Well, we want to say Shalom to everyone. God bless you. It is good for us to be together under the sound of the Word. We think of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who is the Lamb of God, who is seated at God's right hand. About him as we are going to begin today with the study of the book of Romans. So I'm going to open the meeting with prayer and then we will begin with the reading of the first few verses of Romans chapter 1. And so Abba our Father we just ask your blessing upon your word especially as we're studying this very important letter that was written by Shaul Paul to the Roman believers, and we ask your blessing upon us that we also will learn from these important truths that are found in this book, in this letter.

Bless your word today, we pray in Yeshua's name. Amen, Amen, Amen. Well, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends. You please to open your Bibles to the book of Romans. And I today is going to introduce that book of Romans. And I would like to read the first 17 verses. Obviously, we will not cover the first 17 verses of Romans chapter 1, but just to have the Word of God before us. And then we will have a little bit of an introduction, which we will have to continue on in our next meetings together. And hopefully we will glean much from the study of the book of Romans that will help us spiritually to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach.

So Romans chapter 1 and verse 1. We read, to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised before by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead, by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name, among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ. Verse 8. I make mention of you always in my prayer, making requests if by any means now at length I might have prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

For I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end that ye may be established. With you by the mutual faith both of you and me now i would not have you ignorant brethren that often time i purposed to come unto you but was led hitherto that i might have some fruit among you also even as among other Gentiles i'm a debtor both to the Greek and to the barbarians to the wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, the gospel of Mashiach.

For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith. And I'm stopping here to read the first 17 verses of Romans chapter 1. We will not cover in this first meeting as an introduction all these verses, but I would like to just present before you an introduction in a small way just to help us as we continue on with the study of this important letter. It is very interesting that if there is any book that is essential for us to understand as believers in our Lord Jesus the Messiah, it is really the book of Romans it had been said that every believer in Yeshua ha-Mashiach need to learn to be a Roman soldier spiritually every true believer in the Lord Jesus the Messiah must understand the the instructions and the sound teaching book of Romans.

This is very important for us beloved brothers and sisters to understand. Now there is a question that was asked many many years ago by Job and I would like you to turn with me to the book of Job in Job chapter 25. Job asked this very interesting question. I'm turning to the book of Job in Job chapter 25. Read very interesting statement that Job asked a very interesting question very important question Job asked the question how then can men be justified with God he continued in the same verse and he said how can he be clean that is born of a woman question how then can men be justified with God and he continued to ask the second question or how can he be clean that is born of a woman the Hebrew word the question is in Hebrew is how then can men be justified with God and the word for men in Job chapter 25 and verse 4 is the Hebrew word enosh, a failing man, a fragile man, a man that is a fallen man, a sinner.

And it is such an important question, beloved brothers and sisters, because in this letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Romans believers in the city of Rome, Shaul Paul really answered that question. Is a possibility for fallen sinful men to be justified with a holy and a righteous God in fact this is the answer that all who seek to be right with God and longing to be right with God longing to receive forgiveness of sins this is exactly what Shaul Paul is presenting here in this letter to the Romans that there is a way whereby a can be justified with a holy and a righteous God.

That's why it is essential to study the letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Roman believers. In fact, let me just continue another thought that I would like to present before you. In Scriptures, in the Word of God, we have two roads unto salvation. A sinner to receive salvation to receive forgiveness the one road is called the Jerusalem Road and the other one the other road is called the Roman Road which teaches us from the complete canon of Scripture that there is only one way whereby a sinner can be right with a holy and a righteous God the Jerusalem Road of course take to take us to to a Scripture that is found in the Tanakh in the Hebrew Scriptures what is known today the Old Testament in fact in Jeremiah 31:3 we read of God's love in Isaiah 59:2 we read of man's sin in Leviticus 17:11 we read of God's demands atonement blood must be shed we learn in verse 3, 6, and 11, we read of God's provision of the Messiah, the Redeemer.

