The Book of Romans Chapter 1 - PowerPoint Presentation

The Book of Romans Chapter 1

Romans 1:1-2 1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called  to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,  2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)  

Romans 1:1-2 From Paul, a slave of Messiah Yeshua.... Paulus or Paulos = Paul Doulos = slave In gentile Roman world being a slave was a shameful thing Only in Hebrew context do we understand Paul’s words

Romans 1:1-2 “Slave of God” was an honorable and special status among Hebrews Moses, Elijah and King David all called “slaves of God” Eved = slave or servant Paul was NOT humbling himself; he was claiming a high position of authority!

Romans 1:1-2 In Greek terms an apostle applies to sending out military and ships Apostolos = Apostle Paul is thinking in Hebrew Hebrew word Shaliach = agent John 14:12, 13 An agent carries his master’s power and authority Paul is an AGENT of Yeshua, not merely a messenger

Romans 1:1-2 1st verse of Romans is actually upside-down from the traditional Christian view Apostle is not the same as Disciple There were 12 original Apostles because of 12 tribes of Israel Why a 13th Apostle? Counting Levi, there were actually 13 tribes of Israel Paul says the Gospel comes from the holy writings....the Hebrew Bible

Romans 1:3-4 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;  4 And declared  to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Romans 1:3-4 Good News directly tied to God’s Son Sons of God a term applied to Israel as a whole, kings of Israel, even angels Person of the Good News is physically descended from David Positive ID is Yeshua, because by God’s power He was resurrected Lord = divine Only Jews would understand this

Romans 1:3-4 Paul’s logic: Pt. 1: Yeshua appointed Paul as Apostle Pt. 2: Paul is Yeshua’s agent to the gentiles Pt. 3: Yeshua called the gentile Believers of Rome Pt. 4: Because of points 1, 2 & 3, then the gentile Believers of Rome belong under Paul’s authority

Romans 1:5-7 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:  6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:  7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called  to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:8-9 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.  9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 

Romans 1:8-9 Vs. 8 thanksgiving is Paul’s priority Dia = Through “I thank my God THROUGH ....Yeshua” Enoch and Tobit confirm that Jews believed that archangels were intermediaries Matthew 6:9 – 13 Yeshua instructs us to pray to The Father The Father remains supreme

Romans 1:10-11 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.  11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 

Romans 1:12-13 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.  13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

Romans 1:12-13 Paul backtracks on his statement about imparting spiritual gifts Redefines it as meaning mutual encouragement as brothers in Messiah He explains that he wanted to come to Rome, but circumstances prevented it Paul wanted to have some “fruit” in the Rome congregation Paul was only a man and seeing good fruit come from his work might be his only earthly reward

Romans 1:12-13 Paul was right and what he said was true When he got to Rome4 years after the letter to Rome, it was as a prisoner Acts 28:20 – 22 Jews of Rome looked to Judea (Jerusalem) for direction and authority No hint about the letter Paul sent 4 years earlier Paul began his own community of Believers A couple more years and Nero would begin the persecution of Believers

Romans 1:14-15 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.  15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

Romans 1:16-17 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

Romans 1:16-17 Barbarians = non-Greek speakers All gentiles, regardless of status or education, were to be offered the Gospel Vss. 16 & 17 are the theme of the letter: the saving power of the Gospel What does “Not ashamed of the Gospel” mean” ? Shame is a cultural status Ashamed is a psychological condition of guilt and regret

Romans 1:16-17 “Power of God unto salvation” A mysterious, real force with the ability to transform 1Cor. 1:18 1Cor. 2:3 – 5 2Cor. 6:6 – 7 It is also a continuing divine force that sustains new life Trust Christ for salvation; but the actual force is the Father’s Psalm 107

Romans 1:16-17 SALVATION In the OT, saving was rescue from an actual situation......from death or danger In the Gospel context, saving is spiritual It is delivery from a FUTURE judgment One can be “saved” immediately, but the most important effect will not come until later

Romans 1:16-17 “Salvation to everyone who believes...” Present tense....means to keep on trusting Once-Saved-Always-Saved says that momentary belief is good enough Are there Pretenders? Matt. 7:21 -23 Heb. 6:4 – 6 James 5:19 – 20 2Peter 2:20 - 22

Romans 1:16-17 God’s power of salvation is for Jews and gentiles NO Two Covenant Theology! Israel is the bearer of the Abrahamic Covenant Gentiles receive Abraham’s blessing THROUGH Israel Israel was Christ’s priority Matt. 15:21 – 24 Christianity has tried to reverse God’s priority for 1900 years !

Romans 1:16-17 RIGHTEOUS Romans 1:16, 17 outlines the theme of the Book of Romans Common Christian terms often not so easy to define Theme of Vss.16, 17 expresses Paul’s understanding of his Messianic faith All translations from original languages to English necessarily involve redaction

Romans 1:16-17 Translator’s job: make the original languages understandable to English speakers Must make choices about what English words to use Theological viewpoints and biases creep into Bible translations

Romans 1:16-17 No BEST Bible ! Hebrew thought patterns had to be expressed in Greek Knowing the language is not the same as knowing the culture

Romans 1:16-17 Bible Translators usually beholden to a specific denomination Best to use several different Bibles for study KJV accurate, but uses antiquated English from 500 years ago! NIV agenda driven and highly redacted ESV Romans 1:17 “...the righteousness of God..” CJB Romans 1:17 “..how God makes people righteous...”

