The Book Of Romans

Romans 1.....

A little background on this letter to the church at Rome.....The church at Rome possibly began by those that were at the Day of Pentecost..... Acts 2:10 “Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,”

Paul had hoped to go there (eventually he did), but one reason is that the church had never received in apostolic instruction. He was personally unknown there, so this letter was an introduction to this church. Paul desired through this letter to edify the believers, preach the Gospel, and get to know them.

This epistle was written somewhere between 56-58 AD......It seems he wrote it while at Corinth. Romans 16:1 “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:” ......Cenchrea was Corinth’s port.

The main focus of the book of Romans is that we are all sinners and we are only justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

The opening 7 verses are an introduction of sorts......as letters have a specific form in today’s time and they did back then as well.

It would start with the writer introducing himself

Followed by who they were writing

Then a little prayer or good wishes

The book of Romans seems to follow that pattern in the first 15 verses.

Paul’s intro:

Paul.....

A servant of Jesus Christ....

The word servant in the Greek is “doulos” ....which means someone who is the property of another. Basically, a slave that obeys the commands of their owner.

Called to be an apostle....

After Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus God sent Paul to Ananias and said this to Ananias Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:”

Apostle meaning “one that is sent”

Set apart for the Gospel of God....God will forgive sins through Jesus Christ!

The Gospel of God (The New Covenant) which was taught by the prophets in all Scripture!

Throughout the prophets and Scripture we have prophecy concerning God’s Son

How He would be born

A descendant of David

Coming as a man, fully God and fully man

Proven true by His resurrection from the dead

This was through the voluntarily holiness of Christ being faithful to the Father’s purposes, powered by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ our Lord........In some manuscripts verse 4 is worded this way “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord”,.........

By whom we have received grace............unmerited favor....unearned.....

This is the most crucial part of the Gospel....Grace.......merited only by Jesus Christ, not ourselves!

Once believed and now has led Paul to apostleship

.......through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,....

Gentiles....Nations

For His Name sake............

Paul points to the Romans as those that are called by Christ and all of them in Rome......Grace and Peace be unto you....

Grace by God the Father through Jesus Christ

Peace......Ephesians 2:14 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”

Now to the prayer or Paul’s desire.....

He was thankful for this church.....they were faithful to Christ in spite of much persecution and also without any apostle being there in person.

Their faith was genuine!

Being a Christian in Rome was tough!

Paul has been and continues to pray for them......in their battle of faith!

One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.

Paul longed to be there with them, to help them, to establish or strengthen them.....with a spiritual gift......

This is debated a lot and I do believe have been made a mockery of, over the years and today!

A spiritual gift is just that....there are description of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12.......but what gets me is that all the debates about these gifts we lose the reason for them!

The reason for spiritual gifts is to strengthen us in Jesus Christ, that He is the way to the Father! To help further strengthen out faith in Him!

1 Corinthians 8:6 “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”

The purpose is that we are built up in the truth/Gospel of Jesus Christ and we continue in faith and these “gifts” are used to further strengthen that faith!

Do not lose focus on the Truth of Christ when searching out the gifts, the gifts lead you to Jesus Christ!

That is what Paul wanted to impart.....a gift that further strengthens their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul’s desire/prayer was to come to them, but he had been prevented so far.....

Some fruit could be rendered in 3 ways:

Spiritual character

Righteous actions

New converts

Paul was a debtor or under obligation from the call of Christ to both to the Greeks and barbarians

Wise and unwise, the 2 are basically the same........the barbarians were called just that because they didn’t speak the Greek language and when they would speak it would sound like baby talk....one writer said “unintelligible chatter”

Barbarians were uncultured and uneducated.

The main idea is that Paul was under obligation to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone not just the Jews!

He was ready to preach the Gospel to all those in Rome, even this church!

Now the meat of the first part of this letter..........

