What God Is Up To

BAPTISTWAY PRESS Adult Online Bible Commentary
By Dr. James C. Denison President, The Center for Informed Faith and Theologian in Residence, Baptist General Convention of Texas
Studies in Romans: What God Is Up To

Lesson One
Connecting the Dots

FocalText Romans 1:1-17 Background Romans 1:1-17 MainIdea The gospel of Jesus Christ connects the events of life and history by revealing what God has been doing to show his faithfulness and by calling for faith in him. Question to Explore How does what God has done in Jesus provide meaning for the events of life and history? Quick Read When we stress unity in Christ, our witness is powerful and persuasive.
Commentary
What comes to your mind when you think of Rome? Gladiators? Julius Caesar? The Coliseum? The Vatican? It was my privilege to travel to Rome and Italy in 2006, leading a study tour of Pauls life and work. Our first impression of Rome was not so glamorous: snarled traffic, honking horns, smog and exhaust fumes, crowded streets and sidewalks, the hustle and hurry of a major city filled with people going about their lives. We were awed by the Coliseum and the Forum, of course. We were rendered speechless by the beauty and grandeur of the Vatican, with its Sistine Chapel and priceless art treasures. We were stunned by the sense of history that shadows every step in the Eternal City.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in Adult Online Bible Commentary are from The Holy Bible, New International Version (North American Edition), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
But we soon came to realize that for all its grandeur and glory, Rome was and is like all cities. Romans have struggled through their history with the same problems and frustrations we all face. Christians in the church at Rome were as challenged by temptation and threatened with division as your church and mine. When we read Pauls Letter to the Romans through Roman eyes, we quickly learn that this majestic theological treatise is just as relevant to our lives and souls as it was to those who first opened his scroll. It will be my job through this study to help you do thatto guide our conversation back into the first century so we can join the Apostles first readers. I think youll discover that Paul could have written this letter to your church this week, whether youre meeting in Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, or Bangladesh. Get to know our writer (1:1-7) Our letter opens, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God . . . to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints (Romans 1:1, 7a). Who was Paul? Who were the Romans? Why would he want to write a letter to them? Why would they want to read it? Meet Paul, the former enemy Detailed answers to these questions are the material for lengthy books, of course. Ill try to summarize the setting so we can discover what we need to know to understand Romans. Paul is the Roman name of Saul (Jewish men often took Gentile names if they had 1 significant dealings with the Gentile world). Saul was a native of Tarsus, a cosmopolitan city located in the southeastern region of modern-day Turkey. He was born around A.D. 5, since he is described as a young man at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), an event that occurred around A.D. 33. Paul once described himself this way: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless (Philippians 3:5-6). Circumcised on the eighth day means he was born into a devout Jewish home that followed the Mosaic law regarding birth and all other details of life. Of the tribe of Benjamin points to special status, for this was the tribe from which the first Jewish king originated. Paul was named for that King Saul. As a Hebrew of Hebrews, Paul continued to use the language and customs of his Jewish people, even though he lived in a predominantly Gentile city and knew the Greek and Aramaic languages. He was raised to reject Gentile culture and Roman ways, living within the faith and fellowship only of the Jewish people.
