Untitled Sermon

Romans 1:8-13

8 First, pI thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, qbecause your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 rFor God is my witness, swhom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, tthat without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow uby God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For vI long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged wby each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,3 that xI have often intended to come to you (but ythus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some zharvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 aI am under obligation both to Greeks and to bbarbarians,4 both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Paul the apostle is the stated and indisputable author of the book of Romans. From the book of Acts and statements in Romans, we learn that Paul wrote this letter while he was in Corinth and on his way to Jerusalem in the spring of AD 57, to deliver an offering from the Gentile churches to poor Jewish Christians (Ac 20:3; Rm 15:25–29).

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The Problem

Romans 3:23 (CEB) All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.📷

Romans 3:10 (CEV) The Scriptures tell us, “No one is acceptable to God!”

The Consequences

Romans 5:12 (NIrV) Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.📷

Romans 6:23 (ERV) When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Scope

Romans 1:20 (ICB)📷 There are things about God that people cannot see—his eternal power and all the things that make him God. But since the beginning of the world those things have been easy to understand. They are made clear by what God has made. So people have no excuse for the bad things they do.

The Solution

Romans 5:8 (GNT) 📷God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!

The Response

Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

The Assurance

Romans 10:13 (NLT) Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

What is the gospel? The word gospel means “good news.” The good news is about Jesus and what he did for us. Most Bible students would say that the gospel is outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:3–5. Romans fills in that outline and clarifies the gospel in relation to the OTpromises and the Mosaic law, the role of good works, and the gift of God’s righteousness. Paul emphasized righteousness and justification in this letter to a depth and detail not found elsewhere in the Bible. Sin is traced to its core in our union with Adam and the imputation of original sin. Paul also mapped out the spread of human sin and its results in both believers and nonbelievers.

There are three passages in the NT (each one long sentence in the Greek text) that contain the most important theology of the NT: John 1:14 on the incarnation; Ephesians 1:3–14 about the triune purpose and glory of God; and Romans 3:21–26 on justification, redemption, and propitiation. If a Christian understands these three sentences, he has a solid foundation for faith.

Paul, in Romans 6–8, gave the most comprehensive development of our union with Christ and the Spirit’s work in us. Romans 9–11 (on the role of Israel in God’s plan) has been called the key to understanding the Bible. Romans 13 is the classic NT passage on the Christian’s relation to and duties to the state. Romans 14–15 covers how Christians can relate to one another yet have different opinions and convictions on nonessential religious matters.

world.

1:8 It was common in ancient letters to begin with a prayer. Paul adopted the form, but his prayers were never just formal. As there is joy among the angels at the conversion of one sinner (Lk 15:10), Paul rejoiced over the fact that there were house churches in the capital city of the Roman Empire. He was thankful for the spread of the faith.

1:9–10 Paul continually prayed for the Roman Christians in his spirit. Though too often perceived as otherwise, prayer is just as necessary as teaching or preaching in Christian ministry. Paul had wanted to come to Rome, but God was in control of all his circumstances. The believer must seek God’s will in his activities (Jms 4:13–17).

1:11–12 Paul was sure he would bring certain benefits or blessings as he taught among the house churches of Rome. The spiritual gift mentioned here was not the special gift(s) in 1Co 12–14 which were given by God (1Co 12:11) but gifts that Christians gave to one another. Paul was certain that the Roman Christians would minister to him since every part of the body of Christ has useful functions in relation to other parts (1Co 12:12–27).

1:13 How is it that the most important city in the world had not yet had a visit from an apostle? Why especially had the “apostle to the Gentiles” (11:13) not come? Paul often planned to come, but these plans had not come to fruition. In the mysterious providence of God it all worked out for the best. After all, Paul’s delay in fulfilling his trip to Rome caused him to write this wonderful letter. Furthermore, he eventually went to Rome as a prisoner (Ac 25:10–28:16), spending two years in the city preaching the gospel “without hindrance” (Ac 28:31). Believers must learn that God works out events in ways we could never imagine (Rm 8:28).

1:14 Paul’s conversion placed a special commission and obligation on him (Ac 9:15; 13:47; 1Co 9:16; Gl 2:8–9). The revelations granted to him gave him greater responsibility. His training and Roman citizenship equipped him to reach all varieties of pagans, including the educated and the barbarians. These barbarians included people from Spain and Asia Minor (Ac 14:11–18).

1:15 Paul was eager to fulfill his obligation because he expected God to do great things through his ministry.

II. Explanation (1:8–17)

Paul now gives a two-fold explanation of (1) why he is writing, (vv. 8–15); and (2) what he is writing about (vv. 16–17).

For a long time, Paul had desired to visit the saints in Rome. Their testimony had spread throughout the Roman Empire (v. 8, and see 1 Thes. 1:5–10), and Paul was anxious to visit them for three reasons: (1) that he might help establish them in the faith, v. 11; (2) that they might be a blessing to him, v. 12; and (3) that he might “have some fruit” among them, that is, win other Gentiles to the Lord, v. 13. Keep in mind that Paul was the chosen messenger of God to the Gentiles, and he certainly would have a burden for the saints (and sinners) in the capital of the empire! He explains that he had been hindered (“let,” v. 13, in KJV) from visiting them sooner, not by Satan (see 1 Thes. 2:18), but by his many opportunities to minister elsewhere (Rom. 15:19–23). Now that the work was ended in those areas, he could visit Rome. Note the motivating forces in Paul’s life (vv. 14–16): “I am debtor … I am ready … I am not ashamed.” We would do well to emulate the apostle’s example in our lives.