Romans Verse by Verse (Osborne New Testament Commentaries)

Grant R. Osborne

• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9781683590545
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

In Romans Verse by Verse, Grant R. Osborne shows readers what Romans meant to its original audience and what it means today. He keeps scholarly discussions in the background so he can shine light on the text itself in a way that is easily understood.

PAUL INTRODUCES HIMSELF AND HIS GOSPEL

(1:1–17)

Paul usually begins his letters the same way, following ancient Hellenistic and Jewish letter-writing practices and beginning with the author and recipient. Normally he identifies himself and moves on to his recipients fairly quickly. Here he makes a radical departure—the identification of the author takes six verses. The reason is that Paul is introducing himself to a church he does not know. As 15:23–33 will make clear, Paul wants Rome to become his sponsoring church for his future pioneer mission work to the western half of the Roman Empire, just as Antioch had been in the east.1 But the Roman Christians did not know Paul, so this letter is his opportunity to present himself and his gospel.

PAUL GREETS THE ROMAN CHRISTIANS AND DESCRIBES HIS MISSION (1:1–7)

In the first seven verses of the letter Paul describes his calling (1:1), recounts his gospel message (2–4), identifies his mission task (5–6), and gives his greeting to the recipients (7).

SALUTATION AND PAUL’S CALLING (1:1)

Paul begins by providing a threefold description of his office, centering on his status, his calling, and his gospel purpose. First, the NIV “servant of Christ Jesus” could be better rendered “slave of Christ Jesus” (NLT, NET, LEB). Paul is following Old Testament precedent in which, after God liberated them from Egypt, the Israelites were called slaves of God as a title of honor indicating that they belonged to Yahweh (Lev 25:55). Leaders of Israel such as Moses (Josh 14:7), Joshua (Josh 24:29), Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10), and David (Ps 89:3, 20) were designated this way, pointing to their servanthood to God. In the first century, slaves became part of their owner’s family, being protected by and often sharing the high social status of the owner. Paul is showing the source of his authority. It is not inherent in who he is but in the God to whom he belongs.

Second, he is “called to be an apostle,” a reference to his conversion, told in Acts 9, when he was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; 22:21; 26:16–18; Rom 11:13). The term apostolos comes from apostellō (to send), referring to a person sent with authority who bears an official message. It can refer to a church representative or missionary; the NIV translates it “representative” in 2 Corinthians 8:23 and “messenger” in Philippians 2:25. But here it refers to Paul’s calling by Christ to be God’s special agent and leader of the churches with a status equal to the Twelve (Mark 3:14), Barnabas (Acts 14:4), and James (1 Cor 15:7). In Acts 1:21–22, the apostles state that to be an apostle you had to have walked with the Lord and witnessed him risen; Paul held that office on the basis of having seen the risen Lord in his Damascus road vision (1 Cor 9:1; 15:8). This is a statement regarding the authority with which Paul will visit the Roman church.

Finally, he has been “set apart for the gospel of God,” expanding his declaration of his calling. To be called is to be set apart for God, to be given a mission to perform. In Galatians 1:15 he declares he was “set apart from [his] mother’s womb and called by his grace,” alluding to Jeremiah 1:5. Paul was called, set apart, and has become a slave for the service of Christ and his gospel.

HIS GOSPEL MESSAGE ABOUT CHRIST (1:2–4)

After telling the Romans three things about himself, Paul proceeds to describe three things about the gospel, or good news, he has been sent to proclaim. The gospel is the core idea in this opening section (the noun and verb occur in vv. 1, 9, 15, 16). Paul uses the term to refer both to the message conveyed and the events that produced it—the death and resurrection of Christ.

Prophesied in Scripture (1:2)

God promised the gospel “beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.” Throughout this letter Paul anchors virtually every point in the Old Testament. He is using a technique called typology, in which Old Testament events and passages point forward to and are fulfilled in New Testament realities. God guided the ancient events (types) so that they promised or looked ahead to the greater event of Christ and the church (realities). The great events Jesus established in the new covenant were prefaced beforehand by the great redemptive acts of the old covenant, especially Abraham and the exodus from Egypt.

The prophets, including Moses (Acts 3:22) and David (Acts 2:30), proclaimed the early form of the gospel, establishing the promises that would come to fruition in the return of Israel from exile and the new exodus. Throughout his writings, Paul uses “promise” twenty-two times for the blessings of salvation (see 2 Cor 7:1; Gal 3:22), stressing the continuity of God’s redemptive work in both covenant periods. The Bible as a whole, not just the New Testament, points to the gospel.

