We’re into Romans in our New Testament reading program, and we won’t be able to do anything but catch a few highlights in what a friend of mine called “dense text.” There’s so much here.

We talked about power all the way through Acts, and Romans opens with it:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 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… (Romans 1.1 – 4, ESV, emphasis mine)

Then this:

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1.14 – 18, ESV)

Here are some key words, all worth meditating on:

• Obligation
• Eager
• Gospel
• Power (there it is again!)
• Salvation
• Righteousness
• Faith
• Wrath
• Ungodliness
• Unrighteousness
• Truth

Here are just a couple of thoughts – you fill in some more!

Verse 14: Greeks, barbarians, wise, foolish…everyone (verse 16). The gospel is for everyone. And Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9 that he presents the gospel and himself in different ways to different people.

Verses 17 and 18: The gospel brings righteousness through faith. The opposite is ungodliness and unrighteousness, which suppresses the truth.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1.14, 17, ESV)