Introduction to Romans
Notes
Transcript
Let’s go back to the the year 57 AD. In the home of a wealthy and hospitable Christian named Gaius, two men discuss a scroll. One of these men is pacing the floor dictating to the other who is taking tons of notes.
The city is Corinth, the one walking, walks with strength but has a noticeable hitch as he moves around the room. I picture his hands with gnarled fingers which have been damaged after multiple stonings. His eyes are on fire and are fixed on what he is saying. This is Paul.
The one writing is the apostle’s faithful secretary taking every word down is Tertius.
The document they are preparing would become Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. It would go on to be one of the most significant pieces of literature that would ever be written within the Christian faith.
Paul has no idea the impact this letter would have on generations to come.
From Origen of Alexandria in the third century to Barnhouse of Philadelphia in the twentieth, countless theologians will pen innumerable pages of exposition and meditation on the apostle’s magnum opus. Augustine will find the seed plot of his faith in this letter. This document will spark a revolution in the heart of Martin Luther, who will reintroduce the truth of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone—a doctrine all but obscured by the dogma of men who stood to profit from a false gospel of works. It will ignite the mind of Jonathan Edwards, strangely warm the heart of John Wesley, and fuel the revival fire of George Whitefield.
“CALLED AS AN APOSTLE, SET APART FOR THE GOSPEL OF GOD” (1:1)
Who is Paul?
Paul was born in Tarsus and grew up in the shadow of the great temple of Jerusalem.
Here, he learned at the feet of the famous rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3).
He continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
As most of you know, he was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-28), but he was a son of the covenant first. He studied the Law of Moses and devoted himself to fulfilling every tradition to the letter.
He immersed himself in the rituals of the Pharisees with one goal in mind. He wanted to be like the temple; he wanted to be sacred, strong, undefiled and a worthy vessel for the righteousness of God.
As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?”
When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”
The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes,” he said.
The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”
“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.
But, as things often do in the lives of great men, his life took a turn. While on the road to silence and persecute Christians, Jesus Christ confronted him, rebuked him, changed him and sent him of a whole new course. (Acts 9:3-22)
As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul said.
“I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”
“Here I am, Lord,” he replied.
“Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.”
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. And after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time. Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”
All who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man in Jerusalem who was causing havoc for those who called on this name and came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?”
But Saul grew stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
He learned that the righteousness that he pursued could not be found in the traditions of the Pharisees, but in the faith of the ones he had sought to destroy.
This was the man who stood by while Stephen was stoned (Acts 7:58-8:1).
They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep.
Saul agreed with putting him to death. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.
These same people would embrace him and show him the source of their goodness (Acts 9:13-19).
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. And after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time.
Paul’s encounter with Christ changed him forever. His future no longer was in Jerusalem or the Law, but out among the Gentiles, preaching grace and living by faith.
Instead of stamping out the Christians, he became a tireless apostle traveling more than twenty thousand miles over the course of his journeys.
Then near the end of his his third missionary journey, the apostle looked westward to the frontier beyond Rome (Romans 15:24).
whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while.
In three missionary journeys, spanning no less than fifteen years, Paul labored to evangelize the empire east of Rome—an incredibly dangerous and arduous ministry. Nevertheless, when most would retire, Paul set his sights on the untamed frontier west of Rome: northern Italy, southern France, Spain, and Portugal.
“FULL OF GOODNESS, FILLED WITH ALL KNOWLEDGE AND ABLE ALSO TO ADMONISH” (15:14)