About Jesus

About Jesus Steve Sweetman

Romans - Chapter 1

My Commentary on The Book Of Romans

This commentary is based on the New International version of the Bible, 1984 edition. Chapter titles in this commentary correspond with chapter titles in the NIV Bible that make for easier study.

Most scholars believe Paul wrote his letter to the Romans in the spring of 57 or 58 AD from Corinth . Paul had never been to Rome and he had a great desire to see these people (Rom. 1:13). His plan was to return to Jerusalem with money that he had collected from various churches to give to the poor Christians in that city. Little did Paul know that he would return to Jerusalem , be arrested and end up going to Rome as a prisoner. It is said that Paul was killed in 64 AD. Within six years of his death Rome would attack Jerusalem and destroy it completely. The battle was so bad that starvation was rampant and people killed there own babies for food.

The earliest manuscript that we have of the book of Romans is dated around 180 AD, roughly 132 years after Paul wrote the original. There are some discrepancies in the earlier versions of the book of Romans with parts of chapters 15 and 16, but it is highly recognized that what we have in our Bibles today is what Paul actually wrote.

By 100 AD all of Paul’s writings were recorded into one book for distribution.

Most of Paul’s letters were addressed to a particular church in a particular city. For example in 1 Cor. 1:2 you read that Paul wrote his letter to the “church at Corinth .” Yet in the book of Romans he did not say that he wrote to the church at Rome but rather to the saints at Rome . ( Rom. 1:7) It is speculation but there is evidence that the Roman church was not as fully developed as some other churches and that is why Paul addressed his letter in this fashion. With this said, Paul does recognize home churches in Rome ( Rom. 16:5).

It is clear that Paul did not begin the work in Rome because he had never been there before. It is not really known how people first became Christians in Rome . Catholics believe that Peter evangelized these people and became their first bishop, but there is no real historical evidence for this. It is entirely possible that the Word of Salvation naturally spread westward.

It is interesting to note that among the people Paul greeted in his closing chapter was Rufus. (Rom. 16:13) Do you remember when Jesus was led out to be executed? A man named Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry his cross. It is said that he had a son named Rufus. Some historians believe that Simon’s son Rufus is the Rufus that Paul greets in chapter 16. He might have seen the crucifixion and became a believer.

It is also interesting to note the content of Paul’s letter to the Romans. These were people he had never met before, therefore what he wanted to tell them was of utmost importance. So Paul relates the important truths of the gospel to these people. He did not talk about secondary issues, but the essence of the good news that is found in Jesus. Often we might promote ourselves, or our church, or our doctrinal distinctives to those we have never met. Paul wanted these Romans to be sure what salvation was all about. In a systematic and logical way Paul does just that.

He begins by proving that all men are totally lost and without any hope of ever finding peace with God. No matter if you are religious or the worst of sinners, he tells us that we are all miserably lost. He even calls himself a wretched man. (Rom. 7:24) From this point he then shows us how the Jewish Law and any other law is not the way to find peace with God. We can do absolutely nothing to bring salvation our way. He shows how righteousness and salvation is by faith in God’s act of grace and by faith alone. Then once we have come to faith in Jesus, come to trust Him alone for our salvation, he speaks of the life we have in the Spirit as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit of God.

In chapters 9 through 11 he tells the Romans the important facts concerning the history of the Jews, their present situation, and their final salvation at the end of this age. He states that the Jews have prophetic significance and that God is not finished with them as some think. Paul speaks to this issue because the Jewish Gentile issue was the burning issue of the day.

Then in the final chapters of Romans Paul tells these people how to live their lives as a result of their trust in Jesus. He speaks of submission to civile authority, love for one another, legalism, among other things.

He ends his letter in chapter 16 by greeting many people that he knew or heard about. It is clear that even though Paul had never been to Rome some of his friends had migrated there.

The book of Romans is the cornerstone book of the New Testament because it clearly lays out the important truths of the gospel in a systematic way. For this reason the book of Romans is used in many universities today in law classes. It is a classic defense of the gospel and law students learn from Paul’s letter to the Romans how to make a clear defense.