And in Isaiah 55 and verse 3, we read of man who trusts God and he is able to receive forgiveness and justification with God. The Roman road unto salvation is also found for us in the whole book of Romans. Of God's love. God commanded his love. In Romans 3 and verse 23, we learn of man's sin, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In Romans 6 and verse 23, we learn of the wages of sin, that is death. But in Romans chapter 6 and verse 23b, we learn of the gift of God, which is eternal life through our Lord Jesus the Messiah. And in Romans chapter 10 and verses 9 and 10, man's response ought to be, if thou shalt confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God had raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

A one being clean that is born of a woman the book of Romans gives us the answer that there is a way whereby a man can be justified with God in fact if you turn with me to verse 17 the last verse that we read in Romans chapter 1 and verse 17 the apostle Paul the apostle Paul said In verse 17, for therein, in fact I read verse 16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also unto the Greek. And then he continued in verse 17 of Romans chapter 1 and he said, unto faith as it is written: "The just shall live by faith." And so, beloved brothers and sisters, learning and studying the book of Romans and seeking the Lord's help to become a Roman soldier spiritually help us to really understand that there is a way whereby a person can be.

With a holy and a righteous God and it is only on the basis of faith in the person of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. And so it is interesting because as we are beginning with an introduction, I would like to remind everyone that the first word in this book, in this letter, is the name of Paul. Immediately we want to ask ourselves the question, who is Paul? Who is Paul? This is a very important question to ask. Now, if you remember, in fact, I would like you for a moment to turn with me to the book of Acts. And let me remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that Paul was the parush, the Pharisee, an Israeli, a Hebrew, a Jewish man, was opposed to the message of the gospel, to the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and to those from among his people who believe that Jesus, Yeshua, was indeed the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah.

And when we read in Acts chapter 9 concerning Paul, we learn from the first verses of Acts chapter 9, is Shaul. His diaspora or Latin name is Paul, meaning little. And Shaul, we read in verse 1 of Acts chapter 9, Saul was yet breathing out, threatening, and slaughtered against the disciples of the Lord. He went unto the high priest, and he desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way. Whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth, and he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

And he said, Who art our Lord? And the Lord said unto him, I am Jesus, I am Yeshua, whom thou art persecuting. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. Chapter there was a man by the name of Hananiah according to verse 10 to verse 16 and Hananiah was one of these early Jewish believers in the city of Damascus and Hananiah was told by the glorified Christ the glorified Messiah these words notice in verse 15 and 16 when Shaul was going to Hananiah, and Hananiah was going to receive him, the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the glorified Messiah, said now to Hananiah, after the apostle, after Shaul became a believer, calling the Lord Yeshua Lord, then Hananiah was told, the Lord said unto him in verse 15 and 16, Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake and Hananiah went on his way and he entered into the house he putting his hands on him and he says brother Saul verse 17 the Lord even Jesus had appeared unto thee in the way.

And thou camest hath sent me, that thou might receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately, as we read here, that he received his sight, he was baptized, and Shaul, who opposed the early believers in Yeshua the Messiah, sought to kill them and to harm them, to bring them to the city of Yerushalayim, known, beloved brothers and sisters, the apostle to the Gentiles, to the uncircumcision. And here he is writing this letter beginning with the word Paul. Now let me quickly just bear in mind with me, if you turn with me to Acts chapter 13, Shaul was commended to a full-time ministry to serve the Lord Jesus the Messiah from the local assembly in the city of antioch which is in Damascus in Syria that is and we read there in act chapter 13 and verse now verse 1 now there were in the in the church that was in antioch certain prophets and teachers as barnabas and Simon this is.

Siren and menashe which had been brought up with herod the tatrak and Shaul notice that his name is called Saul even though he became already a believer in the Lord Jesus the Messiah because some people mistakenly say that he when his name when he's when he was Jewish his name was Saul when he became a christian his name was Paul but it's not correct because his name was Shaul and Paul all the time The Latin name that he received was the name that was given to the Jewish people who live in the diaspora. They had two names, the Hebrew name and the diaspora name. He used the name Paul when he ministered to the Gentiles.

And you can see very clearly, if you read a little bit further, that we read in verse 2. Barnabas and Saul, still calling him Shaul, for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed and they laid hands on them, they sent them away. And you notice as we read a little bit further in verse 9 of Acts chapter 13, we do read, then Shaul, Saul, who also is called Paul. Not that he changed his name from Saul to Paul, who is also called Paul. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and he set his eyes on him. In other words, beloved brothers and sisters, this person by the name of Shaul Paul is the one who wrote that letter to the Romans.

