Chapter 1

[Rabbi Eric]

ROMANS

Salutation
   1.1. Paul, a servant  of Messiah Jesus, a called apostle, who has been set apart to preach the Good News of God.  2. This was the promise from the beginning through His prophets in Holy Scripture 3. concerning His Son, the One Who was from a seed of David with regard to the flesh, 4. the designated Son of God, in power, according to a spirit of holiness by resurrection  of the dead, Jesus Messiah our Lord, 5. through Whom we took grace and apostleship in obedience of faith to all the nations for the sake of His name, 6. among whom you too are called by Jesus Messiah, 7. to all the beloved of God who are in Rome, called saints, grace and peace to you from God our Father and Lord Jesus Messiah.

Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome
   1:8. First, I indeed give thanks to my God through Jesus Messiah concerning you all because your faith is being proclaimed to the whole world.  9. For God is my witness, Whom I serve by my spirit in the Good News of His Son, in the same manner as I am constantly making remembrance of you 10. always in my prayers, asking if somehow now at last I shall be so blessed in the will of God as to come to you.  11. For I long to see you, so that I could share some spiritual gift (ICor 12:6-11) with you to strengthen you, 12. and this is to be encouraged together among you for one another through your faith and also mine.  13. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, because I frequently purposed to come to you,  but thus far I have been hindered until now, so that I would have some fruit then among you also just as among the rest of the heathens.  14. And I am a debtor to both Greeks and foreigners, and both wise and foolish, 15. thus I am eager to proclaim the Good News to you and to all those in Rome.

The Power of the Gospel
   1:16. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, Jewish first and then Greek.   17. For the righteousness of God is revealed in this, coming out of faith for greater faith, just as it has been written, “And the righteous will live by faith.” (Hab 2:4)

The Guilt of Mankind
   1:18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against everything godless and unrighteous of men, of those who hold back the truth by their wickedness.  19. For what is known of God is evident among them: for God revealed Himself to them.  20. For the unseen things, both His eternal power and divine authority, from His creation of the world, are seen clearly, being understood by His works. so they are without excuse.  21. Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but their thoughts became directed to worthless things and their foolish hearts and minds became covered in darkness.  22. Although they claim to be wise they were made foolish 23. and they transformed the glory of the incorruptible God into a likeness of an image of a corruptible man and of birds and four-footed beasts and reptiles.
   1:24. For this reason God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts into uncleanness, their bodies to suffer disgrace among themselves: 25. who exchanged the truth of God for the false and worshipped and served the created thing contrary to the Creator, Who is blessed forever, amen.  26. Because of this God gave them over into vile passion of disgrace, and indeed their females exchanged the natural function for that contrary to nature, 27. and likewise also the males who neglected the natural function with the females.  They were inflamed in their lustful passion with one another, males performing the unseemly deed with males and receiving the reward which was necessary for their deceit in repayment for their sin.  28. And since they did not see fit to have true knowledge of God, God gave them over into an unrighteous mind, to do the shameful things, 29. since they were filled with every unrighteousness, wickedness, avarice, desire to injure, full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, evil habits, whisperers, 30. slanderers,  God-haters, insolent, arrogant, braggart, contriving evil, refusing to obey parents, 31. without understanding, covenant breaking, without natural affection, without mercy: 32. who, although they know the ordinances of God thoroughly, because they are practicing such things as these that are worthy of death, not only are they doing them but they are also applauding others who do them.
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  (Title) Written about 57 AD, several years after Thessalonians, and at least two years after Corinthians. Written to former heathens although this was during the first five years of Nero’s reign when Jewish people were allowed back in Rome. (See Ro 16:3).
  (v.1) Or slave, see Servant in Glossary.
  (v.4) See Resurrection in Glossary.
  (v.13) Apparently these were not the Jewish leaders he summoned in Acts 28:15, because the message of this letter is primarily to non-Jewish believers.
  (v.16) Did Paul think the Gospel had more power for a Jewish believer than for a former heathen? Why does he write “Jewish first?” It could be because of the advantage Jewish people had from learning the Jewish Scriptures at a very early age, starting with Leviticus at three to five years old. See Memorization in Glossary. See Ro 2:9, 10.
  (v.30) See Gossip/Slander in Glossary.