What is the meaning of Romans 1:2? the gospel When Paul speaks of “the gospel,” he is talking about the life-changing good news centered on Jesus Christ. Notice how Scripture itself frames that news: • “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… He was buried… He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) • “This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) The gospel, then, is not advice about how to live better— it is God’s announcement that He has acted in history to save sinners through the death and resurrection of His Son. Everything else in Romans flows from this core message. He promised beforehand Paul immediately reminds us that the gospel is no afterthought; God pledged it long before Jesus was born. • Right after the fall, the LORD said the woman’s seed “will crush your head.” (Genesis 3:15) • To Abraham He declared, “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8 shows this was the gospel in advance.) • To David He promised a descendant whose “throne… [will be] forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13) By stressing “promised beforehand,” Paul underscores God’s faithfulness. The gospel fulfills a plan that spans the ages, proving we can trust every word He gives. through His prophets God did not keep His plan hidden; He spoke “through His prophets.” Consider a sampling: • Isaiah painted the suffering Servant: “He was pierced for our transgressions.” (Isaiah 53:5) • Micah pinpointed Messiah’s birthplace: “Out of you, Bethlehem… will come forth for Me One to be ruler.” (Micah 5:2) • David, writing a thousand years before Christ, described crucifixion details: “They have pierced my hands and feet.” (Psalm 22:16) • Peter later affirmed, “All the prophets testify about Him.” (Acts 10:43) These prophetic voices weave a unified testimony. When Jesus fulfills their words, the truthfulness of Scripture shines and our confidence in the gospel deepens. in the Holy Scriptures Finally, Paul anchors everything “in the Holy Scriptures.” He means the inspired, written Word that cannot fail. • “All Scripture is God-breathed.” (2 Timothy 3:16) • Jesus Himself “explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.” (Luke 24:27) • The prophets “searched and investigated carefully” the salvation now revealed. (1 Peter 1:10-11) By pointing to the Scriptures, Paul calls believers to measure every claim, experience, and doctrine against the infallible Word. The gospel is not grounded in human opinion; it rests on the solid rock of God’s written revelation. summary Romans 1:2 shows the gospel is: • good news focused on Jesus, • faithfully promised long ago, • proclaimed through the prophets, • preserved in the Holy Scriptures. God’s age-old plan, foretold and recorded without error, has now come to pass in Christ. Therefore we rejoice, resting in the certainty that the same trustworthy God who spoke beforehand will complete His saving work in us today. |
    |