The General Introduction
The Epistle to the Romans, being one of the most theologically rooted books in the entire Bible, is accurately placed in the beginning of the third division of the New Testament called ‘the Epistles’ (The New Testament is divided into four major groups, and they are: the Gospels [Matthew to John], the historical book [the Acts of the Apostles], the Epistles [Romans to Jude], and the Apocalyptic book [Revelation]). In this context, it is necessary to understand the meaning of the term Epistle since some of us are not very much familiar with it. The term ‘Epistle’ is derived from the Greek word Epistole, which simply means letter or message. However, the New Testament Epistles are not just mere letters that contains some important information, rather they are the divinely originated teachable instructions for the Church. They are the divine laws and rules to guide the followers of Christ along the right track of godly living. There are a total of twenty-one (21) Epistles in the New Testament from Romans to Jude. All these epistles are written by either an apostle of Jesus Christ (Peter, John, and Paul) or by the brothers of Jesus (James and Jude). The Epistles written by Apostle Paul are addressed to the recipients’ name or title, but the General Epistles are known by their authors’ name.
Biblical history unveils the fact that the nation of Israel was one of the most powerful kingdoms on earth in the ancient world (in this context, the ancient world covers a period up until the time of Christ’s coming to this world), especially during the reign of king David and his son king Solomon. However, due to their pride and unfaithfulness to their God – Yahweh – God raised other nations to bring judgement upon the Jewish nation, among whom the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome were the most prominent political powers. According to traditions, the Roman Empire began to take shape sometime around 750 BC. It is believed that the ancient City of Rome was built on Seven Hills (In today’s world, there are many cities around the world claim that they are all built on seven hills). From that time onwards, Rome attracted people from the neighboring nations and soon got the attention of the world. Thus, the City of Rome became one of the most populated cities with native-born and brought-in people from the conquered territories both near and far. The City was known for its integrated political, socio-cultural, economic, and religious centers. There were numerous temples/shrines and religious centers dedicated to gods and goddesses of Romans as well as for the gods of non-Roman people from around the world. A large number of Jewish people and well-established Jewish colonies also existed in Rome during the First century AD. Most probably, the church in Rome was started by the believers who fled Jerusalem due to the persecution which began with the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 8:1-3). Perhaps, the members of the church must have been a mixed group of Romans and non-Romans. Apostle Paul was writing ‘the Epistle to the Romans’ to the believers in Rome to encourage and establish them in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Overview of the Book
The book of Romans is written by Apostle Paul, and it is written to explain God’s eternal plan and purpose in human history. The epistle focuses on the sinful nature of humans, Christ’s atoning death on the cross, regeneration and justification by faith, intimacy with Jesus Christ, sanctification, adoption, and many more topics. The epistle intellectually edifies individual believers as well as the community of believers, not only in Rome but also across the world. The Epistle to the Romans could be the most widely researched books in the New Testament for its theological concepts; and, without any doubt, the most referred book in the Bible, in addition to the books of Daniel and Revelation. The book of Romans also explains the foundational knowledge of Christian doctrine very clearly and deeply. In the book, Apostle Paul talks about man’s natural tendency to sin and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). He also talks about God’s grace and mercy to offer man a solution to overcome such tendencies and reconcile with God through faith in Jesus Christ, His Son (Romans 6:23). The primary take away from the teachings of the Epistle is that God’s Righteousness comes by faith in Jesus. The book repeatedly emphasizes that through the atoning death of Christ on the cross humanity can be reconciled and saved from eternal condemnation. Our salvation is made possible by the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Our Christ-likeness is being continually improved and made perfect by the help of the Holy Spirit through our faith in Jesus Christ.
The Title of the Book
The book of Romans is titled in Greek as Η προς Ρωμαίους επιστολή (I pros Romaíous epistolí), which is simply translated into English as ‘The Epistle to the Romans.’ Sometimes, its titles are mentioned differently in various Bible translations. For instance: in some Bible translations it is mentioned as ‘The Letter of Paul to the Romans,’ or ‘The Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans.’ Similarly, some Bible scholars and historians call it ‘The Epistle of Romans’ (Η Επιστολή των Ρωμαίων – I Epistolí ton Romaíon). Yet, some people simply call it as Romans (Ρωμαίους – Romaíous). It does not really matter what its title is but what really matters here is that the content of what is written in it – the content of the Epistle – is that salvation is a free gift and it is available to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ (the Son of God) and accepts Him as the Lord and Savior of their life. In other words, as it is mentioned in Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Authorship of the Book
There are always concerns, questions, and debates regarding the authorship of most of the Biblical books. The authorship of some books in the Bible (both in the Old Testament and New Testament) have been vigorously debated upon. The Epistle to the Romans also faces similar concerns and questions when it comes to its authorship. However, most Bible historians and scholars agree that the Epistle to the Romans is written by Apostle Paul. Originally, Paul was known us Saul of Tarsus (Acts 7:58; 8:1a; 9:1a) but later he was solely known us Paul (Acts 13:9). Paul, a Jew by birth, was born in the Roman province of Tarsus of Cilicia (Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5). Thus, by his nationality, Paul was a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37-38). Paul himself testified about himself as a man who was circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless (Philippians 3:5-6). He studied under the mentorship of Gamaliel, one of the most respected Jewish Rabbis and member of the highest court of justice and supreme council in ancient Judaism known as the Sanhedrin (Acts 22:3). Prior to his encounter with the glorified Christ at the entrance to the City of Damascus (Acts 9:1-22), Paul persecuted the followers of Jesus Christ (Acts 7:58; 8:1-3; 9:1-2). However, after his vision of the glorified Christ at the city gate in Damascus (Acts 9:1-9), he testified … whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith (Philippians 3:7-9). After his encounter with Jesus, Paul was baptized with water and the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, Jesus anointed him and appointed him as an apostle to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God to all, particularly to bring the gospel to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7-8). As a preacher and teacher of the gospel, he went wherever he was sent by Jesus. Apostle Paul started his ministry in Damascus, where he had the vision of the glorified Christ, and concluded his ministry in Rome, where he was martyred. He also ministered in Jerusalem, Antioch, and several other territories in Asia Minor, and was very fruitful in reaching out to the unreached. According to Christian tradition, he was martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero.
