Introduction: Roman's Road to Recovery

George Barna, “AWVI 2025 - Report #6, Americans Possess Contradictory and Unbiblical Views on Moral Truth,” American World View Inventory, Cultural Resource Center, Arizona Christian University, first accessed May 15th, 2025.

“What happens when truth becomes a matter of opinion?”

“Here are key insights from my latest AWVI 2025 report, ‘Americans Possess Contradictory and Unbiblical Views about Moral Truth:’”

Two-thirds of adults reject absolute moral truth—including 69% of Catholics and 61% of mainline Protestants. Even half of theologically-identified, born-again Christians (considered to be spiritually conservative and a cornerstone of evangelical Christianity)—admit to rejecting absolute moral truth.

Emotions are the new compass. Three out of four adults (74%) say feelings—not Scripture, science, or tradition—determine right from wrong. That is a tacit admission that we—and neither God nor any other external source—are the sole or primary judge of truth in our lives.

Moral pluralism is now mainstream. Nearly six out of 10 people believe conflicting moral views can all  be right. Even among those with a biblical worldview, 23% buy into that contradiction.

Almost half of Americans argue that the constant shift of cultural views proves moral absolutes don’t exist. Nearly half (45%) say that because moral ideas change over time and across cultures, moral absolutes can’t exist.

Even lying is acceptable. One-third of adults say lying to protect their reputation or interests is morally defensible.

“Particularly concerning, the parents of children under the age of 13 are especially likely to deny absolute moral truth. This is not only a reflection of the younger generations’ growing discomfort with moral boundaries, but also a sobering indicator of what today’s children are being taught—implicitly and explicitly—about right and wrong. When parents themselves are unclear or unconvinced about biblical standards, the next generation grows up without a reliable moral anchor.”

“This widespread confusion about moral truth is not harmless—it’s a blueprint for cultural chaos. “

“When a society dismisses objective morality, it invites instability, division, and misplaced trust in cultural or political voices claiming to define right and wrong. History shows that rejecting God’s moral order leads to loss of liberty and human dignity. [I add, that is clearly showing in our present time and culture globally: Immorality on display in politics, entertainment, marketing, gender ideology, marriage and divorce, clothing, mainstream cursing and course language, inappropriate content available for all on the internet which is available in the palm of our hands, the rise of depression and suicide, violence, the villanization of victims, and the weaponization of law to name a few. Barna continues:] The only viable solution is a return to biblical truth.”

“Churches and individual believers who compromise truth become reflections of culture, not agents of biblical transformation [emphasis added]. It’s more important than ever to teach why the Bible can be trusted, what moral truth is, and why it must be seen as absolute, or we will continue to lose both credibility and influence. And our nation will continue to suffer the consequences.”

The Roman Empire in Paul’s day was found very much in the same place as our current global and church culture. It is to that culture that Paul writes this book to the believers in Rome, in order to paint a picture of where sin takes mankind, what God did about it, and how that picture should look in the lives of God’s people within that culture.

For just another moment, let’s consider some of the background of this book.

Authorship and Date

Hendriksen suggests, “With few exceptions scholars agree that it was indeed the apostle Paul who wrote Romans. The evidence favoring this conclusion may, without exaggeration, be called overwhelming.”[1] He lists church historians from Clement of Alexandria (late 2nd century) to Eusebius (beginning of the 4th century) as all fully agreeing with Pauline authorship.[2] Mounce confirms that, “It is rarely questioned today that the Paul…wrote the Epistle to the Romans…the apostle of that name whose conversion to Christ is told in Acts 9 and whose missionary activities dominate the latter half of that book.”[3] Mounce also mentions the style and language is consistent with the other “unquestioned” letters of the apostle,[4] giving even more confidence to Pauline authorship. He concludes by quoting A. M. Hunter, “No one outside Bedlam seriously doubts that Romans was written by St. Paul;”[5] therefore, neither should we.

Romans 15:19-29 paints a picture that helps pinpoint the timing of Paul’s writing of the book. He mentions “from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum” (v. 19, NASB), [6] [KG1] he has preached Christ, putting the timing of this writing around the end of his 3rd missionary journey. In the same verses Paul mentions his plans for visiting Rome on his way to Spain. To that passage Moo states:

“Comparing these plans with Luke’s narrative in Acts, we can conclude that Paul wrote Romans at the end of the third missionary journey, probably during his three-month stay in Greece (Acts 20:3–6). Paul undoubtedly spent most of this time in Corinth (see 2 Cor. 13:1, 10), and indirect confirmation of this as the place where Romans was written comes from Paul’s commendation of Phoebe, who was from Cenchrea, the seaport adjacent to Corinth (16:1–2). This stay in Corinth probably occurred in ad 57, although it could have been a year earlier or later.”[7]

Considering the textual evidence, it is safe to accept a writing of Romans around 56-57 A.D. Nailing down the date helps to ascertain the context for the book of Romans.

