“Romans 1–6,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Romans 1–6
In his epistle to the Saints in Rome, the Apostle Paul emphasized that all people need the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be saved. All accountable people sin and stand condemned before God. No one can be justified by the deeds of the law of Moses. Only through faith in Jesus Christ and trust in His Atonement can we be justified. For example, Abraham was justified by his strong faith and not by the works of the law of Moses. Blessings come to all who are justified by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. The free gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is a manifestation of divine grace. The Savior’s grace does not condone sin but helps us overcome it. Entering the gospel covenant through baptism symbolizes our death to sin and the start of a new life in Christ.
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Background and Context
To whom was Romans written and why?
The letter to the Romans is addressed to members of the Church in Rome. Not much is known about the origins of Christianity in Rome. Paul wrote this letter around AD 57, near the end of his third missionary journey. Paul had not yet visited the Saints in Rome.
There seem to be at least three main reasons why Paul sent this letter:
To prepare for his future arrival in Rome. For years, Paul had wanted to preach the gospel in Rome. He also hoped the Church in Rome would provide him assistance and serve as a base from which he could serve a mission to Spain.
To clarify and defend his teachings. Paul faced repeated opposition from individuals who misunderstood or distorted his teachings about the law of Moses and faith in Christ. Paul wrote to address such concerns before he arrived.
To promote unity between Jewish and gentile members of the Church. The Jews had been expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius in about AD 49. It is assumed the Jews returned to Rome after the death of Claudius, which occurred in AD 54. Jewish Christians would have returned to predominantly gentile Christian congregations in Rome. Writing only a few years later, Paul wanted both gentile and Jewish converts to feel they belonged in the Lord’s Church. Paul promoted Church unity by teaching how the doctrine of the gospel applies to all Saints.
Why did Paul mention the Jew and the Greek?
The Jews were the surviving members of God’s covenant people, or the house of Israel. Paul used both the terms Greek and Gentile to refer to people who were not born into the house of Israel. Paul’s teachings in this verse allude to the idea that the gospel of Jesus Christ would go first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. During the Savior’s earthly ministry, He primarily focused on preaching His gospel to members of the house of Israel. After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ instructed His Apostles to take the gospel message to all nations, both Jewish and Gentile.
What is the theme of the letter to the Romans?
Paul declared that he was “ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome.” He then introduced what many have called the theme of his letter to the Romans: the gospel of Jesus Christ will bring salvation to everyone who lives by faith in Jesus Christ. Much of the content of the rest of the epistle relates to key terms and ideas found in verses 16–17:
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Gospel. Paul preached the message of the gospel. “The word gospel means ‘good news.’” The good news is “God’s plan of salvation, made possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ.”
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Salvation. Paul taught that salvation meant both resurrection and forgiveness of sins.
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Belief and faith. “Believeth” (verse 16) and “faith” (verse 17) are translations of the Greek verb pisteuō and the related noun pistis. These terms can mean both “faith” and “faithfulness.” For Paul, faith in Jesus Christ was not just mental agreement. It implied “a deep level of belief resulting in personal commitment and action.” This deep trust leads to a life of faithfulness, manifested by repenting of sins, being baptized, and trying to live as Jesus Christ taught.
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Righteousness and justification. The Greek word translated as “righteousness” is dikaiosunē. It is closely related to dikaioō, the root of words translated as “justification” and “justify.” This root refers to being “declared or judged (as in a court of law) to be righteous.” A person is justified by the Savior’s grace through faith in Him.
Romans 1:18–32
What is the wrath of God?
The scriptures clearly teach that God loves all His children. The wrath of God is not hostility toward humankind; rather, it is a rejection of sin. Because God is perfectly righteous, He cannot tolerate any sin. Paul said the wrath of God is directed toward those “who love not the truth, but remain in unrighteousness.” He then listed acts and attitudes of unrighteousness that, if not repented of, bring upon individuals the judgment of God.
Who is Paul addressing?
These verses are an example of a diatribe, an ancient style of writing or speaking in which the author debates a theoretical (not actual) opponent. In this style, the author makes a claim, states an objection someone might have, and then responds to that objection.
What does it mean that God is no respecter of persons?
See “Acts 10:34–35. What does it mean that ‘God is no respecter of persons’?”
What does it mean to be justified?
The Greek word translated as “justified” (dikaioō) means “declared righteous.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught, “Because of ‘the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice,’ Jesus Christ can satisfy or ‘answer the ends of the law’ on our behalf. … He removes our condemnation without removing the law. We are pardoned and placed in a condition of righteousness with Him. We become, like Him, without sin. We are sustained and protected by the law, by justice. We are, in a word, justified.”
What did Paul mean when he said, “For by the law is the knowledge of sin”?
Paul made it clear in Romans 3 that all people are sinners. A Bible scholar has noted, “One of the main functions of the law … was to demonstrate man’s inability to live perfectly by every moral requirement. One translation of Romans 3:20 is as follows: ‘Indeed it is the straight edge of the Law which shows us how crooked we are.’ (Phillips Translation.) The law of Moses was given ‘to specify crimes’ (Jerusalem Bible), that is, to establish right and wrong but also to delineate human limitations and to point up the need for divine assistance.” Being aware that we fall short can inspire us to seek redemption through Jesus Christ.
