Romans #12
“By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:30). Paul has shown that because all have sinned there is a need for the gospel (3:9; 1:16). He now turns to his second object; to prove that the need for […]
Romans #11
“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rm. 3:23). This was Paul’s conclusion after he had dealt with both Gentiles and Jews as to whether they needed the gospel. Paul does not say, “For all are sinners” (although such a statement was true regarding those of whom he wrote); he […]
Romans #10
“I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation go everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith, as it is written, but the righteous shall live by faith” (Rm. 1:16f). As […]
Romans #14
The statement has been made that in the gospel of Christ is revealed the righteousness of God, which righteousness is apart from the law yet witnessed both by the law and the prophets (Rom. 1:16f; 3:21f). In Romans 3:24-26 Paul tells us at length what and through whom that righteousness comes. “…being justified freely by […]
Romans #15
“Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness …” (Rom. 4:3). Three times this passage from Genesis 15:6 is quoted in the New Testament: here, Galatians 3:6; James 2:23. Paul’s quotation of it was designed to show that Abraham was not justified by works (Rom. 4:2). Jews of Paul’s day rested their […]
Romans #18
“God giveth life unto the dead and calleth the things that are not as though they were …” (Rom. 4:17). Who are the “dead” of whom the apostle writes in this passage, those dead physically or those dead spiritually? It is certainly a truth that God does give life to those dead physically, but the […]
Romans #17
Four times in this immediate context of Romans 4:13-16, the word “for” (because) is found, verses 13, 14, 15, 16. These repeated appearances show that a conclusion has been reached based upon an earlier conclusion which was reached. These conclusions find their base in Paul’s quotation that Abraham “believed God and it was reckoned unto […]
Romans #16
“Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin …” (Rom. 4:7). This citation by Paul from Psalms 32:1f was quoted to describe the man whom God “reckoneth righteousness apart from works” (Rom. 4:6). Remember Paul’s references to “works” in […]
Romans #3
“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle…” so begins the epistle (1:1). This is a common greeting from Paul and ten of his thirteen letters identify him as an “apostle”. Only in the letters to the Philippians and Thessalonians does he fail to so identify himself, choosing rather, in those letters, […]
Romans #2
There are three divisions to Romans, the first of which is chapters 1-8 in which Paul establishes the doctrine that we are justified by faith and not by the works of the Law. The theme of the book is 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God […]