Read the passage: Romans 1:8-17 (ESV, Bible Gateway)
Read Romans 1.8-17
Verse 8
- What does Paul thank God for?
- Why thank God ‘through Jesus Christ’?
- Why are thankfulness to God, and approaching Him through Christ, both fruit of the gospel?
- What do gratitude or ingratitude in our lives reflect?
- Why thank God ‘through Jesus Christ’?
Verse 9
- What does it mean to serve God ‘in the gospel’?
- How is the gospel the power that doesn’t only save us, but sustains and empowers us in the Christian life and a life of service?
Verses 11-13
- Why does Paul want to visit them in Rome?
- One of the reasons Paul wants to go to Rome is so that they can encourage him. Why is that noteworthy?
- Do you see yourself as a means of God’s encouragement for others? How can you help strengthen others’ faith?
- What is it about being around other believers that can strengthen our own faith?
- One of the reasons Paul wants to go to Rome is so that they can encourage him. Why is that noteworthy?
Verse 14
- Why is Paul, a Jew, under obligation (or indebted) to Gentiles?
Verse 15
- Why does Paul want to preach the gospel to those who are already Christians?
Verse 16
- Why is Paul not ashamed of the gospel?
- What does Paul mean by ‘salvation’?
- Is there anything in the gospel, or the message of Christianity that you’re ashamed/embarrassed of? Or that another Christian might be ashamed of?
- What’s offensive about the gospel? Think of different people’s world views: why might the gospel be offensive to them?
Verse 17
- Why is the gospel powerful?
- What does Paul mean by ‘the righteousness of God’?
- Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because it’s the power of God, revealing God’s righteousness. How does the gospel undercut all shame?
- What does Paul mean by ‘from faith for faith’?
- Paul quotes Habakkuk 2v4. What point is he making?
- How should every day be lived by faith?
- Consider the inverse: how do we not live by faith? For example, what is at the root o f every sin, or of our self-righteousness; or of bitterness; of self-pity? How do each of these have a failure to believe the gospel at their root?
Question to consider individually
- What new perspective have you gained on the gospel thanks to the verses you read today?
Think about the areas or circumstances in which you have felt ashamed of the gospel. Consider including these areas in your prayers: that you would grow in courage and conviction about the gospel and its power.
Leader’s notes
Verse 8
- What does Paul thank God for?
- Why thank God ‘through Jesus Christ’?
For the same reason that we finish our prayers with “in Jesus’ name…”, to pray a prayer in Jesus’ name is to recognise that we’re coming in the righteousness of Christ, not our own.- What do gratitude or ingratitude in our lives reflect?
A failure to thank God may reflect pride – we think we are the author of our own blessing; or resentment – we think we deserve better, that God is not good enough to us. On the other hand, thankfulness recognises that we are dependent creatures, who do not deserve the good things God gives us.
- What do gratitude or ingratitude in our lives reflect?
- Why thank God ‘through Jesus Christ’?
Verse 9
- What does it mean to serve God ‘in the gospel’?
In two senses: he serves God through his preaching of the gospel; he serves God through the power of the gospel at work in his own life.
Verse 14
- Why is Paul, a Jew, under obligation (or indebted) to Gentiles?
Consider Gen 18:18, Is 49:6 and Acts 9:15-16. Paul is commissioned by Jesus to take the gospel to the Gentiles – he ‘owes’ this to them.
Verse 15
- Why does Paul want to preach the gospel to those who are already Christians?
Because he wants non-Christians in Rome to hear it; but also because the gospel is not just for our salvation, but for our on-going lives. We never outgrow the gospel or ‘move on’ to ‘higher’ matters. It is a call to live every day by faith. So we all need to hear the gospel preached and learn to preach it to ourselves.
Verse 16
- Why is Paul not ashamed of the gospel?
1. it is the power of God – it is a transforming power; 2. it is for salvation; 3. it is for everyone who believes – it is universal.- Is there anything in the gospel, or the message of Christianity that you’re ashamed/embarrassed of? Or that another Christian might be ashamed of?
Note, we can be ashamed of the gospel – reluctant to share it/confess it- because we think we will incur opposition/suffering for doing so. - What’s offensive about the gospel? Think of different people’s world views: why might the gospel be offensive to them?
For example: How does it offend the moral/religious person? How does it offend the person who thinks there are many ways to reach God? How does it offend the person who thinks that life should be successful? It offends the religious person because it says their ‘righteousness’ counts for nothing; it offends because it tells us how sinful we are; it offends because it is exclusive – you can only be saved through Christ; it offends because it says we are saved through the weakness and suffering and death of Christ, who calls us to suffer with Him: this is the opposite of a success-oriented world view.
- Is there anything in the gospel, or the message of Christianity that you’re ashamed/embarrassed of? Or that another Christian might be ashamed of?
Verse 17
- Why is the gospel powerful?
Paul begins v17 with ‘for…’; the gospel is powerful because it reveals the righteousness of God- What does Paul mean by ‘the righteousness of God’?
Philippians 3.9 and 2 Cor 5.19-21 give the best parallels. Options as to what Paul means include: God’s saving power/activity; His covenant faithfulness – God’s saving power is rooted in His faithfulness to His covenant with His people; His fairness in offering salvation to Gentiles as well as Jews; His justice – He judges all people fairly; a righteousness given to those who believe – a right standing with God, a declaration about them, therefore a righteousness from God, a gift. This is best understood as ‘the righteousness that comes from God’. One way of understanding this is to think, What does it mean to be ‘right’ with someone? – the other party has nothing against you. - What does Paul mean by ‘from faith for faith’?
There are multiple potential answers. Here are three of the more likely: 1. The centrality and exclusivity of faith; 2. That we are saved by faith and then live by faith – that is, we are not saved by faith only to then live by works; 3. That salvation begins with the faithfulness of God, and our faith is a response to that.
- What does Paul mean by ‘the righteousness of God’?
Download the complete study: Bible study on Romans (PDF) and leader’s guide (PDF)