Verse by Verse Study of Romans 1:1-7
While bad news surrounds us all the time, the letter to the Romans reminds us of good news: although we were separated from God when sin entered the world, our relationship can be restored with God through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is good news which has the power to change everything!
The Truth of Scripture
The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Rome, but the truths found in this letter continue to help us today! It helps us understand our relationship with our Creator, to see him at work in our lives and the lives around us, and to find out about our true identities in Christ. The truths in Romans have the power to change everything about our lives here on earth, and bring us hope for a future eternity!
While other New Testament letters focus on the church and it’s challenges and problems, Romans tells us about God – his character and his plan – and it tells us who we are in relation to him. I chose to study the book of Romans as my first Bible study series, for all of these reasons! If you could only read one book in the Bible, read Romans!
An Introduction to Romans
Today I’m going to introduce Romans, by taking a closer look at Paul’s opening greeting of his letter. We are going to take our time through this book, and really chew on the words, in order to fully grasp the meaning and intention behind Paul’s letter.
In the next few blog posts we will cover chapter 1, which I’ve divided into 3 parts:
1. Verses 1-7 is Paul’s opening greeting, which we will cover today.
2. Verses 8-17 is all about God’s Good News, and
3. Verses 18-32 discusses God’s anger at sin.
I used the New Living Translation (NLT) for this study, but I also used several other translations for comparison in order to fully understand more complex and difficult passages. I chose the NLT because I wanted this study to be accessible and understandable to everyone at every level of Bible study. This translation uses a modern language and is considered a paraphrased version. I have found it quite accurate in conveying Paul’s intent and meaning, and I don’t often have to refer to other translations for better interpretations.
About the Apostle Paul
So let’s begin with a little background story:
When Paul wrote the book of Romans, he had been a preacher for over 20 years. He had always wanted to go to Rome, but circumstances never allowed it. He finally planned on visiting Rome after a trip to Jerusalem, but while at Corinth before leaving for Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-14) he was warned by the Holy Spirit that he would be arrested if he went there. Paul responded by saying, “I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem, but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus” – Acts 21:13. Before leaving for Jerusalem, he was determined to write a letter to the Romans – a letter that was so comprehensive that the Romans would have the entire gospel Paul preached, even if he himself could not be with them.
Our New Identities
In verse 1, the first thing that stands out to me is how Paul identifies himself. He first identifies as a slave of Jesus Christ, or in other translations, a servant of Jesus Christ. Second, he identifies himself as chosen or called by God to be an apostle to preach the Good News. The Greek word used by Paul for slave or servant is doulos which means “complete and utter devotion” – rather than abject, abasement, or a lower state or servility. A servant of Christ was and is considered a high title, one that several great leaders and kings used themselves, for example David (Psalm 132:10) and Moses (Joshua 1:1).
Paul then identifies himself as an apostle, which is an ambassador or messenger of God’s gospel. In verse 2, Paul is not claiming that he has a message, but that he is passing on God’s message. Not only that, but he is not claiming to have a new message from God that many false teachers and prophets claim to have, but rather it says that, “God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.” This Good News was not new news, but rather something very old in the plan of God, which you can read about in the following passages: Daniel 9:24-27, Deuteronomy 18:15, Ezekiel 37:24-27, Hosea 11:1, several chapters in Isaiah such as 9, 49, and 53, Jeremiah 31:15, Micah 5:2, and Zechariah 9:9 & 12:10. All Of these Old Testament books prophesied about God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
God’s Gospel Revealed
In verses 3 and 4, Paul reveals the very center of God’s gospel, and that is his Son, Jesus Christ. Paul wants to make clear that Jesus was both truly man, when he writes “In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line”, and truly God, when he writes “He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit”. Paul then declares that Jesus Christ is Lord. Although the term Lord can be used as a polite form of address like “sir”, Paul uses the Greek word, kyrios (koo’ree-os), which is a title of honor given to God.
Verse 5 tells us that we also have the privilege and authority as apostles to tell others everywhere about what God has done. Have you ever thought of yourself as an apostle? Well you are one! God not only gives us the authority, but he equips us with everything we need to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ. You might feel like you aren’t gifted at teaching or preaching, so how can you be an apostle? Well first, practice makes perfect. The more you share with others, the more comfortable you will become!
How to Prepare Yourself to Share the Gospel
Let me encourage you with 3 ways to prepare yourself to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ:
1. Read the Bible! And not only read it, but meditate on it which means: think about the words you are reading, apply it to your life and circumstances around you. When we meditate on the the Bible and make it a part of our daily thoughts, allowing it to guide our lives, we will grow spiritually and bear fruit, and feel confident to share it with others!
2. You may have heard the popular phrase “Let go, and let God”, and while this is true in some circumstances – times when we become overwhelmed and we just need to rest in God’s capable hands – this is not the case in our calling to be ambassadors. We often wait for the perfect, and ideal situations to share the gospel with someone. We might even be waiting for them to just go ahead and ask us, “How can I be saved?”. While this can sometimes happen, it’s more often not the case. We need to get into the habit of creating opportunities. Pray for opportunities and keep our eyes and hearts open, for creative ways of talking about God.
I recently read a book called Tactics by Gregory Koukl, which is all about getting equipped to share the gospel in a strategic way. It doesn’t require you to have all the answers, but it teaches you how to ask the right questions, in an open and non-threatening way – to start dialogues with people.
3. You don’t need to be great at public speaking to share the love of Christ! More often actions, rather than words, make a bigger impact in someone’s life and opens a door for us to share our faith!
We All Have the Calling
Jesus has called all of us to be His ambassadors. I pray that as you begin to read Romans for yourselves, you will be encouraged to share God’s Good News with everyone around you! And if you are new to reading the Bible and don’t know a lot about this Good News, keep reading!
In Verse 7, Paul completes his opening greeting by reminding us that we are loved by God, that we have been chosen to be his holy people, and that God through his Son, Jesus Christ, gives us grace and peace. In that order. We must first accept and experience God’s grace – an underserved gift from God – to be able to experience his peace – a peace that surpasses all understanding, that endures no matter the circumstances!
Thank you so much for joining me in this study! I’m looking forward to the next blog entry, where we will be taking a closer look at Romans 1: 8-17. Until then!
Book Recommendation:
Tactics by Gregory Koukl – In a world increasingly indifferent to Christianity, followers of Christ need to be equipped to communicate Christianity to others.
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