Sermon Tone Analysis
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Sermon Study Doug Swanson
Text: Romans 13:11-14
*1.
**First impressions*
*B. **Record your first impressions of the text:*
· The tone of the passage suggests a sense of enthusiasm and urgency in Paul.
There is a certain tension in something that is about to happen but has not yet come.
· Contrast of imagery: sleep~/awakening, light~/darkness, night~/day, walking properly~/orgies, drunkenness, etc.
· Points to the future.
Clear connection to the eschaton.
· Uplifting and encouraging.
· Responsive.
That is responsive in the now to the salvation which is promised in the not yet.
· The continuation of a fuller thought of argument.
· It is more of a response to the why we live a certain way than and answer to what should we do to live properly.
· Change seems to be an impression.
The night is far gone and the day is at hand.
What used to be is no longer and is been replaced by something better.
This could also be thought of as new beginnings.
· Paul refers to the concept of “putting on” twice within these 4 verses.
This might suggest emphasis of a point he wants to be sure is understood.
*B. **Questions about the text:*
· How does one cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light?
In the same way what does it mean to put on Christ?
· What response is Paul trying to elicit in his readers?
· What does it mean for something to be “at hand”?
*2. **Textual Study*
!
A. What does the text say?
*ESV:*
11 Besides this1 you know the time, that the hour has come2 for you to wake from sleep5, For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand.
So then let us cast off3 the works of darkness and put on the armor4 of light.
13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
1Kai touto: This section is introduced by the conjunction kai and the accusitive form of the demonstrative pronoun touto.
As such it provides both a link and a transition to the information that immediately proceeded.
It does not separate this section into a completely new train of thought but serves as an indicatior that what follows is “in addition” to what was already said.
2h]dh BDAG offers the following definition: A point of time prior to another point of time, with implication of completion, /now, already, by this time/.
(p.
434) Paul’s address at this point his one of excitement, anticipation and urgency.
Within this first verse he uses 2 words with the meaning of now, hdh and nun.
What is currently translated “That the hour has come” may be better translated “that the hour is now”.
Likewise the placement of nun at the very beginning of the of the second clause in vs. 11 serves to emphasize that Paul wants his readers to be focused on the immediate aspect of their coming salvation.
3Use of the subjunctive.
Wallace writes “The subjunctive is used to ‘to urge some one to unite with the speaker in a course of action upon which he has already decided”.
(p.
464) This functions the same as the 1st person imperative.
In addition to a;poqwmeqa“”let us cast off” Paul uses the hortatory subjucntive 2 other times: enduswmeqa ”[Let us] put on” (vs 12) and peripathswmen “Let us walk” (vs 13).
Use of the 1st plural subjunctive also serves to associate Paul himself with his hearers.
4Greek: o[pla.
BDAG offers these definitions: 1.
Any instrument one uses to prepare or make ready.
2.
An instrument designed to make ready for military engagement, /weapon/.
When translated as armor it suggests a more defensive posture to the statement.
If translated as “put on the weapon of light” it gives a more aggressive embodiment to the action Paul is calling them to.
Taking light to refer specifically to Christ it also reveals that Christ is to be used offensively against the darkness.
5Greek: u”[pnou BDAG suggests that this can mean sleep in the sense of a divine command but that it is also used in imagery, signing Rom.
13:11 to mean, bid farewell to the works of darkness.
This draws a solid parallel to Paul’s following exhoration to put off the works of darkenss.
He is essentially saying the same thing two times in two different ways.
! B. How does the text say these things?
Characteristic to most of the Pauline epistles the manner by which Paul asserts his message is through the development of an argument.
In his opening phrase he draws his hearers attention to the eschatological perspective central to basic Christian understanding.
In doing so he exhorts to “wake up from sleep” by grounding them in the first subordinate clause with the knowledge~/reminder that their salvation is at hand.
He then reiterates the situation in the imagery of night and day.
The night thus corresponding to the present evil age and the day corresponding to the eschaton.
In response to the new day which is at hand he calls for his readers to respond likewise by putting off the sin of there lives and putting on the weapons of light.
Clearly Paul see this in terms of a spiritual battle which continues to rage until that very day arrives and desires for his readers to continue in the fight in light of their coming salvation.
He continues with further exhortation now more directly focus on aspects of daily living.
His use of “walking properly as in the daytime” is clearly a reference as to how one is viewed in the public eye.
He contrasts this with a variety of blatant “sins” suggesting that they are incompatible for a person who professes a life redeemed in Christ.
One’s confession and one’s actions must be congruent.
He then ends with an alternative response, which reflects the same sentiments as vs. 12 of putting on Christ as the only reasonable and necessary response, while casting out the sin of the flesh.
Verses 12b and 14 form an AB – BA structure as they parallel each other in reverse order.
!
C. What does the text do?
*Function*: Paul’s address to the Roman’s in chapter 13:11-14 is an exhortation to his readers to live Godly lives in light of the certainty of the close of the present age.
*Significance*: Our text for today comes from Paul’s epistle to the Roman’s.
Unlike all of Paul’s other letters, Romans is the one letter written to a church he had never visited.
For that reason Paul is not specifically exhorting, correcting, or admonishing an issue among a people of which he is familiar.
Rather his intent is one of preparation for his intended visit on his way to Spain and also to lay out that basic system of salvation to a church which had not yet received the apostles teaching.
Although there was already some assemblance of a Christian church that had been started in Rome his tone is clearly missional as he begins with the most basic understanding of mans sinful nature.
He then moves to discuss the topic of justification through faith and the freedom that is received in the sanctified life.
Our text falls within the closing chapters of the book in which Paul’s turns to the application of righteousness practiced.
The once sinful life, which has been redeem in Christ demands a change in lifestyle as reflected in one’s behavior.
At the time of writing Rome could be characterized as a city of many sinful pleasures.
The satisfaction of the flesh was part of daily living among the pagan.
To a young church it was like a deer living among wolves so Paul encourages them to put off the sin and desire of the flesh and put on the light of Christ.
He does so first in appeal to the law in the proceeding verses and then by means of the eschatological end.
He clearly points them to the now and not yet paradox in which they live.
On account of Christ and the promise of the age to come Paul encourages them to live Godly lives that is consistent with the righteousness they have received.
! D. Exegetical Statement
Paul is exhorting the Roman Christians to be vigil in leading lives that are congruent to the new life they have received in Christ.
He does this in light of the clear reality that the last day is imminently at hand.
They must live in constant preparation for what is yet to come, their final salvation.
\\
*3.
**Contextual Study*
!
A. General Context:
Much of the general context regarding the book of Romans in terms has been covered in section 2C Significance, above.
Below is a brief outline of the major divisions of the text taken from the NIV Study Bible.
I.
Introduction (1:1-15)
II.
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