Roman’s outline

Resources:  The People’s New Testament Commentary

The Interpreter’s Bible:  Acts and Romans

 

1:1-17  Introduction of the Letter 

1:1-7 Salutation

1:8-15  Thanksgiving

1:16-17  Thesis statement:  The power of the gospel

 

1:18-11:36  Part One—God’s Righteousness in History

 

1:18-8:39  The Meaning of God’s Righteousness

 

1:18-3:20  The Human Condition:  The Sinfulness of all Humanity

(All people, both Jews and non-Jews, are sinners before God and are subject to the “wrath” which is even now appearing.) 

 

1:18-32  The Guilt of the Gentiles

2:1-16  The Righteous Judgement of God

2:17-29  The Jews and the Law

3:1-8  Paul Counters Jewish Objections

3:9-20  No one in Righteous

 

3:21-4:25  The Divine Response:  God’s act in Christ for the Salvation of all Humanity

(Paul sets out a way of salvation which is not the way of obedience to the law, but instead, justification in response to faith in Jesus Christ.)

 

3:21-31  God’s Justifying Righteousness

4:1-12 The Examples of Abraham and David

4:13-25  God’s Promise Realized through Faith

 

5:1-8:39  The Christian Life as Freedom

(The meaning and the character of the new life to which God’s justifying act admits us.  The most important section of Romans.)

 

5:1-11 The Results of Justification

5:12-21  Adam and Christ

6:1-14  Dying and Rising with Christ

6:15-23  Slaves of Righteousness

7:1-6  An Analogy from Marriage

7:7-13  The Law and Sin

7:14-25  The Inner Conflict

8:1-17  Life in the Spirit

8:18-30  Future Glory

8:31-39  God’s Love in Jesus Christ

 

9:1-11:36  The Irreplaceable Role of Israel in God’s Plan for History

(Paul turns to the problem that the Jewish nation was by and large refusing the gospel.)

 

9:1-18  God’s election of Israel

9:19-29  God’s Wrath and Mercy

9:30-10:4  Israel’s Present Stumbling

10:5-21  Salvation is for All

11:1-10  Israel’s Rejections in Not Final

11:11-24  The Salvation of the Gentiles

11:25-36  All Israel Will Be Saved

 

12:1-15:13  Part Two—The Christian Life as Response to God’s Grace

(Practical and ethical section and some personal remarks.)

 

12:1-8  The New Life in Christ

12:9-21  Marks of the True Christian

13:1-7  Being Subject to Authorities

13:8-10  Love for One Another

13:11-14  An Urgent Appeal

14:1-12  Do not Judge One Another

14:13-23  Do Not Make One Another Stumble

15:1-6  Please Others, not Yourselves

15:7-13  The Gospel for Jews and Gentiles Alike

 

15:14-16:27  Conclusion of the Letter

 

15:14-21   Paul’s Reason for Writing so Boldly

15:22-32  Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

16:1-16   Recommendations of Phoebe and Personal Greetings

16:25-27  Final Doxology