Chosen to communicate the divine plan of God concerning the salvation of the whole world. The Spirit of God, God in his wisdom, have chosen this man by the name of Shaul Paul, who was not only, beloved brothers and sisters, a Galilean fisherman or a shepherd, but Shaul Paul lived in Tarsus he was born in Tarsus in present-day Turkey he was very well educated he knew the Greek and the Roman culture and he was able beloved brothers and sisters to communicate this divine truth that God have given him to present it before the believers in the city of Rome and through them of course to us today and he is the one that by the help of the Spirit of God gave us the answer in this letter to the question how then can a man be justified with God and the answer of course that a just shall live by faith and so as we are going along in the introduction of this book of Romans the theme.

This book of course is Romans chapter 1 and verse 17 let me read this verse again Romans chapter 1 and verse 17 it is the theme of this book of Romans i'm reading actually you cannot read this verse before reading verse 16 so i'll read again Romans 1 verses 16 and 17 In Hebrew it's called Besorat HaMashiach. Why, Paul, you are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Here's the answer. For it is the power of God unto salvation. And it is to everyone that believes. Notice the word believe. It is God's dynamite. God's power unto salvation to everyone that believes. And he continued to the Jew first. We will get to it later on as God in this world always works first through his Jewish people, through the Jewish people, whether it is for blessing or whether it is for cursing and judgment.

It's always through the Jewish people first. You'll see it later on in Romans chapter 2. And then he continued, he said, then also to the Greek, to the nations, to all people. He says, for therein, in that gospel, in that message of the gospel, that the Messiah came from heaven to die on a shameful cross for the sin of this world, that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day, according to the Scripture, and that he was taken out to glory, and that he is seated at God's right hand, accepted, and that you and I, if we only believe, on him and accept God's provision for redemption and justification and salvation we will be eternally forgiven eternally justified for there in verse 17 is the righteousness of God revealed from faith unto faith as it is written the just shall live by faith and you will notice beloved brothers and sisters that Shaul Paul is quoting many, many times the Hebrew Scriptures throughout the book of Romans.

It had been said by some that over 60 times he is quoting the Hebrew Scriptures here in the book of Romans to verify, to explain, to expound, to show to all. Present to the Romans the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah that he is none else but the one that was already spoken about by the prophets of Israel and this is very very important especially for us today in these last days of the church age because we need to realize that faith in Christ faith in the Messiah is not based upon some theory or some but it is based upon the Hebrew Scriptures. It was foretold long time ago throughout the Torah, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, throughout the prophet Hannevi'im, throughout the Nevi'im, Isaiah, all the way to the end, even in the writings, the writing, the Psalms, and the Proverbs, and all the writings in the Scripture, it was already.

Predicted by the Hebrew writers that the Mashiach will come and that through him blessing will flow to all the nations of the world in fact I would like you to turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 15 with me as we are introducing the book of Romans in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 when Paul said in Roman 1 and verse 16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ Besorat HaMashiach, what is the gospel? The message of the good news, the glad tidings that the apostle Paul is presenting now in this book of Romans to the believers in the local assembly at Rome, strengthening them, encouraging them, and he's basing what he's teaching them upon the gospel, the besorat, the gospel of Christ.

According to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, we read in verse 3 and 4, in verse 5 onwards and so beloved brothers and sisters as we are introducing the the the book of Romans the theme is the righteousness of God you notice it says here and i'm reading this again in verse 17 for therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith unto faith and i want you to notice does not say here the righteousness of Christ. It does not say the righteousness of the Mashiach, but it says the righteousness of God. Why? Because the righteousness of the Messiah in his life here upon the face of the earth when the Lord Jesus the Messiah lived here in this world, he never sinned.

Continued to walk and like Enoch he could be taken to heaven without to die Enoch was a sinner but the Lord Jesus the Messiah was sinless one he did not need to die because there was no sin that he had committed and therefore our salvation does not depend upon only his life here on earth because the righteousness of Christ if he could if he would gone to heaven would never avail for you and me Because sin must be paid. And the payment must be the blood of one that has never sinned. And therefore, we don't read here that we have received righteousness on the basis of the forgiveness and justification, on the basis of the righteousness of the Messiah or the righteousness of Christ, but on the basis of the righteousness.

Of God why because God had to take this man Christ Jesus the Mashiach Yeshua and punish him and lay upon him the iniquity of us all therefore this man by the name of Jesus who was a perfect man God the son and God who became a man who took union humanity with his divine you as man he had to die, to become a substitute for you and I. And that's the only ground upon his death, burial, and resurrection, that is the gospel, that you and I could receive justification. And that's why in Romans chapter 1 and verse 17 it says, the righteousness of a holy and a righteous God is revealed from faith unto faith as it is written and that's the the time that we read of the prophet Habakkuk that if you remember in Habakkuk in chapter 2 and verse 4 of the prophecy of Habakkuk as we have already studied together the prophecy of Habakkuk.

