This opening study in our verse-by-verse journey through the book of Romans was taught by pastor Barry Forder on 1st August 2024.
On their website, Libertly University in America state: “The great apostle Paul authored at least 13 New Testament epistles. If he were here today with us, and was asked which epistle was the most needed for this time in history, I believe he would say without hesitation, the book of Romans. And the reason? Well, 2000 years ago he warned that “in the latter times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). So then, the only real cure for bad doctrine is biblical doctrine; thus, the most theological book ever written – the book of Romans!”
That is quite a statment, but one that will undoubtedly prove to be true as we begin a study through this incredible book.
John Calvin said: “if we understand this epistle we have a passage opened to us to the understanding of the whole of Scripture”.
Indeed, Romans unlocks, expounds and sheds Divine light on many of the key doctrines in Scripture. If all of the Bible were lost except Romans, scarcely any fundamental doctrine would be lacking. As he explained the gospel in Romans, Paul quoted from the Old Testament more often than in all his twelve other letters combined—showing how important the Old Testament is to understanding the gospel. No less than 57 quotes can be found.
Additional study notes from this session:
Author: Paul this is not disputed. – Paul was a Roman citizen (adopted by Sergius Paulus – governor of Cypress (hence for then on taking his family name).
- “Paul” = the least; the little one. Understood grace.
- “I am the chief of sinners” 1 Tim 1:12-15
- Significantly, the most devoutly religious man who ever lived! Phil 3:1ff
- So God has already saved one who is far worse than you or me!…
Addressee: The Saints in Rome (not a single church but the collective body of believers), various congregations, no doubt meeting from home to home.
Paul sent greetings to the church that met in the home of Aquila and Priscilla. Rom 16:5
28 people are named in the letter
- Many of the believers in Rome were Paul’s converts
- He was writing to believers
- Not preaching for them to be converted
- Teaching them what salvation is really all about
Written from Corinth
- Though he never mentions it, he wrote from Corinth.
- Cenchrea being its eastern harbor. 16:1
- Written at the close of his third missionary journey on c. AD 57-58
Time of Writing:
In 1947 a Bedouin boy made one of the greatest archeological discoveries of all time in a cave at Qumran in southern Israel.
Much is said about the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls,…
They comprise some 800 documents
…dating from around 250 BC to 68 AD
Among the Scrolls are partial or complete copies of every book in the Hebrew Bible
except the book of Esther
But what is not so widely publicised is that fragments of a number of New Testament books were also discovered in cave 7… including the Book of Romans.
The caves at Qumran are famous for the hoard of Old Testament and other manuscripts that have been found there. But the thing which receives the least publicity (if any publicity at all) is the fact that the caves have also yielded fragments of New Testament books. This absence of publicity – this blanket denial of their identity – is not to be wondered at.
It was really most awkward. In fact, it still is very awkward for them, for it means that the fragments must have been written out – copied from even earlier exemplars – well before A.D. 68, which undermines everything that the critics have been claiming all these years.
The fact of the matter is this, that these manuscripts were deposited in the caves at Qumran by the year A.D. 68 at the very latest, when Qumran and the surrounding area was overrun by the Roman 10th legion, and according to the critics, the New Testament had not been written by that time. – Dr Bill Cooper
This means that Romans – which we know was written by Paul – was written at a time the Christian church in the Roman world was not being persecuted, but was allowed to flourish and thrive!
Construction of the Colosseum began under the Roman emperor Vespasian between 70 and 72,
By that time, Romans, and indeed copies of the Book of Romans were already in circulation among the Christian church!
Theme: The Grace of God Revealed:
- God’s righteousness,
- Our iniquity, and
- God’s remedy through Grace
There are many self-help books on the market today that all tell you to follow your heart!
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked
Self-help books simply give you a new set of rules to follow that all too quickly you break and fail to keep!
The Book of Romans focuses on the Gospel – which does not merely give us a set of rules to follow, it tells us that firstly we cannot keep (any) set of rules, but that Jesus alters the mainspring of our lives, changes our disposition and places withing us something that was never there before, the Person of God’s Holy Spirit and by His power we can live!
- Christ did not come to make bad men good;
but to give dead men life!
The Impact of the Book
- “The most profound of all literature”
Romans became the cornerstone to the Reformation in Europe.
Martin Luther had tried relentlessly to get right with God… but failed. A wise old monk told him to read Habakkuk – a man who like Luther knew a thing or two about struggling!
In Habakkuk Luther read “The Just Shall Live by Faith”
- Habakkuk 2:4 has lead to a Trilogy of epistles by Paul in NT.
- The Just… (Who are they?) Romans Rom 1:17
- …Shall live (How?) Galatians Gal 3:11
- …By Faith! Hebrews Heb 10:39
May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.
