I. INTRODUCTION--1:1-17

A. Salutation (or Personal Greetings)--vv. 1-7
     1. The preacher of  the Gospel--vv. 1, 2
          a. In relation to his Lord--v.1a
               (I) Paul--settles the question of  authorship for the believing heart
               (II) Servant
                    (A) Actually bondslave
                    (B) Cf. Paul's conversion--Acts 9: 3ff.
                    (C) Bondslave then apostle (one who is sent)
                    (D) The other apostles used this same word concerning themselves.
                         (1) Cf. James 1:1
                         (2) II. Peter 1:1
          b. In relation to his apostleship--v. 1b
               (I) Called
                    (A) A timeless word
                    (B) "By calling"
                    (C) Word appears 6 times ( 3 in this chapter).
                    (D) Meaning--"designated and set apart by an action of God to some special sphere and manner of                                    being,"  and this to a sphere of  service (Newell, 3; italics are his.)
               (II) Directly from Christ--cf. Galatians 1:1
          c. In relation to the Gospel--vv. 1c-2
               (I) Separated
                    (A) like the marriage relationship--both unto and from
                    (B) Threefold separation
                         (1) Before conversion--Galatians 1:15, 16
                         (2) At conversion--Acts 19:15
                         (3) After conversion at Antioch for service--Acts 13:2
               (II) God's Gospel
                    (A) God's good news
                    (B) God loved the world--John 3:16.
                    (C) God sent the Son.
                    (D) Concerns the Son--v. 3
               (III) According to the Word--Jeremiah 23:5, 6
     2. The Person of  the, Gospel--vv. 3, 4
          a. God's Son
               (I) The Gospel is about Him--I Corinthians 15:1ff.
               (II) The first thing Paul did after his conversion--Acts 9:20
               (III) Robertson says, His deity is spoken of  here. (Cf. Robertson, Archibald Thomas, Word Pictures in the
                    New Testament.  New York, NY:  Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1930; IV:323.)
          b. The Seed of  David
               (I) according to the flesh--speaks of  His true humanity
                    (A) the Scriptures a1ways present Jesus Christ as both Divine and human.
                    (B) The common heresies
                         (1) Jesus is just a human being.
                         (2) Jesus only appears to be human.
               (II) Both on Joseph's and Mary's genealogies
                    (A) Matthew’s Genealogy is Joseph's.
                    (B) Luke’s genealogy is Mary's.
               (III) Uniquely this Seed
          c. Declared God's Son
               (I) With power
                    (A) better "in power"
                    (B) Dunamei--dynamite
               (II) According to the Spirit of  holiness
                    (A) May not be a reference to Holy Spirit.
                    (B) More like1y refers to the holiness of  Jesus Christ.
                    (C) A reference, therefore, to the deity of  Christ
               (III) by the resurrection .from the dead
                    (A) Declared, not made
                         (1) Was first the Son--v. 3
                         (2) Was made a man, though He remained God's Son
                    (B) His bodily resurrection is proof  that Jesus is what He claimed to be, namely, God.
                    (C) This verse shows the importance of  the resurrection--cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
     3. The Prerequisite of  the Gospel--vv. 5-7
          a. The obedience of  faith--v. 5
               (I) Grace of  God precedes faith in God--cf. Ephesians 2:5, 8.
               (II) The obedience which springs from faith--cf. I Peter 1:22
          b. The called of  Jesus Christ--v. 6
               (I) Jesus Christ's called ones
               (II) Called by Him--cf. John 10:4
          c. The saints at Rome--v. 7
               (I) Not to the church at Rome
              (II) Beloved of  God--the saints, you and I, are always precious in God's eyes
              (III) Called saints
                   (A) A saint by calling--cf. I Corinthians 1:2
                   (B) Saints alive here on earth, not dead and canonised
          d. The grace and peace of  God
               (I) Grace a1ways precedes peace.
               (II) Grace is from God the Father as the Source, and from Jesus Christ the Son as the Channel and Sphere.
               (III) Newell, 9, 10--"Words fail to express the blessedness of  being thus under God's grace, His eternal favor!
                    Such, such only, have peace. All other 'peace' than that extended by God and possessed by the saints will
                    'break up,' as Rutherford says, 'at the last in a sad war.'"
               (IV) Grace--unmerited or undeserved favor

