Romans 1:1-Romans 1:17. This is the introduction of the epistle. Paul begins it by introducing his apostleship, showing how Christ had called him, and separated him to the gospel of God (Acts 9:15-16; 26:15-18). He was an apostle by Christ’s call, the apostle of the Gentiles as Peter was to the Jews (see Rom. 5; Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:8).
The gospel was the glad tidings of God, showing forth His character and nature, and His actings towards man for his salvation. It was the subject of promise in old testament writings, but now a revealed thing in Christ; prophets searched into it and inquired what or what manner of time the Spirit that was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow, unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they ministered these things (that is, this grace and salvation) which are now reported unto you through them that preached the gospel to you with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven (1 Pet. 1:10-12). But what was a subject of promise in old testament writings, was a salvation now preached, and to be now received.
The subject of the gospel was concerning God’s Son, come of David’s seed according to flesh, but marked out Son of God, in power, according to spirit of holiness, by resurrection of dead ones. (This is the literal translation.)
This was what He was according to flesh, and what faith discerned, according to spirit, even during His life down here, but fully marked out by His own resurrection from the dead! Son of David was Christ’s Jewish title after the flesh (Matt. 1:1). It was His royal title to the throne of Jerusalem. The Jews had all the privileges as to this title (see Rom. 9:4-5), and Jesus Christ became a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers (Rom. 15:8). The Gentiles could claim no blessing under this title (Matt. 15:22-24). They had no promises after the flesh.
But He was also marked out as Son of God in power according to spirit of holiness by resurrection of dead ones! As Son of God, He revealed God and overleaped all barriers; He was the God not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles (Rom. 3:29). He could sit down on a well face to face with a poor Samaritan, could unveil her heart to herself, and then reveal Himself to her as the Christ. He could say of a Roman centurion, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” As Son of God, He raised Jairus’s daughter, the widow of Nain’s son, and Lazarus; death yielded to His power! Satan, sin, death, and hades could not stop His victorious progress; and He raised Himself triumphant from the grave, declared by this act as well as His previous ones to be Son of God according to spirit of holiness.
As such, also, He reveals God in His nature to us, and as Father, and introduces all believers into His own place before God and the Father, and puts them in a like relationship with God, Jew as well as Gentile, that is, that of “sons of God.” It was under this title that Paul preached Him in the synagogue at Damascus (Acts 9:20), for it had pleased God to reveal His Son in him at that time (Gal. 1:16). The Son of God had given him his apostleship for obedience to the faith amongst all nations! As “Son of David” Christ was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As “Son of God,” the gospel went out to all, Gentiles as well as Jews.
But if Paul was an apostle by call, the Roman saints were also the called of Jesus Christ. When a person is made to hear the Son of God’s voice in the gospel, he is quickened; it is the call of Jesus Christ to his soul, which converts him and turns him to God; none of the blessings of Christianity such as forgiveness, salvation, justification, and sealing, are possessed by him, except as first called of God. It is the first link of the soul with God, not full Christianity in itself, but all important and all necessary as the beginning. It is to these called ones, saints, that the apostle gives the usual salutation of “grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Viewed as the body of Christ, they were perfect, and had no need of mercy (see 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Col. 1:2; Phil. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:2; also Philemon), seeing that the Assembly at his house is addressed. Individuals had need of mercy, and when Paul addresses an individual, the word mercy is added, owing to the sin and infirmities still in them (see 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4).
The apostle now thanks God that the faith of the Roman saints was spoken of throughout the world. “God is my witness,” says he, “whom I serve in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing, I mention you always in my prayers, making request if by any means, now at length I may be prospered by the will of God to come unto you.” Ardently did he desire to see them that he might impart to them some spiritual gift to the end they might be established, and that they might have mutual comfort from each other’s faith. He had been hindered hitherto getting to see them, but he felt a debtor to the Greek, and to the barbarian, to the wise, and the unwise, so that he was ready at any moment to preach the gospel to them that were in Rome also.
