Martins Olubiyi

Introduction: Apostle Paul’s knowledge of Jurisprudence (the theory or philosophy of law) coupled with his revelation of the mystery of the Christ (the Gospel) informed his exordium and exposition on the subject of - Jews and the Law. The complexities of this subject as it relates to physical circumcision and spiritual circumcision is rooted in his exploration of the dispensation of Conscience, Human government; Promise; Law and Grace rather than the subject itself.  In our last study, we learnt about the hypocrisy of the Jew as it relates to the privileges they had in terms of receiving the Law, their ‘ego’ in God, knowledge of His will in the Law and their approval of the Law. Moreover, we learnt that Moral Law reveals the character and attributes of God (His holiness, righteousness, sovereignty, love and His will), it reveals the sinfulness of man, it is a tutor to lead the sinner to Christ (Gal 3:24), it is a restraint to evil in society, it reveals the will of God. In addition, we learnt about the confidence of the Jews as to the practice of the Law; with their belief as guide to the blind, light to those in darkness, corrector of the foolish and teacher of the childish. Lastly, we examined Paul’s challenging questions to the adherents of Law – Do you teach yourself? Do you steal? Do you commit adultery and Do you Rob Temples?

Today, we shall learn how best we can please God from moving from the condemnation of the Law to a life of Grace in the context of spiritual circumcision.

Text: Romans 2: 25-29 [Amplified Bible (AMP)].

25 Circumcision [the sign of the covenant of Abraham] is indeed of value if you practice the law; but if you habitually break the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision [it is meaningless in God’s sight]. 26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded [by God] as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps [the spirit of] the Law will judge you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, break the Law. 28 For he is not a [real] Jew who is only outwardly, nor is [true] circumcision something external and physical. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and [true] circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by [the fulfilment of] the letter [of the Law]. His praise is not from men, but from God.    

The intricacies of circumcision. Vs 25

Paul explains why Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because the Jews, even though circumcised, do not live up to their profession. The verse reveals that circumcision is: Valuable if you practice the Law; It becomes hypocritical if you habitually break the Law. Hence, it becomes a futile effort and meaningless in the sight of God. Grace demands circumcision of the heart. Our liberty in Christ is not a call for wilful sin. See Heb 10: 26-29.

Case Study:

King David’s life is an example of genuine repentance. He never repeated any sin he confessed and repented of before God.

The Complexities. Vs 26

Paul continues his argument by asking a rhetorical question that demands a positive answer, though not all Jews would have agreed. He asks: if an uncircumcised man who keeps the righteous requirements of the Law can be regarded as “circumcised”, i.e., a member of the covenant community and heir of the promises of God? According to Paul, he will certainly be regarded as such. Further, that very man who is uncircumcised by birth and yet keeps the Law, he will judge the circumcised lawbreaker as though uncircumcised. And he will do this despite the fact that the man claims to have both the written code, namely, the Mosaic Law and circumcision as a sign.

The Standard. Vs 27.

Obedience to God’s word is the key. Our obedience in keeping to His word must be perfected.

Jos 1: 8 ‘This book of the law shall not depart …’. Psa 119: 11. ‘Your words have I hid in my heart …’ Lam 3: 40 ‘Let us examine and test our ways ….’. Psa 119: 105 ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet ….’

Circumcision not a ticket to the world to come. Vs 28-29

Paul maintained that circumcision is of no value if not attended by faithful practice of the Law for which it was a sign. Hence, he goes further than just to explain the reason for Gentile blasphemy- it is as though the man is not even circumcised. It means that such a man is not a true member of the covenant community and is unregenerate, as 2: 28-29 would seem to indicate.

True Religion.

In verses 28-29, Paul says there is a reason why circumcision by itself guarantees nothing. It is because true religion is first and foremost- and always – a matter of the heart (i.e., genuine faith) or the inner man. To be sure circumcision was a sign of membership in the covenant community of Israel, but it was only a sign. It could not create the reality of participation in the saved community, nor could it somehow replace the means of participation in the covenant community, i.e., by living faith (Rom 4). The true Jew, therefore, is one knowledgeable of what constitutes true religion should know this better than anyone. Now the Scripture gives a clue as to what is true religion:

• Fear, love and serve God. Eccl 12:13; Deut 10:12
• Visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1: 27.
• To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. Rom 13:10; Mark 12:33; Mic 6:8.

Test Question:

What do you cling to as a sign of your Christianity? (2: 25-29) 

The Need for Inward Transformation. The Centrality of God over Human Opinion.

CONCLUSION:

We cannot but ask ourselves this question: Who is a true Jew? A true Jew is not one who is merely circumcised outwardly, that is, in the flesh. The true Jew is one who is circumcised inwardly, a circumcision of the heart done by the Spirit and not by the written code. The circumcision Paul intends here is keeping with the promise of Jeremiah 31: 31-33 and refers to a supernatural rebirth, the same thing about which Jesus spoke to Nicodemus (John 3:1).

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

This first major section of the book of Romans reveals mankind’s need for the Gospel. We see Paul laying a massive foundation upon which he will build our towering salvation. The taller the skyscraper, the deeper the foundation must be. Paul’s plan is to teach about the Gospel, that will soar to the heights of heaven, but first he must lay a firm base. You have to know the bad news before you can appreciate the good news. No one can be saved until they know their true need for the Gospel. In today’s study, Paul moves from addressing the Gentiles to addressing the Jews.

In verses 12-16, Paul focused on the one without the Law. This was referring to the pagan Gentile, who has never heard the Law or the Gospel. He said the Law was written upon their conscience and upon their heart. And that they are without excuse in their life of sin. In verse 17, the first word is "But," indicating Paul is making a sharp contrast from what he previously said. Paul shifts to addressing the Jew. He is putting his arms around all of humanity and reveals the universal condemnation of all mankind, both those who have never heard the Law and even those who have the Law.

Whether you are a Gentile or a Jew, whether without the Law or with the Law, whether you have never heard the Gospel or whether you have heard the Gospel, all people are under divine condemnation and in desperate need of the salvation that God gives in Christ Jesus. There are points in today’s study that will hit very close to home for us who live where the word of God is made known. We can put ourselves into the sandals of these Jews who have grown up in a privileged place of hearing the revelation of God. We must be wary of hypocrisy -  saying one thing and doing another! Paul will argue that if we do not act upon this knowledge and believe in Jesus Christ, then, in reality, we are worse-off than those without the knowledge of the Gospel. There will be a greater judgment for those who have the light of the truth but do not act upon it.    

1. VERSES 17-18 - FOUR PRIVILEGES

“But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely on the Law [for your salvation] and boast in [your special relationship to] God, 18 and [if you claim to] know His will and approve the things that are essential or have a sense of what is excellent, based on your instruction from the Law,”

Paul begins with a bit of sarcasm, "If you bear the name ‘Jew,’" he is implying that they are not true Jews. In other words, they are Jews in name only, but not in heart reality. A true Jew would be one who is born-again. A true Jew would be one who is not only circumcised in the flesh, but circumcised in the heart.  

