Romans 1 (Bible Study)
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Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life[a] was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from[c] faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,[d] that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[f]
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
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Daniel
Read Romans 1:1-17
1. (v.1, 5) What is the passion and purpose of Paul's life?
(1:5) Paul has received “grace and apostleship” (i.e., both his job (apostleship) and power to accomplish it, grace). The goal of his life is to bring to “the Gentiles… the obedience that comes from faith.” Romans unfolds what this means. An obedient heart and life come from knowing we are accepted and righteous in God’s eyes through our faith in Christ. (1v1) Paul was “set apart” to spread the gospel. The gospel is something so great that he is willing to separate himself from everything (wealth, health, acclaim, friends, safety, etc.) in order to be faithful to it. Sum: Paul’s goal is to see the pagan nations know the obedience to God that springs from embracing the gospel. Paul is prepared to lose anything to see that accomplished
2. (v.1-6) What do we learn about the content of this gospel from the first 6 verses?
v2 Its origin. The gospel is not a new thing, but the Old Testament was all about it (“the gospel… which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures”).
v3-4 It’s subject. The gospel centres on Jesus. It is about him, not us. It is “the gospel concerning his Son.” We learn that Jesus is both human (“who was descended from David according to the flesh”(v3) and divine (“declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection”(v4).
v5-6 Its result. The gospel, embraced by faith, triggers obedience to God (“the obedience that comes from faith”).
3. (v.8-15) What is the immediate goal of Paul?
(v8-10) He has heard a lot about the Roman church, though he has never been there. They are constantly on his mind. (v11) He wants to come to Rome in person and use his spiritual gifts (“impart to you some spiritual gift”) which means he wants to use his preaching and pastoring to see them grow in the spirit. (And to be built up in his faith.)
4. (v.16) Why does Paul refer to being not ashamed (i.e. offended) by the gospel? In what ways can the gospel offend or be despised?
a) The gospel, by telling us that our salvation is free and not earned, is really insulting. It tells us that we are such spiritual failures that the only way to salvation is for it to be a complete gift. This offends moral and religious persons who think their decency gives them an advantage over less moral people.
b) The gospel, by telling us Jesus died for us, is also really insulting. It tells us that we are so wicked that only the death of the Son of God could save us. This offends the modern cult of self-expression and the popular belief in the innate goodness of humanity.
c) The gospel, by telling us that “trying to be good and spiritual isn’t enough” insists then that not any good person, but only those who come to God through Jesus, will be saved. This offends the modern notion that any nice person anywhere can find God “in his own way.” We don’t like losing our autonomy.
d) The gospel tells us that our salvation was accomplished by Jesus’ suffering and serving (not conquering and destroying), and that following him means to suffer and serve with him. This offends people who want salvation to be an easy life; this offends people who want their lives to be safe and comfortable.
5a (v.16) What does Paul mean when he calls the gospel “the power of God,” - how is it powerful?
5b. What releases the power of the gospel into our lives?
Paul is often fond of contrasting “mere” words with power (see I Cor.4:20). Paul is saying that the gospel is not merely a concept or a philosophy. In the gospel, words and power come together. But the very message of the gospel is what God has done and will do for us. And Paul says that therefore the gospel, appropriately, is a power. He doesn’t say it brings power or has power, but that it actually is power. The gospel message is actually the power of God in verbal, cognitive form. It lifts people up; it transforms and changes things. When it is articulated or reflected upon, the power is released.
Theodoret likened the gospel to a pepper. “A pepper outwardly seems cold to the senses, but the person who crunches it between his teeth experiences the sensation of burning fire.” In the same way, the gospel can appear like a theory or philosophy. But if we take it in personally, we find it full of power.
It is the power of God “unto salvation.” The gospel’s power is seen in its ability to completely change minds, hearts, the orientation of our whole lives, the way we understand and comprehend everything that happens, the way people relate to one another, and so on. But most of all, it is powerful because it does what no other power on earth can do — it can save us, reconcile us to God, and guarantee us a place in the kingdom of God forever.
