The subject 0f the book of Romans is the gospel of God, concerning His Son, app= lied to our Christian life. Paul s= hows us how we, as condemned sinners, become sons of God, through participating = in the life of God (Rom 8:29). <= o:p>
Verses
1:1-5 preview the whole book.
The gospel of God (v1), promised by God in the holy scriptures (v2),=
is
concerning the divine Son of God who became a man and, in resurrection, was
“The One” designated (in His humanity) as the Son of God, Jesus
Christ our Lord (v3-4). The
remainder of the book details how this applies to us through “obedien=
ce
of faith (v5),” so that we grow into His likeness through death and
resurrection (6:5, 8:29) until we too are manifested as the sons of God
(8:14-16, 19).
In
verse 1, Paul is a slave of Christ Jesus, called by God as an apostle,
separated to the gospel of God.
Paul is not a “free agent;” God specifically assigned,
limited, and devoted him to deliver His gospel to the Gentiles. In verse 2, God promised His gospel
beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures. The gospel is not an accident or an
afterthought. It was planned =
and
prepared by God.
In
verse 3, the Bible is explained to be all about the Son of God. All the promises of God, all the h=
oly
scriptures point to His Son as the superlative topic of interest. The Son of God was born (became) o=
f the
seed of David (v3, 2 Sam 7:12-14, Is. 11:1) as promised. This was His becoming accord=
ing to
the flesh (Gen 3:15, Is. 9:6).
In
verse 4, He is The One (v4, Gk) marked out, identified, accepted, uniquely
selected, declared and designated, in His humanity, to be God’s Son
through resurrection (cf Ps 2:7, Acts 13:33, Heb
1:5). He was already th=
e Son
of God in His divine being.
Resurrection from the dead was a powerful exclamation point to the
begetting of the =
man Jesus as Son of God, leaving no doubt about God’s acceptance =
of
Him as His Son, with humanity.
His baptism prefigured this acceptance (Matt 3:16-17). The designation was according to
“spirit of holiness.”
His living and person were in accord with God’s holy nature
within. Resurrection confirme=
d He
matched the holy God as His Son.
In
verse 5, Paul’s grace and apostleship (their designation) through this
One and on behalf of His name, was unto obedience of faith among the
Gentiles. Everything God had
promised was fulfilled in the divine Son of God who became a man and, as a =
man,
was “begotten” as the firstborn Son of God in resurrection. This opened the way for God to fur=
ther fulfill
His promise to make sinners sons of God through faith in this unique One (R=
om
8:29).
Now
this good news has come to us, preached as the faith in our hearing. Paul was called out to deliver the
gospel, and we were called out to hear and obey it. Obedience in Greek means “un=
der
the hearing,” that is subjection to what you hear. The operating word of the gospel b=
ecomes
faith, subdues us and makes us “saints” (v6-7 holy ones, Gk).