In this message we briefly introduce the book of Romans and examine the first four verses of Paul's salutation. Paul explains in his opening four verses that he had been called to be an apostle of God's gospel. This gospel, he explains, is centered on God's Son who inaugurates the New Covenant era in which the Holy Spirit has been poured out. Come and hear how significant Christ's resurrection was for the dawning of this new era that was promised so long ago in the Old Testament Scriptures.

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Discussion Questions (No Word attachment this week. Please copy and paste the following to your own word processing document.)

1. Paul explains in Romans 1:3 that Jesus is a descendant of David. Read Isaiah 11:1-10. What does Isaiah's prophecy tell us about the person and work of this descendant?
2. Notice in Isaiah 11:1 that the expectation was for a "shoot from the stem of Jessie" while in 11:10 it was for "the root of Jessie" to one day come. What is the significance of these two different expectations (cf. Isaiah 9:6; Rev. 22:16)?
3. Paul explained in Romans 1:4 that Jesus was "appointed" the Son of God in power at His resurrection. How does Acts 2:32-36 affirm the significance that Jesus' resurrection played in His functional change from suffering servant to Lord of all (cf. Acts 13:32-33; Heb. 5:5)?
4. Paul uses the phrase "according to the Spirit of holiness" in Romans 1:4 as a contrast to the phrase "according to the flesh" in Romans 1:3. How does Romans 7:5-6, 14; 8:8-9 help us understand the contrast between flesh and Spirit in Romans 1:3-4?