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"God Is Able - To Him Be the Glory!"
Romans 16:25-27

Wednesday Evening Home Bible Study
May 25, 2005

In Romans 1:1-5 we see the main themes of the gospel presented to us:

• that salvation is a work of God's grace.
• that this salvation was promised long ago in the Old Testament, but was now being revealed.
• that the proclamation of it concerns the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
• that God entrusted this message to preachers mandated to proclaim it to the nations.
• that it demands a response of obedient faith from all who hear it.

Romans 16:25-27 repeats many of these same themes. In these closing words, he re-affirms these great gospel themes.

I. THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL: God who alone is able to save and establish (v. 25).

A. We cannot save ourselves because of our deadness in sins (Eph. 2:1-3).

B. We are utterly dependent upon God's grace for salvation (Eph. 2:4-10).

II. THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL: Christ crucified and risen (vv. 25-26).

A. God establishes people according to Paul's gospel. It was not a message he created, but was given (Gal. 1:11-12).

B. The gospel Paul preached was a "mystery" revealed. Mystery here means the eternal plan of God which was hidden from man in the past (1 Cor. 2:7-10), but revealed by God in the present (Col. 1:25-27).

C. The revealing of it is not enough. It must also be made known. (Greek allows for the translatio "but now made manifest, EVEN by . . ."; that is, referring to the instrument and cause) It is made known:

1. by the prophetic scriptures (John 5:39; Luke 24:25-27; Acts 26:23).

2. according to God's command (Acts 9:15; 1 Cor. 9:16).

III. THE GOAL OF THE GOSPEL: The nations brought to obedience to the faith (v. 26).

A. It's a message for all nations (Luke 2:10).

B. It is to result in obedience to the faith on the part of those who hear (Mark 1:14-15).

IV. THE OUTCOME OF THE GOSPEL: The glory of God (v. 27; see also Romans 11:33-36).

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