1:1-7 Greetings

Romans
Greetings 1:1-7

I. Paul, the author, identifies himself:

a. “A servant of Christ Jesus”

Note: The Greek word for servant here is doulos, which is the common word for slave.

1. Why does Paul describe himself in this way in relationship to Christ? What does this demonstrate about him?

2. How should we see ourselves in relationship to the Savior?

b. “An apostle”

Note: An apostle is literally one who is sent. However, it became a technical label to describe the Twelve men who played a special role in Jesus’ ministry. An apostle is described as a witness to the resurrection (Acts 1:22)

1. How does Paul see his ministry in relationship to the Twelve? Where does Paul see this unique position as coming from?

2. What is ironic about Paul describing himself as a servant or slave on the one hand and an apostle on the other?

3. What implications might this have for Christian leadership?

c. “set apart for the gospel of God”

1. Who has set him apart? Why is Paul set apart for? Why was Paul, as opposed to another, chosen to be set apart?

2. Whose gospel is it? Paul’s? The apostles’? Why is this important?

3. When we present the gospel, what liberties do we have to change, or adapt, or soften it?

II. The Gospel is defined as:

a. “Promised beforehand through the prophets in the Scripture”

Read Jesus’ words in Luke 24:25-27; John 5:39-40

1. How do you think the early Christians would have viewed the Old Testament?

2. Why is it important that the gospel is the fruition of the Old Testament, rather than opposed to it?

3. How should we read the Old Testament today?

b. His Son: son of David declared with power by the resurrection to be the Son of God by the Spirit of Holiness

“This is a remarkable passage, by which we are taught that the whole gospel is included in Christ, so that if anyone removes one step from Christ, he withdraws himself from the gospel.” (Calvin)

Note: Son of David would be a quickly recognizable phrase to indicate the long-awaited messiah. God has promised David that a descendent of his will never cease to sit on the throne.

1. In what way does the resurrection establish Jesus as the Son of God?

2. What role does the Holy Spirit play in this? Where do we see the Trinity in this description of the gospel?

3. What role then do the persons of the Trinity play in our salvation?

c. “Jesus Christ our Lord”

Note: The Greek word for Lord is kurios. The word can refer to a human master or superior. However it is consistently the Greek word used to translate the Hebrew name for God, YHWH.

III. The effects of this gospel

a. “Grace”

1. What are some common English definitions of grace? What specifically is meant by grace in this passage?

b. Apostleship to call from all the Gentiles to the obedience of faith

1. What is the purpose of apostleship?

2. What does the phrase the ‘obedience of faith’ mean? What relationship does faith have with obedience to God?

c. “Called to Belong to Jesus”

Even as Paul was called to be an apostle, so he describes all Christians as ‘called’ to belong to Jesus.

1. What does it mean to be called?

2. How would it effect your relationship with God to see yourself as ‘called’ by God?

IV. Address

a. “To all in Rome”

Note: Rome is the world metropolis, the capitol city of the empire. The apostle who is known throughout the known world is writing to the church whcih is known throughout the world.

b. “who are loved by God”

“I do not know a more joyful thought than for a man to be led to believe that God takes complacency in him, and looks at him with the eye of loving approval. Such as are the beloved of the Lord…”

1. Do you see God as one who loves you? On what basis do you believe this to be true? Why does God love us?

c. “called to be saints.”

Note: the root word for ‘saint’ is holy hagios. Saints are those who are holy, or sanctified.

1. Who is Paul referring to as saints? How is the term saint typically used in modern English?

2. What does this reveal about how God views holiness, compared to how we view holiness?

d. Grace and peace to you…

Note: Grace and peace, common words and greetings of the ancient world, will become weighty theological terms for the Christian, as we will see in the following chapters.