Introduction to Romans-Thematic Overview of Romans

Wednesday May 9, 2007

Romans: Introduction to Romans-Thematic Overview of Romans

Lesson # 5

Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 1:1.

This evening we will complete the introduction to the book of Romans, which deals with the following subjects: (1) Authorship of Romans (2) Recipients of Romans (3) Date and Place of Origin of Romans (4) Occasion and Purpose of Romans (5) Thematic Overview of Romans.

Last Tuesday evening we began the introduction by noting the Pauline authorship of the book of Romans.

Last Wednesday evening we noted that Paul wrote this great epistle to believers in the city of Rome.

Last Thursday evening we studied that the book of Romans was written in 57 A.D. in the city of Corinth towards the end of Paul’s third missionary journey.

Last evening we studied the “occasion” and the “purposes” for Paul writing to believers in the city of Rome.

This evening we will engage in a “thematic overview” of the book of Romans.

An “overview” is a general idea or outline of a subject whereas the term “thematic” pertains to a theme and so a “thematic overview” is a general outline of a particular theme of a book.

Therefore, this evening we will study the general outline of the theme of the book of Romans.

The introduction to the epistle of Romans is contained in Romans 1:1-17 and deals with the revelation of God’s righteousness.

The salutation of the letter is contained in Romans 1:1-7, which identifies the writer as Paul (verse 1) and the recipients of the letter as being believers in Rome (verses 6 and 7) and the subject as being Jesus Christ (verse 1:2-5).

Romans 1:8-13 reveals the purpose of the epistle, namely to benefit the believers in Rome and preach the gospel there.

Romans 1:1-7, “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 1:8, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.”

Romans 1:9-10, “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.”

Romans 1:11-12, “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.”

Romans 1:13, “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.”

In Romans 1:14-17, Paul informs his readers that the theme of his letter is that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God to all mankind and is the power of God for salvation, which is appropriated by faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:14, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.”

Romans 1:15, “So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”

Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’”

In the Greek New Testament, the word for “righteousness” is the noun dikaiosune (dikaiosuvnh), which was used as a general term for “virtue” and “integrity” of character.

Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines “integrity”: (1) Soundness of and adherence to moral principle and character; uprightness; honesty (2) The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished (3) A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.

Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines “virtue”: (1) Moral excellence; goodness; righteousness (2) Conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness, rectitude.

In the Greek New Testament, the noun dikaiosune was used primarily to denote an attribute of God and to describe His relationship to both Israel and the Gentiles.

The Bible teaches that there are 2 categories of righteousness: (1) Absolute righteousness originating in the essence of God revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God and in the Person of Christ (2) Relative righteousness, which is rooted in man’s comparison of himself with other men.

In relation to the Christian, the noun dikaiosune, “righteousness” refers to fulfilling one’s obligations to love both God and men, doing right to both God and men.

Also, in the Greek New Testament, the noun dikaiosune is used in relation to the righteousness of Christ that is reproduced by the Spirit in the believer who is obedient to the Word of God, which constitutes living in the new Christ nature.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the believer’s righteousness.

1 Corinthians 1:30, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”

The Word of God trains the believer to live in the righteousness of Christ

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Now, in Romans 1:18-3:20, the apostle Paul demonstrates to his readers that both Gentile and Jew have a need for the righteousness of God

In Romans 1:18-32, he declares that the Gentiles are unrighteous whereas in Romans 2:1-3:8, he teaches that the Jews are also unrighteous before a holy God.

He points out the basis for Gentile guilt in Romans 1:18-23 and the results of that guilt in Romans 1:24-32.

Whereas in Romans 2:1-16, Paul teaches that the Jews are stubborn in clinging to their own relative self-righteousness, which does not measure up to the perfect righteousness of God.

In Romans 2:17-29, he discusses the hypocrisy of the Jews but in Romans 3:1-8, he discusses the privileges that were bestowed upon the Jews by God.

Then, in Romans 3:9-20 he summarizes his statements in Romans 1:18-3:8 by stating that there is a universal need for the righteousness of God.

Next, in Romans 3:21-5:21, Paul addresses the subject of justification through the imputation of divine righteousness at the moment a person exercises faith alone in Christ alone.

He points out to his readers in Romans 3:21-26 that the righteousness of God is imputed through faith in Christ and that is available to both Jew and Gentile as he states in Romans 3:27-31.

The righteousness of God is imputed or in other words, credited as a gift to the spiritual bank account of the person who exercises faith alone in Christ alone.

At the moment of spiritual birth, God imputed His righteousness to the believer so that he is “positionally” the righteousness of God meaning that God views the believer as righteous as Him, which in turn sets up the potential for the believer to experience this righteousness in time.

