THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 1-16)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
Ben Bailey:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation, for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). I’m Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
And I’m Timothy Sparks. Welcome to our study of the Book
of Romans. Today we’re going to overview all sixteen chapters of the Book of Romans. This message is brought to you by individual
members and congregations of the
Romans 1:16-17 gives us the theme and thesis of the Book of Romans—the Gospel is God’s saving power, and the just shall live by faith. Notice what Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” The Gospel is God’s mean to save our souls. We are going to be maintained and sustained by living faithfully to God.
Ben Bailey:
In Romans 1, Paul
shows that the Gentiles are under sin. In chapter 2, Paul shows that the Jews
as well were not living as they should. He says in verse 1, “You are inexcusable,
O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn
yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” In verse 2, he
continues, “But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against
those who practice such things.” The Jews thought that because they were
Abraham’s seed, they were going to be saved, regardless of how they lived—as
long as they kept the Old Law. They thought that they were going to make it to
Heaven. God tells them that they are “without excuse.” We must realize that
there will be no excuses on the Day of Judgment. Jesus said in Luke 14:18 that
they “all with one accord began to make excuse.” But none of their excuses was
acceptable to our Savior. Chapter 2 sets us up for the discussion in chapter 3
about how all are under sin.
Timothy Sparks:
We learn from Romans 3:10 that “there is none righteous, no not one.” Paul said in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Whereas in Romans 1 we learned that the Gentiles were lost due to sins, and in chapter 2 we learn that the Jews were also lost due to their sins, in chapter 3 we learn that everyone—all of humanity—is lost because of sin. Yet, thanks be to God, we also learn from Romans 3 that the Gospel of Christ is available to deliver us from our sins! We learn that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. He is the One Who provides the sacrifice and the substitute for our sins, so that God can deal justly with sin, yet at the same time offer mercy to sinful people.
Ben Bailey:
Romans 4 shows us an illustration of what real faith is like. What does it mean to “live a life of faith”? Romans 4:3 asks, “What does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” We talk about how, through the Gospel, “righteousness is revealed from faith to faith.” The means that the Gospel is a system based on faith that creates faith in God in our lives. Abraham serves as a perfect example. God told him to pack his things and to leave his home. God didn’t even tell him where he was going. Abraham believed God, and did what God said, not knowing where he was going. This pleased the heavenly Father. God told Abraham to offer his son, Isaac (“the son of promise”). The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11 that Abraham was willing to kill his son because he knew that if he did, God would raise him up to fulfill His promise. What was the faith of Abraham like? It was an obedient faith—the same type of faith of which we read in Romans 1:5 and 16:26, which speak of “the obedience of faith.”
Timothy Sparks:
From Romans 5, we learn about the awesome demonstration of God’s love. Romans 5:6-9 tells us, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” God loved us so much, that He gave His Son. He didn’t give Him just to come into the world. Rather, He gave Him so that He could shed His priceless and precious blood for our redemption. In Romans 5:12, we learn that “through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Every person has, of his or her own free will, chosen to sin. It is sin that puts us into a situation of condemnation and wrath. Fortunately, Paul says, Christ came to save us, and through obedience to the Gospel we can be saved. In Romans 5:20, Paul offers the solution to the sin problem. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” God has provided a way for us to deal with sin. Our forgiveness comes as a result of our obedience to the Gospel.
Ben Bailey:
The Jew would naturally have in his mind the concept that
since grace abounds, we can sin more and get more grace. The idea is that if we
keep on sinning, we keep on getting more grace. Paul said, “Certainly not! How
shall we who die to sin live any longer therein? Or do
you not know as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized
into his death? Therefore we were buried with him just as God raised Jesus from
the dead, even so we also, we must walk in a newness of life” (
Timothy Sparks:
Romans 7 tells us that we are free from the Old Law because we are now under the Law of Christ, not under the Old Testament. Paul says, “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good” (Rom. 7:12). One of the purposes of the Old Law, as we learn from Romans 10:4, was to lead us to Christ. The Old Law was our guide to Christ (Gal. 3:24-25). From Hebrews 8:6-8, we learn that God found fault with His people. That’s where the flaw was. It wasn’t with God. It wasn’t with the Law of Moses. It was with the people, because they failed to obey. When they failed, they were guilty of the whole law. So when we look at Romans 7, we need to remember that we have been delivered from the Old Law. We no longer are under the Law of Moses. Now, we’re under the Law of Christ. Paul uses the death of a spouse in a marriage to illustrate that we are dead to the law. This, then, enables us to be “alive to Christ.” In Romans 7:24-25, Paul says, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” Paul was saying while he was under the Old Law, He was not able to be pleasing to God. But now that he’s in Christ, he is able to serve God, which then leads us to Romans 8.
Ben Bailey:
Romans 8:1 reminds us, “There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Under the Law of Moses, there was condemnation. Galatians 3:10 says, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the law.” No one could keep the Law perfectly, and as a result, there was a curse placed on the people who lived under the Law. In Christ, there is hope, not condemnation. In Christ, there is a greater glory to be revealed. In Romans 8:18, Paul says, “We consider that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” Paul wants us to know that whatever minor sufferings we might have to endure—loss of life, cancer, death, and things of that nature—they are minor in the grand scheme of things. Heaven will make everything worth it all. We need to let the hope and beauty of Heaven motivate us to live a life of faithfulness. As Paul said in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Timothy Sparks:
As we look at Romans 9:1-3, we see a very tender, compassionate, and loving Paul. The apostle says, “I tell the truth in Christ, my conscience also bearing me witness, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ, for my countrymen, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” Paul loved the Jews. He wanted them to be saved—so much so that he was even willing to be lost himself if it could mean their salvation. Paul knew that such was not possible, but if it had been, he would have been willing to submit to such a loss on his part on their behalf. Paul knew that if the Jews were going to be saved at all, it would be by obedience to the same Gospel that we have to obey. By and large, we learn that the Jews chose to reject Christ. That, however, doesn’t mean that everybody must be lost. Yes, the Gospel was given to the Jews first. But then, as Paul points out, it also was given to the Gentiles. We also learn from Romans 9 that the Gentiles willingly received the Gospel.
