Romans
Getting Right With God
Author: Paul
Occupation: Tent Maker w/Strong Jewish Education
Date: AD57-58
Audience: The Church in Rome
Location: Greece
Theme: Getting Right with God
Occupation: Tent Maker w/Strong Jewish Education
Date: AD57-58
Audience: The Church in Rome
Location: Greece
Theme: Getting Right with God
Objectives
After this lesson, you should be able to:
- Characterize the impact of Romans on church history
- Present the purposes of Romans
- Outline the content of the book of Romans
- Explain how Romans encouraged Christian believers to live their lives
Gospels - Acts - Epistles
All of the epistles were written in the first century by Jesus' Apostles or their close associates.
If all we had were the Gospels and Acts, our grasp of earliest Christian faith and practice would be seriously limited.
The nearly 2 dozen Epistle letters round out the overall picture of the early church for us.
If all we had were the Gospels and Acts, our grasp of earliest Christian faith and practice would be seriously limited.
The nearly 2 dozen Epistle letters round out the overall picture of the early church for us.
What is Important about Romans?
Romans has arguably, more than any other single book of the Bible, influenced world history in dramatic ways.
Romans was the book that changed the course of:
Romans was the book that changed the course of:
- the early church through Augustine
- the medieval church through Martin Luther
- and the eighteenth-century church in England through John Wesley
The City of Rome and Christianity
Rome was the greatest city of classical antiquity in the west, and was the capital of a vast empire.
In Jesus' day, perhaps more than 100 million people inhabited Roman territory.
Rome's vast domain extended west to modern Great Britain, north to modern Germany, east to modern Iran, and south to Egypt.
Few empires at any time in world history have rivaled its size, might, and splendor.
Christianity probably came to Rome first with Jews who had heard Peter's preaching at Pentecost (Acts 2:10) and brought the gospel message back to the synagogues of the imperial capital.
By AD 49 the Christian presence among Jews in Rome was great enough to provoke riots in that community.
In Jesus' day, perhaps more than 100 million people inhabited Roman territory.
Rome's vast domain extended west to modern Great Britain, north to modern Germany, east to modern Iran, and south to Egypt.
Few empires at any time in world history have rivaled its size, might, and splendor.
Christianity probably came to Rome first with Jews who had heard Peter's preaching at Pentecost (Acts 2:10) and brought the gospel message back to the synagogues of the imperial capital.
By AD 49 the Christian presence among Jews in Rome was great enough to provoke riots in that community.
The Occasion and Purpose of Romans
Paul wrote Romans in AD 57–58 during a three-month stay in Greece.
Possible purposes of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans was:
Possible purposes of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans was:
- To prepare them for his visit prior to his projected journey to Spain (possible 4th missionary journey) (Romans 15:24-28)
- To teach about salvation and further Christ's kingdom in the world
- Concerns for the spiritual health of the Roman church
Outline
I. Introduction: The Generosity of Servanthood (1:1-18)
A. The Servanthood of Paul (1:1)
B. The Servanthood of the Godhead (1:2-4)
C. The Servanthood of the Saints (1:5-7)
D. Servanthood Present and Servanthood Anticipated (1:8-15)
II. Diagnosis: The Knowledge of God and the Sinful Fall of Humanity (1:19-3:20)
A. The Leveling Guilt of Humanity I (1:19-32)
B. The Leveling Guilt of Gentile and Jew (2:1-16)
C. The Leveling Guilt of the Jew (2:17-3:8)