Along with the preaching and teaching of the gospel, Apostle Paul authored thirteen Epistles (if the Epistle of Hebrews is included in his credit, it is fourteen) to educate Christian believers in the way of Jesus Christ and to empower them with spiritual nourishment during their spiritual journey. Regarding the authorship of the Epistle of Romans, based on Romans 1:1 where the author is identified himself as Paul a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets, it is written by Apostle Paul. Romans 16:22 states I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. Tertius could be the scribe who wrote it down as Paul dictated the contents of the Epistle. Despite all existing arguments and debates regarding the authorship of the Epistle, we can come to the conclusion that the Epistle to the Romans is written by Apostle Paul.
The Recipients of the Book
It is believed that the primary recipients of the Epistle to the Romans are the believers of the church in Rome. The City of Rome was the heart of the vast Roman Empire. It was the key political, religious, and cultural center of the entire Roman Empire. People from many different places lived in Rome, and, therefore, the church in Rome might have had believers who had come to faith in Jesus Christ from diverse ethnicities, which included people from Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds (Romans 1:6; 7:1). Apostle Paul is writing the Epistle to the Romans to such a diverse community of believers in Rome. Although, the primary recipients of the Epistle to the Romans was the believers at Rome, it is written to the believers across the world.
There are also other reasons to state that the Epistle to the Romans is written to the believers in Rome. Primarily, the title of the Epistle, the Epistle to the Romans, itself is an example to show that the Epistle is written to the believers in Rome. Another example to note is that Apostle Paul himself states that the Epistle is written to the believers in Rome: To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people (Romans 1:7, 15). Perhaps, the Epistle is written to one particular church in the city of Rome or to multiple churches in the region of Rome. For instance, in chapter sixteen, Apostle Paul very specifically greeted a few influential Christians in Rome, which is a sign of having more than one church in the city of Rome (Romans 16:3-15 [kv 3-5]).
Thus, we have learned that Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans primarily to the believers in Rome. Yet, he never limited it only to them but the Epistle could have been circulated to other churches as well. For instance, when Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, he added that After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea (Colossians 4:16). This means, the Epistle written to a particular church could be read in other churches too. Thus, these Epistles were written not only for the believers in the first century but also for all believers of all time, including us – the twenty-first century believers. Unlike the first century churches, the present-day churches will have numerous copies of the Bible available for the use of the believers. It is possible that most of the present-day households will have more than one copy of the Bible – perhaps, each member of the household will have their own copy of their preferred translations of the Bible.
Date and Place of Writing
It is hard to specifically tell when and where the Epistle to the Romans was written since the Epistle does not give any details regarding it. First of all, in order to find out the date and place of its writing, let us examine who and when the church in Rome was founded. The question regarding who started church in Rome is still an ongoing debate. There is no solid evidence to prove who exactly started the church in Rome. In the midst of such arguments, some believe that the church in Rome was started by Apostle Peter, but some others claim that it is started by Apostle Paul, yet some others claim that some prominent followers of Jesus started the church in Rome. In addition to all these claims, there are still others who believe some other person(s) started the church in Rome. Two of such arguments are mentioned below:
Firstly, although there is no obvious evidence to list, it is believed that the church in Rome was started by disciples who were the eye-witnesses and who personally experienced the power of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, which is recorded in Acts 2:1-11. In the passage we read that … there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment … (Acts 2:5-6, 10-11). It includes the God-fearing Jews who had come from Rome and were present on the Day of Pentecost to witness the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon the One Hundred and Twenty disciples of Jesus who had been praying and waiting in the upper room since Jesus’ ascension to heaven. It might be possible that when these disciples, who witnessed the manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit, returned to Rome they started the church.
Secondly, it is believed that a group of scattered disciples of Jesus who fled from Jerusalem, due to the persecution that broke out after the martyrdom of Stephen, gradually reached Rome and started the church in Rome. Acts 8:1b states that On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Christian traditions state that apostles Peter and Paul visited the church in Rome and strengthened the believers over there. Apostle Peter’s mentioning of Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13 could be a symbolic reference to Rome. Peter wrote: She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark (1 Peter 5:13). Apostle Paul was in Rome for quite some time as a prisoner (Acts 28:16, 30-31), and as a free man (Philippians 1:25).
The possible date for Christ’s last week on earth, known as the Passion Week (Jesus’ teaching ministry during the passion week, his arrest, religious and civil trials, suffering, death on the cross, burial, resurrection, post-resurrection appearances, and ascension to heaven), could have had happened sometime in AD 30. The coming of the Holy Spirit was on the Day of Pentecost, which happened ten days after Jesus’ ascension to heaven (that is, the Fiftieth Day since Jesus’ resurrection from the dead). In the light of all such happenings, there is a strong sense among Bible scholars that the church in Rome might have started sometime in the early AD 40s, but it is not very certain who exactly started the church in Rome (perhaps the church in Rome started by some of the persecuted Christian believers who have scattered across the regions).
Now, the task before us is to find out when did Apostle Paul write the Epistle to the Romans and where was he when he wrote it. Most Bible scholars believe that Apostle Paul was in the city of Corinth when he wrote the Epistle to the Romans. In this regard, we need to refer two Bible passages: Acts 20:1-3; and Romans 15:30-33.
Acts 20:1-3 states:
When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
According to Acts 20:1-3, Apostle Paul stayed in Corinth for three months. Corinth, was a prominent city in Greece and was one of the thriving centers for commerce and trade. Paul’s stay at Corinth took place during his third missionary journey but prior to his final visit to Jerusalem. The other passage is Romans 15:30-33, where Apostle Paul wrote:
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen!
