Ep. 290. Romans 1 | By Faith

EPISODE 290

BY FAITH: ROMANS 1

Romans is one of my favorite books for sure. It easily falls in my top five favorites at all times. The thing about Romans is that we often have bits and pieces of it memorized, and those few memorized verses give us false confidence in knowing the book as a whole. We were taught the Roman road, or we have a friend with a particular theological leaning that has shaped our view of Romans 9, or we've just learned certain verses without ever considering the context. That last point trips us all up sometimes, I'm afraid.

All of that being said, let me give you a quick rundown of the book. The first two and a half chapters make the point that all people (Jews and Gentiles) are sinners. Halfway through chapter three, the idea of righteousness by faith is mentioned, and that is developed more fully in chapter four. Chapter five returns to the "all" discussion, showing that, through Adam, all people came to sin and death and that through Christ, all could come to righteousness. Chapter six outlines the work of the cross and being set free from sin's power. Chapter seven discusses what it looks like to live according to the Law of Moses. Chapter eight reveals what a life submitted to the Spirit looks like. Chapters nine through eleven show how the Jews have not believed in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus and how the Gentiles have now been grafted in. Romans 12-15 deals with the practical application of the truth of faith, and the final chapter contains a series of greetings.

When we can hold all of those things in our heads at once, it helps us make sense of what can be a confusing book when viewed only a verse at a time.

In chapter one, pay special attention to "the Jew first and also the Greek [Gentile]." This language is repeated throughout the book and is how we should view the book as a whole. Paul is not talking about an individual's salvation, but rather that salvation has been made available to all people. Though that might not seem like an important distinction it will drastically shape how you read chapters 3, 9, and 10.

Paul also repeats himself a lot in this letter. In chapter one and ten he addresses the fact that all of creation has declared the glory and power of God so that all men are without excuse.

If you are able, I recommend reading the entire book in one sitting. Try doing that a few days in a row and see if you don't catch how often Paul repeats words, themes, or ideas.

ADDITIONAL READING: Habakkuk 2:4; Psalm 106:20; Jeremiah 2:11; Romans 2:1-5