Bible Passage: Romans 1:1-17
Memory Verse: Romans 1:16
Objectives:
Memory Verse: Romans 1:16
Objectives:
- To know how the power of the gospel changed Paul's life
- To examine whether the gospel is changing your own life
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I. PAUL'S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD (Romans 1:1-7, 10)
A. Servant of Jesus Christ (1:1)
Paul did not call himself "a helper" but "a servant." The Greek word for this means "a slave." This was the position of a man who was bought and owned by his master. The master had the right to do anything he wanted with his slave—even to kill him. He owned a slave for life, unless he sold him to someone else or gave him his freedom.
Paul considered himself to belong in this way to Christ who had bought him by His death on the cross. As Paul's Master, Jesus could do with him whatever He wanted. Paul believed that Jesus completely owned him—body and soul.
A great change came in Paul's attitude toward himself and others when he became a servant of Jesus Christ. Before he was saved he was cruel and proud. Many feared him because he forced his will on others. After he was saved he became like an obedient servant who only wanted to please his Master and help others. This was the result of the power of Jesus Christ in Paul's life.
B. Called to Be an Apostle (1:1, 5)
"Apostle" means a "sent one." The apostles were those men who followed the Lord as His disciples, then were sent by Him to continue His work.
Paul did not follow Jesus when He was still here on earth. Instead, he was a persecutor of the first Christians. But then Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and called him to become His follower and to preach the gospel to others, Paul immediately obeyed the call of the Lord both to become a Christian and to become a missionary. Because of his former hatred of Christ and His followers, he knew he did not deserve to become a missionary. So he gave himself to work even harder than others because of God's great mercy to him.
C. Set Apart for the Gospel (1:1,7)
The term "set apart" is used in the Bible concerning those whom God wanted to use for some special purpose. God set them apart to do His work just like a man who becomes a soldier is set apart for service to his country. Everything else becomes secondary to his duty to the army. What he can do, what he can own, where he can go, his relationship to his family—all are determined by his commanding officer. This is necessary so that these men will be ready to fight and protect our country.
In the same way Paul was set apart to preach the gospel. This was the work which his "commander-in-chief," Jesus Christ, wanted him to do. Everything else was secondary—his family, his possessions, his friends, where he lived, what he wore, what he ate. Like a soldier, Paul let his commander decide what was best to do or not do in order to win the battle against Satan. Because Paul chose to be a good soldier, he was entrusted with great responsibilities and had the joy of reaching many with the gospel.
Question: What is God's purpose for all Christians concerning our lives? (Romans 1:7;
1 Peter 1:14-16)
All who belong to God are called to become holy as He is holy. Instead of thinking so much of what we have to give up, we should think about what we gain by being set apart for God. He promises fellowship with Himself and joy in winning others if we will separate ourselves from anything which hinders our work for Him (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18; 2 Timothy 2:3, 4).
II. PAUL'S RELATIONSHIP TO BELIEVERS (Romans 1:8-13)
In verses 8-15 Paul gives some of his deepest feelings as he thought of the Christians in Rome.
A. Thanked God for Them (1:8)
Question: In verse 8 how did Paul feel about the Christians in Rome?
Before he was a Christian, Paul hated the believers. Now, he thanked God for them. He even loved those whom he had never seen. He was not jealous of their great faith and the success they were enjoying, but he rejoiced with them.
B. Prayed for Them (1:9)
Question: Instead of being jealous or critical of these believers, what did Paul do? (1:9)
In all of his letters, Paul constantly refers to his prayers for others. He must have given much time to prayer for others, for he prayed for them by name and he prayed often. This shows that he believed intercessory prayer for others was very important.
He also thought it was important to tell his friends that he was praying for them. He knew this would strengthen them in the Lord.
C. Encouraged Them (1:10-13)
Question: According to verses 10 and 11, what specific desire did Paul have regarding these Christians?
He longed to be of some spiritual help to them. As an older Christian he wanted to strengthen these younger ones in the faith.
Probably Paul had heard that there were some areas of doctrine where these young Christians were lacking. Before he was saved, Paul would have put in prison those who disagreed with him. Now he didn't even criticize them. Instead, he wanted to go and teach and build them up in the truth.
He also did not go to them as one who had all the answers and such great faith that he didn't need any help. He let these Christians know that he also needed them to strengthen his faith (1:12).
Discuss: How can we develop this spirit of thankfulness, prayer, and encouragement among ourselves?
III. PAUL'S RELATIONSHIP TO ALL MEN (Romans 1:14-17)
A. Felt Obligation to All (1:14)
Because God had called and separated him to work for Him, Paul felt his great responsibility.
