Introduction
Paul's letter to the Christian community in Rome is widely thought to be the greatest of all his New Testament letters. It is a theologically dense letter, 16 chapters long, with just over 7,000 words, and takes about one hour to read straight through, which is exactly what early churches would have done during early Sunday morning worship services. It is generally agreed that Paul wrote Romans from the city of Corinth as he wintered there on his third missionary journey, as described in Acts 20:2-3. This dating of 57-58 A.D. is based on evidence within Romans itself and also in Corinthians (Rom 16:1, 16:23, and 1 Cor 1:14). This means that at the time of writing, Paul had been a Christian preacher and teacher for about 20 years, and over this 20 years he had learned how to form an effective argument for the Gospel. As Paul endeavored to go to Rome, the Holy Spirit warned him about the peril awaiting him in Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-14). Perhaps, because of this foreknowledge that he may not personally make it to Rome as he had planned, Paul thought this 3-month lull in travel was a good time to write ahead to the Christians in Rome and lay out everything The Holy Spirit had placed in his heart. He began to write them a letter so comprehensive and spirit-led that Christians in Rome would possess the gospel Paul spent his life preaching, even if Paul himself was not able to visit them. Because of this context, Romans is different from many of the other letters Paul wrote, which focus more on the church as a whole and its challenges and problems. The letter to the Romans, in contrast, focuses more on God, sound doctrine, and His great plan for redemption. At its heart, Romans is a letter about the Gospel, a subject that consumed Paul's thoughts and his life. We know the letter to the Romans was received and prized by the Christians in Rome; Clement of Rome’s letter in 96 A.D. shows great familiarity with Paul’s letter. It may be that the church father memorized it and that the reading of Romans became a part of virtually every meeting of the Roman church. The main theme of Romans is simply "God." The word “God" occurs 153 times in Romans, an average of once every 46 words. This is far more frequently than in any other New Testament book. In comparison, the other frequently used words are law (72), Christ (65), sin (48), Lord (43), and faith (40). By simply looking at those keywords, we begin to see the topics and how the discussion surrounding the gospel would be shaped. Romans deals with many different themes within each chapter, usually common arguments and counter-arguments, but as much as a book can be, it is first and foremost a work of doctrine about God and how that firm foundation connects with every other part of the Christian life.
In the many centuries since Romans was written, it has had an incredible impact on many people, including some important heroes of the faith and church fathers. In the summer of 386, a young man wept in the backyard of a friend. He knew his life of sin and rebellion against God had left him empty and feeling dead, but he just could not find the strength to make a final, real decision for Jesus Christ. As he sat, he heard children playing a game, and they called out to each other these words: “Take up and read! Take up and read!” Thinking God had a message to him in the words of the children, the man picked up a scroll lying nearby and began to read this passage found in Romans 13:13-14: "...Not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." He didn’t read any further. He didn’t have to. Through the power of God’s Word, Augustine gained the faith to give his whole life to Jesus Christ at that very moment and was forever changed from the inside out.
In August of 1513, a monk named Martin Luther lectured on the Book of Psalms to seminary students, but his inner life was nothing but confusion and turmoil. In his studies, he came across Psalm 31:1, which says, "In Thy righteousness deliver me." The passage confused Luther; how could God’s righteousness do anything but condemn him to hell as a righteous punishment for his sins? Luther kept thinking about Romans 1:17, which says, "The righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live.'" Luther, the monk, went on to say: “Night and day I pondered until I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, he justifies us by faith. Therefore, I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. This passage of Paul became to me a gateway into heaven." Martin Luther had a divine revelation of God, and the Reformation began first in his heart before it ever started in the real world. Luther later praised Romans, saying: “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel… the absolute epitome of the gospel.”
In May of 1738, a failed minister and missionary named John Wesley reluctantly went to a small Bible study gathering where someone read aloud from Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. Wesley later said these words about his experience: “While he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for my salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken my sins away, even mine.” John Wesley was changed that night in London and moved from knowing about the gospel of Jesus Christ in a religious way to knowing Jesus personally. The knowledge moved from his head to be believed and accepted in his heart.
Another John, John Calvin, said this of the Book of Romans: “When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture." The great theologian John Stott is quoted as saying, "Romans rescued me from preaching a kind of superficial evangelism which would have had no power." Through it all, we see that the book (or letter) you are about to read and study has the power to transform hearts and minds through the power of Jesus. Our hope is that you will pray and ask God to speak to you through this study as well. Each week of this reading plan will consist of 6 days of reading a small portion of Scripture, a devotional commentary of the chapter with practical application of some of the main points of the passage, and on day seven, there will be a grace day to write notes (perhaps from the Sunday message) and other thoughts or questions you have that come up throughout the week. Let's dive into it!
In the many centuries since Romans was written, it has had an incredible impact on many people, including some important heroes of the faith and church fathers. In the summer of 386, a young man wept in the backyard of a friend. He knew his life of sin and rebellion against God had left him empty and feeling dead, but he just could not find the strength to make a final, real decision for Jesus Christ. As he sat, he heard children playing a game, and they called out to each other these words: “Take up and read! Take up and read!” Thinking God had a message to him in the words of the children, the man picked up a scroll lying nearby and began to read this passage found in Romans 13:13-14: "...Not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." He didn’t read any further. He didn’t have to. Through the power of God’s Word, Augustine gained the faith to give his whole life to Jesus Christ at that very moment and was forever changed from the inside out.
In August of 1513, a monk named Martin Luther lectured on the Book of Psalms to seminary students, but his inner life was nothing but confusion and turmoil. In his studies, he came across Psalm 31:1, which says, "In Thy righteousness deliver me." The passage confused Luther; how could God’s righteousness do anything but condemn him to hell as a righteous punishment for his sins? Luther kept thinking about Romans 1:17, which says, "The righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live.'" Luther, the monk, went on to say: “Night and day I pondered until I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, he justifies us by faith. Therefore, I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. This passage of Paul became to me a gateway into heaven." Martin Luther had a divine revelation of God, and the Reformation began first in his heart before it ever started in the real world. Luther later praised Romans, saying: “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel… the absolute epitome of the gospel.”
In May of 1738, a failed minister and missionary named John Wesley reluctantly went to a small Bible study gathering where someone read aloud from Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. Wesley later said these words about his experience: “While he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for my salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken my sins away, even mine.” John Wesley was changed that night in London and moved from knowing about the gospel of Jesus Christ in a religious way to knowing Jesus personally. The knowledge moved from his head to be believed and accepted in his heart.
Another John, John Calvin, said this of the Book of Romans: “When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture." The great theologian John Stott is quoted as saying, "Romans rescued me from preaching a kind of superficial evangelism which would have had no power." Through it all, we see that the book (or letter) you are about to read and study has the power to transform hearts and minds through the power of Jesus. Our hope is that you will pray and ask God to speak to you through this study as well. Each week of this reading plan will consist of 6 days of reading a small portion of Scripture, a devotional commentary of the chapter with practical application of some of the main points of the passage, and on day seven, there will be a grace day to write notes (perhaps from the Sunday message) and other thoughts or questions you have that come up throughout the week. Let's dive into it!
Daily Challenge
We pray that this devotional is more than just a to do list item but that it allows you to refine the habit of spending time with God.
Dwell on the scriptures.
Allow God to speak as you meditate on his Word.
Reflect on each entry. Take time to write down what God is saying and how it can be applied to your life.
Go to God in prayer. Thank Him for all He has done and ask Him to continue to refine and strengthen you through the power of the Holy Spirit.