r/biblereading • u/FergusCragson Colossians 3:17 • 8d ago
Romans – Introduction (Friday, October 9, 2026)
Prayer
To make our weak hearts strong and brave,
send the fire!
To live a dying world to save,
send the fire!
Oh, see us on Your altar lay
our lives, our all, this very day;
to crown the offering now we pray,
send the fire!
.
William Booth
Note:
When we last studied Romans back in 2022, at its conclusion I was tasked with writing a summary. I have used some of that previous work together with new material for today's introduction.
Introduction to Paul's Epistle to the Romans
Paul's Letter to the Romans is often referred to as his magnum opus, and is so well known, loved, and argued, that it is really daunting to even think about trying to introduce it. Because of this, you are invited and encouraged to add anything I may miss.
The Letter is written to the believers in Rome; its intended audience is both Jewish and gentile. The Jewish people had been expelled from Rome under the Emperor Claudius, but five years later were allowed to return, at which point many of them had become followers of Jesus, but with very Jewish ideas about how he was to be followed in accordance with the law of the Torah; meanwhile the gentiles had been worshipping Christ in freedom without considering that law; And so Paul must carefully navigate the waters of both viewpoints.
Paul begins by thanking God for the faith of those in Rome, and by revealing his pride in the Good News of Christ's death and resurrection. But soon the mood changes, as Paul takes us step by step through the conviction of sin, first decrying the sin of others, but then pointing out our own sin as well, leaving no one untouched. He begins with idolatry, a word that to modern western ears does not tend to mean much; we don't consider ourselves to be worshipping idols. But in preparing for this introduction, I came across a quotation which struck me personally:
Idolatry is "...finding ultimate significance in created things,
and then giving ultimate allegiance to these things that are not God."
See Source 1, below.
This convicted me! I do give great allegiance to created things, in my case especially to people whom I love. But when that surpasses and surplants the love I should have for God, that is idolatry.
So it is not only others or ancient peoples who are sinful, but we ourselves today and now.
Just when we are feeling lost, the righteousness of God comes into play in chapter 4. And Paul then shows us that this has been the way of God from the beginning; since Abraham, it has been faith (or trust) in God's righteousness that leads to life; it was only afterward that the law was given to convict us of how we all fall short.
In chapter 5 we are shown that it is not the law, but our Messiah Jesus who saves us. It is not by obedience to rules that saves us, but by trusting in Jesus: Trusting that he saved us and in doing so, trusting him enough to follow his leading.
Chapter 6 continues with a discussion of our having died to sin and being alive in Christ, and chapter 7 has Paul's own confession that he himself is unable to keep the law due to the "law of sin" being present in his members, concluding with his famous cry,
"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Romans 7:24,25a
And then comes chapter 8, that glorious chapter filled with real hope and so many excellent verses which inspire us and help us to carry on in the faith. I look forward very much to going through that chapter.
Paul then continues in Romans 9 and 10 to struggle with the role of his kinsfolk the Jews and the place of the gentiles in God's plan, marvelously showing how God has used humanity's sins and faith alike to work out his plan, and how both the gentiles and the Jewish people are being used for the God's purposes, the ultimate salvation of all of us, a multi-ethnic true family of the faithful Abraham: the people of the covenant.
Chapter 11 shows Paul's trust in God that one day, those of Israel who have thus far rejected Jesus, will one day recognize Jesus and be restored to the covenant family of God.
Chapter 12 deals with how then we are to live, reminding us (and I cannot be reminded often enough):
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Chapter 13 continues with how to behave under governmental authorities, then continues with a discussion of how we are to live by Love; how it is Love which shows our commitment to God in Jesus.
Chapters 14 and 15 show us how this works: how to treat other believers with whom we disagree, encouraging us to bear with one another and to accept those we see as weaker in the faith. This is an important message to us who find ourselves in the middle of so many divisions in the body of Christ.
Finally, chapter 16 concludes with Paul's commending Phoebe, the bearer of the Letter to the faithful in Rome, which is in itself a wonderful affirmation of the equality of humanity in Jesus; together with many personal greetings given to both gentiles and Jews there. It ends with Paul's blessing us to accomplish all these things through the One who alone can establish all of this for us.
May we indeed trust in God's righteousness as we struggle with the daily, dirty, mundain, complaint-filled lives we find ourselves in: God is more than able to do all that He promises. Here's to our reading of Romans; let's savor every bite!
QUESTIONS
In the definition of idolatry given above, we find that we are loving people and things more than God, giving them the allegiance that He alone deserves. How can we learn to love the invisible over and above the visible?
