1. Romans
Chapter 1, 2

3. During his sojourn at Corinth, Paul found time to look forward to new and wider fields of service. His contemplated journey to Rome especially occupied his thoughts. To see the Christian faith firmly established at the great center of the known world was one of his dearest hopes and most cherished plans. A church had already been established in Rome, and the apostle desired to secure the co-operation of the believers there in the work to be accomplished in Italy and in other countries. To prepare the way for his labors among these brethren, many of whom were as yet strangers to him, he sent them a letter announcing his purpose of visiting Rome and his hope of planting the standard of the cross in Spain. (AA 373.1)

4. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul set forth the great principles of the gospel. He stated his position on the questions which were agitating the Jewish and the Gentile churches, and showed that the hopes and promises which had once belonged especially to the Jews were now offered to the Gentiles also. (AA 373.2)

5. With great clearness and power the apostle presented the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ. He hoped that other churches also might be helped by the instruction sent to the Christians at Rome; but how dimly could he foresee the far-reaching influence of his words! Through all the ages the great truth of justification by faith has stood as a mighty beacon to guide repentant sinners into the way of life. It was this light that scattered the darkness which enveloped Luther’s mind and revealed to him the power of the blood of Christ to cleanse from sin. The same light has guided thousands of sin-burdened souls to the true Source of pardon and peace. For the epistle to the church at Rome, every Christian has reason to thank God.
(AA 373.3)

6. But does Romans also speak of sanctification?

7. Some Key Words Law—78 (nomos) Sin—60 (hamartia) Faith—39 (pistis)
Righteousness—39 (dikaiosunē)
“Righteousness…faith”— 23

8. Justification—3 (dikaiōsis)
Some Key Words
Righteous—1 (dikaios)
Just—5 (dikaios)
Justification—3 (dikaiōsis)
Justified—10 (dikaioō)
Justifier—1 (dikaioō)
Justify—1 (dikaioō)

9. Other Key Words Flesh—26 (sarx) Spirit—29 (pneuma) Works—9 (ergon)
Grace—24 (charis)
Power—15 (dunamis)
Gospel—13 (euangelion)
Israel—12

10. Other Key Words Jew—11 Jew first—3 What shall we say?—6
Holy, holiness (i.e., sanctification)—16
Sanctified—1

11. Justification by faith in Christ will be made manifest in transformation of character. This is the sign to the world of the truth of the doctrines we profess. (6BC )

12. The Son of God alone can do the great work of illuminating the soul
The Son of God alone can do the great work of illuminating the soul. No wonder Paul exclaims, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” [v. 16] The gospel of Christ becomes personality in those who believe, and makes them living epistles, known and read of all men. In this way the leaven of godliness passes into the multitude. (FE 199.2)

13. “Verses 16 and 17. Here we have the text of the epistle
“Verses 16 and 17. Here we have the text of the epistle. The entire book is but an expansion of these verses” (E. J. Waggoner, Bible Studies on the Book of Romans, p. 1).

14. Romans 1:17
From faith to faith—Or beginning and ending in faith (English Standard Version, footnote; Logos)

15. v. 18—
Hold—to prevent someone from doing something by restraining or hindering—‘to prevent, to hinder, to restrain, to keep from.’‘the people whose evil ways keep the truth from being known’ Ro 1:18. (Louw-Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains)
Prevent, hinder, restrain, keep from, hold back, withhold

16. Martin Luther

17. This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament
This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest gospel. It is well worth a Christian’s while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. Therefore, I want to carry out my service and, with this preface, provide an introduction to the letter, insofar as God gives me the ability, so that every one can gain the fullest possible understanding of it. Up to now it has been darkened by glosses [explanatory notes and comments which accompany a text] and by many a useless comment, but it is in itself a bright light, almost bright enough to illumine the entire Scripture (Martin Luther, “Preface” to his commentary on the book of Romans).