Many important men of history have become Christians merely by reading this book, including Martin Luther and John Calvin. Understanding this book will make a real difference in your life as a Christian. This is a must book to study and understand for any Christian.

We should also remember that Paul is a Jew writing to various people with various cultural backgrounds, mostly Gentiles. The things that Paul writes in this letter shows what kind of transformation he had on the road to Damascus . What he says here could never be spoken from the lips of a Pharisee, of which Paul once was. These are words spoken from a very miraculous life.

Paul defines the gospel more than any other New Testament writer, including Jesus. So I say, “if Paul was wrong, we’ve got a big problem,” but of course, I don’t believe he is wrong.

The following is an outline of the book of Romans.

The Prologue, ch. 1:1-7

a – the address, ch. 1:1-7

b – thanksgiving and prayer, ch. 1:8-12

c– personal explanations, ch. 1:13-17

The Principles Of The Gospel, ch. 1:18 to 5:21

a – Gentile righteousness, ch. 1:18-32

b – Jews righteousness, ch. 2:1 to –3:20

c – Divine righteousness, ch. 3:21 to 31

d – Abraham’s righteousness, ch. 4:1 to 25

e – Believer’s righteousness, 5:1 to 21

Ethical Problems Raised By The Gospel, ch 6:1 to 23

a – the charge of license, ch. 6:1 to 14

b – the charge of lawlessness, ch. 6:15 to 23

The Christian And The Law, ch. 7:1 to 8:39

a – Law is valid only in lifetime, ch. 7:1 to 6

b – Law and sin are not synonymous, ch. 7:7 to 25

c – Law is vanquished by grace, ch. 8:1 to 39

The Problem Of Jewish Rights And Privileges, ch. 9:1 to 11:36

a – the absolute sovereignty of God, ch. 9:1 to 29

b – Jewish responsibility in the historic situation, ch. 9:30

to 10:21

c – the merciful purpose of God, ch. 11:1-36

Christianity In Practice, ch. 12:1 to 15:13

a – introduction, ch. 12:1 and 2

b – personal ethics, ch. 12:3 to 21

c – political ethics, ch. 13:1 to 7

d – personal ethics, ch. 13:8 to 14

e – the strong and the weak, ch. 14:1 to 15:13

Epilogue, ch. 15:14 to 16:27

a – Paul’s justification for writing, ch. 15:14 to 21

b – plans for future journey, ch. 15:22 to 33

c – greetings to friends in Rome , ch. 16:1 to 16

d – a final admonition, ch 16:17 to 20

e – greetings from Corinthian brethren, ch. 16:21 to 23

f – concluding doxology, ch. 16:25 to 27

Romans (ch. 1:1-7)

Note the very first thing Paul says in verse 1, “... Paul a servant of Christ Jesus”. Paul was a real servant. The Greek word "doulos" is translated as servant here. That means a servant by choice. If anyone was a servant, Paul was. He sacrificed all for Jesus as seen in Philippians 3. The test of a mature Christian is his ability to serve. Serving others goes against our human nature, but if we are to follow Jesus, we must learn to serve, just as Paul did. I see Paul as one of the greatest servers in Christendom.

Also note that Paul did not claim to be a servant of God but of Jesus Christ. Paul’s message to everyone was about the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. There were many people who believed in God but Paul preached Jesus and Him crucified. (1 Cor. 1:23) There is a difference between following God and following Jesus. Many people claim to follow God, but the God of the New Testament is the God and Father of Jesus. That's why I say there is a difference between following God and Jesus. To the true Christian, there should be no difference. One of the biggest things Christians should understand these days in our multi-cultural and multi-religious world is that it is mandatory that the world knows that Christians serve Jesus, not just God. I believe we are failing in that today

Once Paul tells the Romans that he was a slave of Jesus he then tells them that he is an apostle, meaning one who is sent. Being an apostle means that he has been set apart to preach the gospel of Christ, and that He has in fact been sent by God to preach.

