Quote from Forum Archives on May 16, 2001, 1:23 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

The book of Romans was written by the apostle Paul. It has quite
a bit of "theology" in it, that is, it tells us a lot about the
nature of God and our relationship to Him. Today, I decided that
I would share with you a brief commentary on each chapter in the
book of Romans. The entire posting is a bit on the long side,
but it is not that difficult to read. There is a one paragraph
commentary on each of the sixteen chapters in Romans. I hope
that some of you find it useful as you grapple with issues of
faith. Think about how this applies, not just to the Christians
who were living in Rome, but to us as individuals. It is quite
relevant today.

Dear Lord,

Please teach us Your ways, so that we can understand enough about
You to appreciate what You have done for us and how we can
respond to You in an appropriate manner. I pray that You can use
this introduction to Romans to teach us about Your great plan.
Draw us closer to You today, I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Brother Brian
welovegod.org/ministry_files/Bible_Studies_and_Commentary/ROMANS.shtml

COM:Romans overview by Tod M. Kennedy

Introduction to Romans

Theme: Romans presents God's truth in its three categories (laws
of establishment, gospel, and doctrine for growth). The core of
this letter is the nature of God and the gospel that comes from
God. This gospel is in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The gospel
message is that God's righteousness is offered to mankind based
on the work of Christ on the cross, and is received by faith in
Christ. Romans demonstrates the effects of God's truth (in the
three categories) upon mankind. Author: Paul (Rom 1.1).

Date: Circa winter A.D. 56-57.

Paul wrote from: Corinth, on his third missionary trip ( Acts
20.1-16; Rom 15.22-29; 16.1,23; 1 Cor 16.1-9; 2 Cor 8-9;).

Paul wrote to: Believers in Rome (Rom 1.7).

Political background: The first century church was under Roman
rule. God used Roman rule to protect, to consolidate, to extend,
and to test His young church. The city itself was prosperous and
growing. Working class, slaves, and aristocracy lived in Rome.
Economic subsidies, wealth, poverty, entertainment, government,
public buildings, parks, famous people, military, and intrigue
filled the city. Nero was the emperor at this time. He ruled
from A.D. 54-68. He became the emperor at age 17 and committed
suicide at age 31. The first part of his reign was adequate.
The severe excesses for which he is remembered did not come until
later.

A guide to the content of Romans

Section Titles

Section 1: God's Righteousness And Man's Unrighteousness, Romans
1-3. Section 2: God Gives His Righteousness Through Faith,
Romans 4-5. Section 3: The CWL (Christian Way Of Life) Is
Possible, Romans 6-8. Section 4: God And Israel, Romans 9-11.
Section 5: Day To Day CWL, Romans 12-16.

Section 1. God's Righteousness And Man's Unrighteousness

Chapter 1 Positive and negative volition at work

The apostle Paul works for God and God's gospel (1.1-7). 2.
Paul wants spiritual advancement for the Roman believers
(1.8-17). 3. Negative volition at God consciousness can bring
terrible results (1.18-32).

Chapter 2 Judging others is being self righteous

We are wrong to judge others because we all sin, and God is the
only judge (2.1-16). 2. The self-righteous, arrogant, religious
Jew is worse off than the Gentile that does not have God's law
but follows the law's intention (2.17-29).

Chapter 3 All people are sinful

The Jewish nation is special because God decided to work through
them (3.1-8). 2. The Jews are not naturally better than
Gentiles; all people are sinful in comparison to God (3.9-20).
3. God gives His righteousness to unrighteous people through
faith in Jesus Christ (3.21-31).

Section 2. God Gives His Righteousness Through Faith

Chapter 4 Righteousness is given through faith

Abraham and David illustrate the truth that God gives His
righteousness to people through faith and not by works (4.1-9).
2. Neither ritual nor heritage will help mankind gain God's
righteousness (4.10-16). 3. Faith is believing what God has
said; faith is not working in order to earn something (4.17-25).
Chapter 5 Justification gives many benefits

Because God has justified believers, believers now possess peace
and hope (5.1-5). 2. God did the most for mankind when Jesus
Christ died for sin and He will certainly complete what he
started out to do (5.6-11). 3. The one sinful act of Adam
caused all mankind to die and the one righteous act of Christ
made it possible for God to give eternal life to anyone that
believes (5.12-21).

Section 3. The CWL (Christian Way Of Life) Is Possible

Chapter 6 Union with Christ makes the CWL possible

The believer's union with Christ makes it possible and practical
to live the CWL now (6.1-11). 2. Believers should not allow sin
to rule them because they are now alive with God and under grace
(6.12-14). 3. Believers are slaves of God and this slavery
should result in righteousness (6.15-23).