From this passage, we can understand that Apostle Paul wished to visit Rome if he is unharmed in Jerusalem, which means, he is willing and ready to visit the believers in Rome if he is alive and well after his visit to Jerusalem. Also, in Romans chapter 16, Apostle Paul mentioned a few individuals who had helped him while he was in Corinth: Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, a port city in Corinth (Romans 16:1), Gaius (Romans 16:23a, also refer 1 Corinthians 1:14), Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works (Romans 16:23b), and brother Quartus (Romans 16:23c).
In the light of the above discussions, we can come to the conclusion that Apostle Paul might have had started and finished writing the Epistle while he was in Corinth for about three months, or he started writing it somewhere else at an earlier period and completed it while he was in Corinth. Regarding the date of writing, most Bible scholars and historians believe that the Epistle to the Romans was written sometime in the second half of the AD 50s, most probably between in AD 57 and 59.
Purpose of the Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Romans was written by Apostle Paul to the community of believers in Rome in order to guide them in the right track of Biblical truth, strengthen them in their faith in Jesus Christ, and encourage them to live a life that is worthy of their calling. There are several reasons why Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle of Romans. One of such purposes was to inform them about his desire to visit the believers in Rome, which is described in the following passage:
… Since I have been longing for many years to visit you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there … So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ (Romans 15:23-29).
Apostle Paul was also responding to the issues and problems that had been going on within the Roman Church. It is really hard specify various purposes Apostle had in his mind when he wrote the Epistle. However, below mentioned are some of the purposes we can identify from the Epistle for our reference.
To Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ: When we read and study the Epistle of Romans in its entirety, it seems like Apostle Paul’s primary goal and purpose of writing this Epistle was to share the pure gospel of Jesus Christ to the followers of Christ in Rome. There were issues and problems which existed among the believers because each group of believers accepted the gospel in different ways. Some believers upheld the importance of practicing the Law of Moses and some believers believed that full faith in Jesus Christ was most important. Also, there were issues and problems which existed between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers.
To instruct the believers in Rome about the Righteousness of God and Sinfulness of humans: The believers, both the Jewish believers as well as the Gentile believers, in the church in Rome thought that they were doing great in their spiritual journey. Most of them thought they were good and righteous, and in addition to that they were all engaged in doing good works. Apostle Paul, being a justified person in the Lord, realized that the believers in Rome need to be justified because they were thinking that the good works they were doing will give them a pass to heaven or eternity. As Christians, we need to do good works whenever and wherever needed. We are created to do good works as Apostle Paul mentioned in Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Yet, as a believer we need to be justified through faith in Jesus Christ in order to be reconciled with God and to be with Him in eternity. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying His commands (Genesis chapter 3), their descendants (that is, all humanity) has a tendency towards committing sin knowingly or unknowingly. Apostle Paul wrote, There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:10-12). Apostle Paul continued saying, There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 6:22b-24). The tendency to carryout any willful offense in the sight of God needs to be taken out of human mind and nature, so that they can be justified before God and reconcile with Him. This process of bringing one into his or her original form of God’s image and likeness (a sinless state) is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ because Christ’s death on the cross paid off all the penalties for the sins of the mankind. Apostle Paul is writing to bring awareness among the believers in Rome who were focused on doing good works that the good works alone will not help them to meet God’s requirements for justification, but through faith in Jesus Christ one can be justified. Elsewhere, Apostle Paul wrote: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
To explain the spiritual lessons in his preaching, teaching, and writings: The apostles of Jesus (the Twelve) were hand-picked by Jesus during His earthly ministry for the purpose of carrying out the ministry Jesus started, particularly spreading the Good News of what Jesus accomplished through His death in order to fulfill the Missio-Dei (Mission of God). Apostle Paul was not included among them (the Twelve) but was called and appointed by the glorified Christ through a vision, which is mentioned in the book of Acts 9:1-19. The vision of the glorified Christ changed Paul’s perspectives on life and his service to God, which was his profession. He accepted the call and obeyed Jesus’ command fully and he was 100% loyal to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul’s commitment to Jesus was strong and sturdy and his lifestyle changed in its entirety. Paul himself testified about it But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-8). Apostle Paul was straight forward in his word and deed and fearlessly preached Christ the crucified. Due to such reasons some people neither appreciated his teaching/preaching nor supported his ministry. In fact, Apostle Paul was confronted by some Jews as well as Jewish Christians regarding the questions about the Law of Moses and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 13:45; 15:1-2; 21:27-28). Some people did not even understand what Paul was trying to communicate through his preaching, teaching, and writing as Apostle Peter mentioned in one of his Epistles:
Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:15-16).
In the light of all such situations, Apostle Paul is trying to explain the underlying spiritual lessons in his preaching, teaching, and writing for the spiritual edification of the believers in general, and very particularly, the believers in Rome (Romans 3:21-31; 4:1-25; 11:1-32).
To bring unity among the believers and Biblical conformity in the Church: The church in Rome had a mixed group of believers who had come to faith in Jesus Christ from Jewish as well as Gentile backgrounds. Due to this reason, every now and then there were some kind of doctrine-based disturbances which emerged among the believers and that caused divisions in the church. When we read Acts 18:2, we can understand that the Roman emperor Claudius (whose full name is: Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus), the father of emperor Nero, ordered the Jews leave Rome during his reign (AD 41-54). However, many of them returned to Rome after his death. Even after their return, the doctrine-based disagreements and disunity continued in the church. Although Apostle Paul did not visit the church personally yet, he wanted to break-down the doctrine-based disagreements and divisions and bring unity in the church. Apostle Paul, an Israelite (Romans 11:1), who was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13), asked God’s people to understand the way of God and live a life worthy of His calling. As a Christian change agent in this world, it was one of Apostle Paul’s earnest aspirations to bring unity among the believers world-wide, particularly among the believers in Rome (Romans 14:1-23; 15:1-22). Apostle Paul, through his Epistle to the Romans, counseled the believers in Rome to give attention to the gospel of Christ (John 3:16), so that they will be able to keep away all the tensions and disagreements regarding the doctrine of the Law of Moses and faith in Jesus Christ and unite together in Christ Jesus for the glory of God and the edification of the church and every individual believer.
