Romans: The Gospel Unites

I mentioned this the past couple of weeks, but this year we are going to be focusing on a couple of main themes. The first one is Romans, which we are starting today and will be throughout the month of January. The second will be during the Summer months…which I will talk more about that when we get closer. Throughout 2024, Romans is going to serve as our default series, which we’ve never done before. We will be returning to it every 2 or 3 months. The title of this series is Romans: The Gospel Unites. We are going to be taking our time with this series, I will not be rushing through it. For example, over the next 3 weeks, our focus will be on the 1st chapter of Romans. It is my goal to really dive in and do a proper expository exegesis, which, in other words, a verse by verse explanation or interpretation of the text. I am excited to share the things I’ve learned with you.

PRAY

I am going to go ahead and start by reading our text, then I will back up and give some context .

Romans 1:1–7 (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.

Before we get into examining the passages, I want to give you some very important context to the book of Romans, in general. First, let’s look at why Paul wrote the book of Romans, then we will discuss the circumstances of how the church was founded.

The book of Romans is considered to be Paul’s Magnum Opus…in other words, his best work. It is Paul’s longest letter. In this letter, Paul lays the foundation for many of our most important doctrines and beliefs. In fact, for a very long time, the book of Romans was viewed as mainly a theological work.However, as time has progressed and our understanding of 1st century Rome has grown, it turns out that the book of Romans…while it is still a powerful work of theology, the letter was meant for a different purpose entirely. In other words, the Paul did not write all of this theology just to write theology. There is a deeper purpose behind his writing. Like all biblical text, if we fail to understand the historical context, we can miss what Paul is trying to convey.

Today, it is widely believed that Paul wrote this letter for 3 reasons, and as we progress through the book, these things I mention will be pointed out with Paul’s own words.

Why was Roman’s Written?

To correct and unify the Jewish and Gentile believers in the Roman Church.

To drum up support for Paul’s planned trip to Spain.

Thes things are important to keep in mind.

Historical Context

I do not want to front load this series with a ton of historical context. So, as we progress through the book, I will talk about some of the important historical or cultural things as they become relevant. That said, there are a couple of important things that will help us better understand what we are covering today, from a historical and cultural perspective.

Things to keep in mind when reading Romans:

Founding of the Roman church

First, we do not know who founded the church in Rome. Most believe that it was someone from Rome, who was in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell. Acts chapter 2 describes that day…and in verse 10, the author of Acts (Luke) says that Jews from Rome were in the crowd when Peter preached his first message and 5000 people came to know the Lord. Those who were saved eventually went back home…and that is how most believe the church in Rome was started. According to Scripture, it does not appear that any of the apostles were able to go to Rome. That is important because most of the churches that were formed were founded by Paul or one of Jesus’s apostles. Why would that matter? Well, if you think about it, unlike today (I’ve mentioned this before), the churches and their leaders did not a Bible, other than the Old Testament. The understood that Jesus was the Messiah and had risen from the dead, but other than that, they had no idea what Christianity was supposed to look like. The idea of a New Covenant was not something that would have been understood.

So, it’s important to understand that the church in Rome was founded by Jewish Christians who were trying to find their way in Christ…and because they did not have much input from one of the apostles, once Gentiles started coming into the church, there were problems. So, that’s the first thing to keep in mind.

The second thing has to do with what happened around 20 AD.

2. Jews expelled from Rome

Leading up to the year 20 AD, there was growing unrest in Rome between Jews and Christian Jews. Open hostility had been going on between these groups, causing the Roman government to crack down. As a result of the unrest, the emperor Claudius expelled all of the Jews out of the city. This included both traditional Jews and Christian Jews…anyone that had a Jewish background; they had to leave. As a result, the gentiles were the only ones left to run the church. Thankfully, after a period of 5 years a new Emperor came into power and lifted the Jewish ban.

At that time it is believed that Rome was a city of about 1 million people. The estimated Jewish population was anywhere between 15,000 to 50,000 (depending on the source)…so they were not a majority in the city. Also,5 years is a long time for a church....well, upon arriving back in the church trouble started brewing.

Imagine that a church that was founded by a group of older Christians, and for quite a few years the church ran, according to a certain standard and style. Then, all of a sudden, a university opened up in the town and the church was flooded with young people. Right away there would be conflict over a number of issues, mostly relating to style…but also in doctrine as well. As more young people came into the church, the older founding members were doing their best to hang on to the culture of the church, but the young people were slowing changing things.