D. The Leveling Guilt of Humanity II (3:9-20)
III. Prognosis I: Justified by Faith in Jesus Christ (3:21-8:17)
A. The Righteousness of God through Faith in Jesus Christ Excludes Boasting (3:21-31)
B. Abraham's Descent and Ascent in Humanity and Faith (4:1-25)
C. Descent in Adam and Ascent in Christ (5:1-21)
D. Baptized into Christ from Death to Life (6:1-14)
E. No Longer Slaves of Sin but Slaves of God (6:15-23)
F. No Longer Married to the Law but Married to Christ (7:1-6)
G. Warfare between the Spiritual and the Carnal Egos (7:7-25)
H. Children of God through the Witness of the Spirit (8:1-17)
IV. Prognosis II: Redeemed by Grace (8:18-11:36)
A. The Glorious Freedom of the Children of God (8:18-27)
B. Whom God Justified He Also Glorified (8:28-39)
C. The Mercy of God and the Riches of His Glory toward Israel and the Gentiles (9:1-33)
D. Christ Fulfills the Law for the Jew and the Gentile (10:1-21)
E. The Mercy and Glory of God in the Final Grafting of Jew and Gentile (11:1-36)
V. Prescription: Faithful Servants in Action (12:1-15:13)
A. In Sacrificial Worship (12:1-2)
B. In Humble Use of Gifts Within the Body (12:3-8)
C. In Loving Acts of Service and Hospitality (12:9-13)
D. In Imitation of Jesus' Teaching (12:14-21)
E. In Rendering to Caesar What is Caesar's (13:1-7)
F. In Loving One's Neighbor as Oneself (13:8-10)
G. In Living as in the Day, Not in Darkness (13:11-14)
H. In Pursuing Peace between Weak and Strong (14:1-15:13)
VI. Conclusion (15:14-16:27)
A. Paul's Missionary Purpose and Reason for Writing Boldly (15:14-22)
B. His Missionary Agenda for Jerusalem, Rome, and Spain (15:23-33)
C. Final Greetings, Warnings, and Doxology (16:1-27)
A. The Servanthood of Paul (1:1)
B. The Servanthood of the Godhead (1:2-4)
C. The Servanthood of the Saints (1:5-7)
D. Servanthood Present and Servanthood Anticipated (1:8-15)
II. Diagnosis: The Knowledge of God and the Sinful Fall of Humanity (1:19-3:20)
A. The Leveling Guilt of Humanity I (1:19-32)
B. The Leveling Guilt of Gentile and Jew (2:1-16)
C. The Leveling Guilt of the Jew (2:17-3:8)
D. The Leveling Guilt of Humanity II (3:9-20)
III. Prognosis I: Justified by Faith in Jesus Christ (3:21-8:17)
A. The Righteousness of God through Faith in Jesus Christ Excludes Boasting (3:21-31)
B. Abraham's Descent and Ascent in Humanity and Faith (4:1-25)
C. Descent in Adam and Ascent in Christ (5:1-21)
D. Baptized into Christ from Death to Life (6:1-14)
E. No Longer Slaves of Sin but Slaves of God (6:15-23)
F. No Longer Married to the Law but Married to Christ (7:1-6)
G. Warfare between the Spiritual and the Carnal Egos (7:7-25)
H. Children of God through the Witness of the Spirit (8:1-17)
IV. Prognosis II: Redeemed by Grace (8:18-11:36)
A. The Glorious Freedom of the Children of God (8:18-27)
B. Whom God Justified He Also Glorified (8:28-39)
C. The Mercy of God and the Riches of His Glory toward Israel and the Gentiles (9:1-33)
D. Christ Fulfills the Law for the Jew and the Gentile (10:1-21)
E. The Mercy and Glory of God in the Final Grafting of Jew and Gentile (11:1-36)
V. Prescription: Faithful Servants in Action (12:1-15:13)
A. In Sacrificial Worship (12:1-2)
B. In Humble Use of Gifts Within the Body (12:3-8)
C. In Loving Acts of Service and Hospitality (12:9-13)
D. In Imitation of Jesus' Teaching (12:14-21)
E. In Rendering to Caesar What is Caesar's (13:1-7)
F. In Loving One's Neighbor as Oneself (13:8-10)
G. In Living as in the Day, Not in Darkness (13:11-14)
H. In Pursuing Peace between Weak and Strong (14:1-15:13)
VI. Conclusion (15:14-16:27)
A. Paul's Missionary Purpose and Reason for Writing Boldly (15:14-22)
B. His Missionary Agenda for Jerusalem, Rome, and Spain (15:23-33)
C. Final Greetings, Warnings, and Doxology (16:1-27)
The Argument of Romans
Romans is about the good news of Jesus Christ.