To Communicate Apostle Paul’s desire to visit the church in Rome: Before the vision of glorified Christ near Damascus, Paul was staunchly against Christ and His followers and he was one of the key leaders to those who persecuted the followers of Jesus Christ. However, when he became a follower of Christ, he just became the opposite of who he was before. He turned out to be one of the most fearless and courageous followers of Jesus Christ and he longed to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ whenever and wherever possible. According Romans 15:23-24, Paul preached Christ almost everywhere – Damascus, Jerusalem, Asia Minor, and so on. Now, his desire is to preach the gospel of Christ in Rome as well (Romans 1:14-15). It is understood from the passages mentioned below that Apostle Paul had not yet visited the believers in Rome at the time he wrote the Epistle to the Romans.
Acts 19:21 After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”
Romans 1:14-15 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
Romans 15:23-29 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while … I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
Therefore, it was Paul’s intention to let the church in Rome know that he is intent on visiting them as early as possible when God opens the door for hime to visit. Also, according to Romans 16:3-15, Apostle Paul had some of his relatives, friends and acquaintances in Rome. And so, this Epistle was also intended to make the believers in Rome aware that he will be visiting them soon.
The Major Themes in Romans
As we have discussed elsewhere, the Epistle to the Romans is one of the most deeply rooted theological books among Apostle Paul’s writings. For this reason, the Epistle is enriched with numerous themes that are helpful for the growth of believers’ spiritual maturity. In fact, one needs to read the entire Epistle to the Romans in order to understand all the themes that are discussed in the Epistle. Apostle Paul narrated numerous themes in the Epistle, such as: the influence of sin in human life and the need of their redemption from the power of sin, the role of the holy law given through Moses, reconciliation and justification before God is possible by faith alone, only Christ Jesus can offer the hope of future glory, the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross is the key to God’s plan of salvation, the Holy Spirit is the source of believers new life, God and God alone fulfills His promises to all (Jews and Gentiles) because He is the only one who can justify and save those who believes in Jesus Christ from the power of sin and death, are some examples just to mentioned a few themes. However, the most significant theme of the Epistle to the Romans is ‘the Righteousness of God and justification by faith in Jesus.’ Although, our time and space do not allow us to discuss all of these themes found in the Epistle, a few themes are discussed here for our spiritual nourishment. They are as follows:
The Gospel of Jesus Christ: The very first few verses of the Epistle to the Romans is the key to understand the rest of the Epistle to the Romans as well as rest of Paul’s Epistles. Apostle Paul very specifically testifies that he was called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God that God promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son:
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1-6).
This was the gospel that Apostle Paul preached to people during his time, and this is the same gospel we are called to preach in today’s time. This gospel is preached to all, and not just to some particular groups. The gospel message the Epistle to the Romans announces is that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:1-8; 19-24; 5:6-8; Ephesians 2:8-9). This means, the salvation we obtained is a gift from God as a result of His grace (unmerited favor) shown towards us. We have no role in it except accepting the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The salvation plan is initiated by God, accomplished by Christ on the cross, and delivered to us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts a sinner (John 16:8), and communicates to Jesus Christ (John 14:26; 16:13), who in turn, being the mediator, intercedes for us to the Father (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1). In this process, Paul is called to be apostle to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved (Romans 1:1, 9, 16). Paul preached the gospel earnestly to anyone who had come across his way – both to the Jews and Gentiles without any partiality (Romans 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 9:20-22). Apostle Paul said:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:16-17).
Righteousness of God: As we have discussed earlier, the Epistle to the Romans is one of the most theologically rooted Epistle among Apostle Paul’s writings. Therefore, Apostle Paul uses several terms theological rooted in this Epistle, such as: righteousness, holiness, justification, salvation, redemption, grace, condemnation, gospel, and so on. In relation to our study here, we will be focusing on the term ‘Righteousness.’ Paul was very keen to use the term righteousness (particularly the righteousness of God, δικαιοσύνη του Θεού – dikaiosýni tou Theoú) very often in the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 1:17; 3:21-22; 4:3, 25; 6:13-20).
The meaning of the term righteousness, according to most dictionaries, is ‘the quality of being morally right or correct.’ Human beings, being created beings, can never achieve this status by themselves, which means human beings cannot be always one hundred percent (100%) right or correct in their words or deeds. This means, apart from God’s intervention, man cannot be justified; and if they are not justified, they cannot be righteous. If they are not righteous, they cannot obtain the attributes of righteousness from God. God, being the creator, is always morally right and correct, and, thus, He is righteous. So, God being righteous, the attribute of righteousness uniquely belongs to God. The righteousness of God is revealed and manifested through His creation (Romans 1:17; 3:21). When it [righteousness] is connected with humanity, it is the God-given moral quality bestowed upon humanity for believing in His Son – Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul quotes from the Old Testament that the one who is righteous by faith shall live by faith (Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4).
The Scripture is filled with numerous verses regarding God’s righteousness. For instance: Psalm 11:7 says, For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; the upright will see his face, and Psalm 129:4 says that the Lord is righteous. What does God, being righteous, ask of us – the created beings? God does not ask us to do anything but to act justly and rightly. Micah 6:8 states that He [God] has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you. To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. In the light of all that we have discussed here, it is our calling to live a righteous life before God and practice it before man.
Universal Impact of Sin and Jesus’ Life as Ransom for all People: Ever since the fall of man (refer: Genesis 3:1-24), the presence of sin and the tendency to sin is prevalent in human nature. Due to the absence of good (truth, light, etc) and widespread presence of sin all across the human-realm, committing some of those sins seems right even to the morally good people. Also, some people even boast about the wrong-doings they commit and some of them cherish those actions in their hearts and minds boastfully as David wrote in Psalm 52:1-3 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. The universality of sin is a reality and it is hindering people from seeing the light of the truth. Psalm 14:1-3 states,
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:1-3 [also, refer Psalm 53:1-3).