Context

Historical/Cultural

Around the time of the writing of Romans, there is evidence that the church in Rome was comprised of Jewish and Gentile pilgrims from Rome that might have heard Peter’s preaching at Pentecost.[8] The expulsion of the Jews from Rome due to all the unrest around AD 49 would have had significant impact on the constituency of the Roman church, leaving it primarily Gentile: in makeup, “theological tone,” and leadership.[9] Moo summarizes this by stating, “Gentiles were in the majority in the church, and had come to dominate both its leadership and theological tone.”[10] Bruce then suggests the purpose of the letter was, “…to prepare them for his visit to their city and to explain the purpose of his visit; and he judged it wise, while writing it, to set before them a full statement of the gospel as he understood and proclaimed it.”[11] This thought has direct impact to Paul’s discussion in Ch. 5, which we will get to over the course of this series. It is also easy to see how foundational, to the early church, formation of this book is, by considering its writing in relationship to the rest of the New Testament (NT) books.

Time of Writing Compared to Other NT Books

Given the approximate date earlier, the writing of Romans is one of the earlier NT books written. Having been written A.D. 56-57, it is likely preceded only by James, 1+2 Thessalonians, and Galatians.[12] Realizing its early writing justifies how foundational and critical this epistolary book is to the Roman church and the whole first century church as well. As such, it makes sense that Paul would include a theological flow in his treatise on the gospel that would span from the elementary contrast between pre- and post-salvation to the believer’s transformation and relationship within and without the church in Ch. 12.

Romans (Structure)

Theologically, Romans has a natural division at the end of Ch. 11 and the start of Ch. 12. Whereas the focus in the first 11 chapters explains all that is sourced from God that everyone needs to know, moving from bondage (spiritually in sin and literally for Israel) to freedom (spiritually and nationally), the last chapters (12-16) speak of how that freedom impacts God’s people so that they might move forward spiritually in their lives: all believers as the church and Israel as a nation.[13] Aside from Paul’s introductory remarks and the presenting of his gospel theme (1:1-15), the remainder of the first 11 chapters can be broken down as follows:

Structure of the first 11 chapters:

++The guilt of mankind in sin and God’s wrath because of it (1:18-3:20)

++The path from condemnation to justification through Christ (3:21-5:21)

++The expected response and comfort for those justified (holiness 6:1-8:39)

++And the responsibility in relationship that exists between God and mankind/Israel and the world (9:1-11:35).

The first 11 chapters end with a crescendo statement that unifies God’s administrations throughout the ages under one overall theme, soli Deo gloria (“to God alone glory,” 11:36). After explaining the path from condemnation to justification (3:21-4:25), Paul speaks of the blessings of that justification (5:1-11). It is then that Paul turns to mankind’s solidarity in Adam under God’s wrath toward sinful man’s guilt and believers’ solidarity in Jesus that brings reconciliation with God.

[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, vol. 12–13, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 4.

[2]Ibid.

[3] Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 21–22.

[4]Ibid.

[5] Ibid., (quoting A. M. Hunter, The Epistle to the Romans, TBC (London: SCM, 1955), 12).

[6]From this point forward all Scripture quotes will be taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.

[7] Douglas J. Moo, “Romans,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1115.

[8]Ibid., 1115.

[9]Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] F. F. Bruce, Romans: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 6, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 21.

[12] 1+2 Corinthians around the same time, followed by Philippians a few years later.

[13]The distinctiveness of the church and Israel is clearly painted throughout the book of Romans by Paul, presenting a clear picture of God’s future plan for Israel (Ch. 11) while still speaking about the unity of both Jews and Gentiles in the gospel (15:7-13).

In mindfulness of that structure, Paul began by introducing the key *players* that this epistolary work revolves around, as found in the first 7 verses of his introduction.

You can trust this book because Paul wrote it (Rom. 1:1-2)

++Bond-servant of Christ (doulos - slave who stays, Ex. 21:1-6)

++Called as an Apostle (has authority to speak on behalf of the master - Acts 9:15; Gal. 1:1)

++Set apart (boundaries marked off for assigned purpose) for the promised gospel (“good news” 1:17; 3:21; 4:3, 6–25; 10:5–20; 15:9–12, 21) of God

You can trust this book because its author was commissioned by God to write it, to share the long awaited good news spoken of by the prophets of Scripture.

You can trust this book because it is a message that concerns Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:3-4)

++Jesus is God’s Son

++Born of the lineage of David as promised

++Declared with power through the resurrection (He who during His earthly ministry was the Son of god in weakness and lowliness became by the resurrection, the Son of God in power)

++Witnessed of by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20-21)

++Jesus is “Our Lord”

You can trust this book because primarily it is about the person and impact of Jesus Christ in the lives of those who believe, and why all of that is important to know.

You can trust this book because it is the message of the Apostles (Rom. 1:5)

++Through grace given them

++To bring about the obedience of faith to the world

++To praise the name of Jesus

You can trust this book because its source is found in the very ones to whom God entrusted His message of salvation to, to be given to those who would hear and heed it.

You can trust this book because it is written to God’s called people (Rom. 1:6-7)

++Called through Christ

++As God’s beloved

++Called as saints (hagios - holy, set apart from, dedicated to)

++To impart grace and peace to God’s people

You can trust this book because it is meant to direct the loss to become part of the family of God and direct that family to live out His grace and peace in their own lives for the sake of the name of Jesus.

You can trust this book because it describes the transformative spiritual journey, designed by God to guide us out of sin’s chaotic destruction and lead us towards recovering the incredible wonder of His original design for us, which is to reflect the wonder of the Glory of Jesus Christ