Romans 6:12-14

"Give yourselves to God and then sin will no longer have any power over you — you are not under law, but under grace."

It seems that Paul has been accused of encouraging sin, because he is emphasizing that salvation is God's gracious gift and not a reward for keeping the commandments of the Jewish law. Here, in his letter to the church in Rome, Paul argues that in Christ we have died to sin and been reborn through grace. In baptism we are buried with Jesus, and in faith we are raised to new life in Christ.

In the early church the issue of sin did not merely concern immorality, but also violations of the Jewish law concerning diet, observing the sabbath, circumcision, and rituals. Gentiles were at times referred to as "sinners" because they did not submit to these requirements of Jewish law. However, the church Paul is organizing makes Gentiles and Jews equal before God. This requires resisting the Jewish tendency within the church to enforce Jewish law on Gentile converts. Paul argues that God's grace to Jews and Gentiles offers new life, and thus replaces Jewish law.

Not all Jewish Christians agreed, but after the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem in 70 CE the Gentile-dominated churches in the Roman empire took over the leadership of the Christian movement. Opposition to Paul within the church grew weak, as Greek-speaking Christians gained influence, and this guaranteed Paul's letters a place in the Christian canon when the church created the New Testament in the fourth century.

Grace and peace...Bob