Paul's Epistle to the Romans

From the Bible Dictionary:

Epistle to the Romans, written from Corinth toward the end of the stay recorded in Acts 20:3. Paul was then contemplating a visit to Jerusalem, which was certain to be dangerous (Rom. 15:31). If he escaped with his life he hoped afterwards to visit Rome. The letter was meant in part to prepare the Church there to receive him when he came. It may also be regarded as containing a statement of those doctrines which had been in dispute with the Judaizing Christians, and which Paul now regarded as finally established.

Analysis of Romans

1. Salutation and thanksgiving (1:1–15).

2. Doctrinal (1:16–11:36).

   1. a. His main thesis, the doctrine of righteousness by faith (1:16–17).

   2. b. Such a doctrine met a crying need of the whole world, for God’s wrath against sin was only too evident, and this included both Jew and gentile (1:18–2:29).

   3. c. The Jew’s position of privilege (3:1–8; see also ch. 9).

   4. d. Jew and gentile shown from scripture to be alike under sin (3:9–20).

   5. e. Righteousness by faith now made possible and all boasting excluded (3:21–31).

   6. f. Illustration of the doctrine from the case of Abraham (4:1–25).

   7. g. Joy through the Lord Jesus (5:1–11).

   8. h. The first and the second Adam (5:12–19).

   9. i. The moral consequences of our deliverance, namely, union with Christ, release from sin, and life in the Spirit (5:20–8:39).

   10. j. Israel’s rejection, the reason for it (9:1–10:21), yet not final (11:1–36).

3. Practical exhortations.

   1. a. The duty of holiness of life and the law of love (12:1–13:14).

   2. b. The treatment of weaker brethren (14:1–15:13).

4. Personal.

   1. a. His reasons for writing (15:14–33).

   2. b. Greetings (16:1–23).

   3. c. Benediction and doxology (16:24–27).

Characteristics of the Second Group. These four epistles [1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans] illustrate a new stage in the apostolic teaching. A great controversy had arisen as to the necessity of obedience to the Mosaic law. Although the matter had been settled theologically at the Jerusalem conference in about A.D. 50 (Acts 15; Gal. 2:1–10), it took a long time to settle the matter culturally in the lives of many Church members. Many still looked upon the Church as a subdivision or an outgrowth of Judaism, and they saw no need to discontinue the ordinances of the law of Moses when they became members of the Christian Church. To them Christianity was something new, while the law was undoubtedly of divine appointment, and approved by the example of generations of faithful Israelites. In the controversy Paul took a leading part, and in these four epistles he points men to the cross of Christ as the only source of eternal life (cf. Mosiah 12:27–16:15). The epistles to the Romans and Galatians were the inspired writings most appealed to by the Reformation of the 16th century because they emphasize the spirit over legal formalism.