Romans

Lesson 1Romans Chapter 1

This lesson begins a study of the book of Romans. Anyone who knows me at all knows that Romans Chapter 12 is my favorite chapter in the Bible. If anyone ever asks me how to live the Christian life I tell him or her to read and apply all that’s contained in Chapter 12.

As you will experience in this and the lessons that follow, there are a lot of exciting, life changing, revelations contained within Romans, which is perhaps the best letter ever written by Paul.

In terms of background and helping our understanding of Paul, his approach to his ministry, and his excitement about spreading the gospel; we need to understand one of the basic differences between the Old Testament and New Testament.

Roman coin

Specifically, during the early days of the Jewish people, God made it clear that His desire was for them to become a Nation of Priests (Exodus 19:6). They were to become a beacon, drawing other nations to them, and to God. The Queen of Sheba was an excellent example of this. She was drawn to the Nation of Israel, and visited King Solomon because of all she had heard about his God. We observe in the Old Testament the concept of people and nations coming to Israel; however, in the New Testament, we see the opposite approach. Christ, in His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), commands the church to go and make disciples, traveling from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the outermost parts of the earth. The church of the New Testament carries the gospel to the lost world. It doesn’t wait for the lost world to come to it. We refer to this approach as being evangelical, spreading the Good News.

Paul, being born, raised, and highly educated as a Jew, came to realize this "mystery" as a part of his conversion. he realized that the paradigm, or model, that Christ would use to build His church, was radically different than the one God had used to build the Nation of Israel. Acknowleging this "paradigm shift", and realizing that Christ was indeed the Messiah who came to save both the Jew and the Gentile, Paul’s heartfelt desire at all times was to carry the gospel outward to the far ends of the earth.

He began in Antioch with three missionary journeys that covered the Mediterranean, then Rome; and then he set his sights on Spain, as we will see in Chapter 15. Knowing these things, we can begin to understand his excitement about this new approach to building a church, his role in spreading the Good News to everyone (not just the Jews), and his desire to build a strong church at Rome – the center of the known world. Rome could be used as a launching pad for missionary journeys to Spain and the northern reaches of the Roman Empire.

For this lesson, read Romans Chapter 1 and answer the following:

  1. Why do you suppose that the passage in Romans 1:16-17 is called the "theme", or summary, of the entire letter?
  2. In Romans 1:1, Paul refers to himself as a servant, or bond-slave. Can you find out what that means? What made someone a "bond-slave" in those days? Determining the answer to this question may reveal to you a new dimension regarding your relationship with Christ.
  3. In Romans 1:3-7, Paul tells us that we are the called of Christ through his death and resurrection. In verse 4, what validates that Christ is who he says he is, i.e., the Messiah?
  4. What is Paul saying to the Roman Christians in Romans 1:8-15? Why does he want to come to them?
  5. Romans 1:16-17 is a pivotal passage with respect to understanding much of what Paul is trying to say in the entire letter. What are some of the important things that Paul conveys in each of these verses? (There are several in each verse.)
    1. Romans 1:16
    2. Romans 1:17
  6. In Romans 1:17, God revealed His righteousness, what does He reveal in Romans 1:18?
  7. What does Romans 1:19-20 indicate to us about knowing God, and about proving that God exists?
  8. The verses in Romans 1:21-32 were addressed to the people of the day, both in Rome and throughout the known world at the time. Do they apply today? In the space below, can you cite some examples around these scriptures that we see around us today? (Isn’t this an indication that man needs Christ today more than ever?)
    1. Romans 1:21-23
    2. Romans 1:24-25
    3. Romans 1:26-27
    4. Romans 1:28-31
    5. Romans 1:32

I pray that this study of Romans will deepen your faith, strengthen your walk, and resolve any lingering doubts or questions you may have about your salvation. Before we can begin to spread the Good News, we need to understand what it is and have it in our hearts. Then we can have the same zeal and boldness as Paul regarding our calling as one of Christ&rquo;s own.

May He richly bless you this week as you study His Holy Word with us.

Yours in Christ,

Wes

[2004]