Romans (Week # 1)

This blog is a re-cap of our Bible Class last night that began our look into Romans. Perhaps you were not able to attend, but this might help you engage in our discussion of Romans.The letter to Romans come the closest to being Paul’s theological treatise. It is obviously different from every other letter that he writes.He is obviously distilling the very essence of his belief and faith.In the very first chapter Pauls reveals his desire to come to Rome; “I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift that you may be more established.” (1:11)Paul wrote this letter around 58 AD while in Corinth as he was preparing to return to Jerusalem. “But now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints...” (15:25)Interestingly enough he was literally asking for the prayers of the church of Rome. “Now I beseech you brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea.” (15:30,31)Paul is a master strategist. He had this great plan in his mind to reach the world. Rome was the greatest city of the greatest empire. Paul wanted Rome to be his home base. So he wrote a preemptive letter hoping to find a sympathetic church when he arrived in Rome.Lay-out of Romans:In Chapters 1-8 will Paul will establish his idea of righteousness.

1. Righteousness - right relationship with God!

The Jews sought to solve the problem of righteousness by meticulously obeying the law. Paul knew from personal experience that this did not work. In fact it only led to a continual consciousness of being in debt to God and condemnation.Paul finds a way to righteousness in one of total trust and total yieldedness. The only way to a right relationship with God is to take God at His word, and to cast oneself, just as one is, on the mercy and love of God. Paul calls this the way of faith in God’s grace.The important thing is not what we can do for God, but what God has done for us. The centre of the Christian faith was that we can never earn or deserve the favor of God, nor do we need to. The whole matter is a matter of grace, and all that we can do is to accept in a wondering love and gratitude and trust what God has done for us.There is a change in life. We are no longer trying to fulfill the demands of a condemning law; we are not criminals before a judge any more; we are lovers who have given all of life in order to love the one who first loved us.In Chapters 9-11 Paul will look into the question of the Jewish people. These who were chosen by God.

1. Jews, the Chosen people of God had rejected Christ. What does this mean? The very fact that they had rejected Christ opened the door to the Gentiles. In the end the Gentiles would bring the Jews in and all men would be saved.

Paul insists that the real Jew is not the man whose flesh and blood descent can be traced to Abraham. The real Jew is the man who has made the same decision of total yieldedness to God in loving faith which Abraham made.Paul argues that there are many pure-blooded Jews who are not Jews in the real sense of the term at all. The new Israel was not a racial thing at all; it is composed of those who had the same faith and the same attitude to God as Abraham had had.In Chapters 12-15 Paul will look at the practical issues of life and living.

1. The 12th Chapter of Romans is so great that it fits right along side the Sermon on the Mount. Paul lays down an ethic for Christian living. However in the 14 & 15 chapters he deals with an ever-recurring issue. In the Church there was a narrower party who believed that they must abstain from certain foods and drinks, and who counted special days and ceremonies as of great importance. Paul thinks of them as weaker brethren, because their faith was dependent on these external things. There was another group who did not rely on these things, Paul speaks of them as being stronger.

Paul makes it very clear that his sympathies lie with the latter of these two parties. However, he tells them that no one should do anything to hurt the conscience of the weaker brother.The 16th chapter closes the letter and ends with a list of greetings and a final benediction.

