Day 1 of 21
Introduction: Paul, Rome, and the Gospel
The Letter That Changed the World
Scripture Readings
Today's Reading
Read Romans 1:1-17: Paul introduces himself and his gospel. He longs to visit Rome. He declares: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
Then read Habakkuk 2:4: "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith."
Reflection
Romans opens with a bang. In seventeen verses, Paul packs in his identity (a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle), his message (the gospel of God, promised in the Scriptures, concerning His Son), his audience (all the nations, including the Romans), and his thesis statement — the verse that ignited the Reformation: "The righteous shall live by faith."
N.T. Wright places Romans in its historical context:
"Romans is Paul's masterpiece. It is the fullest, most careful, most complete statement of his theology — written to a church he had never visited, in the capital city of the empire, at the climax of his apostolic career."
Paul is writing to a mixed congregation of Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome — a church he did not found and has never visited. He is about to travel to Jerusalem with a collection from his Gentile churches and then plans to visit Rome on his way to Spain. Romans is, in part, his theological introduction to a community that knows him only by reputation.
But it is far more than a personal introduction. Paul takes the opportunity to lay out the gospel in its fullest form — from the universal human problem (chapters 1-3) through the divine solution (chapters 3-8) to the question of Israel (chapters 9-11) and the transformed community (chapters 12-16).
The thesis is in verse 17: "The righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith." The phrase "righteousness of God" will echo through the entire letter. It means both that God Himself is righteous and that He makes people righteous through faith. The two meanings are inseparable.
John Calvin recognized the letter's singular importance:
"This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest gospel... It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes."
Going Deeper
Over twenty-one days, we will work through Romans from start to finish. This is not light reading. Paul's argument is dense, layered, and cumulative — each chapter builds on what came before. But the reward is immense: a vision of the gospel so complete, so beautiful, and so powerful that it has been transforming lives for two thousand years. Today, read Romans 1:1-17 twice. Let the scope of what Paul is about to unfold begin to settle in.
Key Quotes
“Romans is Paul's masterpiece. It is the fullest, most careful, most complete statement of his theology — written to a church he had never visited, in the capital city of the empire, at the climax of his apostolic career.”
“This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest gospel... It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes.”
Prayer Focus
Asking God to open your mind and heart to the depths of the gospel as Paul unfolds it — that you would be transformed, not merely informed
Meditation
Paul says he is 'not ashamed of the gospel.' In what contexts are you tempted to be ashamed of the gospel? What would it look like to live unashamed?
Question for Discussion
Why would Paul need to declare he is 'not ashamed' of the gospel — what about the message of a crucified Messiah was embarrassing in his world, and what aspects of the gospel are most embarrassing in ours?