This verse contains two parallel clauses, and so is similar in form to the structure of 4.25. The verse begins with an “if” clause, which in Greek is understood to be a condition true to fact, and so may be translated as a statement: We were God’s enemies. The actual content of this verse is very parallel to the content of the previous verse. (1) He made us his friends is parallel to we are now put right with God. (2) Through the death of his Son is parallel to by his death of verse 9. Although in the earlier verse Paul literally said “by his blood,” the thought is parallel to, and the meaning corresponds to, through the death of his Son. (3) Will we be saved carries the same force of will we be saved … from God’s wrath. Saved in this verse also relates to the eschatological future in the same way that saved did in verse 9. (4) By Christ’s life (literally “by his life”) is equivalent in meaning to by him in the previous verse.
The meaning of now that we are God’s friends (Revised Standard Version “we were reconciled to God”) may best be understood in light of the previous statement, we were God’s enemies. The picture is that of men rebelling against God, their king, and finally being brought into peaceful terms with him. Paul uses this same verb in 1 Corinthians 7.11 to describe the reconciliation that takes place between a husband and wife who have separated. Elsewhere in the New Testament this verb is used only of the peaceful relation established between God and men through the work of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5.18, 19, 20), and the related noun is used in the same way (Romans 5.11; 11.15; 2 Corinthians 5.18, 19). “To be made friends with God” carries the same meaning as “to be put right with God” of the previous verse; Paul is merely using two metaphors from different areas of life to describe what happens in the divine-human relation when men experience God’s forgiveness.
We were God’s enemies may be rendered as “we were angry with God,” “we hated God,” or “we would have nothing to do with God.” And through the death of his Son may be rendered as “this happened because his Son died” or “by means of his Son’s dying (we became God’s friends).”
Now that we are God’s friends indicates reconciliation, as indicated above, and expressions for reconciliation involve a wide difference of form due to the diverse cultural contexts in which reconciliation takes place—for example, “he caused us to snap fingers with him again,” “he caused us to sit with him again,” or “he caused us to eat with him again.”
As in verse 9, the expression how much more may be rendered as “it is obvious then” or “it will surely be that.”
It is not at all easy to indicate the means of our being saved by Christ’s life. There is an obvious contrast with a statement concerning Christ’s death earlier in the verse, but the parallelism involves merely the mention of Christ in verse 9. If this final clause must be put into an active form, one can probably best translate as “he will surely save us,” but this does not do justice to the Greek term for “life.” In some languages this can perhaps be best expressed by “he will save us because he is alive.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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