Romans: Notes
Romans different from all other epistles in that it doesn’t address any “particular” problem. There are speculations about Paul’s immediate reason for writing it: Rome was so near his heart that he felt it necessary to write concerning the basis for the thing so near his heart, his faith and its origins. Or that it was written because Paul had seen issues come up in the churches he started which stemmed from misunderstanding and bad theology/doctrine so he wrote Romans as a foundation that any issue which came up in the future could be looked upon. Or Paul saw Rome as a segway to Spain, which was at that time becoming very famous in all areas of arts and politics. If Paul, the great strategist, could set up a base in Rome, he could move to Spain and preach there with the support of the Roman church.
Was written while Paul was in Corinth around AD58, where he had just collected a large gift for the poor church at Jerusalem and was going there to take it.
Most break it up into 4 sections:
Condemnation: 1-3:20
Justification and Sanctification: 3:21-8
Restoration/Disspensation: 9-11
Application: 12-16
Paul quotes from OT 61 times from 14 books to make the connection. As he goes through, it’s almost as if he makes a statement, backs it up with OT scripture, then answers the next question a human would have. So he sets up an entire theological argument for lots of questions a believer or non-believer would have.
1-15 Paul introduces himself because he did not start the church at Rome, gives background to the Gospel, gives thanks for them at Rome. Then makes his thesis:
Why in v15 does he say he’s anxious to preach the Gospel to “you in Rome” when they are already believers?
16-17 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
What is the main theme here?
How did Paul prove that he was not ashamed of the Gospel? How are we ashamed of the Gospel?
Power = dynamite, Deut 32:39 ‘See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.’ Isaiah 43:13: “And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”
What does it mean when Paul calls the Gospel the “power of God” what are the powers of God? Creation, damnation, control over Earth/beasts/weather/humans, salvation, most deal with life/death.
When Jesus says he came to save us, what does he say he will save us from?
Sickness – Matt 9:21, bleeding woman.
Danger – Matt 8:25, Jesus calms the storm
Degeneration – Acts 2:40, be saved from this perverse generation
Lostness – Luke 19:10, he came to save that which was lost.
Sin – Matt 1:21 – save them from their sins
Wrath of God – Romans 5:9
Ignorance – 2 Thess 1:8
Self – Luke 14:26 – Hate his life
Darkness – Col 1:13 – out of darkness
The shame that comes from spreading the Gospel, Fox’s Book of Martyers. The gospel “brings” us to salvation, it takes us there, right along with us, it is our carrier. 2 Cor 11:23-27 – sufferings for the Gospel
Righteousness of God is actually translated righteousness from God – perfectly conforming to God’s perfect law and character (Christ) – What is this? Justification. Why? Deut 32:4, Job 9:2, Ps 11:7.
Righteousness is revealed from faith to faith or from those who believe. Col 1:22,23 Heb 3:12-14. Heb 6:4-8. Matt 13:3-23
Is believing an ongoing thing or is it a one-time thing? What happens to those who seem to fall away?
1 Cor 15:1-2 – “1Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.”
1 Peter 4:6 – For this purpose the Gospel has been preached….
Rev 3:10
Righteous shall live by faith: Hab 2:4 – unrighteous shall live by themself
Chapter Outline
Ch 1: God has revealed Himself to men, but they chose to ignore Him, so God gave them over to their lusts.
Ch 2: God will judge all who judge, because 1) everyone does evil and 2) there is no partiality with God, Jew or Greek. Those with the Law perish by it, those without perish without it.
Ch 3: All are guilty, God is still just and righteous.
Ch 4: Justification by faith from OT.
5: The power of justification and the spread of sin through one man and the gift through another.
6: We are dead to sin and alive to God now, don’t continue on in sin.
7: We were bound to the law and that brought about death, but now we have been released from the law, but the law isn’t sin. There is now a conflict in us, between sin and spirit.
8: We are delivered from death by Christ, who accomplished what the law could not do, and now we should have nothing but hope in all circumstances.
9: Not all Israel is chosen, only those called by God are chosen. God cannot be argued with on His purposes.
10: All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved, but not all who pursue religion will.
11: God has hardened some and saved others, he has saved some Gentiles and not some Jews.
12: Knowing how we were saved, we should live our lives for him, as a sacrifice.
13: Be subject to authority, live an honest, moral life.
14: Nothing is more important than God, don’t get caught up in rules, especially those that others are weaker in their following of.
15: Live in peace with others, Paul’s prayer.
16: Greetings and messages to other believers.
1:1-7 Greetings, Paul explains where his apostleship comes from and who Jesus is.
8-17 Paul longs to visit Rome and it seems now he will
February 9, 2008 at 3:18 pm
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