Paul, the Lord's Chosen Instrument to Write Romans, Part 1

Pastor/Teacher
John Farley
Wednesday,
September 23, 2009

ROM 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,

The purpose of the book of Romans is to establish believers in the truth of the Gospel, because this will glorify God.

ROM 1:11 For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;

The doctrines that are included in Romans need to be mastered as a matter of first importance. Romans includes the foundation for everything else that follows in the New Testament.

Romans provides the complete basic theological framework for the whole collection of Paul’s epistles.

The book of Romans provides the fundamentals about the Gospel and the plan of God that are absolutely essential for every Church Age believer to master.

Romans has played a truly exceptional role in the history and life of the church through the centuries.

ISA 46:9 “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,”

ISA 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;”

Augustine was converted by a passage in Romans, ROM 13:12-14.

Pelagius denied the doctrine of Adam’s original sin, believed that man could achieve sinless perfection, taught that a person could save themselves apart from the grace of God, and that a believer can lose their salvation!

Centuries later it would be Martin Luther’s turn, only this time the false teaching was sponsored by the very powerful and often vicious Roman Catholic church.

As Luther slowly and painstakingly prepared his lectures on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, he gradually came to the clear knowledge of the central teaching of the New Testament, the doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Christ without works.

Then there was the conversion of John Wesley on May 24th 1738 in Aldersgate Street in London.

I also want to share with you the testimonies to its greatness and impact that have been given by great men of God throughout the ages.

Chrysostom said that the letter to the Romans was so remarkable that he had it read to him twice every week.

“This epistle is the chief part of the New Testament (the greatest book in the NT) and the very purest gospel, which indeed deserves that a Christian should not only know it word for word by heart, but deal with it daily as with the daily bread of the soul, for it can never be read or considered too much or too well, and the more it is handled the more delightful it becomes and the better it tastes.”

Here is another notable example out of history, the poet William Cowper.

The Swiss commentator, Godet, pointed out that every movement of revival in the history of the Christian church has been connected with the teachings set forth in Romans.

PSA 33:11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

So what is your testimony going to be concerning this great book, the Book of Romans?

God knew the end from the beginning, and so He was at work in the first century AD making sure everything got in place so this book of Romans would be written.

He prepared his chosen instrument Paul for his calling to proclaim the Gospel as the apostle to the Gentiles.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s secret weapon.

Every time an apostle preached the gospel, hundreds of people believed and were indwelt by Christ.

This is our introduction to the man who would eventually write the book of Romans.

But now he is still the chief of sinners, the sworn enemy of Christ and His Church, ultra-Jewish.

1TI 2:7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

The first word in the book of Romans is “Paul”.

Here you have one of the most xenophobic (hates foreigners), legalistic (fixated on the rules and the letter of the law while ignoring the spirit of the law and the Lawgiver!) Jews who ever lived, who hated the Lord Jesus Christ, and tried to destroy the church.

Paul did a 180, and became the Apostle to the Gentiles and the greatest defender of the Gospel.

He takes Christians to make Christians.