Now imagine that there was a law passed where everyone over the age of 40 had to leave the city…just follow me here. All of a sudden, the church that was once founded by older Christians is now completely run by young, college age believers. After 5 years, how much do you think that church would change? Quite a bit. Then, after 5 years, all of a sudden, the people who were kicked out of the city are allowed to return. Naturally, all of these founding members would seek to return to the church; except now the church looks and feels completely different. The young people have gotten into a routine of their own and established their own traditions and practices. Can you imagine the conflict that would ensue?

That is an example of something similar to what happened in the Roman church. Except the differences between the Jewish Christians and the gentile Christians ran much deeper and was linked to cultures that were thousands of years old. That would be a difficult circumstance to overcome, that is for sure.

So, it is important to keep in mind how the church was founded (without an apostle) and the fact that the church underwent a major cultural change within a very short period of time, due to the Jews being kicked out…then let back in.

Let’s go ahead and look at verses 1-7: which serve as the greeting to the Roman church.

Romans 1:1

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—”

A couple of interesting things about this opening greeting…which is verses 1-7

1. First time that Paul is writing to a church that neither he or his co-workers founded.

as a result,

2. The Roman greeting is the longest of any letter.

Because Paul was writing to people that he had never discipled, he needed to establish his credential…or, why he has the authority to speak into their lives. We will see this clearly throughout the book of Romans, but especially here in the greeting.

Throughout Paul’s letters, he introduces himself in a number of ways:

Paul, an Apostle

Through the will of God (1&2 Corinthians; Eph.; Col.; 2nd. Timothy)

By the command of God (1st Tim.)

Set apart for the gospel (Romans)

None of the above (1&2 Thes.; Phil.)

The title that Paul uses here to describe Jesus is actually (what is called) an honorific title…like Cesar Augustus. Augustus’s first name was not Cesar. In other words, Paul is not saying that Christ is Jesus’s name, rather, that "Christ” is Jesus’s title, a title that we use to honor Him. The Christ, the messiah…who is Jesus.

Paul, is and was the only person considered to be an apostle that was not with Jesus during His earthly ministry. Paul was called by God and set apart for a specific purpose. Of course, this story is found in Acts chapter 9, where Paul has an encounter with the living Christ on the Damascus Road…most of us are familiar with that story. Paul was not set apart for any ordinary reason On that day, when Paul encountered Christ, God set Paul apart, as a missionary to the Gentiles…but also to serve as an intermediary between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. We can see this all throughout Paul’s various correspondence.

The idea of being set apart for the gospel of God means that Paul was set apart and called an apostle, so he can be a messenger…or literally, the mouthpiece of God. It sort of hearkens back to the idea of the Old Testament prophets, who were considered God’s mouthpiece to His people. That is what God called Paul to do…be a mouthpiece for God in proclaiming the Good news of God.

Romans 1:2

“which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures—”

Paul continues the O.T. theme there…that he is an apostle, set apart, like the prophets of Old, to be God’s messenger…which was foretold in the Old Testament. Here, Paul is clearly leaning into his Jewish audience by bringing up the Old Testament prophets and likening his calling to that of some of the great prophets like Jer. and Isaiah.

Jeremiah 1:4–5

“The word of the Lord came to me: I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Isaiah 49:1–3

“Coasts and islands, listen to me; distant peoples, pay attention. The Lord called me before I was born. He named me while I was in my mother’s womb. He made my words like a sharp sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me like a sharpened arrow; he hid me in his quiver. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.””

Paul also does this in the book of Galatians:

Galatians 1:12–15

“For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased”

In a sense, in verses 1 and 2, Paul is giving his divine resume to the listeners…pointing back to the Old Testament, saying that he received his calling straight from God. This was an important part of establishing his authority. While there is no doubt that the people in Rome have heard of Paul and its possible that they have even read some of his correspondence, this was the first time Paul was addressing the issues specifically in Rome.

