Study of Romans 1
Outline of Romans 1
Romans 1:1-7 Paul’s Introduction of Himself
Romans 1:8-13 Paul’s Desire to Strengthen the Roman Christians
Romans 1:14-17 Paul’s Commitment to the Gospel
Romans 1:18-32 Consequences of Rejecting God
Romans 1:1-7 – Paul’s Introduction of Himself
Paul establishes his authority to write to the Roman Christians. It comes from Jesus Christ who has accomplished salvation and is now the exalted Lord. Jesus sends him to bring about obedience to the faith amongst the Gentiles.
Verse Study:
Paul was a minister chosen by the Lord Jesus. He received the calling to be an apostle. He was entrusted with the responsibility to preach the gospel. This gospel originates from God.
This gospel is the one which God had earlier promised through His prophets. It can be seen in the scriptures. (The Jewish Scriptures is authoritative in establishing truth.)
We see Paul’s intention to present two central events of Christ
The first is His being born to be man. This is important in the salvation God worked out for man. Christ as a man, accomplished the work of dying for sinful man. Paul says the gospel message concerns God’s Son. He is One who was born from a descendant of David. Romans 8:3-4 says, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Sin in man had to be dealt with. It was accomplished by the Son of God becoming man. Then He died on behalf of sinful man. Thus, man could be forgiven of his sin and be given life to live for God.
The second central event of Christ is the declaration of Him to be the Son of God. The phrase ‘with power’ applies to the whole of the preceding phrase. This would mean He is ‘the One who has been declared Son of God in a powerful way’. The phrase ‘according to the spirit of holiness’ stands as a converse to the earlier ‘according to the flesh’ in verse 3. As much as He is man who is ‘flesh’, so He is God who is ‘spirit’ and who is ‘holy’. Christ was with great power declared to be the Son of God. This ‘declaration’ happened out of His resurrection from the dead. We commonly assumed that the verse says the Holy Spirit worked the resurrection. But the one who worked the resurrection of Christ is not mentioned in this verse. Paul is saying that it is the fact of the resurrection that makes the powerful statement concerning Him. He has accomplished His work. He now assumes His exalted self.
Paul’s apostleship comes out from the finished work of Christ and from His exalted person. Christ, who is now Lord, calls him and provides him grace for the work.
The specific purpose of Paul’s apostleship is to bring the Gentiles to an obedience to the faith. The faith would be to the finished work of Christ which would give them salvation and bring about obedience to God. The result would be that the name of Christ would be honoured.
Paul specifies that the Romans are among the Gentiles to whom he has an apostleship. They are those whom the Lord has called to Himself.
The addressees of the letter are the believers who are in Rome. Paul recognizes their standing with God. They are His beloved. He has called them and declared them holy. Paul blesses them firstly with grace. This is the spiritual resource he himself received from the Lord for his apostleship. He greets them with peace which they have with God for they are now reconciled to Him. God has taken the believers as His children. Jesus introduced this concept that God is His Father and ours as well.
Romans 1:8-13 – Paul’s Desire to Strengthen the Roman Christians
Paul recognizes the vibrant faith of the Roman Christians. He prays to be able to visit them. He desires to share some spiritual gift with them to strengthen them. They would be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith. He lets them know that he often desires to visit them but has been unsuccessful.
Verse Study:
Paul expresses his thankfulness to God. He is thankful for the Roman Christians. Their faith is being spoken of far and wide. Paul acknowledges to them his recognition of their vibrant faith.
Paul speaks of God being his witness. This is not something Paul would have taken lightly. He wants to assure the believers the sincerity of his concern for them. Paul’s service is defined by the gospel concerning Christ. He wholeheartedly serves God in this work. He has great concern for the Roman Christians which leads him in constant prayers for them.
Paul prays that he may go to the Roman Christians. He desires to minister to them. Paul’s objective is that he may strengthen them. This he hopes to accomplish by sharing some spiritual gift with them.
However, Paul sees the mutual benefit that would be obtained when he manages to go to them. He speaks of himself being encouraged together with them when they meet. It is the faith of one encouraging the faith of the other.
Paul wants them to know that he had often intended to visit them. However, he had been unsuccessful. He desired to obtain fruits among them as among the rest of the Gentiles. Paul conveys to the Roman Gentiles his intentions. He seeks their spiritual good.
Romans 1:14-17 – Paul’s Commitment to the Gospel
Paul has a sense of responsibility to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Thus, he desires to preach in Rome. He is not ashamed of the gospel for he recognizes that it is the power of God to save.
