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Romans - The Gospel of God
​Visiting Rome & Gospel Debt - Chap 1 vs 8-17 


Paul's Interest in the Saints in Rome vs 8-15

    Paul's Thanksgiving for the Saints v 8
Paul was a man of prayer. It was his native air. He lived in the atmosphere of heaven on earth being continually in communion with God. This is evident as we read his epistles. Most of them begin with either thanksgiving or prayer or both and are interspersed with references to prayer and expressions of praise (Rom 10:1; 11:33-36; 15:30-33; 16:25-27….). Like Paul, every servant of God should be a prayer warrior and a vessel of praise. Paul thanked God for every Roman believer and for the far reaching testimony of their Christian faith.

    Paul's Desire to Visit the Saints vs 9-12
Paul affirmed before God his unceasing remembrance of the Roman believers in his prayers and unabated request that in God’s will he may eventually and successfully make it to Rome (v 10) for he longed to see and serve them in order to build them up spiritually and in so doing benefit personally from the encouragement of their fellowship (vs 11-12).

Paul refers to how he served God in his spirit in the gospel of God’s Son (v 9). The gospel for Paul was a sacred service done with devotion and worship. He fulfilled his ministry in communion with God conscious of the privilege of preaching and making known the Son of God. Moreover, Paul’s ministry was a priestly ministry. He was ‘a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit’ (Rom 15:16 ESV). Paul never performed his service mechanically or ritualistically, but in adoration and for the glory of God. What a contrast to the ‘deadwood’ of so called religious leaders today who don’t even have the conviction to believe and preach what the Bible says never mind appreciate the wonder of the gospel concerning the Son of God.

   Paul's Purpose among the Saints vs 13-15
Up to this point, Paul had been hindered from coming to Rome even though he oftentimes purposed to visit. His workload in the East had prevented him moving west (Rom 15:19-23), but now with his ministry fulfilled in the East he wanted to fulfil a desire of many years and have a fruitful visit with the saints at Rome by edifying them and evangelizing with them. Paul saw himself as a debtor to all people whatever their culture background or social status (v 14). He was entrusted with and commissioned to preach the gospel (Acts 26:16-18; 1 Cor 9:17) and therefore considered himself under obligation to fulfil his God given ministry. He owed men the good news and was eager to discharge that responsibility everywhere he went.

Paul's Confidence in the Gospel of God vs 16-17

   The Message of God’s Transforming Power v 16
Paul had no embarrassment or felt no disgrace concerning the gospel (Cp Mark 8:38; Rom 6:21; 2 Tim 1:8). He would visit Rome with its lawyers, statesmen and orators bringing God’s message. What Paul preached had a power far greater than the might of Rome. It transformed lives, delivered souls and imparted righteousness. Paul would stand among the Romans with humility to declare with authority the greatest news ever heard by man.
 
   The Message of God’s Revealed Righteousness v 17
When Paul speaks about a righteousness of God being revealed in the gospel he is referring to the fact that sinners can be brought into right and harmonious relationship with God against whom all men have sinned. He will give or impute to the believing soul righteousness in the sense of a right standing before Him – they will be justified. God’s righteousness is declarative righteousness. That is, the man or woman reconciled to God by Christ’s death, is declared, or accounted righteous before Him being fully acquitted, fully forgiven, and fully accepted – they are justified. The bestowal of righteousness therefore has to do with our judicial standing before God in contrast to our moral regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul expounds this essential gospel truth in his epistle both as to the means of justification and the life of sanctification that follows. In these beginning chapters he proves the guilt of humanity, Gentile and Jew, and how all stand condemned as unrighteous before God in order to demonstrate that man’s only hope is the power of the gospel.

The gospel then addresses the issue of our status before God, our Creator and Judge, and answers the problem of how we who are alienated by sin and guilty of sinning can find acceptance with Him and be declared righteous before Him. Moreover, just as God’s saving power is experienced by the sinner who believes the gospel (v 16), so His righteousness is bestowed ‘altogether’ by faith – out of faith unto faith. It commences with faith in Christ and continues with faithfulness to Him. J. B. Phillips translation captures the idea: ‘A process begun and continued by their faith.’ This is not a new concept. It has always been so as God’s word to Habakkuk shows: ‘the just shall live by his faith’ (Hab. 2:4). This is Paul’s text and his epistle its ‘exposition’.

