Paul's Magnum Opus ... His Letter to the Church in Rome!

As we begin the book of Romans I am going to try out a couple new things with the Daily Bread as we go through it.  First, we will be reading out of the New Living Translation.  The NLT is a little more readable than the New International Version (NIV) and yet is still true to the original texts.  It is always good to read different translations, as they can give you a little different sense of the passage and how it might apply to your life. Secondly, I am going to take slightly longer passages each day and comment after each paragraph. Finally, I am going to ask a personal application question after each commentary.  

As the title of this Daily Blog suggests, many people consider the book of Romans Paul's greatest and most important letter he wrote to the early churches. Martin Luther praised Romans: “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel… the absolute epitome of the gospel.” Buckle up let's get going! 

God’s Good News

8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. 

Paul may or may not have visited this church yet, but it's reputation precedes it in Paul's mind.  Most commentators conclude that Paul did not found the church, nor had he visited it.  At the end of Acts, Paul is in prison in Rome and we all know the importance of this major city in Jesus' day.  Paul commends the church for their faith.  In Romans he will talk quite a bit about exactly what "faith" means in this book. Paul's writing on being "justified by faith" was the essential impetus for the 16th century Protestant Reformation, where Martin was its chief theologican.  Paul shows his intimate relationship with them and his pastoral concern by saying he prays for them every day.  Question: Is your church's faith being talked about all over the world? 

10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.  

In verse 10 Paul shows his eagerness to come and see them, most likely confirming he had not yet met them yet.  Note he is not only there to share the spiritual gifts that he has but also looks forward to being blessed by them.  Ministry is always mutual.  When we give out, we receive back.  Paul knows that he will encourage them and they will in turn encourage him.  Note also Paul talks about his spiritual gift. Paul will explain in depth the meaning and of spiritual gifts in his other letters (1 Corinthians and Ephesians) but also in chapter 12 of this letter.   Spiritual gifts are given to us by God to use to build up the body of Christ.  Our spiritual gifts are meant to bless others, as we are built up by them. 

Question: What is your spiritual gift and how do you share it with the church?  Who do you encourage in the faith and who encourages you in return?

13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

Paul refers to his audience as the Gentiles throughout this whole chapter.  This reflects Paul's comments at the end of the book of Acts where he says that going foward his primary work will be to preach the Good News to the Gentiles.  Yet, we also know that Paul will make several references to the Old Testament, which shows there were Christian Jews in the church of Rome as well.  

Question:  Who is God calling you to bring the gospel to? The obvious answer is everyone, and yet sometimes we are called to reach out to a certain group of people? I.e. Youth, Professionals, Homeless 

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.[17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

This is one of several verses in Romans you will want to commit to memory  It is the essence of who Paul is and reflects his heartbeat for evangelism and reaching lost people that matter to God.  He says a couple of really important things about "evangelism".  First, evangelism is God's work not ours. We are merely messengers and ambassadors of the Good News, but it is God who saves all who believe in Him by His supernatural power.  Paul summarizes the essence of the Good News which he will further extrapolate in the rest of this letter.  The essence of the Gospel is the proclamation that God has made us right in His sight by faith.  Faith saves us and faith will lead us home.  Faith is gift given to us by God and saves us and declares us as righteous becasue of what Jesus did on the cross.  Think of "righteous" as being connected to God and enjoying the relationship with God as His son or daughter free of guilt and shame.  

The quote in verse 17 is from the Old Testament.  (Habbakuk 2:4) When Paul says as it is written, again it shows his interest in the Jewish Christian in Rome.  

Question: Paul says he is not ashamed of the Good News about Christ.  On a scale of 1 to 10 how ashamed would you say you are of the Gospel? How would you summarize the Good News about Jesus if you were to tell someone about it?  Hint: what does verse 17 say and how could you say it in your own words.