• Privilege #1: They Received the Law

The first privilege Paul mentions is they "rely upon the Law" (verse 17). This is their greatest privilege, because of the special revelation they have received in the Law. No one can be saved without special revelation, and the Law is a part of this special revelation. The Law can be divided into three sections: the moral law, the ceremonial law, and the civil law. The moral law is how the Jew was to live, the ceremonial law is how a Jew was to worship and approach God, and the civil law contains how the Jew was to function as a nation and society. When Paul mentions the Law in verse 17, he is referring to the moral law as stated in the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are still directional for our lives today. All ten commandments are repeated in the New Testament, and nine out of the ten are still binding upon us as originally given. The only one that has been fulfilled is the Sabbath requirements.

• Privilege #2: They Boast in God

The second privilege of the Jew who has the Law is that they can claim a special relationship with God. Paul continues that those with the Law " and boast in [your special relationship to] God" (verse 17). They boast in having this special relationship with God, because they have received the Law. God has revealed His will to the Jew, and they know the holy character of God.

• Privilege #3: They Know His Will in the Law

The third privilege is that the Jew knows God’s will. Verse 18 says: “and [if you claim to] know His will”. The Law reveals the will of God for their lives; it reveals the way God wants them to live & conduct themselves.

• Privilege #4: They Approve the Law

Fourth, the Jew gives hearty approval to, and fully affirm the teaching of the Law as from God. Verse 18b says: “approve the things that are essential or have a sense of what is excellent, based on your instruction from the Law”

THERE ARE FIVE MAIN PURPOSES OF THE MORAL LAW.

* It reveals the character and attributes of God: His holiness (distinguishing between the holy and unholy), His righteousness (promising His reward for obedience and punishment for disobedience); His sovereignty (making known His right to command our lives); His love (revealing the path that leads to abundant living); and His will. We learn much about God by simply looking at the Ten Commandments.

* It reveals the sinfulness of man: The Law is like ten plowshares that break up the hardened soil of our hearts. The Law prepares the heart to receive the seed of the Gospel so that it may be received into our hearts. When our heart is hardened by sin, the seed of the Gospel merely bounces off the surface. There is a necessary place for the use of the Law to bring about conviction of sin.

* It is a tutor to lead the sinner to Christ (Galatians 3:24): The Law is that which points us away from ourselves in order that we would look to Jesus Christ. Christ is the only One who obeyed the Law perfectly. Because Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law, He Christ alone can forgive our offenses against the Law. Christ alone can give His perfect righteousness that He achieved under the Law.

* It is a restraint to evil in society. It is a limited restraint, but nevertheless, it does serve to some degree as a restraint. That is why we want laws in a general way to say you cannot kill, you cannot steal.

* It reveals the will of God. It points us into the very centre of God's will. It tells me how I should relate to my parents. It tells me what I should teach my children. It shows me how I am to work. It shows me how I am to be content. It shows me how I am to use my mouth and my lips.

2. VERSES 19-20 - FOUR PRACTICES

“and [if you] are confident that you are a [qualified] guide to the blind [those untaught in theology], a light to those who are in darkness, 20 and [that you are] a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the [spiritually] childish, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth”

Paul says in verse 19, “And if you are confident that you are” This confidence brings about a false assurance to the Jew. Just because they have the Law and are using it, even telling others about it, does not mean that they have taught themselves the Law. They are preaching it to others, but they have not applied it to their own life.

* A Guide to the Blind: The Jew is confident that they are, number one, a guide to the blind. To be a “guide to the blind” means to be a teacher to those who are without the Law. It means to bear witness to those who do not have special revelation in the written word of God. But the Jews were not doing this. So Paul was using sarcasm, almost prodding or shaming them.

* A Light to those in the Darkness: Second, Paul says they are “a light to those who are in darkness” (verse 19). God declared that Israel was appointed to be a “light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6). Christ Himself became the ultimate fulfilment of this passage, when He declared, "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:12). In reality, they were not actually being light to those in darkness.

* A Corrector of the Foolish: Paul then says they are confident that they are "a corrector of the foolish" (verse 20). The “foolish” refers to those who have worldly wisdom. Those who sat at the feet of the Greek philosophers and presumed that wisdom was found in the brilliance of the Greek intellectual mind. Paul says that the Jew was supposed to be teaching the Law, the wisdom of God, to these foolish men.

* A Teacher of the Childish (Immature): The Israelites were to teach the younger generations, those who were immature, the Law of God (Deuteronomy 6:4,6-7) says: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God; the Lord is one…. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them” Again they failed to be this to themselves.

3. VERSES 21-22 - FOUR CHARGES

“well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal [in ways that are discrete, but just as sinful]? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob [pagan] temples [of valuable idols and offerings]?”

Paul is aggressive in exposing sin. Most preaching today pulls back from this kind of exposure. Most witnessing today pulls back from exposing of sin in the life of other people.

* Do You Teach Yourself? “Well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” (verse 21). The Jew was good at running everyone else's life. But Paul wants to know how they are at running their own life. 

* Do You Steal? "While you teach against stealing, do you steal?" (verse 21). It is as though Paul is putting the religious Jew on the witness stand and examines him with questions. Paul’s appeal in this statement is to the eighth commandment. He is still dealing with the moral Law.

* Do You Commit Adultery? " You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?" (verse 22). That is the seventh commandment in the Law. Paul will not let go of the Law. We need more appeal to the Law in our evangelism and Christian living. 

* Do You Rob Temples? "You who abhor and loathe idols, do you rob temples?" (verse 22). Again he is appealing to the Law in the first and the second commandment. “You shall have no other gods before Me” and “you shall not have a graven image by which you worship Me.”

4. VERSE 23 - ONE JUDGMENT

“You who boast in the Law, do you [repeatedly] dishonor God by [f]breaking the Law?”

This now leads to one grand judgment, one great indictment, found in verses 23 and 24. These verses may have seemed to be somewhat difficult to follow. Paul writes, “You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonour God?” (verse 23). The Jew boasts in his possession of the Law. He boasts in his knowledge of the Law. He boasts in his ministry of the Law, in his teaching, preaching, and speaking of the Law. But despite all this ministry with the Law, the religious Jew is a lawbreaker, just like everyone else. He is no better than the man on the other side of the globe who has never heard the Gospel. He is in the same category.

VERSE 24 - CONCLUSION

For, “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written [in Scripture].

When our lives don’t line up with the Gospel we preach and teach, we bring shame to God’s name.  

What are we to learnt?

First, the necessity of personal, saving faith in Jesus Christ. To only know about God without coming to faith in Jesus will still condemn you. You must be born again.

