Romans 1:8-17

8-15 16-17

8-15

This section is the closing to Paul’ s greeting and the introduction of himself to the Roman Christians, he thanks God and God’s work through Jesus for all of the Roman Christians, Jew and Gentile, and since Rome is the capital of the Roman empire all the events and comings and goings that happen in Rome usually get spread throughout the empire. That there is a dedicated group of Christians in Rome is no exception and Paul tells them that their faith is known and proclaimed “in all the world” the world being the far reaches of the Roman empire and perhaps beyond.

Paul not personally knowing the Roman Christians emphasizes the truthfulness of what he is telling them and Paul not only serves or is a slave to Jesus Christ in his physical actions but also in in spirit obeying Jesus’ commands, as there can be no good works, physical works, without true and repentant faith, if there is not any outpouring of good works then is there true and repentant faith? And Paul prays without ceasing concerning the Romans and his desire to finally be able to get to Rome to see them, if it is God’s will.

Not only so that he may be able to share the gospel and instruct them, the spiritual gifts he wants to impart to them, but that he also may be encouraged by them and learn from them as well. A quote from John Calvin on verse 12 “Note how modestly he expresses what he feels by not refusing to seek strengthening from inexperienced beginners. He means what he says, too, for there is none so void of gifts in the Church of Christ who cannot in some measure contribute to our spiritual progress. Ill will and pride, however, prevent our deriving such benefit from one another”

Paul uses the phrase “I do not want you to be unaware” to call attention to something of great importance of what he is about to say, to introduce the mystery of God’s calling Gentiles to salvation in Rom 11:25, spiritual gifts in 1 Cor 12:1, and the second coming in 1 Thess 4:13. Here he uses it to emphasize that he as intended to come to the Romans in the past but has so far been prevented, probably the demands of him from his ministry in the eastern Mediterranean.

His desires for his visit is not only to instruct and be strengthened by the Roman Christians but also to “reap some harvest” or to spread the Gospel in Rome and through the will of God with the Holy Spirit to save more Romans and grow the Church. The mention of reaping some harvest or obtaining some fruit among the existing the Romans does not mean that they are not already saved but gaining spiritual fruit in their growth through his planned teachings.

In the ESV Paul says that he is under obligation and in the KJV that he is a debtor to both the Greeks and barbarians, First about being under obligation. As all born again Christians are concerned we are all under obligation to the Gospel of Christ, to read it, study it, and most importantly to share it and spread it throughout the world. But Paul is under even more of an obligation as being personally called by Christ to be an Apostle to the Gentiles on the road to Damascus, in 1 Corinthians he says that necessity is laid upon him or he is under compulsion depending on the version. So that brings us to the second part, the Greeks and barbarians, on the face this could be an expression meaning of all people. For the Greeks any other language sounded like “bar bar bar” or unintelligible droning, thus the name barbarians, or those who sound like “bar bar bar”. So this would mean Greeks and all non Greeks, but Paul would probably not include the Jews among the barbarians, so this could also mean all Gentiles. Also both to the wise and the foolish could be a repetition of Greeks and barbarians, as the Greeks and all that studied Greek language and philosophy would consider themselves to be the wise ones and everyone else are foolish, but this also could be that no matter of anyone’s particular intelligence or schooling Paul wanted to share the Gospel with them.

He closes the greeting/introduction telling them again that he is eager to preach and teach the gospel to the Romans

16-17

This two verse section is thought of by some as the theme of the entire letter to the Romans. Paul after giving a lengthy, powerful and meaning filled introduction and greeting immediately follows that up with verse 16, Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” No believer should be ashamed of the Gospel, the reveled word of our living God. The good news that there is a way for us sinners to make things right with God, and not only make things right but to be adopted by God as sons and daughters, the good news that does have power to bring about salvation for everyone who will believe that there is one true God and that Jesus Christ is his son that came down from being in perfect harmony with the Father and the Holy Spirit, all three in one perfect triune God, and that Jesus was the perfect God man that lived a sinless life that we could not and took the punishment destined and rightfully due us, that he gave up his life on his terms and according to Their plan, and that he rose again on the third day defeating death. Good news indeed.

Paul also includes that this powerful salvation bringing gospel was for the Jew first, God’s chosen people, then to the Gentiles or as Paul puts it to the Greek. Jesus was a Jew and primarily his ministry was to the Jews, all of the Apostles were Jews, then the Gentiles were grafted into the vine.

The righteousness of God, the justice, truthfulness, the correctness of God is revealed in the Gospel. God did not just turn a blind eye to our sin, let us in to heavenly eternity without payment of our sins. Jesus’ sacrifice to cover our sins shows God’s righteousness, the fact that the death of Jesus on the cross and the outpouring of God wrath upon him is what it took should be an indicator of just how lost we were and how much was done to save us. And all who believe or have faith, faith to faith, will be saved from what we truly deserved. Paul then quotes Habakkuk 2:4 ““Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

This is the central theme of the epistle to the Romans and Paul will go on to break down every step of salvation beginning with verse 18.