Sermon Tone Analysis

Romans 1:1-7

What is Paul motivated by?

For living

For writing

Paul is motivated by three main factors seen here in Romans 1:1-7...

His Master (v. 1)

His Message (vv.

2-4)

His Mission (vv.

5-7)

We examined the first one…let’s examine the second one.

His Message (vv.

2-4)

I want to consider 2 main questions, plus other secondary questions here.

We already considered the first.

But, by way of review...

What is Paul’s message?

(v. 1)

The gospel - good news...

That God wants mankind to know.

Sourced in Him, due to Him, that which He wants to be know.

Far greater news than any other, because God is far greater than any other.

Paul will expand on this in the next 3 verses, and tell us...

What is Paul’s message about?

(vv.

2-4)

It is primarily about a PERSON, who was PROMISED, BORN, and DECLARED:

I. PERSON WHO WAS PROMISED (vv.

2-3a)

A promise is a pledge to do something.

Here the word carries with it the idea of “previously” - beforehand

Paul didn’t invent it.

The promise was not a new thing, though the fulfillment was.

It was well know.

It was not a new thing to accept.

Notice again WHO the promise is from.

It is from God - He promised - the gospel of God (v. 1)

This is important because we should be reminded that God keeps His word.

He is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 145:13; Hebrews 10:23).

Where is the promise found?

How can it be know?

How has it been revealed by God?

Scriptures

Writings, but not just any writings - 2 identifiers

Prophets - who God used to write the OT scriptures, God revealed to them, supernaturally inspired them - in fact, the OT was known as the Law and Prophets; Moses wrote the Law and he was also a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Luke 24:27).

This is how God made the promise known.

So there was something to look for.

Prophets were confirmed by fulfillment (Deuteronomy 18:22).

So there was something to anticipate if believed.

Holy - set apart, sacred, pure - this speaks to the source - only the Holy God could produce holy writings (2 Peter 1:20–21).

So we are reminded here of WHO the promise is from and WHO delivered it to us, both are by God’s will.

What is the promise about?

It is about a lot of things.

What is it primarily about?

Or rather, who...? Look at the beginning of v. 3...

Son

The title “Son” or “Son of God” (v. 4) was a title for the promised Messiah (Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5), and it was a statement of equality with God (John 5:18).

The OT is primarily about this one Person.

The message is the Messiah.

Literally - in prediction about Him

Figuratively - foreshadowing Him - sacrifices, priesthood, tabernacle, law, etc.

Jesus taught this (Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44).

* So we first see here that Paul’s MESSAGE was about THE PERSON WHO WAS PROMISED.

II.

PERSON WHO WAS BORN (v.

3b)

The word translated “born” (NASV, “born of a descendant,” better than ESV here) means literally “became.”

This implies His preincarnate existence - He was, but He became.

He became something He was not previously when He was born...

From whom was He born?

What family line was He born from?

This is a significant aspect of the promise.

From David

Even the word “descendant” is important, meaning “seed” or “offspring” (2 Samuel 7:12; Isaiah 9:7; Jeremiah 23:5).

This was literally fulfilled in Jesus (v.

4; Matthew 1:1).

Which is who Paul identifies; where this is all going/pointing to (end of v. 4).

How was He born?

This might be obvious...

But to Paul it was important enough to specify...

According to the flesh

He took on Himself a literal body (1 John 4:2).

We refer to this phase as the incarnation.

He took on Himself the weakness of flesh (Hebrews 4:15).

** So second, we see here that Paul’s MESSAGE was about THE PERSON WHO WAS BORN.

III.

PERSON WHO WAS DECLARED (v. 4)

“Declared” - to mark out, appoint, determine

It contrasts with “became” (v.

3).

He already was…but He was declared to be...

What was declared about Him?

Son of God...

But what else?

Power

This could refer to “declared” - that is, powerfully declared, and this is true (Ephesians 1:19–20).

Scholars point out that this can also refer to Jesus.

Thus, NASV’s “Son of God with power.”

The word order favors this.

Plus this would be an appropriate contrast to the weakness of the flesh (v. 3) - a contrasting parallelism.

He gave up the exercise of the omnipotence that belonged to Him as God, which then He resumed after the resurrection (2 Corinthians 13:4).

To see it in this way is to see Him as God.

Either way, this declaration here (the resurrection of Jesus) is proof of His identity, that He is the Christ - powerfully declared (powerfully resurrected, and powerfully active and living).

How was it declared?

What happened to make this obvious?