Introduction to Romans dlon r.kALc a. JryDb Some men have stated that the Book of Romans is the “mos t p t gnitirw dnuofor hat exists.” This book is great both because it is part of G do loH s ,yerutp idrnc aSesuaceb ti si etrauetragr edtnial .cigol tI sieht * g ti dna ,seihposolihp fo tsetaer is more than a philosophy because it states clea ylr woh lufnis nem nac wonk .doG tI si yldetbuodnu ehtseraelc t seht fo tnemetat enivid nalp rof eh tnoitpmeder fo nem taht doG sahneeb pleased to evig .su fI ew dah ylno eht koob fo ,snamoR ew dluowonk w mo st of what is essential to Christianity. This book satisfies the simpl e mind, and yet the most brilliant intellect cannot plumb its depths. Eve yr rojam laviver ni eht owt dnasuoht sraey fo ytinaitsirhCah s ah motsosryhC .snamoR fo kooB eht obt deit yltceridni ro yltcerid nee d the book daer ot mih eciwt a ,keew gnikniht taht snamoR saw eht xepao f Chr istian .hturt rehtuL saw detrevnoc nehw eh daer snamoR ,71:1hT“ e just shall evil yb ”,htiaf dna morf siht emac eht tnatsetorPnoitamrofeR . John yelseW saw derrits ot noitca nehw eh draeh a puorg folpmis e Christia ns discussing the book of Romans in a prayer meeting a t Alder etags ni .nodnoL morF siht emac eht taerg naylseW slaviveri n England and America. L k neeb evah sloohcs wa ezir o smotetnmed urti seehrti u nqowetorn Romans esuaceb fo sti lufrets a.mcigol reveN sah ereht neeb a koobkil e Romans — it is profound in doctrine but extremely practical. Martin Luther said concerning Romans: “ t si tI yr ee vhd tn,atnemats ew Tee N hfetoceiprets aemu reth pu tser ,lepsog hcihw si llew yhtrow dna gnivresed taht a Cti nrael ylno ton dluohs nam naitsirh ,dr orw odfr o,wtra e yhb 2 bu t osla taht eh dluohs yliad laed htiw ti sa eht yliad daerbo f men s sou .sl roF ti n arceve neb oo thcum ro oo tll edwaero r * studied; and the more it is handled the more precious i t becomes, and the better it tastes.” David Brown said about the book: uoht htiw sme“et ecnetnes yreve ylno toN ;esu aylr c et,vutebhg w lp emos ni elih tsegg u osrteht idei a esyb admr oywre vseeca ”.noi t po eememeetod as, ctr ihoodgtn uiyothht geimeows Dnediserp etal eht ,nettaP .L sicnarF .r :ydtiiassr envoi tnteU cfnoirP “The only hope of Christianity is the rehabilitating of th e P,kcab ,kcab si tI .ygoloeht enilua back to the incarnate Christ, and the atoning blood, or it is on, on, on to atheism an d despair.” ROHT UEAHT It would be impossible to understand the heart beat of this epistl e without understanding the background of the man who wrote it — Paul. B fe ,l nntusw .o saaoslsioiPwnau ustrkafs rhSore eCarsvToinhoc H e was a staunch Pharisee in the Jewish religion, and a good and sincere m .na nev eysa rd pny saaaedm ieter hetlpm ee thootttghg iemesir a hAP ti sem a .yad luaS edam yreve tpmetta ot peek eht waL fo ,sesoM dnah e g a mih eructes dluow siht thguoh ood standing in heaven. He was blinded yb his religion and sincerity, ydb ohGt itwir enmi a oggtniy rst a ewrhof :skro wdoog 3 “ nam rehto yna fI thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust ad hthgie eht desicmucriC i:erom I ,hself eht n fkoco te s hf,toy Ieht fo ,lears ;ssawer b eewfhHeotr b,nenaHimaj nefeboB irt t cuo gn i ghenh i tgt, enuw,hica ltnel;arsee erezacesnpiorcahP churc h; touching the righteousness which is in the law , .) 6.”