Romans 1:2 Explained: The Gospel Promised Beforehand

Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything

Romans 1:2 teaches that the gospel was promised beforehand through God’s prophets in the Holy Scriptures. The gospel is not a human invention, a first-century novelty, or God’s response to an unexpected problem. It rests on God’s eternal purpose and His promise-keeping faithfulness.

In this sermon, Dave Jenkins explains how the Old Testament progressively revealed God’s saving promise, how the prophets pointed forward to Jesus Christ, and why the gospel cannot be separated from the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. The Bible presents one unified message of redemption, and every promise of salvation finds its fulfillment in Christ alone.

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The Gospel Was Promised by God

Paul begins Romans by making clear that the gospel did not originate with him. Romans 1:2 says that God “promised beforehand” the gospel. The gospel is not Plan B in the mind of God, nor is it God reacting to a problem He did not foresee. From the beginning, God revealed His purpose to save sinners through Jesus Christ.

After sin entered the world, God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent in Genesis 3:15. He promised blessing through Abraham, a King through David, a suffering servant through Isaiah, a new covenant through Jeremiah, and cleansing, renewal, and the Spirit through Ezekiel.

The gospel is trustworthy because the God who promised it is trustworthy. God does not lie, forget, fail, or make promises He cannot keep. The gospel stands because God Himself promised it.

The Gospel Was Promised Beforehand

Paul’s words remind Christians that the gospel has deep roots in redemptive history. Scripture has an apex, goal, and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself taught that the Scriptures testify about Him, and throughout the Old Testament God progressively revealed the saving work that would ultimately be fulfilled in Christ.

Christianity is therefore not detached from the Old Testament. The New Testament does not replace the Old Testament as though God changed directions. Rather, the New Testament announces the fulfillment of what God promised beforehand.

There is not one gospel in the Old Testament and another gospel in the New Testament. There is one gospel running like a scarlet thread from Genesis to Revelation, centered upon and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The Gospel Was Promised Through the Prophets

God is the source of the gospel promise, and the prophets were His chosen instruments. They did not speak on their own authority but spoke as men carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Through them, God announced sin, judgment, mercy, restoration, the coming Messiah, the suffering servant, the righteous King, the new covenant, and the salvation of the nations.

The prophets were not pointing ultimately to themselves. They were pointing forward to the saving work of God in Jesus Christ.

Reading All of Scripture in Light of Christ

Christians should not read the Old Testament merely as a collection of moral examples, disconnected stories, myths, or ancient religious history. Scripture is the unfolding revelation of God’s saving purpose fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

This does not mean flattening every passage or forcing every text to say the same thing. Each passage must be interpreted according to its God-given context, genre, covenantal setting, and authorial intent. From there, it can be understood within the larger redemptive purpose of Scripture that reaches its fulfillment in Christ.

The Gospel Was Promised in the Holy Scriptures

Paul grounds the gospel in the Holy Scriptures. He does not ground it in rumor, speculation, human tradition, emotional experience, cultural feeling, or private spirituality.

The Scriptures are holy because they are from God. They are inspired, sufficient, authoritative, true, clear, and trustworthy. The same Scriptures that promised the gospel bear witness to the Christ who fulfills the gospel.

Christians therefore cannot separate Christ from the Word of God. The only Christ we can faithfully proclaim is the Christ revealed in Scripture. A Scripture-promised gospel is also a Scripture-governed gospel.

The Promised Gospel Displays the Faithfulness of God

Romans 1:2 ultimately points Christians to the promise-keeping faithfulness of God. He promised beforehand, spoke through His prophets, revealed His promise in Scripture, and in the fullness of time sent His Son.

If God kept His greatest promise in Christ, His people can trust Him with every other promise He has made. When circumstances are confusing, God is faithful. When prayers seem unanswered, God is faithful. When suffering is heavy, God is faithful. When sin feels great, God’s grace in Christ is greater still.

The world changes, cultures shift, feelings rise and fall, and circumstances may confuse us, but the gospel still stands because God has spoken in His holy Word.

Jesus Christ Is the Fulfillment of the Promise

Jesus is the promised Savior, the promised King, the suffering servant, the seed of the woman, and the Son of God. He lived the righteous life sinners have not lived, died the death sinners deserve, rose from the dead in victory, and reigns as Lord now and forever.

The gospel is not about sinners climbing their way toward God through morality, achievement, or religious performance. The gospel is God fulfilling His promise to save sinners through His Son.

Trust the gospel. Trust the God who promised it. Trust the Scriptures that reveal it. Trust the Christ who fulfills it. God will always keep His Word.

Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything

Continue studying Paul’s letter to the Romans with Dave Jenkins in the sermon series Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything. Follow each verse-by-verse message as we explore the gospel of Jesus Christ and its implications for the Christian life.

Explore the complete Romans sermon series on Servants of Grace.

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