Context of Romans
Romans 1 presents the Gospel as the Good News promised beforehand in Scripture and centered on Jesus Christ, the Son of David and Son of God in power. Paul teaches that believers are justified by faith and called to the obedience of faith, while also showing that God’s righteousness is necessary because humanity suppresses the truth in sin. The chapter holds together the holiness, wrath, mercy, and faithfulness of God as the foundation for understanding salvation in Christ.
The Gospel of Jesus
Romans 1 begins by focusing on the Gospel.
The word Gospel means “Good News.”
Every Christian needs to understand what the Gospel is.
The Good News is centered on one person: Jesus Christ.
The Gospel Was Promised Beforehand
Paul teaches that the Gospel was promised beforehand by God in Scripture.
The Old Testament prepared the way for the Good News.
The bad news of human failure helps us appreciate the Good News of Christ.
God works through history with purpose and meaning.
Jesus the Son of David
Jesus is God’s Son and the direct heir of David.
This points to His messianic identity.
When people call Jesus “Son of David,” they are recognizing Him as the Messiah.
Paul emphasizes this because he is addressing a Jewish audience.
Jesus the Son of God in Power
Jesus is revealed as the Son of God in power through the resurrection.
Paul presents two stages: Jesus in the flesh and Jesus in resurrection power.
The Holy Spirit confirms Jesus with power.
The resurrection reveals the next stage of God’s redemptive work.
The Obedience of Faith
Paul’s apostolic mission is to call the Romans to the obedience of faith.
Saving faith is not opposed to obedience.
Paul teaches believers what to believe about justification and sanctification.
Believers are called to obey what they believe.
The Righteousness of God
Righteousness means being upright or in right standing.
The Old Testament law served as the standard of measurement.
Jesus fulfilled the standard of the law through sinless perfection.
Through faith in Christ, righteousness is accounted to the believer.
The Structure of Romans
Romans 1–8 focuses on justification through faith.
Romans 9–11 addresses Israel and corrects Gentile attitudes toward the Jews.
Romans 12–16 applies the Gospel to practical Christian living.
Paul moves from doctrine to unity and then to faithful Christian practice.
Justification and Sanctification
Justification means God legally declares the believer righteous.
Sanctification means living out that righteousness.
God first declares believers upright, then calls them to walk uprightly.
Sanctification flows from justification.
God’s Faithfulness
God was faithful to send Jesus.
God was faithful to fulfill what He promised in the Old Testament.
Believers are legally righteous now, but will one day be made fully righteous.
The Christian life is growth from faith to faith.
The Wrath of God
Romans 1:18–26 teaches that the wrath of God is a New Testament reality.
God has wrath because He is holy, just, and good.
God’s love is a holy love.
God hates sin because of what it does to His world and to His people.
The Bad News
The Good News must be understood in light of the bad news of sin.
God’s wrath shows why God’s righteousness is needed.
Humanity suppresses the truth in unrighteousness.
Paul teaches that people are without excuse before God.
The Human Problem
Paul argues that humanity has rejected the knowledge of God.
People know what is wrong and still do what is wrong.
In Romans 1, Paul indicts the Gentiles.
In Romans 2, Paul will indict the Jews.
Becoming What We Worship
Sin distorts what it means to be human.
People become like what they worship.
Worshiping God forms us according to God.
Rejecting God leads people away from true humanity.
Wrath and Mercy
Scripture teaches both the wrath of God and the mercy of God.
These truths must be held together.
We should not remove God’s wrath in the name of mercy.
We should not remove God’s mercy in the name of wrath.