-lsbis4he:Pl3(emalb Haht noigiler sih tuoba erecnis os saw e t he had Christians persecuted and :d ofeGom ae n hndtieredr unmeve “And I p ersecuted this way unto the death, binding an d gnirevi loetdni snosirp htob nem dna ”nemow stcA(.)4:22 I“ ylirev thguoht htiw ,flesym taht I thguo ot od ynamgniht s yrartnoc ot eht eman fo suseJ fo .hterazaN og snIl iahhctihW p ni pu tuhs I did sdtnias eht fo ynam dna :melasureJ ni di rison, ;stseirp feihch eht morf ytirohtua deviecer gniva y enh et dhnwa were put ot ,htaed I evag ym eciov tsniaga .meht dnA I p fo meht dehsinu omte hdtellepm od cn,aeugogan yysre vntei blasph ;eme dna gnieb ylgnideecxe dam tsniaga ,meht I detucesrep meht neve otnu egnarts ”seitic stcA(.)11-9:62 I S lla n aul de n, msese k h add rtnddwnoaosonnoowoiaacglg isler * sinne ,r rof eh wenk ton taht noitavlas si ybdoG s grace through faith i n * suseJ .tsirhC eH saw tsuj ekil ynam fo su yadot who are baptized church m su fo emoS .srebme work in Sunday school and church, and think these things w lli gnirb tirem erofeb .doG esohT fo su ohw kniht siht yawra e trusting works rather than Christ for salvation. luaS saw eno fo eht taerg stcelletni fo sih .yad eH ekopswerbeH , ,keerG ,ciamarA dna ylbaborp .nitaL He was a Roman citizen, trained in Je hsiw yhposolihp dna ,noigiler dna saw llew detniauqca htiw ehteerG k 4 p:yad sih fo srehposolih Platonians, Aristotelians, Epicureans, Stoics, etc. Sseb eht fo eno saw dna lua t trained, outstanding men of his day, and had o eht fo en finest minds. He was headed to the top in Judaism, and had he n itsirhC a emoceb to nrieda etla e eramgoc eebv adhlu oywlbabo re,phna .noigil ehrsiw eeJht Even htiw lla sih ,tcelletni ,revewoh luaS saw detarapes morfoG d esuaceb fo sih .nis tsuJ sa luaP ,did ynam elpoep yadot esuautcelletni l . mnfeiolsb orrep p neeoeehted t rtescnk aseoammusgra Sa lu saw osla a tolaez rof tahw eh .deveileb eH saw ehtsetaerg t tub ,erecnisJ saw eH .tsilegnave hsiwe ,tygu lnoe eobhtrratcetwacafnhits h r si ,noigi l se.irnHev a re moh tifdihlf usokw rdo ow do,ngla a,enzoigile ,laez dna tcelletni erew gnilbmuts skcolb ot mih so that he could not and woul d ton tpecca suseJ tsirhC sa eht noS fo ,doG eht niS reraeb rofih s sins. J se l duneainSevre tynlingiere vtossi rshuC mg meo nsifroihiftrlb * darkness to light, converting him to Christianity. This marked the grea t turn ing point in Paul’s life, and he became the greatest Christian of al l time. A retf sih ,noisrevnoc eh saw on regnol dellac ,luaS tub .luaPuaP l co sem morf nitaL dna sna e”m.eltt ielr“ o,fneoBitavlas eh saw nwonka s Svlas retfa tub ,nam taerg a ,lua ation, he was Paul, the little saint. Contact with the living and resurrected Christ changed Paul !efi leloh ws * T o si luaP fo noisrevnoc eh ytila ee rhr tosftnemug rganor te shfeton etnelat dna yniarb ,suolaeoz ,gnuoy sihT .htiaf naitsirhC eht f oh w—we Jd p evah dluow ylbabor d,nmaelasu rnneoiJs rleupfre wto sp eoehmmtoceb ylbaborp dluow evah neeb suomaf tuohguorht eht namoR dlrow —sac t tnavores a emoceb ot gnihtyreve rev d nealtsop afo s u.stesJir hdCoGkoot t mih ePdam dna ,selitneG detah ohw weJ a ,lua .selitn eeG h otetltso peAh 5 He was a rec tneipi fo eht ecarg fo .doG trapA morf a larutanrepusen w ! td e aidhlh di uwydnahiPw a el syrpo oiaexn,twhehttrib STNEI PEIHCTER T eh yhhltc n ireoywullhi tctannaenG ihm co etrdsmaueaohrwRcp a handfu l fo hsiw e.Jstrevnoc emoR saw eht ta e,rlgaicryermamtoiclim , elpoeP ”.emoR ot del sdaor lla“ — dlraow eht fo retnec larutluc dn ll amorf s.d eenosvatsieln ihssuibl be ar oeteetmshr ae tircepehmvteo tI is thought that the church in Rome contained many of Paul’ s cetsurt dah ohw strevno ef uo srsat iw.heT mgoontRi veormo ftesbi rdhC pleh ym alAiuqA dna allicsirP teerG“ :allicirP dna aliuq sre ni tsirhC:suseJ ohw evah vig I ylno ton mohw otnu :skcen nwo rieht nwod dial efil ym rof e thanks, tub osla lla eht sehcruhc fo eht ”selitneG .moR( .)4-3:61rehT e w emoR ni strevnoc yldetbuodnu ere yn ad mn,atsocetn efy Poae Dhmto rf yal eht fo ssentiw eht hguorht ytic htaerg taht ni tsirhC ot dednopser da nem .ere hdtev iolhw A ew sa raf s ,eto rlwu aeProf eebm oonRte ed baehltso po,anwo nk and it is quite obvious that Paul himself had not been there: “y evah ton dluow I woN ou ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes taht ),otrehtih tel saw tub( ,uoy oItnu emoc ot desoprup thgi mI elitneG rehto gnoma sa neveh ,osla uoy gnoma tiurf emos eva s” (Rom. 1:13). “Yea , os evah I devirts ot hcaerp eht ,lepsog ton erehwsirhC t nopu dliub dluohs I tsel ,deman saw another man s foundation” * (Rom. 15:20). 6 teY eht hcruhc ta emoR degdelwonkca luaP sa rieht .eltsopA sihTeugra s against t eh aedi fo namoR msicilohtaC taht reteP saw eht tsrif eltsopat o .emoR Most fo eht strevnoc ni eht hcruhc ta emoR erew ylbaborp e hmtorf e emos dna ,sevals emos osla erew erehT .)elpoep ssenisub( ssalc elddim nev raseaC fo eht tey ,dlohesuoh s spuo r.Gtsir hnrCiehteg odtedn ol blear eyw * fo sreveileb derehtag lla revo eht ,ytic gniteem ni suoiravsnaitsirhC ’ :semoh L“ esiweki greet the church that is in their house. Salute m y well devoleb- Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia unt o devorppa sellepA etulaS . . .tsirhC in Christ. Salute them which are fosulubotsirA .dlohesuoh etulaS noidoreH ymnamsnik . * t teerG hem that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the .droL . . etulaS ,sutircnysA .nogelhP ,samreHsabortaP , ,semreH and the brethren which are with them” (Rom . 16:5,10,11,14,15). GNIT IEF RMOEWIHTT ehT kooB fo snamoR saw nettirw dnuora .D.A .85 luaP dah neeb a k dah eH .emit taht yb sraey ytnewt rof naitsirhC dnh ewtdekoinhlnwataw saw ,sraey ynam rof tsirhC detcerruser dna gnivil ,yllau t,iyrlilpasnoi tacude .elt sliapneemo n se eihd thpeoitrtraw pyelrlpanoi tdonmae THE THEME hT ”.ssensuoethgiR“ si snamoR fo emeht ehT si sniw o shnesisr6e1v and 17 of the first chapter: 7 “For I am ton demahsa fo eht lepsog fo :tsirhC rof ti siht e o rewop e;ohhtttevei lte ab ehyntro enovoteitav loa ts dnfouG eerG eht ot osla dna ,tsrif weJ ssen sn ui.o ekesr rtioeehFhhgttir s tsuj ehT ,nettirw si ti sa :htiaf ot htiaf morf delaever doG fo llah ”e.v hiytlbiaf snamoR a woh su swohs is fo ytlanep eht rednu dna doG erofeb ytliug nam n r a niatta nac s .iedhro ToGeflebbatp ee ml cktilscaahisamhwetnsuoethgi i dnuof si ssensuoethgir s t dws.aeoeithhonstTg i srl uhefs C poenesJhotg ca mih ekam lliw taht ssensuoethgir nosrep a evig lliw doG . deooltGbatpec This ri ghteousness is found in Christ alone, and a person must come t o .ssensuoet h t gffe ioies rgriefhvti e tcosetirrhC :swoll o sfdaenilt u eoyb akmo oebhT 1:1–3:20 ssen s sud’oene eatfnMhogir 3:21-26 ssensuoeth gnfioorisiv osr’pdoG 4:1-25 y B,htsi s asenfenavsm iuseoicehettrhgir 5:1-21 Jesus Christ is this righteousness 6:1–8:39 ssensuo entahcg iyRl ld aeeicbtundeoirrp enpixeeht naitsirhC yb eht yloHtiripS 9:1–11:36 ssensuoethg isri hdtetcej elrear syIhW 12:1–16:27 Producing practical righteousness in the Christian life 8 NOISULCNOC sA tmio rtfifen elbl ie,wwsnam ofkRoo oe bhytdu todsteeco repw most if we daer ti ni thgil fo eht lepsog luaP dna eht rehto eltsopa s proclaime d. ,ylemaN fi ew eveileb no ,tsirhC eerht sgniht neppah otu s :yletaidemmi 1) We recei ev eht ssenevigrof fo :nis nI“ mohw ew vah e rocca ,snis fo ssenevigrof eht ,doolb sih hguorht noitpmeder ding to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7). 