5b. The power of God brings salvation to everyone who believes. The only way to receive the gospel and its power is through faith. Paul immediately tells us that the gospel’s power is both boundless and boundaried at the same time. He says it is to everyone. The gospel is offered to everyone. It came to the Jew first, through Jesus, but it is for the Gentile, everyone and anyone. (v14 – it is for the wise as well as the foolish — it is for everyone who believes.
6a. (v.17) What is the righteousness spoken of here? 6b What does it mean to “live” by this righteousness of faith?
“Righteousness” definition — to be “right” with your company or with another person. Is a positional word, means to have a good or “right standing,” no liabilities with the other party. It means you are acceptable to the other party because your record has nothing on it to jeopardise your relationship. The other party has nothing against you, etc.
The righteousness of God would mean the character of God as righteous, i.e. as perfectly holy and good, without any fault or blame. But Paul speaks of a righteousness from God. Meaning this “right standing” with God is something that can be received from God when we believe in all he has done for us. Much more is being promised here than mere forgiveness.
1. Many people think Jesus died merely to forgive us. Our sins were laid on him, and when we believe in him, we are pardoned. That is true, but that is only half of Christian salvation. If that were all he did, we would then receive a new “wiped clean” slate.
2. But here Paul tells us that we are not just declared “not guilty” but “perfectly righteous.” How this happens will be revealed later in the book.
THIS IS A COMPLETE REVERSAL OF BOTH A) NATURAL TENDENCY OF THE HUMAN HEART AND B) THE UNIVERSAL This is a reversal of our human nature and the thrust of all other religions. Others think of Salvation as providing a righteousness to God while the Gospel says Salvation is receiving Righteousness from God.
6b (v.17) What does it mean to “live” by this righteousness of faith?
Innumerable responses and illustrations that your group can provide to this question. Most answers go like this:
At the root of each and every sin, and each and every problem is unbelief and rejection of the gospel. People who are immoral and people who are moral both reject the gospel when they try to be their own saviour.
1. When licentious people reject religion and God, their rebellion is really a refusal to believe the gospel — that they are so sinful only Jesus can be their saviour
2. When moralistic people pick up religion and morality and become either anxious (because they are aware they can never live up to standards) or proud (because they think they have), their anxiety and/or pride is really a refusal to believe the gospel — that they are so sinful only Jesus can be their saviour.
3. When Christian people sin, it is always a forgetting that they cannot save themselves, only Jesus can.
When bitter, it is because we have forgotten that we are already totally saved by grace alone — so how can we withhold grace? When we are overworking out of fear of failure, or depressed because we have failed, it is because we have forgotten that we cannot earn our own righteousness, that in God’s eyes we are righteous.
(Ask how other sins are rooted in a desire to be our own saviour and to forget that he is our only saviour and righteousness).
Romans 1:1-17 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you
10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong, 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Read Romans Chapter 1:17-32
Summary 1:17 God provides a perfect righteousness for us. It is received by faith. 1:18 God’s wrath revealed and deserved. 1:19-25 – God’s wrath deserved – “without excuse” God discloses his glory v.19 God’s existence is disclosed v.20 God’s nature (power and divinity) is revealed in the created order Humanity rejects true worship and glory v.21a Refusal to glorify or thank the Creator v21b Both true reasoning processes and unconfused emotions are lost Humanity constructs counterfeit worship and glory v22-23 Counterfeit religions and ideologies all worship something created v.24 Counterfeit worship leads to bondage and addiction (“gave them up”) v.25a Counterfeit worship based on believing a particular set of lies v.25b Sum: if we won’t worship the Creator we will worship something created 1:26 The principle of God’s wrath: he gives us up to our false worship v26-27 The effects of God’s wrath on the desires v28-32 The effects of God’s wrath on the mind and will
1a. (v.17) What is the righteousness spoken of here? 1b What does it mean to “live” by this righteousness of faith?
The righteousness of God means the character of God is righteous, i.e. as perfectly holy and good, without any fault. But Paul speaks of a righteousness from God. Meaning this is something that can be received from God when we believe in all he has done for us. Much more is being promised here than mere forgiveness.