Paul was entrusted by God to bring the gospel to non-Jewish people, the Gentiles. Therefore, he felt responsible to preach to ALL Gentiles—the educated ones like to Greeks, and also the illiterate barbarians. He felt responsible to try to reach every country, even Rome. He did not limit his ministry to one class of people, or one country, but tried to reach all just as Jesus had commanded.
Discuss: Have we reached all the people in our community with the gospel? What groups of people are we neglecting? What can we do to reach them?
B. Eager to Preach to All (1:15)
Paul felt obligated to preach because of the responsibility given him by God, but he also accepted this responsibility with eagerness. His love for Jesus Christ and his faith in the power of the gospel to bring salvation made him eager to tell others. He wanted others to be freed from the bondage of sin as he had been.
C. Not Ashamed of the Gospel (1:16, 17)
Question: According to verse 16 why was Paul bold to proclaim the gospel to others even though it meant persecution?
Paul was convinced that the gospel of Jesus Christ could change all men from sinners into saints. He believed that no man is too weak or helpless or sinful for the power of God to change him, if only he will believe in Christ. How could Paul feel ashamed of Jesus Christ who brings cleansing and healing and goodness into the life of everyone who trusts in Him? That would be like a doctor who has found the cure for cancer but is ashamed to tell others because they might laugh at him.
Question: What does Jesus say in Mark 8:38 about Christians who don't tell others about Him because they are ashamed? (See also Matthew 10:32, 33)
It is a serious matter for a person to be ashamed of Jesus Christ. This shows that he is more concerned about what other people think, than what the Lord Jesus thinks. It also shows that he is not experiencing the power of Jesus in his daily life. Paul was able to continue in his bold witness for Christ because he was continually experiencing Christ's power to meet all his needs.
Sometimes we are not ashamed to tell others about Christ because we love him. But we are afraid because of the suffering that will result.
Question: According to Acts 4:29-31, what can we do to take away our fear so we can be bold to witness for Christ? (See also Ephesians 6:18-20)
A. Servant of Jesus Christ (1:1)
Paul did not call himself "a helper" but "a servant." The Greek word for this means "a slave." This was the position of a man who was bought and owned by his master. The master had the right to do anything he wanted with his slave—even to kill him. He owned a slave for life, unless he sold him to someone else or gave him his freedom.
Paul considered himself to belong in this way to Christ who had bought him by His death on the cross. As Paul's Master, Jesus could do with him whatever He wanted. Paul believed that Jesus completely owned him—body and soul.
A great change came in Paul's attitude toward himself and others when he became a servant of Jesus Christ. Before he was saved he was cruel and proud. Many feared him because he forced his will on others. After he was saved he became like an obedient servant who only wanted to please his Master and help others. This was the result of the power of Jesus Christ in Paul's life.
B. Called to Be an Apostle (1:1, 5)
"Apostle" means a "sent one." The apostles were those men who followed the Lord as His disciples, then were sent by Him to continue His work.
Paul did not follow Jesus when He was still here on earth. Instead, he was a persecutor of the first Christians. But then Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and called him to become His follower and to preach the gospel to others, Paul immediately obeyed the call of the Lord both to become a Christian and to become a missionary. Because of his former hatred of Christ and His followers, he knew he did not deserve to become a missionary. So he gave himself to work even harder than others because of God's great mercy to him.
C. Set Apart for the Gospel (1:1,7)
The term "set apart" is used in the Bible concerning those whom God wanted to use for some special purpose. God set them apart to do His work just like a man who becomes a soldier is set apart for service to his country. Everything else becomes secondary to his duty to the army. What he can do, what he can own, where he can go, his relationship to his family—all are determined by his commanding officer. This is necessary so that these men will be ready to fight and protect our country.
In the same way Paul was set apart to preach the gospel. This was the work which his "commander-in-chief," Jesus Christ, wanted him to do. Everything else was secondary—his family, his possessions, his friends, where he lived, what he wore, what he ate. Like a soldier, Paul let his commander decide what was best to do or not do in order to win the battle against Satan. Because Paul chose to be a good soldier, he was entrusted with great responsibilities and had the joy of reaching many with the gospel.
Question: What is God's purpose for all Christians concerning our lives? (Romans 1:7;
1 Peter 1:14-16)
All who belong to God are called to become holy as He is holy. Instead of thinking so much of what we have to give up, we should think about what we gain by being set apart for God. He promises fellowship with Himself and joy in winning others if we will separate ourselves from anything which hinders our work for Him (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18; 2 Timothy 2:3, 4).
II. PAUL'S RELATIONSHIP TO BELIEVERS (Romans 1:8-13)
In verses 8-15 Paul gives some of his deepest feelings as he thought of the Christians in Rome.
A. Thanked God for Them (1:8)
Question: In verse 8 how did Paul feel about the Christians in Rome?