What is grace?
“Grace is another term that Paul adopts to explain the saving work of Jesus Christ. The word grace was not originally a religious term. In the time of Paul, grace (in Greek, charis) was commonly used to describe the relationship between a patron and a client. A patron possessed the power, authority, or financial means to grant a gift to clients they could not earn for themselves or repay in kind.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, taught: “The Savior’s sacrifice opened the door of salvation for all to return to God. … His grace is the enabling power that allows access into God’s kingdoms of salvation. …
“But the Savior’s grace can do much more for us. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we aspire to something unimaginably greater. It is exaltation in the celestial kingdom. …
“… I pray that we will … allow [Christ’s] grace to lift and carry us during our journey from where we are now to our glorious destiny in our Father’s presence.”
What is redemption?
To redeem means “to deliver, to purchase, or to ransom, such as to free a person from bondage or payment.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught about the Savior’s role as our Redeemer: “Among the most significant of Jesus Christ’s descriptive titles is Redeemer. … The word redeem means to pay off an obligation or a debt. Redeem can also mean to rescue or set free as by paying a ransom. If someone commits a mistake and then corrects it or makes amends, we say he has redeemed himself. Each of these meanings suggests different facets of the great Redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ through His Atonement. …
“The Savior’s Redemption has two parts. First, it atones for Adam’s transgression and the consequent Fall of man by overcoming what could be called the direct effects of the Fall—physical death and spiritual death. …
“The second aspect of the Savior’s Atonement is redemption from what might be termed the indirect consequences of the Fall—our own sins as opposed to Adam’s transgression.”
How are we justified through Jesus Christ?
In Romans 3:9–10, 23, Paul used courtroom language to describe how we each are sentenced to death because of our sins. He taught that we are redeemed from this sentence through the Savior’s grace. In verse 25, Paul used the Greek word hilasterion to describe how Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins. Hilasterion is often translated as “sacrifice of atonement.” In the King James Version of the Bible, hilasterion is translated as “propitiation.” When we have faith in Jesus Christ, we are “justified” by Him through His atoning sacrifice. In other words, through His grace we “are given the verdict of not guilty.”
Can works save us?
One of Paul’s purposes for writing to the Romans was to address disagreements between Jewish and gentile Christians about what is required for salvation. Paul rejected the teaching that salvation came by the works of the law of Moses. In saying this, Paul was not implying that there was no need for a person to perform righteous works. Rather, he was emphasizing that a person could not rely on their righteous works to save them. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, taught, “Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God. Thinking that we can trade our good works for salvation is like buying a plane ticket and then supposing we own the airline. Or thinking that after paying rent for our home, we now hold title to the entire planet earth.”
Romans 3–5 provide a strong emphasis on grace and faith, with only a suggestion of the value of good works. The “necessity of baptism and righteous works” is addressed later in Romans.
Why did Paul use Abraham as an example of someone justifed by faith?
(Compare to Galatians 3:6–29.)
Since Abraham lived centuries before the law of Moses was given, he was an ideal example of someone who was justified through faith in Jesus Christ and not through the law of Moses. Quoting from Genesis, Paul noted that “Abraham believed [had faith in] God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Abraham received this assurance before he was circumcised. Under the law of Moses, circumcision was the rite by which male Israelites “accepted the responsibilities of the covenant.” Paul was able to show from scripture that individuals were not justified through obedience to the law of Moses—they were justified through faith in God’s promises.
What is the meaning of the words atonement and reconciliation?
The Greek word katallagē is translated as “atonement” in the King James Bible. In other translations it is often translated as “reconciliation.” “Katallagē and its related verbs … are used twelve other times in the New Testament, and all references deal with reconciliation. In the Book of Mormon, Jacob linked the Atonement to reconciliation when he taught that we are ‘reconciled … through the Atonement of Christ’ (Jacob 4:11). Paul wrote to the Hebrews that Christ would ‘make reconciliation for the sins of the people’ (Hebrews 2:17). Whether linked by words or through a process, it is evident that one cannot separate reconciliation from the Atonement. Obviously, a better understanding of reconciliation also yields a better understanding of the Atonement.
“The word reconciliation comes from the Latin reconciliare, which means ‘to bring together again, reunite, or reconcile.’”
Why did Paul reference slavery?
Paul sometimes used the Greek word for slave. The metaphor of slavery teaches about the spiritual consequences of choosing to allow sin to rule over oneself. Since slavery was a common institution in the Roman Empire, Paul’s audience would have readily identified with metaphors like yielding to God as servants would yield to their master and being slaves to sin.
Learn More
Redemption through Jesus Christ
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D. Todd Christofferson, “Redemption,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 109–12
Relationship between Grace and Works
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Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Gift of Grace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 107–110
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Dale G. Renlund, “Abound with Blessings,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 70–72
Media
Images
Abraham receiving divine instruction
Christ in Gethsemane, by Harry Anderson
Receiving the ordinance of baptism