Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. – Romans 1:1

Scripture reading: Romans 1:1-17 

We began our meditations with texts from Matthew and the Book of Acts. Today, we begin with Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Paul addressed this letter to a church he had yet to visit. It was organized by people who had visited Jerusalem and witnessed the events on Pentecost. Upon returning home, they shared with their respective communities their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, having been baptized as members of His Church.

Unlike the other letters which addressed certain doctrinal and ethical problems, this letter can best be described as “The Catechism of the Christian Church.” It sets forth in a systematic way, an exposition of the Gospel. This is Paul’s theme throughout the letter, as we notice from his salutation:

“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 has played a special role in the life of the Church. It functions as a key to the understanding of the Bible. The rediscovery of its teachings contributed to the revival of the Christian faith. It was through his study of Romans, that Martin Luther found peace with God and launched the Reformation, five hundred years ago!

Suggestions for prayer

Plead with the Lord to work mightily among us, that we may take to heart, the vital lessons from this Epistle.

This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”