Second, we should note the importance of personal obedience to the word of God. Be careful to practice what you preach. Your life should reflect the Gospel that you share with others.

Third, we see the importance of bearing witness with the word to those without the word. Jesus Christ has charged us, His followers, to share the Gospel with all the nations.

Culled from  http://www.onepassionministries.org/transcripts/2017/11/16/condemned-by-the-law-romans-217-24Bottom of Form

Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

INTRODUCTION: Last week we started in the topic “God’s righteous judgement” where we studied how dangerous judging others could be. Romans 2:3 reminded us that by pointing fingers at others does not mean God will be distracted from seeing our misdoings! We have all heard the question before: “Is God fair to judge those who have never heard about Jesus Christ?” Will they go to hell because they did not believe in Jesus when they never heard of Him? Another variation of the question is, “Won’t those who have done the best that they could do get into heaven?”. Hopefully, after today’s teaching, we will better understand how to answer such questions.

• Romans 2:8: "But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness – indignation and wrath”

Those who do not obey the truth, that is, the light God has given them, stand under the wrath of God. God will judge according to the result of obedience or the lack of obedience to truth in a person's life.

• JUDGMENT ACCORDING TO IMPARTIALITY

Romans 2:10 "Tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first, and also the Gentile. But glory, honour, and peace, to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.”

The wrath of God is coming upon all those who do evil. It is upon every soul; none will be free of this judgment. No person can plead innocent; all will know themselves to be guilty. This judgment will come first on the Jew and then on the Gentile. Why? Both have rejected God's light, but the Jew had so much more light.

These blessings are for those who give genuine evidence of inner salvation by their good works. Possibly the Jew who has responded to Christ will be rewarded before Gentiles who have received him.

• JUDGMENT ACCORDING TO OPPORTUNITY

Romans 2:11-13 "For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;”

God is holy, just and shows no favouritism towards any man. God will judge everyone with perfect justice. Paul is anticipating a Jewish objection, “But surely God will treat us more favourably than the pagan Gentiles. We know God’s ways as revealed in His Law, but they don’t!”

Or, perhaps a Gentile would object, “It’s not fair for God to judge me for disobeying a standard that I knew nothing about! I’ve done the best that I could with what I knew. God won’t judge me, will He?”

Paul therefore highlights that God will impartially judge everyone for sinning against the light that they were given. His line of reasoning - The Gentile sinned without the Law, so he will perish without the Law. The Jew sinned under the Law and so he will be judged by the Law (2:12). In other words, as verse 6 stated, God “will render to each person according to his deeds (actions).” Paul is not looking at how a person enters into a life of obedience, but rather at the results of it. Note carefully that both groups have sinned and both groups will be judged for their sin. The Gentiles who sinned without the Law will perish, which refers to eternal condemnation. We will see later in verses 14 & 15 how to answer questions such as: “How could the Gentiles be guilty of sin if they didn’t have the standard of God’s Law to live by?” The point of this verse 12 is that God will judge every person, Gentile or Jew, regardless of: Background, education, position, privilege, upbringing nor heritage. So, God can’t be accused of partiality.

Merely hearing God’s Law is a waste of your time if you don’t do what He commands (2:13). The Jews boasted in having God’s Law. They heard it read every week in their synagogues. But here Paul says, “Hearing it is not enough. Hearing the Law doesn’t put you in God’s favour ahead of the Gentiles, who have not heard the Law. The issue is, doing it. Only those who do God’s Law will be blameless.”

Romans 2:14-15 "For when Gentiles,  who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them).

Those who do not have God’s Law are a law to themselves in that they still have an inner sense of right and wrong that convicts them when they violate it. Sometimes they do what they know to be right. But they often disobey what they know to be right, so that their conscience condemns them. Paul is not saying that the Gentiles automatically know all of the Laws but rather, he is pointing out the obvious fact that even pagans, who have had no exposure to God’s revealed Law, have a built-in sense of right and wrong that matches with God’s Law. The work of the Law [is] written on their hearts,” (teaching the difference between right and wrong).

The issue is even though we all have this built-in sense of right and wrong, we all have violated our own standards. When we do, we justify it by various arguments. “I know that I treated him wrongly, but he had it coming!” “I know that I shouldn’t cheat on my taxes, but everyone else does it. Besides, the government wastes so much money. And I’m not a millionaire!” So, our conscience and our thoughts go back and forth, either condemning us or trying to defend us.

Our conscience is not an infallible guide, but we should never go against our conscience. It is not infallible in that it needs to be informed by Scripture, not just by what our culture may think is right or wrong, or by what we may unconsciously feel is right or wrong.

• JUDGMENT ACCORDING TO GOD’S OMNISCIENCE

Romans 2:16: “in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”

Whether a person had God’s Law or not, he will stand guilty before God on that day.

1. There will be a certain day of judgment. God has fixed the day (Acts 17:31). If we believe that, we’d better be ready! And if you don’t believe it, that does not mean that it will not happen!
2. On that day, God will judge the secrets of everyone. That is a scary thought! God doesn’t just look at our outward deeds. We can put on a pretty good show towards others. We can impress people with our knowledge of the Bible or our prayers or religiosity. But God knows every secret thought we have and private sin that we do. He knows the hidden prideful motives, even when we outwardly serve Him. He sees the seething anger in your heart, even when you coverup it up.
3. When God judges the secrets of men, it will be through Christ Jesus. Jesus made it clear in (John 5:22-23), “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father.”

CONCLUSION

Romans 2 springs a trap on any religious person who read Paul's lists of sins at the end of Romans 1 and thought it wasn't about them. Paul calls them out for making themselves judges when they are also guilty. He shows that God will judge everyone, including those under the law, based on their works. This prefaces this letter's theme of salvation by grace, through faith, rather than by works. Many benefits come with having the law, but only if those under the law keep it.

Culled from: http://www.cleartheology.com/expo/45Romans/NT.Arnold.Rom.12.html; https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-11-god-s-impartial-judgment-romans-212-16

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

Introduction

In our study last week, we had an in-depth study of Romans 1:28-32 where we considered the consequences of willful and deliberate sin. We looked at the results of not retaining and embracing the knowledge of God, the products of depraved minds and the very subtle way that people can be supporters of evil. We make further progress in our study of the Book of Romans today as we deliberate on God’s Righteous Judgement.

How often do we hear people say, “Don’t judge me!” or “You are judging me!”. Well, Paul in his letter to the Roman Christians addresses the topic of Judgement in Chapter 2. Why should we be careful about judging others? How’s God’s judgement different from Man’s? How does the nature of God influence His judgement? These and many more will be discussed in today’s study.

Verse 1: “Therefore you have no excuse or justification, everyone of you who [hypocritically]  judges and condemns others; for in passing judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, because you who judge [from a position of arrogance or self-righteousness] are habitually practicing the very same things [which you denounce]”.

1. Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge: In Romans 1, Paul pointed out the sin of the most notoriously guilty. He now speaks to those who are generally moral in their conduct. Paul assumes they are congratulating themselves that they are not like the people described in Romans 1.

A good example of this mind set is Jesus’ illustration of the Pharisee and the Publican. If we take those figures from Jesus’ parable, Paul spoke to the Publican in Romans 1 and now he addresses the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14).

2. For in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself: After gaining the agreement of the moralist in condemning the obvious sinner, now Paul turns the same argument upon the moralist himself. This is because at the end of it all, you who judge practice the same things.

1. As we judge another person, we point to a standard outside of our self – and that standard condemns everyone, not only the obvious sinner.
2. Practice the same things: Notice that the moralist is not condemned for judging others but for being guilty of the same things that he judges others for. This is something the moral man would object to (“I’m not like them at all!”), but Paul will demonstrate this is true.
3. Hypocrisy is excusing in ourselves what we condemn in other people!

Verse 2: According to truth: This has the idea of “according to the facts of the case.” God will judge (and condemn) the moralist on the basis of the facts.

Verse 3: The point is made clear: if the moralist is just as guilty as the obvious sinner how will they escape the judgment of God? You is emphatic in the question, “[do you think] you will escape the judgment of God?” Paul bears down here, letting his reader know that he is no exception to this principle. Paul knew how to get to the heart of his readers. “Our exhortations should be as forked arrows that stick in men’s hearts” Hebrews 4:12

Verse 4:

I. Or do you despise the riches of His goodness (kindness), forbearance (tolerance), and longsuffering (patience): Paul points out what the moralist himself presumes upon the goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering of God, which all should bring the moralist into a humble repentance instead of an attitude of superiority.

i. Goodness may be considered God’s kindness to us in regard to our past sin. He has been good to us because He has not judged us yet though we deserve it.

ii. Forbearance may be considered God’s kindness to us in regard to our present sin. This very day – indeed, this very hour – we have fallen short of His glory, yet He holds back His judgment against us.

iii. Longsuffering may be considered God’s kindness to us in regard to our future sin. He knows that we will sin tomorrow and the next day, yet He holds back His judgment against us.

iv. Considering all these, it is no surprise that Paul describes these three aspects of God’s kindness to us as riches. The riches of God’s mercy may be measured by four considerations:

1. His greatness – to wrong a great man is a great wrong and God is greatest of all – yet He shows mercy.
2. His omniscience – if someone knew all our sin, would they show mercy? Yet God shows mercy.
3. His power – sometimes wrongs are not settled because they are out of our power, yet God is able to settle every wrong against Him – yet He is rich in mercy.
4. The object of His mercy: mere man – would we show mercy to an ant? Yet God is rich in mercy.

v. Knowing how great God’s kindness is, it is a great sin to presume upon the graciousness of God, and we easily come to believe that we deserve it.

II. Forbearance and longsuffering: Men think of this as weakness in God. They say things like “If there is a God in heaven, let Him strike me dead!” When it doesn’t happen, they will say, “See, I told you there was no God.” Men misinterpret God’s forbearance and longsuffering as His approval, and they refuse to repent.

“It seems to me that every morning when a man wakes up still impenitent, and finds himself out of hell, the sunlight seems to say, ‘I shine on thee yet another day, as that in this day thou mayest repent.’ When your bed receives you at night I think it seems to say, ‘I will give you another night’s rest, that you may live to turn from your sins and trust in Jesus.’ Every mouthful of bread that comes to the table says, ‘I have to support your body that still you may have space for repentance.’ Every time you open the Bible the pages say, ‘We speak with you that you may repent.’ Every time you hear a sermon, if it be such a sermon as God would have us preach, it pleads with you to turn unto the Lord and live.” (Spurgeon)

III. Not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance: Many people misunderstand the goodness of God towards the wicked. They don’t understand the entire reason for it is to lead them to repentance.

Men should see the goodness of God and understand: God has been better to them than they deserve; God has shown them kindness when they have ignored Him; God has shown them kindness when they have mocked Him; God is not a cruel master and they may safely surrender to Him; God is perfectly willing to forgive them; God should be served out of simple gratitude.

Verse 5: I. You are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God: Because of this presumption on God’s graciousness, Paul can rightly say that the moralist is treasuring up… wrath in the day of wrath.

(i) The moralist thinks he treasures up merit with God as he condemns the “sinners” around him. Actually, he only treasures up the wrath of God. “Just as men add to their treasure of wealth, so dost thou add to the treasures of punishment.”

(ii) As men treasure up the wrath of God against them, what holds back the flood of wrath? God Himself! He holds it back out of His forbearance and longsuffering! “The figure is that of a load that God bears, which men heap up more and more, making heavier and heavier. The wonder of it all is that God holds any of it up even for a day; yet he holds up all its weight and does not let it crash down on the sinner’s head.”

II. In the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God: In the first coming of Jesus the loving character of God was revealed with greatest emphasis. At the second coming of Jesus the righteous judgment of God will be revealed most clearly.

Verses 6-7: Will render to each one according to his deeds: This is an awesome and fearful thought, and it condemns the moralist as well as the obvious sinner. Eternal life to those: If someone genuinely did good at all times, he could merit eternal life of his own accord.

Conclusion:

Salvation is not works based, but condemnation/judgment is. – Some Scriptures can be a bit confusing because they share bits and pieces of the story, but not the entire thing. Verse 7 is like this. Taken only by itself it appears to be teaching works-based salvation. However, when weighed against the scores of passages (including some later in Romans) teaching justification by grace through faith, it clearly cannot mean that. It is only showing one piece of the puzzle and that is the works. The person doing good works will receive eternal life. But why can they do good works? Why can they actually please God? We know that no one can please God by themselves. This person can only do these things because He has already trusted in Christ and been saved. These are evidences of his salvation, not the cause. Salvation doesn’t depend on works because if it did no one could be good enough. Our works can’t save us, but they can condemn us.

This study is culled from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/romans-2/

https://studyandobey.com/inductive-bible-study/romans-studies/romans2-1-16/

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

1. All unrighteousness, 2. Sexual immorality, 3. Wickedness, 4. Covetousness, 5. Maliciousness, 6. Full of envy, 7. Murder, 8. Strife, 9. Deceit, 10. Evil-mindedness, 11. Whisperers, 12. Backbiters, 13. Haters of God, 14. Violent, 15. Proud, 16. Boasters, 17. Inventors of evil things, 18. Disobedient to parents, 19. Undiscerning, 20. Untrustworthy, 21. Unloving, 22. Unforgiving, 23. Unmerciful

              3. Supporters and Promoters of Evil; Rom.1:32

“who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

In conclusion, Paul says one more word of condemnation. He says that even though people know such moral vices are wrong, they not only practice them, but congratulate others who do so also. Paul is not saying that encouraging others to sin is necessarily worse than committing the sins themselves. Instead, he seems to be arguing that we are as equally bent on damning ourselves as we are on delivering other people to damnation. The knowledge Paul is referring to here is undoubtedly that to which he has already forcefully made reference in Rom.1:19, 20, 21, and 28.