Verse Study:
Paul was entrusted with the gospel. He took his trust seriously. So he desired to preach the gospel in Rome as well.
Paul recognizes the power of the gospel message. It is the power of God for salvation to all who believe.
This righteousness of God1 refers to that righteousness which is attributed to the one who has faith in Jesus.
The gospel presents how a person is to obtain the righteousness that is from God.
The phrase ‘from faith’ qualifies the verb ‘revealed’. This righteousness if revealed ‘from faith’. This means faith makes the righteousness in the message manifest. One who hears without faith will not apprehend the righteousness in the gospel.
The phrase ‘to faith’ tells us that that is the intention for which the message is given. It is to produce faith in the listener.
The person is thereby declared righteous and thus given life. This righteousness is not obtained by circumcision and keeping the Law.
This is the gospel which Paul subsequently expounds.
1 Romans 3: 21 – But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed ….
Romans 1:18-32 – Consequences of Rejecting God
Paul declares that God’s wrath has been revealed against the sin of man. The person of God can be seen in creation. But man rejected Him to be their God. They made images of created things and worshipped them.
God then gave them over to dishonour their bodies among themselves in sexual perversion. They were also abandoned to various forms of evil misconduct. They persisted despite knowing that God will judge those who do such things.
Verse Study:
Paul commences his explanation of the gospel which he desires to preach in Rome and of which he is not ashamed.
The need for the gospel lies in man’s rejection of God.
Paul establishes that God’s attitudes towards man’s rejection has been revealed.
The wrath of God is against men for their ungodliness and unrighteousness. This wrath tells us of God’s displeasure with a commitment to inflict punishment on sin.
Paul states that the wrath has been revealed from heaven. He does not specify in what way. The implication is that man has come to know it. He has been made aware of God’s stance against sin.
It could include the traditions passed down of the flood in Noah’s days. It could be the accounts of destructions of degraded societies. The carriage of justice exercised by governments on crimes might have left its impression on them. This could include God allowing those who do not acknowledge Him to the consequences of their sins.
This sin includes ungodliness and unrighteousness. Ungodliness refers to the failure to acknowledge God and to worship Him. The unrighteousness is the wrongs done against God and others.
These things are done not unconsciously. They are done with a suppression of the truth. Man does them even though they know that these things are wrong.
In what way do they deserve God’s wrath?
The testimony of Paul is that what is known concerning God has been made clear to man by God Himself.
In our encounters with man, we see they often contradict this testimony. However, the testimony of the apostle stands.
Paul identifies the way God has been made known. Man do not see God for his attributes are invisible. Creation, however, speaks of His eternal power and divine nature. These attributes of God may be understood by man.
Paul builds up the case against the Gentiles. He had testified that they cannot claim they have insufficient knowledge concerning God. They have been given the knowledge of God. Now he says they did not respond as they should.
They did not give Him the glory He deserves. They did not give thanks to Him. This is despite their knowledge of Him as the Creator. All things pertaining to their lives are provided by God.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob recognized God as their God.
The Gentiles in refusing to give God glory gave their minds to foolish speculations.
The outcome of not responding to the truth and coming up with their own foolish thinking brought on a severe consequence. Their hearts were darkened. They could not comprehend the truth but gave their minds to error.
They considered themselves wise in what they were thinking. However, they actually became foolish as they removed themselves from the truth.
They made images of things and took them to be God. By this, they took away the glory from God whose immortality cannot be adequately presented by man’s objects.
As they removed God from their understanding, there was no constrain over their lusts. They gave themselves to the dishonouring of their bodies.
They began to worship the images they made. They did not worship the Creator, the One who is blessed eternally.
Paul now points out particularly what he meant by dishonouring their bodies. The women lusted for sex not just with men. Mankind brought about their own judgment for rejecting God. They debased themselves in giving themselves to demeaning vices. The men also engaged in sex with one another.
Paul moves from identifying sexual immorality to speak of the moral failures. They lost their moral compass.
Impiety leads to impurity. Pre-occupation with God leads to purity of mind.
Conclusion
The gospel that has saved us is clearly laid out in the Scriptures. It has the testimonies of the prophets and the apostles. These were God appointed to give us His word.
The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe. We have a responsibility to accept it by faith. Having been saved, we are to devote ourselves for its spread according to the grace God has imparted to us. It calls for us to pray constantly for those God has given to us.
We are to respond to God and put away sin. The more we give ourselves to sin, the further we go from God. God’s wrath is against sin. As believers, the more we give ourselves to God, the more we become holy.