Romans by the Book (Lesson 7)

Home Bible Study- Lutz, Florida

Established November 2003

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

(2 Timothy 2:15)

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4

Romans by the Book

Lesson 7

It’s good to have you all back for this study on the book of Romans.

I trust you are finding this Bible study useful and practical; and by practical I mean to say appropriate, sensible, and concerned with actual facts; and not theory.

I’ve told my classes on many occasions, “I won’t teach opinion.”

Please know this.  If I offer an opinion, I will preface my statement with that remark.

That doesn’t mean I believe it, it’s just an opinion. 

Please open your Bibles to Romans chapter one; we’ll begin at verse 5. 

Romans 1

Verse five:

5: through whom (Who is this?  The Lord Jesus Christ; risen from the dead; on this side of the Cross.  Ascended; see Psalms 110:1) we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of (what) faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,

Paul is telling us that he has been “called” by the Lord Jesus Christ as the “steward” or the “manager” to preach the “divine mystery” revealed in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3

2: assuming that you have heard of the (what’s the next word) stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you (gentiles may be added without harming the text).

To better understand the meaning of “stewardship,” we start with the very first verse in our Bible:  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Genesis 1:1.

As the Creator God, God has absolute control and ownership over all things.

And to miss starting here would be like missing that top button on your shirt – none of the others will line up after that. 

The Biblical doctrine of stewardship defines man’s relationship to God. 

It identifies God as owner and man as manager.

God makes man His co-worker in administering all aspects of our life. The apostle Paul explains it best by saying, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9).

Example:  After the Creator God (Jehovah) gave life to Adam, He gave him “dominion” or rule over all the earth’s creatures and over all the earth.  (Genesis 1:26).

After Adam sinned, he lost that “dominion;”and who picked it up?

Satan did.  Satan is the god of this world today.

In the New Testament, two Greek words embody the meaning of the meaning of our English word “stewardship.”  One of these is “oikonomos.”

It also means "steward, manager, or administrator" and occurs more frequently in the New Testament.  Depending on the context, it is often translated “dispensation, stewardship, management, or administration.

Once we’re called and placed into the Body of Christ, the stewardship that is required of us is not a result of our own power or abilities.  The strength, inspiration and growth in the management of our lives must come from God through the Holy Spirit in us. 

“I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).  KJV

© Copyright 2011

GJ Heitzman’s Ministry

All Rights Reserved

Romans by the Book (Lesson 6)

Home Bible Study- Lutz, Florida

Established November 2003

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

(2 Timothy 2:15)

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4

 Romans by the Book

Lesson 6

I want to take the time to welcome you back to our HBS.

We’re deviated for a time from the book of Romans but we’re back on track.

If you are visiting us for the first time, I offer you a special welcome.

 I also want you to know I consider this “Bible study – lite.” 

My intent has been to keep this a study that is both “conversational” and down-to-earth” in nature.  In other words, I want you to feel as if you are sitting on the sofa in our living room.  The other thing is this.  I won’t over teach the Bible. 

I use the KIS principle.  I keep it simple.    

The Bible was written “so even a plow boy in England could understand it, (Martin Luther), so I don’t believe that any man should confuse that process by any means.

That’s enough time spent on introductory dialogue. 

We’re here to study God’s Word.

Please open your Bible to Romans chapter 1.

Romans Chapter 1

1: Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

The sovereignty of God is witnessed at the very beginning of this of the letter.

Unfortunately, Bible-readers miss these important things. 

You have to slow down and concentrate on what you’re reading to pick up these details.  It was God who “loved the world; it was God who “sent His Son.”

Note Jesus Christ’s continual insistence on this fact on this in the gospel of John (19 times).  Jesus Christ said, “I am not come of Myself, but My Father sent Me.”

Second verse:

2: which He (note the capitalized word – this denotes deity) promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures,

These are the Old Testament Scriptures the Apostle Paul is referring to (the New Testament hadn’t been written yet), with promises, and direct prophecies of “good news” concerning His Son to come both to the nation of Israel and to the (pagan) nations; strangers to the covenant promises.

The Gospel, the Apostle was “called” and “set apart” for is all about the Lord Jesus Christ.  Apart from Jesus Christ there is NO GOOD NEWS from heaven.

The only expectation coming from heaven is that of the coming WRATH of God! 

Make no mistake it is all about the Son of God. 

This is the record of Paul’s preaching, after the heavenly vision; and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is the Son of God.” 

(Acts 9:20)

Verse three:

There are two noteworthy items here:

3: concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,

First:

“…concerning His Son…,”

Specifically, that He died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to various witnesses over a period of 40 days.  (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

The good news Paul preached is therefore, “scientifically” specific, and must be held in our minds in its accuracy, as it was in the mind of this apostle.

How is this scientifically” specific? 

A multitude of eye witnesses saw Jesus after His resurrection (See I COR 15:5-7)

What is more personal and more scientific than hundreds of eye witnesses to an event?

Second:

“…who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,

Here we have Christ as a man, “according to the flesh” and as such fulfilled the promises as to the “seed of David” under the Davidic Covenant.  (See 2 Samuel 7)

The Davidic Covenant centers on several key promises that are made to David.

1)      God reaffirms the promise of the land that He made in the first two covenants with Israel (the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants).  This promise is seen in  2 Samuel 7:10,

“Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously.” 
2) God promises that David's descendant or "seed" will succeed him as King of Israel and that David's throne will be established forever.  This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 

"I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”  This is a reference to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

As I’ve mentioned before, but it bears repeating for those who are new, and for our learning, Jesus Christ came to “His own” to fulfill the promises made to the fathers under the Abrahamic Covenant. 

Please turn to Romans chapter 15. 

At verse 8 is where we pick up this Bible Truth.

Romans 15

8: For I say that Christ (Jesus) has become a servant to the circumcision (the Jews) on behalf of the (what) truth of God to confirm the (read carefully) promises (or covenants) given to the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). 

Let’s return to Romans chapter 1 and pick up where we left off at verse 4.

Romans 1

4: who was declared the Son of God with (His birth in Bethlehem?  No) with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

In verse three above we have Christ as a man, “according to the flesh,” but in verse four we have Christ “who was declared the Son of God”…with power!

Jesus Christ was declared to be God’s Son - with power by HIS RESURRECTION!

The standard of God's power in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the people of Israel through the Red Sea which brought them finally into the land of promise.

In the New Testament the standard of God's power, is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

© Copyright 2011

GJ Heitzman’s Ministry

All Rights Reserved