Note the words "set apart" in verse 1. Paul saw his life as a life that was set apart from the normal existence of life. Jesus plucked him out of his world and put him into God's world. We may not have the same ministry as Paul, or to the same degree of importance, but like Paul, we have been set aside, plucked out of our own world and put into God's world. We need to therefore act appropriately.

In verse 2 Paul notes that the gospel was promised beforehand in the Holy Scriptures, meaning the Old Testament. Remember that was the only Bible these people had at the time.

You might ask how the gospel was preached in the Old Testament. Well, that would take a whole book to answer. The gospel was first preached as far back as Genesis 3 when God brought judgment on creation. He spoke of the serpent's head being bruised, and the seed of the woman's feet being bruised. This is prophetic of the cross of Christ.

Another way we see the gospel being preached in the Old Testament is through the Abrahamic Covenant. God promised certain things to Abraham, to his descendents, and to his special offspring that we know is Jesus from Paul's writings. Jesus is seen in the Abrahamic Covenant which is still in effect today. The Abrahamic Covenant was reconfirmed over and over again in the Old Testament, as is a prevailing theme throughout both Old and New Testaments.

In verse 3 and 4 Paul says that this gospel is all about Jesus. Right away Paul tells these people who Jesus really was. He was both man and God. He was a descendent of David according to the flesh. He was also declared to be the Son of God. As Christians we must believe that Jesus was, and is God. This is fundamental to our faith. Without believing this fact we cannot be a Christian. Paul says that the resurrection of Jesus is the proof of Jesus’ deity.

Jesus being a son of David is important to the Jews. It is also important to Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah. The Messiah must be a descendent of David, which Jesus was. Yet Jesus is more than a son of David, He is the Son of God. Once again, this is the Deity of Christ.

In verse 4 Paul uses the words “Lord Jesus Christ”. This is significant. Jesus is His earthly name. He has two titles, Lord (of all things) and Christ (Saviour of all who believe). So right in the first five verses we plainly see who Jesus really is. He is Lord of all things. He is the Saviour for all to believe. He is God in human form. He was killed and was raised from the dead. What a way to start his letter. This is the gospel in a nut shell. If anyone would have trouble with what Paul would say, the trouble would start here. Jesus is referred to as a stumbling block in Scripture.(1 Peter 2:8) Many people can’t get by the fact that Jesus is God.

In our days of tolerance in this present day in age, it is Jesus that will separate the true Christian from everyone else, and it is our association with Jesus that brings persecution to the saints.

In verse 5 Paul says that he is called to bring Gentiles “to the obedience of the faith”. Here is another key phrase that he will later expand on. Obedience was once to the Jewish Law, but no more. Obedience to God is a result of “faith in Christ Jesus”.

Still in verse 5 we read that Paul received grace and apostleship for His “name sake”. This means that Paul had the authority to represent Jesus on earth to others. We have this same authority. The “name of Jesus” is more than a phrase attached to the end of a prayer. It is the authority we have been given by Jesus to properly represent Him to others.

In verse 6 Paul tells the Roman Christians that they too "belong to Jesus Christ". The word "belong" is important here. It is a possessive word, meaning, Christians know longer belong to themselves but to Jesus. That really is the outcome of faith in Jesus. True faith is giving your life to Jesus so that you belong to Him. Once again, we should live our lives as though we belong to Jesus. We are His possession.

In verse 7, “to all in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be saints“. All Christians are loved by God and are saints. This designation is not given to just a few super Christians.

Paul also says, "grace and peace" be to you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Note that grace and peace are from both God and Jesus, not just God. Once receiving grace, we have peace. There is no peace without God's grace.

There are two aspects of grace found in the Bible. One is God's mercy towards us that we do not deserve. The other is the ability from God to do His will.