Romans 1:16-17 Best explanation of “righteous” is found in Exodus 21 Dikaioo = righteous Dikaioo , dikaiosyne , dikaios = various forms of righteous Paul is expressing his Hebrew thought patterns in his writings

Romans 1:16-17 Septuagint = Greek translation of Old Testament 250 B.C. Compare Septuagint to the Hebrew Bible word for word to find out which Greek word is used to translate any given Hebrew word

Romans 1:16-17 Hebrew Tzedek = Greek dikaioo = English righteous To know what righteous means in the NT, we need to know what tzedek means in the OT

Romans 1:16-17 Righteousness as applies to God different as applies to humans For humans righteous is: A person who is right with God Doing what is right Ethical (fair or unfair) Tzadik = righteous one

Romans 1:16-17 Psalm 51:14 Isaiah 46:13 Salvation and righteousness are parallel terms Psalm 31 God’s faithfulness to keep His promises Psalm 50:6 God’s righteousness wrapped up in His justice

Romans 1:16-17 God’s righteousness 1) attribute to do right 2) activity of establishing right within humans 3) process of moving humans from position of wrong to position of right

Romans 1:16-17 “The righteous will live by faith” Hab.2:4 Prophet and contemporary of Jeremiah 600 B.C. Gen. 15:6 “He believed in Adonai, and He credited it to him as righteousness”

Romans 1:18-19 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed  it unto them.

Romans 1:18-19 CAN GOD BE WRATH AND LOVE ? What about those who do NOT accept the Gospel ? Is God’s wrath a thing of the past? The Gospel is Just; so consequences for wrong behavior are a must Definition of right and wrong comes from the Law of Moses 1John 3:4 “sin is the transgression of the Law” Christ pays for our wrong behavior, not our right behavior?

Romans 1:20-21 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,  even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified  him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Romans 1:20-21 SUPPRESSING THE TRUTH Romans 1:18 – 20 Suppressing truth is one of the wrong behaviors of the unrighteous If you don’t know who God is, it’s because you don’t want to know

Romans 1:20-21 Not believing in Creation is a deception that affects how you believe other things about God Although the power of God is invisible, the residue of what His power has wrought IS visible! Psalm 19:1 - 7

Romans 1:22-23 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Romans 1:20-21 All humans have an innate understanding of God’s attributes But when we take all of our cues about God from nature, we get bad results It is the refusal of humans to recognize God and worship Him that leads to futile thinking In Hebrew thought, to “know God” means to worship Him Psalm 106:19 - 20

Romans 1:24-25 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 

Romans 1:24-25 Sexual morality is the most important issue of our time Several denominations have split over this issue Psalm 50:16 – 23 It is the person who DOES right that God will lead to salvation How do we know right from wrong without God’s Word, especially His Torah?

Romans 1:24-25 Atheism is essentially self-worship Any evidence of God that Atheists see pricks their conscience Vs. 24 says that God will give people up to their sins Paradidomi = give up, turn over, deliver God abandons people to their wickedness AS A RESULT of rejecting Him “Handed over” in the OT involves God being active in the processual

Romans 1:24-25 Earthly punishment: turned over to lusts of our heart 2nd Temple Judaism principle: man will either serve God or serve his own evil inclination Matt.6:24 Either YOU control your heart, or your heart controls YOU! Jer. 17:9 We MUST bring our hearts under submission to our regenerated minds

Romans 1:26-27 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

Romans 1:26-27 The man who rebels against God begins a process of moral degeneration Paul is speaking to all humanity in general, but especially to the recipients of his letter to the Romans Paul speaks of God’s anger against wickedness and godlessness “The Devil made me do it” is a cute quote: but not Biblical. We choose to do evil, we’re not coerced

Romans 1:26-27 We can’t plead that we didn’t know we were rebelling, because what is right is revealed in Creation 2nd Temple Judaism believed this same principle Psalm 19 God disclosed Himself by means of His Creation The Creation is a shadow of God passing by

Romans 1:26-27 That non-Believers engage in a gay lifestyle should not surprise us These advocate for LGBT values: Conservative Jewish Movement Reform Jewish movement Episcopal Church Evangelical Lutheran Presbyterian USA United Church of Christ And Others

Romans 1:26-27 CHURCH GIVING IN TO LGBT Pope Francis issued an open apology to LGBT for not inviting them in and embracing them This sort of error is caused by twisting God’s Word and being disobedient to God’s laws The result of being turned over to sin by God is the long list of vices in Romans 1:24 - 31

Romans 1:28-29 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in  their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 

Romans 1:30-32 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers , without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Romans 1:32 Paul says those who engage in this list of vices are worthy of death Not just bodily death, but eternal death We cannot live the lifestyle of any of these vices AND legitimately claim trust in Yeshua Matt. 7:21 - 23CH

Romans 1:30-32 We know when we’re doing wrong !! We do wrong because we listen to our hearts Paul says those who applaud and cheer others to sin are as guilty as the ones doing the wrong This is a hard principle to accept Our duty is to believe God and obey God, not to question Him

Romans

Romans End Chapter 1