“I am not ashamed of the gospel,” says he, “for it is God’s power unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile; for in it God’s righteousness by faith is revealed to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith.” Mark, dear reader, it is God’s righteousness, that kind of righteousness, not man’s righteousness for God, but God’s for man; man receives it on the principle of faith, and it is revealed to faith, where ever that was to be found. It was no longer a. question of a nation outwardly separated to God, as the Jewish nation was, with the law, who were under it, as the measure of their responsibility; that would be man’s righteousness for God; but this, God’s righteousness for man, was unto all, Jew and Gentile alike, though only upon all that believed (Rom. 1:16-17).
In these two verses, we have a summary of the chief part of the epistle. What wonderful words! The gospel of God is about to be declared; it is the gospel of God as to its source (Rom. 1:1). It is the gospel of God’s Son, as to its subject and character (Rom. 1:9). In Romans 1:16 it is the gospel, as the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, in it God’s righteousness is revealed. It is for man to stand still, hear, and believe in the salvation of God.
Romans 1:17. The apostle here quotes from the prophet Habakkuk (see Hab. 2:4). He contrasts the governmental dealings of God with the Jewish nation with His present dealings under the gospel. The just Jew of that day was to live by faith in God’s promises, in view of the coming judgment of the Chaldæans. The just man now lived by faith in the righteousness revealed in the gospel, in view of God’s wrath revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness. It is God’s wrath from heaven, not merely a governmental dealing like that of the king of Babylon! The latter judgment had to do with time; God’s wrath from heaven with eternity.
The apostle now turns away from his subject of God’s salvation to show the necessity of it from man’s state as a sinner. From Romans 1:18 to the end of the chapter the state of the Gentile world is described. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because the Gentiles or heathen are responsible to God for two reasons — first, that which is known of God is manifest in them; they themselves were the proof of the existence of the Creator; besides, God had shown it unto them. The works of creation, the sun, moon and stars, heavens, earth, sea, etc., all bore witness to the existence of the Creator. His eternal power and Godhead were thus manifested, so that they were without excuse; but secondly, knowing God they did not glorify Him as God, neither were thankful, they ceased to worship Him, then foolish reasonings ensued (Rom. 1:21), and their foolish heart became darkened; thinking themselves to be wise they became fools, and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible, man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Thus false worship ensued (Rom. 1:25), and as a judicial consequence God gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their heart to dishonor their bodies between themselves. Sad picture of the declension of man from the days of Noah.
The state of his heart is described from Romans 1:21-27, and the state of his mind, from Romans 1:28-33; his body being given up to all kind of wickedness as the judicial consequence. Love was turned into lust. The heart which ought to have centered itself upon God was centered on the creature, the truth of God was changed into a lie, and the creature was honored more than the Creator; thus the truth was held in unrighteousness, idolatry took the place of the worship of the true God, though the form of religion remained.
Romans 1:26. Wherefore God gave them up to vile affections, and so forth. How sad, yet how true. It is an ever true principle, that according to our estimate and knowledge of God, that our worship will be, and a higher or lower morality will ensue.
But not only did their heart go wrong, and as a judicial consequence the body was given up to lust, but their mind too; they did not like to retain God in their knowledge (Rom. 1:28), and the judicial consequence was that God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to practice unseemly things, and to invent all kinds of evil and wickedness (Rom. 1:29-31), and although they knew that the judgment of God was against those that committed such things, they not only did the same, but had pleasure in those that did them. Solemn facts as to the heathen world! God is said to have given them up three times, (Rom. 1:24; Rom. 1:26; Rom. 1:28), bodies, affections, mind, all given up; you might say the whole man. You say, perhaps, my reader, “Ah! this is the heathen world.” Yes, but tell me about the state of the profession of Christianity today; we see, alas! almost the same things committed in Christendom in the present day as those described here; and this state is described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, with one thing added, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”