making the scriptures plain

Notes

As Paul, powerful preacher to the Gentiles, wrote to the Christians in Rome, he set out the fundamentals of the Christian faith and showed Jesus to be the sure Foundation.

In the past the Jewish nation killed Jesus' prophets and destroyed His altars. Jesus became a servant to the Jews on behalf of God's truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs could be confirmed, and the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy to them.

As Isaiah said, A Root of Jesse shall rise and reign over the Gentiles, bringing hope to them. And Paul was a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles so that they may be accepted by God, purified by the Holy Spirit. God is able to establish believers according to the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ by the apostles, so that all nations might believe and obey the faith in Jesus' name.

Paul now wished that he were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of some of his brothers, those of his own race, who despite having been given the oracles of God and having Christ as an earthly Brother, rejected Him. This hardheartedness would continue, says Paul, until the full number of Gentiles have become believers. Then those that remain in Israel would be saved, for it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.

The gospel of Christ, as promised in the Scriptures, is the power of God unto salvation, Paul declared. Jesus Christ our Lord, was born a man, a descendant of the Jewish King David. He was declared to be the Son of God when God raised Him from the dead, and one day Jesus will judge the secrets of men, and everyone will bow before Him and acknowledge Him as God. If God freely gave us His Son, we can be sure that He will give us everything else. God showed His love for weak sinners, His ungodly enemies, through the death of Christ, reconciling them to Himself.

Since we are therefore justified by the blood of Jesus, we shall be saved from wrath through His life. In fact acknowledging the Lord Jesus and believing that God raised Him from the dead, will bring us into a saving relationship with God. This is because all believers are counted righteous by faith in Jesus Christ, for He has fulfilled the whole purpose of the law. They are justified by His grace through His redemption, so that their misdeeds are no longer counted against them.

Jesus suffered their reproach, paying the price for their sins, so that they are no longer looked upon as sinners. In this sense they are 'clothed in His righteousness'. Therefore no-one can condemn the believer and nothing can separate him from God's love which is in Christ. In fact Jesus was raised again so that the believer could be justified through faith in Him. This justification brings peace with God and joy in hope of the glory of God.

Paul explained the new life in Christ. We are baptised into Jesus' death, buried with Him, and raised into His resurrection, to walk in newness of life, not serving sin any longer. Just as Christ will die no more, as death has no dominion over Him, we should count ourselves dead to sin (but alive through Him). Accepting Jesus' gift of life, we die to the law through the body of Christ, that we might belong to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

If a person knows the law he knows what sin is and his body, his flesh, may 'serve the law of sin', which is the law of death. But the 'inward man', the person's mind, serves the law of God, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. (To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.)

Those whom God knew beforehand were chosen by Him to correspond to the image of his Son, so that He would be the firstborn of a large family. In fact as the children of God, we are joint-heirs with Christ, if we suffer with Him. Just as the body has different members, so we, believers in Christ, as mutually dependent members, make up one body in Christ. Let us welcome and accept one another as Christ accepts us. May God who encourages us and helps us to remain stable, enable us to live peacefully with one another, in one accord with Christ Jesus, that together we may praise and glorify God the Father.

Never judge or look down on your brother, for we will all be judged by Christ eventually. Those who cause divisions, in opposition to the doctrine which we have been taught, do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ but their own desires. But he who serves Christ in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Concerning festivals and fasting, Paul remarked that He who observes a particular day, observes it in honour of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honour of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honour of the Lord and gives thanks to God. As regards unclean foods, Paul is fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself, but only unclean if someone regards it as such. But if your brother is distressed because of what you eat, he warns, you are no longer acting in love. Do not let what you eat hurt or cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died!

How mighty is the Lord, no-one can be His counselor, no-one can give Him anything that He should repay. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ

Rom.1.1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
Rom.1.2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Rom.1.3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Rom.1.4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Rom.1.5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
Rom.1.6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

Rom.1.7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom.1.8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
Rom.1.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

In the day when God shall judge

Rom.2.16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Rom.3.21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Rom.3.22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom.3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Through faith in his blood

Rom.3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Rom.3.26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Rom.4.8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Rom.4.24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom.4.25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

We have access by faith into this grace

Rom.5.1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom.5.2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Rom.5.6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom.5.8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom.5.9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom.5.10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom.5.11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Rom.5.15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

By one man's offence death reigned

Rom.5.17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Rom.5.18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom.5.19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom.5.21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Baptized into Jesus Christ

Rom.6.3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom.6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom.6.5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom.6.6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

We be dead with Christ

Rom.6.8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Rom.6.9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Rom.6.11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom.6.23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

To him who is raised from the dead

Rom.7.4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom.7.25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation

Rom.8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom.8.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom.8.3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Rom.8.9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit

Rom.8.10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom.8.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom.8.17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Conquerors through him that loved us

Rom.8.29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom.8.32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Rom.8.34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Rom.8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom.8.37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom.8.39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I will have mercy

Rom.9.1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Rom.9.3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Rom.9.4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Rom.9.5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom.9.15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Rom.9.27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
Rom.9.28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
Rom.9.29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

For whosoever shall call

Rom.10.4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Rom.10.6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Rom.10.7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
Rom.10.9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom.10.11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Rom.10.12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom.10.13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom.10.14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom.10.16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer

Rom.11.3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
Rom.11.25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom.11.26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom.11.34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Rom.11.35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom.11.36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ

Rom.12.5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Rom.12.19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Rom.13.14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ

Rom.14.6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Rom.14.9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
Rom.14.10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Rom.14.11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom.14.14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Rom.14.15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
Rom.14.18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

I will confess thee among the Gentiles

Rom.15.3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Rom.15.5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
Rom.15.6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom.15.7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Rom.15.8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
Rom.15.9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

In him shall the Gentiles trust

Rom.15.12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
Rom.15.16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Rom.15.17 I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.
Rom.15.18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
Rom.15.19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Rom.15.20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:
Rom.15.29 And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ
Rom.15.30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

Receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints

Rom.16.2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
Rom.16.3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
Rom.16.5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
Rom.16.7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Rom.16.8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.

Rom.16.9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
Rom.16.10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.
Rom.16.11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.

The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly

Rom.16.12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.
Rom.16.13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
Rom.16.16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

Rom.16.18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Rom.16.20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

The mystery, which was kept secret since the world began

Rom.16.22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
Rom.16.24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Rom.16.25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

By the scriptures of the prophets

Rom.16.26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Rom.16.27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.