Apostle Paul deals with the sin and its presence in the world in the Epistle to the Romans. He writes that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This means that all of humanity, Jews and Gentiles alike, are sinners. In such a situation, we are all helpless and hopeless apart from Christ (Acts 4:12). This shows the inability of mankind to recover from the grip of sin with our own strength or ability. Paul mentioned in Romans that Jesus is the hope of humanity: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12); For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience (Romans 8:24-25); May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13). Since humanity is powerless, without Christ, to overcome the impact of sin over our life (total depravity), we can get rid of the impact of sin from our life only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – the Son of God, and place our hope in Him. Romans 5:2b-5 states:
And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Now, humanity is delivered from the eternal damnation because Jesus gave His very life as a ransom for all people to pay the price of their willful sins against God the Father. The gospels according to Matthew and Mark quoted Jesus’ words that the Son of Man came to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). Apostle Paul also stated that Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all people (1 Timothy 2:6). All the people who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead will be saved, because Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many (Romans 10:9). Apostle Paul says when we were still sinners and powerless, God died for us:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).
Justification by Faith: Romans 3:23 … all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In light of this verse, all are sinners in the sight of God and, therefore, we all need to be justified in order to be reconciled and receive eternal life. The Epistle to the Romans stresses much on the need of being justified by faith (through Jesus Christ). It is because man’s end is ordained to spend eternity either in Heaven or in Hell. The wicked and unrighteous will end up in hell, while the righteous and godly will become the heirs in Heaven. Those who believe in Jesus Christ will be rewarded with heavenly blessings which are promised in the Scripture, and those who deny belief in Him will reap their consequences in hell.
No human effort (word or deeds) can make us righteous but through faith in Jesus Christ one can be justified, as stated in Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. The one who is justified by faith in Jesus Christ is righteous and will live with Him forever in heaven. Apostle Paul, in the Epistle to the Romans, noted that righteousness can be attained by no other means but through faith in Jesus Christ. Also, only those who are justified by faith in Jesus Christ will live by faith – now and forever. Apostle Paul writes that through the blood of Christ we are justified, reconciled, and made righteous before God. It is stated in Romans 5:9-10 that Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him. For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son. Romans 6:10 states that For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Now, He is the Lord of the dead as well as the Lord of the living: For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living (Romans 14:9). Again Apostle Paul continued saying that He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification (Romans 4:25). In Romans 1:17, it is very specifically stated that For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. The Scripture says that the righteous will live by faith; which points out that the man’s words or actions cannot make them righteous (because they are sinful), but God can make them righteous (because God is righteous), if they believe in His One and Only begotten Son – Jesus Christ (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38; Habakkuk 2:4).
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us (Romans 5:1-5).
Eternal Life: Eternal life (Gk: Αιώνια ζωή, Aiónia zoí) is nothing but a life that continues forever (even after death). In other words, the life that starts on earth will continue forever into eternity. Eternal life was a God-given privilege for humanity when He created them – He created them in the likeness and image of God. Mankind was supposed to live forever as per the way they were created. However, when they sinned against God by disobeying His commands (Genesis 3:1-19), they fell short of God’s glorious standard and lost their privilege of having eternal life. Still, they could have lived forever if they were allowed to reach out and take the fruit from the tree of life and eat, but God did not want them to live forever in the fallen state (Genesis 3:22). God made a way and means for their reconciliation with Him and sent His One and Only begotten Son as a mediator (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:5). Ever since, Jesus Christ reconciled humanity with God the Father and paved way to inherit eternal life, anyone who is willing to accept Jesus as the Lord and Savior of their life is given privilege to have eternal life. That is why the Scripture says, eternal life is a gift from God through Jesus Christ, as mentioned in Romans 6:33b:
the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s condition to receive eternal life is John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus said, Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3). Again Jesus said, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). In other words, Jesus came so that we will have life, and will have it abundantly. In the Epistle to the Romans Apostle Paul is talking about this life (eternal life) and says that it starts with Jesus. During a conversation with the Jailer in Philippi, in response to the Jailer’s question of ‘Sirs (Paul and Silas), what must I do to be saved (Acts 16:30),’ Apostle Paul responded that one needs to Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household (Acts 16:31). Romans 10:9-10 states, … if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. This gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ will bring the receiver a new life – a new life in Jesus Christ that lasts forever. Apostle Paul wrote: We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:4). Apostle Paul continued to write on the topic of eternal life: But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:22-23).
Reconciliation: The term ‘Reconciliation’ means restoration of broken relationships between two parties, especially between family members or between friends. The Greek term used for Reconciliation is Συμφιλίωση, Symfilíosi, which also means, compromise, conciliation, and so on. When God created human beings in the beginning, He created them in His likeness and image. The relationship between God and man was strong, well-founded, and without any blemish. However, when man sinned against God, the relationship was broken – God, being holy, could not continue His fellowship with sinful mankind because sin cannot enter into the presence of the Holy God. This was the reason why Jesus was sent in to this world – to reconcile the sinful humanity with the holy God. What Jesus did for humanity is that literally He bore our sins on His body as Apostle Peter stated in 1 Peter 2:24, He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. Prophet Isaiah prophesied about seven Hundred years prior to the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth that:
He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12b).
This means, bringing reconciliation between the Holy God and the sinful humanity was not an easy task for Jesus. He went through a lot agonizing life situations – He, being God, took the form of a human being, lived among us, suffered and died on the cross, was buried, resurrected, and ascended to Heaven (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Thus, as Apostle John testified, Jesus became the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Apostle Paul put it in a very descriptive way so that everyone can clearly understand the depth of what Jesus did on the cross to reconcile humanity with God: For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11). Jesus went through all such excruciatingly painful situations, so that humanity will be reconciled with the Holy God. Not only that, presently, He is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father, as Apostle Paul stated: … Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:34). So, Jesus not only accomplished His mission of reconciling humanity with God and saved our lives from the condemnation of eternal punishment in hell, but He is also interceding for them daily in the presence of God.
