Salutation (1:1-15)
Theme: Righteousness from God (1:16-17)

Verse 1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God -

Classical Greek and Latin letters typically begin with a Salutation. These openings followed a fairly standard format in which the author identified himself and the person or persons to whom the letter is addressed, followed by a greeting or salutation to the addressee. The opening paragraph of the letter to the Romans follows this standard format. St. Paul identifies himself as the author (1:1-6). He identifies the Christians in Rome as the group to whom the letter is addressed (1:7), and adds a word of greeting and commendation (1:7). This same pattern can be observed in the other epistles of the New Testament.

Paul - Paul was born in Tarsus in the Roman province of Cilicia to an observant Jewish household, during the first decade of the Christian era. He describes himself as circumcised in the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew, born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee. (Philippians 3:6). His father had been granted the privilege of Roman citizenship, which Paul inherited at birth. (Acts 22:27) His Roman cognomen was Paulus. His Hebrew name was Saul, after the first king of Israel who also hailed from the tribe of Benjamin. After his conversion to Christianity, Paul typically identifies himself with his Latin name (Acts 13:9 notes the transition). In keeping with Jewish custom, Saul learned the trade of his father, who was a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Saul received his education in Jerusalem, where he studied under the great rabbi Gamaliel, the leading pharisee of the day (Acts 5:38f.; 22:3; Galatians 1:14). Prior to his conversion, Saul was an ardent pharisee (Acts 23:6; 26:5), and an active opponent of Christianity (Acts 7:58; 9:1,2; 26:11). Paul's unique background - trained in the intricacies of Judaic law, from a wealthy family in a cosmopolitan Greek city, with the rights and privileges of Roman citizenship - equipped him for his special role as the major spokesman for the Gospel in his generation (Cf. Galatians 1:15). He truly was God's keynote speaker for heralding the gospel (MacArthur, p.4).

A servant of Christ Jesus - Paul uses the salutation as a means of introducing himself to the Christians in Rome. In effect, he transforms the formal self-identification of the sender into a personal confession of faith. He defines his essential identity in a series of three phrases. First and foremost, he is a servant of Christ Jesus. The Greek noun doulos literally refers to a bond-servant or a slave. It conveys the basic connotation of subservience and usually referred to those who were in permanent bondage from which there was no release but death. The Mosaic law provided the means by which an indentured servant could choose to become the permanent slave of a master whom he loved and respected (Exodus 21:5-6). This is clearly the sense in which St. Paul applies the term to himself. He has given himself wholeheartedly and irrevocably to the Savior Who had rescued him from sin and death. In genuine humility, Paul recognizes that the greatest honor in all the world is to be a slave of Christ Jesus. That which is true of the apostle is, of course, true of every Christian. The New Testament regularly uses this same powerful word in reference to all believers (cf. Ephesians 6:6; 1 Peter 2:16; 1 Corinthians 7:22). He designates his Master as Christ Jesus (Christ - Greek, the Anointed One; Jesus - Hebrew, Savior) using both the Hebrew title of the promised Messiah and the personal name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Called to be an apostle - The second phrase defines the authority of Paul's ministry and the basis for the letter which follows. Paul is not merely another slave of Jesus Christ, one among many thousands. He is a part of that select group of men who were directly chosen by the Lord to be His apostles. The Greek noun apostolos means one who has been sent on a mission. The word is used seventy-nine times in the New Testament. In a few of those instances it retains its more general, original sense of a messenger or delegate (cf. Acts14:14; Romans 16:7). But the word's primary reference in Scripture is to the fourteen men (the Twelve, Matthias as a replacement for Judas, and Paul) whom Christ personally chose and called to proclaim the Gospel and lead the church with His personal authority (Luke 6:13; Acts 1:15-26). The call of an apostle comes immediately from Christ Himself (Galatians 1:1). For Paul, that call came in a blinding flash of heavenly light on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:3-6; 22:6-21; 26:12-18) and from that moment on he proclaimed the Gospel which God had directly revealed to him (Galatians 1:11-24).

Apostle is one of the least appreciated and even most misunderstood words in the Christian vocabulary...The apostles knew that they were to witness in an extraordinary, supernatural sense. Because they were apostles, God spoke authoritatively through them, so that what they said as apostles carried the force of divine teaching or Scripture...By calling himself an apostle in Romans, Paul reminds his readers that he is writing as no mere ordinary man but rather as one who has been given a message that should be received by them as the very words of God. (Boice, I, p.27)

The apostles, therefore, were the immediate messengers of Jesus Christ, sent to declare His gospel, endued with the Holy Spirit, rendering them infallible as teachers, and investing them with miraculous powers, and clothed with particular prerogatives in the organization of government of the Church. (Hodge, p.22)

And set apart for the gospel of God - St. Paul asserts that he has been set apart by God for the ministry to which he had been called. The verb in the original text (Greek - aphorizo) is related to the concept of holiness and separation from sin. The same verb is used in reference to the nation of Israel in Leviticus chapter twenty: You are to be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be mine. (Leviticus 20: 26; cf. also Exodus 13:12; Numbers 8:11-14; 15:20) The word conveys the idea of total consecration and dedication. Some commentators suggest that its use here is an ironic reference to Paul's past as a leader of the pharisees. The term pharisee means a separated one. They believed that their careful observance of the traditions of the law set them apart from ordinary people who were less righteous than themselves. Paul had been the epitome of the obsessive, negative, judgmental, self-righteousness of the pharisees. Now God had called him - not to be separated from those who failed to measure up to a legalistic human standard - but to be separated for the sake of the gospel of the almighty God. The apostle acknowledges that the gospel has become the dominant and determinative focus of his whole life (Galatians 1:15,16).

