Romans Chapter 1
1. Introduction
a.
The book of Romans has been called The Gospel according to Paul
b. Romans
uses a question/answer format which attacks and defends some very key points
1) Not
that I will be presenting the book of Romans as an Apologetic defense, but more
as God?s Case Defended and Man?s Place Confirmed.
a) Showing
that God is truth and all men are liars (Rom 3:4)
c.
Covers a pretty full spectrum
1) From
the utter depravity of debased man to the very glory of God.
d. This
was a letter which Paul wrote to the Romans (not a specific church)
1) He
yearns to visit the Romans (1:10) so that they can share in the imparting of
God?s spiritual gifts (1:11, 12, 13)
a)
The Romans would benefit from the God-sent Apostle (sent one?ambassador)
to the Gentiles speaking to them
b)
Paul would get some spiritual gift from the Romans themselves as he is
there.
(1) Note that the Gospel
has broken the political land boundaries and like a fire has swept into Rome
and across the known world for even Paul has heard of the tremendous faith of
the Roman Believers (1:8)
e.
Why Did Paul ?write? the letter?
1) Tertius
did the writing?Paul the dictating (16:22)
2) He
planned to visit the Romans on his way to Spain and was letting them know (1:9-13;
15:22-29)
a) He
couldn?t come to Rome now because he had to go to Jerusalem with the gift from
the Macedonians. (Rom 15:22-29)
(1) Were there other
circumstances that kept Paul from going to Rome before now?
b) Phoebe
(A Deaconess from Cenchrea) was on her way to Rome so Paul took his opportunity
(while at Corinth) to write the letter (16:1; 2)
(1) Very likely she
delivered the letter.
c) To
impart some teaching in letter form since he hasn?t visited physically yet.
2. The
Bondservant of Jesus Christ.
a.
Doulos
1) The
most abject form of slave
a) Form
one is of person who is caught/captured during a war and forced to be a slave.
b) Form
two the slave is Born into the life of slavery (aka service)?this is the word
as used here.
(1) The same word is
used for Christ (Phil. 2:7)
2) Having
no will but the will of the master
a) No
thought but that of the master
3) Making
no move but with the masters approval.
a) The
term ?Bondservant of the Emperor? was a term used in those days?such a slave,
born into the Emperor?s home bears high honor?how much more that Paul is a Bondservant
of the King of Creation and Eternity.
b) Later
in Corinthians (I Cor 7:20), Paul addresses that he is a Freeman for the term
?Freeman of the Emperor? was also being used in those days. A bondservant of
the Emperor declared free was an extreme honor?so Paul is both a bondservant
and declared free?what a glorious honor!
c) Love-Slave
(Ex 21:2-6) binds himself to the master for life.
4) Paul
gets more into this in Chapter 6 but as a preview:
a) This
bondservant is a slave until death parts them from the master. We were bondservants
of Satan until we died in Christ and now we have been raised up (in Christ)
into an eternal Kingdom of God?s Son of His Love (Col 1:30)
5) A
higher honor than being an apostle.
a) Apostle–an
Ambassador of Christ Jesus.
(1) A high position
indeed.
6) This
slave of God, called to be an ambassador and set apart for this work has no
shame of the good news he?s presenting to the rich or learned or philosophers
or self-proposed wise-men of Rome.
a) He
knows it is the power of God unto Salvation
b) He
knows that in the gospel that the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith
to faith
(1) From faith?beginning
to end.
(2) Righteousness in
this sense not so much the inherit goodness of God but more the goodness of
God towards us.
c) Paul
makes a distinction here that it was to be presented first to the Jews then
to the Gentiles
(1) True this letter
was written after Paul?s judgment on the Jews and his words in Acts 13:46-47
sending themselves to the Gentiles?but Paul always made an effort to win Jews
for Christ even when in Rome?of course there came the point in Rome as well
where he called out ?Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of
God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!? And when he had said
these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves (Acts
28:28)
3. God?s
Righteousness Revealed in Judgement (v.18)
a.
