ROMANS 1

An Important Caution:

Don't take any of the next several chapters in isolation. In Paul's letter to the believers in Rome, he begins building a case. But just as when watching a building be constructed you shouldn't make too many assumptions about what the framing says about the finished appearance -- similarly, you should not leap to conclusions based on the early parts of Paul's argument in Romans.

If you disregard that caution, you could end up concluding that we're so sinful that God just hates us; that we have no hope. Or worse... that WE have hope, but God hates all those other wicked people out there who aren't so enlightened as we are (think of the attitude of the folks of the Westboro Baptist "Church").

So buckle in for the ride. Paul gives us his "thesis statement" in this chapter, builds out his case in chapters 2 and 3, draws his conclusion in chapter 4 and then spends most of the rest of this letter examining the implications of the truth he's laid out.

But first, some introductory matters...

Background and Context

Paul had expressed (in Acts) a desire and a leading from the Holy Spirit to visit Rome, but had not yet been able to travel there. He probably was writing this letter from Corinth during his 3rd missionary journey. He would soon travel back to Jerusalem where the events would come to pass which would ultimately result in him being sent to Rome as a prisoner.

A church already existed in Rome (as his greeting makes clear) but appears to have sprung up without strong leadership from the apostles -- perhaps by Roman Jews who had been converted while in Jerusalem for Pentecost and then carried their new faith back to Rome. These are the people to whom Paul is writing.

Paul's Prelude

He starts by identifying himself and addressing his letter to the believers already in the church at Rome. He tells them how much he wants to be able to visit them and how he expects to both, be a blessing to them and to be encouraged by them.

Paul's Thesis

In verse 14 though, Paul gets to his main point:

14 I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 Thus I am eager also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, "The righteous by faith will live."

The righteous will live by faith

This is his main point. He'll be demonstrating this and exploring its implications over the next several chapters. Now that he's established that that is where he's going, he steps back and starts to outline the plight we're in apart from this crucial understanding.

So here, let me offer a roadmap of the next few chapters before I focus on the rest of this chapter:

• 1:18-32 God's anger is rightfully directed against those who've rebelled against Him -- rejecting knowledge of him, worshiping created things, doing things they know to be wrong.
• 2 God's anger is also rightfully directed against those who consider themselves righteous -- because even they commit many of the same kinds of things.
• 3:1-20 So none of us, by our works, can be righteous before God
• 3:21-31 But there is a new way to be seen by God as righteous -- by our faith (trust) in him.

It's important to have a view of where he's going because, without it, these next couple of chapters can leave us in a pretty dark place.

Our Desperate Situation

Paul pulls no punches:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, 19 because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.

No Excuses

I have a friend who when told that someone doesn't believe in God, likes to say, "That's okay -- God doesn't believe in Atheists either."

I'm not sure that's an effective response to someone you'd like to share the gospel with, but I see his point: NO ONE is genuinely ignorant of the evidence for the existence of God. We see it everyday. Those who claim atheism have merely chosen to deny the evidence before them in order to avoid the need to submit to a higher authority.

Given Over

Three times from verse 24 to 32, Paul says God "gave them over" to something because of their rejection of Him:

• To impure desires
• To dishonorable passions
• To a depraved mind

I find it interesting that much of what we tend to think of as the depravity of our culture is depicted here not as the cause of God's anger, but as its consequence. What our culture needs first is not better behavior -- but more knowledge of, trust in, and submission to God. The better behavior would follow.

Deserving to Die

Paul closes this section of his argument with one more fiercely worded thought:

32 Although they fully know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.

We (our culture) tend to so minimize sin that even in the church, we sometimes forget how seriously God takes it. If we get what we deserve for our sin, we die. And yet, we let things pass with a wink and a nod -- approving of them.

My prayer today:

Father,

This passage describes a place I don't want to live in -- and yet I see the truth in its description of our world.

Help me NEVER to suppress the truth or my knowledge of you because I find it inconvenient.

Help me think clearly, see you clearly, and follow you faithfully.

Thank you that I needn't expect to receive from you what I deserve -- but can expect Your grace instead.

Father, I find it hard to help some of my friends see the truth of this view of the world -- help me in my words and my witness to help them to embrace the knowledge of You that they're denying.

Amen.

Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from THE NET BIBLE®, New English Translation (NET) copyright ©1996-2006by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

SCOTT PURCELL | Elder

Scott committed his life to Christ as a child under the teaching of his parents and church. He graduated from Ozark Christian College in 1989 with bachelors degree in Biblical Literature and served 8 years as Minister of two churches in Missouri and then 3 years as a Church Planter in San Marcos. Since then, he has worked as a technical trainer at Dell and Rackspace. In 2008 Scott and Nan joined HCBC-NW and then Hutto Bible in 2011. Scott serves in Small Group leadership, as secretary to the Elder board, and as the elder over IT and Discipleship. Scott and Nan have been married since 1985 and have three children (Mindy Schultea (married), Kate, and Matthew) and two grandchildren.