Romans Introduction

The book of Romans was written about 57-58 AD by the Apostle Paul while he was ministering at the city of Corinth. Paul did not arrive in Rome until 61 AD when he arrived as a prisoner of the Roman government while awaiting trial. Therefore, he was not directly responsible for the salvation of the saints at Rome; nor did he establish the local assembly there. Apparently it was the ministry of Aquila and Pricilla in Rome that led people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Acts 18:1-3 informs us that Claudius Caesar had banished all Jews from Rome and as a result this couple crossed paths with Paul at the city of Corinth around 52-53 AD. Paul lived with this couple and worked in their tent-making business while he taught the gospel of the grace of God. When the ministry of Paul ended at Corinth, we find Aquila and Pricilla moving to Ephesus (capital city of Asia) where they had occasion to meet Apollos (a disciple of John the Baptist; mighty in the Scriptures) and explain the message of grace to him. Apollos greatly benefited from their instruction so much so that Apollos is referred to in Scripture as one that “watered what Paul planted” (I Cor. 3: 6). We find this couple traveling back to Rome (Rom.16:3-4) and hosting “the church” in their home. The last thing we know about this couple is they returned to Ephesus and resumed their Pauline ministry… Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. (II Tim. 4:19). II Timothy was written by Paul from prison in Rome, while Timothy was ministering to the church at Ephesus.

Romans is placed first in the order of Paul’s writings by the first generation church apostles and prophets as led by the Holy Ghost, even though it was the last book written by Paul during his ministry as recorded in the Book of Acts. It is critical that we keep this fact in mind because Paul’s ministry as recorded in the Book of Acts was unique in several key aspects. Paul wrote six letters during his “Act’s ministry”: Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, I & II Thessalonians. Paul adopted a different strategy of evangelism throughout the Roman Empire after announcing to the Jews in Rome that God had set the nation of Israel aside temporarily because of their failure to believe the good news of the Kingdom and the preaching of the good news of who He was---Israel’s King, Son of God, and Life Giver. During his “Acts ministry” Paul’s practice was to go to a Jewish synagogue in each city he visited  and prove to them that Jesus is “Very Christ”… But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ (Acts 9:22). It is reasonable to conclude that Paul had a duty to give the Gospel of God to Jews first and then if they rejected it include the Gentiles. However, that conclusion will not bear up under the scrutiny of Scripture. First of all, Paul’s ministry was not exclusively to the Jews first because the Bible tells us that there were Gentile proselytes in those synagogues where he preached. When Paul would preach Christ in the synagogues, some individual Jews would believe the gospel but the overwhelming majority of the Jews violently rejected his message and conspired to kill him. Therefore, Paul’s ministry had a two-fold purpose: Israel was put on notice of God’s change in plans for them and everyone (Jew and Gentile) was given an opportunity to believe who Jesus is and thus become a member of the Church, the Body of Christ. In three different geographical areas of the Roman Empire Paul announced God’s intentions: God was temporarily setting the nation of Israel aside as His witness on the earth because of its rebellion against His purpose and plan for them and in the interim He was implementing a new program (called the dispensation of the grace of God) and a new agency on the earth (called the Church, the Body of Christ) to proclaim a new message called the Gospel of Christ to “whosoever will”. Paul announced this change in God’s dealings with mankind in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:46-47); Corinth, Greece (Acts 18:6); and Rome, Italy (Acts 28: 17-28).  

There is a second possible reason why God placed the book of Romans first in Scripture when I Thessalonians was actually written before Romans. The Roman government approved the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ and when the dispensation of the grace of God comes to an end, Rome will once again have the leading role in ushering in the Antichrist, according to the book of Revelation (17:1-5). In fact, for 1,500 years of the 2,000 years the dispensation of the grace of God has been in effect, Roman Catholicism did more to pervert sound doctrine than any other religious organization on earth.

Romans is a book of establishment truth. It is foundational doctrine. It is God’s handbook on “faith”. Paul tells us what we are to believe, why we need to believe it and how our righteous standing with God comes about. By the time you get to the end of the book of Romans (16:25-27) you have the knowledge you will need as a grace believer to build a life that is pleasing to God. The Holy Ghost through Paul introduces the doctrines of grace in the order in which they are to be learned in order to become the “building” that will pass God’s inspection at the Judgment Seat of Christ…For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. [10] According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (I Cor. 3:9-10).

