God’s Righteousness Upheld

Rom 3:1  Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 
Rom 3:2  Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 
Rom 3:3  What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 
Rom 3:4  May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” 
Rom 3:5  But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 
Rom 3:6  May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 
Rom 3:7  But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 
Rom 3:8  And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just. 

v1 – The way this chapter begins is to answer some objections which might come up from the Jews to the statements given in the last chapter. The first of these objections is stated in this verse. In essence, what is the advantage of being a Jew. If what the apostle Paul said was correct, what is the advantage of the Jewish faith? This would be an objection based on Rom 2:25-26, which says, ” For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.  So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?“

v2 – The Jewish nation was given the Words of God. The scriptures, known to us as the Old Testament. Their advantage was that they knew what God commanded and required. The Jews believed that having, reading and listening to His Word was all they needed. However, they did not believe or live it out.

v3-4 – In these verses, we see the second objection. ‘If some are unfaithful, does this nullify the faithfulness of God? In Chapter 2, Paul had maintained the position that Israel was sinful. They had not obeyed what God had commanded them. The objector, whoever that was if it was an actual person, accepted this fact regarding a subset of the nation. Therefore, there must be some consequences to this. However, the idea was that God’s faithfulness was nullified. After all, He did entrust them with the oracles. So, the question to be asked is, does the unbelief of God’s chosen people say that God was unfaithful? God provided what they needed. It was the fault of the unfaithful that they did not believe.

v5-8 – Paul here anticipates a very interesting question. “If our unrighteousness shows the righteousness of God, then is God wrong in punishing us?” Paul basically agrees that their sin shows His righteousness, however, that does not change the fact that they were disobedient. How could God judge the world if it was unjust to punish them? it is not anything that He did, for they had the Word of God, they were the ones who did not believe. They knew, through these scriptures, about the true and living God. They had the advantage or the other nations. God is justified in condemning them. We need to see this in the light of today’s culture. Is God justified in condemning those today who do not accept the Word He has given us? Absolutely! To quote Francis Schaeffer in his book, “The Finished Work of Christ“, “And once again we must ask, if this is what God says about the Jews in Paul’s day, about their having the Old Testament Scriptures and yet being guilty before Him — indeed being especially under His wrath because of all the advantages they had — if this was true of the Jewish world of Paul’s day, what would God say to the world of Christendom today?” He continues by saying that we have access all the Bibles we want. I have close to twenty myself, in different translations. There is nothing stopping us from getting to know God in an intimate way along with His commands except our own desires.

Go Forward to Chapter 3 Part 2

God’s Righteous Judgement

Rom 2:1  Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 
Rom 2:2  And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 
Rom 2:3  But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 
Rom 2:4  Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 
Rom 2:5  But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 
Rom 2:6  who will render to each one according to his works:
Rom 2:7  to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 
Rom 2:8  but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 
Rom 2:9  There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 
Rom 2:10  but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 
Rom 2:11  For there is no partiality with God. 

v1 – This can be looked at in various ways. 1) He is speaking of the Jews judging the Gentiles, 2) He is speaking of an unsaved person judging an unsaved person, 3) He is speaking of a professing Christian judging an unbeliever. Many times, people judge others for the very things they do. The may not say it, but they could think the following. 1) I may be a sinner, but at least I am better than most. 2) I may be a sinner, but at least I am good enough to get by. Surely, God would not condemn me. Too often we assume that because we made a profession of faith we are in good shape. However, we are dealing with a God who is truly there and knows all. What matters is what we truly say, what we mean, and what we truly do. He responds to what we truly believe, not what we profess to believe. We should be always examining ourselves to see if we are living as we should, if we are being a hypocrite. (See Mat 18:21 – 35, The parable of the unforgiving Servant)

v2-3 – It is important that we understand what Paul means by ‘practice’.  To willfully sin is to sin consciously, with volition. The concept of practicing sin is like that of practicing medicine or law. It means the person is actively engaged in it on a consistent basis. A person can willfully sin on an infrequent or inconsistent basis and therefore not be thought of as practicing sin. What Paul is saying is if you judge others for the same things you yourself do, are you not also judging yourself? Absolutely! ” Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Mat 7:1-5. Again, we are speaking of those who practice sin.

v4 – We may presume that if God is a good God, a God of love, then He will give us grace. He is patient with me, so I am OK. However, His kindness and patience are meant to lead us to repentance. It is not meant to give us a pass for the sins we practice. God is a God of love. “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 2 Pet 3:1. Just as these latter-day scoffers look at the predictability of nature and refuse to believe that God would ever upset the uniformity of natural causes and bring judgement, so also the man Paul speaks of sees God’s kindness all around him and assumes that judgement will never come.  God’s kindness is meant to lead such people to repentance, but because of their refusal to truly respond, it will have the opposite result.

