The Meaning of Romans 5:11 Explained

Romans 5:11

KJV: And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

YLT: And not only so, but we are also boasting in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we did receive the reconciliation;

Darby: And not only that, but we are making our boast in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we have received the reconciliation.

ASV: and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  not  only  [so], but  we also  joy  in  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  we have  now  received  the atonement. 

What does Romans 5:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus Christ"s death reconciled us to God with the effect that one day in the future we will stand before Him complete (cf. Romans 5:5-10). However we also enter into the benefits of that reconciliation now (cf. Romans 5:1-4). "This" probably refers to our future salvation, the closest antecedent. The seventh benefit of justification by faith is our present relationship with God made possible by Christ"s reconciling work on the cross. We were saved by His death in the past, we will be saved by His life in the future, and we are presently enjoying relationship with God because of His work of reconciliation.
In this section Paul identified the following benefits of justification by faith.
1.Past justification ( Romans 5:1)2.Peace with God ( Romans 5:1)3.Access into God"s grace (having been under God"s wrath, Romans 5:2)4.Joy in tribulation ( Romans 5:3-5 a)5.The indwelling Holy Spirit ( Romans 5:5 b)6.Deliverance from future condemnation ( Romans 5:9-10)7.Present reconciliation with God ( Romans 5:11)
This section of the argument of the book should help any reader realize that justification by faith is a safe method. It is the doorway to manifold blessings that obedience to the Law could never guarantee.
"Totally apart from Law, and purely by grace, we have a salvation that takes care of the past, the present, and the future. Christ died for us; Christ lives for us; Christ is coming for us! Hallelujah, what a Savior!" [1]

Context Summary

Romans 5:1-11 - Great Blessings Through Christ
We stand in grace; we look for glory. Our standing is sure, although apart from our feelings or deserts. It is ours forever, through union with the living Christ. It is our admission to the home of God's elect. We have passed the threshold and have received, in the antechamber, the new white robe. But being in the house we find several stories or tiers of ascent. They are marked by the phrases, not only so and much more.
Starting from faith, the staircase mounts from peace to hope, Romans 5:2; from hope to love, Romans 5:5; from reconciliation to salvation and life and joy in God, Romans 5:9-11, so that whatever He does, as well as whatever He is, awakens in our hearts responsive admiration and glad consent. Stand on these successive terraces in the mountain climb to take your breath and behold the far-spread landscape. Let us not be content with the ladder foot when all these rounds of light invite us. Especially ponder Romans 5:10, where the Apostle distinguishes between reconciliation and salvation. What music there is in that wonderful phrase, saved by His life! By His life for us in heaven and in us by His Spirit. [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 5

1  Being justified by faith, we have peace with God;
2  and joy in our hope;
8  that since we were reconciled by his blood, when we were enemies;
10  we shall much more be saved, being reconciled
12  As sin and death came by Adam;
17  so much more righteousness and life by Jesus Christ
20  Where sin abounded, grace did superabound

Greek Commentary for Romans 5:11

But also glorying in God [αλλα και καυχωμενοι εν τωι τεωι]
Basis of all the exultation above (Romans 5:1-5). [source]
Through whom we have now received the reconciliation [δι ου νυν την καταλλαγην ελαβομεν]
Second aorist active indicative of λαμβανω — lambanō looked at as a past realization, “now” (νυν — nun) in contrast with the future consummation and a sure pledge and guarantee of it. [source]
We also joy [καὶ καυχώμενοι]
Lit., but also glorying. The participle corresponds with that in Romans 5:10, being reconciled. We shall be saved, not only as being reconciled, but as also rejoicing; the certainty of the salvation being based, not only upon the reconciliation, but also upon the corresponding joy. [source]
We have now received the atonement [νῦν τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἐλάβομεν]
Now, in contrast with future glory. Atonement, Rev., properly, reconciliation, the noun being etymologically akin to the verb to reconcile. Atonement at the time of the A.V. signified reconciliation, at-one-ment, the making two estranged parties at one. So Shakespeare:“He and Aufidius can no more atoneThan violenist contrarieties.”“Coriolanus,” iv., 6.Fuller: “His first essay succeeded so well, Moses would adventure on a second design to atone two Israelites at variance.” The word at present carries the idea of satisfaction rather than of reconciliation, and is therefore inappropriate here. The article points to the reconciliation in Romans 5:10. See on Romans 3:24-26. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 5:11

Romans 11:15 Reconciling of the world [καταλλαγὴ κόσμου]
See on Romans 5:10, Romans 5:11. Defining the phrase riches of the world in Romans 11:12. [source]
2 Corinthians 5:18 Who reconciled us to himself through Christ [του καταλλαχαντος ημας εαυτωι δια Χριστου]
Here Paul uses one of his great doctrinal words, καταλλασσω — katallassō old word for exchanging coins. Διαλλασσω — Diallassō to change one‘s mind, to reconcile, occurs in N.T. only in Matthew 5:24 though in papyri (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 187), and common in Attic. Καταλλασσω — Katallassō is old verb, but more frequent in later writers. We find συναλλασσω — sunallassō in Acts 7:26 and αποκαταλλασσω — apokatallassō in Colossians 1:20.; Ephesians 2:16 and the substantive καταλλαγη — katallagē in Romans 5:11; Romans 11:15 as well as here. It is hard to discuss this great theme without apparent contradiction. God‘s love (John 3:16) provided the means and basis for man‘s reconciliation to God against whom he had sinned. It is all God‘s plan because of his love, but God‘s own sense of justice had to be satisfied (Romans 3:26) and so God gave his Son as a propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25; Colossians 1:20; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10). The point made by Paul here is that God needs no reconciliation, but is engaged in the great business of reconciling us to himself. This has to be done on God‘s terms and is made possible through (δια — dia) Christ. [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 5:11 mean?

Not only [so] now but also we are rejoicing in - God through the Lord of us Jesus Christ through whom now the reconciliation we have received
οὐ μόνον δέ ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δι’ οὗ νῦν τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἐλάβομεν

μόνον  only  [so] 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μόνον  
Sense: only, alone, but.
δέ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
καυχώμενοι  we  are  rejoicing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: καυχάομαι  
Sense: to glory (whether with reason or without).
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεῷ  God 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
διὰ  through 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
Κυρίου  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
Ἰησοῦ  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
Χριστοῦ  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
δι’  through 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
οὗ  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
νῦν  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: νῦν  
Sense: at this time, the present, now.
καταλλαγὴν  reconciliation 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: καταλλαγή  
Sense: exchange.
ἐλάβομεν  we  have  received 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.