1. Many people think Jesus died to forgive us. Our sins were laid on him, and when we believe, we are pardoned. That is true, but it is only half of Salvation. If that were all he did, we would then receive a new “wiped clean” slate.
2. But here Paul tells us that we are not just declared “not guilty” but “perfectly righteous.”
1b (v.17) What does it mean to “live” by this righteousness of faith?
Innumerable responses and illustrations that your group can provide to this question. Most answers go like this:
At the root of each and every sin, and each and every problem is unbelief and rejection of the gospel. People who are immoral and people who are moral both reject the gospel when they try to be their own saviour.
1. When licentious people reject God, it is a refusal to believe the gospel — that they are so sinful only Jesus can be their saviour
2. When moralistic people pick up religion and morality and become proud (because they are good) or anxious due to failing. Both 1 & 2 is really a refusal to believe the gospel (we are sinful and only Jesus can be their saviour).
3. When Christian people sin, it is always a forgetting that they cannot save themselves, only Jesus can.
We are already totally saved by grace alone. We forget that we cannot earn our own righteousness, in God’s eyes we are righteous. Do you think sins are rooted in a desire to be our own saviour forgetting he is our only saviour and righteousness?
2. (v.18) What does this verse tells us about the wrath of God?
Note: Don’t let this discussion go on too long. The wrath of God is a main subject but there are other major themes that Paul lays out which must be understood before we grasp God’s justice OR the operation of God’s wrath in the world today.
a) Its existence. A loving God is also a wrathful God. Some may question this, or say, “I have trouble with this.” We tend to be taken aback by the thought that God could be angry. How can God who is perfect and loving be angry?
We can tolerate the excesses of others. So what is God’s problem? But love detests what destroys the beloved. ‘Human love here offers a true analogy: the more a father loves his son, the more he hates in him the drunkard, the liar, the traitor.’ E.H.Gifford Anger isn’t the opposite of love. Hate is, and indifference is a form of hate. Can a good God forgive bad people without compromising himself? ‘Oh, never mind...boys will be boys.’ Try telling that to someone who lost family in the Holocaust. To be truly good, one has to be outraged by evil and implacably hostile to injustice. – Rebecca Pippert, Hope Has its Reasons could add or in Russian invasion of Ukraine.
b) Its object. It is versus “godlessness” (disregard of God’s rights) and “wickedness” (refers to disregard of human rights to love, truth, justice, etc.).
c) It is deserved. This important idea of “suppressing the truth” implies every person “deep down” knows God exists. 1:21 says all human beings, even the pagans “knew God.” (Doesn’t mean a personal relationship).
d) It’s the reason we need the gospel. 1:16-18 shows that the gospel is necessary not simply to make us happy but because there is such a thing as the wrath of God. If you believe in the wrath of God, the gospel will transform you.
3. (vv.18-21) Why does Paul say that all human beings are “without excuse” if they don’t seek or serve God?
NB Don’t let the group give you just a general answer here. A guiding question: “What are some of these clear evidences Paul is referring to and how have we no excuse?” Ans: God has provided in nature numerous clear clues and evidences to his existence and nature. “What may be known about God is plain to them” (v19) “being understood from what has been made” (v20).
This means that looking at the world should show you: that God exists and should be worshipped (“divine nature”) and that there must be a personal creator who brought all this about. NB Paul does not say that reasoning and investigation of the world will show us the way of salvation. That can only come through special revelation (Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets — i.e. the Bible).
4. (vv.22-25) What does Paul tell us always happens to human beings who reject worship of the true God? a) Counterfeit god construction. Paul uses two words: we worship and serve created things. It means we were created to worship the Creator, so if we reject him we will worship something and that which we worship we will serve or “obey.” To live in the world, we have to order our lives into priorities and something will have the highest priority, that gives us meaning. Whatever that is, we “serve.” That defines and validates all other things we do.
b) Bondage and addiction. Paul says “therefore God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts.”