2) h eh roF“ :ssensuoethgir s’tsirhC eviecer eW ath made him to be sin rof ,su ohw wenk on ;nis taht ew thgim eb edam ht e ssensuoethgir fo doG ni ”mih 2( .roC .)12:5 3) We receive lanrete :efil roF“ doG os devol eht ,dlrow tahth e gave his ylno nettogeb ,noS taht reveosohw hteveileb niih m should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and th y house” (Acts 16:31). lep seohGT a3-1 :s1nam o nRyodu tAS dlon r.kALc a. JryDb h yterehuiTtt n nseteach whgnt uoeoirrsobum fontoc eh tsdnimfo men about the meaning of Christianity than any other period in the sgnihc adsenm tartestelp my irens eheyvtva ed.ohTc r yuefrhhoocttsih fo eht htiaf era ton .dootsrednu smreT hcus sa ”,devas“ ”,doolb“dna ,worr aen roa hewlpo ehpt idwetaicos ssadr olwanoito mee r”alleh“ ,detacudenu ,detogib ro ohw era xobpaos .srehcaerp elihW ti si eurttaht lacilb idbo oygltcefr ee pryae h,tsmr eetse hdtesus iemv ashpuo regmos .gn ilna au ,et edmipvoreaoiehtpds s ry,el sdr ddnennrupeaoohwrwp edno Oo e tfdyeso,ib sr tsefoesst hohdmiutttnrrosuehostCmim ”,.sl nesd a piee die s shydrtstoout bnososghseawiho“wirrtmmahC s ln dfunoneroaiiohoPttwn eerttutaoartne c lnelogicaw sssiehmT ”. dlfoeoGp seo hg,t 1“s:n1amoR THE MINISTRY OF PAUL (ROMANS 1:1a) Paul ddseoito h sgl,uunraotPig ihel s e eni.seriwih ertAJahP tnaeohhitg itsl uiee ohr r.b sen ae s kceoHtamo rnvtewisooiaghtwseh detuces rden padsenraeidtrsuimr hnCi eht eman fo .doG erofeBeh emaceb a ,naitsirhC luaP saw dednilb yb ,noigiler doog ,skrow dna.nis odteraep psaus edJr oeL hnte h.Wgno rywlerecn its u,berecn iss aewH yllanos re n emee.pahhdc We ,vsesaahuswcs a d mmoaenaitohoDhrt .d e, ee gtslfsn sioiaa gihhlwhd nrwcedihtnvCcaiel row rtoeunhskter A servant of Jesus Christ. , nf,eo d,el lvhoaneeauawthibsalsPs ,enm oadicnge aibal ed rneovbal sf .ostussi eredJhHeC tsnaiywobppa 2 e rvoe eatbfavlloses mei vhyalgiratnu l deo,nhvnaait s dioe ortbaGhC to Jesus Christ and His work. nfil ed snn aimso rmfodee refvissergo rspgni rtbsir hoyCtrevalS the Christian life. Called to be an apostle. e bo tdo Gy bdella cylngierevo ssa wlua P an apostle. He did not choose this position himself; God gave it to him. Separated unto the gospel of God. luaP saw tes trapa rofsiht d eoetthtti mddmenotaca r. aeye s pnrHyadeotbwoslsG ailnaiimceps e v ,aIlheps oe ghhtca e hrIgpuo hrto F,“di aeys h hsswii hd tnlaepsog f, ieomt nse uio,wa e; yenmo pdui asylitissec er no: ffyoro loggtnihton !)61 :.9r o1”C(leps oe ght tohncae rIp fyortsin ie mhodttell asnciaitsir hyCre v,eesn ee snnoI .leps osg’d ogGnimialcorp THE MESSAGE OF PAUL (ROMANS 1:1b-3a) The gospel of God. d”sstn,taias ihwdeo nosgn “a”elmeps oG“ ecruos ni ;doG eh si sti rotanigiro dna .rotagitsni ehT lepsog sia s ’s odeetoubGnit n r ode,t cnvdima eoosGrgfni d d ieaftgloagssem .n etms oonltoitavl afesogassem slieps oeg h fteogass eemhT not that man can saved by his own deeds and efforts. By nature, every human being is trained to think in ,d ts enukdos abrotosi oopit.wgp s mosioe mrNtt frhsieoeCyrhtsetm fsokr oytwbo N.“naitsi r e haneCok armev en nasckr odwoog gn iho y sdct s c, dsrieiereeteeohwhvenhuvncwamobaschdsuaoethgir ”tso hyGl oe H hfgtoniwen ed rn,anoitareneg efgronihs ae w hy,tbsu