1. This chapter continues to present scholars with a challenge. We will look into it at the close of our study.

ROMANSA CALL, A GOSPEL, AND A TASK!Rom. 1:1 ¶ Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of GodRom. 1:2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,Rom. 1:3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,Rom. 1:4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.Rom. 1:5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,Rom. 1:6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;Rom. 1:7 ¶ To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: ¶ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Paul did not personally know anyone in Rome. He had never been there when he wrote this letter.I. He calls himself a  “slave” (doulos) of Jesus Christ. His favorite word for Jesus is LORD (kurios). This word describes someone who is an undisputed possession of a person or thing, a master.Paul, thought of himself as the slave of Jesus Christ, his Master and his Lord.But this word “slave” has another meaning that is also significant as we look at the book of Romans. In the OT it is the regular word which describes the great men of God. Moses was the servant, the slave, the doulos of the Lord (Joshua 1:2), Joshua himself was the doulos of God (Joshua 24:9).In fact the greatest title of all the prophets is that they are servants and the slaves of God (Amos 3:7; Jeremiah 7:25).When Paul calls himself the slave of Jesus Christ he is doing nothing less than setting himself in succession of the prophets. Their greatness and their glory lay in the fact that they were “slaves” of God, and so does Paul’s; he names this God in Jesus the Christ, the LORD.II. Secondly, he says, “called to be and apostle.” Again in the OT, the great men were men who heard and answered a “call.” Abraham heard the call of God (Genesis 12:1-3), Moses (Exodus 3:10). Jeremiah and Isaiah almost agains their will, (Jeremiah 1:4-5; Isaiah 6:8-9).Paul never seems to think of himself as a man who had aspired to an honor; but as a man who was given a task to fulfill. Paul did not think of life in terms of what he wanted to do, but in terms of what God intended him to do.III. Pauls speaks, “separated unto the gospel of God.” He viewed himself as “set apart.” He viewed this as a two-fold separation.

1. By God (Gal. 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, ...) God has a plan for every man. No man’s life is without purpose. God sent him into the world to do something definite.
2. By men. (Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.) Paul was conscious of having a task to do for God and for the Church of God.

IV. Paul was aware that he had received two things:

1. Grace! Grace that always describes some gift which is absolutely free and absolutely unearned and undeserved. In his pre-christian days Paul had sought to earn glory in the eyes of men, and merit it in the sight of God. But in the meticulous observance of the law he had found no peace.

“The law lays down what a man must do; the gospel lays down what God has done.”

1. He received a “task.” He felt separated by God and men. He received “grace” from God and a “task” from the Church.

He felt separated in such a way that he would spend, and be spent to bring the news of good love to every man of every race.Christianity always separates us, but it separates us not for privilege, and self-glory, and pride, but for service, and humility, and love for all men.V. Besides giving his own credentials, Paul, in this opening passage sets out an outline of the gospel which he preached.Rom. 1:3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,Rom. 1:4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.In particular it was a gospel of two things:

1. It was and is a gospel of Incarnation.

He would speak of a Jesus who was really and truly a man. And who was and really is God. One of the early Church Fathers said, “He became what we are, to make us what He is.”He was born as the “seed of David.” Everyone knew of the greatness of this King. Paul makes reference to Jesus’ connection to that King.

1. It was and is a gospel of Resurrection.

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead guarantees that He is unique! Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus lives on and gives us a presence and power even today.GREATNESSRom. 1:8 ¶ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.Rom. 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,Rom. 1:10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.Rom. 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—Rom. 1:12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.Rom. 1:13 ¶ Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.Rom. 1:14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.Rom. 1:15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.After his introduction, Paul begins with:I. Complimenting the Church of Rome. No one can ever even begin to save men unless he first believes in men. A man is a hell-deserving sinner, Ok, but there is a sleeping hero in every soul. A word of praise will awaken that sleep man every time. Criticism and condemnation will only serve to drive men to despair and resentment.II. Paul did not know anyone personally in Rome, but he constantly prayed for them. It is ever our privilege and duty to bear other in our prayers. Listen to these words of Gregory of Nyssa:The effect of prayer is union with God, and, if someone is with God he is separated from the enemy. Through prayer we guard our chastity, control our temper and rid ourselves of vanity. It makes us forget injuries, overcomes envy, defeats injustice and makes amends for sin. Through prayer we obtain physical well-being, a happy home, and a strong, well-ordered society... Prayer is the seal of virginity and a pledge of faithfulness in marriage. It shields the way-farer, protects the sleeper, and gives courage to those who keep vigil.... It will refresh you when you are weary and comfort you when you are sorrowful. Prayer is the delight of the joyful as well as the solace of the afflicted... Prayer is intimacy with God and contemplation of the invisible.... Prayer is the enjoyment of things present and the substance of things to come.”III. He wanted to come an “impart” something! Something that would “establish.” He wanted to strengthen their faith.Rom. 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—But then notice this:Rom. 1:12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.We will learn together.GOOD NEWS, NOT ASHAMED!Rom. 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.Rom. 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”( ONE TRANSLATION EVEN SAYS, “I AM PROUD”)The preliminaries are over! Now Paul trumpets the call of the Gospel. Much like a great piece of music he sounds the beginning notes with huge clarity.He says, I am “proud, not ashamed”  of this gospel. He had been imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Beroea, laughed at in Athens. In Corinth his message was called foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews. But he was proud, not ashamed of the gospel.There are 3 great words here in this passage:I. Salvation (soteria)At this moment of human history salvation was the one thing for which every man sought. I could move you through greek philosophy! (a movement from natural to moral) but no!This is a look at Christian salvation:a.It was a salvation from physical illness (Matt. 9:21; Luke 8:36). It was not a completely other-worldly thing. It is aimed at rescuing a man in body and in soul.b. It was a salvation from danger (Matt. 8:25; 14:30). It was not that this salvation gave a man a life with out perils and dangers, but it gave him which gave him security no matter what was happening. It made man safe in a way that is independent of any outward circumstance.c. It was a salvation from life’s infection. It is from a crooked and perverse generation that a man is saved (Acts 2:40).d. It was a salvation from lostness (Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10). Jesus came to seek and save the lost. The unsaved man is out on the wrong road, a road that leads to death. The saved man is on the right road.e. It was a salvation from sin (Matt. 1:21). A man is like a slave to a master from whom he cannot escape. The Christian is liberated from that sin.f. It was a salvation from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9). I’ll talk about this again. But just to note here that without salvation in Christ man could only be condemned.g. It was a salvation which is eschatological. That is to say that it finds it’s full consummation beyond time. (Romans 13:11; 1 Corn. 5:5; 2 Tim. 4:18; 1 Peter 1:5).Paul is writing to a desperate world offering a salvation that will keep men safe in time and in eternity.II. Faith!

