notes by Rhyne Putman

Introducing Romans
Romans 1:1-17

There’s nothing more important to the Christian than the gospel, or the “good news”.  Most Christians understand what the gospel is, and what it is about (salvation through Jesus), but most lack an understanding of how God designed it to work.  Through Romans, God has provided us a tool to fully comprehend what “Jesus Saves” really means. 

Romans, written by the Apostle Paul (circa 57 A.D.), has been at the center of many great revivals throughout history.  It was after reading Romans that St. Augustine converted to Christianity.[1]  Failing in eyesight, early church father John Chrysostom had Romans read aloud to him twice a week, believing that it would keep him doctrinally on-target.[2]  Martin Luther launched the Reformation based on Romans 1:17, and John Wesley, founder of Methodism, got saved listening to Luther’s commentary of it![3]

God moves in your heart when you passionately seek His truth.  The only place His truth can be found is in His Word. “If there is one book that every Christian should understand, it is this one,” Warren Wiersbe writes, “If a Bible student wishes to master any one book of the Bible, let it be Romans!  An understanding of this book is a key to unlocking the entire Word of God.”[4]

So, let’s seek His heart by understanding His most precious truth: the gospel, which is “the power of God to save anyone who believes!” 

The Theme

“For in the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’”

Romans 1:17 (NASB Update)

Romans is eloquently established by the Apostle Paul in a perfect, particular order around one central theme: the righteousness of God.  In the righteousness of God we understand answers to difficult questions like, “What about heathens in Africa who have never heard the gospel?” or “Can I be good enough to get into Heaven myself?”  Paul first establishes the unrighteousness of man, and then follows into God’s righteousness and its impact on man whom He loves.

·        Romans is about the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

God’s Righteousness Through Romans[5]

A Righteous Message  (1:1-17)

I.                   The Unrighteousness of Man  (1:18-3:20)

A.    Gentile Sin (1:18-33)

B.    Jewish Sin (2:1-3:8)

C.    All Men in Sin (3:9-20)

II.               Righteousness Imputed: Justification  (3:21-5:21)

A.    Justification Explained  (3:21-31)

B.    Abraham’s Example Of Righteousness (4:1-25)

C.    Experiencing Justification (5:1-21)

III.            Righteousness Imparted: Sanctification  (6-8)

A.    Freedom for Sin (6)

B.    War with the Flesh (7)

C.    Empowered by the Spirit (8)

IV.            Righteousness Vindicated: The Sovereignty of God (9-11)

A.    Justice in Israel’s Rejection (9:1-29)

B.    The Cause of Rejection (9:30-10:21)

C.    God’s Mercy in Sovereignty (11)

V.                Exercising Righteousness (12:1-15:13)

A.    In The Church (12)

B.    In The World (13)

C.    Among the Weak & Strong Christians (14:1-15:13)

VI.            Conclusion (15:14-33)

A Righteous Farewell (16)

The Writer

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

Romans 1:1 (NASB Update)

The Apostle Paul has a “life-mission statement”.  In it, he describes who he is and what he’s about. 

The Apostle Paul describes himself as:

1)      A bondservant.   The word “bond-servant" (gk. doulos) literally means a “slave”.  Even though the Apostle Paul has found freedom in Jesus, he indicates that he has voluntarily given his life into His control. 

2)     An apostle.  “Apostle” means one called out by God.  Apostle was a title given by God to the men who were called by Jesus Himself to found His Church.  There were of course, the twelve Disciples of Christ, and then there was Paul, who was called in Acts 9 on the road to Damascus.   Two factors of apostleship: 1) the person must have been called by God for this office, and 2) they must have seen the Risen Christ.  The office of apostleship is now closed. 

3)     “Set apart”  Paul implies that he is set apart from the rest of the world, not conformed to it (12:1).  The terms “apostle” and “saint” both refer back to this meaning.  He is making a parallel to the Pharisees, who are aphorismenoi eis ton nomon, meaning “separated unto the law”.  He however is aphorismenos eis to Euangelion, meaning “separated unto the gospel.”    

The Message

“(The Gospel) which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

Romans 1:2-4 (NASB Update)

Paul has established that he is an apostle, called to be set apart—but for what?  “The gospel of God…”  What is this “good news” that Paul refers to?  He explains in a nutshell here: The gospel is about Jesus.   Paul also clearly states that this good news is not necessarily new news at all, (going here on the phrase, ‘If you haven’t heard it, it’s news to you.’)   

