Paul's Epistle to the Romans

ROMANS

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

Declared in the Gospel, Unfolded in His Dispensational Ways, and Demonstrated in Practical Life

Bruce Anstey

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS - THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD Declared in the Gospel, Unfolded in His Dispensational Ways, and Demonstrated in Practical Life Bruce Anstey

Originally published by:

CHRISTIAN TRUTH PUBLISHING 12048 – 59th Ave.

Surrey, BC V3X 3L3 CANADA

Original English title: THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS – God’s Righteousness Declared in the Gospel, Displayed in His Dispensational Ways, and Demonstrated in Practical Living First edition – June 2015 Version 1.5

Translated, published and distributed in Brazil with the author's permission by:

ASSOCIAÇÃO VERDADES VIVAS, a non-profit association whose purpose is to spread the gospel and the sound doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ.

atendimento@verdadesvivas.com.br

First edition in Portuguese – February 2019 E-book v.1.1

Abbreviations used:

ARC – João Ferreira de Almeida – Revista e Corrigida – SBB 1969 ARA – João Ferreira de Almeida – Revista e Atualizada – SBB 1993 TB – Tradução Brasileira – 1917 ACF – João Ferreira de Almeida – Corrigida Fiel – SBTB 1994 AIBB – João Ferreira de Almeida – Imprensa Bíblica Brasileira – 1967 JND – English translation by John Nelson Darby KJV – English King James Version

All Scripture quotations are from the ARC version, unless otherwise indicated.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

The gospel, for many Christians, is not much more than an “escape hatch” from hell – they see it predominantly as a way to escape going to a lost eternity in hell. This side of the gospel focuses merely on what we have been saved from, and it is a very limited view of what the gospel announces. The gospel that Paul preached involves much more than the negative side of things. It focuses on what we have been saved for – emphasizing our many blessings in Christ. Understanding the full gospel that Paul preached is essential to having a solid foundation on which to grow spiritually. However, many Christians today know very little of how richly they have been blessed with “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8 – ARA). Thus, the author's aim in this present volume is to expound the epistle of Paul to the Romans, in which he presents the gospel in its fullest sense.

The writing of this present work on Romans took the author more than a year to complete – having consulted more than 30 expositions and articles by various authors in the process. This work is now published as a renewed presentation of the truth of the gospel, as revealed in the epistle.

We commend the volume to God with the prayer that He may be pleased to use it for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and for the blessing of every Christian who reads it.

June 2015

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS

DOCTRINAL

Chapters 1-8

The purpose of the apostle Paul in writing this epistle was to make known to the saints in Rome the gospel that he preached among the Gentiles. At the time he wrote it, he had not been to Rome and therefore did not know all the believers there – although he mentions in chapter 16 some by name whom he knew. Thus, Paul had reason to believe that the saints in Rome might not have a complete knowledge of the gospel he preached – which he calls “my gospel” (chaps. 2:16, 16:25). Therefore, in this epistle he systematically takes them through the details of the gospel he announced. His burden was to establish these believers in the fundamental truth of the gospel (chap. 1:11).

The Main Divisions of the Epistle

Paul told Timothy that the “workman” who desires to teach the truth and be “approved to God” (JND) in doing so must “rightly divide the Word of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15 – KJV). This shows that there are divisions in the Word of God that we must know if we desire to have a proper understanding of the Scriptures. The epistle to the Romans has three such divisions and also several subdivisions. It is our purpose, therefore, to mention these divisions and the reason for their existence and, in doing so, to instruct those who are seeking a better understanding of the truth of the gospel. These main divisions are:

• Chapters 1-8 – Doctrinal.

• Chapters 9-11 – Dispensational.

• Chapters 12-15 – Devotional.

Chapter 16 is a letter of recommendation that was added to the epistle as a supplement or appendix, and was delivered to the saints in Rome at the same time as the delivery of the epistle itself. In a sense, we could say that Romans consists of two epistles.

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The Development of Truth in Paul's Epistles

There is a distinct progression of truth in connection with our identification with Christ in Paul's doctrinal epistles. They are:

Galatians goes only as far as our identification with Christ “crucified” and “dead” (Gal. 2:19-20). Romans goes a little further and sees the believer “buried” with Christ (Rom. 6:4). Colossians sees the believer on even higher ground; we are not only dead and buried, but also “made alive” and “raised” with Him (Col. 2:13). The epistle to the Ephesians does not even present Christ as “crucified”, “dead” or “buried”. It sees the believer on the highest ground with Christ on the other side of death – as “made alive”, “raised”, and “seated” in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:6).

Two Different Views of Man in the Flesh in Paul's Epistles

The fallen condition of man is seen in two different ways in Paul's epistles:

• In Ephesians and Colossians, man is seen as dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 2:13).

