The Book of Romans – Part Two – 1:1-5
📖 Romans: Deep Gospel, Deep Impact
Part Two: Apostolic Authority and the Gospel Story
Romans 1:1–5
🎙️ Opening Prayer
“Lord, open our eyes to see Your Word not just as ancient history, but as living truth. Help us hear what You once spoke through Paul and understand what You are speaking now through Your Spirit. May our hearts burn within us as we follow You. In Christ’s name, Amen.”
📖 Scripture Reading
Romans 1:1–5
Acts 9:1–22
Luke 24:13–35
Galatians 1:11–18
🎯 Big Idea
Romans is not just a set of doctrines. It’s a continuation of Israel’s story—now reinterpreted, fulfilled, and relaunched around Jesus the Messiah.
When Paul encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), his whole world turned upside down. In Galatians 1, he says he didn’t go straight to the apostles for clarity—he went into the rural area of Arabia, probably near Antioch . Why? Because he had to go back and re-read Israel’s Scriptures, not as he had learned them, but now through the lens of the crucified and risen Jesus.
This is the same pattern we see in Luke 24. The risen Jesus walks with two confused disciples on the road to Emmaus. They know the Scriptures, but they don’t see the story clearly, as it relates to the Messiah. Then Jesus opens their eyes—not by giving them new Scripture, but by re-telling the old story in a new light: Himself.
Paul is now doing for the Roman Christians what Jesus did for the disciples on the road to Emmaus. He is saying: Let’s look again. The story was always about Jesus. And now it includes you.
1. 🧾 Paul’s Identity and Apostolic Calling (v.1)
“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.”
Paul identifies himself not first as a scholar or teacher, but as a servant and a sent one. He has authority—not because of status, but because he was personally commissioned by Christ (Galatians 1:1).
And this commissioning wasn’t simply for Paul’s own sake—it came with a mission: to retell Israel’s story around Jesus and to announce that the age of fulfillment had come.
✡️ Shaliach and Apostolos – A Comparison
In ancient Judaism, a shaliach (שָׁלִיחַ) was a legally authorized agent—someone who represented another’s authority and will. It was something like having power of attorney. The saying was:
“A person’s shaliach is as the person himself.”
In the New Testament, the Greek word apostolos means “one who is sent.” It’s not a title of power; it’s a designation of trust. Apostles were authorized to speak and act on behalf of the Sender—Jesus.
Paul uses this framework to explain his own ministry:
He is a shaliach—sent by Jesus, not to proclaim a new religion, but to explain the true climax of Israel’s Scriptures.
📘 Discussion Questions:
- Why did Paul need to re-read the Scriptures after encountering Jesus?
- What does it say about God that the New Testament story doesn’t replace the Old, but retells and completes it?
2. 👥 Who Has Apostolic Authority?
We sometimes think apostolic authority is restricted to the Twelve. But early Christians recognized it extended to the first generation of Christians, those eyewitness who had a firsthand encounter with Jesus and who had been entrusted to speak on His behalf.
That’s why books like Mark and Luke were received into the New Testament—because they faithfully reflected the message of eyewitnesses, even if the author wasn’t one of the Twelve, or even one of the first generation of believes. There work went back to these first witnesses, and was anchored in their teachings.
- The Twelve were directly commissioned.
- Paul saw the risen Christ and was commissioned (1 Cor 9:1).
- The 72 in Luke 10 were sent in pairs with Jesus’ authority.
- The 500 witnesses in 1 Corinthians 15 likely formed the broader base of the church’s missionary expansion.
In every case, apostolic authority means this: You were trusted to tell the story—not your version, but God’s.
📘 Discussion Questions:
- What safeguards do you think existed in the early church to ensure the gospel stayed true?
- How did the early church ensure that the message was grounded in the teachings of Jesus?
- How do we carry that same responsibility today when we share Scripture?
3. 📜 The Fulfillment of God’s Promises (vv.2–4)
Paul says the gospel was “promised beforehand through his prophets.” That’s important.
Michael Gorman reminds us: the gospel is about more than going to heaven—it’s about God keeping his covenant promises.
N.T. Wright says: Jesus is not starting something new; He is fulfilling Israel’s story.
Jesus is from David’s line (human), but declared to be the Son of God in power (divine) by His resurrection. Being of David’s line, Jesus is the continuation and fulfillment of Israel’s story. But, his resurrection from the dead begins and a new age. It is not simply a continuation.
Just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we need our eyes opened. Jesus walks us through the Scriptures and says, “This was always about me.”
📘 Discussion Questions:
- Why does Paul focus on Jesus’ connection to both David and resurrection?
- How does this reframe your understanding of the Old Testament?
4. 🌍 Mission to the Nations (v.5)
“Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith…”
Paul isn’t inventing a mission. He’s stepping into the mission God gave Israel from the beginning: to bless all nations (Genesis 12:3).
E.P. Sanders clarifies: Paul’s gospel is not lawless, but transformational. In other words, Paul is not forsaking his Jewish heritage. But he is expanding the reach and implication of it. Or, better said, Jesus has supercharged the Torah with fresh new meaning and power.
Mark Nanos points out: Paul isn’t rejecting Jewish identity—he’s inviting Gentiles into Israel’s renewed covenant.
📘 Discussion Questions:
- What is “obedience of faith”? Why is it more than just belief?
- In what ways does your faith bless others?
🔧 Life Application: The Puzzle Table
Have you ever tried to finish a puzzle and found a few leftover pieces on the table?
“If your theology leaves leftover parts of the Bible lying around, it’s time to go back and re-read the instructions.”
The apostles didn’t ignore the Old Testament. They showed us that Jesus was the missing piece that made everything else make sense.
📘 Reflection Questions:
- Are there “leftover” pieces in your theology?
- How can re-reading the Bible with Jesus at the center change your view?
🙏 Closing Reflection
The apostles were not self-appointed. They were entrusted. They were commissioned. They re-read the story, saw it anew through the light of Christ, and then invited others into that same re-reading.
Now, through Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are invited too.
📖 Isaiah 49:6
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob… I will also make you a light for the Gentiles.”
🛐 Closing Prayer
“Faithful God, You commissioned apostles to carry Your Word, not as their own, but as Yours. Help us live with that same humility and responsibility. Let our reading of Scripture be shaped by Your Spirit, and may our lives reflect the obedience of faith—for the sake of the world and the glory of Christ. Amen.”