No language could be more eloquent of the decisive action of God and of the completeness of Paul's resulting commitment to the gospel. All bonds of interest and attachment alien or extraneous to the promotion of the gospel have been cut asunder and he is set apart by the investment of all of his interests and ambitions in the cause of the gospel. (Murray, p.3)

Gospel (Greek- euangelion) is a key word in the letter to the Romans. It is used sixty times in this epistle and occurs six times in the introduction. It's first occurrence, here in verse one, comes only nine words into the Greek text. The term means good news and in the verses that follow the apostle will begin to define the content of the good news. The good news is identified as the gospel of God, that is to say, God is its source and its author. The authority of the message comes from him (cf. Galatians 1:6-9). This is not man's good news. Rather it is God's good news for man.

Verses 2-4
The gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, and Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead; Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures - The gospel which Paul proclaims did not originate with him. It is the fulfillment of ancient promises from God. The first announcement of that good news took place in the Garden of Eden (cf. Genesis 3:15). The promise of the Messiah was repeated and expanded hundreds of times during the centuries of the Old Testament. That broad stream of messianic prophecy comes to perfect fulfillment in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ (cf. Luke 24:25-27, 44-47; 1 Peter 1:10-12). The core of the apostolic preaching of the gospel was the demonstration of that fact (i.e. Acts 2:14-36; 8:35; 17:2,3). God's inspired spokesmen, the prophets, are the human instruments through whom the promise was presented. The essence of prophetic ministry was that a prophet spoke not for himself, but for God. Thus, they are His prophets. That which the prophets wrote by divine inspiration is not their own word, but the Word of God Himself (1 Timothy 3: 14-17; 2 Peter 1:16-21). Hence the prophetic writings of the Old Testament, gathered in the Holy Scriptures, are in a category of their own. They are the place, the only place, where God's great good news can be found. Every Christian ought to be drawn to the Book with an insatiable yearning to hear the Word of God. John Wesley says it well:

I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God and returning to God, just hovering over the great gulf, till, a few moments hence, I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity, I want to know one thing - the way to heaven, how to land safe on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach me the way. For this very end He came from heaven. He has written it down in a book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it. Here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be "homo unius libri" ("a man of one book"). Here, then, I am, far from the busy ways of men. I sit down alone. Only God is here. In His presence I open, I read His book - for this end, to find the way to heaven. (Boice, I, p.34)

Regarding His Son - Paul's brief summary of the content of the gospel opens with an acknowledgement of Jesus as the Son of God. God's gospel deals with God's Son, from its beginning to its end. He is Christianity. Without Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the second Member of the divine Trinity, the foundation is destroyed and our faith and hope are gone. Lenski categorically asserts:

The fact that Paul has in mind the second person of the Godhead as confessed in the ecumenical and in other Christian creeds never admitted of either question or doubt. Those who dissent must do so on other than Biblical grounds, which dissent places them outside of the Christian pale. (Lenski, p.34)

Who as to His human nature was a descendant of David - The doctrine of the two natures in Christ is now forcefully presented as the heart of the gospel. Jesus is both true God and true man. The verb was (Greek - genomenou ) literally means came to be. Christ was not always human. His humanity began at a specific point in time, at the instant of His incarnation in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary. The NIV text correctly translates the noun flesh (Greek - sarx) as human nature for the reference is not merely to the physical body of Christ but to His humanity. Humanly speaking, Jesus was a descendant of David and thus the great stream of messianic prophecy finds its perfect fulfillment in Him. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, reigning forever upon the royal throne of David.

And Who, through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord - Unlike Christ's humanity, which began at the moment of His conception (indicated in the preceding phrase by the verb was), the divinity of our Lord is from eternity. He has always been, and will always be, true God, the eternal Son of the Father (cf. John 1:1-5; 8:58; 17:5; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 7:3; Revelation 22:17). Hence these words cannot refer to the origin of His divine nature. That is clearly indicated by the change in verbs. Jesus does not become the Son of God. He is declared to be the Son of God. The precise meaning of the Greek verb (horizo) is to mark off the boundries of something. Our English word horizon, the line which marks the boundary between the earth and the sky, is derived from this Greek term. The NIV's translation of this important phrase tends to obscure the meaning of the original text. The Greek literally says: declared as God's Son in power according to His spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead. It is immediately evident that this phrase is a parallel to Paul's magnificent Christological hymn in Philippians chapter two. Christ's state of humiliation (Philippians 2:6-8) began with His conception in Mary's womb. In perfect submission to the will of the Father (cf. John 5:30), He lived a holy life and died an innocent death upon the cross (according to His spirit of holiness). Having done all that was necessary for the salvation of mankind, Jesus was then exalted by the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). The glory and power that had always been rightfully His were then restored and He was declared as the Son of God in power as He rose triumphantly from the dead (cf. Acts 13:29-33). The apostle's language here is fully consistent with Philippians 2 which notes that the Father's exaltation of His Son comes in response to the Son's perfect submission to the will of the Father (Therefore God exalted Him...vs.9; cf. also John 17:1,4,5).