When I was a young teen, there was another boy at school who constantly bothered me. I hated that and didn't know what to do. My mom suggested that I pray for him. I was surprised at the suggestion, but agreed to do so. And before long, he and I had become friends. It was an amazing demonstration of Love and forgiveness being given through God's Spirit. Have you ever had any struggles with others, offered to God, in which God worked to bring a happier outcome?
I must ask the usual question at this time: What are you most looking forward to in our reading of Romans?
Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, summarizations, or questions of your own!
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Luke 18:27, ESV
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u/RaphTurtlePower Bible version: KJV 7d ago
1.) I have discovered that when I am really into a good study, like weeks long, I'm reading books, journals, scouring blogs, I really feel connected to God. I used to pray that God would distract me from worldly things with learning and seeing and experiencing how amazing Scripture is. But then I realized, that means the world is my focus and Scripture is the distraction. The world is my idol. Scripture and the Author of it must be my focus and I must not let the world distract me from that.
2.) That is an amazing story!
3.) Understanding doctrine is not my specialty. I get the basics of Christianity, saving faith, the nature of God, man and how we relate, the work of Christ, etc. But I have a feeling Romans is going to go pretty deep and I'll end up lost. I hope that in those moments I learn something new.
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u/PenaltyTurbulent2812 4d ago
I think we can learn to love God above the things we can see by building our relationship with Him through prayer, reading the Bible, and trusting in His promises.
One of the most challenging aspects is showing kindness to someone who has hurt us. Our natural response may be to become angry or hold a grudge, but prayer can help us approach these situations differently. By bringing our struggles to God, we can ask Him to help us let go of bitterness and respond with patience and understanding. This may help repair a broken relationship or simply provide us with peace about the situation. Either way, I believe there is something powerful about choosing forgiveness rather than allowing resentment to take hold of our hearts.
I’m willing to just dive into the book, see what I can get out of it. Truly analysing from multiple angles and understanding on a deeply spiritual level.
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u/FergusCragson Colossians 3:17 4d ago
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. It's good to have you here!
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u/PenaltyTurbulent2812 4d ago
No worries. I was a bit shy to approach, haha.
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u/FergusCragson Colossians 3:17 4d ago
I'm glad you stepped out. You have some good thoughts. I look forward to Romans together with you.
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u/PenaltyTurbulent2812 4d ago
I’m actually going through the journey of reading the entire bible. At the moment I’m focusing heavily on Psalms and Genesis.
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u/FergusCragson Colossians 3:17 4d ago
I'm glad you're not doing it in order. It's good to mix it up. Some of the lists of genealogies, the detailed instructions for building the tabernacle, and so on, can drag you down if you just try to plow through alone. I like to have some New Testament thrown in as often as possible when reading the Old.
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u/PenaltyTurbulent2812 4d ago
I’m not new to faith. I just feel I want to get close by reading the word entirely.
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u/FergusCragson Colossians 3:17 4d ago
You don't sound new to faith with your replies to the questions listed on the post!
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u/PenaltyTurbulent2812 4d ago
Yes and no. Basically I started reading Job after dealing with the passing of my mother and then continued to the next book after. So yes I am reading in order in a way but also mixing it up at the same time.
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u/FergusCragson Colossians 3:17 4d ago
Ah, I am very sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. That is hard.
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u/Scared_Eggplant4892 Zechariah 4:10 8d ago
1) This is such a hard one, and such an amazing definition of idolatry. Thanks for sharing it! I think the struggle is in the loving, so it all starts first with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving. When we start out by tracing back this thing that we love to its ultimate source, it can help it keep its proper place. Reminding ourselves that the good things we enjoy didn't come from us or our labor or our jobs or the store, but every good thing comes from God above. Then, there's the matter of giving it back to God, regularly, daily even, as we pick up our crosses. If we constantly yield back anything given us to God, and dedicate it for use in His service and Kingdom, what threatens to be an idol can instead become a might tool for the Kingdom of Heaven.
2) This has been the secret to the success of my 28 year marriage. There were so many times in this walk together with God that we've looked at each other and wanted to run in opposite directions. There is so much self to contend with that living with someone else can be a challenge, even in a Christian home. I quickly learned that when I wanted to run to God complaining, "Change him!" instead God was working something that was going to change me. That happens when we come humbly in prayer, not asking for our will, but asking God to show us what's really going on, to point out our own faults and shortcomings. Praying for someone changes your internal wiring where they are concerned. God uses that time in prayer to soften rough edges and rough spots and change our hearts to look more like Christ's.
3) I just want to look at it with fresh eyes. I have this tendency once I've read a book in the Bible a few times of thinking I know it or that I've gleaned all I can. These studies with you guys always remind me that no matter how many times you read the same verse, God can use it to hit you in new ways. I'm looking forward to seeing what that's going to look like in the book of Romans.