Good news: I’m Condemned
Romans 1 : 1-3: 20
Intro: The first part of ‘Good news: it’s place in belief.’
We won’t deal with whole section: which is -
Gentiles - 1:18-32
Jews - 2:1-3:8
World - 3:9-20
Note the introduction: 1:1-17
Greetings (1-7)
Reason for writing (8-15)
Subject (16,17): it’s the good news - the gift of righteousness through faith.
1. Who is the God who condemns? (18)
2. What does God condemn? (18)
a. Godlessness
b. Wickedness
c. Suppression of truth: cf. John 14:6
a and b combine to pervert truth (25, 28)
These attitudes express themselves in various forms:
i) idolatry (23) cf. Col. 3:5
ii) sexual immorality, perversion (24-27)
iii) general depravity (28-32)
3. How does God condemn?
i) sometimes a judicial intervention:
individually (Acts 12:23) and nationally - Nineveh
ii) universally: ‘God gave them over’ (24, 26, 29)
Paul then turns to Jewish race (2:1-3:8)
highlighting specific relationship to God & law & circumcision & disobedience: ‘Their
condemnation is just’ (3:8)
Paul finally incorporates the whole world (3:9-20) - especially verses 9, 19.