Romans

When did Paul write it? • ~56AD Either shortly preceding or following the

Second Epistle to the Corinthians.

Where did Paul write it from?• Corinth Rom. 15:25-28, Paul mentions the gift of

the Macedonians to the saints in Jerusalem, with whom he was wintering. Acts 20:2-3

Background to the Epistle to the Romans:

Who did Paul write it to?• The Saints in Rome: Rom 1:7. The Roman Church

was composed of numerous house churches. Rom 16:3-15. These churches contained a mix of Jews and Gentiles.

• Paul’s Epistle would not be dissimilar to a letter

being written to the Saints in Salem, OR.

Background to the Epistle to the Romans:

Why did Paul write it?• Because he wanted to come see them on his way

to Spain. Rom 15:24• To help establish the Church in Rome, and

encourage it. Rom 1:11• But most of all, to declare the Gospel of God, to

which Paul was called as an Apostle. Rom 1:1

Background to the Epistle to the Romans:

What is it about?• The central theme of the Epistle is the “Gospel of God”.

The Gospel of God: • Man’s fallen condition.• God’s righteousness revealed by justification through

faith.• Christ’s representative work.• New life through transformation.

Background to the Epistle to the Romans

• I. Introduction and Theme 1:1-17• II. The Whole World Guilty before God. 1:18-3:20• III. Justification by Faith in Christ 3:21-5:21• IV. Sanctification through Union with Christ 6:1-

8:39• V. The Problem of Jewish Unbelief 9:1-11:36• VI. Christian Life and Service 12:1-15:13• VII. Conclusion and Greetings 15:14-16:27Modified from the Scofield Reference Bible

Outline of the Epistle to the Romans

• Righteousness: To be in the right in relation to God

• Justification: To be declared righteous

• Sin: The indwelling inclination toward evil which resides in all of Adam’s descendants

• Sins: Acts committed as the outworking of sin

• Foreknowledge: Prior intimate experiential knowledge

• Law: a ruling principle

Key Terms to be aware of:

Key Passages & Transitions

Romans 1-8

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 1:1

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

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by

faith.” 1:16-17

Into: The Gospel of God and of Christ

Three types of Men are examined with narrowing focus.

• Men in General• The Man who ‘judges’ or attempts to apply moral

discernment• The Jew

Three Witnesses for God are presented, one to each type of Man.

• Creation to Man in general• Conscience to the ‘discerning Man’• The Law to the Jew

The Nature of Man:

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

suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 1:18

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

1:20

Man in General Addressed:

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another

you condemn yourself; 2:1-2a

For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; …

who show the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness…

2:13,15a

The Moralist, or ‘judging Man’:

Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God,

2:17

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly… but he is a Jew who is one inwardly…in

the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. 2:28-29

excerpted

The Jew:

There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God… There is none who does good, no, not one… Whose mouth is full of cursing…Their feet are swift to shed blood;…There is no fear of God before their eyes.

3:10-18 excerpted

Conclusion regarding Man: Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be

justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 3:20

Paul’s conclusion regarding the nature of Man:

"For myself, I see in the Word, and I recognize in myself, the total ruin of man.  I see that the cross [of Christ] is the end of all the means that God had employed for gaining the heart of man, and therefore proves that the thing was impossible.  [By demonstrated design] God has exhausted all His resources, and man has shown that he was wicked, without remedy, and the cross of Christ condemns man." 

John Nelson Darby

Quotation regarding the nature of man:

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, … through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe… being

justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… that He

might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 3:21-26 excerpted

God’s Righteous Plan: Justification by Faith

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for

righteousness.” 4:3

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our

Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our

justification. 4:23-25

The Example of a Righteous Man:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, …

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 5:1-2 excerpted

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more,

having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 5:10-11

The results of our justification:

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread

to all men, because all sinned- 5:12

Therefore, as through one man’s offence judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made

righteous. 5:18-19

The Two Representatives of the Human Race:

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised form the dead by the glory of the Father, even so

we also should walk in newness of life. 6:3-4

For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also

live with Him, 6:7-8

Union with the Risen Christ:

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your

members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the

dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 6:12-13

But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of

the letter. 7:6

New Life in Christ & Freedom from the Law:

1) While in Christ we are dead to sin; sin still lives in our bodies and can be revived. 7:9 Hence the believer can still struggle with sin.

2) In our own strength there is an ongoing battle between our minds desiring to do good, and the power of sin in our members. 7:18-19

3) The power of sin is stronger than our minds. We cannot control sin through our good intentions. 7:23

4) Though we may lose the battle with sin, we are not defined by it. 7:17,20

5) Christ will deliver us from the inward battle. 7:256) There is now no condemnation, and the power of the Spirit has

set us free from the power of sin and death. 8:1-2

Romans 7: Paul’s Experience

1) A life pleasing to God MUST be lived in the Spirit. 8:6-72) All believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit from conversion,

and He will never leave us. 8:9,143) We are guaranteed the resurrection by the Holy Spirit

indwelling us. 8:114) All believers are joint-heirs with Christ. 8:16,175) Creation itself will be delivered from the curse of sin into

the care and enjoyment of the believer. 8:216) The Spirit intercedes before the throne on our behalf. 8:277) All things work together for good for those in Christ. 8:28

Romans 8: Truths through the Spirit

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover

whom he predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He

justified, these He also glorified. 8:29-30

Foreknowledge: Prior intimate experiential knowledge

The election of the believer:

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, not things

present not things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to

separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 8:38-39

This concludes the major doctrinal portion of the Epistle to the Romans. Next week we pick up with

the example of the Nation of Israel.

The security of the believer:

1) Paul presents salvation through faith.2) Man clearly needs saving as seen in his behavior.3) God is righteous in freely justifying man on the basis of faith.4) God has granted reconciliation through Christ.5) Death came through Adam, and Life through Christ Jesus.6) We are identified with Christ in His death, burial, and

resurrection; and now share in His new life.7) Paul’s personal experience confirms his message.8) The Holy Spirit seals all believers and guarantee’s all of God’s

promises. 9) God has elected all who believe. Because of this election it is

impossible for a believer to ever be separated from God.

Romans 1-8 in Summary:

1) Don’t try and read too fast. If you need to, read a section twice (or three times).

2) If something doesn’t make sense, read the previous few verses again. Paul is highly organized in his thinking and things usually connect with their surrounding verses.

3) At least once in your life read the whole of Romans in a sitting. Even if you are a slow reader it shouldn’t take more than an hour.

Reading Hints and Tips:

To be concluded…