Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
"1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, having been set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 who was designated as the Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we received grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 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 1:1–7 LSB)
Welcome to our first Study in the Book of Romans. It is likely that if you have walked with the Lord for any length of time, you’ve studied the Book of Romans before. Some might say this is a simple and easy study. However, there is enough meat in Romans to keep us deep into theological study for quite some time. Let me impress upon you the beauty of Scripture that you can come back to Scripture many times, and each time, you will discover something new that builds your faith.
If this is your first time systematically studying this Epistle, you are in for a treat. Within these chapters and verses are some of the greatest expressions of the Christian faith to be put on paper. Here, Paul explains sanctification, justification, salvation, and atonement. He describes original sin, humanity's course, and God's incomprehensible love. Paul will lead us in discourse through understanding Israel and the Law. He will illuminate for us God’s amazing grace and the work of the Spirit. These are just to name a few, but understanding them is vital to living a victorious Christian life.
So, it is a worthy portion of Scripture to dig deep into our lives. Here, we find the treasures of the gospel. And if we deeply know these truths, we can apply them to our lives and aptly share them with others. In our studies, we follow in the steps and hear the voices of great men of the faith, including the Apostle Paul. Consider these quotes about Romans:
“It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel… the absolute epitome of the gospel.” (Martin Luther)
“When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture.” (John Calvin)
“[Romans is] beyond question the most dynamic of all New Testament letters even as it was written at the climax of Paul’s apostolic career.” (Richard Lenski)
If you look in your Bible, Romans is the first Epistle (letter) to appear after the Book of Acts. Romans was the 6th letter in the New Testament written by the Apostle Paul (written in AD 58), but the New Testament isn’t organized that way. First, we find the four Gospels, followed by the Book of Acts. These are historical accounts placed in the front of the New Testament Canon. After the Book of Acts, we find the Epistles of the Apostles. They are organized first by author and then by size. Last in the New Testament is the Book of Revelation, which is the apocalyptic book of the New Testament.
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through the perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
This week and next, we will look at the introduction to Romans, covering verses 1-7. In doing so, we are going to answer several questions. First, who was the Apostle Paul? Secondly, we will answer the question, “Why did Paul write this letter?” Third, we will answer, “Who were the people Paul was writing to?” In doing so, we’ll better understand the letter of Romans and its significance in Scripture.
Speaking of Scripture, we have full authority over what we are reading Scripture.
All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16 LSB)
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (LSB)And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been declared to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:12 )
So the New Testament letters written to the churches were written by the first Apostles, and they understood the supernatural and Divine origin behind the inspiration behind these letters. So with that, let us begin the study of the Book of Romans:
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, having been set apart for the gospel of God, (Romans 1:1)
We first notice that Paul begins the letter by identifying himself. This is something we don’t do in America. We conclude the letter with our name. With that, we must answer the question, 'Who was Paul?'
The word apostle means “one who is sent out.” In the New Testament, the word apostle has two primary usages. The first specifically refers to the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The second is in generically referring to other individuals who are sent out to be messengers/ambassadors of Jesus Christ.
The qualifications to be an apostle were: This specific type of apostle is not present in the church today. The qualifications of this type of apostle were:
(1) to have been a witness of the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1),
(2) to have been explicitly chosen by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:15),
(3) to have the ability to perform signs and wonders (Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 12:12). (Got Questions)
I want you to notice that Paul was “Called to be an Apostle.” This wasn’t a career path or a self-appointed position. But Paul had clear credentials to back his authority. This is important for us to understand, especially today, a time when Jesus warns us there would be many false teachers:
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.(Matthew 7:15)
So, it is incumbent upon the Church to be Scripturally aware of the truth of the Gospel and discern the deceptive nature of false teachers. Just because someone says, they are a pastor or calls themselves a prophet or any other title does not mean they are qualified to hold that title.
“You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:16–20)
So who was Paul, and why is he qualified to write this letter inspired to be Scripture? Let’s take a brief survey of the Apostle's life. As we understand who he is, we can read his letter to the Romans and know his authority to write this powerful section of Scripture.
The Apostle of Grace
I think one of the key characteristics of Paul was that he was a man who knew redemption and grace personally. Paul’s story is a story of redemption through Jesus Christ as he personally experiences the incredible liberty of the grace of God. What we know about Paul before his conversion to Christ, was he was a man of religious zeal, brutal violence, and the relentless persecution of early Christians. It is likely he was part of the Sanhedrin Counsel that condemned Jesus.
