Romans 1:4

tou WHO orisqentoV WAS MARKED OUT uiou SON qeou OF GOD en IN dunamei POWER kata ACCORDING TO THE pneuma SPIRIT

agiwsunhV OF HOLINESS ex BY

anastasewV RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

ihsou JESUS cristou CHRIST tou OUR

kuriou hmwn LORD

The resurrection was the “marking out” of the Son of God “In Power”.

The time of his humiliation was over. The second phase had begun.

“Jesus Christ is Lord” was a confession of the early church at baptism.

1 Corinthians 12:3, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord.’ Except by the Holy Spirit”

Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The statement “Jesus is Lord” was so important to the people in the early church because by saying it they where confessing:

1) The man Jesus was God

2) Jesus was the savior

The word LORD is the Greek word kuriou (kurioV) in our text (kyriou or kyrios)

In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint) the Greek word Kupios was used to translate the Hebrew name for God, YHWH or Yahweh.

A good example of this is in Luke 2:11, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

The Jews and believers who used the Greek Septuagint would be familiar calling God LORD.

Philippians 2:11, “Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

The account of Polycarp’s martyrdom records the governor at the trial in the arena saying, “What harm is there in saying, ‘Caesar is Lord’, and burning incense and saving yourself? In the account of Polycarp’s response he says, “For eighty-six years I have been his (Christ’s) slave, and he has done me no wrong; how can I blaspheme my king who saved me?”

Paul uses Jesus Christ 15-19 times and Christ Jesus 13-16 times in Romans

We need to think like the author of “The Martyrdom of Holy Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna” did when he wrote in their account:

“Polycarp was arrested by Herod, when Philip of Tralles was high priest, and Statius Quadratus was governor, but our Lord Jesus Christ was reigning forever.”

Romans 1:5

di BY ou WHOM

elabomen WE RECEIVED carin GRACE kai AND apostolhn APOSTLESHIP eiV UNTO upakohn OBEDIENCE pistewV OF FAITH en AMONG pasin ALL toiV THE eqnesin NATIONS uper IN BEHALF tou OF onomatoV autou HIS NAME

“We” seems to be Paul referring to himself without having to say “I”. (a literary plural)

He could be referring to himself and the other apostles, but this thought is never continued.

He could be referring to himself and the Roman believers, but verse 6 speaks of them as having been the ones called.

It then appears in the context that he is speaking of two things that he has received two things:

a) grace of conversion (salvation)

b) grace of apostleship (service)

The purpose for Paul being given grace and apostleship are know identified with three prepositional phrases:

a) “unto”(eiV) denotes purpose – Paul had received grace and was an apostle to “bring about” obedience of faith

b) “among” (en) - this identifies where he was to work. “Among the nations or Gentiles.

c) “for the sake of his name” (uper) - identifies Paul’s motivation. The focus of Paul’s ministry was to promote the name (which represents the persons character and position) of Jesus. Paul did not minister for personal gain or for the benefit of people. Paul executed his ministry “for the sake of his name.”

“Obedience of faith” can basically mean two things:

1) “Obedience that springs from faith” – this stresses commitment that is seen in the believers life after they have been saved. Obedience then is a product of faith.

2) “Obedience which is by faith” – this stresses that having “faith” is obedience

a. Romans 1:8, “ your faith is being reported all over the world.”

b. Romans 16:19, “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you”

c. Romans 10:16, “Not all the Israelites accepted the good news.”

d. Romans 10:16, “Isaiah says, ‘Who has believed our message.”

e. Romans 11:23, “If they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in”

f. Romans 11:30, “Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, . . .”

g. 1 Thessalonians 1:8, “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

h. Romans 2:8, “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”

i. 2 Thessalonians 3:14,15, “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. . .do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”

If a person obeys the gospel it means they accept Jesus Christ as Lord. This submission is obedience. This places you in the kingdom of God and the family of the saved. It is logical and common sense that from that point on you will pursue an obedient lifestyle before the king. If a person disobeys God after salvation they have still been obedient but are not living out what is in their hearts. The are living contrary to the convictions that are in them, the Holy Spirit and in the Word.

Romans 1:6

en AMONG oiV WHOM este ARE kai ALSO umeiV YE klhtoi CALLED hisou OF JESUS cristou CHRIST

This verse is connected to the previous verse through the word “gentiles” or “nations”.

Paul is telling them that they fall within his commission from God. He has a word for them.

Just like Paul was called to be an apostle, these Roman Christians have been called to Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:7

pasin TO ALL toiV THOSE WHO ousin ARE en IN rwmh ROME agaphtoiV BELOVED qeou OF GOD klhtoiV CALLED agioiV SAINTS cariV GRACE umin TO YOU kai AND eirhnh PEACE apo FROM qeou GOD patroV OUR hmwn FATHER kai AND kuriou LORD ihsou JESUS cristou CHRIST

In this verse Paul returns to the standard of writing that letters commonly had at their opening.

“beloved” and “called” are both OT words for Israel.

“Saints” is a word used 38 times by Paul referring to the people’s standing in Christ not their behavior.