of ἐπιμένω) in sin so that grace (χάρις) may increase (πλεονάσῃ, a form of πλεονάζω)?1 This is a reasonable question considering what Paul wrote earlier: Now the law (νόμος) came in so that...