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As a Pharisee, Paul was a member of the most exclusive society in all of Judaism. Pharisee means separated one. This small group numbered less than 6,000 members. They kept themselves from common life and its tasks in order to observe every detail of the Jewish law. Paul was one of the religious elite of his day and culture. As for zeal, persecuting the church points to Pauls original anger at the Christian movement. He considered their worship of Jesus to be idolatrous and their theology to be heretical. He was a ringleader in persecuting the church from the time of Stephens martyrdom to his own conversion (Acts 9). He elsewhere admitted that he was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it (Galatians 1:13, New Revised Standard Version; see Acts 22:4-5). As for legalistic righteousness, faultless does not mean Paul was innocent or perfect but that he tried to keep every detail of the law in every area of his life. He was a rising star in Judaism, leading the attack against the Christian movement, until he met Christ and his life was forever transformed. This background is important for understanding Romans and this weeks text, for the letter was written to encourage the unity of Gods people in Rome. As we will see, divisions between Jewish and Gentile converts threatened the witness and even the future of this congregation. Paul could understand these tensions, for he had rejected the Gentiles and the Christian movement for years. Around A.D. 33, as Paul was on the way to Damascus in Syria to find and persecute more Christians, he met the risen Christ (Acts 9:1-9; 22:5-11). He was miraculously converted to the Christian faith, and he immediately began preaching the gospel. The Jewish leaders in Damascus tried to kill him, and so he fled their city (Acts 9:19-25). He made his way to the church at Jerusalem, where a kind Christian named Barnabas accepted and encouraged him. Eventually Paul returned to his hometown of Tarsus (Acts 9:30). When Barnabas began working with the church in Antioch of Syria, he found Paul and persuaded him to join their ministry team (Acts 11:25-26). About A.D. 46, the Holy Spirit led the church at Antioch to send Paul and Barnabas into Galatia (central Turkey today) on their first missionary journey. Other Christian leaders had been involved in missions, but none so far from Israel and their Jewish/Christian support system. Paul and Barnabas would begin a movement that would eventually bring the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), including Rome, the capital of the world.
The following brief chronology may help to understand the place of Romans in Pauls ministry: First missionary journey, establishing churches in central Turkey: about A.D. 46 48 Acts 13:214:28); the Letter to the Galatians was written, probably on Pauls return to Syrian Antioch in A.D. 48. Second missionary journey, returning to the churches started during the first journey and then traveling westward into Macedonia and Greece: about A.D. 50 52 Acts 15:4018:22); 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written from Corinth (A.D. 51). Third missionary journey: about A.D. 53-57 (Acts 18:2321:17); 1 Corinthians was written from Ephesus (A.D. 55); 2 Corinthians was written from Macedonia (A.D. 55); Romans was written, probably from Corinth (A.D. 57). Imprisonment in Palestine following Pauls return to Jerusalem: A.D. 57-59 (Acts 21 :2726:32). Voyage to Rome and first Roman imprisonment: about A.D. 59-62 (Acts 27:1 28:3 1); writing of Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians. Fourth missionary journey: A.D. 62-67 (see Titus 1:5); 1 Timothy and Titus were written from Macedonia. Second Roman imprisonment and martyrdom: A.D. 67-68 (see 2 Timothy 4:6-8); 2 Timothy was written.
As you can see, Paul wrote Romans years before he visited the city. He was in Corinth (Acts 20:2-3), for he mentioned Phoebe of Cenchrea, a port town just a few miles from Corinth (Romans 16:1), and Gaius, a leading citizen of Corinth, who was his host (Rom. 16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:14). Paul was nearing the end of his third missionary journey, in the spring of A.D. 57. He had received an offering from the Gentile churches he established. This money was to be given to the impoverished Jewish Christians in Judea. He was now preparing to take the collection to Jerusalem (Rom. 15:25-27). Paul had long wished to meet with the church, as we will learn this week, but he had been prevented from doing so (1:13). So he wrote this letter instead, seeking to share with the Roman Christians the encouragement and ministry he could not bring in person. Meet Paul, the servant of God The beginning of Pauls Letter to the Roman Christians is worthy of a entire series of Bible studies. Here we find the longest greeting (salutation) in any of the Apostles letters. All of his letters to this point had been written to churches he had previously established or visited (Colossians is the only other letter written by Paul to a church he
had not first visited). Since Paul had never met the Roman church, he wanted to provide a necessary introduction to himself and his beliefs. Roman letters always began with the name of the writer, the recipients, and a brief greeting (see Acts 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; James 1:1). Paul immediately identified himself as a servant of Christ Jesus (Rom. 1:1). Servant translates doulos, a Greek word that can mean both slave and servant. A slave belongs completely to his master, with no ability to leave; a servant volunteers to follow and obey another. Paul was both. He chose to follow Gods call into ministry, but he also belonged fully to God as his Master. He was a servant of Christ Jesus, belonging fully to Jesus and to no other. So this letter comes from Christ through Paul. It is an expression of the Apostles service to his Lord. Paul was called to be an apostle by this same Lord. Apostle translates a word meaning one sent by the authority of another. A messenger of Caesar or a senator could be called his apostle. So Paul was sent by God, on Gods authority. He had no message of his own. His job was to transmit to the Romans what God had given him to say. Again we discover that Romans is Gods letter to his people through Paul, not merely a mans letter to us. As an Apostle, Paul was set apart for the gospel of God. Set apart translates a word sometimes rendered ordained. It means to set aside for a specific purpose and no other. His one purpose was to transmit the gospel of God. Gospel means good news, in this case the good news that God loves us and has sent his Son to redeem us from our sins and make us the children of our Father. This was Pauls one message to the Romans and to the world. This message did not originate with Paul. It was the plan of God that he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures (Rom. 1:2). Prophets refers to all the Old Testament writings that assured Gods people that God would make a way for their sins to be forgiven and their lives to be restored to him. This good news is regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord (1:3-4). Some scholars think these words were a kind of hymn of faith, a theological statement repeated by Christians and churches before Paul included them in his letter. These verses summarize the essentials about Jesus:
He was a physical descendant of David and thus was qualified to be the Messiah, Gods special deliverer.