People know via their conscience, which itself is sparked through God’s creation, that such sinful behaviour will result in ultimate punishment. But, says Paul, even though they know this firm decision of God, i.e., his immutable decree to punish sin, they continue in it nonetheless. The knowledge of this decree is not through the Mosaic Law, but rather through God’s truth implanted in the conscience (Rom 2:14-15). We must remember that the Gentiles were without the revelation of the law. Therefore, Paul must have in mind here the universal revelation in the conscience. Such revelation is certainly enough to condemn, although it is not enough to save.

Culled from: https://bible.org/seriespage/4-study-and-exposition-romans-118-32

Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION:  Apostle Paul in the admonition in Romans 1:24-27 focused on the plight (or what would be) of those who refused to repent of their wrongdoings despite knowing the truth about God’s righteousness. The focus here reveals that the Romans were knowledgeable about the righteousness and true faith in God. Apostle Paul issued this warning to all men to depart from all unrighteousness or else face the judgment of God as seen in earlier verses (Romans 1: 18-23); in that, the same men who had known God, still dishonoured Him in their unrighteousness. They rejected God in their unrighteousness, thinking the availability of grace is an excuse to sin, but forgetting the consequences. (Romans 6: 1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound”). Thus, all unrighteous comes with its own consequences and without genuine repentance, God can also deliberately withdraw His presence from such people. This means a person(s) will face the consequences of their unrighteousness which eventually leads to eternal damnation. Sin is any unrighteousness towards God that separates us from His presence, (Isaiah 64:6-7) and even if it looks righteous or acceptable towards men. Sin separates us from God which leads to death. Sin is any human conduct that displays Satan- in-nature (SIN) 1 John 3:9-10 NKJV, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother”.

Apostle Paul’s Emphasis on Sin’s Consequences (Romans 1: 24-27)

1. Romans 1: 24(NKJV) “Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves”. The result of their actions as we can also see in the NLT: "So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies." {VILE: immoral, evil, disgusting, extremely wicked}

The word “Therefore” in V24 used in the NKJV means, consequently, as a result, for that reason, or the consequences of actions. Explaining at this point, God’s GRACE was no longer available for repentance, they abandoned God, and He also left them to their carnality. The focus is on the unrighteousness actions which were summarised in V18-23 ( * those who suppress the truth by their wickedness, * those who knew God, they rejected Him and did not glorify Him as God; Professing to be wise, they became fools, * those who changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things). The CONSEQUENCES start in V24 because God withdrew His Grace. It is, therefore, a terrible thing when God withdraws His presence from us due to sin and we fail to realize it. Some people don’t feel convicted any more of their sins and they don’t even care if they have backslidden. If such a person keeps on sinning, they might never receive God’s grace for repentance, no matter the volume of spiritual revelation they claim to have in defending their unrighteous conduct. Thus, a sinful person who is unwilling to repent will be ABANDONED by God to continue in their ways, without any caution.

2. Romans 1:25 -27 NKJV, “25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen, 26 for this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature, 27 and the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved”.

Here we realize that there are consequences for those who edit the truth of God’s word to suit themselves when God forbids it (see also, Deut 4:2, 12:32). A person who abandons the truth of God’s word would end up accepting the lies of the world and also substitute the place of God with earthly things. (This is against the commandment of God to worship any other thing apart from Jehovah God Himself in Exodus 20:3-5). For instance: Some people are obsessed with food, pride, fashion, wealth, ambition, fame, etc. all of which have all taken the position of God in their lives despite the warning in the bible.

The beginning of Romans 1:26NKJV, used “For this reason”, which refers to as a result of or punishment of denying the truth that God revealed Himself to mankind.  This is important because God is concerned about how we receive His word and the way we conduct ourselves in spiritual things (worship) and usage of our body which all have consequences. The consequences we see in V26-27 tells us that such persons have become addicted to doing terrible things which are un-shameful to them without any remorse.

3. Romans 1:27c (NKJV) “they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved”. Verse 27(AMP): “And then they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it emptied of God and love, godless and loveless wretches”.

What a tragedy when people become dead to the presence of God. (For instance, in Psalm 106:14-15 NKJV, “But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. ¹⁵ And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul)”

CONCLUSION

We are in an era whereby people choose to walk in their own ways and decide to serve God the way they feel, without accepting the truth of what the bible says. We must always bear in mind that there is a difference between a mistake and sinning perpetually. The latter could easily find grace if there is genuine repentance, while the former should be prepared for the severe consequences from God the great rewarder.

There is no such thing as good sin even if the sinner thinks it doesn’t affect others, because our actions matter to God at all times. Also, let’s us be aware that nobody is excusable or exempted when it comes to righteousness in God and we cannot be wiser or claim to know more than the word of God (1 Corinthians 1: 25 NKJV, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.). Hence in the future study of Romans 1:28-30 NKJV, we will realize that those who think they know God but didn’t retain His righteousness; only deceived themselves.  This is so unfortunate because they eventually stand to lose eternity Mathew 7:23 NKJV “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

One of the most difficult topics for people to understand; believers and unbelievers alike, is that of the wrath of God.  It is hard to reconcile for most people, that God who is a loving God is also a wrathful God; and the divide is usually the cross.  Yet it is at the cross where these two ideas meet, where love and wrath, justice and mercy are displayed. Anyone who truly wants to come to terms with this, need to come to an understanding of Unbelief – which is, the Rejection of God. In last week’s study, we looked at what the Gospel was – the power of God onto salvation. However, we will never come to grips with the importance of the gospel or be motivated to share it, until we come to the realization of this sad truth of God’s wrath! It is interesting to note that there are more references to God’s wrath and anger in the Bible than to His love and mercy, yet too many Christians will focus on love and mercy at the expense of the biblical idea of God’s wrath and anger.  You cannot have a complete, prefect, holy and just God without any of these.

1. VERSES 18-20: MAN REJECTS GOD’S REVELATION

“But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.” (MSG)

• The NIV says, “The wrath of God is being revealed . . .” Paul uses a present tense to describe something that is currently happening and continues to happen. God’s angry displeasure is not just for the future (hell), but is currently being revealed – daily!
• God’s wrath is being revealed from heaven to all people because of their ungodliness and wickedness.
• God’s wrath is being revealed from heaven to all people who try to put a shroud over truth or suppress the truth

To put a shroud over a thing is to cover it up or make it unclear. Other versions use the word “suppress” to suppress is to hold something down. It implies that men know the truth, but they want to hold it down so that they can pursue their sins.

Whether it is evolution - denying God as the Sovereign Creator, or philosophy -  speculating that we cannot really know God at all, or psychology - telling us that we are not responsible for our problems (psychologists do not like the word “sin”!), these are all ways of pushing God away from us so that we can be our own lord.