“Paul was actually born as Saul. He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia around AD 1–5 in a province in the southeastern corner of modern-day Tersous, Turkey. He had Benjamite lineage and Hebrew ancestry (Philippians 3:5–6). His parents were Pharisees—fervent Jewish nationalists who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses—who sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles. Anything Greek would have been despised in Saul’s household, yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household would have spoken Aramaic, a derivative of Hebrew, which was the official language of Judea. Saul’s family were Roman citizens but viewed Jerusalem as a truly sacred and holy city (Acts 22:22-29). ((Got Questions))
At age thirteen, Saul was sent to Judea to learn from a rabbi named Gamaliel, under whom Saul mastered Jewish history, the Psalms, and the works of the prophets. His education would continue for five or six years as Saul learned such things as dissecting Scripture (Acts 22:3). During this time, he developed a question-and-answer style of teaching known in ancient times as “diatribe.” This method of articulation helped rabbis debate the finer points of Jewish law to either defend or prosecute those who broke the law. Saul became a lawyer, and all signs pointed to his becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion. Saul was zealous for his faith, and this faith did not allow for compromise. This zeal led Saul down the path of religious extremism.” (Got Questions)
Pharassistic zeal can blind men, including believers. In his book Evangelical Christians, Michael Reeves (no relationship) wrote this: “Cloaked by impressive performance and words that profess the gospel of grace, [Pharisaism] can lurk in the hearts of the most ardent ‘gospel-centered’ folk as much as those who can clearly articulate justification by faith alone or maintain a confession of faith.”
Believers can be just as dangerous. Perhaps that’s the attitude and zeal that will lead Jesus to say to people, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23).
Paul, however, experienced a pivotal change in his life. In Acts 9:1-22, Paul recounts his conversion, meeting the Lord Jesus Christ on his way to deliver arrest papers on the road to Damascus.
From that moment on, Saul’s life was turned upside down. The light of the Lord blinded him, and as he traveled on he had to rely on his companions. As instructed by Jesus, Saul continued to Damascus to make contact with a man named Ananias, who was initially hesitant to meet Saul because he knew Saul’s reputation as an evil man. But the Lord told Ananias that Saul was a “chosen instrument” to carry His name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15) and would suffer for doing so (Acts 9:16). Ananias followed the Lord’s instructions and found Saul, on whom he laid hands, and told him of his vision of Jesus Christ. Through prayer, Saul received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17), regained his sight, and was baptized (Acts 9:18). Saul immediately went into the synagogues and proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 9:20). The people were amazed and skeptical, as Saul’s reputation was well known. The Jews thought he had come to take away the Christians (Acts 9:21), but he had in fact, joined them. Saul’s boldness increased as the Jews living in Damascus were confounded by Saul’s arguments proving that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 9:22). (Got Questions).
Paul spent his entire remaining life as a “slave of Jesus Christ” (verse 1). He was passionate about the Gospel and preaching the Gospel.
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. (Romans 1:14)
I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, 7 which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is proclaiming to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed! (Galatians 1:6–9)
Nothing could keep Paul from preaching Christ. Paul talks about some hardships that he has had being a Christian. 2 Corinthians 11:24-26 “24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked—a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, from robbers, from my countrymen, from the Gentiles, in the city, in the desolate places, on the sea, and among false brothers.”
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he makes one clear point: Before we come to faith in Christ and His sacrifice, we are dead in our sins. We are spiritual corpses. With that understanding, we as believers should be filled with love, joy and kindness, at the new and victorious life God has given us.
Have you ever wondered what the apostle Paul looked like? We do not have a biblical description of Paul’s physical appearance; we have a fairly reliable extrabiblical description of Paul the Apostle. Josephus, a Jewish historian in the first century, describes him: “He was a man small of stature with a bald head and crooked legs in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked, full of friendliness, for now, he appeared like a man, and now he had the face of an angel.” Can you just see this little man so full of energy? Before he became a Christian, he was full of energy for the wrong thing, but once he was tamed and changed by Jesus Christ, he used his energy for the right cause. That was Paul (which means “small”); “Small Paul” but a giant for his Lord.
And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. ”Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:2–3)
Paul’s life is a series of important events that allowed God to fashion him into the man he needed to be to share the gospel throughout the known world. There were times those events may have been unnoticed or times when they were mysterious, but they were there. As Jesus said, you will know the person by their fruit, and Paul’s fruit has remained for nearly 20 centuries.
Once, a farmer went to town to purchase seeds for his farm. As he returned home, one of the purchased squash seeds fell from his pocket onto the ground. It happened that within a few feet was another seed of a different type. The place where the two seeds lay was rather fertile, and miraculously, they took root. After about a week, the squash seed showed signs of growth. The second seed showed none. After two weeks, the squash began to sprout leaves. The second seed showed none. After seven weeks, the squash began to show fruit. The second seed still showed no progress. Four more weeks came and gone. The squash plant reached the end of its life, bearing much fruit in that time, but the other seed finally began to grow slowly. Many years later, the squash was all but forgotten, but the other tiny seed, an acorn, had grown into a mighty oak tree. Many people want their faith to be like the squash. They want to experience it all right now.
Yes, Paul was qualified and called, not by his abilities, but by Jesus himself. This is one reason why he fits the biblical definition of apostle and why I believe he witnessed as a Pharisee the life and death of Jesus. Today, and for many weeks to come, we have the amazing privilege of learning from the Apostle to the Gentiles. Next week we will wrap in Paul’s introduction.