His divinity was proven by his resurrection. Thus he is Jesus (a name meaning Savior) Christ (Greek for Messiah, the chosen one promised to deliver Gods people) our Lord (Greek for Master).
Through Jesus, Paul had received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith (Rom. 1:5). Paul had been called by God to bring his gospel to the Gentiles (see Acts 13:44-52). This opportunity was Gods gift of grace to him. The word grace means unmerited favor and shows that teaching and preaching the word of God is a privilege, not an earned responsibility. He was given both this gracious calling and the apostleship or authority to fulfill it. All of this was done for his names sake (Rom. 1 :5a), an idiom that means for his reputation, honor, and glory. Thus Paul wrote to the Romans, for they were among those called to belong to Jesus Christ (1:6). They were part of the Apostles Gentile mission, his mandate to bring all the Roman world to know and serve Christ. They were loved by God (1 :7a), accepted unconditionally by him. They were called to be saints, meaning that they were set apart for God as their Lord and Master. To them Paul wished grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (1 :7c). Paul used a similar greeting in all of his letters (see 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 3). He wished for his readers both the grace that brings us to salvation, and the peace (shalom in the Hebrew, referring to wellbeing in every dimension of life) that is its result. Get to know Rome Geography Rome was built on seven hills: the Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine, Caelian, Esquiline, Viminal, and Quirinal. None exceeded 200 feet above sea level, but they formed cliffs towering over the valleys below. The Tiber river flowed past (then through) the city, and for fifteen miles to the western coast of Italy. The Romans began building the Appian Way (Queen of Roads) in 312 B.C. In time they constructed 50,000 miles of highways and 200,000 miles of smaller roads, connecting their capital city to every part of their empire. The Roman navy came to dominate the Mediterranean (mare nostrum, meaning Our Sea), ensuring their place at the head of trade from across the continent. While Rome possessed few natural resources, its highways and ships brought the wealth of the world through its
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streets. Its geographic position enabled the city to gain control of the Italian peninsula and, from there, the world. Founding Latin origins in the area have been documented to the ninth century B.C., although the traditional date for the founding of Rome is 753 B.C., by Romulus. Heres the legend. Romulus and Remus were twins born to Rhea and the war god Mars. Their uncle ordered them drowned, but they floated down the river and came to rest at the site of the future Rome. There a she-wolf suckled them and a woodpecker fed them until they were found by the herdsman Faustulus. The two eventually killed their uncle and restored their grandfather to the throne. They then founded the city of Rome. When Romulus built a city wall, Remus jumped over it and was killed by his brother. Romulus consolidated his power, so that the city was named for him. He invited the neighboring Sabines to a festival, and then his men abducted their women. The women then married their captors. After a long rule, Romulus disappeared in a storm. The Romans then worshiped him as the deity Quirinus. This legend probably originated in the fourth century B.C., and it was written down by the third century B.C. The famous bronze statue of the she-wolf now in the Capitoline Museum in Rome is dated to the sixth to fifth century B.C.; the suckling twins with the she-wolf were added in the sixteenth century A.D. Early government Rome was governed by a series of kings, working with a council (the Senate), until 509 B.C. The people then revolted and established the Republic, which endured until Augustus became the first Emperor in 27 B.C. Under the Republic, leadership was invested in two consuls, each elected annually, and officials elected to administrative oversight. By 265 B.C., Rome had come to dominate the entire Italian peninsula. Her chief threat was the city and empire of Carthage, the three Punic Wars settling their conflict (264-241 B.C.; 218-202 B.C.; 149-146 B.C.). At the end, Rome had established their naval superiority, gained control over the western basin of the Mediterranean, and destroyed the city of Carthage. By the close of the second century B.C., Rome had assumed domination of the eastern basin of the Mediterranean as well, defeating Macedonia (Greece) and the Seleucids of Syria.
