Lesson 1 - Teacher's Guide
- Paul wrote the book of Romans as a letter to the Christians in Rome. These Roman believers were mostly Gentiles who had received the Gospel, been born again, and were committed to following the Lord. However, they were being troubled by Jewish believers who were trying to mix the Old Testament Law with Christianity.
- Although written for the same purpose as Romans, Paul’s letter to the Galatians contains several strong, harsh rebukes against legalism (Gal. 1:6-9, 3:1, and 5:3-4). He told them, “If you are trusting in such things as circumcision for your salvation [Gal. 5:3-4], you have fallen from grace.”
- Romans expounds the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to both Jewish and Gentile believers—it’s written to everyone! Anybody who truly understands and embraces its message will be forever changed in the way they relate to God. The revelation of God’s grace contained in Romans delivers believers from a performance mentality—which bases relationship with God on their own efforts—to a total trust and reliance upon the Lord, His goodness, and His grace. Salvation is all about God’s faithfulness—no one else’s! This revelation is foundational for maintaining a close relationship with God.
- Paul opened the letter with salutations and greetings, commended the believers in Rome for how their faith was being spoken of throughout the world, expressed his desire to visit them, and then summarized the message of the entire book (Rom. 1:16-17). “Gospel” not only means “good news” but “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news.” The Gospel is good news—not bad news! Many things have been promoted as “the Gospel” that aren’t good news.
- The Gospel is God’s free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23). It’s a gift—all we must do is believe and receive! Believe what Jesus has done through His death, burial, and resurrection, and receive the cleansing from all our sin and the freedom and liberty it brings.
- The Gospel is directly related to the grace of God. This causes many problems for religious people. Religion—false religion, man’s concepts, not God-ordained salvation—teaches that right standing with God and blessings come as a result of our own goodness and works. If we’re trying to be justified by anything other than faith in Christ, then we aren’t believing the true Gospel! The Gospel isn’t just believing that there is salvation, but it’s also the specific method by which this salvation is obtained (Acts 20:24). “Gospel” and “grace” are terms that can be used interchangeably. The good news—or Gospel—is the grace of God (Gal. 1:6).
- Grace is what sets true Christianity apart from every other religion in the world. Religion refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation—right relationship with God. Every false religion—even religious Christianity—puts the burden of salvation upon the individual. In other words, “salvation” is based upon our performance. True Christianity is the only faith on the face of the earth that has a Savior.
- Many people around the world who have embraced “Christianity” have never heard the true Gospel preached concerning God’s goodness and grace. They’re simply substituting “Christian” things to do instead of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or some other religion’s things to do. To many people, Christianity is nothing but a different set of rules, doctrines, and regulations whereby they must earn their way to God. That’s not the true Gospel—and it’s exactly what the book of Romans confronts. The Gospel—as referred to in Romans—speaks of the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news of salvation independent of our performance.
Written specifically to a religious Jewish mindset, the book of Hebrews argues faith in the finished work of Christ using Jewish tradition (the Old Testament patriarchs, tabernacle, priesthood, sacrificial systems, among others) and showing how Jesus perfectly fulfilled it all. Romans presents these same truths, but from more of a doctrinal standpoint.
Footnotes
| 1. | A. | To whom was Romans written? (Paul wrote this book as a letter to the Christians in Rome) |
| B. | Were these believers mostly from a Jewish or Gentile background? (Gentile) | |
| C. | Who was troubling them? (Jewish believers who were trying to mix the Old Testament Law with Christianity) | |
| 2. | A. | What other two New Testament books were written for the same purpose as Romans? (Galatians and Hebrews) |
| B. | Which one argues faith in the finished work of Christ using Jewish tradition? (Hebrews) | |
| C. | Which one contains several strong, harsh rebukes against legalism? (Galatians) | |
| 3. | A. | What does Romans expound on to both Jewish and Gentile believers? (The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ) |
| B. | The revelation of God’s grace contained in Romans delivers believers from what? (A performance mentality—which bases relationship with God on their own efforts) | |
| C. | Salvation is all about whose faithfulness—God’s or ours? (God’s) | |
| 4. | A. | Which two verses in Romans, chapter 1, summarize the message of the entire book? (Romans 1:16- 17) |
| B. | What does the word “Gospel” mean? (Not only “good news” but “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news”) | |
| 5. | A. | Read Romans 6:23. What is the Gospel? (The Gospel is God’s free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord) |
| B. | What must we do? (Believe and receive—believe what Jesus has done through His death, burial, and resurrection, and receive the cleansing from all our sin and the freedom and liberty it brings) | |
| 6. | A. | What causes many problems for religious people? (The Gospel is directly related to the grace of God) |
| B. | According to Acts 20:24 and Galatians 1:6, what two terms can be used interchangeably? (The Gospel and grace) | |
| 7. | A. | What does religion refuse to acknowledge? (That Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation—right relationship with God) |
| B. | Every false religion—even religious Christianity—puts the burden of salvation upon whom? (The individual—us) | |
| 8. | A. | To many people, Christianity is nothing but what? (A different set of rules, doctrines, and regulations whereby they must earn their way to God) |
| B. | The Gospel—as referred to in Romans—speaks of what? (The nearly-too-good-to-be-true news of salvation independent of our performance) |