v5-8 – Most versions read this as “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth”. This makes sense in that we are being contentious with the truth because it differs from our desires. It denotes those who are of a quarrelsome or litigious disposition, and generally refers to controversies among people. However, here it evidently denotes a disposition toward God, and it is the same as being rebellious or as opposing God; those who contend with the Almighty and who resist His claims, rebel against His laws and refuse to submit to His requirements. See Deut 21:18-21 and Deut 9:7-29).

v9-10 – Tribulation commonly denotes affliction, or the situation of being pressed down by a burn, as of trials, calamities, etc. Distress or anguish literally means narrowness of place, lack of room. Refers to having no idea where to go to escape these trials or find relief. But to those who obey, there will be glory, honor and peace.”

v11 – This refers to pronouncing in favoring one party over another, not because his cause is more just, but on account of something personal. This would include but not limited to wealth, rank, function, influence, fear or personal friendship. The exercise of such partiality was strictly forbidden to the Jewish magistrates. “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” Lev 19-15. And, ” You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.” Deut 1:17. Also, look at James 2:1-13.

Go Forward to Chapter 2 Part 2

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith & God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

Rom 1:16  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. 
Rom 1:17  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 
Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 
Rom 1:19  because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 
Rom 1:20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 
Rom 1:21  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
Rom 1:22  Professing to be wise, they became fools, 
Rom 1:23  and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 
Rom 1:24  Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 
Rom 1:25  For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 
Rom 1:26  For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 
Rom 1:27  and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 
Rom 1:28  And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 
Rom 1:29  being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 
Rom 1:30  slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 
Rom 1:31  without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 
Rom 1:32  and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. 

v16 – Paul is not ashamed of the gospel and the calling he has from God to proclaim it. To the Jews he was regarded as an apostate. By the wise among the Gentiles he is persecuted and despised, and looked down upon as unintelligent and not worth listening to. However, even these things did not cause him to walk away because he is convinced that this gospel of Christ is absolutely true. That it is the “power of God for salvation” for everyone who believes. Look at 1 Cor 4:9-13, “For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;  and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;  when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.” This was a difficult position for the apostles. Would you be willing to go through this for the sake of Christ’s calling?

v17 – Through the gospel we see the righteousness of God revealed through the justification of all who believe and by faith accept this in faith. It has nothing to do with us. It is our faith in Christ and His completed work on the cross. We must come to Him in humility recognizing our sin, repenting and yielding ourselves to Him. You this in the verse Paul quoted. Hab 2:4, “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.“

v18 – This verse explains why there is a need for salvation, All men, prior to accepting Christ, are under the wrath of God. We are all guilty of ungodliness and unrighteousness against God. We all have made the same decision Adam and Eve made in the Garden, that being following our own will and not God’s. All unbelievers suppress the truth, not allowing it to be manifest because of our wrongdoing.

v19-20 – God has shown us through His creation that He exists and is real. We see the heavens and all the stars just within our view. And with the use of powerful telescopes, we can see far beyond our ability with the naked eye. We see the magnificence of His work through all the living things, especially ourselves. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, according to the psalmist in Psa 139:14. We have no answers to the miracle that is life. All we see, and the fact we can see it, along with the order and precision of all He made is proof there must be a God. We have no excuse, He has made this abundantly clear. However, many ignore this by suppressing the truth as noted in verse 18. They do not wish to accept the fact there is a God, so they make up reasons to answer why anything exists.

v21 – Just as Adam and Eve knew there is a God, they know there is a God. However, they refuse to acknowledge the fact and instead make up reasons why God cannot exist. With all the evidence available, these proofs have no basis in fact and end up as simply nonsense. Their minds become darkened because the light of God is ignored.

v22 – And because they reason and produce ways of how all this came into being without a God, they believe they are so intelligent and wise, and we who believe God created everything are fools. They follow the ways of the philosophers of old who believed they were the wise ones. However, Paul turns the tables around. The word philosophers literally means ‘lovers of wisdom’. However, in their endeavor to be wise above all, they became foolish regarding what is real.

v23-25 – They wanted something to believe in something, however it could not be the true and living God, so they replaced Him with idols made in the image of men and animals and all manner of living creatures. God made man in the image of himself, however, man reversed this and made Gods in their image and likeness as well as animals. They want to be the center of the universe and so they replace God with images of themselves. And because of this, God ceased to restrain them from living as they desired due to the fact they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, worshipping what they created rather than who created them.

v26-27 – Because they worshipped gods of their own making rather then the true God, their thinking became corrupt and they began to follow all the desires they had, no matter how debased. Both men and women followed relations that were contrary to nature. And because these relations were wrong and against the way God created us, they suffered ailments or injuries that would not have happened if they remained as how we are created.

v28-32 – And because they chose not to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to their own desires and the depravity that logically followed their decision. They gave in and acted upon thoughts and deeds that were not good or proper. They were filled with all unrighteousness and wickedness. The list includes greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Does not this list sound like many in the world today? We see these things because they ignore God and act as though either He does not exist or He is unwanted. People know these things are wrong, because if these things were done against them, they would be very angry and declare them wrong. However, knowing these things are wrong and deserving of punishment, they continue in these deeds and heartily approve of those who practice them.