Such far-reaching wars led to instability at home. The Roman army was viewed as oppressive by its subjects; slavery was introduced on a massive scale; Hannibals campaigns (during the Second Punic War) had ravaged much of the Italian countryside; and the senators had failed to govern the Republic well. Seizing the opportunity created by such unrest, Julius Caesar created the first triumvirate, composed of himself, Pompey, and Crassus (60 B.C.). In 49 B.C., he crossed the Rubicon, declaring war on his own country. In that year he was appointed dictator, seizing supreme power. He ruled until his assassination at the hands of Brutus and Cassius on the Ides of March, 44 B.C. Octavian (Juliuss nephew) and Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius on the plains of Philippi in 42 B.C.; Octavian later battled Antony and Cleopatra on the field of Actium (September 2, 31 B.C.), and won. On his return to Rome, he began to consolidate power into his own hands. He founded the Empire on January 16, 27 B.C. The Empire When Octavius became the sole master of the Empire in 27 B.C., he was titled Augustus Caesar by the Senate. He worked with the Senate in implementing a civil government. Over the next two centuries, however, civilian power eroded until a complete military dictatorship was established. Augustus divided Rome into 14 districts, and he subdivided these into 265 precincts. Each precinct was governed by its own officials. He created a fire brigade and night police to serve each precinct. Commissions dispensed justice and governmental functions, organized into a kind of cabinet. Thus the Empire could enjoy peace, security, and prosperity even when some of her emperors were less than effective. His successors: Augustus (27 B.C. to A.D. 14) was followed by Tiberius (A.D. 14-37), emperor at the death of Jesus. His administration was marked by corruption and unrest. He was succeeded by Caligula (A.D. 37-4 1), who ruled as an absolute despot. Claudius (41-54) further consolidated the Empire and annexed Britain. Nero (5468) ruled as a vicious despot, murdering his mother, his stepbrother, his wife, and his tutor Senaca. He was responsible for the first recorded Christian persecution. After a year of turmoil, Vespasian assumed the throne (69-79), suppressing the violent Jewish Rebellion. Titus (79-81), Vespasians elder son, led the Empire to peace and prosperity and is remembered as one of the best of the emperors.
Domitian (8 1-96), Tituss younger brother, insisted on emperor worship and promoted widespread persecution of Christians; he was ruler during the writing of the Book of Revelation.
Socio-economic conditions Rome was the largest city in the Empire, with a population nearing 1,000,000 by the end of the first century A.D. Her city limits approached a circumference of thirteen miles by A.D. 70. The rich lived in impressive villas and estates. A household consisted of an extended family and a large number of slaves. Women ran the home and its affairs. The poor lived in insulae (tenements or apartments), wood and brick structures that rose as much as four floors. They possessed no sanitary facilities or water above the first floor. Lead poisoning (from the water pipes) must have been a significant contributor to the early mortality rate (thirty-five years was the life expectancy). The economy of Rome struggled from the late Republic through time of the Empire. Slaves took jobs from many freemen; as many as 200,000 people were on public support in the city of Rome. Wars had ravaged much of the countryside, crippling the ability of farmers to prosper. Emperors regularly provided bread and circuses, referring to free food and entertainment, for the unemployed masses. Slavery Slaves composed the vast majority of the working force in the Empire. By the New Testament era, slaves outnumbered free in the Roman Empire on a scale of three to one. They were used to do all the manual labor necessary to life, so that Cicero could claim that those who work for a living were involved in a dirty business. Slavery in the Roman era was dramatically different from the despicable practice as we know it in American history. If you had been walking through any first-century Roman city, you would not have been able to distinguish between slaves and free. Patterns of work, relationships, or faith were no different between the two. Slaves served not only to do manual labor but also as doctors, nurses, household managers, and intellectuals. They administered funds and cities. They were typically given an excellent education at the expense of their owners, so that philosophers and tutors were typically slaves. Even more amazing to us, it was common for people to sell themselves into slavery to secure such privileges. A person who desired citizenship in the Empire could achieve it by enslaving himself to a citizen and then purchasing his freedom. Slavery was more a process than a condition. While no doubt many slaves were abused physically, sexually, and socially, at least as many were part of the more privileged strata of society.
