Romans 1:12 - …that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
As we noted in our last post, Paul is expressing his earnest desire to visit the saints in Rome. He is motivated by a desire to help them grow and thrive in their faith. 
But Paul does not mean to imply that he would be doing all the teaching/imparting and they would be doing all the learning/receiving. Paul assured the church that he too would be edified, strengthened and comforted as they spent time together.
Notice that Paul felt he could benefit from having fellowship with Christians who were less spiritually mature than himself.
We too will benefit from Christian fellowship regardless of our level of spiritual growth. When we socialize with other Christians, we have the opportunity to discuss spiritual issues, examine opposing views, ask questions, share experiences and give testimony. This type of fellowship encourages everyone to stand strong in their faith. Even the most mature believer will benefit from this kind of interaction.
Romans 1:13 – I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.
Obviously, the believers in Rome are well aware of who Paul is. They heard the story of his miraculous conversion and his call to minister to the Gentiles. They also knew that Paul had ministered in Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus and many other places. This information could well have raised a question in their minds: If Paul truly had such a strong desire to come and minister to us, why didn’t he?
Paul seems to foresee this possible objection, and he addresses it head on. He explains that every time he intended to come to them, his plans were blocked. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to come, it was that he had no real opportunity to do so.
Paul does not reveal the exact cause(s) which blocked him from coming. Bible commentators offer the following possibilities:
- God may have forbid him because he wanted him ministering in other places (Acts 16:6-7, Romans 15:22).
- Satan may have blocked him; there is evidence to suggest that he sometimes has divine permission to influence such matters (I Thessalonians 2:18).
- It may simply have been that other churches had immediate/urgent reasons to see him (Acts 10:48, 16:15).
- Perhaps he wound up staying at certain churches/places longer than he anticipated.
- He may have been hindered by general travel issues like the arrival of winter or the availability of ships, etc.
Nevertheless, Paul senses that God is now opening a way for him to come to Rome where he can function as a spiritual father who helps the saints mature in their faith. His objective is to assist them in producing additional spiritual fruit in their lives.
This ‘fruit’ primarily refers to the salvation of sinners (John 15:16) but would also include edification of the church and the fruitfulness of believers in grace and works (Colossians 1:10).
Romans 1:14 – I am under obligation both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
Paul specifically mentions two groups here – Greeks/barbarians and wise/foolish. Let’s examine this further.
The general designation ‘Greek’ is defined in several different ways.
First, it obviously refers to the people who were either born or lived in the nation of Greece. This can’t be the way Paul is using the term, because it’s too narrow; he was designated as the apostle to ALL non-Jewish people, not just those of Greece.
‘Greek’ is also used interchangeably with the generic term ‘Gentiles’. When used this way, it is frequently paired with the term ‘Jews’. Together, these two terms are used to mean the entire human race. At the same time, these designations differentiate between the Jews and all other nations (Acts 18:4, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Romans 3:9, etc). However, since both terms are not present here, this is probably not Paul’s meaning either.
Fortunately, we are familiar with the third use of the term, which seems to be the most appropriate in this scenario.
Back in Paul’s day, the Greeks were considered the most polished, refined and enlightened people of that era. Therefore, the term ‘Greek’ became synonymous with people who were wise and cultured. It is almost certain that this was Paul’s meaning, especially since he contrasts the Greeks with the ‘barbarians’.
Ironically, the term ‘barbarian’ was coined by Greeks (people who were born or lived in Greece). They used the term ‘barbarian’ to refer to anyone who did not speak the Greek language, which basically meant all foreigners. Greeks automatically considered foreigners to be crude/vulgar, uncivilized and ignorant as compared to themselves.
The terms ‘wise’ and ‘foolish’ essentially reflect the same things but on a broader scale.
The ‘wise’ are people of any nation who believe they are shrewd and intelligent, possessing wisdom, good sense and excellent judgment. This term also includes people who are ‘learned’ or educated. Interestingly, the Greeks of Paul’s day prided themselves on their wisdom (I Corinthians 1:22, I Corinthians 3:18). 
The ‘foolish’ refers to people of any nation who were regarded as ignorant/uneducated, lacking in good judgment, imprudent, and/or unpolished (lacking social skills) according to society.