B. purpose (or Personal purpose)--vv. 8-15
     1. Paul's Prayer--vv. 8-10
          a. Thanksgiving--v. 8
               (I) To God. through Christ
               (II) Paul generally thanks God for evidence of  any grace found in any believer--How about you and me?
               (III) Your testimony is known.
          b. Saints remembered in prayer--v. 9
               (I) Saints prayed for, not to
               (II) God is his witness to his prayer life--what does God witness of  ours?
               (III) Service for God must be in one's spirit.
                    (A) The Holy Spirit must control our spirits.
                    (B) So often we depend on the soul (the seat of  the emotions) to do God's work.
               (IV) Always prays for the Romans--may indicate that he had a prayer list.
          c. Prayer for a safe journey to them--v. 10
     2. Paul's sevenfold purpose--vv. 11-15
          a. The desire to see them--v. 11a
          b. The desire to impart spiritual gifts--v.11b
               (I) Newell, 12--"Paul knew that there was in him by the grace of  God peculiar apostolic power, by both
                    his presence and the ministry of  the Word, to 'impart a gift' (Greek, charisma), or spiritual blessing."
               (II) His purpose was for edification to their being established in the faith--4:1-16.
          c. The desire to have mutual comfort--v. 12
               (I) The verb is sunparakaleo--to call along side with; therefore, mutual comforters.
               (II) They could impart or share with Paul a spiritual blessing.
          d. The desire to be blessed-- v. 12
          e. The desire to have fruit among them--v. 13
               (I) Paul often desired to go to Rome, but was hindered.
                    (A) Sometimes it was Satan that hinders.
                    (B) In this case, undoubtedly, it was the abundant labors elsewhere.
               (II) "Might get some fruit"
                    (A) Paul was always concerned fruit unto God.
                    (B) Do we have this concern for it?
          f. Debtor to the nations--v. 14
               (I) To the Greeks
                    (A) The cultured people
                    (B) Thus the wise, worldly speaking
               (II) To the barbarians
                    (A) The uncultured
                    (B) Not necessarily savage
                    (C) Thus, the unwise, worldly speaking
               (III) Debtor
                    (A) Cf. I Corinthians 9:16
                    (B) We, too, are debtors; for what we have received, we are to pass on to others.
          g. Eager to preach--v. 15.
               (I) Eager to pay his debt
               (II) To preach in Rome
                    (A) Rome despised the Jews.
                    (B) A Christ rejected even by the Jews--cf. Acts 28:22
                    (C) He went to Rome, but how?
                         (1) As a prisoner
                         (2) Through a shipwreck
                    (D) Do we have the desire to witness to the Lord wherever and :whatever it may be?

C. Theme (or Powerful Theme)--vv. 16, 17
     1. The Gospel--v. 16
          a.. Not ashamed
               (I) For--introduces reason for his sevenfold purpose in vv. 11-15
               (II) Are You and I ashamed?
          b. What is the Gospel?
               (I) Cf. I Corinthians 15: 1-4
               (II) Explained in this verse
          c. God’s Power
               (I) Intrinsic, not explosive
               (II) The second "for" gives the reason why Paul, or you and I, need not be ashamed.
               (III) What is this power?
                    (A) The Gospel
                    (B) Newell, 19--"There is no fact for a preacher or a teacher [or for that matter any believer] to hold more
                        constantly in his mind than this.  It is not the 'excellency of  speech or wisdom,' or the 'personal magnetism,'                         or 'earnestness' of the preacher; any more than it is the deep repentance or earnest prayers of  the hearer,                           that avails.  But it is the message of  Christ crucified, dead, buried, and risen, which, being believed,
                        'the power of God'!" (Italics are his.)
                    (C) Cf. I Corinthians 1:18
          d. Unto Salvation
               (I) Not unto reformation
               (II) Not unto education
               (III) Not unto progress or development
               (IV) Not the 'fanning of an innate divine spark'
               (V) But S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N, which by implication means something is lost
               (VI) Includes
                    (A) Justification--chapters 3-5
                    (B) Sanctification--chapters 6-8
                    (C) Glorification--chapter 8
          e. To every believer
               (I) Salvation is by God's grace through faith plus absolutely nothing.
               (II) Cf. John 1:12, 13
               (III) "The gospel is indeed offered to all for their salvation, but the power of  it appears not everywhere: and that
                    it is the savour of  death to the ungodly, does not proceeded from what it is, but from their own wickedness.
                    By setting forth but one salvation he cuts off  every other trust.  When men withdraw themselves from this one
                    salvation, they find in the gospel a sure proof  of  their own ruin. . . ., and those who refused to be saved by
                    him, shall find him a Judge." (Calvin, John, Commentaries on the Epistle of  Paul the Apostle to the
                    Romans. Grand Rapids,MI:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1948; Translated and edited by the
                    Rev. John Owen; page 62.  Will be referenced as Calvin plus page number.)
          f. To Jew first and also to the Greek
               (I) to the Jew first
                    (A) Chronologically or historically--cf. v. 8
                    (B) Word "first" has to do with precedence, not preference--cf. Romans 2:9, 10.
                    (C) Phrase occurs three times; similar phrase, four times.
               (II) To the Greek--includes all gentiles
               (III) Now no difference between Jew and gentile--this idea is a subsidiary theme.
     2. The Righteousness of  God--v. 17
          a. The Basis of  the Gospel
               (I) Another reason Paul is not ashamed of  the Gospel.
               (II) God's, not Christ's
               (III) On the basis of  Christ's atoning work, God can righteously act.
               (IV) Also explains why the gospel is the power of  God
          b. From faith to faith
               (I) Literally: out of  faith unto faith
               (II) Faith is the starting point and faith is the goal.
               (III) Entirely by faith
               (IV) Does not say that faith is meritorious
                    (A) The idea that everything is fine as long as you have faith is not scriptural.
                    (B) It is faith in the Person, Jesus Christ.
                    (C) “On account of  faith” is never, never, found in the New Testament.
               (V) The just shall live by faith
                    (A) Scriptural proof  of  the principle
                    (B) Quoted from Habakkuk 2:4
                    (C) Emphasis here is on the word just.
                    (D) Quoted also in
                         (1) Galatians--emphasis is on the word faith.
                         (2) Hebrews--emphasis is on the word live.
                    (E) Includes
                         (1) Salvation
                         (2) Imputation (placing to our account) of  God's righteousness
                         (3) The atmosphere of  daily living by faith