Jews in Rome As many as 20,000 Jews lived in the city by the first century A.D. A total of thirteen synagogues are known to have existed; a half-dozen Jewish catacombs have been discovered. Jews were not required to participate in the worship of the emperor; as long as Christians were seen as part of Judaism, they were exempted as well. Jews were expelled from Rome during the days of Tiberius and Claudius, as police measures. Many flooded into the Roman slave market around the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Physical conditions Thirteen of the citys fourteen districts lay east of the Tiber. Famous structures included these: The Circus Maximus. The Circus Maximus was the greatest recreational structure in first-century Rome, measuring 600 yards by 200 yards. Chariot races were the main sport for which the structure was used; wild beast hunts and games occurred there, as did the martyrdom of Christians. Palaces. After the great fire of A.D. 64, Nero rebuilt a grand new palace in the center the city, encompassing some 125 acres. Forum. The Forum was the center of Roman life, where shopping, commerce, and culture were practiced by the masses. Temples. Eighty-two were built throughout the city, dedicated to the various gods and the worship of the emperor. Baths and aqueducts. Baths and aqueducts served the physical needs of the people,and as social centers as well.
Religion Romans were pragmatists in the extreme. They worshiped those gods who could benefit their personal advancement and meet their needs. Their religion existed to control what they could not control otherwise. Thus, to appease or impress the local deities who governed their region or vocation, the Romans prayed and employed priests and priestesses. Their religion did not focus on the afterlife or moralitythese were the subjects of philosophy. Their eclectic religion permitted great tolerance for the worship of others. Roman Jews were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10) and may have returned to Rome to found a church. A nucleus of people familiar to Paul was in the city by the writing of Romans 16 (note how many the Apostle could call by name).
At least thirty-five Christian catacombs have been discovered in the city. These were burial places for the dead, not typically meeting places for worship. There were forty churches in Rome by the fourth century. After the Great Fire (A.D. 64), Nero came under suspicion by the populace, who accused him of setting the fire so he could rebuild the city in his own image. Nero fixed the blame on Christians: All human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one mans cruelty, that they were being destroyed (Tacitus, Annals 15.44). Both Peter and Paul were martyred during this persecution, about A.D. 67. A Constantinian basilica was built at the spot identified by the Acts of Peter and Paul as Pauls execution site, and it was dedicated to the great Apostle. Above it stands the present-day church of Saint Paul at Tre Fontane. Catholic tradition maintains that Peter was crucified upside down and then buried at the spot where the altar of Saint Peters Basilica now stands.
Several factors served to promote the interests of Christian expansion throughout the world: Pax Romana (the peace of Rome, enforced by their armies) made possible the work of missionaries across peaceful lands. The Jewish Diaspora (means scattering across the world) created footholds for the faith. Eclecticism (belief that truth comes in many forms) opened the populace to new truth. The Greek language created a universal means for communicating the gospel. A system of roads enabled missionaries to travel across the Empire. Religious tolerance enabled the early spread of the faith. Moral decadence created a hunger for truth and hope.