Romans 1:3

“concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh”

Paul, the Apostle, is writing the Romans, in regard or concerning Christ....the Messiah…God’s son…who, according to Jesus’s earthly lineage or heritage, is from the line of David, the tribe of Judah. The kingly line of Israel. We see Paul use this type of language as well when He writes Timothy

2 Timothy 2:8

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and descended from David, according to my gospel,”

I f your recall in our last series on Hebrews, the author focused heavily on the Priesthood of Christ…how Christ is from the priestly line of Melchizedek, likewise, Jesus is the forever king, descended from the kingly line of David. Although Paul does not use this term often…the fact the Jesus is descended from David, it is still a part of the Jewish Christian understanding of the Messiah.

“and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead.”

This is a powerful passage with some very deep ideas. The idea behind Jesus being God’s son was important back then. Throughout the N.T. we can find Christ being referred to as God’s son. Sonship was an important part of both Jewish and Roman culture. According to tradition, the eldest son would inherit the father’s wealth and status. Of course, one of the most famous passages in the entirety of scripture points out the sonship of Christ.

John 3:16

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

A father giving his only son, the heir of all of the father’s wealth and status…that He would willingly give his only son over to die is significant for many reasons. One of the most important things for a family back then was the carrying on of the family's name…and that was done through the sons, obviously. If a father handed over his only son to die, that would mean that the family name would die with the father…this was a really big deal back then. It is also why the story of Abraham and Issac is so amazing. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his promised heir…the future of the nation of Israel…because God said so.

In the book of Hebrews, the preacher points out Christ’s sonship in a unique manner

Hebrews 1:2–3

“In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Paul says that the reason that we know that Jesus is God’s son is because He was raised by the power of the Holy Spirit....which has power over death, hell and the grave.

Romans 1:5

“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,”

Couple of interesting ideas here that I want to point out. The first of which is the plurality that Paul uses…he says that “we” have received grace. There have been questions raised about who Paul is talking about…perhaps the other disciples. If we look at the entirety of the greeting of Romans, it is pretty clear that Paul is not referencing anyone else. He speaks about himself. According to my research, the word “we” is what is called an

Apostolic Plural

Trust me, I’ve never heard that term either. It is a unique aspect of the Greek language that does not translate well into English. All of that to say, most believe that Paul was simply referring to himself…that’s a side not that really has no bearing on his message, but I thought it was interesting, so I wanted to share it.

Anyway, it is through Christ that Paul received his call to be a missionary to the gentiles.

Another interesting thing to point out is that the two words grace and apostleship are actually better defined as “gracious apostleship.” Naturally, the grace that Paul received and his calling to be an apostle can not be separated…they are one and the same.

The term “the obedience of faith” is a phrase that has been discussed at length. Entire doctoral dissertations have been written on what Paul meant by the term. It is for sure that the term obedience of faith is unique…Paul only uses it this one time. I’ll share with you what one of my resources says about this term:

Romans–Galatians Comment

As for the what, Paul’s apostolic service is (God-)intended to result in obedience. Doctoral dissertations have been written on what “the obedience of faith” means. Two things can be said for sure in brief: (1) True faith in Christ results in obedience to God’s will as Christ and the Scriptures reveal it. Jesus puts it this way: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Living belief in Jesus results in obedience to him—believing obedience. (2) The Christian faith affirms certain things (like Christ’s bodily resurrection) and denies others (like the claim that Jesus is not the only way to salvation). Saving faith is faith that affirms what is in accordance with “the” faith. This means “obedience to the faith”

All of those things aside, it is for sure that Paul stands unique, even among the other apostles. God would call Paul to suffer for the sake of the gospel…as he said, both for God and so that all Gentiles might come to know Christ as their Messiah.

Romans 1:6

“including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.”

It is very safe to say that if it were not for the Apostle Paul, you and I would not be sitting here today. The same word that Paul uses to describe his own calling to Apostleship in verse one

Romans 1:1

“called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—”

is used to describe the gentiles’ calling here in verse 6. In other words, just as Paul was called and summoned to gracious apostleship, we too are called and summoned to place our faith in Christ. The calling that Paul describes is often referred to as the “effectual call.” It is not necessarily an invitation like we might think of it. Rather, it is a direct action of the sovereignty of God. Paul talks about this in the book of Philippians and Jesus himself mentions it in the book of John

John 6:44

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Furthermore, when Paul was writing Timothy, he talks about dealing with those who are opposed to the effectual call of our Lord.

2 Timothy 2:25

“instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.”

