Introduction to the Epistle to the Romans, by Scott Sperling

A Treasury of Divine Wisdom

It has been the ancient and approved custom of the wisest architects, before they lay the first stone of a great edifice, to survey the ground, to measure the dimensions, and to commend the utility of the intended building; that by the prospect of the future glory, the hands of the builders may be strengthened and the expectation of the beholders raised. So it is our duty, who are now by God's grace to enter upon the exposition of this Epistle to the Romans -- a spiritual cathedral more glorious than the Temple of Solomon, and more durable than the Capitol of Rome -- to stand awhile at the porch and admire the majesty of the structure.

For if the Holy Scripture be, as indeed it is, a paradise of God, then this Epistle is the tree of life in the midst of the garden. If the Bible be a ring of gold, this is the diamond that shines with the most brilliant lustre. If the Word of God be a body of divinity, this is the very heart from which the vital spirits of salvation flow into every vein and artery of the Christian faith. We are not approaching a common piece of writing; we are drawing near to the burning bush, where we must put off the shoes of our carnal understanding, for the ground whereon we stand is holy.

The importance of the book of Romans must not be understated, for that would be a crime against gratitude; and it cannot be overstated, for that would be a crime against truth. It is a writing which, for the majesty of its matter, the depth of its mysteries, and the comfort of its promises, stands alone, like a monarch among subjects. As one learned writer has well observed, it is "a writing, which, for sublimity and truth of sentiment, for brevity and strength of expression, for regularity in its structure, but above all, for the unspeakable importance of the discoveries which it contains, stands unrivalled by any mere human composition." ^[1] Yea, let the orators of Greece be silent, and let the senators of Rome hide their heads; for the eloquence of Demosthenes is but babbling, and the wisdom of Cicero is but folly, compared to the divine logic and the heavenly rhetoric of this tent-maker from Tarsus. The Epistle exceeds the most celebrated productions of the learned Greeks and Romans, as far as the shining of the sun exceeds the twinkling of the stars.

This is not the private opinion of a few, but the universal verdict of the Church in all ages. The great lights of Christendom have ever turned to this Epistle as the sunflower turns to the sun. Chrysostom, that golden-mouthed preacher of Constantinople, found such delight in these pages that he caused them to be read in his hearing twice every week. He swam in this river of water of life and found it a continual feast for his soul.

And what shall we say of Martin Luther, that trumpet of the Reformation, who shook the walls of Babylon with the blast of this Epistle? In his famous preface, he breaks forth into this commendation: "This Epistle is the chief book of the New Testament, the purest gospel. It deserves not only to be known word for word by every Christian, but to be the subject of his meditation day by day, the daily bread of his soul." He adds this observation, which every devout student shall find true by experience: "The more time one spends on it, the more precious it becomes and the better it appears." It is not like the pleasures of the world, which fade in the using and pall upon the appetite; but like the manna which fell in the wilderness, it is new every morning.

Coleridge, a man of profound intellect and vast reading, hesitated not to call this Epistle "the profoundest book in existence." And Paul Johnson, a historian of our own latter days, has echoed this sentiment, declaring: "No one has ever fully understood Romans. No one can remain undisturbed by it, either. It is the most thought-provoking of all the Christian documents."

It is a book that disturbs the sleep of the sinner and settles the rest of the saint. It is a hammer to break the rock of the heart, and a balm to heal the broken spirit. It is the armory of the Church, providing weapons for every battle; it is the treasury of the believer, supplying riches for every need.

The Scope and Argument of the Epistle

But let us descend from the general praise to the particular scope. What is the burden of this great letter? What is the merchandise that this ship of Tarshish brings to us from the haven of heaven?

Primary among all the teachings in this book, as the sun is primary among the planets, is the doctrine that we are justified by the grace of God, through faith in Christ, and that we cannot be justified by our own works. This is the central teaching in the book of Romans, and indeed, it is the central teaching of the Christian faith. It is the article of a standing or a falling church.

