CHAPTER ONE: Apostolic Introduction. Verses 1-7.

Apostolic Introduction. Verses 1-7.

Personal Greetings, and Expressions of Desire to See and to Preach to Saints in Rome. Verses 8-15.

Great Theme of the Epistle: The Gospel the Power of God,--Because of the By-Faith-Righteousness Revealed Therein. Verses 16-17.

The World's Danger: God's Wrath Revealed Against Human Sin. Verses 18-20.

The awful Course of Man's Sin, and Man's Present State, Related and Described. Verses 21-32.

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated unto God's good news, 2 which He before promised through His prophets in (the) holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son: who was born of David's seed according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by resurrection of the dead,--Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations for His name's sake; 6 among whom are ye also,--called as Jesus Christ's: 7 to all those who are in Rome beloved of God, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 1: PAUL--We see Paul's name standing alone here--no Silas, Timothy or other brother with him. For Paul is himself Christ's apostle unto the Gentiles, the declarer, as here in Romans, of the gospel for this dispensation. Also, in revealing the heavenly character, calling, and destiny of the Church as the Body and Bride of Christ, and as God's House, as in Ephesians, Paul stands alone. When essential doctrines and directions are being laid down, no one is associated with the apostle in the authority given to him,

We dare not glory in a man, not even in Paul, whose life and ministry are by far the most remarkable of those of any human being. [1] Yet our Lord Jesus said: "He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me receiveth him that sent Me" (John 13:20). And Paul was especially sent to us Gentiles. At the first council of the Church, recorded in Acts 15, "They who were of repute" (in the church in Jerusalem), said Paul, "saw that I had been intrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the gospel of the circumcision" (Gal. 2:7).

Throughout church history, to depart from Paul has been heresy. To receive Paul's gospel and hold it fast, is salvation,--"By which (gospel) ye are saved, if ye hold fast the very word I preached unto you" (I Cor. 15:1, 2 margin),

A bondservant of Jesus Christ--Paul was bondservant before he was apostle. Saul of Tarsus' first words, as he lay in the dust in the Damascus road, blinded by the glory of Christ's presence, were, "Who art thou, Lord?" And when there came the voice, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest," his next words were, "What shall I do, Lord?"--instant, utter surrender! It is deeply instructive to mark that although our Lord said, "No longer do I call you bondservants, but friends"; yet, successively, Paul, James, Peter, Jude and John (Re 1:1), name themselves bondservants (Greek; douloi),--and that with great delight! It is the "service of perfect freedom"--deepest of all devotions, that of realized redemption and perfected love. [2]

Paul next names himself a called apostle, or "apostle by calling." Three times in these first seven verses the word "called" occurs, and three times more in the Epistle this great word is written: Chapter 8:28, 30 (twice). Compare Paul's three other uses of the word: I Cor. 1:2, 9, 24; and Jude's: Jude 1; and the one other occurrence: Re 17:14. "Called" means designated and set apart by an action of God to some special sphere and manner of being and of consequent activity. In the sixth verse of our chapter, the saints are described in the words "called as Jesus Christ's." They were given to Him by the Father (John 17), and connected with Him before their earth-history: "chosen in Him before the foundation of the world"; and in the seventh verse verse we read that they are "called as saints," or "saints by calling," which does not at all mean that they were invited to become saints--a Romish doctrine! But that they were saints by divine sovereign calling; holy ones, having been washed in Christ's blood; and having been created in Christ Jesus. It was their mode of being; even as the holy angels did not become angels by a process of holiness, but were created into the angelic sphere and manner of being. Such is the meaning of the word "called" with Paul. [3]

Separated unto God's good news--This expression is explained further in Galatians 1:15: "God separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the nations." In like manner were born Moses, who Stephen says was "fair unto God," --that is, manifestly marked out to be used by God (Acts 7:20, R. V., margin); and John the Baptist, of whom Gabriel said, that he would be "filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb . . . to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for Him." Likewise were Jacob, Samson, Samuel, and Jeremiah separated even before birth to an appointed calling.

The sovereignty of God is thus seen at the very beginning of this great Epistle. And how well Paul carried out his separation to this high calling, the gospel, the good news about Christ! Yet there are those today, even today, who in ignorance and pride affect to despise the words of this great apostle,--as Peter [4] warns, "to their own destruction" (II Peter 3:16).

Now as to this "good news of God," we see in our passage two great facts:

First, that it is God's good news. Mark this well! It was God who loved the world; it was God who sent His Son. Note our Lord's continual insistence on this in the gospel of John (19 times!). Christ said constantly "I am not come of Myself, but My Father sent Me." It is absolutely necessary that we keep fast in mind, as we read in Romans the awful facts about ourselves, that it is God who is leading us up to His own good news for bad sinners!

