1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

My personal reflections:

Paul, writing to Christians in Rome at around AD 55, roughly 20 years following the crucifixion of Jesus, introduces himself and his motives for writing to the Romans. Then Paul says that through Jesus Christ the readers have received grace and apostleship (position as an early Christian leader) to go out to the Gentile people and encourage them toward obedience to God that comes when one has genuine faith. Paul’s motivation for this call to “go out” is for Jesus (“…for his name’s sake”) and not to build Paul’s power and influence in Rome or the Gentile regions. Finally, Paul informs/ implores the Roman readers that they too are called to this belonging and genuine faith with Christ—for them to “go out” and carry this message of Christ the Romans, too, have to believe. Paul then concludes the greeting with his customary “grace and peace” from both God and Jesus.

I appreciate the strong tone of Paul’s opening paragraph. Paul doesn’t qualify his statements and proclamations. He knows who he is and what he needs to accomplish. This is part of Paul’s DNA—as evidenced by his highly focused persecution of Christian’s prior to his conversion. But, it is also the power of Paul’s faith in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit guiding and working within Paul. Paul references this by saying it is through the grace of Jesus Christ that this opportunity/calling was given to them.

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

My personal reflections:

Paul, always quick to give God the praise, encourages the Romans who are already demonstrating their faith in Jesus. It is a faith that others witness and take note of and share. It doesn’t state whether the Romans were all that outspoken. Possibly they were, or possibly they were so influential politically that as the Roman people grew in their faith the known world took notice because of their socio-economic position. Prayer anchors Paul’s activity…much like it did for Jesus. He prays for the opportunity—if it is God’s will—to finally visit with the Roman people.

Two things struck me in these versus. Even as tireless a worker that Paul was, he still had time—made time—to spend time in prayer. How much richer would my relationship with Christ be if I did the same? The other is Paul’s deference to God’s will. Like a more disciplined and robust prayer life, I struggle to submit to God’s will…to trust/know what God’s will is. Rather, I tend to want my will, my plan, my control.

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

My personal reflections:

Paul wants to be in the presence of the Roman believers so that they can mutually encourage each other’s faith. I think back to my time in Bible study with friends at Park Street Church in Boston. This is what we did. We knew what was going on in each other’s earthly lives and in our spiritual lives. Deep friendships were developed that continue now nearly eight years later. When Bridget and I moved to Portland we had a newborn and were “church shopping” and never really settled in by the time she got sick and died. I did BSF, but that doesn’t provide the deeper inter-personal connections…or at least it hasn’t for me. I want to join a vibrant Christian fellowship group to be encouraged while I also encourage others.

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

My personal reflections:

By faith is how the righteous will live. I so often question the level of my faith. Does God see different levels of faith? We hear of “spiritual maturity” and “faith like a child.” I compare that to my understanding that there are not levels of sin from God’s perspective—sin is sin. If it is accurate, then there would be great comfort in knowing that my faith is sufficient for God. I do believe—I doubt, questions, vacillate on different thoughts, etc. But, by God’s grace, I do believe.

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

My personal reflections:

Verses 21-23 hit me. I think we all know God, some to varying degrees. I’ve been blessed to have been surrounded with Christian people who have shared their knowledge with me. (I haven’t always absorbed and/or retained what they taught me!) Growing up I always believed in God, but I would characterize it as a distant belief—not a personal relationship type of belief. It was very rare that I would glorify Him or give Him thanks.

In my last couple years of college the relationship started to get personal, the prayers to God would give him thanks. I’d glorify Him in my actions and prayer. I think at the time that I thought this relationship with God would be energetic and easy. It hasn’t been—it takes work. I’m striving to put more work into the relationship with Him because I want more of Him in my life.

I can see the idols in my life creeping in as Paul references in verse 23. I can explain this—my life’s focused over the past seven years has been moving to Portland and getting settled in my job and our house, caring for Bridget as she was dying from cancer, shifting to widowerhood, and raising a newborn and 2 1/2 year old, etc.—but I have an opportunity now to refresh and dig deeper into my relationship with Jesus and to cast aside the idols of career success, financial independence, “perfect” kids, etc. I want a deeper relationship that will bring greater glory and praise to Him.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

My personal reflections:

For me this is a prelude to how life might end up for me should I not pursue a relationship with Jesus. Without that anchoring to Jesus, I can envision becoming filled with wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. God very well might allow me to indulge in these sins as a tool to teach me.

What I don’t want to slip into is a posture where even though I know what God desires from me in word and deed, I disobey Him. I want to be striving following my inevitable stumbles. Reading this end to chapter 1, I read Paul condemning the unrepentant nature of those Paul is addressing.