“What is the apostle Paul writing about?  Now, if you want to understand what any given text means, you must know three things, my friends.  First you must know who was writing; second, you must know to whom he was writing; and third, you must know what he was writing about.”  And then he cocked his head at a different angle, and shot glances around to see how his profound statement was being received.  He looked especially at Robert and Mary, and some of the others glanced first at them and then at Peter, to see if there was a prospect of striking fire.

Giving his head a backward jerk, Peter continued: 

“The apostle Paul was the writer of this epistle, and he was writing to the Romans.  They were a Gentile church in Rome, and Paul was writing about how Christians were to live.  Now, see here friends, we are all sinners, every one of us, sinners saved by grace.  Paul said in one place that he was the chief of sinners.  I am a sinner, but I thank God through Jesus Christ the Lord, that Christ died for us, and some day I expect to land in the glory world.  I know there are some who say that they can’t sin, but I am sure I sin and they do, too.  No one can live without sin in this low land of sorrow.”  And Peter again poised his head at a quizzical angle, and glanced around to see how his talk was being taken.  He paused a moment, and, before he knew it, Robert was on his feet, saying: 

“I beg to differ with the brother who has just spoken about this matter of committing sin.  Paul says, in the twentieth verse of this chapter, ‘But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,’ and in verse 17, ’For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.’  And the very first verse says, ’Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’  It is true that ‘all have sinned,’ as verse 12 says, but Jesus came to save us from our sins.  Did you never read Matt. 1:21, ’And thou shalt call his name Jesus:  for he shall save his people from their sins’?  Through Adam’s sin we all became sinners, Paul says, but through Christ ‘shall many be made righteous.’  Through Adam we died in sin, through Christ we died to sin and live unto righteousness.  This chapter teaches very plainly that Jesus came to bring grace sufficient to save us from our sins.”  And Robert sat down.

Peter Newby had been standing all this time.  He looked at Robert very quizzically.  Here was a new type of opponent, one who spoke with the utmost frankness and confidence, and yet without the least taint of braggadocio.  But Peter never had been beaten in debate or argument; so he returned to the discussion with great vim and determination.