Jesus Christ our Lord - These words are the conclusive climax of the Paul's summary of the core of the gospel, as the apostle identifies the Person Who is Himself the gospel. Jesus fixes His historical identity and emphasizes His role as the Savior of mankind. Christ is the official title which designates Him as the Anointed One sent by God to deliver His people, whose coming was promised by the prophets of the Old Testament. Our Lord reflects the exaltation and glory which are His and His alone. The title Lord (Greek - Kyrios) is St. Paul's favorite identification for Christ. He refers to Jesus as Lord 230 times in his epistles. Lord is the New Testament equivalent of Jahweh, the sacred name of God in the Old Testament. When Christians used this title in reference to Jesus, they were acknowledging His deity and acclaiming Him as the Holy One of Israel. He is the sovereign Ruler of all and we, as His people, owe Him exclusive and absolute obedience. The Lord is the Master whom St. Paul acknowledges we he calls himself a slave. The Lord is the Sender who dispatched St. Paul as his chosen apostle.

Verses 5-6
Through Him, and for His name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Through Him, and for His Name's sake, we have received grace and apostleship - Jesus is the medium, the Mediator, through whom Paul and humanity received the undeserved love of God. This is God's amazing grace. Grace is one of the basic themes of the letter to the Romans. Paul refers to it twenty-two times in this great letter. Grace is the essence of the gospel, unmerited, unearned favor in which a believer does not and cannot contribute anything of worth. God loves us because it is His nature to love (1 John 4:16). He graciously extends that love to us in Jesus Christ, our Savior. St. Paul gratefully acknowledges his complete personal dependence upon the undeserved love of God over and over again (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:10; Galatians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:13-16; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5-7). The apostle uses the plural pronoun, we, to include the Roman Christians as recipients of the undeserved love of a gracious God. The same Lord Jesus has bestowed the office of apostle (apostleship) upon His people, the Church. The fact that the Lord had chosen Paul, the least of all God's people (Ephesians 3:8), and the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:16) to serve in this office was an incredible demonstration of divine grace and mercy. He says it best in 1 Corinthians 15: For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve 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 to me was not without effect... (Vs.9-10). The proclamation of this divine grace through Paul's apostolic ministry also takes place for His Name's sake. It gives glory and honor to God as it seeks the salvation of men.

To call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith - The purpose and goal of the office entrusted to Paul and the grace which he has been given is to bring the nations to the obedience that comes from faith. The opening words of the NIV text, To call people, do not appear in the Greek original, in which the first seven verses of chapter one form one extended sentence. The Greek simply says for the obedience of faith among all nations. Obedience of faith is the key phrase. Paul uses the same words again at the end of the letter where he says: the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith. (16:25-26). The apostle's point is simple but of fundamental importance. Faith is here regarded as an act of obedience or commitment to the gospel of Christ. It is not an act of momentary enthusiasm or a flash of emotional intensity, but a commitment of wholehearted devotion to Christ and to the truth of His gospel. (Murray, p.14) This is not a matter of human works in addition to faith. Lenski ( who prefers to translate the phrase as a compound noun, faith/obedience) offers this meticulous definition with his typically Lutheran sensitivity to the issue of work righteousness:

But here the obedience lies in the very act of believing and not in the category of works. God's gospel calls on us to acknowledge, receive, and appropriate it as what it is; and doing this by the power and the grace coming to us in the gospel, in full confidence and trust, is this essential obedience of faith. (Lenski, p.47)

Martin Franzmann's observations are equally helpful:

The combination of "obedience" with "faith" is a telling one. Paul knows of no obedience, in the religious sense, which is not faith. Faith is created by the proclamation of the gospel of the Son of God, who came in freedom into the flesh and was designated Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead; it is created by the proclamation of a divine action that is none of man's doing or deserving. Faith is therefore pure receiving; faith is pure relatedness to the redeeming act of God, an act present and at work in the apostolic word that proclaims it. But the apostolic Word also proclaims the Son as Lord, with the right and power to rule. His grace lays total claim to men and therefore faith is always obedience. (Franzmann, p.26)

While the NIV's translation among all the Gentiles is possible, it fails to catch the full scope of Paul's message. This is the same phrase that occurs in the Great Commission, Go, and make disciples of all nations... (Matthew 28:19), and it describes the universal mission of the Christian Church. Paul is writing to a congregation that includes a significant number of Jewish converts. Surely he would not omit their countrymen from the outreach of the good news. The inclusive all also serves to support the view that this phrase refers to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles.

And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ - Like Paul, and all other believers, the Christians in Rome are people who have been called. The verb is passive. It is God, in Christ, Who does the calling. That calling is to the faith/obedience mentioned in the preceding verse. By virtue of that call, all of these Roman believers become a part of the great fellowship of faith that is the Holy Christian Church.

Verse 7
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome - After his extended digression about the nature of the gospel, the apostle now returns to the standard salutation formula as he identifies the persons for whom the letter is intended. The designation is terse and to the point. Paul is writing not only to his friends and acquaintances in Rome (cf. Chapter 16), not to Jews or Gentiles as such, but to all the believers in Rome whether they are known or unknown to him personally.

Who are loved by God and called to be saints: - The Greek is a bit more precise than the English. It literally reads: beloved of God as called saints. The Christians in Rome are people upon whom God has lavished His love (Greek - agapetois theou). Agape is the characteristic New Testament term for the love of God. It is unconditional, unselfish, and sacrificial. God loves us not because of who we are, or because of any quality or characteristic within us. God loves us simply because it is His nature to love (cf. Deuteronomy 7:7-8).

