Paul’s Introduction
Romans 1:1-7
Greeting
• Say hello to someone
• Today start new study through Romans
o Believed by many to be the greatest book of the Bible
o Has had profound impact on many
Augustine – 3rd Century
Martin Luther – 1500s - Protestant Reformation
John Wesley – Wesleyan Revival
Many others
o Martin Luther
This Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.
o Jesus resisted Satan when tempted – quoting scripture
o Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
o Memorize scripture – one verse per week – bulletin
o Romans 1:17 – Key verse of Romans – READ!!
o Read the next chapter – commentary
o If you come across something interesting – send it
Jokes, forwards, cute stories – don’t send
Articles, books, and quotes - send
• Turn to Romans 1
• Title of the series: Being Right with God
• Today we will look at the author & background
• Romans 1:1-7
• Pray!
Teaching
• Paul’s Introduction
o Romans unique – Paul hadn’t been there
Knew people there – Ch. 16
o Written about 57AD
Paul was just completing 3rd missionary journey
His plan – take offering to poor in Jerusalem
Then go to Rome and then Spain
Letter was meant to prepare them for his visit
o Church of Rome
Not a lot known about beginning
Not a single church, several home churches
Some believe Jews from Pentecost – Acts 2
• Mostly Gentile – some Jews
• More likely converts of Paul went to Rome
o Mentions several people in Ch. 16
o City of Rome
Center of Roman power and government
“All roads lead to Rome”
About one million people
Very secular – very worldly – very religious
o Paul ended up in Rome – not as he planned
Not as an apostle but as a prisoner Acts 21-28
• Acts ends with Paul preaching in Rome
Paul ultimately was released from prison
• Later arrested and then beheaded for his faith
• Theme of Romans
o The first Christians were Jews
Christianity began as a Jewish religion
Not until Acts 9 do we see Gentiles as part of God’s plan
o Jews felt that adherence to the Law of Moses was how they were made right with God
Jews struggled with Law and grace
Believed still needed to follow Law to be right
Gentile Christians were often told they had to become Jews
Paul resisted this aggressively
o Romans written to mostly Gentile church
Strong Jewish influence
Some false teachers
Paul presented his entire theology in a simple letter
• Blessing of Romans
o Jews believed works of the Law saved them
o Paul taught something different – Good News
o Romans 1:17 NLT
This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
o Paul taught that key to pleasing God not in what we do but in believing what Jesus did for us.
Keeping Law revealed need for God
Didn’t free from bondage of sin
God’s gospel reveals path to freedom
John 8:31-32
The Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
o Blessing of Romans
Our right standing with God does not depend upon us
• Being right with God doesn’t depend on what we do
o Depends upon what you believe
• That’s freedom!
o Let’s look at our text
• Romans 1:1a
o ‘Paul’ – common to ID author at beginning of letter
o Paul’s story found in Acts
Acts 7 – Saul – present @ Stephen’s stoning
Acts 9 – hunting down church
• Jesus intercepts him on way to Damascus
• Blinds him and tells him that He is going to send him to Gentiles
• Acts 13 Saul = Paul
o Saul = ‘asked’ or ‘asked for’ – Hebrew
o Paul = ‘small’ – Greek
o Paul – apostle to the Gentiles
Wrote 13 of 27 NT books – Maybe Hebrews
Possibly greatest Christian that lived
• Romans 1:1b
o ‘a bondservant of Jesus Christ’
‘bondservant’ = ‘doulos’ = slave
Paul = slave of Jesus
• Slavery repugnant to us – common in Paul’s time
• Lowest social position
• Next title different
• Romans 1:1c
o ‘called to be an apostle’
‘apostle’ = ‘to send’ or ‘an ambassador’
In church – position of authority – discipline
o Being sent for what?
• Romans 1:1d
o ‘separated’ = ‘aphorizo’ – same root as Pharisee
Paul was a Pharisee BC
Zealous for Law – zealous for Christ – be zealous
o ‘gospel’ = good news = root – evangelist
Good news of God = Christ
Galatians 1:15-16a
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach among the Gentiles.
Called from birth – separated
• Romans 1:2
o The Good News is not new
o Holy Scriptures = Old Testament
New Testament didn’t exist yet
o Revealed through prophets
o Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
o Paul then describes what this good news is
• Romans 1:3
o Jesus is the Good news
Subject of the letter
o Titles of Christ
Son = position in godhead
Christ = Messiah = Savior
Lord = Master = (Hebrew) Jehovah
Jesus is our Savior even before we believe just as He is our Lord even in our disobedience. To experience the blessings of His salvation (eternal life) we must believe. To experience the blessings of His Lordship (abundant life) we must obey.
o Paul starts with Christ’s divinity
o ‘was born of the seed of David’
Speaks of Christ’s humanity
Great mystery
• Wholly God/wholly man
• Romans 1:4
o The Holy Spirit proved Jesus God – resurrection
• Romans 1:5
o ‘Him’ = Christ
o ‘grace’ = unmerited favor
o ‘apostleship’ = infers: gift of being sent out
o Paul received these two things with a purpose
‘for obedience to the faith’
‘the faith’ = the gospel
Life Application Bible Commentary
Real faith will always lead to obedience; real obedience always comes from faith.
o ‘among all nations’
Gospel message is meant for everyone, everywhere
• Romans 1:6
o Paul speaking to the Roman believers
o Reminding them they are part of something bigger
o Church not limited to CCF
o Communion of the saints
o Paul ends introduction with greeting
• Romans 1:7
o Saints = ‘holy ones’
o Saints not because of merit but because of God’s love and call
o ‘Grace to you and peace from God’
Both come from God
Grace = ‘charis’ – common Greek greeting
• Unmerited favor
Peace = ‘shalom’ – common Hebrew greeting
• Carries complex idea of prosperity, good health, and success
• Peace from God – 2 components
o Peace with God – positional & unconditional
Because of what Jesus did
o Peace of God – Philippians 4:6-7
Experiential – comes through prayer and obedience
Paul always puts grace before peace
• Cannot experience peace from God apart from grace of God
Message
• Being Right with God
o Many different ways to teach through Romans
Need an objective, style of interpretation
Otherwise spend your entire life studying it
Can only look at one aspect
o Prominent theme of Romans = righteousness
Righteous & righteousness = 42x
Righteousness = conforming to the standard of behaviors that God expects of His people
3 aspects of righteousness
• Initial – saved – covered in righteousness of Christ
o One-time event at salvation
• Progressive – ongoing through sanctification
o Daily being conformed into image of Christ
• Ultimate – at Rapture – glorified bodies
o Sanctification complete – we are perfect – like Christ
We will focus on 2nd one – Progressive
• Only one we can do something about
• Only one God expects us to do something about
o Title: Being Right with God
‘Being’
• Not about doing or not doing things
• Not getting to a destination of a spiritual condition
• Not about what you do but about who you are
‘Right’
• What is right? What basis do we use to determine what is right?
• God gave us a basis, we need to learn to obey it
‘with God’
• We are not doing this alone
• God wants us to be right with Him
• He will help us if we will let Him
o Doing right before God is a product of being right with God.
o Focus – How to be right.
• Pray!
• Communion
o Grace and peace from God because of Christ
o Remember what He did so that we could be right with God
Rick Lancaster
Core Christian Fellowship
rick@corechristian.com
www.corechristian.com
