Wilson Romans

A 12-Week Study
1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4335-3444-7
Verlag: Crossway
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 96 Seiten

Reihe: Knowing the Bible

The Knowing the Bible series is a new resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. Each 12-week study leads participants through one book of the Bible and is made up of four basic components: (1) Reflection questions designed to help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) 'Gospel Glimpses' highlighting the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) 'Whole-Bible Connections' showing how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption culminating in Christ; and (4) 'Theological Soundings' identifying how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from a wide array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on each and every page of the Bible. The book of Romans was Paul's greatest literary achievement, a majestic letter in which the apostle expounds on crucial doctrines such as original sin, election, substitutionary atonement, the role of the law, and justification by faith alone. Plumbing the theological depths, Jared Wilson writes with a pastor's eye toward understanding and application as he explains the biblical text with clarity and passion, helping readers follow along as Paul recounts the history of salvation and illuminates the glories of the cross of Christ.

Jared C. Wilson is assistant professor of pastoral ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a popular author and conference speaker, and also blogs regularly at Gospel Driven Church, hosted by the Gospel Coalition. His books include Gospel Wakefulness; The Storytelling God; and The Wonder-Working God.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wilson, Jared C.

Leseproben

WEEK 2: THE GOSPEL AS THE REVELATION OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

Romans 1:1–17

The Place of the Passage

This opening passage to Paul’s letter sets the stage for all that comes after. In his customary style, a mix of theological richness and passionate self-disclosure, Paul incorporates the flavor of worship even in the way he greets the Roman church. He appears always to be exulting in the truth and power of the gospel.1 He even manages to give a soaring summary of the good news between his identification of himself (1:1) and his addressing of his recipients (1:7). The description of the gospel in 1:16–17 then serves as the theme statement for the whole letter.

The Big Picture

In Romans 1:1–17, Paul expresses his desire to come to Rome and gives a stirring description of the power of the gospel.

Reflection and Discussion

Read through the complete passage for this study, Romans 1:1–17. Then review the shorter passages below and write your own notes on the following questions. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 2157–2158; also available online at www.esvbible.org.)

1. A Gospel Greeting (1:1–7)

In 1:2–3, Paul references the Old Testament and its promise of Jesus. Jesus himself explained that he was the culmination of the whole Old Testament (Luke 24:25–27, 44–47; see also John 5:39–47). What are some Old Testament passages you can think of that promise or anticipate the coming of Christ?

Paul speaks of “the obedience of faith” in 1:5 (note also 10:16; 16:26). Most Christians are accustomed to speaking of faith and obedience as completely separate categories, and for very good biblical reason. What might Paul mean by “the obedience of faith”?

Paul is writing to the church in Rome in part to strategically carry out his desire to spread Christ’s name among all the nations (1:5). From what else you know about Paul and this specific letter, what are some other evidences of this desire of Paul’s?

2. Paul’s Gospel Obligations (1:8–15)

When we trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, being justified2 by God’s grace in Christ received through faith, we are set free from the obligations of the law for justification. At the same time, we are set free to the obligations of the law for witness to God’s faithfulness. In other words, we are saved, not by good works but for them (Matt. 5:16; Eph. 2:10). What does Paul feel obligated to do “first” (Rom. 1:8)? How does this first impulse of his reflect the message of the good news?

Paul is never shy about sharing his feelings in his letters. But the feelings he expresses—whether joy or sadness or even anger—are always shaped by his ultimate desire. According to 1:11–15, what are some reasons he longs to visit Rome, and what is his ultimate desire?

Why would Paul, a Jew, believe he is “under obligation” to Greeks and barbarians (1:14)?

Reviewing 1:8–14, why does Paul say in 1:15 that he is eager to preach the gospel to the Romans?

3. The Righteous Shall Live by Faith (1:16–17)

Why is Paul “not ashamed of the gospel” (1:16)? How does this answer undercut shame, practically speaking?

How is the “righteousness of God” revealed in the gospel (1:17)?

Read through the following three sections on Gospel Glimpses, Whole-Bible Connections, and Theological Soundings. Then take time to reflect on the Personal Implications these sections may have for your walk with the Lord.

