Good News, or Paul's Letter to the Romans - 2. Part Two – Freedom from the Law

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PART TWO – Freedom from the Law

 

Scene One: “Father!”

(Lights come up again slowly as in the opening scene)

 

No. 10 – Coro

 

CORO:

 

There is no condemnation now

For those who are in Christ.

The Law of Spirit replaces

The former law of sin and death.[1]

The spirit of God dwells in you

If you belong to Christ’s Spirit;

He too dwells within you as flesh,

And though your body will be dead,

The Spirit of Justice shall shine.[2]

 

[Recap: “There is no condemnation now…” etc.]

 

No. 11 – Recitativo ed Aria

 

PAUL: (Tenor)

 

[Recitativo]

All led by the Spirit of God

Are the sons and daughters of God:

For you did not receive, enslaved,

A soul meant to abide in fear,

But a spirit of adoption,

Crying out to darkness “Father!”

The presence of our souls confirm

He broke our bondage to make us His heirs.[3]

 

SOPRANO:

 

[Aria]

Who can separate us from love?

Through trial, distress or persecution,

Amid hunger or our nakedness,

Faced with the Law’s danger or sword point,

[When one man, Jesus Christ, stood for us].[4]

 

Yet because of this, we are more;

More than conquers through His love,

And I am certain neither death –

Nor things in the heights, or the depths;

Nor any creature great or small;

Nor threat from the heavenly host,

Or Earth’s teeming crowned heads of state;

Nor powers, potentates, or all

Past times or those days yet to come

Will remove us from the Spirit

That comes to us through Jesus Christ.[5]

 

[Recap: “Who can separate us from love…” etc.]

 

 

Scene Two: “Nothing is Unclean”

 

No. 12: Recitativo a due ed Duetto

 

COUNTERTENOR:

 

[Recitativo]

None of us live our own master.

 

BARITONE:

 

None of us die a slave to God.

 

[a due at recapitulation]

 

 

COUNTERTENOR:

 

[Duetto]

We must live both responsible

[To the Lord and our fellow men],

So that when we die, we’re servants

To the greater good of the Lord.

 

BARITONE:

 

This is why Christ delivered our sins

And why He came to live again –

That He might be both lord of flesh

And overlord of the spirit.

 

[a due at recapitulation]

 

COUNTERTENOR; BARITONE:

 

So how can you sit in judgement

Upon your fellow human lives?

How can you look down upon your

Fellow brothers and sisters?

For we shall all have to appear

Before the judgement seat of God,

Who says: “As surely as I live,

Every knee must bend before Me,

And every tongue will speak Me Truth.”[6]

 

No. 13 – Coro

 

CORO:

 

Everyone must need give account

For his actions before the Lord.

Therefore, we must no longer pass

Judgements upon one another.

Resolve to place no stumbling blocks

On the pathway of your brother,

For I know with great certainty –

[Upon Christ’s pure authority] –

That nothing is unclean itself,

That’s not first polluted by Man.[7]

 

Scene Three: “The Here and Now”

 

No. 14: Recitativo ed Canzone

 

PAUL: (Tenor)

 

[Recitativo]

If your homeless brethren shall starve,

You have failed to follow God’s love.

If your supper surfeits you to no avail,

You disgrace He who died for you.

The Kingdom of God can be here and now,

But it’s more than mere sustenance,

For traits of peace, justice and joy

Strengthen our fellow human souls,

And pleases the Holy Spirit.[8]

 

[Canzone]

If death began its reign

Through Adam because of his offense,

So much more clearly then

The sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ

Has granted the Lord’s grace reign

As a gift to fee all mankind.[9]

 

No. 15: Coro con Basso

 

CORO:

 

We who are strong in faith

Should be patient with the scruples

Of those who are weak;

[With the sad, who are judgmental].[10]

 

BASS:

 

[Solo]

Do your neighbor some good,

Help build up character;

Christ did not please Himself,

For reproaches on Him

Uttered by enemies

Fall today upon our ears.[11]

 

God’s the source of patience

And His encouragement is for all.

In perfect harmony

Live with one another as in Christ.[12]

 

Scene Four: “Loving Hope”

 

No. 16 – Aria

 

SOPRANO:

 

Accept one another.

And then as Christ accepted you,

Spread the glory of God.

 

“Rejoice, oh gentiles, with his peace!

Praise you, all people, the Lord’s glory,

And in Him you will find loving hope,

For through the power of holy spirit,

All peace and joy will upon you.”[13]

 

[Recap: “Accept one another…” etc.]

 

No. 17 – Canzone

(Music in a minor key leading up to the revelations in No. 18)

 

COUNTERTENOR:

 

I know no good dwells in me.

In my flesh, the will to do right

[Struggles against apathy’s weakness].

Thus, even desiring to do

Work for my fellow brethren,

Apathy leads me to evil,

For inaction, unlike Jesus,

Makes me a prisoner to the Law.

So, what a wretched one am I;

Who can free this death sentence

Placed upon my carless heart?[14]

 

No. 18 – Duettino

 

BARITONE:

 

What shall we say after that?

If God be for us,

Who can be against us?

 

BASS:

 

Is it possible that He,

Who spared not his son,

Would deny us anything?

 

BARITONE; BASS:

 

Who shall bring a charge against

God’s anointed, chosen ones;

He who died and was raised up,

Who will intercede for us,

Now sits at the right hand of God.[15]

 

[Recapitulate all in A,B; A,B structure]

  

 

Finale dell’Oratorio

 

No. 19 – Coro con Tutti

 

CORO:

 

[Prelude]

Consider the suffering of the present

Compared to the coming glory

Yet to be revealed to us through Christ.

 

SOPRANO; COUNTERTENOR:

 

Indeed, the whole created world

Eagerly waits revelation.

 

BASS; BARITONE:

 

Creation was made a subject

To futility not its own.

 

TENOR:

 

But it was not made without hope

To share freedom with God’s children.

 

 

TUTTI:

 

[Fuga]

In hope are we saved.

Patient endurance

Helps us in weakness.

He who searches hearts

Knows what spirit means;

Spirit intercedes

As God himself wills.[16]

 

[For His] glory is given through

Jesus Christ unto ages

For ever and ever to come.[17]

 

Amen.

 

 

[End of Oratorio]

 

 

 

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[1] ROM. 8: 1-2

 

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