Reading for August 17th

Read Romans 1.1-17
In 1.1-15: Greeting and prayer of thanksgiving.
In verses 1-7: Greeting.
The writer Paul identifies himself and his mission as they relate to Christ and God.
Grace and peace combine standard forms of gentile and Jewish address.
This greeting is longer than most because Paul is writing to a church he has not yet visited and he wants to align himself with early Christian belief (vv. 2-6).
In verses 8-15 Prayer of Thanksgiving.
Opening thanksgivings in Pauline letter often set the mood for the rest of the letter and signal key themes.
Paul's mission to the Gentiles reflects a central concern of the letter (v. 13).
There is no hint that he will reach Rome as a prisoner, as Acts depicts (Acts 28).
In verses 16-17: Purpose.
These verses, which actually conclude the prayer of thanksgiving, summarize the main themes of the letter.
I am not ashamed means "I have confidence in."
The gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ, tells a story about God's saving activity.
it stems from God and expresses God's power to transform human lives.
It also reveals the righteousness of God, either God's character as one who is reliable and trustworthy or what is given by the God who sets things right.
The proper response to God's action in Christ is faith, which is both the means (through faith) and the end (for faith) of life before God.
The Older testament quotation is a distinctive Pauline rendering based on Hab 2.4.
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