Paul’s Introduction to His Letter, 1:1-7.
[l-6] Who is the writer of this letter? He introduces himself as Paul, a servant and an apostle. He tells about the God whom he serves and how God has reached down to love mankind. God’s love for men is shown through Jesus Christ, His Son. Jesus was born from His ancestor, King David, as a man. But He was more than a man. He is shown to be the Son of God because God raised Him from the dead with great miraculous power. This Good News about Jesus must be told to all mankind. Paul was especially sent to tell the Good News to non-Jewish (Gentile) people.
[7] To whom is the letter written? To people who live in Rome, the most important city of the world. Not everyone in Rome would receive or understand the letter. The believers would receive it and understand it, because they were loved by God and were called to be holy people, as God is holy. For such people God’s love and peace are given through Jesus (His human name) Christ (the anointed one of God) who is Lord (ruler of God’s kingdom) – the Lord Jesus Christ.
Apostle means a special helper chosen by Jesus, sent by God (verses 1, 5).
Good News means that God has opened a way for all men to be accepted by Him, forgiven of their sins, and given honour instead of shame (verses 1-3).
Prophets are men who spoke God’s message by the power God gave them. Sometimes they spoke His words, and sometimes they wrote them.
Scriptures are the Holy Words from God given in the Old Testament and the New Testament (verse 2).
A Prayer of Thanks for Helpful Faith, 1:8-13.
[8-12] Paul had never been in Rome, but he had heard other Christians who had heard the Roman believers speak of the great faith they had. Paul desired to come in person to see those whom he had heard about. He wanted to give them spiritual gifts that would make them strong.
Paul himself would be strengthened by the Romans, as well.
Romans 1:13-17
13 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I planned to come to you many times. But, until now, I was stopped. I wanted to win some followers for Jesus among you, too, as I have among other non-Jewish people. 14 I feel I must help the civilized and the uncivilized, the educated and the uneducated people. 15 So, I am eager to tell the Good News to you in Rome, too. 16 I am not ashamed of the Good News, because it is God’s power for saving anyone who believes it – Jews first, then non-Jews. 17 The Good News reveals the way that God makes people right. It begins and ends by faith. This is written: “The person who is right with God by faith will live forever.” Habakkuk 2:4
[13] Paul was concerned for the people in Rome. He was concerned that non-Jews become believers in and followers of Jesus. God loves every nation, and as God’s special servant (an apostle), Paul wanted to preach to every nation (Matthew 28:19-20) and to all people (Mark 16:15-16).
[14-15] To show how his ministry was to all kinds of peoples, Paul referred to some different types of people. Some are “civilized and some uncivilized.” This in his time meant Greeks and non-Greeks. Greeks were highly educated, highly organized in government, strong enough to conquer others, very skillful in literature and sciences. They considered non-Greeks as inferior, uncivilized, and barbarians. Paul then divided human beings into “the educated and the uneducated.” Whatever kind of people there are, Paul said God loves them all, wants to save them all, and has sent Paul as His special messenger to them all. That was why he wanted to come to Rome with the Good News of God.
The Theme of Romans: How God Makes People Right, 1:16-17.
In these two verses, the entire Book of Romans is summarized. The Good News for all men is that God has revealed a way in which men who are wrong with God can be made right, how sinners can become righteous men.
[16] As compared with the civilized Greeks and Romans, Paul might be considered an unlearned, uncivilized Jew from the lowly province of Palestine. Paul did not feel inferior or ashamed of his position in life as he considered his coming visit to Rome. Whatever about Greek culture or Roman power might be expected to make Paul inferior and ashamed became insignificant, as compared with the infinite power of the eternal God. His love, grace, and justice are clearly revealed in the Good News. And this is what Romans teaches.
[17] This Good News is not something men have discovered about God, nor is it some way they have found to elevate themselves from man’s level to God’s level. God had originated it and planned out its details (part of which began to be revealed in the Old Testament). He revealed it clearly through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, His divine Son. It is from beginning to ending God’s power and God’s plan. The Book of Romans shows how this way of God works to make people right with Himself.
Through the entire Book of Romans, this is what Paul is showing: God saves men by faith, not by their own goodness.
“God’s power for saving” makes us think of an event of our time. In our generation, medical doctors have found a way to keep people from dying from smallpox. They have discovered the cause of this dreaded disease. They found a way to vaccinate people so they would not become sick with it. And by vaccinating all, both young and old, smallpox has been driven out. No one should die again from the disease.
In a much more serious way, mankind was dying because of sin. God used His divine power to make a way that sin could be abolished and men could live forever. No one would have to die unless he chose to do evil and, therefore, chose to die. Through Jesus Christ, the way of living eternally was made known. Praise God for this greater salvation given us by faith in Jesus Christ through the grace of God.