26-0301sc - Detailed Summary

The teacher, Steve, begins the class on Romans Chapter 1 by stating he will cover material not addressed the previous week and add new insights. He emphasizes the importance of hermeneutic rumination—likening it to what Jim mentioned about ruminating on scriptures—which is essential for studying the Bible. He notes that David mulled over everything in the scriptures in this way.

Steve then leads the class in prayer, addressing Heavenly Father and asking for blessings on the study. He affirms belief that the Holy Spirit is involved in helping believers understand the word, since the Spirit inspired the writers to compile the scriptures. The prayer acknowledges that the Holy Spirit dwells in believers and has the assignment to convict the world of sin and to remind them of Jesus’ teachings and God’s desires.

The prayer continues, requesting understanding and insight to comprehend Paul’s writings, which Peter described as difficult and which some wrestle with to their own damnation. Steve prays that the class will avoid that outcome and asks for blessings in Jesus’ name. Amen.

He expresses hope that everyone has read through the Book of Romans at least once during the week, preferably multiple times, because repeated reading brings greater clarity. In Steve’s perception, Paul uses the first three chapters to lay the foundational groundwork that he will illuminate, build upon, and develop throughout the rest of the letter.

Paul addresses the church in Rome, which consisted of both Jews and Gentiles, with Jews likely forming the majority. Both groups bring their own concepts of God and worship to the congregation. Jews were raised with knowledge of the true God, receiving Moses, the Ten Commandments, and the scriptures over generations. Steve believes God has always sought to develop genuine faith in people.

He illustrates this with Abraham, originally a Gentile, whom God developed to trust in the Creator instead of idols. Abraham’s faith grew stronger through repeated experiences of divine intervention, providence, and preservation. This process reached its peak when Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, believing—according to Hebrews 11—that God would raise him from the dead because Isaac was the child of promise. God had promised Abraham a great nation, that through his seed all nations would be blessed, and a land promise.

God similarly worked to develop faith in Israel as a nation after the exodus from Egypt. Although they initially believed in God, they continued to cling to idols and wavered between trusting God and relying on other means. This pattern persisted even after entering the Promised Land during the period of the judges, as they oscillated between God and the idols of the displaced peoples.

Steve explains that it ultimately took the Babylonian captivity for Israel to solidify their national faith. In captivity they recognized God’s punishment and returned to belief in Him alone. After the return to Jerusalem and the reestablishment of temple worship, they maintained a strong belief in God, though problems persisted even in Josiah’s day.

During Josiah’s reign, he sent leaders to cleanse the temple, where they discovered the law (likely Deuteronomy) along with evidence of continued wavering. Reading it, they realized the nation remained under God’s curse partly because they had neglected the Feast of the Passover. This realization preceded the Babylonian captivity.

After the return, leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah reinforced faithfulness. By Jesus’ time, the Jews’ staunch monotheism caused them to fear blasphemy and oppose Jesus, believing He promoted a different God. Steve explains that Paul writes to a mixed Roman church where Jews and Gentiles are likely to clash over their concepts of God and worship.

Paul’s goal is for both groups to abandon their prior concepts—Gentile idolatry and Jewish law-keeping—and unite in worshiping God through Jesus Christ. He wants them to accept Jesus as the Christ and High Priest. Jesus Himself declared He would build His church on the confession that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This new faith is not exclusive to Jews or Gentiles but open to all who accept Him as Christ and are baptized into His death for the remission of sins (as detailed in Romans 6).

In Jesus’ church, He serves as the eternal High Priest who presents believers before God without spot or blemish because of His accepted sacrifice. Entry into this church comes through becoming disciples—believing Jesus is the Christ and being baptized. Paul seeks unity in the Roman church centered on Jesus, not on idols or the law of Moses, but in Christ’s church alone.

Paul wants the Romans to recognize this unity. Steve transitions to Romans 1:18 (NIV), asking what pleases God. Referencing Hebrews 11:6, he notes that faith pleases God—believing that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him, as exemplified by Enoch.

Paul shows that God is angry when people lack this faith. Verse 18 declares the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of people who suppress the truth by their wickedness, because what may be known about God is plain to them—God has made it plain. Since creation, His invisible qualities, eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen and understood from what has been made, so people are without excuse.

What angers God is unbelief, living apart from Him, and failing to reflect His nature. Humans are made in God’s image and likeness; John’s writings reveal that God is love, and Paul teaches that love fulfills the law. Therefore, believers should demonstrate God’s loving nature. Failing to do so rejects God and amounts to spiritual adultery—going after other “gods.” God is jealous, fearing rejection or replacement, and Scripture describes such unfaithfulness as “a-whoring.”

Paul continues (vv. 21–23) that although people knew God, they neither glorified Him nor gave thanks. Their thinking became futile, foolish hearts darkened; claiming wisdom, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortals, birds, animals, and reptiles.

Steve stresses reading Romans repeatedly for familiarity and asks why people exchange God’s glory for idols. He points to humanity’s innate sin nature that rebels against God. Revisiting Eve, he notes she consciously chose to eat the forbidden fruit despite knowing God’s command; temptation did not force her—sin dwelling within drove the decision.

Paul describes this internal warfare in Romans 7–8: doing what he should not and not doing what he should, caused by sin. Yet in Christ there is no condemnation because Jesus condemned sin in the flesh. Rejecting God leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts, resulting in idolatry.

Galatians 5 contrasts the acts of the flesh (sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, envy, drunkenness, orgies, etc.) with the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). Rejecting God produces the former lifestyle; accepting Him yields the latter—exactly what people truly desire. Those in Christ have crucified the flesh and live by the Spirit.

Returning to Romans 1, Paul states that although people knew God they did not glorify or thank Him; their thinking became futile and hearts darkened. Claiming wisdom, they became fools and exchanged God’s glory for idols. Therefore God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, degrading their bodies. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, worshiping created things rather than the Creator.

Because of this rejection, God gave them over to shameful lusts: women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones, and men abandoned natural relations with women, inflamed with lust for one another, committing shameful acts and receiving due penalty. Steve connects this behavior to Noah’s day, where continual evil thoughts and rejection of God’s image led God to regret making man, and to Sodom and Gomorrah, where similar practices prompted destruction.

Verse 28 continues: because they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not be done. This was their choice—God allowed it because they desired it, not because He wanted it.

God gave them over to a depraved mind, tired of resistance; if that is what they wanted, that is what they received. They became filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, God-hating, insolence, arrogance, boasting. They invent ways of evil, disobey parents, lack understanding, fidelity, love, and mercy. Though knowing God’s decree that such acts deserve death, they not only practice them but approve of others who do. Steve relates this to contemporary societal approval of certain behaviors.

Paul wants readers to recognize this pattern of rejection and its consequences in chapter one. Time is up, so chapter two will be covered next week. Steve encourages reading Romans weekly for an overall view, believing the first three chapters establish that all have sinned and fallen short by rejecting God, angering Him.

He recalls God’s regular walks with Adam and Eve in the garden, suggesting a close, friendly relationship. After their sin, they hid because they realized their nakedness and disobedience. God was disappointed and angry at their failure to acknowledge His authority, much like a parent feels when a child disobeys clear instructions.

Steve notes that God has emotions—evidenced by His declaration that He is a jealous God. He thanks the class for their attention and ends the session.