To Habakkuk that the just in the history of Israel as we read the context of Habakkuk chapter 2 the just the believers those that will be just by faith they will live by faith they will trust God and apostle Paul is quoting Habakkuk chapter 2 here in quoting it again in Galatians 3 in verse 11 and the Hebrew author is quoting it in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 38. In other words, beloved brothers and sisters, every one of these three new covenant books emphasize a different aspect of this one verse that God gave to in chapter 2 and verse 4 historically in about 630 BC long before the Messiah was born and the apostle Shaul Paul took this promise of God and emphasized this in these two letters plus the Hebrew author in the book of Hebrews some believe for this reason because this is mentioned in these three letters in the new testament.

Some believe that also even the book of Hebrews were written by the apostle Shaul Paul but whoever wrote these these three letters in the brit hachadasha in the new covenant essential letters to understand as we walk with the Lord that that in order for us to grasp and to mature spiritually and to understand the word of God we need to learn these to become a Roman spiritually and to understand the purpose of the book of Galatians and of course the purpose of the book of Hebrews every one of these three letters emphasize two words or two words that are mentioned in Habakkuk it's actually one word in the Hebrew but two words in the English and so in Roman chapter 117 the emphasizing is the justification the just in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 11 the emphasis is shall live and in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 38 the emphasis is by faith by faith and here we are in the introduction of the letter to the Romans we are learning to see how the theme of this letter is the righteousness.

Of God in Hebrew and the key verse of course is Romans chapter 1 and verse 17 which is quoting what Habakkuk said to Israel some 630 years before the coming of the Messiah Jesus himself now the book of Romans can be divided into three sections and I would like you, beloved brothers and sisters, to understand how important it is to understand the divisions of the book of Romans. If we will not understand the divisions of the book of Romans, we might stumble as we are reading into the book of Romans to chapter 7 and other chapters. We will not understand, we might lose out of clearly understanding the purpose of the book of Romans.

In fact, can say that the book of Romans divided itself into three sections section number one is found from chapter 1 verse 1 to chapter 3 and verse 20 and there in these verses beloved brothers and sisters from chapter 1 verse 1 into chapter 3 verse 20 we have the thought of sin. The letter, capital S-I-N. The question is the question of sin. Secondly, the second division from chapter, by the way, chapter 3, verse 21 to chapter 5 and verse 21. We continue here. And there is the theme of salvation. There you find out that all have sinned and come short. The glory of God chapter 3 verse 21 and then we find that we have peace with God in chapter 5 and verse 21 so the second letter that we can have there is the the letter s salvation then thirdly we have in a chapter a a a little bit later on in the third letter is the third s and that is the letter sanctification for the word sanctification chapter 6 1 to chapter 8 and verse 39 so let me just repeat myself because it had there are various divisions of the book of Romans so the the first way to divide Romans is actually into five sections sin salvation and then sanctification So Romans 1:1 to Romans 3:20 sin.

Romans 3:21 to Romans 5:21 salvation. Romans 6:1 to Romans 8:39 sanctification. And then next to it is the fourth word which starts with the letter S is chapter 9 verse 1 to chapter 11 and verse 36. Is sovereignty. The sovereignty of God in relation to his earthly people of Israel. Past Romans 9, present Romans 10, and yet the future restoration of Israel that is coming very soon in Romans chapter 11. So the sovereignty of God is presented to the Romans believers in Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11. This is an important portion that is found in the center of the book of Romans, lest the Romans, lest you and I will forget the plan and the sovereignty of God in relation to the people of Israel, to God's earthly people and the future restoration.

And finally, in Romans chapter 12 and verse 1, all the way to the end of the book of Romans, Romans 16 and verse 27, we have the fifth letter, I should say the fifth letter with the word S is the service of the saints. God has called his own people to serve him and to live for him here in this world. So we really can divide the whole book of Romans, the first way of dividing it is to five sections with the letter S in each one of the division. So, the first one, chapter 1 to chapter 3, is sin. Chapter 3 to the end of chapter 5 is salvation. Chapter 6 to chapter 8 is the sanctification.

