Read the Passage: Romans 1:1-17
Authorship and Date: The book of Romans was written by the apostle Paul, and this letter stands at the forefront of his thirteen epistles. In fact, apart from the Gospels, the book of Romans is arguably the most important book in the New Testament, as it contains the most systematic presentation of the doctrine of salvation in the Bible. Paul wrote this letter to the church at Rome, which was the capital of the Roman Empire. Paul had never visited this church before (cf. Rom. 1:13), although he would later visit the city of Rome as a prisoner and, according to tradition, be martyred outside of the city walls. A study of the individuals whom Paul mentions in the final chapter of the epistle lead to the conclusion that he wrote this book from the city of Corinth, likely around 56–57 AD. At this time Paul was wrapping up his third missionary journey (cf. Acts 18:1–17), as he prepared to depart from Greece for Palestine with an offering for the impoverished Jerusalem church, which was laboring under persecution and a severe famine (cf. Rom. 15:25). This letter was likely delivered to the church by Phoebe (cf. Rom. 16:1–2).
Theme and Purpose: Almost all of Paul’s letters were written to churches he founded. Yet, the strategic church in Rome had likely been founded by travelers who were present on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:10). While Paul had never visited the Roman church, he longed to do so in order to minister to them, to be mutually encouraged, to evangelize the city, and to preach the gospel (cf. Rom. 1:10–15). Romans is unique among Paul’s letters in that he does not write in order to correct a church problem or to warn about false teachers. Rather, Paul writes in order to systematically explain the Christian faith, especially focusing on the doctrine of justification by faith alone. A reoccurring theme in the book of Romans is the righteousness of God. Given that there was likely no apostolic presence in Rome, it may be that Paul felt responsible to give apostolic instruction. By clearly explaining the doctrine of salvation for the church, Paul aided believers in their understanding of the gospel and in their own sanctification. Indeed, the content of this epistle is likely what Paul shared, in person, in the many other churches that he founded.
Structure and Outline:Of Paul’s thirteen epistles, the book of Romans is the most systematic in content. A thematic outline of Romans is as follows:
- Introduction (1:1–17)
- Condemnation (1:18–3:20)
- Justification (3:21–5:21)
- Sanctification (6:1–8:39)
- Restoration (9:1–11:36)
- Application (12:1–15:13)
- Conclusion (15:14–16:27)
Greeting to Believers (1:1–7)
Given Paul’s intent to explain the doctrine of salvation in this letter, it is not surprising that he immediately writes of Jesus in his introduction. After describing himself as a bondservant and apostle of Christ, Paul notes that his gospel is the fulfillment of prophetic teaching in the Old Testament. Paul cites two such prophesies. First, Jesus was the Son of David, as was promised under the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:12–14; Ps. 89:3–4). Note both Mary (Luke 3:23, 31) and Joseph (Matt. 1:6, 16; Luke 1:27) were in David’s line. Second, Jesus was the Son of God, which was proven by His resurrection (cf. Ps. 2:7–9). Observe that when Jesus is referred to as God’s Son, Scripture is referring to His position, not His creation. Said differently, the fact that Jesus is God’s Son is a statement about authority, not about chronology. Jesus is both fully God and man.
Desire of Paul (1:8–15)
As a part of his introduction, in Rom. 1:8–15 Paul expresses his great desire to visit the church in Rome. Moreover, Paul writes that he constantly prays for the church in Rome, even though he had never visited the city and likely did not personally know many of the believers in the church. The fact that most of the Christians in Rome only knew Paul by reputation explains why he gave his credentials in Rom. 1:1–6. Paul writes in Rom. 1:11–12 that he wanted to visit Rome for mutual ministry purposes; he later mentions that he wanted the church to assist him on a planned visit to Spain (cf. Rom. 15:22–24). Observe Paul’s statement, “I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also” (Rom. 1:15). Paul desired to share the gospel with the church not because they were unbelievers, but because the gospel is the totality of Jesus’ work (cf. 1 Cor. 15:1–58; 1 Pet. 1:12).
Gospel of Christ (1:16–17)
These two verses summarize the theme of the entire book of Romans and are, in fact, the centerpiece of Pauline theology. Note that despite facing numerous hardships in ministry (cf. 2 Cor. 11:22–29), Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, for the gospel is the key to salvation and life. In salvation, we can experience the divine righteousness that is from God and in Christ. This righteousness is “from faith to faith” (Rom. 1:17)—that is, it is passed on from one believer to another believer, as well as being initiated by God and finished by God (cf. Heb. 12:2). In quoting Hab. 2:4 Paul reinforces his opening teaching that the gospel has always been God’s plan of salvation (cf. Luke 16:31; Gal. 3:8; Heb. 4:2). A helpful rendering of Hab. 2:4 is, “The just shall have life by faith.” Alternatively, Luther translated this important verse, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.”
Application Questions:
- What does Paul mean in Rom. 1:7 as he describes the believers in Rome as being beloved, called, and saints? Is this description true of all believers?
- Do most Christians have a proper understanding of the scope of the gospel? Is the gospel just for unbelievers of for believers too?
- Like Paul, do you regularly pray for those whom you don’t know? If not, who are some fellow Christians for who you could pray on a regular basis?
- What does Paul mean in describing the righteousness of salvation as being “from faith to faith” (Rom. 1:17)? How is the gospel most effectively spread?
- What is the meaning of Hab. 2:4, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17)? Is there any significance to the fact that Paul cited this passage in three of his epistles?
