INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ROMANS
Paul’s most complete explanation of the Gospel
The most doctrinal book in the Bible
The essentials of the Christian faith
AUTHOR – Paul the apostle
TIME – The winter of 57 - 58 A.D.
PLACE – Corinth
PLACE – Corinth
CARRIER – Phoebe; from Corinth to Rome
PURPOSE OF ROMANS:
1) to prepare the Romans for his journey to see them
2) to establish the believers in Rome, to give them a well-instructed faith – to present God’s plan of Salvation for the Jews and the Gentiles
3) to exhort believers to live in harmony – all peoples are saved by grace through faith! We are diverse but one in Christ!
THEOLOGY (MAIN THEMES):
1) A detailed description of the sinfulness of all mankind and the universal need for a Saviour (1:18 – 3:20)
1) A detailed description of the sinfulness of all mankind and the universal need for a Saviour (1:18 – 3:20)
2) Extensive discussion of justification by faith (3:21 – 5:11)
3) Explanation of sanctification (5:12 – 8:39)
4) The doctrine of election (9:1-29)
5) Exposition of what happened to the nation of Israel and the destiny of God’s people (9:1 – 11:36)
6) Spiritual gifts (12:1 – 8)
7) Instruction on the believers’ relationship to government (13:1 – 14)
OUTLINE OF ROMANS:
1) Man has ruined his life in sin. ROMANS 1-3
2) God’s remedy is in Jesus Christ. ROMANS 4-11
3) THEREFORE, how can I show my thankfulness to God for such deliverance? ROMANS 12
4) The practice of the Gospel. ROMANS 13-16
How many things does a person have to know in order to live and die a happy, contented, fulfilled life? It is said he needs to know only three: one, how great are my miseries and sin; two, how I can be delivered from my misery and sin; and three, how I am to be thankful to God for such deliverance. Romans can be a challenging book to follow, but it is the most power-packed explanation of the gospel found in Scripture. If you understand the outline of Romans you will see when Paul changes gears, and that should help you to glean more from this amazing book of the Bible.
Special thanks to Mark Ritter for preparing these insights into book of Romans