Romans
Purpose
Romans is Paul's fullest, most systematic presentation of the gospel, written to a church he had not yet visited in order to introduce both himself and the message he preached before a planned journey to Spain. The letter opens with the human predicament: all people, Jew and Gentile alike, stand guilty and without excuse before the holy God, and the law cannot rescue them. Into this darkness shines the central announcement of the letter — that "the righteousness of God" has been revealed apart from the law, a righteousness received by faith in Jesus Christ, who was "put forward as a propitiation by his blood." Paul unfolds what this means: justification by faith, the new humanity in Christ, freedom from the power of sin, life in the Spirit, the irrevocable place of Israel in God's purposes, and the transformed life of those who present their bodies as a "living sacrifice." Romans is at once a deep theological treatise on grace and a pastoral call to a divided community to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed them, for the sake of the gospel and the praise of God's glory.
Author
Paul the apostle
Time Period
Written c. 57 AD, from Corinth near the end of the third missionary journey
Key Themes
- The righteousness of God
- Justification by faith
- Grace and sin
- Life in the Spirit
- Israel and the Gentiles
- Transformed living
Outline
The universal need for the gospel (ch. 1–3): the power of the gospel for salvation, the guilt of the Gentiles, the guilt of the Jews, and "all have sinned." Justification by faith (ch. 3:21–5:21): righteousness apart from the law, Abraham as the father of all who believe, and peace with God through Christ. Freedom from sin and life in the Spirit (ch. 6–8): dead to sin and alive to God, the struggle with the law, and no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Israel in God's plan (ch. 9–11): Paul's sorrow for his people, God's sovereign mercy, and the olive tree of Jew and Gentile culminating in "all Israel will be saved." The transformed life (ch. 12–15): living sacrifices, love and submission to authorities, the weak and the strong, and unity for the praise of God. Conclusion and greetings (ch. 16): personal commendations and a doxology.