Romans 1

Romans 1 is the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. It contains the greeting, the statement of the theme of the entire letter (vv. 16–17), and the opening of the long section on human sin (1:18–3:20).

Outline

• Verses 1–7 Paul introduces himself as an apostle called to the gospel. He then gives a summary of the Son, who is the center of the gospel: according to the flesh He was made of the seed of David, and by the resurrection He was declared to be the Son of God. Finally, Paul wishes grace and peace to the saints in Rome.
• Verses 8–15 Paul gives thanks that the faith of the Roman believers is spoken of throughout the whole world. He explains that he has often intended to come but has been hindered, and he confesses that he is a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians.
• Verses 16–17 Paul declares that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, and that in it the righteousness of God is revealed.
• Verses 18–23 The wrath of God is revealed against those who hold the truth in unrighteousness. God's eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen in the things that are made, so that people are without excuse. Yet they exchanged the glory of God for idols.
• Verses 24–32 The phrase "God gave them up" ("gave them over" in v. 28) occurs three times (vv. 24, 26, 28), followed by a catalog of sins.

Key Verses

• Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" — This verse announces the theme of the entire letter.
• Romans 1:17 "The just shall live by faith" — A quotation of Habakkuk 2:4, this verse serves as a principal basis for the doctrine of justification (God's declaring sinners righteous).
• Romans 1:20 — This verse teaches that God can be known through the created world and is a central text in discussions of general revelation. General revelation refers to the knowledge of God available to all people through nature and conscience.

People and Places

• Paul — The apostle who wrote the letter.
• David — Mentioned as Jesus' ancestor according to the flesh.
• Rome — The imperial capital where the recipient church was located. When Paul wrote this letter, he had not yet visited Rome.
• Greeks and Barbarians — An expression of the time in which "Greeks" refers to those who spoke the Greek language and shared Greek culture, and "Barbarians" refers to those who did not speak Greek.

Interpretive Considerations

• The phrase "from faith to faith" in 1:17 has been interpreted in several ways. Some understand it as "from God's faithfulness to human faith," while others take it to mean "by faith from first to last." Martin Luther recalled that through this verse he came to understand the righteousness of God as a righteousness given by grace.
• Regarding 1:19–20, a widely accepted view in Protestantism is that knowledge gained through nature leaves people without excuse but does not bring them to salvation.
• Romans 1:26–27 is frequently cited in discussions of homosexuality. Major Korean denominations generally read this passage as grounds for regarding same-sex sexual activity as sin. By contrast, some Western denominations and scholars interpret Paul as having had in mind the exploitative and idolatrous practices of his day.
• The indictment of sin in this chapter extends to the Jews in Romans 2 and culminates in the righteousness that comes by faith in Romans 3:21–26.

In the Korean Church

Romans 1:16–17 is frequently used as a sermon text on Reformation Sunday.