We are Christians for one reason only and that is that God has set his love upon us. That is the thing that brings us out of the world and out of the dominion of Satan...And therefore it is not surprising that the apostle here should remind these Christians of this wonderful thing. The world hated them; it persecuted them. They might be arrested at any moment, at the whim of any cruel tyrant who happened to be the emperor, and they might be condemned to death and thrown to the lions in the arena. They were oftentimes hated of all men, so Paul is anxious that they should realize this, that they are the beloved of God; that they are in Christ, and that God love them in the same way that He loves Christ...Do not rush on to chapters six, seven, and eight, saying: "I want to know about the doctrine of sanctification." My dear friend, if you only realized, as you should, that you are loved by God as He loved His own Son, you would learn the most important thing with respect to your sanctification without going any further. (D.M. Lloyd Jones, p.159,160)

The Christians in Rome are people who the Lord God has called out of the world to live by faith. Hence they are saints. A saint is one who has been separated from the world and from sin. And yet every believer is simul justus et peccator (a saint and a sinner at the same time).

"Saints" carries no idea of perfectionism...We are saints because God has made us saints, namely by His call. Our justification of faith constitutes us saints because it has removed our sins from us as far as the East is from the West. The fact that these saints also begin to live holy lives and are thus also separated from all worldlings follows in the nature of the case. Here on earth, these saints still sin daily, and yet daily they are washed by pardoning grace and thus retain their sainthood. (Lenski, p. 53)

The progression of Paul's thought is logical and concise. The believers are saints by virtue of the fact that they are called by God. The basis for that call is the fact that they are beloved of God.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. - The third and final component in the traditional salutation is the greeting itself. This is the typical formula which occurs in a number of St. Paul's letters (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:2). Grace (Greek - charis), as previously discussed, is the undeserved favor of God which comes to us as a free gift by faith in Christ. Peace (Greek - eirene) is the traditional Hebrew shalom. It denotes the sense of well-being and security that is the result of being in right relationship with God. The source of these precious gifts is God our Father who has revealed Himself as our loving heavenly Father in the sending of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6).

In Paul, the more typical greetings of Jew and Greek have become a blessing which combines the strength of the word which perhaps more than any other characterizes his gospel ("Grace") with the richness of the Semitic greeting ("Peace") - a prayer for the unbounded and wholly generous outreaching power of God which makes for humankind's best well-being. (Dunn, p. 25)

Verse 8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

The salutation itself is now followed by a few brief introductory comments. Every one of Paul's letters, except Galatians (where the issue in contention was the loss of the very gospel itself), begins with an expression of gratitude for the people to whom the letter is addressed. And so it is also here in the letter to the Romans. This is not merely an example of personal flattery. Paul's thanks are not addressed to the Romans themselves, but to God, whose grace was at work in the lives of these people. The verb is in the present tense, I thank, indicating that even as he begins to write this letter (First), he is giving thanks to God. For Paul, God is not an abstract theological concept, but a beloved Master through Jesus Christ his personal Savior and Lord. Rome is the first city of the world, the nerve center and capital of a mighty empire. That reality would necessarily result in a position of unique prominence for the Christian community in Rome. The church in Rome was renown throughout the world for its faith. Christians everywhere had heard of and been encouraged by the steadfast faith of the believers in Rome.

Verses 9-10
God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 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.

God...is my Witness - St. Paul now confirms his declaration of gratitude for the pre-eminence of the faith of the Roman Christians by asserting his eagerness to personally visit with the congregation in Rome. He reverently calls upon God to witness the truthfulness of his constant concern and prayer for the Romans. The apostle regularly utilizes this type of oath (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:23; 11:31; Galatians 1:20; Philippians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:5). Its use here is indicative of the importance which Paul placed upon assuring the Romans that his failure to visit Rome prior to this time was not indicative of a lack of interest or desire.

Whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of His Son - Paul's appeal to God as witness is strengthened by his deeply personal identification with the deity. The Romans may never have met this man, but having read this introduction, they will have learned a great deal about him. In the original, the verb serve (Greek - latreuo) carries the connotation of worship. It is the word that describes the official service of a priest before the altar and the formal cultic worship of God's people in the Old Testament. This connotation also carries over into the language of the New Testament (cf. 1:25; Luke 2:37; Hebrews 8:5; 9:1,6,9; 13:10; Revelation 7:15) as the term is broadened to include every form of divine worship, adoration, praise, and prayer. The most significant development in New Testament usage can be seen in the extension of the concept of worship (Greek - latria) to include the totality of the Christian life as a worshipful response to God's grace in Christ. Romans 12:1,2 is the classic statement of this view.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - which is your spiritual worship (Greek - latreian). Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Paul considers his service in preaching the gospel of His Son an act of worship, thru which he glorifies and gives thanks to the God Who has called him as an apostle to preach the good news. The intensity of this worship, the depth and sincerity of his service to God, is indicated by the phrase with my whole heart. The text literally says - in my spirit (Greek - en to pneumatic). When the word spirit is used in reference to the non-physical dimension of a human being in the New Testament, it characteristically emphasizes the soul as it relates to or is influenced by the Spirit of God. The point here is that this is not a matter of external, outward conformity with ritual requirements, like the pharisaic observances, but a dedication which has consumed the very essence of Paul's being. The NIV's translation does well to capture the sense of the Greek. John MacArthur effectively summarizes the contrast:

Paul had been raised and educated in Judaism. He had himself been a Pharisee and was well acquainted with the other Jewish sects, the Sadducees, the scribes, the priests, and the elders. He knew that with few exceptions those leaders served God in the flesh and were motivated by self-interest. Their worship and service were mechanical, routine, external, and superficial. Paul also was well acquainted with the Gentile world and knew that pagan religious worship and service were likewise external, superficial, and completely motivated by self-interest...During the years before his salvation, Paul himself had worshipped and served God in an external, self-interested way (Philippians 3:4-7). But now that he belonged to Christ, and had Christ's Spirit dwelling, he worshipped and served Him in spirit and in truth, with His whole being. Paul was now motivated by a genuine, inner desire to serve God for God's sake rather than his own, in God's revealed way, rather than his own, and in God's power, rather than his own. He was no longer motivated by self-interest or peer pressure and no longer focused on Jewish religious tradition or even on self-effort to keep God's law. He was not interested in trying to please other men, even himself, but only God. (MacArthur, p.33)

How constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times - The truth which Paul affirmed with God's witness is his unceasing remembrance of the Romans in prayer. Those who serve God with power and effectiveness are, without exception, men and women of prayer. Ora et Labora! The ancient Latin maxim summarizes the vital combination that must characterize the powerful, productive Christian life. St. Paul was a man of prayer, and the Christians at Rome figured prominently in those prayers.

And I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you. - The apostle was firmly convinced that the direction of his life and ministry was governed by divine providence. Like the Lord whom he served, St. Paul was fully submissive to the will of the heavenly Father. So here also, Paul's eagerness to visit Rome is directed by God's will. His sole purpose was to do his Father's will, in his Father's way, at his Father's time. While he might pray consistently and vigorously for a particular outcome, he was nonetheless content to allow the will of God to prevail.

Verses 11-12
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another's faith.

I long to see you...- The apostle now explains the reason for his eagerness to visit Rome. His motive is not egocentric or self-serving. He is not contemplating career advancement or personal advantage. He wants to go to Rome to give of himself, not to entertain or indulge himself. The purpose of the anticipated apostolic visit is to impart to you some spiritual gift (Greek - pneumatikon charisma). A spiritual gift is a blessing of God's undeserved love (Greek - charis - English - grace) which is spiritual in nature and conveyed through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Hodge writes:

The gifts of which the Holy Spirit is the author include not only the miraculous endowments of which such frequent mention is made in the letter to the Corinthians, and the ordinary gifts of teaching, exhortation, and prophesying (1 Corinthians 12), but also those graces which are the fruits of the Spirit. The extraordinary gifts were communicated by the imposition of the apostles' hands (Acts 8:17; 19:6), and therefore abounded in churches founded by the apostles (1 Corinthians 1:7; Galatians 3:5). As the church in Rome was not of this number, it has been supposed that Paul was desirous of conferring upon the Roman Christians some of those miraculous powers by which the gospel was in other places attended and confirmed. The following verses, however, are in favor of giving the phrase here a wider signification. Any increase of knowledge, of grace, or of power was a charismata pneumatikon in the sense here intended. (Hodge, p. 37)

Here, as always, the goal of a spiritual gift is to make you strong, that is to build up the body of Christ.

That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another's faith. - Edification is by nature a mutual process. As he seeks to strengthen and renew their faith, St Paul will himself receive a blessing. It is instructive to note that Paul did not consider himself to be above being spiritually edified by other believers. There is no leader in the church, not even the great missionary apostle to the Gentiles, who does not stand in constant need of that mutual encouragement (cf. Hebrews 10:24,25). John Calvin writes:

Note how modestly he expresses what he feels by not refusing to seek strengthening from inexperienced believers. He means what he says, too, for there is none so void of gifts in the church of Christ who cannot in some measure contribute to our spiritual progress. Ill will and pride, prevent our deriving such benefit from one another. (Calvin, p. 24)

Paul's eagerness to seek the mutual encouragement of the Roman Christians ought to be a salutary lesson to leaders in the Church. If the greatest theologian who ever lived, saw himself in need of such support, how much greater is our need for that same support. The ministries of all too many have been undermined by the arrogance which leads the pastor to conclude that he has nothing to learn from his people. William Carey, the great 19th century British missionary to India, expressed his earnest desire for the prayers of his people when he asserted: I will go down into the pit itself, if you will hold the rope.

Verse 13
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, 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.

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, - This formula is a phrase commonly used in the Pauline letters to indicate the importance of that which follows and lend extra weight to the apostle's words (cf. 11:25; 1 Corinthians 10:1; 12:1; 2 Corin-thians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13). His identification of the Romans as brothers makes his remarks all the more personal. He has previously indicated his desire and his prayers in regard to a Roman visit. He now adds that he had actually resolved to make that trip repeatedly (many times) but that he has always been prevented from carrying out those plans. He repeats this assertion in 15:22 - This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. The nature of the hindrances which prevented his journey are not specified in either text. Those hindrances may have been providential, the result of circumstances beyond his control, or they may have revelatory as God directly commanded him in another direction (cf. Acts 16:7).

In order that I might have a harvest among you...- The purpose of this earnestly desired but often delayed visit to Rome is that I might have a harvest among you. The noun harvest (Greek - karpos) literally means fruit. It is used in the New Testament in three different ways: A. For the attitudes that characterize the Spirit led believer (Galatians 5:22-23); B. For the actions that are to result from a living faith relationship with the Lord (Matthew 3:8; Romans 6:21-22; 7:4; Philippians 4:16-17; James 3:17-18; Hebrews 12:11;13:15); C. In a mission context for the increase of converts to Christ and their spiritual growth in Him (Romans 16:5; Philippians 1:22; Colossians 1:22). In this instance, the apostle's emphasis appears to be on the numerical and spiritual growth of the Roman Church.

