Journal: Reformed Baptist Theological Review
Volume: RBTR 05:2 (Jul 2008)
Article: An Exposition Of Romans 1:1-7 With Special Emphasis On Paul’s Doxological Christology
Author: Michael Emadi

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RBTR 5:2 (July 2008) p. 43

An Exposition Of Romans 1:1-7
With Special Emphasis On Paul’s Doxological Christology

Michael Emadi*

* Michael Emadi is a M.Div. student at The Midwest Center for Theological Studies (http://www.mctsowensboro.org), Owensboro, KY.

The Epistle to the Romans has been called the greatest letter ever written. The opening four verses themselves provide a well of deep theological and Christological water from which the reader may drink. Paul opens his epistle in the usual manner, but then immediately proceeds to scale the Christological mountain until he reaches the Christo-climactic pinnacle in verse four. The Apostle does not merely speak of a resurrected Messiah; no, he speaks of One who was “declared” to be the Son-of-God-in-power, raised to an existence no longer of frailty and weakness but to a sovereignty and power commensurate with his post-resurrection position as “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Geerhardus Vos comments:

According to Rom. i. 1-4, while the identical Jesus who had been buried rose from the grave, yet it was by no means the same Jesus in the endowment and equipment of his human nature. Not only a new status had been acquired through the resurrection: new qualities amounting to a reconstructed adjustment to the future heavenly environment had been wrought in Him by the omnipotent power of God: He had been determined (declared effectually) the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.1

In the opening verses of Romans, one cannot help but notice the centrality of Jesus Christ in the gospel that Paul was set apart to proclaim. He cannot hold back from declaring the wonder of the Savior, so that his salutation contains an impressive amount of Christological truth. This article will examine the opening seven verses of Romans. May the glory of the Christ, about whom Paul could not stop writing, be exalted in the pages that follow.

RBTR 5:2 (July 2008) p. 44

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” Thus begins the lengthiest greeting in all of Paul’s letters. We will begin by examining the three descriptions that the author gives of his identity in these opening words. From there we will move on to examine Paul’s gospel and then end with a brief look at the addressees and at Paul’s greeting to the saints in Rome.

The Author: Paul

In the ancient world, letters customarily began with a declaration of the author’s identity and of the identity of those to whom they were written. Paul foll...

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