February 7, 2021-Romans 1:8-17

Paul’s Epistle to the Romans

February 7, 2021

Opening Prayer

Psalm 119 

¹⁷ Deal bountifully with your servant,
    that I may live and keep your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
¹⁹ I am a sojourner on the earth;
    hide not your commandments from me!
²⁰ My soul is consumed with longing
    for your rules^[a] at all times.
²¹ You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
    who wander from your commandments.
²² Take away from me scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your testimonies.
²³ Even though princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will meditate on your statutes.
²⁴ Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

Romans 1:8-10

⁸ First, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in the whole world. 

 

Paul often begins his letters by giving thanks for the people to whom he writes. He quickly follows with a statement that he is praying for the letters’ recipients.

 

⁹ For my witness is God, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention/remember you ¹⁰ always in my prayers, asking/begging that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

 

Why might it be beneficial to follow Paul’s example connecting thanksgiving to our prayers for others?

 

Paul’s desire has been to visit the Roman Christians, but it had not happened at the writing of this letter. Look at Acts 16:6-10. What does this passage teach us about God’s will and our plans?

 

What might be important about Paul’s experience for us as individuals? As a congregation?

 

What role does prayer play in the life of a congregation?

-        The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 ESV)

-        Notice who is active in prayer. From Luther’s Small Catechism on the Lord’s Prayer …

o   God’s kingdom comes when our heaven Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity. (2^nd)

o   God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature… (3^rd)

o   God certainly gives daily bread… (4^th)

o   We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us… (6^th)

o   We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul… (7^th)

 

Romans 1:11-15

¹¹ For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. ¹⁵ So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

 

Why is it important for Paul to see the Roman Christians? Will his letter not impart a spiritual gift and strengthen them?

-        Incarnational Ministry

-        The experience of P.O.W.s.

-        We are more than spirit. We are bodies. Bodies matter.

-        The danger of Gnosticism.

 

What is the value of being encouraged by each other’s faith?

-        Stories and experiences.

-        Prayer.

 

How all-encompassing is Paul’s ministry? How does he express it here?

Romans 1:16-17

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (ALONE!)

 

This passage changed the world, and is at the heart of the Reformation.

 

Why would anyone be ashamed?

-        Crucifixion is a very shameful death.

-        Jesus was, by Roman standards, a nobody.

-        Consider the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). Do these really sound “blessed” or “happy”?

-        A Theology of the Cross vs. a Theology of Glory. (The Heidelberg Disputation)

 

Power of God for Salvation for everyone who believes.

-        For by grace you have been saved through faith. (Eph. 2:8 ESV)

-        But to all who did receive [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… (John 1:12 ESV)

-        “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29 ESV)

 

Belief (or faith) is the main theme of Luther’s Small Catechism

-        10 Commandments – Bracketed by the 1^st Commandment – fear, love, and trust

-        Apostles’ Creed – “I believe…”

-        Lord’s Prayer – “With these words God tenderly invites us to believe…”

-        Baptism – “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…”

-        Confession – “Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven by God in heaven.”

-        Lord’s Supper – “But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: ‘Given and she for you for the forgiveness of sins.’”

 

In the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed.

-        From faith for faith? From faith to faith? From faith into faith?

-        The idea is that the righteousness of God is revealed/made known completely and only by faith.

 

What is this righteousness of God? (What does this text tell us?)

1.     God’s holiness? This is usually seen as revealed in God’s judgements.

2.     It is revealed. One does not naturally know, and cannot be understood or received by our efforts.

3.     It is received by faith. This excludes our performance.

4.     It gives life.

 

Roman life was regulated by a form of civic righteousness. It was highly performative. They understand that some things are right and some things are wrong. Some actions are righteous and other unrighteous. Paul is going to explore the distinctions of righteousness and unrighteousness to show us a different kind of righteousness. (Romans 3).

Homework

-        If you read Romans, re-read ch. 1. (Or listen to it via an app, or online through a site like www.biblegateway.com.)

-        Read Martin Luther’s comments about the righteousness of God from Luther’s Works. See handout.

-        Have a conversation about something that you learned, remembered, found important about Romans.

-        If you felt that this was worth your time, invite someone to join the study, or share a recording of the study via email or social media. (An email will go out after it has been posted.)