• People have been made to know the truth about God instinctively; because God put this knowledge in their hearts. People have this knowledge not because of their intelligence or ability to figure it out, but because God makes it known. God made it plain to them through creation so there is really no excuse anyone can give! Unless, according to verse 18, they have chosen to suppress the truth by wickedness! No matter how sympathetic we want to be, the Bible says that nobody has a good excuse not to believe in God! Because by mere looking at creation, we are able to see His eternal power and the mystery of His divine being

2. VERSES 21-23: MAN REJECTS GODS’ GLORY AND HONOUR.

Verses 21-23: “What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.” (MSG)

Paul tells us in detail what the reason was why the wrath of God was being revealed to the world then as it is these days.

• Firstly, people knew God perfectly well, but they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him! They knew God, but rejected Him, suppressing the truth, they failed to glorify and thank God – they failed to worship. To fail to glorify God is to be proud – viewing oneself as more important than God – worshipping self. The result of this was that they became silly and confused; having neither sense nor direction.
• Secondly, they claimed to be wise. In other words, they claimed to know and be able to know everything and to run anything. As a result, they become fools!
• Thirdly, because of the first two reasons that resulted in them becoming silly and confused; having neither sense nor direction and becoming fools, they traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. In today’s world, people trade the glory of God for vanity!

CONCLUSION

The direction the world is heading today is one that fails to acknowledge God for who He is! So, let us be careful not to follow the crowd because the consequences can be dire. In Romans 1 verse 28, the Bible tells us of what happens to those who fail to acknowledge Him:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate (depraved) mind, to do those things which are not convenient (things which are improper and repulsive);” (KJV)   

You see, it is not that they were completely ignorant about God; but they just did not like the idea of retaining God in their knowledge! They had some knowledge of God by the light of nature, and yet did not care. That is exactly what we are seeing these days. Because they do not want to retain God in their knowledge, they are trying every method to erase this knowledge of God out of their minds, and from others! God is a loving God; but He is also a wrathful God! The death of Jesus on the cross was to appease this wrath but God did not stop Jesus from dying. He even turned His back against Him! We are reminded that no one has any excuse; because creation clearly points to the divine Creator! The wrath of God should motivate us to share God’s message of salvation. We should determine to live godly lives, realizing that we still function in the flesh and can live in ungodliness and unrighteousness if we don’t make the conscious effort.

Culled from: https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/54701-romans-1:18-23-understanding-unbelief:-the-rejection-of-god-part-1, https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-6-god-s-wrath-justified-romans-118-23,

Your Heart & Mind: Priceless Possessions Worth Protecting

https://books.google.ie/books?redir_esc=y&id=Ve3ADwAAQBAJ&q=reprobate#v=snippet&q=reprobate&f=false

Contributor: Martins Olubiyi

Introduction:

In our last Bible studies, we learnt from Apostle Paul that the Gospel is ‘the gospel of God’. The Gospel originates from God. It is God’s idea. It was ‘promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures’. It is about ‘His Son’.  Moreover, we learnt that Jesus Christ is God’s Son. He is the Christ- ‘the Messiah’. He is our Lord God. The Jehovah Adonai. Today we are going to study the remaining four verses in chapter one. These are considered as the theme of the Book of Romans.

Text: Roman 1: 14-17 [English Standard Version (ESV)].

“14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”   

The Gospel

Paul’s attitude about the Gospel.

• I am under obligation (am a debtor) to share it- Rom 1:14

Apostle Paul make the claim here that Jesus Christ Has given him the responsibility and calling to be a preacher of God’s Gospel. See Rom 1:1. Also 1Cor 9:16

• So am eager to preach the Gospel (I am ready to declare it)- Rom 1: 15

The reason why Paul is so eager to preach the Gospel l to those in Rome is that Jesus Christ by means of Paul’s calling had given him the Gospel to share with others. Until that happens, Paul’s calling is, in some way, not fulfilled yet. His supreme desire is to glorify his Saviour and take the Good news to all who are still without it.

Paul understood the cost in going to various places to preach the Gospel. He knew it would eventually cost him his life. Read Acts 20: 22-24 (ESV); Phil 1: 21-24.

Paul’s conviction was centred on one goal, which is to obey Jesus Christ by fulfilling his calling. He was driven and obedient.

We must strife to emulate Paul and be able to answer these questions: How driven are we to fulfil our calling? What barriers keep us from fulfilling what God Has called us to do? Why? What is more important to you than God’s glory.

• Rom 1: 16 ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel … who believes…...’ – Rom 1:17 ‘For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…’the righteous shall live by faith.

Brian Evans maintained that in these two verses we have the theme of the entire Book of Romans. Moreover, he went on to say that many scholars believe these verses to be the two greatest verses in the entire Bible. It is worthy to note that Paul’s expression of his passion for the Gospel in a negative sense probably because everyone else is ashamed of the gospel. In other words, why could not Paul states ‘I am proud of the Gospel or I am confident in this Gospel. 1Cor 1: 18-31. The Gospel is foolish to the lost world. For that reason, the world is ashamed of the Gospel, the Cross, and ashamed of Jesus Christ. The world hates the Gospel because  there is no ground for boasting and because God is infinitely in control not them. It is offensive to the self-righteous. But it reveals the power of God.

For it is the power of God for salvation

The word “Power” (dunamis) comes from a Greek word that comes into English language as ‘dynamite’. The gospel is the explosive dynamite of God unto salvation. There is no more powerful message in the entire world than this truth. The gospel power brings a life changing and eternity-altering experience. Hence, Paul stated again in 2Cor 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come”. The gospel of Christ has the ability to:

• Take away the penalty of sin.

Rom 6: 23 “ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

• Destroy the power of sin.

Eph 2:5 ‘When we were dead in our transgressions God made us alive together with Christ… and raised us up with Him’.

Col 3:1 ‘If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

• Create new life.

2Cor 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come”.

See Rom 6:4; Rom 6:11; Rom 6:13; Eph 2:6.

Conclusion: If truly you have accepted the Gospel, the evidence of your new creation must bear witness in your heart that you are no longer under the condemnation of sin. For sin shall not have dominion over you because you have been raised up with Christ. Therefore, keep seeking the things above. Keep preaching the Gospel by word and deeds. You are the epistle that the world read.

Note: Teaching culled from Brian Evans via www.gccwaverly.net.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

Introduction

We will be considering an in-depth study on the opening chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Who are the intended recipient of Paul’s letter? Who is this writer himself? What exactly is the message? Who is the center focus of this message? Why is this letter important to Paul and his intended readers? What are the benefits of this letter to us as believers? These and other questions will be addressed in today’s study.