Lessons to Learn and Follow from the Epistle
Apostle Paul is talking about a number of themes (as noted above) in the Epistle to the Romans in order to strengthen our spiritual walk with Jesus. Similarly, many spiritually nourished subjects and topics are also described in the Epistle, which will sustain our spiritual well-being during our life on earth. Each chapter of the Epistle is filled up with numerous spiritual thoughts that are helpful to empower our spiritual journey. Since our time and space is very limited, we will not be focusing on all chapters in detail, but we will examine chapter Twelve in detail to see what exactly Apostle Paul is bringing forth to nourish our spiritual life. However, initially, we will note down a few important lessons from other chapters for our reference:
- God is Holy and Righteous and the one who justifies all (3:5; 7:12; 8:33)
- We are all sinners and need to be redeemed/saved (3:23-24; 6:12-14)
- Jesus is our Savior (5:10; 6:23)
- Love God, and Hope in the Lord (5:5, 8; 8:24-25, 38-39; 12:10)
- Jesus Christ delivered us from the bondage of sin and we are free in the Lord (6:1-2, 14; 7:17)
- We are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (6:5; 8:17)
- We are one with God through Christ Jesus and Holy Spirit (8:26-27, 35-39)
- There is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ, because we belong to God through Christ Jesus (7:4, 6; 8:1-2, 38-39)
- God is merciful (9:16-18, 31-32)
Important lessons specifically from Chapter Twelve for our reference:
- In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship (12:1)
- Do not conform to the pattern of this world (12:2a)
- Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (12:2b)
- God’s will is good, pleasing, and the perfect will (12:2c)
- Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought (12:3a)
- Think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you (12:3b)
- Like one body with many members, in Christ we all form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (12:4-5)
- We all have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us (12:6-8)
- If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith (12:6b)
- If your gift is serving, then serve (12:7a)
- If your gift is teaching, then teach (12:7b)
- If your gift is to encourage, then give encouragement (12:8a)
- If your gift is giving, then give generously (12:8b)
- If your gift is to lead, give leadership diligently (12:8c)
- If your gift is to show mercy, show mercy cheerfully (12:8d)
- Love must be sincere (12:9a)
- Hate what is evil (12:9b)
- Cling to what is good (12:9c)
- Be devoted to one another in love (12:10a)
- Honor one another above yourselves (12:10b)
- Never be lacking in zeal (12:11a)
- Keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord (12:11b)
- Be joyful in hope (12:12a)
- Be patient in affliction (12:12b)
- Be faithful in prayer (12:12c)
- Share with the Lord’s people who are in need (12:13a)
- Practice hospitality (12:13b)
- Bless those who persecute you (12:14a)
- Bless and do not curse (12:14b)
- Rejoice with those who rejoice (12:15a)
- Mourn with those who mourn (12:15b)
- Live in harmony with one another (12:16a)
- Do not be proud (12:16b)
- Be willing to associate with people of low position (12:16c)
- Do not be conceited (12:16d)
- Do not repay anyone evil for evil (12:17a)
- Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone (12:17b).
- Live at peace with everyone (12:18)
- Do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath (12:19)
- If your enemy is hungry, feed him (12:20a)
- If your enemy is thirsty, give him something to drink (12:20b)
- Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (12:21)
Concluding Thoughts from the Epistle to the Romans
Apostle Paul begins the Epistle by introducing himself to the readers (Romans 1:1). The following verses (Romans 1:2-7) explains what the gospel really is according to the revelation he received. Then, he speaks about his longtime desire to visit the church at Rome in the nearest future because Apostle Paul had not visited the church at Rome at the time he was writing this epistle to them (Romans 1:8-17). When reading through Romans 1:18-4:25, we can understand that Paul is writing about the blessings the Gospel brings in the lives of anyone who accepts it. Romans 9:1-11:36 focuses particularly on how the Gospel is connected with the people of Israel. Then, Paul invites everyone who accepted the gospel (Jews and Gentiles) to live their day-to-day life based on the teachings of the gospel, which means, practice the Gospel in everyday life (Romans 12:1-15:13). Following that, Paul is talks about his ministry among the Gentiles and his plan to visit the church at Rome (Romans 15:14-33). Apostle Paul concludes the Epistle with his and his ministry associates’ greetings to those in the church at Rome and his personal counsel to the believers in Rome Romans (16:1-27). As we conclude, some of the key takeaways from the Epistle to the Romans are listed below:
- The Epistle narrates that the gospel of Christ is for all – to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16)
- The Epistle shows us that the gospel is a free gift from God (Romans 5:15-17; 6:23)
- The Epistle tells us that the gospel has freed us from Satan, sin, and death so we can walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-4)
- The Epistle tells us that we are all sinners and we need to be saved from the power of sin (Romans 3:23)
- The Epistle points out that salvation is possible only through Jesus (Romans 3:23-23; 6:23)
- The Epistle teaches us that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-3)
- The Epistle tells us that God justifies the sinner and saves them from eternal condemnation (Romans 3:23-24)
- The Epistle explains that Salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Romans 3:21-22; 5:1; 10:6; 17)
Specifically in relation to believers, some of the key takeaways are listed below:
- Believers are redeemed from the power of sin through (the death of Christ on the cross, and) their faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-2, 14)
- Believers have been set free from sin and have become bondsman and bondswoman to righteousness (Romans 6:18)
- Believers have hope even in their sufferings (Romans 8:18, 24-25)
- Believers are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37-39)
- Believers are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17)
- Believers are united with the Father through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:5)
- Believers belong to none but God (Romans 7:4-6; 8:1-2) and we are His children and He is our Abba Father (Romans 8:15). He is the …
- God of kindness (2:4)
- God of faithfulness (3:3)
- God of truth (3:4)
- God of righteousness (3:5)
- God of Glory (3:7)
- God of Peace (5:1)
- God of Hope (5:2)
- God of Holiness (7:12)
There are tons of things to learn from the study of the Epistle to the Romans which will benefit us during our spiritual journey during our earthly life. Most of us might not be able to understand everything Apostle Paul is discussing in the Epistle but the Holy Spirit will help each of us to understand what each of us needs in order to quench our individual spiritual quest. This means, the revelation one receives from the study of the Scripture is based on one’s individual spiritual needs. For instance, the revelations I receive through my personal study of the Scripture will be different from the revelations you receive through your personal study of the Scripture. I believe that the Holy Spirit will meet each of us at the point of our spiritual needs and satisfy us in our spiritual needs. May God Bless You!
