"THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS"

Chapter One

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER

1. To be impressed with the all-sufficiency of the gospel
2. To see how God's wrath may be directed toward our society today

SUMMARY

As is the custom in most of his epistles, Paul begins by extending greetings and offering thanks. Identifying himself as a bond-servant of Christ, he mentions his apostleship and its mission in the gospel of God concerning His Son: to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles (1-6). Addressing the recipients of his epistle as "all who are beloved in Rome, called as saints," he extends to them the popular two-fold greeting of that day: "grace" and "peace" (7). He is thankful for their well-known faith and reveals his desire to visit Rome and to proclaim the gospel there (8-13). The motivation behind that desire is his sense of obligation and bold conviction that the gospel is God's power to save (14-17).

The mention of "salvation" naturally leads to the need for all men to be saved. Paul begins to demonstrate this need on the part of the Gentiles. He explains that because of the Gentiles' failure to acknowledge the eternal power and divine nature of God as revealed in the world around them, and for their subsequent pride and idolatry, they were therefore exposed to God's wrath from heaven (18-23). This wrath manifested itself in God simply letting them reap the fruits of their vanity. By giving them over "to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts," "to vile passions," and "to a debased mind," the result was such corruption that even those who knew better were caught in its clutches (24-32).

OUTLINE (adapted from Jim McGuiggan)

1. INTRODUCTION & THEME (1-17)
1. CONCERNING PAUL (1-5)
1. His place in life: servant & apostle (1)
2. His story in life: the gospel of Christ (2-4)
3. His purpose in life: to produce obedience based on faith (5)
2. CONCERNING THE ROMANS (6-15)
1. Paul's description of them (6-7)
2. Paul's report of them (8)
3. Paul's deep desire to visit them (9-10)
4. Paul's reason and eagerness to visit them (11-15)
3. CONCERNING THE GOSPEL (16-17)
1. Its respectability: nothing to be ashamed of (16a)
2. Its nature: the power of God (16b)
3. Its aim: salvation (16c)
4. Its scope: for everyone who believes (16d)
5. Its content: the revelation of God's righteousness through faith (17)
2. THE GENTILES' NEED OF SALVATION (18-32)
1. WICKED MAN DISHONORING GOD (18-23)
1. Wicked man stifling God's revealed truth (18-19)
2. Wicked man despising the testimony of nature (20)
3. Wicked man ungrateful and foolish (21-22)
4. Wicked man given to idolatry (23)
2. HOLY GOD "GIVING UP" ON WICKED MAN (24-32)
1. Giving them up to disgusting uncleanness (24-25)
2. Giving them up to lesbianism and homosexuality (26-27)
3. Giving them up to debased minds and all unrighteousness (28-32)

WORDS TO PONDER

• gospel - literally, "good news;" in the NT it denotes the good tidings of the kingdom of God and of salvation through Christ (VINE)
• grace - "favor, goodwill, lovingkindness;" as used in reference to God's favor toward man, it's freeness is stressed; i.e., unmerited favor
• faith - "trust, conviction;" produced by God's Word (Ro 10:17), it expresses itself through obedience and love (Ro 1:5; Ga 5:6)
• power - from the Greek word dunamis (from which derives "dynamite"); "strength, ability"
• righteousness of God - 1) God doing that which is right (cf. Ro 3:25-26); or 2) God's way of making one right with Him (related to the concept of "justification," declaring one to be "not guilty;" cf. Ro 4:6-8)

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER

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1. List the two main points of this chapter
   - Introduction (1-17)
   - The Gentiles' Need Of Salvation (18-32)
2. How was Jesus declared to be the Son of God? (4)
   - With power, through His resurrection from the dead
3. What was the objective of Paul's apostleship? (5)
   - To bring about the obedience of faith among all nations
4. Why did Paul want to go to Rome? (11-12)
   - To see them and share in their faith together
5. To whom was Paul obligated? (14)
   - Both to Greeks and barbarians, both to wise and unwise
6. What is God's power to save? (16)
   - The gospel of Christ
7. Why is it God's power to save? (17)
   - In it the righteousness of God is revealed
8. What two invisible attributes of God are revealed in nature? (20)
   - His eternal power and Godhead (divine nature)
9. How does God express His wrath? (24,26,28)
   - By "giving people up" to their own sinful passions
10. What one sin in particular is an indication that God's wrath toward man is in full force? (26,27)
    - Homosexuality