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The book of Romans is Paul's most comprehensive statement of the gospel. All the Reformers saw Romans as the God-given key to understanding all of Scripture, since here Paul brings together all of the Bible's greatest themes. The study of Romans is vitally necessary for the spiritual health and insight of the Christian.
Romans was written by the Apostle Paul in about A.D. 56 while he was staying in Corinth (Acts 20:2-3). How the Christian Faith originally came to Rome is not known. While the papacy maintains that the Apostle Peter founded the Church at Rome, this is unlikely and unsupported, although historians believe that Peter may have visited Rome, and may have written his first Epistle there. The book makes evident that Paul did not establish the Church at Rome, and for all his extensive journeys had not been there. That this letter was received, not only by the Church at Rome, but by the Church universal is testament to its divine authority. Paul's expressed desire to visit Rome would be fulfilled only by his arrest and transportation to imprisonment in Rome, and his eventual execution there ten years after the writing of this letter.
March 7, 2010 The sufferings Christians undergo are not proof that God does not love them, or has abandoned them. The effect of them is our good, and not only negatively. It is not merely that God is consuming our dross, but he is refining our gold. So give thanks to God for all things (even when it seems counter intuitive to do so).
Romans 8:28-39
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans February 28, 2010 Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Romans 8:18-27
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans February 21, 2010 For those who are not "in the flesh," but are "in the Spirit" (viz. all true Christians), the evidence of our being justified with God and our being of another realm of existence is subjective (that is, within us - others can't see it, and we can only sense it through conscience and persuasion). Is there any objective evidence that we belong to Another Age? Yes. It is the fact that since we don't fit in this one, we will have a fair amount of suffering and discomfort here, a suffering and discomfort which we could avoid if we belonged to this age. But entering into the sufferings of Christ is an objective testimony that we will also share with him in his glory.
Romans 8:12-17
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans February 14, 2010 In Paul's theology, "flesh" and "spirit" are not anthropological components, but redemptive historical realities. To be "in the flesh" is to have one's point of reference in his perishing age. To be "in the Spirit" is to have one's point of reference on the New Creation, which Christ in his resurrection is and anticipates, and of which we, if we are in Christ, are made partakers of.
Romans 8:5-11
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans January 17, 2010 The struggle that Paul details is a struggle, not before he was a Christian, but after. It is a struggle that every Christian will have until his justified spirit is made perfect with a view to the resurrection of the body. But more significantly, is the struggle is between Paul as he is in himself and Paul as he is in Christ. The perfectionist heresy taught that man in this life could be free from doing any sin if he tried really hard because of the power of Christ in him. John says that such a man is a liar, and the truth is not in him. The lesson with regard to sanctification, though, is this: that those who truly are justified long for sanctification.
Romans 7:7-8:4
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans January 10, 2010 A crucial principle, an earthly example, and the spiritual analog.
Romans 7:1-6
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans January 3, 2010 Change is part and parcel with life. If don’t like your circumstance, just wait – it will change. Unfortunately, the circumstances we like will change too. But God, who does not change, has ordained the circumstances of our life, and in Christ he has meant them for good and not for harm. God is present in the changing circumstances of our lives, and we ought to trust him.
Exodus 2:11 - 3:14
Rev. George C. Hammond
Exodus December 27, 2009 Caesar wanted to number the people for the reason for all census taking – to tax accurately and completely. The One who came to His own, but His own did not receive Him was instead by them numbered with transgressors. But he came to redeem number of people, certain and definite, that cannot be increased or diminished.
Luke 2:1-20
Rev. George C. Hammond
December 13, 2009 Ever since man succumbed to the first temptation, we have been inclined to think that freedom means autonomy. So Paul takes a different approach: he says that we have been set free from sin and now serve a new master. We have been made servants of God.
Romans 6:15-23
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans December 6, 2009 Paul told the Corinthians that Christ has become for us, not only our justification, but also our sanctification (1 Cor 1:30). Perhaps counterintuitively, to live under law is to live as a slave to sin. To live under grace is to live as a son, and a servant of God and righteousness.
Romans 6:8-14
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans November 15, 2009 In Romans 5, Paul tells us that for the parallels between Adam and Christ, there is one great disparity. Condemned in Adam, we may increase our guilt by our own sin. But we may not increase our justification before God with any acts of righteousness. Christ’s work is complete and finished, and our acceptance with God is assured, and full in him. There is a corollary to this: if we may not increase our justification before God by our righteousness, we may not diminish it either by our sin. When the gospel is grasped it sets us free to be who we really are: Who would you be if what you did couldn’t diminish your acceptance with God? Do you love his Word only in order to get something out of him? Some in Rome were saying, “If this is how it is, then I am free to sin.” Free to be me. What when chooses to do when one is free will show the true state of his heart, and whether he is in Adam or in Christ.
Romans 6:1-7
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans November 8, 2009 Theme: All of humanity falls into two categories: in Adam, and under God's wrath and curse for sin; or In Christ, and under God's love and mercy for the righteousness of Christ.
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans 5:12-21
Romans November 1, 2009 Hard as it may be to hear what the Scriptures have to say out our natural state before God, and that nothing in us makes us acceptable to God (not even our faith, which only recieves God's gift but adds nothing to it), when and to the degree that we lay hold of the trust that is it all of grace, nothing can shake us.
Romans 5:1-11
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans October 25, 2009 Theme: Grace is not a "new way" of God dealing with people. It is what he's always done. The coming of Christ "revealed" grace in that it gave a ground and basis for it.
Romans 4
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans October 18, 2009 Theme: Our righteousness, our standing with God is not by our works or character, but by Christ alone in his life, death, and resurrection.
Romans 3
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans October 11, 2009 Theme: Our sinfulness, inability, need of Christ
Romans 1:18-2:29
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans September 27, 2009 The book of Romans is Paul's most comprehensive statement of the gospel. All the Reformers saw Romans as the God-given key to understanding all of Scripture, since here Paul brings together all of the Bible's greatest themes. The introduction of this epistle is steeped in God's grace and the person of Christ.
Romans 1:1-7
Rev. George C. Hammond
Romans
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