Emperor worship served as the greatest threat to Christian faith and growth. Augustus created the emperor cult to further the unity and loyalty of the people. He had earlier arranged the deification of Julius Caesar, to ensure the support of the troops for his leadership, erecting a temple to Julius in the Forum. Then Augustus set up shrines to the genius of Augustus, the divine spirit that ruled through him, in each of the 265 precincts. By A.D. 100, the entire empire was expected to participate in the ruler-cult. Emperors encouraged such worship, but they did not demand it until Domitian (end of first century A.D.). Refusal of such worship was considered treason against the state, punished by persecution and death. Value the unity of Gods people (1:8-15) In a culture so opposed to the claims of the Christian faith, it was essential that Gods people remain united in Christ. Emperor worship was a constant threat. Economic conditions for those who professed Christ were difficult at best. The rest of society looked on these believers as atheists, since they did not venerate Rome or her emperor. Many believers were slaves and the poorest of society. Viewed in human terms, Christianity in Rome faced an uncertain future. Of course, we know how the story ends: the Empire crumbles and the Christian faith becomes the most powerful spiritual movement in human history. But to accomplish that end, Gods people had to remain united in Christ. Romans was written not only to instruct these early believers but also to call them to unity of purpose and fellowship. Jews and Gentiles who had become Christians formerly had hated and persecuted each other; now they must learn to live as one family. Rich despised the poor, as the poor feared the rich; now they must learn to trust each other in faith.
So far, God had done much with the infant church at Rome. Paul was grateful that your faith is being reported all over the world (Rom. 1:8). The world in that time was the Roman Empire, nearly all of which Paul had traveled in his three missionary journeys to this point. He could attest firsthand to their global reputation and influence. If Christians could follow Jesus in Rome, the capital of the pagan Empire, churches across the world would be encouraged and challenged to do the same. Knowing the crucial nature of the global witness of the church in Rome, Paul prayed fervently and constantly for these believers. He not only served God with his whole heart (every dimension of his life) in preaching the gospel (1 :9a), but he also served God with consistent intercession on behalf of his people (1:9-10). He gave the Romans the strongest possible assurance of his commitment: God . . . is my witness how constantly I remember you (1 :9b). In my prayers at all times (1: 10a) does not mean that Paul did nothing but pray. Rather, whenever he prayed all through the day, he always included the Romans in his intercession. Specifically, he prayed that God would open a way for him to come to them personally (1: 1 0b). Paul knew that all the circumstances and events of his life were in the Lords hands and that he could come to Rome only if the Father made this ministry possible. Paul was not interested in visiting Rome as a tourist or even as a believerhe wanted to impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong (1:11). Specifically, he wanted to be encouraged by the Romans faith and in turn to encourage them by his commitment to Christ (1:12). When we see that others are following Jesus, we often find it easier to follow their model. It may be the Romans had wondered why Paul had not visited them before. He had planned often before to come, for his second and third missionary journeys had brought him close to Italy. But he had been prevented from such a visit, for reasons he did not disclose (1:13). Perhaps the Holy Spirit led him intuitively to places that did not include Rome. Perhaps travel circumstances did not allow such a journey, or finances or health issues intervened. For whatever reason, Paul had not yet been able to have a harvest of conversions and spiritual commitments among the Romans as I have had among the other Gentiles (1:13). Why did Paul want so desperately to visit Rome? Because he was obligated by the grace he had received to share what God had given to him (1:14). His obligation extended both to Greeks and non-Greeksto all Gentiles, those who spoke Greek and those who did not. He was obligated both to the wise and to the foolish, an idiom that meant both the learned and the uneducated. So he was eager to preach in Rome, the capital city of the Gentile world (1:15).
