By Faith - Romans 1:1-17

Romans 1:1–17 CSB

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures—concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead. Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles, including you who are also called by Jesus Christ. To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you, always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I want very much to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Part of the reason Paul was writing this letter was because there were questions about how Jews and Gentiles were supposed to be living together in a community of faith.

At first the Gospel, the Good News belonged to the Jews. It was theirs. It started as a reformation within Judaism. It was a sect of the Jewish faith. But now Gentiles were included. Moreover, from AD 41 - AD 53 the Jewish people were expelled from Rome. So they own the religion, the church is theirs. They picked the drapes, the carpet, communion wafers, the music, everything. Then they have to leave and for 12 years the Gentiles have to figure it all out on their own. They eventually “take over.”

About 3-4 years later Paul writes this letter in AD 56/57 to help these two groups of people realize that what they need to realize is the church does not belong to this group or that group, but that what they need to do is;

Romans 12:9–10 CSB

Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another.

The church is God’s and we are part of His body.

Now there are some very important themes and big theological words we need to understand as we read Romans.

These are not abstract or “religious” concepts as if secular and sacred are things that are divided. We divide but God does not. 

Faith

Righteousness 

Justification 

These are things that come in to play on a daily basis. Our understanding of them determines how we interact with our coworkers, our spouses, our children, and the world. 

God’s righteousness and Justification

Righteousness is God’s rightness. It is that God is right.

Justification is not say it is “just if I never sinned.” Instead it is a correction of what was wrong. It is to say you did it but the penalty has been paid.