Just as I have had among the other Gentiles. - Paul is the thirteenth apostle, the spearhead of God's mission outreach beyond the twelve tribes of Israel to all the world. His eagerness to visit this predominately Gentile congregation in the capital city of the Roman Empire is fully consistent with that great calling.

Verses 14-15
I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and to the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

I am obligated...- This is a reference to Paul's call from the Lord. His obligation is to preach the gospel to all nations and classes. In 1 Corinthians 9, St. Paul describes that obligation as he declares: Yet when I preach the gospel I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. (vs. 16,17). The gospel is for everyone. Social distinctions, ethnic differences, and national differences are irrelevant. Every descendent of Adam and Eve is in desperate need of the salvation which is offered in this gospel alone. To both Greeks and non-Greeks is a diplomatic softening of the original which says To both Greeks and barbarians. The Greeks viewed themselves as the custodians of the highest and most advanced culture in the world. All who failed to adopt that culture were contemptuously dismissed as barbarians. The negative connotation of that word carries over into English very clearly. Paul deliberately uses the sophisticates' own derogatory label to indicate the irrelevance of their pretension. There is no one so cultured or so educated that they do not need Jesus and His gospel. By the same token, no one is so simple and lowly that Jesus does not care for them. Christ died for the ordinary and the extraordinary. The gospel is for everyone! To the Greek, the next phrase both to the wise and the foolish, is simply a repetition of the preceding contrast. They were the wise and everyone else in the world were the foolish. Paul rejects this human wisdom as utterly worthless (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:13). What better place to proclaim this universal gospel than in the capital city of the world?

Verse 16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

In these magnificent words St. Paul asserts the basic theme of the letter to the Romans. In this thesis statement Paul reveals that which he will unfold and explain throughout the remainder of the epistle. In the sixteenth and seventeenth verses of Romans 1, we come to sentences which are the most important in the letter and perhaps in all literature. They are the theme of this epistle and the essence of Christianity. They are the heart of biblical religion. (Boice, I, p.103)

I am not ashamed...As he writes to mighty Rome, the eternal city, the seat of the greatest empire in man's history, the epitome of worldly power, the apostle boldly declares his steadfast confidence in the gospel. The world has never been receptive to the gospel of Jesus Christ or to those who proclaim that gospel. That reality has often led the church to make the fatal mistake of compromising or altering her message to suit the inclinations and preferences of men. When we seek to offer the world what it wants; when fear of criticism or rejection leads us to water down the truth we are called to proclaim - then we are guilty of betraying our Lord and condemning our listeners. Paul's supreme passion was to see men saved. He cared nothing for personal comfort, popularity, or reputation. He offered no compromise of the gospel because he recognized it to be the one and only way to salvation.

The unpopularity of a crucified Christ has prompted many to present a message which is more palatable to the unbeliever, but the removal of the offense of the cross always renders the message ineffective. An inoffensive gospel is also an inoperative gospel. Thus Christianity is wounded most in the house of its friends. (Wilson, p.24)

The rhetorical device that Paul utilizes in this phrase it called litotes - that is a dramatic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by a negative of the contrary. Paul is declaring his pride and confidence in the value, the validity, and the veracity of the Gospel. The apostle seeks to decisively dismiss any suspicion on the part of the Romans that his failure to come to Rome was the result of a hesitancy to proclaim Christ's gospel in the world's greatest city While men may scorn and reject the message of salvation, it remains, nonetheless, the most absolutely essential truth in the life of every human being. Sinful human beings, puffed up by their own intellectual arrogance, have always scornfully dismissed that Gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:20-25). The Second Century Greek philosopher Celsus derided Christianity and her gospel as a religion fit only for fools. Christian teachers, he said, prey upon the simple-minded. Their basic guideline is: Let no one come to us who has been instructed, or who is wise or prudent (for such qualifications are deemed evil by us); but if there be any ignorant or unintelligent; or uninstructed, or foolish persons, let them come with confidence. He contemptuously concluded: It is only foolish and low individuals, and persons devoid of perception, and slaves, and women and children of whom the teachers of the divine word wish to make converts. (Origin Against Celsus, ANF, 4, p.483) That same ridiculous arrogance can be observed among the intellectuals of our own day. It appears even within the church itself as learned theologians find themselves unable to trust in the absolute authority of God's inspired and inerrant Word. Jesus had warned: Whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed of when He comes in His glory. (Luke 9:26). There is nothing more tragic than a Christian who is ashamed of Christ - a believer who is afraid or unwilling to boldly confess his dear Lord even in the face of all the world's ridicule and scorn. Joseph Grigg's classic hymn says it well:

Jesus and shall it ever be, a mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee whom angels praise, whose glories shine through endless days

Ashamed of Jesus? Sooner far let evening blush to own a star.
He sheds the beams of light divine o'er this benighted soul of mine.

Ashamed of Jesus? Just as soon, let midnight be ashamed of noon.
'Tis midnight with my soul til He, Bright Morning Star bids darkness flee.

Ashamed of Jesus? That dear friend on whom my hopes of heaven depend?
No, when I blush be this my shame, that I no more revere His name.

Ashamed of Jesus? Yes, I may when I've no guilt to wash away,
No tear to wipe, no good to crave, no fear to quell no soul to save.

Til then nor is my boasting vain - til then I boast a Savior slain;
And oh, may this my glory be, that Christ is not ashamed of me.

