April 19
ROMANS 1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. – Romans 1:1-10
ROMANS 1 GOD CALLS THE GENTILES
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Paul calls all those who are in Rome to hear the good news
The gospel God promised through his prophets is now at hand
Paul calls all the Gentiles to obedience through faith in Christ
Grace and peace to all who’ll believe for they’ll be given new life.
According to some sources online, in Jesus’ time, the Roman Empire was at its height, exerting significant influence across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Rome’s control extended to Judea, including Galilee and Jerusalem, where Jesus lived and carried out his ministry. The Roman occupation brought with it a heavy tax burden on the Jewish population, contributing to a climate of resentment and political unrest. You could just imagine what Paul is going to face as he brings the gospel amidst this political unrest. They didn’t know Jesus Christ and so Paul takes on the charge he had from Jesus to bring the Good News to the ends of the earth. He wasn’t limited to go to those who already know the Lord, but to cater to a world where no one has ever heard of his Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 7 makes this declaration of the gospel so inviting as he addressed these people as loved by God and called to be his holy people.
REFLECTION
• How do you think the Romans felt as they hear that they are loved by God?