It is difficult to overstate the transformation that occurred in Saul of Tarsus to bring him to such urgent compassion for the Gentile people. He grew up in a culture that despised all non-Jews. Jews would not eat Gentile food or enter Gentile homes. Some taught that God created Gentiles only so there would be firewood in hell. Jewish women were not permitted to help Gentile women in childbirth, lest another Gentile be brought into the world. The Gentiles returned the favor, persecuting the Jewish people from their slavery in Egypt to their occupation by Rome. Yet this Pharisee of Pharisees wanted to visit the capital of the Gentile culture so urgently that he prayed every day for such a privilege. How much do you value the unity of your congregation and Bible study class? Do you pray daily for a spirit of unconditional love and commitment among the members of your spiritual family? Are you working to encourage mutual grace, forgiveness, and ministry within your church members? According to Jesus, the proof that we follow Jesus is that we love one another (John 13:35). People outside the church will want to join us only if they know they will be accepted and valued. Our fellowship with one another is our witness to the world. What can you do to foster such unity in your faith family this week? Make clear the gospel of God (1:16-17) Paul wrote the Romans not only to encourage their commitment to each other but especially to motivate their commitment to their Master and message. The best way to foster unity among people is to invite them to step toward a common purpose. The closer they come to that goal, the closer they will come to each other. Pauls commitment was obvious: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Rom. 1:16). This is the theme verse of Romans, one of the most famous and significant statements in all the word of God. He was not ashamedhis Greek could be translated I am proud of . . . or I will never back away from. . . . The gospel is the good news of Gods love in Christ. This message is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. The power of God refers to what God does when we believe his message. When we accept Gods invitation to trust Christ as our Lord, the Holy Spirit enables our salvation from sin and hell for eternal life with our Father. Everyone who believes or trusts in him receives this gift (see John 1:12, to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God).
This message came first for the Jew, then for the Gentilenot in priority or value, but in historical chronology. Jesus was a Jew, as were his first disciples and followers. The gospel came to the Jews and then through Paul and others to the Gentile world. In this gospel a righteousness from God is revealed (Rom. 1:1 7a). Righteousness means to be right with God, others, and ourselves. This righteousness comes from God, not from ourselves. It is Gods gift, not our attainment. We receive it by faith from first to last, whenever we trust Christ to make us right with God and ourselves. All this has been Gods plan across the ages, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith (1:17c). Here Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4, a statement made more than six centuries earlier. Habakkuks assurance was made in the context of the Babylonian assault on the people of God. No matter how difficult their circumstances, those who were right with God would prove their character by trusting in him. From then to now, it has always been Gods desire that we trust his saving love. Then our faith positions us to receive all Gods grace intends to give. Abraham was justified as a result of such faith (see Rom. 4:3). By this kind of commitment, all can come to personal, intimate relationship with the God who loves us. In all we teach and do, we are to follow Pauls example of commitment to the gospel. Charles Spurgeon, the great nineteenth-century Baptist preacher, was asked the secret of preaching. His answer was simple: Take a text and make a bee-line for Jesus. Every problem has its answer in him. Every passage of Scripture is fulfilled by him. Every week, our message should be the same: the righteous will live by faith. Trusting in Christ is the key to life abundant. How will you help your class make that faith commitment this week? Conclusion This weeks study has been much longer than usual, for I have sought to provide resources that may be helpful as you teach Romans across the weeks to come. However you present the remarkably significant statements of Romans 1:1-17, it will be your privilege and responsibility to lead your class to that unity that is found only by trusting and proclaiming Christ. My favorite story about Karl Barth, one of the most brilliant theologians of the twentieth century, comes from a time he was speaking at a prestigious divinity school in the United States. At the end of his lecture, the president of the divinity school explained that Dr. Barth was not well and would likely not be able to entertain many questions. So the seminary president asked Dr. Barth one question on behalf of the entire gathering: Of all
the theological insights you have ever had, which do you consider to be the greatest of them all? Karl Barth wrote thousands of pages of theological discussion. How would he select one insight? He closed his eyes in thought. Then he smiled, opened his eyes, and said to the gathering, The greatest theological insight that I have ever had is this: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Paul would agree. Lets make the same declaration this week.
See www.baptistwaypress.org for additional study materials on Romans: What God Is Up To and on other Bible studies by BaptistWay Press , or call 1-866-249-1799 (M-Th 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Fri 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Central Time). A recent book by Dr. Denison, The BibleYou Can Believe It: Biblical Authority in the Twenty-First Century, is available from BAPTISTWAY PRESS. The cost is $4.95 each plus shipping, handling, and any applicable taxes. A Teaching Guide is available for $1.95 plus shipping and handling.
1 A good introduction to the life and work of Paul can be found in F. F. Bruce, Paul the Apostle, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1986), 3:696 720. See also Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1977; and James S. Stewart, A Man in Christ (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, [reprinted] 1975).

What God Is Up To

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BAPTISTWAY PRESS Adult Online Bible Commentary

Studies in Romans: What God Is Up To

Connecting the Dots

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