James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Romans 1:18-32
MAN LOST BY NATURE We saw in the last lesson that man if he would be saved must become righteous before God, and the righteousness which alone satisfies Him is that which he Himself supplies. We now learn what man’s condition is which makes this a necessity. In other words this lesson, constituting the second general division of the epistle, (1) gives us a Divine declaration about sin (Romans 1:18-21 ); (2) shows it to be punitive and degenerative in its effects (Romans 1:22-23 ); and (3)... read more
James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Romans 1:1-17
INTRODUCTION AND THEME It is not known how, or when, the church at Rome was founded, but probably by Jews who received the Gospel in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:0 ). We shall see later that neither Paul nor any other apostle had as yet visited that metropolis, although Paul had a great desire to do so; and it was natural that he should wish to announce before his coming the distinctive truths which had been revealed to and through him. He would desire the Christians in Rome to... read more