AJC
 

ESV - “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
Answers About God. Copyright © 2020, Aaron Colgan
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  • Home
  • Gospel Words
    • A Deadly Deed
    • Saving a President
    • The Death Zone
    • An Anchor of the Soul
    • Afraid Twice
    • Two Ways
    • Withering Grass & Fading Flowers
    • A Spider's Web
    • The Voice of the Son of God
    • Forgiven!
    • The Full Assurance of Hope
    • A Sinner's Prayer
    • A Present & Personal Saviour
    • The Great Supper
    • Judgment is Coming
    • A Closed Heart
    • "Iceberg Right Ahead!"
    • The Lamb of God
    • Truth & Certainty
    • 'Then the King Will Say'
    • The Testimony of the Chief of Sinners
    • The Testimony of the Lord's Prisoner
    • The Power of Christ
    • The Good Shepherd
    • 'Wonderful Words of Life'
    • Finding Wisdom
    • The Unchanging Person of Jesus Christ
  • Bible Answers
    • Remembering Our Creator
    • Was the Cross Necessary?
    • What is God Like?
    • Does the Resurrection Matter?
    • What's in a Name?
    • Why Must We be Saved?
    • "Who Art Thou, Lord?"
    • "The Unknown God" - Just Who is He?
    • "What is Truth?"
    • "Holy, Holy, Holy"
    • Knowing God
    • A Conversion Story
    • The Gospel according to Jonah
    • "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man Approved of God"
    • The Saviour of the World
    • A Chosen Vessel
    • Who is Jesus?
    • God's Mercy & Judgment
    • Does What I Think about the Son of God Matter?
    • 'How Shall we Escape if we Neglect so Great Salvation'?
    • What is Life Really All About?
    • The Rock of Ages
    • Easter Messages >
      • The Sufferings of Christ - Part 1
      • The Sufferings of Christ - Part 2
      • The Resurrection of Christ
      • Zion's King & God's Lamb
    • Christmas Messages >
      • Joseph, Mary & the Birth of Jesus
      • "A Savior who is Christ the Lord"
      • Hark the Herald Angels Sing
      • Covenant Promises & the Birth of Christ
  • Timeless Truths
    • Timeless Truths 1
    • Timeless Truths 2
    • Timeless Truths 3
    • Timeless Truths 4
    • Timeless Truths 5
    • Timeless Truths 6
    • Timeless Truths 7
  • Expository Messages
    • Topical Messages >
      • Spiritual Warfare
    • Psalms >
      • Psalms 84-88 >
        • Psalm 84 - The Courts of the LORD
        • Psalm 85 - 'Revive us Again'
        • Psalm 86 - Calling upon God in the Day of Trouble
        • Psalm 87 - The Glory of Zion, 'City of God'
        • Psalm 88 - Hands Stretched out in Grief
    • Minor Prophets - Study Notes by Gary Woods >
      • The Twelve Minor Prophets - An Overview
      • Hosea P1
      • Hosea P2
      • Joel P1
      • Joel P2
      • Amos P1
      • Amos P2
      • Obadiah
      • Jonah
      • Micah
      • Nahum
      • Habakkuk P1
      • Habakkuk P2
      • Zephaniah
      • The Post-Captivity Prophets - An Introduction
      • Haggai
      • Zechariah P1
      • Zechariah P2
      • Malachi
    • The Lord's Upper Room Ministry >
      • John 13:1-3 - The Omniscient Christ
      • John 13:4-17 - The Foot Washing Ministry of the Perfect Servant
      • John 13:18-38 - The Son of Man Glorified
      • John 14:1-3 - The Father's House P1
      • John 14:4-7 - The Father's House P2
      • John 14:8-14 - The Father's Visibility
      • John 14:15-26 - The Father's Gift
      • John 14:27-31 - The Father's Primacy
      • John 17 - The Lord's Intercessory Prayer
      • Excursus: The Passover & the Last Supper
    • Romans >
      • Romans - An Introduction
      • Romans - An Outline
      • Romans 1:1-7 - Paul's Salutation
      • Romans 1:8-17 - Visiting Rome & Gospel Debt
      • Romans 1:18-32 - Wrath Revealed & Why
      • Romans 2 - An Introduction to a Difficult Chapter
      • Romans 2:1-5 - The Hypocrisy of the Self-righteous P1
      • Romans 2:6-11 - The Hypocrisy of the Self-righteous P2
      • Romans 2:12-16 - The Hypocrisy of the Self-righteous P3
      • Romans 2:17-29 - The Guilt of the Self-confident
      • Romans 3:1-20 - 'All the World Guilty'
      • Romans 3:21-24 - The Heart of the Gospel P1
      • Romans 3:25a - The Heart of the Gospel P2
      • Romans 3:25b-31 - The Heart of the Gospel P3
    • 1 Corinthians >
      • 1 Corinthians 1:10-4:21 - Worldly Wisdom
  • Booklets