Page 18 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

b) How Jesus compares to Adam. (5:13-21)
c) Questions about the relationship between sin and grace. (6:1-23)
d) Questions about the relationship between sin and law. (7:1-25)
e) How the Holy Spirit works with Christ in the word of salvation. (8:1-30)
f) A Concluding Doxological Homily. (8:31-39)

3.4 The Basis and Terms of the Gospel presented and illustrated

Paul ended his introduction to the letter by stating the theme that ties everything that he has
to say to the Roman believers together when he wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel,
for power of God it is unto salvation to all who believe, to the Jew first and Greek. For
righteousness of God in it has been revealed out of faith unto faith, just as it is written, ‘Now
the righteous, out of faith they will live.’”22

It is by faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ that the believer is supposed to live in every aspect of
life. It is to the problem of individuals getting along with one another in the church that was particularly
on Paul’s heart as he wrote this letter because it was a cause of struggle and tension in the Roman
churches. It is in the light of that problem that Paul pointed them to becoming wise in living out their faith
in Jesus Christ in the way that they love one another in the church so that the testimony of Jesus Christ in
the greater community will be enhanced and become attractive. However, part of Paul’s problem was
that though he knew many people in the Roman churches he had never been to Rome and he did not
know for sure if the proper theological foundation has been set out in the teaching of the churches.
Therefore, before he gave the Roman believers instruction on how to live out their faith in Christ, he first
took time to remind them of the wonder of the salvation that has been provided for them in and through
Jesus Christ. It is their common understanding of and commitment to that salvation that would ultimately
serve as the glue that would hold them together. Because this was so he believed that they must know it
well. What he ultimately wanted to see happen was that because they knew the wonder of their salvation
in Christ well these people would be equipped to show the wonder of their salvation in the way that they
loved one another in the church even though they differed with one another over particular issues that
pertained to living out their faith.

With the theme set for the letter, Paul began setting the foundation for the instructions that would follow
in chapters 12-15 by expounding and explaining the nature of salvation. In doing that in the first 8
chapters of the letter he broke down what he had to say into two basic categories. In chapters 5-8 he is
explained the significance of Christ’s redeeming ministry, but before he did that, he first of all set the
context in which that ministry took place. In the next three chapters we are going to examine together
how Paul set the context in which mankind’s need for a Savior who redeems from sin shines most
brightly. Paul said the proper context for understanding Jesus redeeming work entails understanding (1)
that mankind’s sin deserves God’s wrathful, impartial judgment; (2) that God’s law to Israel revealed sin
but did not save from sin; and (3) that Abraham serves as the example of trusting in God’s promises for all
people.

Paul started broadly as he began to set the context for Christ’s redeeming work. He began by exploring
the universal nature of mankind’s rebellion against the One who created him. He began in an interesting
way as he told the story of mankind’s rebellion by focusing on God’s proper and vivid emotional response
to mankind’s choice to pursue living life in this God-created world as if God doesn’t matter and doesn’t
exist. In three sweeping paragraphs Paul made three foundational statements.

22 Romans 1:16-17, Author’s translation.

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