This means that the things we serve will not free us. They control us. We have to have them in order to be happy, to have meaning in life. And since our hearts were made to centre on God, not on any created thing, they cannot satisfy sowe always need more and more. (Paul Merson). Another quote: “Whatever controls us is our lord. The person who seeks power is controlled by power. The person who seeks acceptance is controlled by acceptance. We do not control ourselves. We are controlled by the lord of our lives.” – Rebecca Pippert, Out of the Saltshaker
5. Application: What are some examples of idols? Give examples of how personal, political and social problems result from “worshipping the creature rather than the creator?”
A way to tell what your “idols,” are is to ask, “What if I lose it, would deprive me of a desire to even live? What do I need in order to accept myself?” That is your lord. Some examples of personal idols:
A. Workaholism. Work becomes the thing you live for — to be productive and useful.
B. Co-dependent “enabling.” Needing to feel needed is what you live for.
C. Beauty and image. This can have various forms, including eating disorders.
D. Sex and physical gratification. (Paul mentions these in vv.26-27).
E. Romance. This is not the same as pure sexual gratification. You live for crushes or for someone to love you.
F. Perfectionism in general. You live to keep complete control of your life.
G. Materialism. Money and possessions become the salvation and driving force of your life.
Some examples of social/cultural idols:
a) Fascism. Make an idol of one’s race or nationality rather than getting identity as a child of God.
b) Communism. Make an idol of the state. Government, not God will solve all problems. Marx: everything is political. c) Populism. Making an idol out of public opinion or majority rule, rather than what God says is right.
d) Capitalism. Making an idol out of the market. Seeing all our problems as economic ones.
e) Multi-culturalism. One’s ethnic group or culture is sovereign. Can’t be criticized (it is absolute, not God’s Word)
f) Enlightenment humanism. Makes an idol of reason and science has an answer for everything. All non-Christian philosophies and ideologies elevate some created thing to the place of ultimate arbiter of truth and meaning.
6. (vv.26-32) What are all the consequences of false worship Paul lists (spiritual, mental, moral, physical)? These are mainly found in verses 26-32. Paul teaches that false worship leads to disintegration of human life.
A. Confusion and frustration, (v21), “futile reasoning,” because to deny the supremacy of the true God requires holding to suppression of truth. v24, “exchanged the truth of God for a lie.” (v21), “darkened hearts,” because the heart and desires were originally built for God and nothing put on the throne of the heart will satisfy.
B. Bondages & addictions (v24,26,28) “gave them over in the sinful desires” every false god is a tyrant we can’t satisfy.
C. Decay of personal and corporate life (v29-31) - behaviour deteriorates. It leads to 1. Economic disorder “greed,” 2. Social disorder; “murder, strife, deceit, malice,” 3. Family breakdown – “disobey parents,” 4. Relational breakdown; “gossips, slanderers, insolent, arrogant, boastful” 5. Character breakdown; “senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless”
Note: It is quite possible that the group will want to talk about vv.26-27 which sees homosexuality as a sexual bondage that flows out of idolatry. This is the longest passage in the Bible on homosexuality 1. This calls homosexuality “against nature” (para phusin). This means it is a violation of the nature God gave us. 2. This says homosexuality comes from worshipping the creature rather than the creator. 3. Every breakdown comes from idolatry of some kind, homosexuality isn’t the only one! Idolizing of same-sex love could describe homosexuality.
7. vv.18-32 Review question: In light of all you have studied, what have you learned about
a) how God’s wrath works right now and b) why God’s wrath is fair and just.
God’s wrath is revealed (v18) but the justice and operation of his wrath can only be understood by looking at the self-destructive power of evil. Darkened hearts and minds are the direct results of rejecting the truth. The bondage they experience emotionally is the result of worshipping false gods that cannot satisfy (v23,24). Sin is violating the order God created (e.g. God created us to serve Him; God created us to live unselfish lives; God created us to tell the truth). Sin adds stresses and strains to life that will lead to breakdowns — spiritually, psychologically, socially, physically.
Therefore, God’s wrath and punishment is to “give us over” (v24a, 26a, 28b) to the things we worship and the things we want. That is the justice yet terror of God’s wrath. Just, because “deep-down” we know that God exists (v20 “no excuse”) and he gives us what we want (v27). The terrible truth is the worst thing God can do to a human is to let us reach their idolatrous goals.