          Jesus…

1)     …was promised beforehand (v. 2)  Jesus, the Living Word, is the central person and theme of the entire Bible.  He fulfilled over 333 prophecies written of Him in the Old Testament (ex. Gen. 3:15; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53)

2)     …was a descendant of David (v.3) This was important to the Jewish people, because the Messiah was promised several times throughout the Old Testament to reign on David’s throne.  (2 Samuel 7, I Chronicles 17) (See Davidic Covenant)

3)     …is the Son of God (v. 4)  We can know by His resurrection that Jesus was who He said He was, the very Son of God.  This again, was a fulfillment of prophecy (Psalm 16:10). 

4)     …is Lord (v. 4)  The “Spirit of Holiness”, or the Holy Spirit declares Jesus as Lord.  We wouldn’t understand that Jesus was Lord in our life without the activity of the Holy Spirit.   The Holy Spirit seeks to glorify the Son.  “…Which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;”[6]

“…Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;”

Romans 1:5,6 (NASB Update)

It’s Just Jesus!

          Jesus gives us:

1)      Grace.  Without it, we’d be in Hell right this very moment.  Everything He gives us is out His great grace to sinners.  Ultimately, He gave His life on the cross so that we could spend eternity with Him.

2)      Apostleship.  Apostleship refers to “called out”, and “set apart”.  Through Jesus we have a calling to be ministers of God, all of us!

3)      An Obedience Of Faith.  Paul speaks here about the by-product of Jesus’ grace and apostleship—other people will see what you have and want it! 

4)     For His Name’s Sake.  It’s just about the glory of the Son of God.  Everything we do here is for His magnification and His glory. 

The Audience

“To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 1:7 (NASB Update)

We’re not exactly sure who founded the church in Rome.  Paul had never seen them, and there is no evidence whatsoever that Peter had anything to do with the establishment of the church.  We know that visitors from Rome were at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10), and that two of Paul’s closest friends, Pricilla and Aquilla (16:3) were members of the church.

More importantly than who founded the church was the church mixture that Paul wrote to: of Jews and Gentiles.  In 45 A.D., Roman Emperor Tiberius (later followed by Claudius) sent out a decree that all Jews would be banned from the City of Rome.  When both of those emperors were dead, that royal edict had been canceled, and the Jews were allowed to return into the city.  When Paul wrote this letter around 57 A.D., the Jewish members of the Church at Rome were still in shock at what had happened.  When they had been forced to leave, the worship services and order of things very much reflected their Jewish tradition.  The Law and the Torah, Jewish holidays and so forth were still celebrated within the church.  When they got back, they were looking at a “contemporary service”. 

 Paul really writes a lot of this letter to a church he’s never met because he wants them to be 1) doctrinally correct and wants them to be at 2) peace with each other.  Here, he reminds them they’re all sinners and all in desperate need of God’s great grace.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.”

Romans 1:8 (NASB Update)

• Paul thanks God through Jesus, who has made a way for us to come to the Father.  Important doctrine buried here in a simple sentence.
• Paul is making use of hyperbole.  This exaggeration indicates how excited He is about the Church at Rome.

“For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.”

Romans 1:9, 10 (NASB Update)

 Paul is a faithful prayer warrior. Often times we say, “Oh yeah, I’ll pray for you,” and we catch ourselves lying.  I am guilty of it, I guarantee you.   Paul is faithful to pray, even calling God as his witness.  Now even still, he prays that God will open the door for the time for him to come to Rome.

 “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.”

Romans 1:11, 12 (NASB Update)

Paul wasn’t implying that he could give the spiritual gifts that God gives us when we receive the Holy Spirit.  He simply longed to exercise his among the Romans.  Humbly admits, although he longs to minister, he longs to be ministered to as well.

“I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.” 

Romans 1:13 (NASB Update)

 Our timing isn’t always God’s timing.  Even though our desires are right, sometimes God makes us wait things out. There was nothing selfish about Paul wanting to go to Rome; there he wanted to win “fruit from the gentiles”.  Paul was prevented several times from visiting Rome, as recorded throughout the Book of Acts.  God was teaching him patience.

Not Ashamed 

“I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”

Romans 1:14, 15 (NASB Update)

 The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone.  We are under obligation not only to share Jesus with those who are “cool”, but those who aren’t.  The gospel isn’t only for the smart, but for the dumb.  The gospel is for the rich, and for the poor.  Jesus is for everyone.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Romans 1:16 (NASB Update)

·        Paul didn’t hide his faith.  There was nothing more important to him than the gospel. 

·        The gospel came to the Jews first, and then went to the Gentiles. 

“For in the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’”

Romans 1:17 (NASB Update)

The entire theme is centered on this single verse.  Romans is about the Righteousness of God.  This righteousness, as Romans goes into detail, is not attained by merit—but by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).  This single verse spurred on the reformation of the church through Martin Luther.[7]