The David Spoon Experience 12-12-23 part 2

1) The Book of Romans is a letter written by Paul, who was converted to Christianity about 23 years before he wrote it and about 10 years before he was martyred. The letter has been called the Constitution of the Bible because it explains the core doctrines of Christianity. The main theme of the book is that God judges sin and shows his saving mercy through the cross of Jesus Christ. The secondary theme is that Paul wants to unite the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome so that they can share the gospel and glorify Jesus with one mind and one accord.

2) Another important theme of the letter is that all people are sinners and need God's righteousness, which is revealed and offered through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. With the coming of Jesus Christ, the new age of redemption began. Justification is by faith alone, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we become the people God wants us to be.

3) In Romans 1:1, Paul identifies himself as the author of the letter and as a slave of Jesus Christ. This is the highest title he can have, as he knows that Jesus Christ is Lord. He also says that he is chosen by God to be an apostle, to share the good news that was promised long ago by the prophets in the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. This good news is based on Jesus Christ and his redeeming work.

4) To verify this truth, Paul makes sure that everyone knows that God powerfully raised Jesus Christ from the dead by the Holy Spirit. If we do not acknowledge the Trinity in this verse, we are deliberately denying the plain and clear truth. Paul concludes this introduction by saying that we have been given the privilege and the authority to tell people about the gospel everywhere and that those who believe in Jesus bring glory to his name by their faith in Jesus.