Davidic Messiah (1:3)

There are two thrusts in verse 3. First, it teaches Jesus’ preexistence, seen in the opening “his Son, who as to his earthly life” (tou genomenou, “coming into being” or “birth”). Jesus is the Son whom God sent into this world through the incarnation. As in Philippians 2:6, Jesus was “in very nature God” and assumed human flesh. In John 1:14 we learn that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” In the incarnation, “very God of very God” (as the Nicene Creed says) assumed human flesh and walked among us. The very thought of this should make us tingle with wonder!

Second, this preexistent Son was “a descendant of David.” This builds on 2 Samuel 7:12–16, in which David was promised an eternal throne. After David’s time, there developed the idea of a Messiah descended from him who would deliver the nation and maintain this throne.2 In calling Jesus a descendant of David, Paul is presenting him as the preexistent Son come to inherit the Davidic throne.

Appointed Son of God by His Resurrection (1:4)

The three aspects of Jesus progress forward in time. He was prophesied throughout the Old Testament, then at his birth was seen to be descended from David, and now at his resurrection he is appointed Son of God.

“Appointed” (horizō) means to “designate” or “determine,” and pictures Jesus as assigned to his God-determined place in this world. Some have taken this to mean that Jesus was not Son of God until he was “adopted” at his resurrection, but that is hardly what this is saying. He was also designated “beloved Son” at his baptism (Mark 1:11), yet sonship defined his entire earthly life. Jesus is the preexistent Son, and there is never a moment in all eternity when he fails to be Son of God. Others take this appointment as the switch from his “earthly life” (v. 3) to his heavenly glory (v. 4). This is not the emphasis either, for his preexistence is the thrust in verse 3 as well. The point here is that he was fully revealed as the Son by his resurrection. His essential being does not change, but his revelation to humankind has come in stages.

This verse describes Jesus’ enthronement as messianic King and Lord of all. In Acts 13:33 Paul sees the resurrection as fulfilling Psalm 2:7: “You are my son; today I have become your father.” Again, this does not mean that he was not Son of God before, but that a new stage was initiated—his glorious heavenly reign. The turning point of the ages comes through both the incarnation and the resurrection. Jesus lived his earthly life at the end of the old covenant period. With the resurrection, the new covenant period came into being.

Jesus is also Son of God “in power.” This phrase should be understood as modifying the noun rather than the verb; it is not “powerfully appointed” but “designated Son-of-God-in-power.” During his earthly life he was the lowly king, but at his resurrection he was exalted to the right hand of God and his divine power was revealed to all. He is now cosmic Lord with “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18). In verse 5 Paul will state that he participates in this authority in his apostolic mission to the Gentiles, and in verse 16 he will develop this point by stating that his gospel is “the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”

The instrument of this divine appointment is “the Spirit of holiness,” the Holy Spirit, who is the turning point from Jesus’ earthly, messianic ministry to his lordship as Son of God in heaven. The resurrection is the turning point from the age of Jesus to the age of the Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8), as symbolized on Pentecost fifty days after the resurrection. He is “the Spirit of holiness” in that he set Jesus apart (the meaning of holiness) as cosmic Lord of all.

The title “Jesus Christ our Lord” provides a fitting conclusion to this meaning-filled verse. In verses 3–4, Paul’s words about Jesus have moved him from descendant of David to Messiah to Son of God to Lord. The gospel Paul proclaims is all about Jesus and his remarkable being and work on our behalf. Jesus has become incarnate and been enthroned as Lord of the universe, who has come to provide salvation from sin and eternal life as a member of God’s family. The title “Lord” culminates all of this, for it combines who Jesus is (the One who is Lord of all) with his function (the One who exercises that lordship on our behalf). This makes the gospel possible.

HIS MISSION TASK: REACHING THE GENTILES (1:5–6)

The core of the gospel is Christ; the outworking of the gospel is mission. The christological underpinning for Paul’s mission frames this verse, with Christ both the instrument (“through him”) and the recipient (“for his name’s sake”) of his ministry. The Lord Christ is the means and the focus of Paul’s gospel proclamation. He receives two things from the Lord—“grace and apostleship”—which can be combined to state that Paul’s apostolic commission was an undeserved gift from Christ. Paul was always amazed that Christ would choose him, the worst of sinners (1 Tim 1:15–16), as his instrument to the Gentiles.

The focus of Paul’s commission is “to call all the Gentiles” to Christ. This does not mean that he neglected his fellow Jews, as he will say in 1:16, “first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Rather, his call from the Lord was to be the focal point for the new mission in fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:3, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you”).

The purpose of his mission is to call the Gentiles to “the obedience of faith” (the literal Greek). This phrase could be understood in several ways, but most interpreters understand it both as referring to the source (“the obedience that comes from faith”) and as having parallel meaning (“the obedience that is faith”). Evangelism was at the heart of Paul’s gospel, but evangelism always leads to discipleship—to a Godward lifestyle. A truly New Testament church will be strong in both arenas—reaching the lost for Christ, and then enabling them to grow more deeply in their walk with Christ.

In verse 6 Paul includes the Roman Christians among the Gentile recipients of Paul’s apostolic mission (“you also are among those Gentiles”). He may not have founded their church or been instrumental in their development, but he considers himself to be one with them. They are part of the Gentile world, and as such they too are “called to belong to Jesus Christ.” Moreover, as Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles, they come under his sphere of ministry, and that in itself gives him the right to write this letter to them and to come visit them.

There is some debate about the phrase “among those Gentiles.” Is Paul saying the Roman church was predominantly Gentile, or that they existed among the Gentile nations?3 The first is more likely correct (see also 1:13 below), but it is difficult to know how much Paul is saying here. He does not heavily emphasize the makeup of the church elsewhere in the letter, so he is most likely saying that he considers their church to be part of those whom God had called him to serve.

RECIPIENTS AND GREETING (1:7)

As stated at the outset of this chapter, in nearly all Paul’s letters he addresses the recipients right after he identifies himself as the author. Here there is an intervening paragraph that shows Paul’s heart as well as his right to address this church with which he has never before had contact. Only now, in verse 7, does he address the church. His usual practice is to address his recipients as “the church in ___,” but again he deviates and calls them “all in Rome,” meaning all the house churches in the city and its environs.

He calls them “loved by God” and “called to be his holy people” (literally “called to be saints”), defining the privilege and responsibility of Christians. These are major Old Testament designations of Israel as the people of God, and Paul is reminding these Roman Christians that they as Gentiles are also part of God’s people—the new and true Israel. They have received and can experience God’s love, leading to a security that will lift them above the problems of life and allow them to find joy even as they suffer the vagaries of human existence. The world may turn against them, but God will never leave or forsake them (Deut 31:6; Josh 1:5). Then they are responsible to fulfill their calling to be set apart for God, to be “the holy ones.” Their calling is to be pulled out from this world to belong to him and to serve him.

Paul’s greetings always consist of “grace and peace,” which combines the Greek greeting (charis, “grace”) and the Jewish greeting (shalom, “peace”). This combination creates an eschatological promise, saying in effect, “The things you have always longed for in ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Series Preface
• Introduction to Romans
• Paul Introduces Himself and His Gospel (1:1–17)
• God’s Wrath against the Gentiles (1:18–32)
• The Truth of God’s Judgment on the Jews (2:1–16)
• The Jewish Failure to Keep the Law (2:17–29)
• The Sinfulness of the Jews and of All Humanity (3:1–20)
• The Righteousness of God at Work in Justification (3:21–31)
• Righteousness by Faith Alone: The Model of Abraham, Part 1 (4:1–12)
• Righteousness by Faith Alone: The Model of Abraham, Part 2 (4:13–25)
• The Blessings of Justification: A New Peace and Hope in Christ (5:1–11)
• New Life as Christ Overcomes Adam’s Sin (5:12–21)
• Dying to Sin through the New Life in Christ (6:1–14)
• Freedom from Sin’s Enslaving Power (6:15–23)
• Freedom from Condemnation under the Law, Part 1: The Unbeliever and the Law (7:1–12)
• Freedom from Condemnation under the Law, Part 2: The Believer and the Law (7:13–25)
• New Life in the Spirit (8:1–17)
• New Hope of Glory in the Spirit (8:18–30)
• The Security and Victory of the Believer (8:31–39)
• Paul’s Sorrow: Israel’s Curse and Divine Election (9:1–13)
• God Chooses and Establishes a New Community (9:14–29)
• Israel Responsible for Rejecting God’s Offer, Part 1: Righteousness and Salvation by Faith (9:30–10:13)
• Israel Responsible for Rejecting God’s Offer, Part 2: Israel’s Guilt for Rejecting the Gospel (10:14–21)
• A National Future for Israel, Part 1: The Election of a Remnant from Israel (11:1–10)
• A National Future for Israel, Part 2: God’s Future Place for Jews and Gentiles (11:11–24)
• A National Future for Israel, Part 3: Future Salvation for Israel (11:25–36)
• Living Life in the Spirit: Exhortation to Live the Christian Life (12:1–8)
• Exhortation to Live the Christian Life in Love (12:9–21)
• Responsibility to Government and Neighbor (13:1–14)
• Love and Unity in the Community, Part 1: The Command to Stop Fighting (14:1–12)
• Love and Unity in the Community, Part 2: Don’t Be a Stumbling Block (14:13–23)
• Love and Unity in the Community, Part 3: Bear the Burdens of the Weak (15:1–13)
• Paul’s Ministry Plans (15:14–33)
• Concluding Greetings (16:1–27)
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Subject and Author Index
• Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Literature