THE EPISTLES OF PAUL · Day 1 of 21
The Letter to the Romans
Lesson 1 is open — see what the Journey gives you
1 · READ THE TEXT
Romans 1:1-17
Romans 1:1-17
Open in the reader →1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
2 · UNDERSTAND
Romans is the only letter Paul wrote to a church he had never visited, which is why it is his most systematic: he must introduce himself and lay out the whole Gospel. The theme appears in verse 16: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes". In a capital city that measured everything by honour and shame, saying you were not ashamed of a crucified man was scandalous. And he already announces the axis: the righteousness of God is revealed "from faith to faith", quoting Habakkuk — "the righteous will live by faith", a sentence that fifteen centuries later would bring down walls in the Reformation.
3 · REFLECT AND ANSWER
Read the text again and answer calmly. Your answers are kept only in this browser.
- 1.What does this text reveal about who God is?
- 2.What does it show about people — and about you?
- 3.What will you do differently today because of it?
4 · LIVE AND PRAY
Practical application
Write in one sentence what the Gospel is for you. If it is too long to fit on a note, you have not found the centre yet.
Lesson prayer
Lord, may I never be ashamed of your Gospel — not through the mockery of those who laugh, nor through the silence of those who prefer peace. Amen.
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