About The Romans

There are some ten different things that stand out as you study the book of Romans. Noting these things will help greatly in understanding Romans and some of the things Paul says in it. Particularly being "graffed in to the olive tree" of Romans 11. Here is the list:

1. They are Gentiles

We know for several reasons that the book of Romans is written to Gentiles. First of all the verses show that:

Romans 1:13 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.

Notice the verse says "among YOU" even as OTHER GENTILES. So by Paul referring to "other Gentiles" the conclusion would be that these people are Gentiles. Notice also:

Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

Paul is the Apostle of the Gentiles and he is speaking to Gentiles. Notice that he is not "magnifying" himself....but his office. His office is that of being THE Apostle of the Gentiles. Nobody else in the bible claims to be that.

Another reason that you would know that these people are Gentiles and not Jews is because of what the Jews, themselves said at a later date when Paul, as a prisoner arrived in Rome. Notice what the Jews say to Paul:

Acts 28:22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

If the letter had been written to the Jews in Rome would they not know what Paul thinks? The book of Romans is full of Paul's doctrine.

2. They have faith in something

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

So Paul thanks God through Jesus Christ for them all for the fact that they have faith and that it is spoken of throughout the whole world. But what is their faith in? It is obviously not in Paul's gospel because Paul has never been to Rome and he has never preached to these people before. He is READY to preach to them:

Romans 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

Romans 1:16 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.

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

So if their faith is not in Paul's gospel, he calls it MY gospel in Romans 16:25. Then what is their faith in? It appears that their faith is in that which Paul identifies in the first four verses:

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Notice he uses the phrase "the gospel of God." Now in Romans 16:25 he refers to MY gospel, which he identified in Romans 1:16 as "the gospel of Christ," and he says that it was a MYSTERY:

Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish 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,

Then the preaching according to a mystery kept secret would not be the same as something which was plainly proclaimed by the prophets of the old testament. Notice what Paul says that the "gospel of God" is...and where it can be found:

Romans 1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

So the gospel of God can be found in the Hebrew scriptures of the old testament. It was promised by God's prophets. There are many passages which bear this out. Isaiah 7, Isaiah 53, Psalm 2:7 and numerous others. The next verse tells us who it concerns:

Romans 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

In other words, Jesus Christ is of the house and lineage of David. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a direct descendent of David, King of Israel, through Nathan, David's older son. (Joseph, the husband of Mary, was a descendent of Solomon who became King upon the death of David.) So the right to the throne of David was absolutely vested in one person and one person only, Jesus Christ, the virgin born son of Mary. Joseph being his legal or adopted father.

That's why you see two different lists of ancestors in the Matthew account and the Luke account. The one in Luke is the ancestry of Mary and the one in Matthew is that of Joseph.

Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

So in those four verses you see what Paul refers to as the "gospel of God." It is the testimony of God which the prophets proclaimed concerning His son, Jesus Christ, and it includes being raised from the dead.

Both Peter and Paul preach that. Peter preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ in Acts chapter two, and he said that God had raised Christ from the dead to sit on David's throne. He is the heir to the throne of David, the King of Israel. (Acts 2:29-30) So both Peter and Paul preach "the gospel of God." Notice here:

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

So it appears that the Romans have faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God, and believe that he has been raised from the dead. And that brings up the next point:

3. Called to be saints

Romans 1:7 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.

Notice he says they are called to be saints," but he doesn't refer to them AS saints as he does in other places, for instance:

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

The reason he doesn't call them saints but instead says they are "called to be" saints is because:

4. They are not established

Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

I believe that the "spiritual gift" Paul wishes to impart unto them is MY gospel, Paul's gospel, which they have never as yet heard. He says that God's power will "stablish them" according to MY gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery in Romans 16:25. Since they have never heard Paul's gospel it brings up the next point:

5. Their faith is not a mutual faith

Romans 1:12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

Their faith could not be mutual until they could be established by Paul's gospel and by Paul's doctrine. That's exactly what he writes in verse after verse in the book of Romans.

6. They know the Law

Romans 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

So in Romans, Paul is speaking to Gentiles who know the law. That would be a reference to the law of Moses.

Romans 2:19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,

Romans 2:20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

So then, these individuals know the law and are evidently trying to serve God by keeping the law. The problem with that is this:

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Every indication is that these individuals are proselytes to the Jews religion.

7. Gentiles who are called Jews

Romans 2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

There is a difference in being a Jew and being "called a Jew." Paul, in the book of Galatians says that he and Peter are Jews by nature:

Galatians 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

But these people we are looking at here are not "Jews by nature" but rather Gentiles who are "called Jews." That would be a proselyte and there were proselytes in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two:

Acts 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

Acts 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

So it appears that these people, or at least some of them, were in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. They heard Peter preach the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they believed the gospel of God.

8. They had obeyed doctrine

Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

A form of doctrine WAS delivered unto them. It could not have been Paul's doctrine. So what did they do? They obeyed the doctrine from the heart and went back to Rome, serving God the only way they knew how: By keeping the commandments and enduring to the end.

"BEING THEN made free from sin" in Romans 6:18 above is in contrast to 'BUT NOW:"

Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Then is different than now. THEN they evidently were baptized for the remission of sins as Peter preached. Peter writes that those people had been purged of their OLD sins:

2 Peter 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

So Paul says, in Romans 6:18, that they became the servants of righteousness. How? By trying to keep their own righteousness by keeping the law.

But notice in Romans 6:22 that BUT NOW being made free from sin they are become servants to God. Their fruit is unto holiness, and the end is everlasting life. There is a difference in those two verses. Then and now are two different things.

Now, by the doctrine in Romans Six, they are dead to sin.

Romans 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

So it seems evident that the doctrine in the book of Romans is Paul's doctrine which they did not know until Paul wrote the letter. Now the next thing is:

9. Graffed into the olive tree

The olive tree represents Israel

Jeremiah 11:16 The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

Jeremiah 11:17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

We see broken branches in the olive tree in Romans 11:

Romans 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

So being graffed in, these Gentiles have become partakers of Israel's spiritual things, but there is a warning:

10. It is possible for them to fall

Romans 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Romans 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Now how could these Gentiles continue in God's goodness? There is only one way:

Romans 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

Romans 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Blindness has come upon Israel. Israel has fallen and is being cast away. The King is not now coming to restore the Kingdom.  That has been postponed so that God can fulfill his secret purpose, the forming of the body of Christ, his heavenly people.

The only way the Romans to whom Paul wrote the letter to be established is to believe Paul's gospel. Paul sets it forth in Romans three, four, five, six, seven and eight.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

In other words, it was the faith OF Jesus Christ which made this salvation possible. There is no way to be justified by keeping the law. The law only points out sin. It cannot save you, being weak through the flesh. But God's grace can.

If a person will simply put his faith in Jesus Christ then the righteousness of God is put to his account. The righteousness of God is available to all. It is UPON all that believe.

Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Romans 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Romans 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.