Paul, in this book, teaches us that we are justified by faith -- and that we cannot be justified through our own works. Oh, the pride of man! How he labors to weave the spider's web of his own righteousness! How he piles up the bricks of his own merits to build a tower to heaven! But Paul, like a mighty Samson, pulls down the pillars of this temple of Dagon. He shows us the vanity of our tears, the insufficiency of our prayers, the rags of our alms. He shuts up all, both Jew and Gentile, under sin, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become accountable to God.

And why does he do this? Is it to drive us to despair? Nay, but to drive us to Christ. In teaching this, he makes us to understand the supreme importance and value of, to each and every one of us, the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made. We cannot be saved through our own works. We absolutely need the work that Christ did on our behalf. Our righteous standing before God can only come through Christ. There is nothing we can add to it. It is a finished work; a seamless robe, which must not be rent by the patchwork of our own endeavors.

Paul also skillfully explains to us how the doctrine of justification by faith was prefigured and supported by the events in the Old Testament. He brings forth Abraham from his grave and David from his throne to bear witness to this truth. He teaches us that salvation by faith was not an afterthought invented by New Testament writers; rather, salvation in the Old and New Testament has always been by faith. The Gospel is not a new song, but an old anthem, sung by patriarchs and prophets long before it was preached by apostles and evangelists.

The Encyclopedia of Christian Doctrine

But though justification is the chief cornerstone, it is not the whole building. The book of Romans "is the only part of Scripture which contains a detailed and systematic exhibition of the doctrines of Christianity." ^[2] It is a body of divinity; a summary of the faith. As William Shedd hath well said, "the object of the writer was to give to the Roman congregation, and ultimately to Christendom, a complete statement of religious truth." And Robert Haldane adds, "It contains, indeed, an abridgment of all that is taught in the Christian religion."

Consider the breadth of the landscape Paul surveys: ^[3]

-- It treats of the revelation of God in the works of nature, and in the heart of man.

-- It exhibits the necessity and the strictness of the last judgment.

-- It teaches the doctrine of the fall, and corruption of the whole human race, discovering the source and its greatness.

-- It points out the true and right use of the law.

-- It treats of the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ, of justification, of sanctification, of free will and of grace.

-- It speaks of salvation and of condemnation, of election and of reprobation.

-- It climbs to the high peaks of the perseverance and assurance of the salvation of believers.

-- It reveals the purposes and mechanism of the calling of the Gentiles, the rejection of the Jews, and their final restoration.

All these great truths are brought together here in a condensed and comprehensive form. It is a system of theology written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on the fleshy tables of the heart.

The Historical Necessity of the Epistle

We must also consider the time and the season of this writing, for the context gives color to the text. Best estimates put Paul writing this epistle around 55 or 60 AD, some twenty-five or so years after Christ's death and resurrection.

Let us transport our minds back to those early days. The Church was in her infancy. She did not yet have the complete canon of the New Testament. One can only imagine how difficult it was for the various churches of that time as they grappled with the revelation of God through Christ, as told to them by the apostles, without the benefit of written text that explained Christian doctrine.

Imagine the confusion! The Apostles and their proteges -- Barnabas, Timothy, Luke, John Mark -- would circulate around to churches and teach the truth. But there was another group, wolves in sheep's clothing, many of them from the Church in Jerusalem, teaching false doctrine. They were teaching a works-based Christianity, saying that one had to become a Jew and be circumcised in order to be a true Christian.

So then, you have teachers coming around to churches, and their basic Christian doctrine is contradicting each other. Who do you believe? How would you discern who to believe, without a written reference? The sheep were in danger of being led astray by every wind of doctrine. Therefore, Paul's epistle to the Romans must certainly have been invaluable to those who received it. It was a light in the darkness, a compass in the storm, a standard by which to measure all other teachings.

We, too, should value this book. The Christian church in modern times debates and squabbles about Christian doctrine, and we do have the benefit of the finished New Testament. How much more did they need it then! And how much do we need it now, to keep our feet upon the solid rock of truth!

The Recipients of the Epistle

To whom was this letter sent? To the saints in Rome. From what we can tell, the church in Rome consisted of both Jews and Gentiles. And so, Paul (to our benefit) wrote the epistle with both in mind. He addresses the Jew, proud of his law; he addresses the Gentile, proud of his liberty. He humbles the one and warns the other, and brings them both to the foot of the cross.

Paul had never been to Rome at the time that he wrote this Epistle, but he planned to go there, and in fact, desired very much to visit Rome. He had often purposed to go, but was always diverted. One purpose of this epistle is to introduce himself to the Roman church. But mark the providence of God! Because Paul was hindered from going, he was constrained to write. Had he been able to make his way to Rome, he might have preached these sermons, and they might have vanished into the air as spoken words do. But because he wrote, we have this treasure preserved for all generations. Litera scripta manet -- the written letter remains.

That Paul writes on virtually all the major doctrines of our faith indicates to us that he considered the church in Rome to be important to the growth and development of the Christian church in the world. Rome was the mistress of the world, the seat of empire, the center of civilization. If the heart is sanctified, the blood that flows to the extremities will be pure. Paul desired that the church in Rome be well-grounded in the theological doctrines of the Christian faith.

As to the structure of the book, Robert Haldane gives a fine summary: "This Epistle, like the greater part of those written by Paul, is divided into two general parts. The first contains the doctrine , and extends to the beginning of the twelfth chapter. This is the foundation, deep and broad. The second relates to practice , and goes on to the conclusion. This is the superstructure, beautiful and practical. The first is to instruct the spirit, and the other to direct the heart; the one teaches what we are to believe, the other what we are to practice." We must first have light in the understanding before we can have obedience in the will. Doctrine without practice is a tree without fruit; practice without doctrine is a house without a foundation. Paul joins them together in a holy union that no man should put asunder.

The Great Irony: Simplicity and Depth

Before we enter the text itself, let us pause to admire a great and amazing irony that pervades this book of Romans and indeed the whole Bible.

On the one hand, the Gospel is simple. It is straight-forward enough to be understood by a 5-year-old child. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." It is a ford where a lamb may wade. God made His Gospel simple to understand, so that, by His grace, the greatest number of people can respond to it and be saved. He would not have the gate of heaven so high that the little ones cannot reach the latch.

On the other hand, this same book is a bottomless pit of knowledge. It is an ocean where the elephant may swim. Scholars have studied this book for 2000 years and still have not gotten to the bottom of it; we still cannot claim "victory" over the Bible; we still cannot hold up this tome and say: "I know this book completely!"

Why this irony? Why did God set things up this way?

I think it is so that when that 5-year-old kid, who was saved as a child, and who knew and understood the basics of saving faith as a very young lad or lass, grows up, and picks up the Bible, thinking he already knows everything he needs to know... well, then he'll be blown away as he reads this Spirit-written book. He will find heights he cannot scale and depths he cannot fathom. He will say: "Wait a second... I didn't know that, or that, and I don't understand that other thing... and as to this statement here, I must say that I don't like it, as far as I can understand it." And this leads him to thirst for diving into these things and striving to know these things. He cultivates a thirst for studying this book, and for unlocking its many mysteries with the help of the Holy Spirit. And that he will do for the rest of his days. He will spend the rest of his life trying to master the contents of this Word of God. This endless supply of Manna from heaven keeps us engaged in the Christian faith. God feeds us with milk when we are babes, but He has strong meat for us when we are adults. He draws us in with simplicity and keeps holds of us with profundity.

And in the Epistle to the Romans, we will certainly find profundity. Let us, therefore, take up this book with reverence and godly fear. Let us not be content to wade in the shallows of a simple understanding, but let us launch out into the deep. Let us grapple with the mysteries that we may be humbled by their weight. Let us drink of the promises, that we may be refreshed by their sweetness. And may the God of all grace, who called Paul to be an apostle, call us to be saints, and set us apart for His glory, that we may serve Him in the newness of the Spirit.

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