Request your free, three-month trial to Tabletalk magazine. You’ll receive the print issue monthly and gain immediate digital access to decades of archives. This trial is risk-free. No credit card required.
Try Tabletalk NowAlready receive Tabletalk magazine every month?
Verify your email address to gain unlimited access.
Romans 1
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16a).
With a new year comes a new Tabletalk study. For 2002, we turn from the Old Testament books of Joshua and Judges to the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, long regarded by the church as the Bible’s pre-eminent exposition of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This will not be our first journey through this great portion of God’s Word; the daily studies in 1989, the year Tabletalk was revamped and the daily devotional component was added, were drawn from Romans as well. But one series of studies in Romans could not begin to unlock all the riches of wisdom and knowledge that the Holy Spirit, through Paul, has packed into the pages of this epistle. And since 2002 marks the 25th year of publication for Tabletalk, this year seemed to be an altogether propitious time to revisit Romans.
Doing so also affords us the opportunity to tap the wisdom of another great student of the Bible. In 1989, our studies were adapted from Dr. R.C. Sproul’s Romans Interact audio teaching series. This year, our guide will be the late Dr. James Montgomery Boice, through his four-volume commentary on Romans, published by Baker Books. Boice was pastor of Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church from 1968 until his death in 2000. He was the radio pastor for “The Bible Study Hour,” as well as a prolific author and a frequent conference speaker. His commentary on Romans is drawn from his lengthy series of sermons on the book.
In the introduction to the first volume of his commentary (which is reviewed on page 59), Boice asserts that “Christianity has been the most powerful, transforming force in human history—and the book of Romans is the most basic, most comprehensive statement of true Christianity.” Simply put, he says, the book is about the fundamental problem of human beings (our sinful rebellion against God and our inability to turn from it) and God’s solution for that problem. Thus, we are embarking today on a journey to the foundations of the Christian faith, a journey that shall, God willing, enlighten our minds with a new understanding of the divine purposes and therefore inflame our hearts with love and gratitude for His grace and mercy toward us through Christ.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Take some time to scan through Romans today. If your Bible includes an outline or other introductory materials, read over them to begin to familiarize yourself with the themes in this epistle. Then go to the Father in prayer, asking Him to bless this study and to open your heart and mind to the great truths we are about to encounter.
For Further Study
- Genesis 6:5
- Mark 16:16
- Acts 4:12
- Galatians 3:11
- 1 Timothy 1:15
- 1 Timothy 2:5