Verse 1: Paul Introduces himself

Paul here introduces himself to his readers. He identifies himself as:

1. a servant of Christ Jesus indicating his allegiance and commitment;
2. 'called to be an apostle indicating his divine commission; and
3. 'set apart for the gospel of God indicating his mandate.

In identifying himself in this way Paul establishes his authority to write to the believers in Rome. What do you think that Paul meant when he said he was 'set apart for the Gospel of God'? Was it that he felt called to do nothing but preach the Gospel to unbelievers? Or was it that he felt compelled not only to proclaim the Gospel to unbelievers, but also to teach its true and full significance to believers, clarifying its meaning and implications, and defending it against the false interpretations which so quickly were attached to it?

Verse 1b – 3a, 9: Paul introduces the gospel

1. It is 'the gospel of God'. This teaches us that the Gospel originates in God. It comes from God. It is God's idea. This immediately prohibits any tension or division between the God of the Old Testament and the Father of Jesus. They are one and the same. It also prohibits any tension or division between God the Father and God the Son. In preaching a Gospel centered on Jesus Christ Paul did not for a moment consider that in doing so he was turning his back on God. Rather the Gospel is God's Gospel, God's good news.
2. To further enforce this point Paul teaches us that the Gospel was 'promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures'. Not only is the Gospel God's Gospel, it is also something that has always been in God's intention. It is not something altogether new, not an innovative attempt to redeem fallen humanity. From the first embryonic prophecy of the crushing of the serpent's head (Gen 3:15), to the fully-fledged description of the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), the whole of Scripture points forward to the coming and sin-bearing death of Jesus Christ. Rather than contradict and nullify the Old Testament, the Gospel fulfils, validates and establishes the deepest significance of the Old Testament.
3. It is about 'His Son'. Here the whole content of God's good news is encapsulated in two words: 'His Son'. God's good news is about 'His Son'. Over and above all else, the Gospel is about God's Son. This is stated again in Romans 1:9 where Paul refers to 'the gospel of his Son', again identifying the person of Christ as the center of the Gospel. If in our supposed telling of the Gospel we have failed to tell people about the true, divine identity of Jesus Christ, we have in fact not told them the true Gospel at all.

Verse 3-4: Paul Introduces Jesus Christ

1. He is God's Son. To make this statement meant to claim for Jesus Christ equality with God. A 'son' is, without reduction, of the same essence as the 'father'.
2. He is, according to his human nature, a descendant of David. Paul links Jesus with all the prophecies relating to the Davidic king who would one day rule God's people.
3. Paul repeats his affirmation of Jesus' divine sonship: Jesus was, through the Spirit of holiness, declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead. Here Paul teaches that the resurrection of Jesus confirms his deity. Why is this? Because the resurrection means that Jesus' death was not a death for his own sins, that he had no sins of his own for which to bear the death penalty. That in turn means that when Jesus made the claims that he did he was speaking the truth - when, for instance, he called God his Father, when he said 'I and the Father are one' (John 10:30), when he said that seeing him was seeing the Father (John 14:9). All of Jesus' claims are validated by the resurrection.
4. He is 'Christ'. The English 'Christ' translates the word 'Christos' which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew 'Messiah'. Again Paul identifies Jesus as the subject of Old Testament prophecies, this time the prophecies concerning the Messiah - the Anointed One, who would come to save and lead God's people.
5. He is 'our Lord'. We can very easily slip over this word 'Lord' in our familiarity with it, but we should not lose sight for a moment that 'Lord' is one of the common Old Testament names or titles of God. God is the Lord. The Lord is God.

Verse 5: Paul Introduces his ministry

Paul sees Jesus Christ as the source/origin ('through him') and goal/purpose ('for his name's sake') of his ministry. His ministry was not his idea, nor is he in it to make a name for himself. It is a Christ-focused, Christ-centred ministry. He also sees his ministry as 'grace', that is, as something that he did not earn, deserve or merit. Both his ministry, and the ability to pursue it, are a gift.

Verse 6-8: Paul identifies his readers

It would be easy when we read some parts of Paul's letter to the Romans to forget that his readers are already believers, and because of that, to misunderstand his meaning. He here identifies them as 'among those called to belong to Jesus Christ', 'loved by God' and 'called to be saints’ and mentions their faith which 'is being reported all over the world.' Paul's readers are true believers in Jesus Christ; they already belong to Jesus. They already are loved by God. They already are 'saints' - set apart by God, for God. They already have faith. Paul is not writing to them to bring them to the point of faith. Rather, he is writing to them to spell out the implications of their already existing faith. He is not writing to them to bring them to Christ. Rather, he is writing to them so that their already existing union with Christ will find expression in the way they relate to God and to each other.

Verse 8-13: Paul introduces his priorities in relation to the Romans

Although Paul has not yet met the Roman believers, he already has them firmly fixed in his heart and mind. He thanks God for all of them (verse 8). He prays for them all the time (verse 10). He longs to come to see them but has been prevented (verses 10-13).

Considering that he has just stated that their faith is being reported all over the world, this is an interesting and informative comment. It gives us the insight that to 'preach the gospel' was not limited to initial, conversion-generating preaching, but included explanatory teaching of the meaning and implications of the gospel in the on-going life of the believer. Most of Paul's letters contain this kind of gospel teaching, and we know from his letters that the care of the churches and the preservation of the purity of the gospel within the churches lay heavily on his heart. This burden he affirms in verse nine where he states that he serves God with his 'whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son'.

Conclusion

Those who truly know the Gospel know that its impact is not initial only. Indeed, the more one knows and understands the Gospel, the more one realizes that it is increasingly impactive for every moment of the believer's life.

The more a believer studies the message of the Gospel the bigger he/she understands it to be. So, Paul was eager to preach the Gospel - to expound its depth and its greatness, even, no, not just even, but especially to those who had already embraced it. He longs to see them and strengthen them through his ministry (Romans 1:11). It therefore follows that our call to preach the gospel to a dying and decaying world does not stop at the point of conversion, necessity is laid on everyone of us, believers, to bring men to the place of maturity.

Some parts of this study culled from https://www.godswordforyou.com/bible-studies/romans/183-study-one-introductions-romans-11-15.html

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

INTRODUCTION:

Paul was called by God to be an apostle to the gentile (Rom.11:13 “For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry”).

He brought Christianity to the gentile world, and  established churches for worship and ministry. Rome was the capital of the gentile world, and a church was planted there. Paul no doubt knew the strategic value of strengthening the body of believers by laying a strong doctrinal foundation.

Paul was continually challenged by the Jews regarding the Gospel of Christ and the Law of Moses. Paul obviously wanted to clear up any confusion by creating a strong doctrinal statement in his epistle. He addresses the same issues as in his other epistles, false doctrine, false teachers, and troublemakers who would stir up dissension in the church.