Let’s go ahead and wrap up by looking at verse 7:

Romans 1:7

“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.”

A little boy who was attending a large church with big stained glass windows…in the stained glass were images of Saint Paul, St. Peter and St. John. One day in Sunday school the teacher asks the boy…who are the saints…he answered: the people that the light shines through. He was correct…but for the wrong reasons. Paul wraps up his greeting in verse 7 by encouraging the Romans…reminding them that they are, indeed, loved by God. In Paul’s day, when Greeks greeted each other, they would say, “Charis,” which means “grace.” When Jews greeted each other, however, they would say, “Shalom,” which means “peace.” In the salutation of each of his epistles, Paul linked these two words together. He always put them in the same order because man will never experience peace until he understands grace. If you’re trying to be holier or more deserving of God’s blessings, your Christian life will not be full of peace. But if you understand grace—that God blesses and gives unconditionally—you’ll stop trying to earn His blessings, and you’ll have peace.

Something interesting to note is that the main message of Romans is sort of sandwiched in between the greeting of Romans and the salutation or goodbye of Romans…as they discuss the same 6 topics. Of course, the greeting is what we must went over. vs. 1-7. Let’s take a look at the salutation and see if you can recognise some of the themes we talked about in the greeting:

Romans 16:25–27

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to him be the glory forever! Amen.”

Here are the 6 topics that Paul covers in both:

(1) Paul’s apostolic authority;

(2) how the gospel fulfills OT Scriptures;

(3) how the gospel centers on Jesus Christ;

(4) the obedience of faith;

(5) Paul’s mission to the Gentiles; and

(6) the glory of Jesus Christ and God the Father.

Let’s close today by quickly exploring how Paul wrapped up his greeting…he used the words grace and peace.

I’m sure all of us could use the peace of God in our lives. Unfortunately, God’s peace seems short in supply sometimes, even though it is always there. God’s peace has 2 main components

Peace from God implies peace with God

Romans 5:1

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The notion of being at peace with God is both positional and unconditional. …in other words, Jesus took upon himself all of our shortcomings, our sin, our problems, weaknesses and rebelliousness. Most of us go around thinking (even though we are Christians) that God is always displeased with us due to not spending enough time in the word or because we do not pray as much as we should…bu Paul says that we have God’s peace, not because we earned it, but because Jesus did it all.

Those at peace with God have been given His peace

If we are indeed at peace with God, and if Jesus did it all for us, then we have access to God’s peace.

Philippians 4:7

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Regardless of what is going on in your life, the peace of God is always there. Even when we forget to do our devotions, even when we skipped out on our tithe last month, even when we feel like a disappointment or like nothing is going the way it should…the peace of God is there to guard your hearts and minds. We often think that if something bad happens to us that God is mad at us…that the reason we don’t have “peace” is because of something we or someone else did. In reality, nothing is further from the truth. Look at our Lord, our Friend, Jesus Christ. After He had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane so intensely that He sweat blood, He looked up, and saw a group of soldiers coming toward Him, led by His disciple, Judas.

This is an exceptional moment for 2 reasons, the first is because Jesus knew what was about to happen. He was about to be fitted with the unbearable weight of sin…meanwhile, most of his closest friends were sleeping, one was handing him over to the Romans and another was about to deny he ever knew him. You want to talk about a low and lonely place. Despite that, when reading the story, one can tell that Jesus still had peace, even in that dark moment. The second reason is because, despite being betrayed and handed over by a friend, Jesus did not hate Judas…when Judas approached him in the garden Jesus looked at Judas and called him friend, then asked why he was there with all of the soldiers. Except Jesus knew why he was there…yet still called Judas friend. Judas was at the lowest point possible, yet Jesus still called him friend....a term of endearment used for those you care about. That is the peace that passes understanding. That is the peace of God, which is available to those who have justified by faith. Peace and contentment in the Lord is one of the natural bi-products of our faith. If your life is lacking those, know that the problem is not with God…and I do not mean that in an ugly way at all. There are many times I have been lacking peace and contentment, but I’ve always found that it is due to something inside me…whether that is a lack of faith or a bad attitude.

For the Apostle Paul, the church or churches in Rome were very important. It was a major city with a ton of people…he needed the church in Rome to be filled with healthy individuals that loved one another. We have the same mandate today.

PRAY!