Romans · New Testament · Romans 1:1–7
Paul's Introduction and Greeting
The Story
Paul opens his letter by identifying himself as a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach the Good News. He immediately grounds that Good News in the promises God made long ago through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, establishing that what he is about to write is not something new but the fulfillment of what God had already declared. The Good News itself centers entirely on God's Son — born into King David's family line in his earthly life, and shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit — who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, Paul states, God gave him the privilege and authority as an apostle to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done, so that they would believe and obey Him and bring glory to His name. Paul then identifies the recipients of the letter — the believers in Rome — as those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ, included among the Gentiles who are now part of God's people. He describes them as those who are loved by God and called to be His own holy people. The greeting closes with a blessing that sets the tone for the entire letter: "May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace."
The Message
Paul wastes no words establishing that the Good News about Jesus is not a departure from what God had promised — it is the fulfillment of it, rooted in Scripture and centered on a specific person: Jesus Christ, both Son of David and Son of God, confirmed by His resurrection. The recipients of this letter are not defined by their city, their status, or their background — they are defined by the fact that God loves them and has called them. That identity — loved by God, called to belong to Christ — is the foundation on which everything Paul writes in Romans will stand.