Authorship;

Paul is universally accepted as the author of the epistle to the Romans. Throughout the entire letter it is easy to see Paul's sincerity, his unique insights in the teachings about God, the Jews, Jesus and salvation to all mankind. Statements in the epistle indicate that Paul was going to Jerusalem with the collection for the poor which he had gathered (Romans 15:25-27). The key personalities in the book of Romans are the Apostle Paul, and Phoebe who delivered this letter.

Date;

The epistle to the Romans appears to have been written near the end of Paul's third missionary journey, probably around 57 or 58 AD. One of the main reasons for this date is because 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians refer to this collection and this would indicate that Romans was written just after 1 and 2 Corinthians, toward the end of Paul's third missionary journey. Most scholars date the epistle near AD 58 and name Corinth as the city of its origin.

Audience;

The epistle begins with "To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints" in Rom 1:7. This would clearly indicate that Paul was addressing the Christian church in Rome. Throughout the book of Romans, it is clear that in the church at Rome there were many Jews and Gentiles.

 Outline of the Book of Romans

1, Doctrine and Theology - Chapters 1-8; Paul explains the fundamentals and foundations of the Christian faith (Rom.6:23). This is the Gospel Message, which all believers are commanded to share with the entire world.

2, God's Plan for Israel - Chapters 9-11; Paul explains God’s sovereignty over salvation. He also spells out how an individual may come into a right relationship with Go ( Rom. 10:9-10 ). Place your faith and trust only in what Jesus Christ has already done on the cross and make Him the Master of your life and trust He raised Himself from the grave conquering death. His promise to everyone is: "You will be saved''.

3, The New Life in Christ - Chapters 12-16; Paul gives instructions for all Christians about how to live a holy lifestyle ( Rom.12:1-2 ). Much of the errors and trials that Paul dealt with in his “Epistles”, were because the believers had conformed their lives to the world and not to God.

Summary of Romans from 1 to 16

Romans 1—The Gospel Is the Power of God

It covers Paul’s introduction to the book of Romans as well as building a case against the entire world that we were guilty before God. The reason for writing the book of Romans was to share the gospel and teach that our righteousness comes by faith in Jesus Christ apart from what we can do to earn it.

Romans 2—God’s Righteous Judgment

It is written to admonish the Jews that living by the law and circumcision does not make them righteous in God’s eyes. This comes as quite a shock, but Paul stresses that living by rules and regulations only brings about judgment and condemnation. Paul concludes that a true Jew is one that has experienced circumcision of the heart by the Spirit of God.

Romans 3—Righteousness Apart from the Law

It completes the accusation that both the Jews and the Gentiles are guilty before God. Now the prosecution can rest and the defence begin. Paul switches gears by explaining that the righteousness that the law was powerless to give us, God did by sending Jesus. He maintains that this righteousness comes by faith to all who believe in Christ Jesus apart from obeying the law.

Romans 4—Justified by Faith

It is proof that faith has always been the means for justification. Paul reflects back to the Old Testament patriarchs who were justified by faith, not works, to illustrate his point. Paul uses this illustration to prove that Gentiles were part of this promise given to Abraham. The whole world was blessed through him because he chose to believe God rather than his circumstances and, because of this, his faith was credited to him as righteousness.

Romans 5—The Results of Justification by Faith

It is powerful and instrumental in understanding that we are reconciled with God through Jesus Christ. God did not spare His own son, but graciously gave Him for us to undo what Adam did in the garden. Death came through one man’s sin, but life came more abundantly in every way through the gift of Jesus. Paul stresses that this reconciliation is not something we are waiting for, but in every sense of the word, believers are righteous, holy, and acceptable to God.

Romans 6—Freedom from Sin

It eloquently teaches that when we are born again, sin’s power is broken in our lives. Paul maintains that we are freed from sin and made alive to God through Jesus Christ. Our sinful nature was crucified with Him when we were baptized into his death. Now through Jesus, we have received the gift of God, which is eternal life.

Romans 7—Married to Christ

It shows us the contrast between living bound to the law and living by the Spirit of God. We are no longer in bondage as slaves and are now free to belong to God. The struggle with sin may still be evident, but Paul maintains we have no obligation to succumb to it. We are instructed to live by the Spirit and bear fruit according to our new nature.

Romans 8—Life in the Spirit

It shows how to live by the Spirit and let peace rule in our hearts. The Holy Spirit within us continually testifies to us that we are children of God. He gives us assurance with God to convince us that nothing will ever separate us from His love. This is a passage of hope because we know our future is bright in Christ.

Romans 9—Children of the Promise through Faith in Christ

It teaches us that it is not natural children that are God’s children, but rather children of the promise. The promise comes through faith in Christ not by works of the Law. He uses the example of the Israelites, who pursued righteousness by the law without obtaining it, and Gentiles, who pursued it by faith and obtained righteousness through Jesus Christ. Chapter 9 is a sobering call that faith in Christ alone saves us.

Romans 10—The Word of Faith

It teaches the word of faith. By confessing with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and by believing this in our hearts, we are saved—nothing more, nothing less. Christ is the end of the law so we can be justified and made righteous by faith in Jesus alone. Faith comes by hearing this gospel message and responding to it. Paul encourages us that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 11—A Remnant of Israel

It discusses that, although Israel as a whole rejected Jesus as the Messiah, there is still a remnant chosen by grace. Their dismissal of Jesus has blessed the world because this salvation message was then opened to the Gentiles. However, they have not fallen beyond recovery, and in the end Israel will be saved through faith. God’s plan includes bestowing mercy upon all mankind.

Romans 12—Living Sacrifices

It encourages us to be living sacrifices in view of the mercy we have received in Christ Jesus. We do this through renewing our minds to the truth of God’s word, serving and blessing the body of Christ through our gifts and above all by loving and being devoted to one another. Romans 12 is a call to live a life of peace, faithfully serving the Lord in all things and overcoming the evil of the world by faith.

Romans 13—Submission to Authorities

It is a charge to clothe ourselves with Christ Jesus and live as His children in this present world. We are to submit to authorities and to pay respect where it is due. We are to wake up and serve the Lord out of love by showing others the light of the gospel.

Romans 14—The Weak and the Strong

It encourages us to consider everything we do as if we are doing it for the Lord. It is a call to do what leads to peace and mutual edification within the body of Christ. We are not to condemn or look down on those who are weaker in faith, but be fully convinced of what is acceptable in our own minds, as everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Romans 15—Unity among Believers

It stresses unity within the body of believers. We are to take the encouragement from the scriptures and Christ as our example in how we live accepting one another. Paul reminds us that we are competent ministers of the gospel taking in and internalizing the amazing grace that was covered in the previous chapters. Now it is our job to share it with others.

Romans 16—Commendations and Greetings

It is Paul's final farewell and instruction to the believers in Rome. He is affectionate toward them and gives final coaching to watch out for false doctrines and teachings and those who would cause division among them. He reminds them that Satan will soon be crushed under their feet and that His gospel is able to hold them until the day of Jesus.