• In Romans and Galatians, man is seen as alive in his sins (Rom. 1:32; Gal. 1:4).

Furthermore, in Romans, Christ Himself is seen as alive on earth, born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared the Son of God (Rom. 1:3-4). Whereas in Ephesians and Colossians, Christ is seen as dead, and the power of God having been manifested in Him, raising Him from the dead and making Him sit at the right hand of God (Eph. 1:19-21 – TB; Col. 1:18, 2:12).

The remedy for man's dual fallen condition is found in Christ in two ways – in His death and in His resurrection. In Romans man is seen as living on earth as a guilty sinner before God. He is so affected by the disorder of his sins, and under the dominion of his sinful nature, that he has no power to stop the sinful course of his life. God's way of delivering him from his pitiful condition is to place him in death. This is the line of truth developed in Romans. Christ's death is introduced (and our identification with it) as the remedy for that condition. Christ died and shed His blood (Rom. 3:25, 4:25, 5:6-8) to take away the believer's sins, and also to judicially put an end to the sinner before God, and thus break his link with that condition in which he lives (Rom. 6:1-11; Gal. 2:20). But in Ephesians, man is seen as dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), and the remedy for him is found in the power of God, who raised Christ from among the dead (Eph. 1:19-21), and who acts to quicken him together with Christ (Eph. 2:5). Thus, he is freed from the state of death in which he was held.

Two Positions of the Christian in Romans and Ephesians

Christians are seen in two different positions in the present:

• In Romans, the believer is seen as being on earth, waiting for the Lord to come and take him to heaven (Rom. 8:11, 25, 13:11).

• In Ephesians, the believer is seen as seated in heavenly places in Christ, and the coming of the Lord (the Rapture) is not mentioned (Eph. 2:5-6).

OPENING GREETINGS

Chapter 1:1-17

Ch. 1:1-7 – At the time he wrote this letter, Paul had not been in Rome and therefore takes a little more time than usual in his epistles to present himself to the saints there.

1. 1 – He begins: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called

to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God” (TB). A “servant” of Christ is something more than being a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. It refers to a personal exercise that occurs in a believer's life to voluntarily give himself to the cause of Christ in this world and thus be a servant. The Lord does not command anyone to be His servant; all who have made themselves such did so of their own will. This comes as a result of realizing that we have been “bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20, 7:22-23). When considering the cost of our redemption – that Christ, in love and piety, voluntarily took our place under the judgment of God to save us – our heart is deeply moved, and we respond by giving our life (our time and energy) to Him as His servants. In stating that he was the Lord's servant, Paul was indicating that he had gone through this exercise and had placed himself without reserve under the Lordship of Christ to be used in His service in whatever way He wished. Thus, he presents himself to the Romans as one who was totally “sold” to Christ.

The King James Version (KJV) says, “servant of Jesus Christ”, but some translations say – “servant of Christ Jesus” (TB) – which we understand to be the correct translation. This is significant. As a rule, when Paul says “Jesus Christ” – using His name of Humanity (“Jesus”) before His title (“Christ”) the Anointed – he is referring to His coming into the world to do the will of God and accomplish redemption. Whereas, when Paul says: “Christ Jesus” (placing His title before His name of humanity), he refers to Him as having completed redemption, risen, exalted and seated at the right hand of God as a glorified Man. It is interesting to see that Peter presents himself as servant and apostle of “Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:1), whereas Paul sees himself as servant and apostle of “Christ Jesus”. This is because Peter knew the Lord and was called by Him when He came into the world in His first coming, but Paul was called by Him and knew Him when He was a glorified Man on high.

Believing that the saints in Rome should know something of his personal history with the Lord, Paul mentions two events in verse 1 that occurred in his life. First, he was “a called apostle” (JND). This happened on the road to Damascus when he submitted to the Lord in faith (Acts 9:1-6). The King James Version (KJV) says “called to be an apostle”. The words “to be” are in italics, which indicates that they are not in the Greek text but were added by the translators to help in reading the passage. Unfortunately, these words, though well-intentioned, are misleading and imply that Paul had to go through a certain religious process after being saved in order to become an apostle. This stems from the clerical idea created by man, which has prevailed in the Church for centuries, in which a person goes through a training process in a seminary, to which he (or she) is ordained to a place in the “Ministry.” However, the text should say, “called apostle” or “apostle by calling”. This means that he received his apostleship at the moment he obeyed the call of the gospel and was saved.

The second thing Paul mentions is that he had been "separated for the gospel of God". This happened in Antioch about ten years later, when the Spirit of God said: "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2). Therefore, Paul received his apostleship at the moment he was saved, but he was not sent by the Lord to do the work of an apostle until some time later. This means that, although he was an apostle and had placed himself under the Lordship of Christ as His servant, he needed time to grow and mature in the things of God before he could be used in that work. This process of spiritual growth and maturity is necessary in every convert (2 Pet. 3:18).