Before he was a Christian, Paul hated the believers. Now, he thanked God for them. He even loved those whom he had never seen. He was not jealous of their great faith and the success they were enjoying, but he rejoiced with them.
B. Prayed for Them (1:9)
Question: Instead of being jealous or critical of these believers, what did Paul do? (1:9)
In all of his letters, Paul constantly refers to his prayers for others. He must have given much time to prayer for others, for he prayed for them by name and he prayed often. This shows that he believed intercessory prayer for others was very important.
He also thought it was important to tell his friends that he was praying for them. He knew this would strengthen them in the Lord.
C. Encouraged Them (1:10-13)
Question: According to verses 10 and 11, what specific desire did Paul have regarding these Christians?
He longed to be of some spiritual help to them. As an older Christian he wanted to strengthen these younger ones in the faith.
Probably Paul had heard that there were some areas of doctrine where these young Christians were lacking. Before he was saved, Paul would have put in prison those who disagreed with him. Now he didn't even criticize them. Instead, he wanted to go and teach and build them up in the truth.
He also did not go to them as one who had all the answers and such great faith that he didn't need any help. He let these Christians know that he also needed them to strengthen his faith (1:12).
Discuss: How can we develop this spirit of thankfulness, prayer, and encouragement among ourselves?
III. PAUL'S RELATIONSHIP TO ALL MEN (Romans 1:14-17)
A. Felt Obligation to All (1:14)
Because God had called and separated him to work for Him, Paul felt his great responsibility.
Paul was entrusted by God to bring the gospel to non-Jewish people, the Gentiles. Therefore, he felt responsible to preach to ALL Gentiles—the educated ones like to Greeks, and also the illiterate barbarians. He felt responsible to try to reach every country, even Rome. He did not limit his ministry to one class of people, or one country, but tried to reach all just as Jesus had commanded.
Discuss: Have we reached all the people in our community with the gospel? What groups of people are we neglecting? What can we do to reach them?
B. Eager to Preach to All (1:15)
Paul felt obligated to preach because of the responsibility given him by God, but he also accepted this responsibility with eagerness. His love for Jesus Christ and his faith in the power of the gospel to bring salvation made him eager to tell others. He wanted others to be freed from the bondage of sin as he had been.
C. Not Ashamed of the Gospel (1:16, 17)
Question: According to verse 16 why was Paul bold to proclaim the gospel to others even though it meant persecution?
Paul was convinced that the gospel of Jesus Christ could change all men from sinners into saints. He believed that no man is too weak or helpless or sinful for the power of God to change him, if only he will believe in Christ. How could Paul feel ashamed of Jesus Christ who brings cleansing and healing and goodness into the life of everyone who trusts in Him? That would be like a doctor who has found the cure for cancer but is ashamed to tell others because they might laugh at him.
Question: What does Jesus say in Mark 8:38 about Christians who don't tell others about Him because they are ashamed? (See also Matthew 10:32, 33)
It is a serious matter for a person to be ashamed of Jesus Christ. This shows that he is more concerned about what other people think, than what the Lord Jesus thinks. It also shows that he is not experiencing the power of Jesus in his daily life. Paul was able to continue in his bold witness for Christ because he was continually experiencing Christ's power to meet all his needs.
Sometimes we are not ashamed to tell others about Christ because we love him. But we are afraid because of the suffering that will result.
Question: According to Acts 4:29-31, what can we do to take away our fear so we can be bold to witness for Christ? (See also Ephesians 6:18-20)
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MEDITATION
Paul knew the gospel had power because of the great change that had come into his own life. Therefore, he was eager to tell others how to experience this same salvation that had brought him such peace and joy and power.
As we compare our lives with Paul, how do we measure up?
If any of these signs of a true believer are not in our lives, we need to ask the Lord to show us what the problem is. It may be that some of us don't really belong to the Lord but are only trusting in our knowledge about Him. It may be that there is some truth of salvation that we still don't understand.
Paul knew the gospel had power because of the great change that had come into his own life. Therefore, he was eager to tell others how to experience this same salvation that had brought him such peace and joy and power.
As we compare our lives with Paul, how do we measure up?
- Are we rejoicing in the privilege of being set apart for God so we can become holy?
- Are we learning to love one another so that we thank God and pray for and encourage one another?
- Are we eager to share this good news of salvation with others?
If any of these signs of a true believer are not in our lives, we need to ask the Lord to show us what the problem is. It may be that some of us don't really belong to the Lord but are only trusting in our knowledge about Him. It may be that there is some truth of salvation that we still don't understand.
Source:
Foundations of Faith (Romans 1-7)
PCEP Adult Bible Studies 2
Foundations of Faith (Romans 1-7)
PCEP Adult Bible Studies 2