Ben Bailey:
In Romans 10, Paul laments even further the lost state of
Timothy Sparks:
In Romans 11, we see Paul using a figure of speech to get
across his point. He compares the Gentiles to a wild olive tree that has been
grafted in to a natural olive tree. The Jews are the branches on the natural
tree. In Romans 11:21, Paul is talking to the Gentiles, who apparently thought
they had “bragging rights” because the Jews had rejected the Gospel, while they
had obeyed it. Paul says, “If God did not spare the natural branches, He may
not spare you either.” Some of the Gentiles thought they were better than the
Jews. Paul then says, in Romans 11:22, “Therefore consider the goodness and
severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but towards you, goodness if you
continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.” God has always
had conditions in place for His people. Paul says that God will extend goodness
to us if we continue in His goodness—meaning
if we continue in obeying the Gospel. Otherwise, we’ll be cut off. This teaches
us that the concept of “once saved, always saved” is false. As Paul told
Timothy, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in
doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16). From
Romans 11:22, we learn about God’s goodness and severity. From Romans 11:26, we learn that “all
Ben Bailey:
In Romans 12, Paul is now going to come to the practical
part of his letter. In Romans 12:1-2, he says, “I beg you by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to
God, which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is a good
and acceptable, perfect will of God.” As he opens this practical part of his
letter, he pleads with Christians not to get caught up in the world. Don’t be
like the world, but be transformed. In what way? In such a way that you are a
living sacrifice for Jesus Christ. If I am a child of God, I must make my life
a sacrifice to Jesus. I no longer can live for self. Christ must be first in my life. Christ told us to seek
first the
Timothy Sparks:
We learn from Romans 13:1-7, that Christians are to be subject to the higher powers. God has established these powers. He has established the government as His agent to serve justice to evil doers. We learn that the government does not bear the sword in vain. This authorizes the government to inflict and enforce the death penalty on people who violate the law. Paul’s point to Christians is not to take up arms themselves. We simply must be submissive to the powers that God has set in place, and we must be the best citizens we can be. We learn from Romans 13:8 that we are to owe no one anything, except to love one another. Love is the fulfillment of the law. Love is so essential to Christianity. You cannot be a true follower of Christ and fail to love. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that if you were to be the most eloquent or sacrificial person on Earth, but failed to love, you wouldn’t have anything. Anything minus love is absolute zero! So, we are owe no one anything, except to love one another. Paul then tells us, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts” (Rom. 13:14). We need to be people who put on all of God’s armor (Eph. 6:11), so that the devil cannot get to us.
Ben Bailey:
In Romans 14:17, Paul says, “The
Timothy Sparks:
Romans 15:1, Paul says, “We, then, who are strong, ought to bear with the scruples of the weak and not to please ourselves.” This is tough to do at times, but it is something that God has asked us to do. We may have to wrestle with it, but it will help us be better people. And it can help us glorify God. In Romans 15:3, Paul observed that not even Christ pleased Himself. If Christ had done things to please Himself, do you think He would have hung on the cross? Absolutely not. He did not please Himself. First and foremost, He wanted to please God and to provide salvation for us. In Romans 15:4, Paul appeals to the Old Testament writings and says, “Whatever things were written before, were written for our learning, that we through the patience, and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” When you read the Book of Psalms, for example, you will find great comfort. In chapter 15 of the Book of Romans, Paul offers us a good reason to study the Old Testament, which is still quite valuable and useful for us, even today.
Ben Bailey:
Paul brings the book to a close in Romans 16:16, where he
says, “Greet one another with a holy kiss, the churches of Christ greet you.”
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Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
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1. What passage in the Book of Romans represents the “theme and thesis” of the book? What is that theme and thesis?
2. Romans 1 teaches that “someone” is under sin. Who?
3. Romans 2 teaches that “someone else” is under sin. Who?
4. Romans 3 teaches that “someone else still” is under sin. Who?
5. In this lesson, two actions of Abraham are mentioned that made him pleasing to God. What were those two actions?
6. Explain Romans 5:6-9—“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
7. Explain the meaning of Romans 6:1-4 in regard to the essentiality of baptism for salvation.
8. What did Paul mean when he said, “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good” (Rom. 7:12).
9. God “found fault” with the people in the Old Testament. Why?
10. According to Galatians 3:10, people who lived under the Old Law were under a curse. But according to Romans 8:1, Christians do not have to endure something. What is that “something”?
11. In Romans 9:1-3, we see a tender, loving side of the apostle Paul. Why so?
12. Explain Paul’s comment in Romans 10:2, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”
13. In Romans 11, Paul chastised the Gentiles. What prompted his chastisement?
14. In Romans 11:26, Paul said that “all
15. Chapters 1-11 of the Book of Romans are heavy in doctrine. Beginning Romans 12, Paul begins a section of the book that is of a different nature. What is that nature?
16. What did Paul mean when he said in Romans 12:1-2, “I beg you by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
17. Explain how Christians “bear the scruples of the weak” (Rom. 15:1).
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,