Paul’s Longing To Visit Rome – ch. 1:8-17

In verse 8 Paul thanks “God through Jesus Christ” for the people of Rome . Once again, he thanks the God of Jesus Christ, not some generic, all purpose God that many believe in today. Jesus Christ is central to Paul’s life and thoughts. Why was Paul thankful to Jesus? It was because of “their faith” that was reported all over the known world. Here we see that faith is the important thing that Paul notes in these people. As you will see later, faith is fundamental and basic for Christians, but amazingly enough, it's a very misunderstood concept. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Heb. 11:6)

Faith is trust. If one claims faith in anything, that means he trust in the one or thing he has faith in. Faith has become a very misused word in our day and therefore it is widely misunderstood. If you substitute the word faith with trust in the Bible, you might well have a better understanding of faith.

In verse 9 Paul says that he remembers these people all the time. Paul is in constant prayer for these people, and this is how it should be with any leader who is a real servant. I wonder at times how often the modern pastor prays for God's people.

Also in verse 9 we note that Paul serves God with his whole heart. Any brief study of Paul in the Bible will show you that is true. He not only served God with his heart, but with his very life.

In verse 10 Paul expresses that he has always desired to come and see these people to whom he is now writing. He now feels that the time had finally come for him to visit them. Note that he feels that is God's will. . God's will is utmost for Paul. He does not want to do anything outside of God's will.

One of the main reasons why Paul wants to see the Romans is to impart to them some spiritual gift. Paul could impart many things in the form of education, friendship, and other things. But he wanted to give them something spiritual, something long lasting. This could be individual callings from God or a gift of the Spirit. The reason for this impartation is seen in verse 12. Paul wanted mutual edification with these people. This means that he wanted a working relationship with them.

There might be some debate over just what the term spiritual gifts are. Those in non Pentecostal circles would probably view this differently than those in Pentecostal circles. I think Paul's letter to the Corinthians, in chapter 12 through 14 tells us what spiritual gifts are. Also, later on in Romans 12, he tells us the meaning of spiritual gifts. I believe what Paul is speaking of here is that by prayer, and possibly by the laying on of hands, gifts of the Holy Spirit as seen in 1 Corinthians 12 would be given to these people. Also the ministry gifts seen in Romans 12 and the last part of 1 Corinthians 12, as well as Ephesians 4:11 would be imparted to some of these people. Ministry gifts would such things as apostles, elders, teacher, and so on.

In verse 13 Paul says that he was hindered many times as he attempted to come and see these people. This text alone does not say how Paul was hindered. It might have been satan's interference, or simply God's will. We do know from the book of Acts God did step in at times to redirect Paul to a place he had not intended to visit. I suggest that what hindered Paul from visiting Rome was not the devil, as some might think. Verse 13 tells us why he had not visited Rome earlier in his ministry. It was so he could have a better harvest of people now. It is clear that if Paul had of gone earlier, the harvest of people would not have been as great. Thus, in my thinking, it was God who prevented Paul from visiting Rome earlier.

In verse 14 Paul says that he is obligated to both Greeks and non-Greek alike when it comes to preaching the gospel. Paul felt that he had no other choice but to preach the gospel, and to anyone who would listen, whether Jew or Gentile. Many of us have a very lax feeling about these things. We'll preach when it is convenient. Not so with Paul.

Paul just doesn't say he is obligated to Greeks and Jews, but also to the wise and unwise. Again, Paul doesn't just travel in elite circles to make himself look good as some preachers do today. Paul was comfortable among scholars and also among the uneducated. I know of some pastors who are not comfortable with the poor in their church. They feel the rich will be turned off with the presence of poor people. Paul had no such attitude.

Verse 15 says that Paul was “eager to preach the gospel” to the people of Rome . These people were already Christian but there were many non-Christians in Rome that Paul wanted to win to Jesus.

Verse 16 says that Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. Many of us are ashamed, but not Paul. He believed that the gospel was the power of God that leads to salvation. We tend to think that we need to add the simple gospel with great preaching, music, high tech aids, and all sorts of other things. But that shouldn't be. Only the gospel, the pure gospel can lead someone to salvation in Christ, and it doesn't have to be fancy.