Go Back to Chapter 1 Part 2

Longing to Go to Rome

Rom 1:8  First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 
Rom 1:9  For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 
Rom 1:10  always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 
Rom 1:11  For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; 
Rom 1:12  that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. 
Rom 1:13  I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 
Rom 1:14  I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 
Rom 1:15  So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 

v8 – Paul here is thanking God through Christ for all the church. Paul is saying that their faith was amazingly strong and consistent. The evidence of this is the fact that it is being celebrated throughout the world. They were in the capital of the Roman Empire, in a city known for it’s incredible wickedness. What a testimony that their faith was known throughout the entire empire. With a city of this impact, the religious or irreligious influence would be felt all over. What a testimony to their faith. I ask the question, as things get worse and Christianity becomes more hated and persecuted, could we remain strong and faithful. Remember, it was here where Christians were tortured and crucified, burned alive and thrown to the lions and other ferocious animals. We must draw closer to God and give our all to Him and trust He will be with us through it all.

v9-10 – Paul loved the church there, and he prayed constantly for them. He prayed that somehow by God’s will this would happen. That he would be granted the great favor of fellowshipping with them. This is how we should pray, asking that His will be done. James 4:13-15 says, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'”

v11-12 – One of the reasons Paul wanted to visit them was to strengthen. Actually it was for mutual edification. Note the words ‘mutually encouraged by each other’s faith’. He expected to be strengthened and comforted by seeing their strength of faith. We should seek the same with us and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should encourage and strengthen each other through seeing the great strength and faith we share. We should take this time to pray for each other in work we are called into, and the trials we both face.

v13 – Paul again is reiterating that he has made plans to visit them, but for unknown reasons, it was prevented. However, this did not stop him from writing them and making plain the love he had for them, and how much he prayed for them. He wanted to come and help those struggling and be a positive influence with them as with the rest of the Gentiles. This Christian was a much greater change for the Gentiles than it was for the Jews. He truly wanted to have a positive impact on their lives.

v14-15 – Paul states that he is under obligation to help them. Not because he needs to return a favor to them. It was because God had shown him that this is the work he has appointed to him. Notice the two groups he mentions. The Greeks and the Barbarians. These are both non-Jews, namely the Gentiles. When he says the Greeks, he is referring to those who are Greek by nationality, whether a native of the main land or of the Greek islands or colonies. The Barbarians were not Greek but spoke a rude or harsh language, I essence one who speaks a language unknown to others. And his calling was not just to those who esteem themselves intelligent and wise, but also to those who are not of the learned. His calling, again was to all. And we also should look to reach out to all, and not just those who may make us look good. As far as he was concerned, he was eager to preach the gospel to all who were in Rome, both to those who were already in the church, but also those were not.

Go Forward to Chapter 1 Part 3

Go Back to Chapter 1 Part 1

Greeting

Rom 1:1  Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 
Rom 1:2  which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 
Rom 1:3  concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 
Rom 1:4  who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 
Rom 1:5  through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, 
Rom 1:6  among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 
Rom 1:7  to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

v1 – Paul begins this letter in his standard way. The wording may be somewhat different with each letter, however there are very similar descriptions. He introduces himself as Paul, a bond servant of Christ, called to be an apostle. The term bond servant is the Greek word δοῦλος (doulos) which means bond servant or slave; one who gives themselves up to another’s will. This is what Paul has done, he is following the will of Christ to spread the truth of what God has done through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

v2 – And this gospel (good news) is not new, but was foretold through the Old Testament starting in Gen 3:15, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” This was spoke by God to the serpent in the garden after the fall of Adam and Eve.

v3 – As stated above, the gospel refers to the Son of God, Jesus. He of the lineage of King David based on His humanity.

v4 – Jesus was declared to be the Son of God by the Holy Spirit with the evidence being His resurrection from the dead.

v5 – And it was this same Jesus who gave Paul and his helpers the grace and apostleship. Through Jesus they were justified (declared righteous) because of the Jesus’ death on the cross, and it was Jesus who sent them out to spread the good news among the Gentiles. Note Acts 9:15-16 regarding Saul (now Paul) “But the Lord said to him (Ananias), “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” When Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus, this was His purpose, to enlist him in His service of spreading the gospel not just to the Jews and to kings, but to Gentiles as well.

v6-7 – And those Gentiles whom God sent Paul to included the Roman Church. All those in Rome who are of the faith. Who live out their faith throughout their lives in devotion to Christ. Note: Where it says called ‘as’ saints, in the Greek the wording is called saints. God sent them to those who were already saints. This is not to say that some were not saved through their words, however, they were sent to those who were already Christians.

Continue to Chapter 1 Part 2