Epistle to the Romans
Chapter 01 – Reason for the Epistle
Romans 1:1-7
Since the beginning of letters, a formal greeting has been customary. These are often added without thinking and often become so ordinary, they are hardly noticed. In this salutation, we not only have a greeting, Paul provides his credentials as one commissioned to preach the good tidings. He identifies his nature with that of the community receiving the letter. And he gives the heart of the good news he will bring in person. These first few phrases set the tone which echoes throughout the entire letter. "The Gospel, as understood by Paul, is not a dangerous innovation, but the true fulfillment of God’s immemorial purpose for his people."
Paul identifies himself as a servant of Christ. The level of dependence and obligation in his message is stronger than that of a servant. It really indicates a slave. Surprisingly, there is a little known movement called servant leadership in business today. It demands a leader be wholly devoted to the cause of the business and its employees. It is certainly not prevalent but is gaining some favor with Christian leaders. St. Matthew reminds us the best commendation we can receive is "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew. 25:21). Is it true that we are all slaves to something? Our Morning Prayer Collect refers to God as the one "whose service is perfect freedom." Paul calls himself an Apostle set aside to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. He considers himself a servant in perfect freedom.
Paul provides a brief summary of his Gospel and tells the recipients what he is going to tell them in the Epistle. He describes Jesus as being of the flesh of David as predicted by Holy Scriptures. He describes Jesus as the Son of God as was proven by the resurrection. Jesus is the source of grace and apostleship to all nations. Finally, he wishes grace and peace to the recipients of the letter.
Romans 1:8-15
Paul expresses his obligation to his readers and his gratitude toward them. He is direct in his thanks to God for the Christians in Rome and their efforts. As beautiful as our Collects are in the Book of Common Prayer, they can be recited in a general sense without a direct focus. The advantage of extemporaneous praying is the tendency to be direct and focused. He appeals to God (whom he serves) as his witness of his desire to visit Rome and of his prayers for them. Paul indicates his failure to visit earlier was not due to a lack of desire. We must remember, "Man proposes, but God disposes."
In our introduction, we mentioned that Paul was probably uncertain what kind of reception to expect. He has considerable experience with bad receptions at almost every city he visited. He is careful to give his credentials and assure them of his good intentions. Paul expresses a desire to impart some spiritual gift that the Christians at Rome may be strengthened. At the same time he seeks the mutual encouragement of sharing their faith.
He states explicitly that he is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. It seems an odd statement coming from Paul. We too, are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Yet, how many times have we failed to bring our faith into a conversation? Paul says, "The Gospel is a salvation to everyone who believes – to the Jew first and also to the Greek (the rest of the world).
Romans 1:18-23
The wrath of God is not anger in a human sense - it is the just and inevitable issue of sin. Paul is talking of the final judgment breaking forth from heaven. Willful disobedience is the refusal to recognize what God made perfectly clear to all who are willing to see. Nature shows God’s power and reflects his divine qualities. Is there enough evidence for anyone to see the truth if they take the time to notice?
"Judgment is set in the earth and is an inescapable part of the discipline of human life. Cause will always lead to effect and the turbulence of iniquity will in due season bring its own retribution. Judgment on evil is part of God’s moral government of the universe. Evil will always self-destruct when it counters God’s order." Two qualities in human life will bring about the wrath of God. Ungodliness refers to sins against God aimed primarily at the Jews. Unrighteousness refers to moral offenses against men and applies to Jews and Gentiles alike.
There is no excuse for not seeing God’s will and order. Paul describes men ignoring God’s revelations and turning to their own thoughts and desires instead. He condemns the replacement of God’s glory with man-made idols and corruptible symbols of mankind.
Romans 1:24-32
Man become like the gods they serve. Idolatry is morally corrupting and leads them into intellectual bankruptcy. Service to anything less than the Creator forces steady deterioration of the quality of life. The phrase "God gave them up" sounds odd, but it emphasizes how the moral universe works. The punishment of sin lies not in any direct intervention by God but in the consequences which naturally follow from a lawless life. The process increases in tempo as well because the offenders find themselves more vulnerable to the next temptation. It follows from replacing the Creator with the creature and two types of evil ensue. In addition to uncleanness (sexual aberrations), a social corruption distorts all human relationship. Man is debased by the process of exalting himself higher than the creator.
Paul describes what is perceived to be the condition of society in the Roman Empire. He points out that there is nothing static in evil. Those who abandon God lack the power to check the spread of corruption in every part of their experience. Paul’s objective is not to condemn only those items mentioned explicitly. He warns that the pursuit of false objects leads to the acceptance of false values. When cults of pleasure and of wealth flourish, moral conditions decline precipitously.
When Paul speaks of God abandoning someone, he is talking about the result of mankind having "free will". That requires that God abandon mankind to the fate they choose. The results of man’s choices are seen in the fruits which they yield. Paul expounds on the inclusive degradation introduced into all our relationships by the repudiation of God. The arrogance that turns its back on God also runs roughshod over the rights of others.
In this context, fornication is serious not just as an illicit personal gratification but also because it invades the integrity of another person. Wickedness sums up the disposition which is willing to seek harm for others. Covetousness makes it possible for us to disregard or even injure others because the primary concern is for things not people. Maliciousness takes delight in passing mischief to others. Envy is grieved with the success of others and happy when they fail. Evil secretly takes delight in slander and either insidiously or blatantly, speaks ill of others.
Haters of God are defiantly rebellious. They knowingly live in wickedness in spite of God’s displeasure. It is normal for them to be haughty in their relations with others because they are insolent in their attitude to God and they have no restraint in their self-glorification and praise of themselves. The bankruptcy of man without God shows intellectual failure. It lacks loyalty and obligation in the realm of will and action. It lacks simple, natural emotional attachment. Because natural affection was lacking, both divorce and infanticide were common in Paul’s day. Is it any different today?
Ignorance cannot exonerate the men of whom Paul speaks. They know the declaration of God’s righteous sentence; reason and conscience teach them that those who do such things deserve the final consequences of their sin. Even more serious is the cynical approval they award those who are acting likewise. It is bad enough to sin. It is far worse to encourage others in evil. Individuals can offend and will suffer the pangs of conscience. Some apply a moral standard to others while exonerating their own lapses. Paul is contemplating the plight of men who take delight in the evil which others do. Why would people take delight in seeing others do evil? In their case, their spirit must be so far gone from God as to be a final denial of all God is and all He stands for and for all His creation.