The overall meaning of this verse is that Paul is obligated to preach the gospel to anyone and everyone as long as Christ opens the door for him to minister. This obligation was placed upon him by the Lord Jesus Christ when he made him the apostle to the Gentiles:
Acts 9:15 – But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.”
Therefore, Paul is obligated to preach the gospel in Rome – and he was ready, willing and able to do just that:
- Paul is fully capable of gearing his message to those who are poor and unlearned; in fact, this group of people were often the first to embrace the gospel message (I Corinthians 1:18-29).
- On the other hand, Paul himself is a highly educated and intelligent man. He is also fully capable of discussing the gospel with the most learned and enlightened people of his day (Acts 17:16-34).
Regardless of the strengths or weaknesses of the Roman believers, Paul was well able to find a point of connection with them and then go on to bring them to maturity in Christ.
Romans 1:15 – So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
The word ‘so’ indicates a conclusion or a summary. Because of all the circumstances, reasons and motivations expressed in the first 14 verses of this book/letter, Paul is eager to effectively minister in the city of Rome.
His ministry would include preaching the gospel, confirming sound doctrine, laying hands on people while praying for them, and displaying the power of the gospel. Paul was also very good at teaching through example. As he lived among the Romans, they would see the practical application of his faith in everyday life.
Paul was looking forward to bringing these good things to the people of Rome, just as he had in Antioch, Thessalonica, Ephesus, Athens and Corinth. He was anxious to come to the capital city of the empire, even though he and his message would likely meet with resistance, persecution, ridicule, loss of liberty or even death itself. Regardless of the cost, Paul was ready to fulfill the call God placed on his life.
The salutation or introduction to Paul’s letter ends here. Next, he briefly introduces the great truths he wishes to fully discuss with the church.
Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
I am not ashamed of the gospel: Because of his faith in Christ, Paul was hated by a lot of people. The Jews considered him a heretic. They constantly mocked him, opposed him, and spread false rumors about him. They did everything in their power to discredit him and smear his name. Given the chance, they would gladly have killed him just as they did Jesus.
The Gentiles didn’t embrace him either. They considered him a troublemaker and often treated him with contempt. In fact, they considered him to be the scum of the earth:
I Corinthians 4:13 - We [the apostles] have become, and still are, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.
Jews and Gentiles alike despised him, dishonored him, persecuted him, imprisoned him, attempted to kill him and drove him from place to place all because of the gospel message. 
But every attack, every insult and every reproach ran off Paul like water off a duck. Though the Jews considered the gospel a stumbling block and the Greeks/Gentiles considered it foolishness (I Corinthians 1:23), Paul knew it was the only hope of salvation for mankind. He would NEVER be ashamed of it. On the contrary, his goal was to preach the gospel far and wide and to share it with as many people as possible.
It is the power of God for salvation: God has chosen the gospel message as the instrument or vehicle which Holy Spirit works through to convey spiritual life to the souls of men.
In other words, the preaching of the gospel is anointed with the divine power of Holy Spirit. As sinners hear the message, the power/anointing of Holy Spirit flows through the words and touches their hearts and souls. This power causes them to experience conviction for their sin. Then it prompts them to repent, leading them to forgiveness and salvation through the blood of Christ.
Without this anointing/power of Holy Spirit, Christianity would be just another false, powerless religion.
That is what Paul means when he says the gospel is the power of God for salvation. This makes perfect sense because the gospel is the message of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and reconciliation with God:
John 14:6 – Jesus said unto him, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.”
Like all sinners, Paul once despised the cross and the gospel message. In fact, he hated it so much, he made it his personal mission to persecute Christians whenever possible (Acts 8:3).
But once he personally experienced the power of God and received salvation, everything changed! The gospel became the most important thing in his life. In fact, Paul believed that preaching the gospel was the highest honor that God could confer upon him, even if it cost him his physical life.
One more thing needs to be noted here. God has given each person the free will to choose or reject him. The gospel is indeed the power of God for salvation for those who will listen.