Although Paul had been imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:23-24). chased out of Thessalonica (Acts 17:10), smuggled out of Berea (Acts 17:14), laughed at in Athens (Acts 17:32), regarded as a fool in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:18, 23), and stoned in Galatia (Acts 14:19) but Paul was still not ashamed to preach the Gospel!

Ridicule, criticism, physical persecution, could curb his boldness.

Why, was Paul not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.....For it is the power of God unto salvation unto everyone that believes!

That word power here is where we get our word “dynamite”....(dynamis)

This is the essence of all life, all humanity! Nothing else plays an ultimate factor only the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

The power is that God has delivered us from what we are rightfully due, by pouring what we are rightfully due on His Son!

That power is generated by God’s love....1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The gospel is not advice to people, suggesting that they lift themselves. It is power. It lifts them up. Paul does not say that the gospel brings power but that it is power, and God’s power at that. When the gospel is preached, this is not simply so many words being uttered. The power of God is at work. When the gospel enters anyone’s life, it is as though the very fire of God had come upon him. There is warmth and light in his life.162

The power of God of which Paul writes is not aimless but directed to salvation. It issues in salvation. This is the general term of which justification, redemption, and the like are particular aspects. Leenhardt sees it as signifying “all the blessings which God alone can give in answer to the need and longing of man, who is oppressed and in anguish in face of a destiny which sharpens his need of supernatural beatitude in proportion as it does nothing to satisfy it.”

To the Jew then the Greek, just means to us that both are recipients of this powerful Grace!

Essentially, this being the truth is the motivation that Paul was unashamed!

For the righteousness of God.........Some have this in 2 meanings....

Righteousness is a state of conforming to God’s perfect law and holy character

Which we have not but Christ has.....

It is also used in Scripture as reference to being “justified” or “justification”

Which to me equals out as the same....the only way to be justified is to be in God’s law and His holy character perfectly!

Which we are never and will never, only through an outside agent, a proxy, someone in our stead!

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

The just shall live by faith.......Habakkuk 2:4.........This is what I know about this quote........God has always established relationships by their faith in Him, such as Abraham

The only way for a man to be just or right with God is by faith in Christ and that is what Paul is establishing!

Faith to faith....could carry 2 different meanings.......

From one person’s faith to another

Or.......the righteousness from God is completely on the basis of faith from beginning to end!

I like the 2nd but the 1st could work as well.

Ok, let’s go back and look at the wording of verse 17......”For therein....”

Meaning.....For....because.....therein......through the Gospel.........

Through the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, the life of God and the way to God is revealed through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ!

The word “revealed” is important because there will be a contrast about to be declared to the Romans and us.

Through Christ righteousness is revealed

Through God’s wrath ungodliness and unrighteousness is revealed!

This is not an impulsive outburst of anger aimed at people who God doesn’t like.

This is a response from a Holy, Righteous God against sin or rebellion against Him and His way!

His wrath uncovers sin........The curse…the fallen nature of humanity is one huge revelation!

A place where there is no perfection!

The flood, the fire and brimstone that leveled Sodom and Gomorrah, even the Babylonian captivity that we just read some about in Daniel and Isaiah!

However, the most graphic revelation of God’s wrath and hatred of sin was when God the Father poured out divine judgement on His Son on the cross.

One writer wrote about different kinds of God’s wrath has been given in Scripture:

Eternal wrath....Hell

eschatological wrath....which is the Day of the Lord…the 2nd coming of Christ

Cataclysmic wrath.....which is the flood…etc.

Consequential wrath....sowing and reaping

The wrath of abandonment…which is removing restraint and letting people go in their sins

This is where Paul goes in the rest of chapter 1, God turning them over!

There is no worship of God and there is no holy character among those that do not believe!

God sovereignty has planted evidence among us of His existence in the very nature of man

The provisions of nature is clear evidence of not only His power but also His care…otherwise we would be in hell!

Creation and provisions are enough to make humanity WITHOUT EXCUSE!

God holds all men responsible for their refusal to acknowledge what He has shown them of Himself in His creation.

EVEN those that have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel have received a clear witness about the existence and character of God!