Romans 3:21-26, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Romans 3:27, “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”

Then, Paul presents an example of this spiritual principle in Romans 4 with Abraham who he states was justified by faith and not works (4:1-8), nor circumcision (4:9-12) and neither by the Law (4:13-17) but rather was justified by faith in the promise (4:18-25).

In Romans 5:1-11, Paul discusses the results of faith by stating that there is peace with God (5:1-5), the believer becomes an object of God’s love (5:6-8) and is reconciled to God (5:9-11) and receives righteousness as a gift through faith in Christ (5:12-21).

Then, in Romans 6:1-8:39, Paul transitions from teaching about how to receive God’s righteousness through faith as to how to experience the righteousness of God in one’s life after salvation, which he identifies as “sanctification.”

He talks about the basis for sanctification in Romans 6:1-4 and teaches his readers that they are dead to sin and alive to Christ (6:5-14) and now slaves of righteousness (6:15-23).

Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?”

Romans 6:2, “May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Romans 6:3, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?”

Romans 6:4, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:5-7, “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin for he who has died is freed from sin.”

Romans 6:8, “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”

Romans 6:9, “knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.”

Romans 6:10, “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”

Romans 6:11, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:12-13, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

Romans 6:15, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!”

Romans 6:16, “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”

Romans 6:17-18, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Romans 6:19, “I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.”

Romans 6:20, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.”

Romans 6:21, “Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.”

Romans 6:22, “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He informs his readers that they are dead to the Law as a result of their faith in Christ in Romans 7:1-13 and then he relates to them the conflict that takes place in them between the old sin nature and the new divine nature in Romans 7:14-25.

In Romans 8:1-17, Paul teaches that obedience to the Spirit will enable them to experience sanctification and therefore the righteousness of God and victory over personal sin (8:1-8), spiritual death (8:9-11) and the sin nature (8:12-17).

He then lists the goal of sanctification in Romans 8:18-25 and informs his readers that the Spirit intercedes for them during the process of sanctification in Romans 8:26-27.

In Romans 8:28-39, Paul closes this section on experiencing the righteousness of God, which he calls “sanctification” by guaranteeing that his readers will all experience sanctification in an ultimate sense since it is the Father’s will from eternity past.

Next, in Romans 9-11, the apostle Paul teaches his readers that the righteousness of God is vindicated in His relationship to Israel.

In this section, Paul expresses great love for the nation (9:1-3) and the great privileges that God bestowed on the nation of Israel (9:4-5) and that they have been elected by God (9:6-13) and discusses God’s right to elect them out of all the nations (9:14-18).

He speaks of the mercy of God towards Israel in Romans 9:19-29 and His mercy towards the Gentiles in Romans 9:30-33.

In Romans 10, Paul talks about Israel’s present rejection by God and that she has been temporarily set aside for the sake of saving many of the Gentiles (10:1-7) and he teaches them that the remedy for their being rejected by God is faith in Christ (10:8-15) and talks about their continued unbelief (10:16-21).

Then, he talks about Israel’s future salvation in Romans 11, teaching that Israel’s rejection is not total (11:1-10), nor is it final (11:11-24) and that her restoration is assured in the future (11:25-32) and then he completes the section dealing with Israel by praising God’s wisdom and plan (11:33-36).

In Romans 12:1-15:13, Paul discusses God’s righteousness being manifested in believers in the local assembly (12:1-21) and by their dedication to God (12:1-2) and in their use of their spiritual gift (12:3-8) and in the sincerity of their love for each other (12:9-21).

In Romans 13:1-14, Paul teaches his readers that the righteousness of God is manifested in the believer’s conduct in relation to civil government (13:1-7) and towards the unbeliever (13:8-10) and their conduct in view of their eschatological confident expectation (13:11-14).

Romans 13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

Romans 13:2, “Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”

Romans 13:3-4, “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”

Romans 13:5, “Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.”

Romans 13:6, “For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.”

Romans 13:7, “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

Romans 13:8, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”

Romans 13:9, “For this, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’”

Romans 13:10, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Romans 13:11, “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.”

Romans 13:12, “The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

Romans 13:13, “Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.”

Romans 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

Then, in Romans 14:1-15:13, he instructs his readers that the righteousness of God is manifested in their conduct in relation to Christian freedom.

He instructs them to not judge each other in relation to eating and drinking and teaches them the principle of Christian freedom (14:1-12) and exhorts stronger believers to not put up stumbling blocks for weaker believers by what they eat or drink and exhorts them to walk according to the principle of love (14:13-23).

He closes this section by prohibiting selfishness and challenges them to imitate Christ (15:1-13).

The final section of the Roman epistle is contained in 15:14-16:27 where he discusses his ministry to the Gentiles (15:14-22), and his intention to visit Rome (15:23-33).

Also, he commends Phoebe (16:1-2), and sends greetings to several believers (16:3-16) and warns against false teachers (16:17-20) and ends with a doxology (16:25-27).