Outline of the Epistle to the Romans
1:1-17 Introduction and the Promised Gospel
1:1 Introduction
1:2-6 The Promised Gospel through God’s Son
1:7 Paul’s Greetings to all in Rome
1:8-15 Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome to Preach the Gospel
1:16-17 Paul’s Desire to Preach the Gospel to all
1:18-4:25 The Widespread Presence of Sin and God’s Response through the Gospel of Christ
1:18-32 God’s Wrath Against Humanity’s unrighteousness
1:18-19 God’s wrath against the godlessness and wickedness of people
1:19-23 Deliberately Ignoring God’s eternal power and divine nature
1:24-32 God’s Judgement upon unfaithful humanity
2:1-29 Righteousness of God Revealed in His Judgement
2:1-16 God judges everyone who sinned equally
2:17-24 The Jews will be judged according to the Law given to them
2:25-29 The significance of Circumcision of the heart by the Spirit
3:1-8 God’s Faithfulness in entrusting God’s Word to the Jews (for their benefit)
3:9-20 No One is Righteous – all are under the power of sin
3:21-31 Righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe
4:1-25 God’s Promise to Abraham: Faith-based Righteousness
5:1-8:39 Blessings and Rewards to those who accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ
5:1-11 Grace, Hope, Peace, and Joy to those who are justified by Jesus’ blood
5:12-19 Sin and Death were defeated by Christ through His death and Resurrection
5:20-6:14 Believers are dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus
6:15-23 Deliverance from sin leads to Righteous living and Eternal Life
7:1-6 We are dead to the Law, united with Christ and living by the Holy Spirit
7:7-25 Law is beneficial, if obeyed; but the Gospel of Christ is life-saving, if accepted
8:1-17 Those in the Lord have no condemnation but are free from the law of sin and death
8:1-3 The Advantage of those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ
8:4-8 Believers’ privilege to fulfill the requirements of the law through Christ
8:9-13 The role the Holy Spirit in Believers’ life
8:9 Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God who lives in believers’ life
8:10-13 The Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead will raise us also
8:14-17 The Believers are adopted as the children of God through the Holy Spirit
8:14-15 The adoption of Believers as the Children of God
8:16 Believers’ privilege to have intimacy with God the Father
8:17 Believers’ privilege to receive inheritance from God the Father
8:18-25 Believers Hope of the Final redemption from the Present Life and Sufferings
8:18 The Believers’ present sufferings in the process of their Sanctification
8:19-22 The Groaning of Creation and its Liberation from its bondage
8:23-25 Waiting period for our Adoption to sonship – the redemption of our bodies
8:26-30 The intercession of the Holy Spirit on behalf of us for our Future Glory
8:26-27 The Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans
8:28-30 God’s assurance to put everything together for the good of His people
8:28 Blessings to those who are called according to God’s purpose
8:29-30 Father’s Relationship to Believers
8:29a God foreknew the believers before their calling
8:29b God predestined those He foreknew
8:29c God separated them to be conformed to the image of his Son
8:30a God called those who are predestined for His purpose
8:30b God justified those He called and separated
8:30c God glorified those He justified in His Son Jesus Christ
8:31-39 God’s Assurance of Blessings to all those who are united with Christ
8:31-34 There is no condemnation for Believers
8:35-39 Believers will not be separated from Christ
9:1-11:36 The Sovereignty of God in calling and separating Israel as His treasured Possession
9:1-33 Israel’s Call and Privileges, Israel’s Unbelief, and God’s Judgement upon Israel
9:1-5 Israel’s God-given Privileges and their unfaithfulness to God
9:1-4a Paul’s great sorrow and unceasing anguish about Israel
9:4b-5 The Privileges the Israelites had after their Call/Selection
9:4b Theirs is the adoption to sonship
9:4c Theirs is the divine glory
9:4d Theirs is the covenant
9:4e Theirs is the receiving of the law
9:4f Theirs is the temple worship
9:4g Theirs is the promise
9:5a Theirs are the patriarchs
9:5b From them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah
9:5c Messiah, who is God over all, belonged to them
9:6-29 God’s grace in the Choosing of Israel as a Special People/Nation
9:6-10 Among Abraham’s sons: God Chose Isaac over Ishmael
9:11-13 Among Isaac’s sons: God Chose Jacob over Esau
9:14-24 Among the Nations: God punished Egypt but forgave Israel
9:25-26 Prophet Hosea prophesied God’s Unlimited grace to Israel
9:27-29 Prophet Isaiah: God’s Grace and Sovereignty in Choosing Israel
9:30-33 Israel’s Unbelief and Failure to Attain Righteousness through Christ
10:1-21 God’s Righteousness and His Present Dealings with Israel
10:1 Paul’s desire and prayer to God for the Salvation of the Israelites
10:2-3 Israel’s Zeal to observe the law failed to attain God’s righteousness
10:4-5 God’s Righteousness could be attainable through Jesus Christ
10:6-10 God’s Righteousness is available for anyone who believes in Jesus
10:11-13 God’s Righteousness is available for Jews as well as Gentiles
10:14-17 The Necessity of sharing the Gospel of Christ
10:18-21 Israel’s rejection of the Gospel resulted in the neglecting of God’s Righteousness in their lives
11:1-36 Israel’s Rejection of the Gospel does not mean that God Rejected them Forever
11:1-10 Examples of God’s Assurance of Israel’s Salvation
11:1 Paul’s conversion shows that God has not rejected Israel
11:2-6 Prophet Elijah and other 7000 Israelites were protected by God
11:7-10 The hearts of the unbelieving Israelites were hardened by God
11:11-24 The Future Restoration of the Jews and Gentiles Promised
11:11-15 Paul’s call and appointment to bring the Gospel to them
11:16-24 The example of the Olive tree and the wild olive branch
11:25-32 Israel is chosen and loved and saved by God through the Messiah
11:33-36 Paul is Praising God for Who He is and for His Marvelous Deeds
