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Romans 1 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
John Calvin said of Romans, “When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture.”
Martin Luther praised the Book of Romans: “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel… the absolute epitome of the gospel.”
Samuel Coleridge, English poet and literary critic said Paul’s letter to the Romans is “The most profound work in existence.”
Frederick Godet, 19th Century Swiss theologian called the Book of Romans “The cathedral of the Christian faith.”
It is no doubt that the book of Romans is vital to the Scriptures. One of the main themes of this book, if not the main theme, is that Gentiles now have equal standing as sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ.
“A motif running through the entire book, perhaps even the point of the letter, is that, in contrast with the historical period covered by the Tanakh, when the Jews alone were God’s chosen people, now, united with Yeshua the Messiah of Israel, believing Gentiles and Jews are fully equal members of God’s people in respect to every element of salvation.”
Jewish New Testament Commentary
Paul starts by introducing himself and his calling. In contrast with some of his other New Testament letters, the book of Romans does not focus on the church and its struggles, but rather, God and his infinite glory.
Paul never made it to Rome which meant that the believers and churches there were not founded by him. Many of Paul’s letters were written to churches he had founded, making this letter unique. It was extremely encouraging to the believers who persevered in Rome with no original apostle leading them.
In Romans 1, Paul speaks directly to the believers in Rome calling them saints. He encourages them to continue to persevere and endure. He talks of how he had often planned to come and see them but was not able to.
We see a valuable lesson that the world desperately needs to hear in our current culture. Since the beginning of time, God’s attributes have been clearly seen. We have been created in his image and bear his very nature. All men know this. But since the beginning of sin, we have become suppressors of the truth. To suppress the truth is not the same as a lie. Many people say they do not believe in God and/or will not follow him. This doesn’t mean they are liars. This means they are suppressors. They are ignorant to the fact that they know God and were created in his likeness.
This is exactly why we evangelize by telling people about Jesus. This is why the Gospel is called “the good news.” We are assigned the divine purpose, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, to bring others from a place of suppression to a place of profession. It really does not matter if you say you believe in God or not because all humans are capable of understanding the reality of God.
For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.
Romans 1:20 HCSB
When people decide they do not believe in God what they really mean is that they do not want to believe that a greater power exists. If God exists, that means He was involved in our creation and that we are accountable to His will. It means He will judge us and that He is concerned and involved with the decisions we make in life. It means we can’t just live how we want to live because each of us have been created with an intention and purpose.
What’s frightening is that there are so many today who suppress the reality of God so they can enjoy their sin. Romans 1 shines a light on the accountability each of us has to our own suppression of the truth. We suppress it because we think we can control our own life. This only leads to shame and disappointment. But there is hope! This is the message we must not only believe, but share with others.