I.     Romans 1:1-17 – Addressing the Church in Rome

A.   Romans 1:1–7 – A ministry to the world

1.     Romans 1:1 – Paul’s mission

a.    Romans 1:1a – Paul, a bond-servant … Formerly a [showhide type=»pressrelease» more_text=»________» less_text=»violent»] persecutor of the church, Paul converted to Christianity through a miraculous encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 9:1-6, 1 Timothy 1:12-16

b.    Romans 1:1b – Paul, a bond-servant (DOULOS) of Christ Jesus… Paul referred to himself as a slave. Few leaders in modern Christianity present themselves so humbly. The modern norm is to give a long list of qualifiers and credentials. Paul simply considered himself, above all else, a [showhide type=»pressrelease2″ more_text=»_______» less_text=»slave»], and that of Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 12:11

c.    Romans 1:1c – …called as an apostle… Although the word apostle in its simplest form means messenger, with the advent of the Church Age, the term apostle became the official [showhide type=»pressrelease3″ more_text=»________» less_text=»title»] of those chosen directly by Christ to lay the foundation of the church. Ephesians 2:20

1)      Paul stated his apostleship in numerous passages such as 1 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Colossians 1:1, 1 Timothy 1:1 and 2 Timothy 1:1.
2)      According to Galatians 1:1, Paul was not sent out by any person or organization. He was sent forth directly by the Lord Jesus Christ as His special envoy to the Gentile world.
3)      Since there were false apostles in the beginning of the Church Age (2 Cor. 11:13, Rom. 16:17-18, Rev. 2:2), Paul took the time to clarify his qualifications.
4)      An apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ had to have been an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ. Acts 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 9:1

d.    Romans 1:1d – …set apart for the gospel… In Acts 9:1-6, we see that Paul was called out by Jesus Christ for the specific purpose of spreading the gospel message. This was not a secondary job; it was to be Paul’s primary focus and life vocation. Galatians 1:13-16

e.    Romans 1:1e – …set apart for the gospel of God. God is the originator of the gospel; it is God’s good news. In Romans 2:16 Paul referred to it as my gospel, not because he thought it was his to modify, but because it was so personal to him. Romans 1:9, Galatians 1:6-9

2.     Romans 1:2-4 – Paul’s responsibility

a.    Romans 1:2 – The gospel of Godwhich He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures (Rom. 15:8). The gospel, meaning good news, was the culmination and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Isaiah 52:7, 13-15, 53:1-12; Luke 24:25-27

1)      Romans 1:2a – …which He promised beforehand… The gospel was promised long ago. The gospel was not some postscript people made up after Jesus died in an effort to make the best of a bad situation. The gospel was God’s plan right from the beginning. Genesis 3:15; Acts 2:23, 4:27-28; Romans 16:25-27; Revelation 13:8
2)      Romans 1:2b – …through His prophets in the holy Scriptures. The gospel was predicted by the writers of the Old Testament. The Old Testament was a prewritten confirmation that the gospel was designed and accomplished by divine forethought. Genesis 3:15, 15:1-6; Acts 3:18, 24; Luke 24:25-27, 44; Hebrews 1:1

b.    Romans 1:3a – … concerning His Son The gospel concerns a specific person, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. If you take Jesus’ biblical identity away from the gospel, you have no gospel message at all. So just who was Jesus? John 1:14, 8:24; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9

c.     Romans 1:3b – …who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh… Here Paul verified the humanness of Jesus Christ. Romans 9:5

1)      As a human, Jesus was born to Mary, a virgin. He was born from the royal line of King David. 1 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1, 15:22; Mark 12:35-37; Revelation 22:16
2)      The humanity of Christ is very important because in order to die as a suitable substitute for people, Christ needed to be fully human. 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17, 9:12
a)    An animal never functioned as an acceptable substitute for humankind. A righteous human was needed. John 1:29; Hebrews 10:1-4, 11
b)    An angel (spirit being) could not die as a substitute for mankind either. Only a righteous human could suffice as a substitute for unrighteous humans. Romans 5:17, Galatians 3:13, 1 Corinthians 15:21

d.    Romans 1:4 – …who was declared the Son of God… Jesus Christ was not only 100% human, He was also 100% God. Paul verified the deity of Jesus Christ in many convincing ways. Titus 2:13

