Romans # 1
I felt impressed to teach on the book of Romans, were going to be looking at this book Verse upon Verse, line upon line, word upon word, in the book of ROM. Paul deals with quite a few things here. It’s my purpose to teach the full counsel of God. One of the best ways to do this is to take up an entire book of the Bible. There is no better way to get the full scope of what Paul is teaching.
I. This is the 6th letter that Paul wrote, written about 55 to 58 AD. It’s interesting that the translators put it 1st.
A. How did the translators put to books of the Bible in the order as we have now in our Bibles?
1. There not in order of WHEN they were written. They were put more in order of 1st things 1st.
a. The translators tried to put it such a way that you would understand it. When they did that they put all of Paul’s writings before the other authors. They didn’t know what to do with REV. so they put it to the end.
b. They put the Gospels, (MAT, MAR, LUK, and JOH) 1st in the N.T. So you can see the life of Jesus and see how Christianity started.
2. Then came the Book of ACTS, which bridged the Gospels together with the epistles (letters).
a. Without the book of ACTS it would be harder for us to understand how the Gentiles came to salvation, and it would be very hard for us to understand the baptism of the HS.
3. Then we come to the book of ROM.
B. This book of Romans is the Longest book of Paul’s known writings, and many say that it is the most important. (Because of its main themes.)
1. ROM has 2 main themes that run through it.
a. 1st SALVATION by faith and receiving God’s promises by faith.
b. 2nd Christian duties or service.
2. In the 1st 11 chapters Paul teaches on “The need of salvation, the method of righteousness, Examples of being justified by faith, blessings of salvation, salvation being a free gift, the grace of God not being a license to sin, and struggles with the flesh.”
a. The last ¼ of ROM deals with more practical things. Things like Christian duties, Civic duties, and Social duties.
II. ROM 1:1
A. Paul is the only 1 of the Bible writers who discarded his Jewish name for his Gentile name.
1. Over in (ACTS 13:9) is the 1st time that we see that he is being called PAUL instead of Saul. The Name “Paul” means little or small.
2. Paul then refers to himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ”
a. The word “servant” is the Greek word “doulos."
b. This word has a 2 fold meaning.
i. 1st it denotes a slave who was bound to his master to death, one who served his master to the disregard of his own interest. FREED ONLY IN DEATH
a. This word also denotes total possession of another.
b. ACTS 20:28
c. The word “purchased” in this Verse also refers to total ownership. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
ii. But this word “Servant” also has another side to it.
a. In the O.T. it was common to call a great man of God a servant of God. (Moses JOS 1:2; Joshua JOS 24:29)
b. By Paul calling himself “a servant of God,” he’s calling himself “a MAN of GOD.”
B. When Paul says that he is a “Servant,” it’s because he chooses to be a servant of the Lord, and it’s because of his love for the Lord and for what the Lord has done for him.
3. Paul then says that he is “Called to be an apostle”
a. If you are reading from the KJV the words “to be” are in italics, which means that they are not in the Greek text. the translators put them in to clarify things for the English reader.
b. This phrase would be better read, “A called apostle."
i. This is an important phrase because there were many that were calling themselves apostles who were not called by the Lord.
ii. Paul makes this point clear that he was called by God.
iii. (EPH 4:11) Says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”
c. The word “apostle” means “a sent one, one with a mission; one sent forth with orders.”
i. From our examples in the N.T. they also start churches.
4. Paul said that he was “separated unto the gospel of God.”
a. You are also separated unto God. 1PET 2:9
i. God has such blessings for those that are separated unto Him.
b. (2CO 6:17) “Tells us to be separate, and touch not the unclean {thing}; and I will receive you.”
c. Part of Paul’s separation was that he was called apart to preach the Gospel of God.
i. God’s calling on His life is to preach the Word of God.
B. ROM 1:2-4
1. In these few Vs. Paul is describing God’s good news.
a. It was God’s plan that Jesus would fulfill prophecy through the Power of His resurrection from the dead. This also revealed that Jesus was who He said He was, The Son of God.
2. V 5
a. Paul says that he received GRACE.
i. Grace is God’s ability. It was only through God’s ability that Paul could be an apostle.
ii. He was an apostle to call people to the Faith.
b. It’s only by God’s ability that we can do the things that God has called us to do. (That’s the only way to have the anointing of God upon us.)
3. V 6-7 This is basically Paul’s greeting.
a. The word “saints” means “called out ones."
i. We are called from the kingdom of darkness and called into his marvelous light.
C. Vs 8-10
1. In (V 9) Paul said, “I serve with my spirit.” the word “SERVE” in that sentence means, “SACRED SERVICE.”
a. The work that Paul was doing was sacred, holy work.
b. When someone is doing something for the kingdom of God, it is sacred and holy.
i. Don’t criticize it or be in rebellion to it or THEM.
ii. If you do you’re criticizing God and you’re in rebellion to God.
iii. 1SAM 15:23
iv. If it was something that was from God, and you’re rebelling against it, you’re operating in witchcraft and God will reject you.
v. Kenneth Hagin says, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything.”
III. Lets go back to ROM 1:11
A. When reading this from different commentaries, I found that there were many different ideas to what this V meant.
1. Some have said that Paul was going to give them one of the gifts of the Spirit, like the gifts of healing, working of miracles.
a. But that can’t be true because the Bible tells us that the gifts only come as the Spirit wills, not man.
2. Others have said that he wanted to put a Pastor in that church, or even an Evangelist.
a. Well, why did he have to be there to do that.
b. Another thing is that Paul didn’t start that church, He really didn’t have any authority there.
c. And during this time there were many false rumors about him. the church at Rome didn’t know if he was right on or not.
3. Let me share with you what I think.
a. 1st of all the word “impart” can also be translated “share or impart.” It can also be used to mean preaching or teaching.
b. Paul is saying (ROM 1:11) “For I long to see you, that I may share or impart unto you some of the Word of God, to the end ye may be established.”
i. Teaching or preaching the Word of God is a gift. Paul calls it a spiritual gift. Not in the same sense of the Gifts of the Spirit, but the preaching of the Word of God is a gift and it ministers to the spirit.
c. Paul seems to even bring this out in V 12 (read).
i. Paul wanted to share with them the word of God so that they all could be encouraged together.
B. V 13 (Up to this time Paul was prevented from going up to Rome.)
1. He wanted to come that he might be able to share with them the Word so that fruit may abound from them.
2. V 14-15
a. Paul said in (ROM 11:13) “I am the apostle of the Gentiles.”
b. He also said it in (2TI 1:11) “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”
NEXT WEAK WE’RE GOING TO PICK UP RIGHT HERE W/ (ROM 1:16) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (KJV)
November 14, 1990 WED PM and WOLCC Thurs. 6/1/95