This is the first article in a series on the Book of Romans, based on a sermon. You can watch the full sermon in Russian in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuzxs8xzmo8
Imagine a beautiful yet incredibly complex city—that's exactly how the Book of Romans appears to us. Many of us know it only as "tourists," understanding it quite superficially. But today I invite you on an amazing journey through what is rightfully called "the pearl of epistles" by the Apostle Paul.
The Book of Romans has earned its special status for good reason. In it, the Apostle Paul most fully and clearly presents God's plan of salvation—from humanity's fall to justification and new life in Christ. Its theological depth and practical applicability have made this epistle a source of spiritual awakenings and reforms throughout the entire history of the Church.
The Book of Romans was written by the Apostle Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus. He was a Jewish rabbi who belonged to the Pharisees and zealously upheld the Torah law and Jewish traditions. In Jesus and His followers, he saw a threat to the established order and ruthlessly persecuted them, until one encounter changed everything.
On the road to Damascus, an encounter occurred that completely transformed Saul's life. He heard a voice: "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" When he asked "Who are You, Lord?" he received the answer: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."
At this moment, Paul understood a key truth: by persecuting the disciples, he was rebelling against the Lord Himself. It turned out that in these people, these followers of Jesus Christ, the very Lord of the universe was living. This revelation became the foundation of all Paul's teaching about what it means to be "in Christ"—about the new humanity, the new creation, the Church of God.
The epistle was written at the end of Paul's missionary journey. The church in Rome already existed and included both Jews and Gentiles. After the Jews were expelled by Emperor Claudius and returned five years later, serious disagreements arose in the church: disputes about Jewish traditions, questions about the Sabbath and dietary laws, disagreements about circumcision. Paul wanted to reconcile this divided church and hoped it would become a base for his mission to the West, all the way to Spain.
The central theme of the epistle is that the Gospel reveals God's righteousness, fulfills the promises to Israel, and creates a new humanity. The Gospel alone is capable of uniting the church and bringing ultimate salvation to humanity.
Let's read the beginning of the epistle and listen to what tone the Apostle Paul sets:
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 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." (Romans 1:1-4 (NIV))
What tone do you hear? This is the tone of proclaiming the Good News about the mighty coming Kingdom of God! Paul is an ambassador of this Kingdom, an apostle sent into the kingdom of this world to say that God's Kingdom is approaching.
Paul writes to the heart of the Roman Empire—the most powerful empire of that time, where Caesar called himself the son of God and had his own "gospel." But Paul boldly proclaims: "Not Caesar is the son of God, but Jesus Christ!" The collision of kingdoms is inevitable, and what do we see from history? Rome eventually became the Holy Roman Empire because it could not withstand the onslaught of God's Kingdom.
Why did God's Kingdom prove invincible? Because it operates on completely different principles: the King washes His subjects' feet; whoever wants to be first must become a servant to all. The early Christians understood this and lived by these principles. They cared for the poor, fed the hungry, established hospitals and schools, and changed society. They were unstoppable because their strength was in service.
The early Christians believed that with the Gospel came a new objective reality. This is not just a moral, subjective change within us. Jesus Christ died in history, rose in history, conquered death and sin in history. Therefore, even the threat of death ceased to have power over Christians: "Even if they kill me, I will be resurrected with Jesus Christ!"
Unfortunately, modern Christians are often focused more on the subjective dimension of the Gospel: "give me peace, harmony, free me from sins so I can be well in this fallen world, and then go to heaven." There is truth in this, but when we translate the Gospel only into the subjective dimension, we risk falling into spiritual egoism.
Jesus once told the Pharisees that "the kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:21 (NIV)). Many understand this as if God's Kingdom is something exclusively internal and personal. But Jesus was speaking to the enemies of the Kingdom, the Pharisees, and could not say that the Kingdom was within their hearts. He meant: "My disciples are here, My followers are already here. God's Kingdom in My person has already begun to work on this earth!" God's Kingdom is not only an internal spiritual reality but also an objective force that changes the world.
Yes, the subjective dimension is important: without repentance, being born again, and righteous living, no one will see God's Kingdom. But first comes the objective reality, then the subjective. When we understand the objective reality of God's Kingdom, it radically changes our attitude toward everything: we don't work just for a paycheck but as representatives of the Kingdom; we build families according to Kingdom principles; we get education to serve God and people. God's Kingdom must be objectively manifested in everything we do.
Once a minister said to me: "It will be boring if we start preaching the Gospel in every sermon." Such thinking shows a narrow understanding of what the Gospel represents. The Gospel is not boring because It objectively influences all spheres of human life!
I invite you on an amazing journey through the Book of Romans—this beautiful "city" of theological thought. But before we begin detailed study, we will first look at the general map of this epistle from a bird's-eye view. And even before that, we will place the Book of Romans on the larger map of biblical revelation to understand its place in God's overall plan.
Want to dive deeper into studying the Book of Romans? We recommend the books: "Romans for Everyone" and "Into the Heart of Romans" by N.T. Wright, as well as Bible Project materials on YouTube.
Tags: Book of Romans, Apostle Paul, Gospel, Kingdom of God, biblical theology, Christian preaching