Bible Study: Romans Chapter 1, verses 1-7

In the previous blog, we saw that Paul introduces himself as a servant of Christ, called to be an apostle and set apart for preaching the Gospel of God. We need to consider just one or two more facts from this verse 1.

Paul calls Jesus as Christ Jesus here, preferring it to Jesus Christ. As we know the name ‘Jesus,’ ‘Yeshua’ in Hebrew means ‘Saviour.’ The Jews waited for a ‘Messiah,’ in Hebrew it meant the Anointed Saviour, to save them from political oppression through centuries of foreign domination.

The angel Gabriel, however, told Mary that the son to be born to her be given the name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sin. This was the fundamental confusion in the minds of the Temple elders about the role of the Messiah. Either way the name Jesus means Saviour. Matthew 1:21

Jesus was first addressed as Christ by Peter, Matthew 16:16, on the Mount of Transfiguration, when Jesus asks his disciples, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter says "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Christ is a title and not a name, and it means ‘the Anointed One,’ ‘Christos’ in Greek, which is the ‘Messiah’ of Hebrew language.

The title Christ is used here by Paul as the name itself. Jesus is not just Jesus Christ, but Christ Jesus. The emphasis here is on Jesus being the Son of God, over the name Jesus Christ, where the emphasis is on the man-part, Jesus being the Son of Man.

Having dwelt sufficiently on that, we can now turn to the last point of interest in Verse 1, that of ‘gospel of God.’ What is the gospel? What do we mean by that? Yes, gospel is the ‘good news,’ we all know. But what is that good news? The good news is that we have a Saviour now, who has the authority to forgive our sins, so that we can be reconciled to God the Father and inherit eternal life.

According to other religions, for example in Hinduism, no one, including God has power to forgive one’s sins. One must suffer the bad effects of one’s bad ‘karma,’ and do meritorious deeds like feeding the poor, visiting places of pilgrimage, etc., thus earning good ‘karmic’ points, to be absolved of one’s sins.

In such a scenario, Christ comes offering salvation as a gift, as he has the power to forgive our sins, because of what he did on the cross. That is the good news that we are celebrating as the Gospel of God.

Moving to the second verse, Paul says that this gospel of God, the good news, has been promised beforehand through God’s prophets in the Holy Scriptures. The very day Eve and Adam sinned, while pronouncing the punishments to each one of the erred party, God had made a provision for the salvation of humankind.

In Genesis 3:15, God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” Paul goes on to explain this ‘seed’ as Jesus Christ in Galatians 3:16.

Such references are strewn throughout the Old Testament (OT) books and prophesies, foretelling the coming of a Messiah, a Saviour who will save us from our sins and fallen nature. God selected Abraham and said that through him “all the people on earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12:3.

Once Messiah, the Saviour Jesus Christ had come, the way for salvation was thrown open to all humankind, without any difference between Jews and Gentiles. That is the blessing and the good news Paul is talking about here. In Galatians 3:28-29 Paul reiterates this point further.  

This carrier of the good news of God was to be a descendant of David, as far as his human nature was concerned. Romans 1:3. David was promised by God that he will not lack a descendant to sit on his throne. In 2 Samuel 7:12-16, God gave David a promise, a Davidic Covenant, that “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me.” This was fulfilled in Christ, the eternal King, or ‘King eternal,’ as in the doxology at 1 Timothy 1:17.

The next verse addresses the divine nature of this Jesus Christ, the good news of God. Through the Spirit of holiness, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was declared the Son of God. Jesus was not just a human being, but was also Divine, the Son of God. He was thus declared as Son of God by the Holy Spirit, through the power of whom, Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

Paul further explains this concept in Romans 8:11, where the emphasis is again on the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead. The power of God, which created the heavens and earth and all that are therein, Genesis 1: 2, is the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and will raise us also on the Judgement Day.

On earth in our present lives, it is the same Spirit, which will transform and renew our minds so that we find approval of God to inherit the eternal life. Romans 12:2  

Paul calls Jesus Christ as ‘our Lord,’ here in verse 4. It was the resurrected Jesus who was addressed as ‘the Lord,’ first by Thomas, who had doubted the resurrection of Jesus, and on meeting the resurrected Jesus personally called Him, “My Lord and my God.” John 20:28. Resurrection was the proof that Jesus Christ was and is our Lord God Almighty. Revelation 1:8.

Paul now rounds up his own credentials by stating in verse 5 that through this resurrected Jesus Christ, and for the purposes of glorifying His name, people like him had received grace and apostleship. To minister to Jesus Christ is a calling, and it is not obtained by our efforts, but it is purely due to grace of God. There is nothing for us to boast. It is by grace of God that we get this privilege.

And the purpose of this calling, bestowed upon the apostles is to call all people, including those of Gentiles to the obedience to Jesus Christ. In today’s parlance, Gentile would mean any non-Christian, anyone who has not yet accepted Christ as his/her saviour and Lord.

The Great Commission given by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20 says, “… go and make disciples of all nations, … and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” This is the obedience that Paul is mentioning in verse 5, and this comes from faith.

Faith believes in the work Jesus Christ had done on the cross, dying in our place, so that we sinners can go scot free. This is the faith that will save us from our sins. As Jesus himself said, we are to believe in the One sent by God. John 6:29.

Paul now mentions in verse 6 that the believers in Roman church also have the privilege of being called to be the ambassadors of Christ, for they also belong to Jesus Christ, mainly because of their faith in Him.   

Paul completes his introduction by addressing this letter to all in Rome, who are loved by God and called to be saints. All believers who believe in Christ are loved by God, the Father, for He has already declared at the Mount of Transfiguration, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Matthew 17:5

Are we saints of the Lord? That is how Paul addresses his readers at Rome and almost every church he writes to. To be a saint is to be holy, sacred and set apart. A believer is asked to be holy, and set apart from the ‘world,’ so that he/she is totally dedicated to God through Jesus Christ.

One main theme of OT is God demanding that His people be holy. Lev.19:2, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” This is reiterated in New Testament by Peter in 1 Peter 1:15. Are we worthy of being called saints of the Lord? If not, we need to obey His commandments and make ourselves worthy of the calling we have received.

Finally, Paul extends his customary greetings of extending grace and peace to the believers in Rome, from God the Father and the Son, Lord Jesus Christ.

May I also extend all grace and peace and joy on this New Year’s Day that the Lord has enabled us all to see and enjoy?

Praise be to the Lord God alone.

Amen.