12:1-15:13 Practicing the Righteousness of God in all areas of Believers’ Life
12:1-2 Practicing the Righteousness of God in relation to one’s personal life
12:1 Dedication of Believers’ body to God as a Living Sacrifice
12:2 Believers’ need to change from worldly conformity to Godly transformation
12:3-8 Using God-given gifts Effectively: Believers serving one another in Love
12:3a Paul’s advice to all believers
12:3b-5 Paul uses the parts of the human body to illustrate the body of Christ
12:6-8 Paul identifies believers’ Spiritual gifts to exercise for edification
12:6a The assurance of different gifts given to the believers
12:6b The gift of Prophesy: Prophesy in accordance with your faith
12:7a The gift of Serving: Then Serve one another faithfully
12:7b The gift of Teaching: Then Teach wholeheartedly
12:8a The gift of Encouragement: Then Encourage others boldly
12:8c The gift of Giving: Then Give generously
12:8d The gift of Leadership: The Lead diligently
12:8e The gift of Showing Mercy: Then Show Mercy cheerfully
12:9-21 Guidelines to live as devoted Christian believers
12:9-16 Believers’ approach to their fellow believers/friends/neighbors
12:9-10 Express our Love and honor them through actions
12:11a Without lacking zeal keep your spiritual fervor
12:11b Serve the Lord diligently
12:12a Be joyful in hope
12:12b Be patient in affliction
12:12c Be faithful in prayer
12:13a Do not hesitate to share with the Lord’s people who are in need
12:13b Practice hospitality at all times
12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse
12:15a Rejoice with those who rejoice
12:15b Mourn with those who mourn
12:16a Live in harmony with one another
12:16b Do not be proud but be willing to associate with all people
12:16c Do not be conceited or self-centered
12:17-21 Believers’ approach to non-believers and foes/opponents
12:17a Do not repay anyone evil for evil
12:17b Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone
12:18 Live at peace with everyone
12:19 Do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath
12:20a If your enemy is hungry, feed your enemy
12:20b If your enemy is thirsty, give your enemy something to drink
12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good
13:1-14 God’s Righteousness is revealed through Believers’ Responsibilities
13:1-7 Believers are to Submit to Government Authorities
13:1a Believers must submit to the governing authorities
13:1b The Human Authorities have been established by God
13:2 Submitting to the authority means submitting to God’s Authority
13:3-5 The law breakers will be punished by the law makers
13:6 Everyone, believers and non-believers, has to pay their taxes
13:7 Give to everyone what they deserve in all areas of life
13:7a Give to everyone what you owe them
13:7b If you owe taxes, pay taxes
13:7c If you owe revenue, then give revenue
13:7d If you owe respect, then give respect
13:7e If you owe honor, then give honor
13:8-10 Love for God and Love for your neighbor fulfills the Law
13:8 Love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law
13:9-10 Love our neighbor as ourselves, for love satisfies the law of God
13:11-14 Believers must understand that the Time of our Redemption is Near
13:11-12a The believers must know the Lord’s Coming is near
13:12b It is time for the believers to put aside the deeds of darkness
13:12c It is time for the believers to put on the armor of light
13:13 Believers must behave decently and put up the works of light
13:14 Believers must clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ
14:1-15:13 Believer’s Responsibilities toward other Believers who are weak in the Faith
14:1-9 Believers are not to criticize the legalism of others
14:1-4 Believers are warned against judging others in matters of diet
14:5-6 Believers are warned against judging others in matters of days
14:7-9 All believers, alive or dead, belong to the Lord equally
14:10-13a Believers are to give an account of themselves to God
14:10a Do not judge your brother or sister or treat them with contempt
14:10b Everyone will stand before God’s judgment seat
14:11a Every knee will bow before the Lord
14:11b Every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Lord
14:12-13a Everyone has to give an account of themselves to God
14:13b-15:13 Believers must help other believers in building them up in faith
14:13b-16 Believers must not cause an obstacle for other believers
14:17-18 What isn’t the Kingdom of God and what is the Kingdom of God?
14:19-23 Believers must help each other to strengthen their faith
15:1-6 Believers must please their neighbors for neighbors’ good
15:7-13 Believers must accept one another to bring praise to God
15:14-33 Apostle Paul: A Faithful Minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles
15:14-22 Paul’s role as an Apostle of Jesus to the Gentiles
15:14 Paul’s observation of the believers in Rome
15:14a They themselves are full of goodness
15:14b They themselves are filled with knowledge
15:14c They themselves are competent to instruct one another
15:15-22 Paul’s calling for the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God
15:15-16 Through Paul’s ministry:
15:15-16a Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God
15:16b The Gentiles might be sanctified by the Holy Spirit
15:17-22 Paul’s own testimony about his Ministry:
15:17-19 Paul’s complete surrender to Jesus
15:20-22 Paul’s ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known
15:23-33 Paul Reveals his further ministry plan and his desire to visit the Roman Church
15:23-29 Paul’s Plan to Visit Jerusalem, Rome, and Spain in the nearest future
15:30-33 Paul’s Request to the believers in Rome to pray for his ministry
16:1-27 Paul’s Greetings and Counsel to the church and Benediction
16:1-16 Paul’s Personal Greetings to his relatives, friends, and believers in the Church
16:17-18 Paul’s counsel/warning against those who cause divisions in the church
16:19-20 Paul’s positive comments about their commitment to the gospel
16:21-24 Paul’s Ministry associates send their greetings to the church in Rome
16:25-27 Paul concludes his writing with a Benediction