Second, (verse 2), that the good news was promised through His prophets in holy Scriptures--These are the Old Testament Scriptures, [5] with promises, types, and direct prophecies of good news to come, both to Israel and to the nations, concerning His Son. We shall find in Romans 3:21 that there is revealed "a righteousness of God" which had been "witnessed by the law and the prophets": witnessed by the law, in that it provided sacrifices and a way of forgiveness for those who failed in its observance; and witnessed by the prophets directly in such passages as these: "By the knowledge of Himself shall my righteous Servant [Christ] make many righteous" (Isa. 53:11); and, "This is His name whereby He shall be called: Jehovah our righteousness" (Jer. 23:6; 33:16) ; and again, "The righteous shall live by faith" (Hab. 2:4).

Verses 3 and 4: Concerning His Son--Specifically (a) that He died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (b) that He was buried, (c) that He hath been raised the third day according to the Scriptures, (d) that He appeared to various witnesses. The good news Paul preached is therefore scientifically specific, and must be held in our minds in its accuracy, as it lay in that of the apostle. (See I Cor. 15:3-8)

These great facts concerning Christ's death, burial, and resurrection are the beginning of the gospel; as Paul says: "I delivered unto you (these) first of all." [6]

The gospel is all about Christ. Apart from Him, there is no news from heaven but that of coming woe! Read that passage in I Corinthians 15:3-5: "I make known unto you the gospel which I preached unto you: that Christ died, Christ was buried; Christ hath been raised; Christ was seen." It is all about the Son of God! This is the record of Paul's first preaching, after "the heavenly vision": "Straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God" (Acts 9:20).

Who was born of David's seed according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness, by resurrection of the dead--We have here two things: first, Christ as a Man "according to the flesh"; and as such fulfilling the promises as to "the seed of David"; second, Christ as Son of God, declared so to be with power by His resurrection,--and that "according to the Spirit of holiness," even that holiness in which He had existed and had walked on earth all His life. [7] Christ, the Holy One of God had, "through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish unto God," at the cross (Heb. 9:14). God the Father then acted in power and glory, and raised Him (Rom. 6:4, Eph. 1:19, 20 Christ was thus irresistibly, eternally "declared to be the Son of God"! Always when prophesying His death, Christ included His rising again the third day as the proof of all. In his last Epistle (II Tim. 2:8) Paul connects these same two facts about our Lord: "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel." [8]

Jesus Christ our Lord--Ten times in Romans Paul uses this title, or, "Our Lord Jesus Christ," that full name beloved by the apostles and all instructed saints from Pentecost onward: for "God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified" (Acts 2:36). Jesus, His personal name (Matt. 1:21) as Savior; Christ, God's Anointed One to do all things for us; Lord, His high place over us all for whom His work was done; and as, truly, Lord of all things in heaven and earth (Acts 10:36).

Verse 5: Through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for His name's sake--Personal grace must come before true service. The grace Paul had received concerned both his personal salvation and his service as the great example of divine favor. Paul's own words are the best comment on this: "I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Cor. 15:9, 10); and, "I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all His longsuffering, for an ensample of them that should thereafter believe on Him unto eternal life" (I Tim. 1:16). Paul's apostleship was marked out by the fact that he had "seen Jesus our Lord" (I Cor. 9:1), and by the "signs of an apostle," in "authority," (II Cor. 10:8; 13:10), in "all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works" (II Cor. 12:12). Though desperately resisted by the Jerusalem Judaizers, he continually insisted, to the glory of God, upon "obedience of faith among all the nations." To obey God's good news, is simply to believe it. There is now a "law of faith" (3:27); and Paul ends this Epistle with this same wonderful phrase: "obedience of faith" (16:26). Paul was not establishing what is now called "the Christian religion"! Having abandoned the only religion God ever gave, that of the Jews, [9] he went forth with a simple message concerning Christ, to be believed by everybody, anybody, anywhere. And all was "for His name's sake" --Christ's. And why not! The Christ of glory had done the work, had "emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, yea, the death of the cross." He was the "propitiation for the whole world" (I John 2:2). We are likely to think of the gospel as something published for our sake only, whereas in fact God is having it published for the sake of His dear Son, Who died. It is sweet to enter into this, as did John: "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His Name's sake" (I Joh 2:12). Preachers, teachers, and missionaries everywhere, should regard themselves as laboring for Christ's Name's sake, first of all.

Verse 6: Among whom are ye also,--called as Jesus Christ's--The saints are connected with Jesus Christ,--"called as of Him"; as we read in