18. Law

19. Luther summarized: To begin with, we have to become familiar with the vocabulary and know what Paul means by such words as law, sin, grace, faith, justice, flesh, and spirit.
You must not understand the word law in human fashion, i.e., a regulation about what sort of works must be done or not done. That’s the way it is with human laws—you satisfy the demands of the law with works, whether your heart is in it or not. God judges what is in the depths of the heart. His law also makes demands on the depths of the heart and doesn’t let the heart rest content in works alone. Rather, it punishes as hypocrisy and lies all works done apart from the depths of the heart. Everyone finds inside himself an aversion to good and a craving for evil.

20. The faith that is unto salvation is not a casual faith, it is not the mere consent of the intellect, it is belief rooted in the heart, that embraces Christ as a personal Saviour, assured that He can save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. To believe that He will save others, but will not save you is not genuine faith; but when the soul lays hold upon Christ as the only hope of salvation, then genuine faith is manifested. This faith leads its possessor to place all the affections of the soul upon Christ; his understanding is under the control of the Holy Spirit, and his character is molded after the divine likeness. His faith is not a dead faith, but a faith that works by love, and leads him to behold the beauty of Christ, and to become assimilated to the divine character. (1SM 391.3)

21. Luther: Therefore, in chapter 2, Paul adds that the Jews are all sinners and says that only the doers of the law are justified in the sight of God [v. 13]. What he is saying is that no one is a doer of the law by works. On the contrary, he says to them, “You teach that one should not commit adultery, and you commit adultery. You judge another in a certain matter and condemn yourselves in that same matter, because you do the very same thing that you judged in another.” It is as if he were saying, “Outwardly you live quite properly in the works of the law and judge those who do not live the same way; you know how to teach everybody. You see the speck in another’s eye but do not notice the beam in your own.”

22. Luther: Outwardly you keep the law with works out of fear of punishment or love of gain. Likewise you do everything without free desire and love of the law; you act out of aversion and force. You’d rather act otherwise if the law didn’t exist. It follows, then, that you, in the depths of your heart, are an enemy of the law. What do you mean, therefore, by teaching another not to steal, when you, in the depths of your heart, are a thief and would be one outwardly too, if you dared.

23. Luther: It is one thing to do the works of the law and quite another to fulfill it. The works of the law are every thing that a person does or can do of his own free will and by his own powers to obey the law. But because in doing such works the heart abhors the law and yet is forced to obey it, the works are a total loss and are completely useless. That is what Paul means in chapter 3 when he says, “No human being is justified before God through the works of the law [v. 20].”

24. Luther: But to fulfill the law means to do its work eagerly, lovingly and freely, without the constraint of the law; it means to live well and in a manner pleasing to God, as though there were no law or punishment. It is the Holy Spirit, however, who puts such eagerness of unconstained love into the heart, as Paul says in chapter 5. But the Spirit is given only in, with, and through faith in Jesus Christ, as Paul says in his introduction. So, too, faith comes only through the word of God [10:17], the gospel, that preaches Christ—how he is both Son of God and man, how he died and rose for our sake. Paul says all this in chapters 3, 4 and 10.

25. Luther: That is why faith alone makes someone just and fulfills the law. Faith brings the Holy Spirit through the merits of Christ. The Spirit, in turn, renders the heart glad and free, as the law demands. Then good works proceed from faith itself. That is what Paul means in chapter 3 when, after he has thrown out the works of the law, he sounds as though the wants to abolish the law by faith. No, he says, we uphold the law through faith, i.e. we fulfill it through faith.

26. Sin

27. Luther: Sin in the Scriptures means external works of the body and also all those movements within us which bestir themselves and move us to do the external works, namely, the depth of the heart with all its powers. No external work of sin happens unless a person commits himself to it completely, body and soul. In particular, the Scriptures see into the heart, to the root and main source of all sin—unbelief in the depth of the heart. Thus, even as faith makes just and brings the Spirit and the desire to do good external works, so it is unbelief which exalts the flesh and brings desire to do evil external works.