Chapter 9 to the end of chapter 11, sovereignty. And chapter 12 to the end of the book, to chapter 16, is service. Sanctification, sovereignty, and service. Five SS, easy to remember the division of the book of Romans. There's another way to divide it. Others divide it in this way, which I think it is very interesting, is that the first eight chapters, Romans chapter one to the end of chapter eight, we have doctrine. In Hebrew it's called doctrina, limud, limudim. Teaching sound doctrine and Paul is always doing so as in every letter that Shaul Paul wrote to anyone he always gives us doctrine he always gives us limudim teaching and then he's moving to the duty the responsibility so two letters or I should say one letter the letter D is doctrine and then Romans chapter 9 to the end of chapter 11 we have the dispensational which we spoke about and of course chapter 12 to the end of the book we have the duty so we have doctrine dispensational and duty in the second way of dividing the book of Romans let me give you a third division that I have wrote it for myself is chapter 1 to chapter 8 is a theology chapter 9 to chapter 11 is in relationship to Israel God's relationship to his earthly people Israel and chapter 12 to the end of chapter 16 the practice of righteousness so let me just use the word righteousness here chapter 1 to chapter 8 the theology of.

Chapter 9 to chapter 11, the righteousness in relationship to Israel, the nation. And chapter 12 to chapter 16, the practice of righteousness. The three divisions, the theology of righteousness, righteousness in relationship to Israel, and the practice of righteousness in the life of the believer. In the Lord Jesus the Messiah. That is again by way of introduction to the book of Romans. Let me continue here because time is really passing by so fast in the introduction. The letter to the Romans is the only letter, I should say the book of Romans is the only book that Paul wrote to a local assembly that he did not found. And he actually never visited until he arrived to Rome at the end of the book of Acts and he called them to himself in other words the apostle Paul did not found the book of Rome and he was not there to preach and to establish to preach the gospel and establish the believers there but apparently used by the Lord to lead people wherever he was on his missionary journeys and these there was so much movement of people doing the day those days when the Apostle Paul was preaching the gospel doing those early days of the Roman Empire where many that have turned to accept the Lord accept the Lord Jesus the Messiah moved to Rome and share with others the message of the gospel and somehow people have accepted the Lord and a local assembly was established in the city of Rome.

But it is extremely interesting that he wrote this letter apparently from Corinth to the believers at Rome but he was never there. In fact notice what it says here in verse 10 Romans chapter 1 and verse 10. He means now at length finally i might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you but he didn't arrive there as yet when he wrote from the from Corinth to the believers there at Rome if you look a little bit a little bit further down he said notice in verse 13 but i do not want you to be ignorant brethren that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, but was led hitherto.

God did not allow me during this time to come to you, though I planned and I wanted to come to you, but somehow God did not lead me in this direction. He was led by the Spirit of God to go elsewhere, so he had not arrived to Rome as yet. Rome. And he longed to go to be with them and to minister to them, to share with them what the Lord is doing and to encourage them and to edify them and to build them in their most holy faith. So even though he was not directly used to minister to them and to establish this local assembly with the help of course of the Spirit of God, he is only a vessel yet beloved brothers and sisters indirectly him and Peter perhaps and the early Jewish believers who left Jerusalem and were dispersed they have arrived to the city of Rome shared the message of the gospel of our Lord Jesus the Messiah led by the power the Spirit of God to many to come to faith in the Savior and the Redeemer and there they have established a local believers which the vast majority.

Were not Jewish but they were Jews and Gentiles united together in the body of Messiah the body of Christ in the local assembly there in the city of Rome and so Paul is writing to them this letter but the letter to the Romans is written to a local church that Paul did not directly found or was used by the Lord to establish And he didn't even visit them, and yet he's writing to them this very important letter, beloved brothers and sisters. The letter to the Romans was written by Paul from Corinth, apparently. And it was written about 56 AD, before he went to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.

Believers in the city of Jerusalem who because of their faith in the Messiah have experienced persecution and Shaul Paul wanted to go to the city of Jerusalem to minister to the saints and to keep the feast in in Jerusalem and so as he was on his way going from Corinth he wrote this letter to the believers at Rome and apparently I would like you to turn with me to the end of the book of to chapter 16 and he apparently sent this letter by a woman by the name of Phoebe. Notice that in chapter 16 and verse 1 and 2 we do read, I commend unto you Phoebe our sister.