Chapter 7 The old sin nature inside

The believer's union with Christ broke any tie to law and at the
same time brought every believer into a new life with God
(7.1-6). 2. Paul's sin nature rebelled against the holy law and
produced personal sins, and through this he learned what he was
really like inside (7.7-20). 3. Two laws are at work inside the
believer, the law of sin and the law of God (7.21-25).

Chapter 8 The Holy Spirit inside

Union with Christ places believers under the law of the Holy
Spirit in fact and in practice, not under the law of sin and
death (8.1-4). 2. Believers have the option of living through
the Holy Spirit or through the sin nature (8.5-7). 3. The Holy
Spirit option is only true for those whom the Holy Spirit
indwells (8.8-11). 4. It then follows that believers are to
live day to day like heirs of God should live, by the Holy Spirit
(8.12-17). 5. Creation may suffer now, but the future
inheritance is much greater than any present suffering (8.18-25).
6. God's plan guarantees that each believer is secure now in
life and will be secure forever (8.26-39).

Section 4. God And Israel

Chapter 9 God's promise and Israel

Paul is sorry that God's chosen nation, Israel, has rejected
Christ (9.1-5). 2. Now this Israel has descended from Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob and these three are related to God through
promise (9.6-13). 3. God has the right to select Israel based
on believed promise (9.14-23). 4. God will always have people
that believe His promise (9.24-29). 5. People that believe
God's promise are given God's righteousness (9.30-33).

Chapter 10 Israel needs faith righteousness

Paul wants Israel to believe in Christ so that the nation will be
given God's righteousness and then possess salvation (10.1-4).
2. Faith righteousness [God's righteousness given to mankind
through faith] is always superior to law righteousness [mankind's
own righteousness that is based on keeping the law] (10.5-10).
3. Faith righteousness is for anyone that wants it, but they
must first hear and believe God's gospel (10.11-15). 4.
However, Israel illustrates for us that not everyone who hears
God's gospel will believe it (10.16-21).

Chapter 11 There is always a grace remnant

God always has a grace remnant [a small number of people who
understand grace and accept salvation through faith] among Israel
(11.1-10). 2. Israel was temporarily set aside because of her
unbelief and during this time Gentiles were joined to God's
kingdom through faith (11.11-24). 3. God will restore Israel to
prominence after He completes His plan with the Gentiles
(11.25-32). 4. God and His works are infinite (11.33-36).

Section 5. Day To Day CWL

Chapter 12 A new kind of priesthood

God's plan makes all believers into priests and as priests they
no longer sacrifice animals, but instead give themselves to God
while at the same time they are progressively being changed
inside (12.1-2). 2. Believer-priests are individual members of
the body of Christ and should serve God in the body according to
their spiritual gifts (12.3-8). 3. Believer-priests should live
within the mental attitude and power of love (12.9-21).

Chapter 13 Authority orientation and the CWL

God delegates authority to certain people and this authority
gives freedom, order, and protection (13.1-7). 2. Believers
only owe love to others and those who love correctly are oriented
to authority (13.8-10). 3. Time is passing so get on with daily
spiritual growth which makes you the kind of person that Jesus
Christ is (13.11-14).

Chapter 14 Give freedom instead of judgments and obstacles

Believers are supposed to allow each other (and especially the
weak believer) to live his own life for the Lord instead of
judging each other and showing contempt for each other (14.1-12).
2. Believers have freedom to live life, but should use this
freedom for building people up and not for tearing them down
(14.13-23).

Chapter 15 Onward and upward

The strong believer should help the weak believer so that the
weaker and stronger may grow and glorify God (15.1-6). 2.
Jewish and Gentile believers are to accept each other (15.7-13).
3. Paul's ministry does not reflect what Paul has done, but what
Christ has accomplished through Paul (15.14-21). 4. Paul plans
on visiting the Romans on his way to Spain, but he must first
take a contribution to Jerusalem (15.22-29). 5. Paul asks the
Romans to pray for his Jerusalem trip and for his trip to Rome
(15.30-33).

Chapter 16 Personal notes and greetings

Paul recommends Phoebe, a serving lady, and asks that the Romans
help her in whatever and whenever she needs help (16.1-2). 2.
Paul sends personal notes to many of the Roman believers
(16.3-16). 3. Paul warns them to beware of the troublemakers,
specifically those that live by their emotions and smooth talk
people and work against the doctrine that has been taught
(16.17-21). 4. Some of the men with Paul also send personal
greetings to the Romans (16.21-24). 5. God, who stabilizes
believers, has all glory (16.25-27). by Tod M. Kennedy Comments
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Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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