Gospel Glimpses

THE GOSPEL CENTER. We see in this opening greeting from Paul to the church in Rome how the good news of Jesus functions as the centerpiece for the Christian’s devotional life and evangelistic mission. In the very beginning, Paul says he is “set apart for the gospel” (Rom. 1:1), reinforcing what he has claimed elsewhere, that the gospel is “of first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3). All of Paul’s life and ministry flows from this blessed fixation: Jesus Christ crucified, dead, and raised to glory. So for Paul in Romans and elsewhere, the first obedience is the “obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5). In other words, the first imperative (the thing to do) is to focus on the indicative (the thing that is) and then respond accordingly. By asserting the centrality of the gospel, Paul is really just asserting the centrality of Jesus Christ himself. It is “through Jesus Christ” that he is able to offer thanksgiving to God (Rom. 1:8), for instance.

THE GOSPEL’S POWER. In Romans 1:9, Paul says that he serves with his spirit “in the gospel.” He is implying here what he says explicitly elsewhere: the gospel is not just the power for salvation at conversion but the power that sustains the whole of the Christian life, “from faith for faith” (1:17). Paul did not view the gospel as something beyond which mature Christians graduate. Rather, the gospel is the very power that drives the maturing process, which is lifelong.

GRACE TO YOU. Paul’s customary greeting is “grace to you” (Rom. 1:7). Paul knows that “faith comes from hearing” (10:17), and so as he is writing these sacred words breathed out by God, he is reminding believers who God is—as Peter puts it, “the God of all grace” (1 Pet. 5:10). In short, when Paul writes “grace to you” at the start of his letters, he is indicating that the preeminent message he brings is one of grace. This is why Paul then closes his letters with the words “grace be with you.” Paul knows that the word of God’s gospel is powerful, bringing the irresistible call of salvation to those who belong to God and supplying the strength of our faithful God to sustain them all the way to their glorification,3 so he confidently bookends his letters with “grace to you” and “grace . . . with you” (Rom. 16:20).

Whole-Bible Connections

SON OF GOD. In Romans 1:4 Jesus is “declared to be [that is, disclosed as] the Son of God” through his resurrection from the dead. While the title “Son of God” is sometimes used (especially in John’s Gospel) simply to refer to Christ’s deity, the title here brings to fruition the Old Testament expectation of the son of God to come. In Luke 3:38 we learn that Adam was “the son of God.” But we know that Jesus is the “true and better” Adam (see Rom. 5:19). The Father even designated Israel as his “firstborn son” (Ex. 4:22). But Jesus becomes the redemption for the failure of that “son” too. Indeed, John 1:12 tells us that it is only through the true Son of God that others can also qualify to be called children of God. Jesus is the true and eternal Son, now incarnate, and those who trust him become children of God by adoption (Rom. 8:15–17). The biblical hope of sonship to the Father reverberates throughout the father-son stories of the Old Testament and echoes into the New Testament parables of fathers and sons (most notably the famous “prodigal son” story). These all find their unity and fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who on the cross was rejected and forsaken by the Father (Matt. 27:46) so that we sinners could be accepted freely by the Father as his own sons and daughters (1 John 3:1).

“FOR THE SAKE OF HIS NAME AMONG ALL THE NATIONS.” Paul expresses his missional concern in Romans 1:5. His desire in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus is that God’s name would be exalted among all the nations of the world. In doing this, he is participating in God’s ancient plan to make a name for himself in all the world. As early as the start of the Abrahamic covenant,4 God shares his plan that through the nation that comes from Abraham “all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 18:18). In Isaiah 49:6, we learn that Israel is to be “a light for the nations.” This prophecy is picked up in Luke 2:32 and Acts 13:47 (and 26:23) and applied to the work of Jesus Christ, in whom there is neither Jew nor Greek, but all are one (Gal. 3:28). Paul’s articulation of gospel mission in Romans 1:5 is not an innovation but is in full accord with the grand design of God’s saving purposes down through history.

“THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Salvation by grace received through faith, apart from works of the law, is not a New Testament invention. When Paul writes these words in Romans 1:17, he is quoting Habakkuk 2:4 and...