Sadly, there are people who choose to close their ears and refuse to hear. As a result, they prevent Holy Spirit from illuminating their hearts, which cuts off/stops the power of God. Thus, they have no way of receiving salvation/eternal life.
To everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek: The Jews were the original nation in covenant relationship with God. They were the nation through which the Messiah physically came into the world.
Furthermore, they were the only ones who had the ability to recognize/identify the Messiah when he came to earth, because they were the only nation with access to the Law and Prophets. The implication is that when the Messiah finally came, the Jews would embrace him (and his death) and introduce him to the world.
Therefore, it is not surprising that when Jesus came, he delivered his message to the Jews, not the Greeks:
Matthew 15:24 – He answered, “I [Jesus] was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
In addition, Jesus initially instructed the first 12 apostles to speak only to the Jews:
Matthew 10:5-6 – These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
While many individual Jews believed in Jesus, as a nation Israel rejected him as the Messiah. As a nation, they forfeited their chance to share the good news with the world. But God was not caught off guard; he already knew they would reject this role. Their disobedience didn’t affect his plans at all.
According to his master plan, God used individual members of the Jewish nation (the apostles, including Paul and later others), to pour out the blessing of salvation to the rest of the world:
Acts 28:28 – Therefore let it be known to you [the Jews] that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.
As we mentioned previously, when the terms Jew and Greek are used together, the meaning always refers to the entirety of mankind. Thus, the gospel is the power of salvation to EVERYONE who believes.
In fact, there is now no difference between Jew and Gentile; Jesus tasted death for every man and all those who place their faith in him have access to all the blessings revealed in the word and spoken of by the prophets.
Romans 1:17 – For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
For in it: The ‘it’ mentioned here is the gospel. Essentially Paul telling us why he triumphs in the gospel as opposed to being ashamed of it - because through it the righteousness of God is revealed.
In a nutshell, this verse contains the doctrine which he seeks to establish throughout this epistle. The entire letter is one giant proof of the doctrine of salvation by faith. 
The righteousness of God is revealed: Before we go any deeper into this topic, we need to remind ourselves of two basic facts:
- God is holy, just, perfect and righteous. Sin cannot exist in his presence.
- Mankind is guilty of breaking the laws of God. We are full of sin, and we have no way of cleansing or removing it. As a result of this sin, we are under a sentence of spiritual death.
Given these facts, an obvious question arises: How can mortal man be justified in the sight of God?
Man’s solution to this problem has always been to try and arrive at righteousness before God through our works and/or obedience to the law. Just so you know, all attempts to do so end in utter failure. As we continue our study of Romans, we will find that over and over (and over again) Paul clearly proves that we cannot be justified before God through works. We’ll be examining this more fully as we progress through our study.
God, however, has the perfect solution to this problem. Paul refers to this solution or plan as the ‘righteousness of God’.
God’s plan of justification does not blindly declare that men are righteous or pure, neither does it mitigate or excuse our sin. These practices would be a violation of his perfect holiness and justice.
In other words, God does not ‘sweep our sin under the rug’ where it is hidden nor can he ‘wink at it’ and pretend it doesn’t exist. In fact, the opposite is true - the gospel reveals our sin to the fullest extent.
The astonishing thing is that God has a way/method of extending his mercy to us, while still fulfilling the complete requirements of divine justice. Through his plan, we can be rescued from judgment and death because the price of our sin is fully paid by another – Jesus the Messiah, the Mediator between God and man.
This plan is referred to as God’s righteousness, because it is God’s plan. It originated in his supreme wisdom, and it reflects his glory, his mercy and his perfection. It is different from any scheme/plan of man.
Isaiah 56:1 – Thus says the Lord, “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed.”
Again, the ‘righteousness of God’ will be fully explained by Paul as we continue through our study.
Is revealed – The way in which God’s plan of justification works is revealed or communicated to us through the gospel.
It should be noted that this is not a new idea that God suddenly invented because he unexpectedly had to find a way to deal with our sin. Long before the world was formed, God knew we would need justification, and his plan was already in place before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.
The patriarchs understood that such a plan existed (Hebrews 11:1), but the concise revelation of how it was to be accomplished was kept hidden until Jesus the Messiah came to earth and revealed it through the gospel. This is why Paul is will never be ashamed of the gospel.