Because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone... - Two reasons are now provided for the apostle's unshakable confidence in the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is the power of God. The Greek word for power in this verse is dunamis from which our English word dynamite is derived. The explosive, life transforming power of God is present in the Gospel. Lenski writes:

The gospel is God's power of love and grace towards sinners. It is wholly unmerited by them and is embodied in the gift of His only-begotten Son, John 3:16. It has been well said that love is the strongest power in the world, and God's love in Christ Jesus is the greatest love of all. All this power and love and grace is found in the gospel. God Himself and all His love and grace are ever in the gospel. God and His saving Word cannot possibly be separated from each other. Even omnipotence cannot save sinners, but God's power of grace in the gospel can and does save them. God's grace produced the gospel as the one means by which to reach the sinners's heart in order to bestow salvation upon him. (Lenski, p. 73)

That power which the good news of the Gospel conveys is identified in the literal words of the text as with the effect of bringing about salvation. The Greek preposition (eis) generally denotes purpose, but in this context its intent is stronger as it indicates the result or effect of God's power in the Gospel. The Gospel is itself the power which accomplishes our salvation. Rome was no stranger to power. And yet, not all the might of her great world empire could save one lost soul. Only the gospel, scorned and rejected by the high and mighty of this world, has the power to save. In all the universe there is no other power that can save as much as a single soul.

The noun salvation (Greek - soteria) is drawn from the Old Testament. It denotes radical deliverance from a desperate situation. When Israel was trapped by the chariots of Pharaoh at the Red Sea, only a miracle could have saved them from utter destruction. God sent that miracle as He parted the waters before them, and Moses rejoiced: The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. (Exodus 15:2). The concept of salvation, however, includes more than mere deliverance. It is also the condition of safety and security that results from that act of deliverance. This word is one of the basic terms in Paul's theological vocabulary. He uses it 48 times in his New Testament letters, 13 times in the letter to the Romans. This magnificent salvation is the free gift of God's grace by faith - of everyone who believes.

The verb believes is in the present tense indicating action that is currently taking place and will continue indefinitely into the future. Thus Paul's focus is not exclusively on the initial act of faith but also on faith as the foundation and substance of the ongoing Christian experience. The term carries the basic idea of trust and reliance. The New Testament is careful to note that this ongoing trust is not the result of human action or effort. It is the undeserved gift of God's grace. Faith is the confidence wrought in the soul by the divine power of the gospel and by this alone. Being saved is simplicity itself: by working confidence in the heart, the gospel bestows salvation. (Lenski, p.76) As St. Paul affirms elsewhere: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9). There is no difference or distinction among men. The text is clearly and unequivocally universal. Faith is the one and only way to salvation for all sinners: everyone...first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Verse 17
For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

A righteousness from God is revealed... - Righteousness (Greek - dikaiosune) is the key concept in the letter to the Romans. The term will occur 35 times in the balance of the epistle. In the Greek text, the phrase begins with these words to emphasize their significance. It is or crucial importance to clearly recognize the forensic (of, pertaining to, or used in a court of law) nature of this word. The justification of the sinner is a juridical act of God, the divine Judge who pronounces the believer righteous and by that pronouncement places the believer into the status of righteousness. The righteousness from God (Greek - dikaiosune theou) is the forensic act of the righteous God in declaring the sinner to be justified, that is, pronouncing a verdict of Not Guilty! on the basis of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ.

The German Lutheran Pietist, Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf, captured the meaning of this all important idea beautifully in a little hymn that became the daily prayer of generations of Lutheran children:

Christi Blut und Gegrechtigkeit, das ist mein Schmuck und Ehrenkleid;
Damit will ich vor Gott bestehn, wann ich zum Himmel wird eingehn.

Jesus Thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my glorious dress,
With these will I stand before God victoriously on the day when I arrive in heaven.

Ich glaub' an Jesum, welcher spricht; "Wer glaubt, er kommt nichts in's Gericht,"
Gott lob, ich bin schon absolvirt, und meine Shhuld is abgefuhrt.

I trust in Jesus who has said, "Whoever believes in me will not come under judgement."
Praise God! I have already been absolved and my guilt has been taken away.

Das heilige unschuldige Lamm, das am dem rauhen Kreuzesstamm,
Fur meine Sund' gestorben ist, erkenn ich fur den Herr und Christ.

I acknowledge the holy, innocent Lamb, who died for my sin upon the rough wooden beam of the cross, as the Lord and the Christ.

Ich glaube, dasz Sein theures Blut genug fur alle Sunden thut;
Und dasz es Gottes Schatze fullt und ewig in den Himmel gilt.

I believe that His precious blood is a sufficient ransom for all sin;
That it has filled God's treasury to overflowing and will hold good forever in heaven.

Drum soll auch dieses Blut allein mein Trost und Meine Hoffnung sein;
Ich bau im Leben und im Tod allein auf Jesum Wunden roth.

And therefore, this blood alone is my hope and my trust,
I build upon the red wounds of Jesus alone in life and in death.