Pay special attention to the words “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery” (Rom. 16:25). The typical “local church” today, regardless of denomination or non denomination, presents Jesus Christ as He taught the nation of Israel the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John…These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: [6] But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [7] And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matt. 10:5-7). The fact that Christians violate Romans 16:25 is serious enough; but failure to preach Jesus according to the revelation of the mystery has another unintended consequence---Christians can not get “established”. Tell a “religious person” that salvation is not a product of promising God that you will change your behavior, joining a church, getting baptized, giving your life to Christ, confessing Jesus as your Lord and Savior, asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins, praying the sinner’s prayer, desiring a personal relationship with Jesus, or asking Jesus into your heart and they will conclude that you are a member of a cult. What you have done is riled up “religious flesh”. Religious flesh gets madder faster and stays mad longer than any other person you will encounter. When you understand just two grace doctrines: 1. salvation by grace through faith, and 2. completion in Christ, you have alienated yourself from 99% of all churches in our day, I don’t care which denomination you examine. Over 500 years ago Martin Luther taught salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. What has religion done to this doctrine? The Baptists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Catholics, the Pentecostals, the Nazarenes, the Lutherans and a multitude of other denominations have added to it one or more “works” and thus have made salvation something it is not.

I know this sounds like I am too negative; I am against every one and every thing! Well, Martin Luther nailed to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany 95 reasons why he opposed Roman Catholic doctrine in 1517. Was he being too negative? Should he have been more tactful or loving in his opposition to “the church”? I say no! Five hundred years later we are still talking about Martin Luther but who knows who the Pope or Bishops were who tried to stifle Martin’s teaching on grace salvation? We need some modern day Martin Luther’s who are more concerned with pleasing God than getting along with their pastor.

Pay attention to the subtle change in the two Old English words “establish” and “stablish” (Rom. 1:11 & Rom. 16:25).The word “establish” means to set forth the necessary information the Church the body of Christ needs to function according to God’s will; stablish means everything has been put in place necessary for the Church---it is a done deal. Paul is stabilizing us on his (Paul’s) foundation in Jesus Christ (I Cor. 3:9-10).  So the book of Romans is the foundational truth that Paul, as “the wise master builder”, built the dispensation of the grace of God upon. The reason we have so much trouble getting people saved is that we start with something other than the foundation of the building. When you build a house you do not start with the windows or roof; you start with the foundation… Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Gal. 3:24). Paul was talking to the Jewish believers when he says “our schoolmaster” and “us”. The law was truly Israel’s schoolmaster to bring them to Christ; however, in the dispensation of grace we are not under the law … For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Rom. 6:14) So who or what is the Gentiles’ “schoolmaster” to bring us to Christ? The Apostle Paul!!! I do not disagree that Jesus used the Law as a “schoolmaster” in His earthly ministry to Israel; however Paul never preceded the giving of the Gospel of Christ with the law (Ten Commandments). Jesus was a…“minister of the circumcision” (Rom. 15: 8).

 

Listen to what Paul told the Corinthian saints… “For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: [9] That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. [10] For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible” (II Cor. 10:8-10). Paul’s letters still to this day are much too weighty and powerful for Christians to study and proclaim. Therefore we are raised on a steady diet of Old Testament stories and New Testament parables of Jesus. That is a recipe for spiritual instability.

Unsaved sinners are asked to “make a decision for Christ”. While that is not entirely wrong, it is not the way God presents salvation in the Book of Romans. Christianity is something to be studied and thoughtfully comprehended. Believing something without any thought behind it is to “believe in vain” (I Cor. 15:1-2). Paul uses the first five chapters of Romans to lay out a detailed explanation of justification. When a person UNDERSTANDS THE MEANING of the Gospel of Christ and believes it ---salvation is the result.

The Book of Romans can be outlined in the following manner:

1. Justification…chapters 1-5

2. Sanctification…chapters 6-8

3. Dispensation…chapters 9-11

4. Presentation…chapters 12-16

The book of Romans will answer the following four important questions:

1. Why do we need to be saved?

2. How does God accomplish that salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ?

3. What we need to do to receive that salvation?

4. What excuses will men raise as to why they have not believed?

In the first section of the book of Romans Paul is going to prove that no matter the dispensation, no matter the “good news” God sets in place, man is going to continue to come short of the right thing to do (express God’s charity) and that is man’s dilemma. Why does man continually come short? Because man has a sin nature---an inward bent toward putting his own best interest ahead of God and others (this is called iniquity).  Sin is to come short of God’s standard of rightness; transgression is to go further than God allows; and both are a result of iniquity (possessing a sin nature). Throughout Scripture, God has chosen to put on display mankind’s “COMING SHORTNESS” of the measure of God’s rightness. This has always been man’s problem.  

In every dispensation, God has graciously chosen to decree this “gift righteousness” to anyone who would simply take Him at His Word. Although the “good news” has not remained the same in every dispensation, the result of taking God at His Word has remained the same---salvation. Man’s performance has never been the standard of rightness with God. So why did God give the “Law” to the nation of Israel if performance is not God’s criteria of judgment? To put in place a program that would clearly demonstrate that every person has three problems---iniquity, sin and transgression. Israel’s history, as recorded in the Bible, is a proof that man has a bent toward self. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, you can choose to try to fix up your relationship with God with your own “fig leaves” or you can accept His gift righteousness by simply believing what He says.