28. Luther: That is why unbelief is called sin by Christ, as he says in John, chapter 16, “The Spirit will punish the world because of sin, because it does not believe in me [v. 8].” Furthermore, before good or bad works happen, which are the good or bad fruits of the heart, there has to be present in the heart either faith or unbelief, the root, sap and chief power of all sin.

29. Faith

30. Luther: Faith is not that human illusion and dream that some people think it is. When they hear and talk a lot about faith and yet see that no moral improvement and no good works result from it, they fall into error and say, “Faith is not enough. You must do works if you want to be virtuous and get to heaven.” The result is that, when they hear the Gospel, they stumble and make for themselves with their own powers a concept in their hearts which says, “I believe.” This concept they hold to be true faith. But since it is a human fabrication and thought and not an experience of the heart, it accomplishes nothing, and there follows no improvement.

31. Luther: Faith is a work of God in us, which changes us and brings us to birth anew from God. It kills the old Adam, makes us completely different people in heart, mind, senses, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it. What a living, creative, active powerful thing is faith! It is impossible that faith ever stops doing good. Faith doesn’t ask whether good works are to be done, but, before it is asked, it has done them. It is always active. Whoever doesn’t do such works is without faith. He gropes and searches about him for faith and good works but doesn’t know what faith or good works are.

32. Luther: Faith is a living, unshakeable confidence in God’s grace; it is so certain, that someone would die a thousand times for it. This kind of trust in and knowledge of God’s grace makes a person joyful, confident, and happy with regard to God and to all creatures. This is what the Holy Spirit does by faith. Through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; he will serve everyone, suffer everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown him such grace. It is as impossible to separate works from faith as as it is impossible to separate burning and shining from fire. Ask God to work faith in you; otherwise you will remain eternally without faith, no matter what you try to do or fabricate.

33. Justice

34. Luther: Now justice is just such a faith
Luther: Now justice is just such a faith. It is called God’s justice or that justice which is valid in God’s sight, because it is God who gives it and reckons it as justice for the sake of Christ our Mediator. It influences a person to give to everyone what he owes him. He serves people willingly with the means available to him. In this way he pays everyone his due. Neither nature nor free will nor our own powers can bring about such a justice, for even as no one can give himself faith, so, too, he cannot remove unbelief. How can he then take away even the smallest sin? Therefore, everything which takes place outside faith or in unbelief is lie, hypocrisy and sin (Romans 14), no matter how smoothly it may seem to go.

35. Luther: You must not understand flesh as denoting only unchastity or understand spirit as denoting only the inner heart. Paul calls flesh everything born of flesh, i.e. the whole human being with body and soul, reason and senses, since everything in him tends toward the flesh. That is why you should know enough to call that person “fleshly” who, without grace, fabricates, teaches and chatters about high spiritual matters. You can learn the same thing from Galatians, chapter 5, where St. Paul calls heresy and hatred works of the flesh. And in Romans, chapter 8, he says that, through the flesh, the law is weakened.

36. He says this, not of unchastity, but of all sins, most of all of unbelief, which is the most spiritual of vices. So then, a person is “flesh” who, inwardly and outwardly, lives only to do those things which are of use to the flesh and to temporal existence. A person is “spirit” who, inwardly and outwardly, lives only to do those things which are of use to the spirit and to the life to come. Unless you understand these words in this way, you will never understand either this letter of Paul or any book of the Scriptures. Be on guard, therefore against any teacher who uses these words differently, no matter who he be…

37. Justification

38. Luther: Next Paul teaches the right way to be virtuous and to be saved; he says that they are all sinners, unable to glory in God. They must, however, be justified through faith in Christ, who has merited this for us by his blood and has become for us a mercy seat in the presence of God, who forgives us all our previous sins. In so doing, God proves that it is his justice alone, which he gives through faith, that helps us, the justice which was at the appointed time revealed through the Gospel and, previous to that, was witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets.