Verse by Verse

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

What this verse is saying is that man has sufficient knowledge of God from nature (creation) to be responsible to God. Man has the wisdom to draw conclusions from cause to effect.

From creation, we can grasp God’s power, His position above creation and His personality (that He is a person as opposed to an abstract principle). Psalm 19:1 — The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handywork.

Manifest in them — Man is capable of knowing, so ignorance is sin.

Hath showed — the tense used refers to a completed act with continuing results.

Things that are made = literally “a poem”

Eternal power — unchangeable and omnipotent

Godhead — divinity. Man can know facts about God but can’t know God through creation alone. Knowing God comes only through Jesus Christ.

Without excuse — Man is guilty for not knowing God. An instinctive knowledge of God is built into mans’ nature so the natural man, even apart from the Law, is guilty of moral wrong.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

Revealed — present tense. The revelation of wrath is ongoing. The expression of that wrath is yet to come (at the end of the Tribulation and at the end of the Millennium). The wrath of God is revealed by the gospel. It is against all and any sin.

Ungodliness = our sin against God, disregard of God’s existence

Unrighteousness = our sin against each other (immorality), not being right with God.

The ungodly live as if there is no God. The unrighteous live as if the will of God doesn’t matter.

Hold = keep back, suppress. Men have had the truth revealed to them but deliberately suppress it.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

For therein — refers back to the gospel mentioned in verse 16, the revelation of the righteousness of God. Righteousness is God’s holiness toward us. Jesus Christ is God’s righteousness. He is how God treats us.

Revealed — continuous, is being revealed

The phrase the faith of Christ is used seven times in Paul’s epistles. In these seven passages faith is spoken of, not objectively, but subjectively.

Objectively, faith is simply trust in another, or in what another has said or done. But subjectively faith is the character which constitutes one worthy of trust. Objectively faith is associated with what one does; subjectively it concerns what he is. One might say, “If I have faith in you, you had better keep faith with me.” Any English dictionary will give these two definitions of the word “faith,” and the same is true of the Greek equivalent, pistis.

In Romans 3:22, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:22 and Philippians 3:9 we find “the faith of Christ” and the believer’s faith in Christ mentioned in the same verses, showing the one as complementary to the other.

His trustworthiness is revealed as an appeal to our trust. This interpretation does fit logically with the words that precede and follow. Paul’s gospel reveals the righteousness of God “from faith to faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith,” i.e. on the principle of faith, faith in the One who always keeps faith with us. — Stam.

I’ve heard this phrase explained as believers passing on the truth to others, and of faith being exercised from dispensation to dispensation. Of all the explanations I read, Stam’s (above) is the one that makes the most sense to me in context.

As it is written, the just shall live by faith — from Habakkuk 2:4 — Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous [just, justified] will live by his faith.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Not ashamed — negative tense used for emphasis

Gospel — Paul is again using the general term as in Romans 1:1-2. Here he is not referring to the mystery.

Power of God — In Romans 1:4, the power of God referred to the resurrection. In this verse, it refers to the gospel (as the outcome of the resurrection). In Romans 1:20, the power of God refers to creation. The word for “power” is dunamis, the word from which we get “dynamite.”

Salvation — from punishment, from bondage, to redemption

To the Jew first — the historical fact — the gospel had already gone to Israel (who rejected it as a nation although individual Jews were saved.)

Also to the Greek (Gentiles) — This was were Paul’s emphasis was.

14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

Debtor — Paul was obligated because (1) He had to “pay back” in service what Christ’s love had done for him; (2) It was his assignment.

Greeks (civilized nations, including Rome) and barbarians (all uncivilized nations) — those Paul had to pay his debt to

Wise and unwise — cultured and uncultured, people of all degrees

Ready to preach — Paul’s preparation was complete. The word translated “ready” indicates readiness and inclination.

Preach the gospel — Paul was a herald giving a proclamation.

10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12 that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

Prosperous (v.10)  = material prosperity

Will of God (v.10) = gracious design

impart (v.11) = sharing, as in handing on what God gave Paul

spiritual gift (v.11) = again, the grace God gave Paul

establish (v.11) = to lean on a support = faith, to stand fast, rooted, grounded

mutual faith (v.12) — faith in another brings comfort

I would not have you ignorant (v. 13) — that Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles

fruit (v.13) — conversion of sinners, edification of saints

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.

Through Jesus Christ (v.8) — the only way to God in prayer as in anything else. Here Paul is emphasizing His incarnation, death and resurrection as the basis for our thanksgiving.

The whole world (v.8) — everywhere that Paul went, he met people who were talking about the Romans’ faith.

God is my witness (v.9) — Paul was often perceived as cold, but his love was sincere.

Serve (v.9) = voluntary work, different from and in addition to the slavery of Romans 1:1.

My spirit (v.9) — Paul is referring here to his new life in Christ, not the Holy Spirit.

Mention (v.9) = recurring remembrance

Always in my prayers — should be connected to verse 10 — Always in my prayers making requests …

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Saint = called of God, holy (set apart to God), chosen, elect. The word is always used collectively in the New Testament to refer to those whose righteousness is Christ.

Paul frequently says grace and peace. “Grace” was a traditional Greek greeting, “peace” was a Hebrew greeting. This grace and peace comes from the Father and the Son, but by the Spirit. We deserve punishment, but we receive grace and peace.

Beloved of God — God loves the world, but the called are His beloved whom He loves with a special love.

6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.

The Romans were new Christians who probably didn’t understand everything their salvation did for them. So Paul explains.

“Called” = An invitation given by God and responded to. Two verses with a parallel usage are:

• Matthew 22:14 — For many are called, but few are chosen.
  

• Revelation 17:14 — These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Those who trust Christ aren’t saints by their own devices, but due to a calling by God — just as Paul didn’t appoint himself an apostle.

• Romans 1:1 — Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle …

• Romans 1:6 — Romans are … the called of Jesus Christ.

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name.

From Jesus Christ, Paul (and those with him spreading the message of his gospel) received the gift of apostleship through grace. The purpose of this apostleship was to bring others to the faith, which is the first act of obedience to God. These others are from every nation, Gentiles as well as Jews, and their salvation and obedience bring honor to Jesus Christ.

Some of my commentaries say that the “we” refers to all Christians, but that doesn’t make sense to me because in the next verse Paul starts talking about “you” (meaning the Romans). The “we” has to be Paul and those ministering with him.

The term “obedience to the faith” appears here at the very beginning of Romans. It appears again at the very end in Romans 16:25-26: Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.

A Bible college professor I know is fond of pointing out this sort of thing. He calls it bookending. When we see bookends, we need to remember that Paul got these words from the Holy Spirit and that this repeating of a theme is there for a reason. Paul introduces it at the beginning, but in these next-to-last verses, he goes into a bit more detail and uses the phrase “obedience of faith” to describe the mystery — the message that salvation is available to all through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and that faith is our one requirement.

In the previous dispensation of Law, believers had to be obedient to the entire law. (Not in the sense that they never sinned, but in the sense that they performed the sacrifices and rituals that cleansed them when they did sin.) The Law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and now it is replaced by one single act of obedience. The righteousness of God … is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe (Romans 3:22).

Romans 1:5 ends by stating that those who are obedient in faith bring honor to the name of Jesus Christ.