Romans - introductory material

The Book of Romans

Introductory material

TEXT A few key passages for an overview of Romans

Ro 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."

Ro 1:18

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Ro 2:12-13

12. For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;
13. for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Ro 2:28-29

28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
29. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

Ro 3:21-31

21. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22. even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24. being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
25. whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
26. for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
28. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
29. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30. since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law

Ro 5:1-9

1. Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2. through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4. and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5. and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Ro 6:1-11

1. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?
2. May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
3. Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
4. Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,
6. knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;
7. for he who has died is freed from sin.
8. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9. knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
10. For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Ro 8:1-17

1. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4. in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
5. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7. because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so;
8. and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
12. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13. for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
16. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17. and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

Ro 8:28-30

28. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
29. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;
30. and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Ro 16:25-27

25. Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,
26. but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
27. to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

Thought questions…. Introduction

1. What do you think of when the word Rome or Romans is said?

When I think of Rome, the might of the great Roman legions comes to mind. The power they exerted on the ancient world is awesome.

2. Generically, what does the book contain?

The doctrine of salvation by faith!

3. What is the value of the epistle to the Romans?

The value of the epistle is that of a logical presentation of the Christian faith and its Gospel message of salvation through the righteousness of God.

4. Scan the first three verses of each chapter; what impression do we get?

That Paul is presenting an argument throughout the book.

5. What are the main divisions of the book?

There are undoubtedly many different ways to divide this book, but I like a topical analysis the best:

Sin, guilt, condemnation(1-3) Propitiation, grace, fatih, justification 4-5 Sanctification(6-7) Glorification(8) Election(9-11) Exhortation(12-14) Conclusion(15-16)

6. What was Paul trying to accomplish by writing to the Romans?

He wanted to establish the Roman church beyond it present stage of development. The letter was an introduction in the most profound way; his understanding of salvation by faith through the LORD Christ Jesus.

7. Is there anything unusual about the words used in the book?

They are numerous theological words (terms) used in the book; Propitiation, justification, sanctification, glorification, etc..

8. What is easy to understand about Romans, and what is hard?

Salvation by faith as compared to that of meritorious works. It is hard to understand the full meaning of Salvation by faith in regards to the other theological words used, e.g. propitiation, redemption, etc.. Some of chapter 7 is difficult as well.

9. What are the significance of the questions Paul uses throughout the book?

They are an indication that Paul is presenting an agruement.

10. If this were the only book in the Bible, what would it teach us about God?

A great many things. I counted 145 references to God (not counting multiple references in the same sentence), but the most prominent is that God is righteous (intrinsically and actively)

l.. How can we prevent the study of this book from becoming a mere intellectual exercise?

By realizing that this really was a letter, and as such, was written by and to human beings, who have feelings, experiences, problems, etc..

For Digging Deeper

1. Since we know that the gospel is the proclamation of Jesus as Lord through his death, burial and resurrection, what is the significance of the following passages?

Matt 4:25; 9:35; 11:5; Mk 1:14; Matt 24:14 and Lk 4:43

The “Good news” entails preaching the “kingdom of God” (the rule or domain of God). There is no contradiction because the power of God is revealed in Jesus both before his death, burial and resurrection (by his miracles) and after by God’s attestation by means of HIS resurrection of Jesus.

2. Does the use of the personal pronoun in Chapter 1 have any significance on a like useage in chapter 7?

Both show the personal nature of the subject under discussion.

3. Retitle the book of Romans in the form of a question. Why would you use this question?

Why did Jesus die? Because Jesus is the focal point of Christianity. His death, burial, and resurrection are at the heart of God’s “Good News”.

By way of illustration

The following illustrations are to help us realize that although the book of Romans is an intellectual book, there are many aspects to understanding it which are not just with the mind.

Thinking

If I with my mind were to contemplate, to think the great thoughts of men,

And with my mind to concentrate, to ponder now and then.

What wonderful things I would think of, such magnificent thoughts to me

Are really but a fantasy, from now to eternity.

For what is the mere mind of man, and thought in reality?

It is but a dim reflection of God’s great spirituality.

And the next time I concentrate on something, it seems very right to me

To put God first in the matter for understanding is spiritual to me. Gary

We do not understand:

Joy . . . until we face sorrow

Faith . . . until it is tested

Peace . . . until faced with conflict

Trust . . . until we are betrayed

Love . . . until it is lost

Hope . . . until confronted with doubts.

-Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 11620.

Most people are bothered by those passages in Scripture which they cannot understand. The Scripture which troubles me most is the Scripture I do understand. -- Mark Twain

See: Luke 6:46; Jam 1:23-25

Before you can dry another's tears, you must learn to weep.

When God puts a tear in your eye, it's because he wants to put a rainbow in your heart.

We may not always see eye to eye, but we should walk hand in hand.

Smart is when you believe only half of what you hear--brilliant is when you know which half.

Sooner or later you must learn that God makes no deals. -- Croft M. Pentz,

The Complete Book of Zingers (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1990).

No one is always wrong--even the stopped clock is right twice each day.

When rejecting the ideas of another, make sure you reject only the idea and not the person.

You have heard of Murphy's Law. I follow Morton's Law--taking everything with a grain of salt.

-- Croft M. Pentz,

The Complete Book of Zingers (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1990).

A real Christian is an odd number, anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen; talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another; empties himself in order to be full; admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge.

1. W. Tozer

--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 60.