Romans 1

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

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.

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

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;

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

What does Romans 1:2 mean?

Explanation

Romans 1:2 speaks of a promise that God had made, which was communicated beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

This verse is part of the introductory remarks of the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans.

The promise referred to here is understood to be about the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, which is a central theme of the Christian faith.

The "prophets" denotes the Old Testament prophets who spoke of the coming Messiah.

"Holy Scriptures" refers to the Jewish Scriptures, which Christians regard as the Old Testament.

The verse emphasizes the continuity of God's plan as revealed initially to the Jewish people and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Top Rated Romans Books

Historical Context

The Epistle to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul around 56-58 A.D., a time when the early Christian church was expanding throughout the Roman Empire.

Paul had not visited the church in Rome at the time of this writing.

The mention of "holy scriptures" would resonate with Jewish Christians and God-fearing Gentiles familiar with Jewish teachings, as Christianity was deeply rooted in Jewish history and prophecy.

The historical context gives gravity to Paul's assertion that Jesus was the fulfillment of a divine promise made long before his advent.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse highlights several points that are foundational to Christian doctrine:

Divine Revelation: It underlines the belief that God reveals His will through prophets.
Messiah: The promised one is implicitly understood to be Jesus Christ, who fulfills the prophecies.
Scriptural Continuity: It asserts the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, showing that the New Testament message was not a departure from Old Testament prophecy but rather its fulfillment.

Different denominations may emphasize different aspects of this continuity.

For example, Protestant theology highly values the authority of Scripture and often points to verses like this to show the reliability and consistency of biblical prophecy.

Catholic and Orthodox traditions also acknowledge these aspects but within the broader context of the church's interpretive authority and tradition.

Practical Applications

Practically, Romans 1:2 offers several applications:

Trust in God's Promises: Encourages believers to trust in the promises of God, as they are fulfilled and rooted in historical prophecy.
Biblical Literacy: Motivates Christians to study the Old Testament as well as the New Testament to understand the full narrative of salvation history.
Unity of Scripture: Calls for an appreciation of the unity of Scripture and the importance of seeing the Bible as a cohesive whole.

Cross-References

Acts 10:43: "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."
Luke 24:27: "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."
2 Peter 1:21: "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Language Study

The key words in this verse when analyzed in the original Koine Greek text provide a deeper understanding:

"Epaggello" (promised): This word conveys the idea of announcing or making known something important with authority.
"Prophets" (prophetes): Refers to individuals who received and proclaimed messages from God.
"Holy" (hagios): Indicates sacredness or being set apart for God.
"Scriptures" (graphai): Literally means writings; it is commonly used to refer to the sacred texts.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

This verse can be compared with the Jewish expectation of a Messiah and the various ways in which this expectation was articulated in Jewish texts outside the canonical Hebrew Bible.

The concept of a divinely sent savior or messenger appears in other ancient cultures but typically with different roles and contexts compared to the Jewish and Christian understanding.

Scientific Perspectives

The verse does not directly lend itself to scientific analysis as it presents theological and historical claims rather than empirical ones.

However, the scientific study of ancient texts, archaeology, and history can help corroborate or challenge the historical claims related to the times and cultures of the prophets mentioned.

Commentaries

Scholars and theologians have found in Romans 1:2 a strong assertion of the apostolic teaching concerning Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. They point out Paul's use of this verse to establish his message's credibility and authority.

Commentators like Matthew Henry and John Calvin see the verse as an affirmation of God's faithfulness and the importance of the prophecy in understanding the gospel.

Contemporary scholars examine the verse to understand early Christian views of Scripture and the development of Christology in the first century.

Romans 1

Romans 1

What does Romans 1:2 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Romans Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Romans 1:2 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Romans Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?