As he was sending along with her this letter, he was commanding Phoebe the sister which is a servant of the church which is at Apparently, it is so interesting that this woman by the name of Phoebe, she was a servant of the Lord. Apparently, the Apostle Paul used her to handle the letter, to send it to the believers at Rome, and he asked them to receive her and to treat her in a right way, to accept her as a servant who served many in the area where the Apostle Paul was. He says here, he used this expression here, she was a servant of the church which is in St.

Shera. And she has assisted, she has been such a blessing, a helper of many, including myself, Paul saying, as well. So he's using a Phoebe to bring this letter. And beloved brothers and sisters, you can just imagine what a blessing this letter has been to the believers at Rome and to you and I today who are by nature sinners. Who receive forgiveness and have justification through the finished work of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. What a blessing it is for Paul to have Phoebe to hand over this letter to the believers there in the city of Rome. Now again, stay where you are in Romans chapter 15.

I just want to read one more verse there. In Romans chapter 15, And then you notice that in verses 15 and 16, there in the end of the letter, the apostle Paul says to the Roman believers, he says, listen to this, that I should be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Paul, as he ending up this letter, he is reminding the believers at Rome that he is a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach to the Gentiles. And what he ministered to them?

He ministered to them the Gospel of God. And the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. To see is the Apostle Paul is the one that is the author of the book of Roman the one that presented before the Romans believers the theme of this letter the righteousness of God Romans 1 and verse 17 he even though he never visited or have seen the Roman believers maybe some knew of him and he knew of some otherwise never visited the city of Rome never have been there until the end of his journey at the book of Acts chapter 28 he is writing this letter to the believers at Rome from Corinth at about 56 AD on his way to the city of Jerusalem to minister the gifts that were given by the Gentile believers by the saints.

Gentiles to give it to the Jewish saints in Jerusalem and on his way he's writing this most important letter to the Romans. Let me just one more statement here to say just to end for this meeting. Now there is another additional introduction we'll have to do in our next meeting together in the book of Romans but the church at Rome was founded through the ministry as we mentioned Paul and Peter, both of them, one of them was the apostle to the Gentiles, to the uncircumcision. Peter was the apostle to the circumcision. Both of them ministered the word of God, led people to the Lord. And then many of them have traveled beyond the city of Jerusalem and have arrived to the city of Rome and shared the message of the gospel.

And the assembly in the city of Rome was founded. Brothers and sisters, without even the immediate direct visit of the apostle Paul himself. So I know that we have the time just about ended. Let me just read one more time the first verse, Romans chapter 1 and verse 1. Called to be an apostle separate unto the gospel of God you notice it says that he was a servant of Jesus Christ the word here in the Greek is really a bond servant bond slave the Hebrew word is avid he was a bond slave voluntarily he not only that he was chosen by the Lord to become a vessel but he really gave himself to be a bond servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah.

And notice it says in verse 1, called to be an apostle. Now you have to take away the word to be in italic here, because he is not called to be, he is called an apostle, and he was separated unto the gospel of God. He was separated by the Lord Jesus himself to present the gospel to the nations of the world. And just to close here for today, beloved brothers and sisters, in Acts chapter 9, these verses that we have already read, where the Lord Jesus the Messiah spoke to Hananiah and he said to him in chapter 9 of Acts and verse 15, And indeed Shaul Paul was chosen by the Lord Jesus as a vessel, and vessel to proclaim the message of the gospels to the people to the nations to the to the Gentile world and he became the apostle to the Gentiles jessech es Shimon petros according to Galatians chapter 2 became the apostle to the circumcision to the Jewish people Paul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle to the gospel of God.

And so, beloved brothers and sisters, I want to stop here with that. We will continue with a little bit more details of verse by verse of the book of Romans. And so here, beloved friends, we have introduced the theme of the book of Romans. And so sin, salvation, sanctification. Sovereignty, and service. The five ways in which we can divide the book of Romans, the book of doctrine, dispensation, and duty. Doctrine, dispensation, and duty. May the Lord help us as we are studying together the book of Romans. We will pray. We'll close the meeting for today. Until the next time, beloved friend, we wish you the Lord's blessing.

So, Abba Father, thank you for helping us. Session to introduce the book of Romans. Bless your word, we pray. Help us to understand this important letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Roman believers. We ask it all in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen. Amen. God bless you, my friend. We say shalom to you all. Until the next time, shalom, shalom. Bye-bye. You