Romans Study One - Introduction and background
Romans Study Two - Terms used and 1:1 - 1:17
Romans Study Three - The Position of the World without the Gospel
Romans Study Four - Provision for the world in the Gospel
Romans StudyFive - Righteousness imputed
Romans Study Six - Righteousness imparted
Romans Study Seven - Sanctification
Romans Study Eight - Perfected sanctification
Romans Study Nine - The Jewish Question, Chs 9-11 part One
Romans Study Ten - The Jewish Question, part Two
Romans Study Eleven - The Consecrated Life, Ch 12
Romans Study Twelve - The Coinsecrated Life (cont), Ch 13
Romans Study Thirteen - Priciples of Conscience - Ch 14
Romans Study Fourteen - Self-denial on behalf of others - Ch 15
Romans Study Fifteen - Greetings and Commendations - Ch 16
Study One:
The book of Romans is often called ‘The Book of the Gospel”. Tyndale called it the ‘Introduction to the Old Testament’. It was the NT church’s commentary on the OT. It is good to note the influence this book has had above all others, on the theological thinking of our day. AD 386: Augustine was converted on reading Romans 14:13 – “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof”. He said, “no further would I read, nor had I any need; instantly, at the end of the sentence, a clear light flooded my heart and all the darkness of doubt vanished away.” AD1515: The priest Martin Luther began to expound this book to his students. He came to realize the importance of ‘justification by faith’. “I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, He justifies us by faith.” AD1738: Rev John Wesley went, unwillingly, to listen to one reading from Luther’s preface to the epistle to the Romans. “About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Jesus Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed … assurance was given me that He had taken my sins away, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” So many others have found salvation through the Spirit’s ministering in this book. As Luther declared, “Its message is justification by faith – not works, not by merit, not as deserved.” Background: Between AD47 and AD57 there was intense evangelism by Paul in the area around the Aegean Sea. There were many Roman citizens who responded to the ‘gospel’ and then returned with this message to their homes. Paul wanted to go to Spain, the oldest Roman colony in the west and thought it would be a good idea to visit the centre of the world’s civilization, Rome, on his way (Rom 15:25,28). On the day of Pentecost (Acts2) there were men of Rome in the crowds. Priscilla and Aquilla, friends of Paul (Acts 18) were from Rome and, apparently, already Christians, so there was already a church at Rome, even in the house of the emperor! This was not Paul’s doing; they were not ‘of his flock’ – so what should he write to them? It would seem impertinent of him should he just arrive and begin to “take over”. In the winter of AD56/57 Paul was resting at Corinth, in the home of Gaius. He had just dictated a letter to the church at Galatia, outlining the gospel which ‘sets men free from the Law’ – “O foolish Galatians! Who has fooled you again ….?” Using that letter as a template, he now dictates this fuller treatise to the believers at Rome, showing his full doctrine of ‘justification by faith’. His purpose isn’t, as in other letters, to remove dissension but to build assurance. The content of this letter is so important that it was soon sent around to all the other churches as a basic statement of faith, or ‘the faith’. The other letters of Paul were similarly collected – the ‘Corpus Paulinus’ (the body of Paul) – and were in circulation by AD100 with several copies. Comparison with Galatians (some of the many) FAITH not WORKS Gal 2 Rom 3,4 SPIRIT not FLESH Gal 5:16f Rom 7,8 Appeal to Abraham as example Gal 3:3; 13f Rom 4 SONSHIP Gal 4:6 Rom 8:15 LIBERTY leads to service Gal 5:1; 6:2 Rom 12:9f; 13:8-10 It is recommended that, before one studies this book (i) he/she should understand what the apostle meant by terms such as LAW, SIN, GRACE, FAITH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, FLESH, SPIRIT for, it seems to me, many today have little understanding of these terms - we shall do this in Study Two; (ii) one should read the entire epistle several times in its completeness. Romans.doc Gareth Evans Victoria BC 2016 The doctrine of ‘justification by Faith’ is Paul’s reasoned argument, in reply to the conflict between Jewish and Gentile believers. As a Jew, saved by the intervention of God on the Damascus Road, he has had plenty of experience and time to understand something of the grace of god. His faith in a suffering Messiah is contrary to his upbringing and scholarship, but what was once a ‘stumbling block’ is now the cornerstone of his faith. (Rom 9:32,33). “The Just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4) becomes “only he who is righteous by faith shall live.” This is not only emphasized in the letters to Galatia and Rome, but in most of his epistles. When Luther began to teach this same ‘justification by faith’ he was accused by the church of “inciting revolution by putting little people in mind of their prodigious dignity before God”! So, to the Book! One may see six divisions: 1:1 – 1:17 Greetings and Introduction 1:18 – 3:20 Position of the World without the gospel 3:21 – 8:39 Provision for the world in the gospel 9 – 11:36 Position of the Israelites through the gospel 12 – 15:13 Practical results on the believer through the gospel 15:14- 16:27 Epilogue – conclusion. If the ‘Gospel of Paul’ is truly as some say, ‘the Matterhorn of the NT’, its apex must be 12:1 – with the first word “therefore ..” This is the natural division between doctrine and practice