Paul's Letter to Believers in Rome

by David M Pearce

Romans Chapter 1

Paul's Greeting

As in all Greek letters, we read first the name of the sender, and only some time afterwards the intended recipients of the letter. Paul introduces himself as a servant or slave of Jesus the Messiah. He had been appointed by Jesus himself to be an apostle, which means one 'sent out' to preach the gospel. We find in Acts the record of his initial separation for this work in Damascus Acts 9:15, which was confirmed later in Jerusalem, Acts 22:21, and at Antioch, Acts 13:2.

But first Paul summarises his gospel. It concerned God's Son. Jesus our Lord was descended from David through his mother Mary. But he was shown to be also God's son when he was raised from the dead. This point Paul has argued out earlier in Acts 13:33. When Jesus rose on the third day, he was being 'begotten' or born again as the Son of God, fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 2:7. Jesus was born as Son of God from the womb of Mary. But he was born again as Son of God when he rose from the dead. We follow the same pattern when we are baptised. The contrast between 'flesh' in verse 3 and 'spirit' in verse 4 illustrates the point Jesus made to Nicodemus in John 3:6.

And in verse 2 Paul argues this good news could already be found in the Old Testament scriptures by those who were prepared to search.

Paul considers himself privileged to have been chosen to bring the good news of salvation to 'all the nations'. There were both Jews and Gentiles in their ecclesia, and he had a message for both groups.

Now comes the standard Greek letter format, with the name of the recipient(s) of the letter ('those loved by God in Rome' (NET)) followed by the blessing ('grace and peace to you'). Paul always combines the Greek 'grace' with the Jewish 'peace' in his greetings.

Paul Hopes to Come to Rome

With no further delay, Paul informs the Roman believers of his travel plans.

The Roman ecclesia had earned a reputation for their sound faith amongst the Christian community, and Paul was glad of that.

He calls God to witness that he regularly Verse 1mentioned them in his prayers. Perhaps there is a lesson for us here. Do we regularly pray for a whole ecclesia – perhaps our own, or sometimes for ecclesias we have never visited, but where we know there are difficulties?

Paul tells them he also prayed that 'perhaps now at last' (NET) he might have opportunity to visit them, but adds 'according to the will of God', as we always must. James 4:15

He wanted to strengthen them with the power of God's spirit working through him, and he looked forward to finding comfort from their mutual faith. This point is absolutely true. We have often found while visiting brothers and sisters overseas who live in poor circumstances that their simple faith in God is an inspiration to us, while at the same time they rejoice to hear of their brothers and sisters in other countries.

Paul now explains that it was not through neglect that he had left it so long to visit them. He had often planned to come, but circumstances prevented it. But now he had completed his work in Asia and Greece, he hoped to add them to his itinerary. He will give a fuller explanation of his plans in Romans 15:23–28 Sadly, we know that in spite of his prayers, his visit to Rome would be delayed for yet more years by his captivity at Caesarea, and he would eventually arrive as a prisoner in chains. But the powerful message he sent them in this letter has by God's grace reached out both to them and to God's children down the centuries.

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In verse 13 Paul said he hoped to reap a harvest among the people of Rome. He was 'under obligation' to preach wherever he went, to barbarians as well as Greeks, and to simple folk as well as the well–educated. That is what he hoped to do during his proposed stay in Rome.

The Key Role of Faith

The gospel of the Kingdom is available to everyone. Paul says it was offered to the Jews first, as God's chosen people, and then to the Greeks or Gentiles.

The gospel is amazingly simple. All you have to do is to believe. Paul always supports his teaching with a Bible quotation, and his first reference is Habakkuk 2:4 . Here the prophet says we will live in God's Kingdom if we are righteous, and that we become righteous simply by having faith. That way, Paul explains, the righteousness of God is demonstrated, because then our salvation does not depend on what we do, but what God has done for us. The gospel has power. It can change our lives. And it depends throughout on faith – from faith in the beginning to faith at the end (compare the English expression 'from strength to strength').

God Will Judge the World

Having set out the theme of his letter in verses 16 and 17, the apostle now introduces a corollary. If we reject the gospel and live as if God does not exist, we become liable to his judgement, whether we are Greeks or Jews.

Many Bible passages warn that there is to be a Day of Judgement for those who oppose God. Paul particularly spotlights those who knowingly suppress the truth about God.

Those who deny there is a God deliberately ignore the evidence that surrounds them. There has to be a Creator to explain the beauty and complexity of the pyramid of life that surrounds us, and of which we are part.

But Paul says the Gentile world changed a simple faith in one eternal God into the worship of a multitude of gods and idols, some even in the form of animals and birds, as if these could somehow save their worshippers. There are many examples of this in the tomb paintings of Egypt and the sculptures of Greece and Rome. Paul points out that idol worshippers claimed to be wise (verse 22) when they rejected the God of the Bible that he preached, but in reality, they were fools. That judgment still stands. Today swathes of the world still bow down to golden Buddhas and cows and gods with elephant trunks, or kiss the icons of so–called saints who turned to dust centuries ago.

In our scientific age we in the West might smile at the folly of idol worship. Nevertheless, we do not hesitate to worship science and sport and fashion, and spend our fortunes on them. Unlike the one true God, none of these can take us beyond the grave.

Once people reject the sound rules that the God of the Bible lays down for our conduct, society deteriorates into the selfishness and lust that characterise the animal kingdom. The promise of 'freedom' is a lie. It results in the worship of humans, who cannot save us, instead of the God who created humans, who can.

In an indictment which is politically incorrect in today's world, the apostle condemns the abuse of normal sexual relations which was allowed in Greek society, and is becoming 'normal' in ours. There is no doubt that consistently in the Bible God rejects same–sex activity and perversion (Leviticus 18:22–24 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 ). Western society has rejected the concept of the nuclear family (father, mother and children as an unbreakable unit) in favour of 'please yourself'. But the Creator decided what was best for our health and happiness, and if we reject his rules, we cannot expect him to save us from the grave.

Once people deliberately reject God, he stops trying to save them. Abandoning his principles then results in a slow deterioration in society until life becomes unpleasant and unsafe.

This description of a Roman world without God sounds increasingly like ours. When we tell lies and break our promises, trust disappears. Pride and the lust for money spawn hatred and greed and crime, and eventually war. Our screens are filled with evil, and our children mock their parents. Adultery leads to divorce, broken families and unhappy children. Violent demonstrations against authority bring chaos to our cities, and we become heartless and ruthless.

Paul assumes that we all know in our hearts that what we do is wrong in God's eyes. Yet most of us shut our minds to the prospect of God judging the world, and join in the popular cry for liberty and human rights.