Like the wrath of God in the verse which follows, this righteousness from God is revealed. The former is the Law, the latter, the Gospel. Were it not for the act of divine revelation nothing could be known about this righteousness from God for by nature man knows only of his own righteousness, the result of his own good works. As the apostle declares in Romans 10:3 - Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. (cf. also Philippians 3:9)

This justification is appropriated by the individual through faith. Paul's assertion of the instrumentality of faith - a righteousness that is by faith from first to last - repeats and parallels his earlier emphasis that the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. The righteousness of God is revealed and offered in the Gospel as a perfect gift. It becomes ours as a result of faith. That faith, of course, is itself a gift of God's grace. Lenski correctly insists:

Thus faith is in no sense a human work. It is the operation of God wholly and in all its stages. There is absolutely no synergism in either its conception or its continuance. Faith is passive as to its production and its nature; it is kindled, is awakened, and then is kept alive. It is never self-wrought. To think so is an illusion. (Lenski, p.83)

Faith is the vital combination of three components: knowledge (notitia), assent (assensus), and trust (fiducia). Faith is essentially trust, personal reliance upon the promises of the Gospel and the Savior who offers those promises to His people. It is that trust that sets saving faith apart from mere historical faith. Charles Sturgeon writes:

Faith is not a blind thing; for faith begins with knowledge. It is not a speculative thing; for faith believes facts of which it is sure. It is not an unpractical, dreamy thing; for faith trusts and stakes its destiny upon the truth of revelation...Faith is the eye which looks; the hand which grasps; the mouth which feeds upon Christ. (Boice, p.108)

Just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." - This segment concludes with the reminder that the doctrine of justification by grace through faith is no innovation. Earlier in this chapter the apostle emphasized the fact that the Gospel had been promised beforehand through the Holy Scripture (vs.2) and he now quotes from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk (2:4) to illustrate that reality.

Excursus - Martin Luther and Romans 1:17

For Martin Luther the text of Romans 1:17 and a proper of understanding of the righteousness of God which that text declares were of crucial importance. It is not an exaggeration to assert that this single passage was determinative for Luther's identity, both as an individual Christian, and as a theologian and leader of the Reformation. In his classic History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Merle D'Aubigne contends that the inspired words of this short verse became the very soul of his theology; his stronghold in every danger; the principle which gave energy to his preaching and strength to his charity; the foundation of his peace; the encouragement of his labors, his comfort in life and in death. (II, p.70) In 1518 Luther was deeply involved in a study of the New Testament Epistles of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews in preparation for a series of lectures at the University of Wittenberg. His study chamber was on the third floor of the Tower of the Augustinian Cloister in that city. For this reason Luther's evangelical breakthrough is often described as the Tower Experience (German - Turm Erlebnis). His stumbling block was the concept of the righteousness of God. The Reformer would later recall:

These words "righteous" and "righteousness of God" struck my conscience as flashes of lightning, frightening me each time I heard them; if God is righteous, He punishes...Certainly I had been possessed by an unusually ardent desire to understand Paul in his Epistle to the Romans. Nevertheless, despite the ardor of my heart, I was hindered by the unique word in the first chapter: "the righteousness of God is revealed in it." I hated that word "righteousness of God" because in accordance with the usage and custom of the doctors, I had been taught to understand it philosophically as meaning, as they put it, the formal or active righteousness according to which God is righteous and punishes sinners and the unjust...As a monk I led an irreproachable life. Nevertheless, I felt that I was a sinner before God. My conscience was restless and I could not depend on God being propitiated by my satisfactions. Not only did I not love, but I actually hated the righteous God who punishes sinners. Thus a furious battle raged within my perplexed conscience, but meanwhile I was knocking at the door of this particular Pauline passage, earnestly seeking to know the mind of the great apostle. (Saarnivaara, p.36,37)

Tormented by a conscience which would allow him no rest, Luther desperately searched the pages of Scripture. It always came back to that one single idea, the righteousness of God. Finally the answer came; At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of Romans 1:17. The blessed sweetness of pure Scriptural Gospel swept away the temptations of the enemy (German - Anfectungen) which had driven him to the brink of despair. Now the situation was completely changed. The burden had been lifted from his weary shoulders and he was free from the guilt and fear that had haunted his life. From that moment on, nothing in this world - no hardship, peril, threat, or danger - would ever move him to abandon the wonderful peace that he had been given in the Gospel of Jesus. The words of Romans 1:17 which he once had bitterly hated, now became the sweetest in all of Scripture. This text had become for him an open gate to paradise.

Day and night I tried to meditate on the significance of these words: "the righteousness of God is revealed in it as it is written: `The righteous shall live by faith.' Then, finally, God had mercy on me and I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that gift of God by which a righteous man lives, namely faith, and that this sentence is passive, indicating that the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, `The righteous shall live by faith.' Now I felt as though I had been reborn altogether and had entered Paradise. In the same moment the face of the whole Scripture became apparent to me. My mind ran through the Scriptures, as far as I was able to recollect them, seeking analogies in other phrases, such as the work of God by which He makes us strong, the wisdom of God by which He makes us wise, the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God. Just as intensely as I had before hated the expression `the righteousness of God' I now lovingly praised this most pleasant word. This passage from Paul became for me the very gate to Paradise...Thus my soul was refreshed, for it is the righteousness of God through which we are justified and saved through Christ. These words became more pleasant to me. Through this word, the Holy Spirit enlightened me in the tower. (Saarnivaara, p.36,37)

Thus, through the careful study of the Bible, did the Lord prepare the great Reformer of His Church, who was to call Christendom back to the pure Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The Protestant Reformation did not find its origin in the intensity of religious piety or devotion, or in the pentecostal outpouring of visions, signs, and wonders. The Reformation began in the meticulous study of Holy Scripture, the written Word of God. Romans 1:17 is rightly called Martin Luther's Text. Seldom, if ever, has one single Bible text served so obviously as the driving, molding force of a great man of God.

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