From faith for faith – This particular phrase has been interpreted in different ways by different bible scholars.
One of the most common interpretations says that the righteousness of God is revealed from one degree of faith to another. Those who hold this view say that as faith grows and increases, it reveals clearer and clearer insights into God’s righteousness and the benefits we receive through it.
A second common interpretation says that God’s plan of justification is received by faith and subsequently, its benefits are available/extended to all who have faith. The idea being expressed is that God’s plan of justifying man is revealed in the gospel. That plan operates by faith, and its benefits are extended to all that have faith, or to all that believe.
Yet another interpretation sees this phrase as meaning God’s plan of justification is extended from the faith of preachers and received by the faith of sinners.
There is also the interpretation that says the faith first revealed in the old covenant (the law) led to the faith of the new covenant (the gospel). This shows that salvation/justification has always been by faith starting with Abraham and continuing to the present time.
Regardless of which view you choose to believe, the bottom line is that faith is required to be justified under God’s plan. Once we receive that justification, all the benefits of salvation are open to us.
As it is written – Pop Quiz: Which passage of Old Testament scripture is Paul referring to when he says, ‘as it is written’? 
Answer: The book of Habakkuk.
Habakkuk 2:4 – “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”
Second Chance Quiz (in case you got the last one wrong): The reference Paul makes (the righteous shall live by faith) is quoted two other times in the New Testament. Where can we find these quotes?
Answer: Hebrews 13:8 and Galatians 3:11.
If you haven’t read the book of Habakkuk lately, you might want to consider doing it soon. It contains a lot of great truths.
The just shall live by faith: In the meantime, let me give you a brief review of the book as it relates to our study. Habakkuk is calling upon God because the Babylonians were coming to destroy Judah and take the Hebrews/Jews into captivity.
God reveals that he is not going to prevent this from happening; he has decreed a season of captivity for his people because of their sin. Nevertheless, this captivity was not permanent; it would have an end (after 70 years).
There is no doubt this time period would be difficult, unsettling, dangerous and seemingly hopeless. But God assures the prophet that if his people place their confidence in Him, they will live. More specifically, their confidence in God would sustain and preserve them; because of their trust in him they would experience restoration, blessing and happiness.
As you have no doubt noticed, the passage in Habakkuk does not primarily refer to the doctrine of justification by faith. Instead, it expresses the general principle that those who place their trust in God will not be disappointed. They will be preserved, blessed and happy.
In other words, the people of Habakkuk’s day could not deliver themselves by relying on their own merit, wisdom or strength. Their only chance of survival/escape was to place their confidence in God, relying on his strength and mercy.
Paul uses this principle to argue that men are justified in God’s sight in the same way. Specifically, man cannot be justified by reliance on his own works or merit. Justification in God’s sight is only possible by placing your trust/faith in God’s plan. Those who do (those who receive salvation through faith in Christ) are preserved, blessed and made happy.
Let me offer you some encouragement:
In today’s study we noted the importance of Christian fellowship. The neat thing is that this fellowship is not confined to a church or bible study atmosphere. In fact, it flourishes better in a more relaxed social atmosphere. This is one reason why many larger churches establish ‘small groups’, which are simply smaller groups of church members who regularly meet together for fellowship.
If you are not experiencing this kind of fellowship on a regular basis, why not start a group of your own? You don’t need to present a bible lesson; just plan a time and place where you can interact with other believers. If you take the time to do this, it will not only benefit you, it will encourage others too! 
Let me offer you some relief:
What could be a bigger relief that realizing that our justification before God is not dependent on our works?? Why not take some time this week to meditate on this wonderful truth? I’m sure that if you do, you won’t be able to stop giving him thanksgiving and praise!
Let me offer you some strength:
Paul dreamed of going to Rome for a very long time. I’m sure he suffered disappointment on many different occasions when his plans were put on hold. But the important thing is that he never gave up. I believe he knew that when God’s time was perfect, he would see the fulfillment of his dream.
What promise or dream are you holding on to? Whatever it is, do not give up! Stay strong in your faith and believe that God will do exactly what he promised – when the time is right!