God?s righteousness is defended in his right to judge unrighteousness
1) Wrath
of God is seen upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men
a) For
suppressing the truth
b) God
has shown men this fact that there is a God they should know.
(1) God has made it
manifest in mankind
2) Creation
and God
a) Christ?s
Salvation doesn?t come about from viewing creation
(1) The understanding
that there is a God is the result
(a) Cause and
Effect?we have Creation and Design?why? The reason must be a God of order and
power.
(b) Morality?we have
a moral code within us?why? The reason must be a good God
(c) We can imagine
a completely Perfect Being devoid of fault and we understand that we can?t possibly
attain that goal?why? The reason that we can imagine such a thing attests to
it?s probable existence.
b) God?s
invisible attributes clearly seen (v.20)
(1) Not His attributes
as referring to His love, grace?but His attributes as referring to his eternal
power and Godhead.
3) Man
and God
a) Man
knew God
(1) Not in the personal
sense although they did know him before the fall and before the Flood (Gen 6)
(2) In the sense that
the Godhead Light was revealed to them?they knew God.
b) Man
Does Not Glorify God
(1) Because of man?s
ungratefulness and refusal to glorify God their thinking became weak and they
became morons. (v.21-22)
(a) Their thoughts
became darkened?unclear
(2) Traded in the idea
of an incorruptible eternal God for that of a corruptible man, beast, bird,
or serpent (v.23)
(a) God gives
Man up to Uncleanness (v.24)
i: Man
in the lusts (desires) of his heart doesn?t glorify the true God but in there
moronic thinking they exchanged the truth for a lie and commited the ultimate
stupidity of idolatry. (v.25)
c) Man
Glorifies the Idol (v.25)
(1) God Gives Man up
to Vile Passions (v.26)
(a) This is more
than lusts?this is a focused desire?a passion has a purpose.
i: Women
traded in the natural usage of their bodies as did men burning up in lust for
each other. Females and Females. Males and Males. Getting the penalty of their
sin which they deserve (v. 26-27)
ii: Participating
in Homosexuality is wrong and punishable by death in OT and worthy of death
in NT. (Gen 19:4-25; Lev 18:29; 20:13; Rom 1:32) Although in Corinth there were
people with these tendencies they did not partake in the sin (I Cor 6:9-11)
d) Man
Disapproves of God in their Thoughts (v.28)
(1) Man doesn?t wish
to retain God in their thinking
(a) Man wishes
to remove God from the base of their thoughts.
(2) God gives them
over to a mind which is disapproved.
(a) God gives
them over to a mind with no base.
(b) To do the things
which are not fitting.
i: (v.29-31)
A listing of things that bubble up in Man when he is unclean, a moron in his
thinking, when he?s given up to his vile passions and when he?s given a debased
mind.
ii: (v.32)
These persons know the righteous judgment of God but keep doing what they?re
doing and proud of doing this with more like they?re own kind.
e) What
then of the Heathen?
(1) The person who
has never heard of Christ?
(a) The Heathen
is not judged so much by Christ?s death but by God?s Righteous Light?the Heathen
should have known better
(2) What if the heathen
dies before hearing of Christ and does follow God?s Righteous Light?
(a) Salvation
only comes through Christ?perhaps this heathen will hear the Gospel as it happened
with Cornelius (Acts 10 – 11:14)
(b) Some have suggested
the heathen would be saved like OT Persons
i: No
NT post Christ death and resurrection evidence of this.
(3) The Azteks and
their Violent History before Cortez wiped them out.
4. Conclusion
a.
Defending of God?s Righteousness in Judgment
b. This
same righteousness of God which condemns man is the same Righteousness that
keeps man Justified when God declares him justified.
1) God?s
saving power on the Cross through the substitutionary death of His Son is what
saves and keeps us.
Reference
NKJ Bible
NASB Bible
Net Bible
Wuest?s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament
The Bible Knowledge Commentary
The Believers Bible Commentary
Vine?s Complete Expository Dictionary
Nelson Electronic Library
Strong?s Expository Concordance of the Bible
http://www.mybibletools.com/
Various articles and websites on the Aztecs via searching
on www.google.com