The word "gospel" means "good news" or "good tidings". Thus, the message of the gospel is God's good news to man. It is good news because it makes known God's movements in grace toward men, seeking their blessing. (Grace is God's unmerited favor toward man.) By saying that the gospel is "of God", Paul was indicating that God is the source of this good news. Everything emanates from His heart of love; He designed the plan of salvation and, in grace, brought it to man.

There are two parts in the "gospel of God" that Paul preached. He distinguishes them elsewhere as:

• "The gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

• "The gospel of the glory of God" (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Tim. 1:11).

The gospel of the grace of God emphasizes the coming of Christ into this world to accomplish redemption; it focuses on God's condescending grace coming down to meet man in his need through what Christ accomplished on the cross. The gospel of the glory of God emphasizes the ascension of Christ to heaven as a glorified Man. This latter aspect is what Paul calls "my gospel". He received special revelations concerning the believer's position and his present portion in Christ, the glorified Man at God's right hand (Gal. 1:11-12). Paul preached and taught both aspects of the gospel of God. In the book of Acts, we see him preaching the gospel of the grace of God to sinners (Acts 20:24), but in the epistle to the Romans, we see him teaching the gospel to the saints.

1. 2 – In a parenthesis Paul adds that this good news

declared in the gospel "(promised by His prophets in the holy

1

Scriptures)" . In chapter 3:21, he is more specific about this, stating that certain elements of the gospel – such as the "righteousness of God" – are "witnessed by the Law and the Prophets" (KJV). Peter also speaks of this. He states that "the salvation" of our "souls" (a new kind of salvation that the saints of the Old Testament did not know) related to "the sufferings of Christ" had been prophesied in the writings of the Old Testament prophets (1 Pet. 1:9-11). He also mentions that those prophets did not understand what they had prophesied, and that this did not occur until "the Holy Spirit" was "sent" from heaven in these Christian times and that we now understand what these things are (1 Pet. 1:12). An example of this is found in Isaiah 56:1: "Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed".

The fact that the righteousness of God and the salvation of the soul were promised in the Old Testament shows that the gospel is something distinct from the "Mystery" (Eph. 5:32). The Mystery is a secret that God hid in His heart from past eternity and did not make known until these Christian times, when the Holy Spirit would come. This has to do with His purpose to glorify Christ in two spheres – in heaven and on earth – in a coming day (the Millennium) through a specially formed vessel of testimony – the Church, the body and bride of Christ. In Romans 16:25, Ephesians 3:3-9 and Colossians 1:23-27, Paul shows the difference between the gospel and the Mystery. He states in those passages that the Mystery was not prophesied in the Old Testament, while in Romans 1:2 and Romans 3:21, he indicates that the elements of the gospel were declared in the Old Testament.

Vs. 3-4 – Paul said that the gospel concerns "His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord". By stating this, he was indicating that this glorious Person is the subject of the gospel. Let us understand this clearly; men are not the subject of the gospel. Men and women who believe are the beneficiaries of the gospel's blessings, but they are not its subject – the subject of the gospel is Christ.

In introducing the Person to Whom the gospel refers, declaring His names and titles in the specific order in which Paul did, is very instructive. They follow a sequential order from eternity to eternity and tell us much about Who Christ is.

• "His Son" – As this is mentioned before Jesus, His name of humanity, it is referring to His relationship with God the Father before becoming a Man, as the eternal Son (Isa. 9:6). Thus, His Sonship is eternal.

• "Jesus" – This name refers to His humanity; it was given to Him when He became a Man – this points to His incarnation (Luke 1:31).

• "Christ" – This title refers to His Messianic office as the Anointed One, which He fulfilled in His earthly ministry (John 1:41, 4:25), but was rejected as such and crucified (Mark 14:61-65, 15:32).

• "Our Lord" – This title refers to His exalted position in resurrection, as raised to the right hand of God (Acts 2:32-36).

Thus, in this comprehensive statement, we have an introduction to the Person of Christ, from His Sonship in past eternity to His position now at the right hand of God as a glorified Man.

The Spirit of God leads Paul to open another parenthesis (from

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verse 3b to the end of verse 4) to discourse further about Christ being human and divine “(who came from the descendants of David according to the flesh” (TB), so that there could be no doubt about Who He was.

This refers to His earthly lineage, having been born into the family of King David. This indicates that the Lord Jesus was a real Man and emphasizes His humanity. He was also “declared [marked out – JND] Son of God in power”. This emphasizes His divinity. Note: Paul mentions that there was a moment in time when He came from the “descendants of David” (in His incarnation), but he does not say that there was a moment when He became “the Son of God” because He always was, from eternity, the eternal Son of God.