Paul clearly states that the gospel itself is the power that leads people to salvation. That means we must preach the real gospel, not an adulterated or rethought gospel. Any changes to the gospel changes the gospel to be something other than what it is meant to be. This changed gospel has no power to lead anyone to salvation. This might well be one reason why much gospel preaching is ineffective today. It's because it's not the pure gospel. It is powerless.

Paul then says that the gospel is first to the Jew and then to the Gentile. This is a principle that is seen throughout the Bible. First comes the Jew, then the Gentile. God chose Abraham to be the father of a special race of people that God would call His people. These are Jews. All other nationalities come second. We'll talk more about that later.

We end this section with verse 17, one great and historical verse. “in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.” According to Paul’s thinking, we are not only saved by faith, but we live by faith as well. This means that we don’t get saved by good works, and we don’t stay saved by doing good works. We stay saved by our faith, and nothing else.

God’s Wrath Against Mankind (ch. 1:18-32)

We have just noted in verse 17 that a righteousness that comes by faith has been revealed to us and now in verse 18 we see something else that is being revealed. This revelation is concerning “the wrath of God” that is upon men who “suppress the truth” by their wicked deeds. We now enter the stage in Paul’s defense where he proves that all mankind is lost and under the curse of the wrath (or anger) of God.

In my thinking, in recent years we have failed to preach the wrath of God. In this Biblically illiterate world how will people know that they are under God’s wrath if we don’t tell them? I know our failure to preach God being angry may be due to an over emphasis in times past, but we should not throw out the baby with the bath water. Besides, the more we understand the wrath of God, the more we will appreciate His love and mercy He has for us.

We need to distinguish at this point the difference between God's wrath and His anger. Both words are used of God in the Bible. In the New Testament these two words have a slightly different meaning, and that is derived from the Greek words they are translated from. Anger should be understood in its simplest form. It is just being angry. Wrath, however is a much stronger word, and denotes an explosive anger, an anger that can no longer be held back, and therefore it explodes almost uncontrollably. When you read the word "wrath" here, it should be seen in this light. God's, almost uncontrollable anger is exploding on those who suppress the truth. It is as if God can no longer take such actions from wicked men.

Note that God's wrath exploding is in the present tense, not the past or future tense. As Paul was writing these words, God was demonstrating His wrath on wicked men. As we will see, part of how He did this was to hand them over to their sin so they would receive due punishment.

Note how man suppressed the truth of God. It wasn't necessarily by just sitting down and deciding to do so. Man's wicked acts suppressed God's truth, and once suppressed, could not be seen or passed along to the next generation.

In verse 19 Paul says that what can be known of God should be obvious. Why? Because God has made it obvious. This does suggest that some men just mentally refuse to accept the existence of God. They are stubborn, even when the evidence is right in front of them.

In verse 20 Paul states that man has no excuse not to at least believe in the existence of God. He says that creation itself tells us that there is a God. For example, look at the mountains, the rivers, and the complexity of human life and existence. Any reasonable person would have to at least believe in a Supreme Creator. I know that Paul lived before Darwin and his evolutionary thinking, yet in a post Darwin world, many people are beginning to refute his ideas based on new scientific evidence. Paul therefore concludes that all “men are without excuse”.

There are three aspects to God that Paul lists in verse 20 that should be visible to all mankind. They are; his eternal power, invisible qualities, and divine nature. A whole book could be written on these things. In brief, man should know that God is invisible, divine, eternal, and has all power. This is the basis of who God is. Everything else about God comes from these qualities.

In verse 21 Paul said that man once knew God. That would have been sometime in the far past. Just when Paul is talking about, I' not sure. My guess is that it would be early on in Genesis. In the beginning and for some generations after, man knew the true God, or at least knew of Him, and acknowledged Him and His existence. But, both in their thinking and in their hearts they became fools by laying aside this knowledge. Notice that Paul speaks of both the heart and mind. Both are important to our human condition and how we relate to God. Many Christians today stress the heart over the mind. That should not be.

In verses 22 and 23 we see how men became fools. In many cases in the Old Testament we see how man created their own idols to worship. Concerning these idol worshipers Paul uses such words as, “fools, futile, and, having darkened hearts. Although knowing God they decided to worship their own creation instead of the Creator. This all sounds a little familiar doesn’t it, with today's excesses of materialism.