1)      Romans 1:4a – Jesus Christ was …declared the Son of God with powerJesus Christ our Lord was affirmed to be the Son of God by His many displays of divine power. His many miracles stand as historic proof of his divinity. Matthew 14:33, 16:16; Mark 1:27, 4:41, 5:42, 7:37; Romans 9:5; Hebrews 1:2-3
2)      Romans 1:4b – …declared the Son of God… by the resurrection from the deadThe resurrection stands as God’s greatest exhibition of power. It verifies Christ’s claim that He was God the Son. Romans 4:25, 1 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 1:19-20, Philippians 3:10
3)      Romans 1:4c – …declared the Son of God… according to the Spirit of holiness… Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God by means of the Holy Spirit who came on Him at His baptism and led Him throughout His life. Mark 1:10-13; Luke 3:22; 4:1, 14, 18; John 1:32, 3:34; Acts 10:38
4)      Romans 1:4d – …Jesus Christ our Lord. By identifying Christ using His full title, Paul removed all doubts concerning Jesus’ identity. The name Jesus speaks of His humanity. The title Christ shows He was the Deliverer, or Messiah, promised in the Old Testament. Our Lord affirms His deity. Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Romans 9:5

3.     Romans 1:5-7 – Paul’s commission

a.    Romans 1:5 – Paul clarified his reasons for serving the Lord.

1)      Romans 1:5a – …through whom… This refers back to Jesus Christ our Lord in the previous verse. Paul stated that it was through Jesus Christ he received his calling to spread the good news.
2)      Romans 1:5b – …we have received grace. The pronoun we refers to Paul and the other apostles. Through Christ, they received God’s enabling grace to be His messengers. God’s grace provides God’s power and provision to accomplish His commands. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
3)      Romans 1:5c – …we have received apostleshipThe term apostleship implies responsibility. Paul and the other apostles were given the urgent task of being ambassadors for Christ. By spreading the gospel everywhere, they played a primary role in founding the church. Romans 15:16-19, 1 Corinthians 9:15-19, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21
4)      Romans 1:5d – …to bring about the obedience of faith… The obedience referred to in this passage springs from faith, not human willpower or mental resolve. Romans 4:18-21, 15:18, 16:26
5)      Romans 1:5e – …among all the Gentiles… The reason Paul was given grace and apostleship was to inspire the obedience of faith among the non-Jewish people groups of the world. Acts 9:15; Romans 1:8, 11:13; Galatians 1:15-16
6)      Romans 1:5f – …for His name’s sake. The purpose for bringing about the obedience that springs from faith was so that God’s name would be glorified worldwide. Matthew 28:18-20

b.    Romans 1:6-7b – Paul identified the recipients of his letter as Christians in Rome. Romans 16:1-16

1)      Romans 1:6a – …among whom you also… Paul considered the Roman believers to be included in his scope of duty.
2)      Romans 1:6b – …are the called of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, the called are people who have responded by faith to the gospel. Since the Roman believers now belonged to Christ, they were part of this group of called ones. Romans 8:29-30, 1 Peter 2:9, Jude 1:1
3)      Romans 1:7a – …to all who are beloved of God in Rome… The Roman believers were God’s dearly loved ones. All God’s children are unreservedly loved by Him. Romans 8:39, Ephesians 3:19
4)      Romans 1:7b – …called saints… Paul also called the Roman believers saints. A saint is a person who is set apart for God. The believers in Rome were God’s special possessions, chosen for His unique purposes.

c.     Romans 1:7 – Paul desired special blessings for the Romans. Romans 1:11-12

1)      Romans 1:7c – Grace to you and peace… In this greeting, Paul gave the Roman believers a two-part blessing. He desired grace and peace to rest on them. Grace is undeserved kindness and peace is mental tranquility. All saints need these two blessings. Romans 16:20
2)      Romans 1:7d – …from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. True grace and peace come only from God the Father and God the Son. Although the Holy Spirit is not mentioned here, He is the one who quietly administers these blessings in the lives of believers. Romans 8:11, 15:13; 2 Corinthians 13:14

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