1. At it’s simplest it means loyalty or fidelity.
2. It means “belief.” The conviction that something is true. In 1 Corn. 15:17, Paul says that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then their faith is in vain. Faith is the assent, the conviction that the Christian message is true.
3. Faith sometimes means the whole thing, THE FAITH. (2 Corn. 13:5) or (Jude 1) “The faith”!
4. Faith sometimes means “indestructible hope.” We walk by faith.... (2 Corn. 5:7).
5. But in the  true keeping of Paul it means, “TOTAL ACCEPTANCE AND ABSOLUTE TRUST” Betting your life that there is a God. That Jesus is that God.

This “Faith” can only begin with “receptivity. It continues in surrender and submission to the One whom you believe.III. JUSTIFYJustification, righteous....In the English meaning of this word, ‘we would produce reasons to prove that we were right.’ If someone justifies us he produces reasons to prove that we did act in the right way.But in the Greek this word does not mean to prove a person or thing to be something, or to make a person or thing to be something; .... it always means to “treat, or account or reckon” a person to be something.Now if God justifies the sinner, it does not mean that He finds reasons to prove that the sinner was right -- far from it. It does not mean that at this point, He even makes the sinner a good man.What it does mean is that God “treats the sinner as if he had not been a sinner at all.”Instead of treating the sinner as a criminal to be obliterated God treats him as a child to be loved. That is what “justification” means.It means that God reckons us not as His enemies but as His friends, that God treats us not as bad men deserve, but as good men deserve. It means He looks on us not as law-breakers to be punished, but as men and women only to be loved.THAT IS THE VERY ESSENCE OF THE GOSPEL.That means that to be justified is to enter into a new relationship with God, a relationship of love and confidence and friendship, instead of a relationship of distance and enmity and fear. We no longer go to a God radiating terrible but just punishment. We go to a God radiating forgiving and redeeming love.Justification (dikaiosune) is the right relationship between God and man. The man who is just is the man who is in this right relationship and --- here is the main point -- he is not in this right relationship because of anything that he has done, but because of what God has done. He is not in this right relationship because he has meticulously performed the works of the law. He is in it because in total faith he has cast himself on this amazing mercy and love of God.“The just shall live by faith....” It is the man who is in a right relationship with God, not because of the works of his hands, but because of his total faith in what the love of God has done, who really knows what life is like in time and eternity.To Paul, the whole work of Jesus was that Jesus had enabled men to enter into this new and precious relationship with God.Fear was gone, and love had come. The God whom men had thought an enemy had become a friend.I hope that these notes assist you in following along with our study of Romans! Enjoy!