The way Paul puts it here, it made know sense for man to drop his knowledge of God. If he really knew who God was, why would he exchange that knowledge with a man made knowledge? Why would he drop the real God for gods made by their own hands. It makes no sense.

Dropping God from our consciousness has consequences. In verse 24 Paul said that God gave man over to their sin. He gave them over to their sin so that they would sin even more. Basically, God said, "if you want to sin, go ahead and sin all you want. Just remember, there are consequences." The same will happen today, and is happening today. God is still handing people and nations over to their sin and are receiving judgment as a result.

In verse 25 Paul states that man has "exchanged the truth of God for a LIE". How true it was back then, and how true it is now. We live in a world that has exchanged the truth of who God really is for our own manmade lies. We will be judged accordingly.

In verse 26 we see that “God gave man over to the sinful desires of his heart”. This means that God abandoned man to do whatever he wanted to do, but he would thus reap the results of his actions. Reaping the results is part of the wrath of God. Man no longer is under God’s grace or protection. God basically said, “if you want to do your own thing, go ahead, but you are responsible for the results, not me.” So the result is turmoil. This turmoil is found in broken families, financial loss, sexual disease, all because of immoral behaviour. Sexual disease spreads like wild fire due to lack of sexual restraint. We fight against each other as people and nations, and we reap the results in war-torn cities and starvation. This all happens because God has given us over to do what we want. It is clear that our problems are a result of our sin. We cannot blame God for the shape the world is in. This is the answer to the age old question, “if there is a God why does he allow all the bad things in the world?” Many modern Christians struggle with answering this question, but it should not be a struggle. The Bible has a clear answer. It's just simple. God has handed us over to our own folly.

In verses 27 and 28 we see two sins, two ways in which God let man go his own way. The specific sin is homosexuality. Many people today miss what Paul said here. He specifically states that women left natural relations for men, and had sex with women. He says the same about men. Men left their natural relations with women and burned with lust for men. Note that Paul states that they man woman relationship is natural. This naturally implies that women with women, and men with men, is unnatural. Many would obviously disagree with that today. The Bible is clear, homosexuality is wrong.

From what Paul has just said, I believe the time period he is speaking about here is just before the flood in Noah's day. From a detailed study of Genesis, you will note that one of the main sins that caused God to flood the earth was sexual sins.

The subject of homosexuality is a large subject. I will not elaborate much on it here. It's my thinking, but I believe much of the present day gay persuasion is a matter of one's personal choice, and not because they were born gay. I do admit that some may have had gay tendencies from birth, but that does not legitimize it in my thinking. We are all born sinful from birth, and this is just one sin. I was born with bad eye sight. I equate the tendency of being gay from birth to my bad eye site. It is a birth defect, just like my eyes. I know that is not culturally correct these days, and I know that sounds way out of date, but that's how I feel.

In verse 28 we see the words “God gave them over...” once again. In this verse He gives man over to his own “depraved mind”. Depraved means, worthless or good for nothing. We now come to one of the great historical and Biblical truths of Scripture. This teaching or doctrine is called “The Depravity Of Man”. By this we mean that man and his thinking is worthless and good for nothing. Man is totally lost in the misery of his own making. Man is so far removed from God that there is no way back other than what God Himself can do for him. We may think that man is good, and when comparing each other to each other, maybe we are relatively good. Yet in God’s eyes we are far from good. We are “depraved, good for nothing. ”

In verses 29 to 31 Paul lists a number of sins. The list could go on, but if you look at it closely, you'll see the depraved picture of who we are. Some might say that they aren't like what Paul states here. But deep in our hearts, all of us are capable of some, if not all, of these sins.

Paul ends chapter one by saying that man does not just do all these evil things but he “approves them”. How true today. We not only practice our sinful lifestyle in society but we approve it and actually promote it as being normal. We even pass laws to legalize our sin. If anyone suggests anything different then that person is intolerant.

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