This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:1-4, NLT
Hint: I find it helpful to read the verses in at least three translations or transliterations (written conceptually rather than a word-by-word translations). My usual mix is NLT, NIV, and The MESSAGE, but I refer to more if questions come up.
Romans 1:1-4
Chart of God’s Words to Me Today
| Paul | Jesus | God | Holy Spirit | Good News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| writes letter to believers | Paul’s master | Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit | provided power to raise Jesus and conquer death | Jesus is promised Messiah |
| devoted slave/servant | He is the Good News | Chose Paul and gave him a mission | Resurrection power = Good News | He conquered death |
| chosen by God | Came to earth/fulfills prophecies | Made promises to humankind long ago | He is both God and man | |
| apostle | human (David’s family line) and God’s son | speaks through prophets who wrote His words down for us | He is fulfillment of God’s promises to man | |
| sent out to preach Good News | Christ Jesus is our Lord and Savior | Had a plan for our salvation |
God’s main message for me today through these verses:
God made a promise long ago (to me) that salvation is available through His Son Jesus Christ–such Good News! God’s son Jesus is my Lord and master.
Doodle Hint: I don’t always try to draw something that encompasses the whole message, but often one thing that stood out to me. Today, I thought about what kind of servant or slave God was asking Paul (and me) to be and what it would take to play that role for verse 1. For verses 2-4 I thought about spreading the Good News.
Kathleen S Evenhouse 