Romans 1:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

NIV: 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.

NASB: who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

CSB: and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead.

NLT: and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

KJV: And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

NKJV: and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Paul, having just begun the greeting to his letter, is already sidetracked by proclaiming the gospel to his readers. He has said Jesus Christ is the focus of the long-ago promised gospel—the "good news"—from God.

Jesus, as a human being "according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3), was a direct descendant of King David. Now Paul adds that the resurrection of Jesus from death to life proves that He was more than just a man. That event, predicted by Jesus Himself (Matthew 28:6), established that He was in fact the Son of God. It was a declaration by the power of the Holy Spirit of God—"the Spirit of holiness"—that Jesus, as God's eternal Son, was in fact God. Who else could have raised Jesus from the dead but God's own powerful Spirit?

Already in verse 4, Paul has established the truth that Jesus was fully human and also fully God. As God's Son, Christ has reigned with God the Father forever. It is only right, then, that we should bow to Him as "Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 1:1–7 begins Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome with an introduction of himself as a servant and apostle of Jesus. He has been set apart to preach the gospel, or good news, about Jesus. Paul interrupts his own introduction by immediately beginning to teach the gospel, that Jesus Christ our Lord is the Son of God who was resurrected from the dead. He addresses his letter to those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints. This would include all the believers in Jesus.

Romans 1 introduces Paul and his purpose in writing this letter to the Christians in Rome. As servant and apostle of Jesus, Paul's mission in life is to preach the gospel of Jesus to all people groups, both Jews and Gentiles. He hopes to do so in Rome soon. Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. It is God's power for the salvation of all people by faith in Christ. We need to be saved because God is angry with us. Because of our sin, humanity has rejected Him as creator and provider. We worship created things, instead. In response, God has given us over to indulge in all kinds of sinful practices that lead to misery now and His angry judgment later.

Romans 1 begins with Paul's introduction of himself and his mission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. After telling the Christians in Rome that he is eager to come see them and preach the gospel there, Paul declares that the gospel is God's power to save everyone who believes in Jesus. We need to be saved, because our sin has earned God's wrath. As a whole, humanity has rejected God as creator and provider. We worship creation instead of Him. In response, He has given us over to the full indulgence of our sinful desires. We are guilty and deserve His judgment.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 5/6/2024 4:33:15 AM