Sinful people receive the salvation made possible by Christ by grace through faith alone.
Sharing Abraham’s faith in God does not require sharing his ethnicity.
Examples of Answered Questions by Paul in Romans:
Sinful people receive the salvation made possible by Christ by grace through faith alone.
Sharing Abraham’s faith in God does not require sharing his ethnicity.
Examples of Answered Questions by Paul in Romans:
- Does the fact that some do not believe the gospel mean that it might not be true? --- No! (3:3)
- Is God unjust in bringing wrath on those who break His law? -- No! (3:5)
- Are Jews morally superior to Gentiles in God's sight? -- No! (3:9)
- Should Christians sin more so that they can be forgiven more? -- No! (6:1)
- Should Christians sin because they are not under the law, but grace? -- No! (6:15)
The Importance of Romans
Paul provides a clear prescription for Christian living in Romans, which addresses:
Romans Road to Salvation
Romans Road lays out the plan of salvation through a series of Bible verses from the book of Romans.
When arranged in order, these verses form an easy, systematic way of explaining the message of salvation.
There are many different versions of Romans Road with slight variations in Scriptures, but the basic message and method is the same.
Many evangelical missionaries, evangelists and lay people memorize and use Romans Road when sharing the good news .
Romans Road Clearly Defines:
Romans Road to Salvation
1. Everyone needs salvation because we have all sinned
Romans 3:10-12, and 23
As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” ... For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
2. The price (or consequence) of sin is death
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Jesus died for our sins and paid the price for our death
Romans 5:8
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
4. We receive salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ
Romans 10:9-10, and 13
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved ... For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
5. Salvation through Jesus Christ brings us into a relationship of peace with God
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 8:1
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:38-39
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responding to the Romans Road
If after sharing the Romans Road with someone they believe and want to respond in a prayer of salvation, here is a sample prayer that directly covers the truths revealed in the Romans Road approach:
Have them repeat after you.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am a sinner.
And I understand that as a sinner, I deserve death.
But today, I've come to believe that Jesus died to save me.
So I ask You to forgive me of my sins.
I desire to now life a life devoted to You.
Thank you for this free gift of salvation.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
When arranged in order, these verses form an easy, systematic way of explaining the message of salvation.
There are many different versions of Romans Road with slight variations in Scriptures, but the basic message and method is the same.
Many evangelical missionaries, evangelists and lay people memorize and use Romans Road when sharing the good news .
Romans Road Clearly Defines:
- Who needs salvation
- Why we need salvation
- How God provides salvation
- How we receive salvation
- The results of salvation
Romans Road to Salvation
1. Everyone needs salvation because we have all sinned
Romans 3:10-12, and 23
As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” ... For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
2. The price (or consequence) of sin is death
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Jesus died for our sins and paid the price for our death
Romans 5:8
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
4. We receive salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ
Romans 10:9-10, and 13
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved ... For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
5. Salvation through Jesus Christ brings us into a relationship of peace with God
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 8:1
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:38-39
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responding to the Romans Road
If after sharing the Romans Road with someone they believe and want to respond in a prayer of salvation, here is a sample prayer that directly covers the truths revealed in the Romans Road approach:
Have them repeat after you.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am a sinner.
And I understand that as a sinner, I deserve death.
But today, I've come to believe that Jesus died to save me.
So I ask You to forgive me of my sins.
I desire to now life a life devoted to You.
Thank you for this free gift of salvation.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
Conclusion
Romans - arguably the most influential book of the Bible.
"When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture." - John Calvin
Encountering the NT, pg. 267