A high-level outline of the Book of Romans, Part 2

Class Outline:

Pastor/Teacher
John Farley
Sunday,
October 4, 2009

This is going to be a high level view of the entire argument of the Book of Romans.

The first eleven chapters of the book of Romans are primarily doctrinal, and the rest, from chapter twelve to sixteen, are primarily practical, explaining the practical implications of the doctrine and exhorting the believer as to how to apply the doctrine.

The main stream of Romans 1-4 is the Gospel: Justification by Faith in Christ.

The main stream of Romans 5-8 is Eternal Security.

ROM 1:1-15.
This is what we call the salutation of the letter, followed by a general introduction to the theme of the letter.

The Gospel proper is described from ROM 1:16-ROM 4:25.

Here Paul deals with the true condition of unregenerate mankind which is the problem of total depravity...

...the solution to man’s problem in the work of Christ on the cross...

...and the fact that an individual is justified by means of faith alone in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, apart from any works of the Law. This is in accordance with the grace policy of God.

ROM 1:18 through the end of chapter 1 is all about how the Gentiles need salvation in the worst way.

But the Jews need it just as badly, despite the fact that they had the Law, and that is what Paul takes up in Romans 2.

So Paul goes about stating that it was very advantageous to have been a Jew, ROM 3:1-8.

There is not one righteous among the human race - the whole world is declared to be guilty and totally depraved.
That’s ROM 3:9-20.

From ROM 1:18 - ROM 3:20 he deals with the plight of unregenerate, unrighteous unbelieving mankind.

But from ROM 3:21 forward he deals with the undeserved favor and destiny of whosoever places his destiny wholly in Christ by believing.

From ROM 3:21-31, Paul introduces his magnificent good news - we are justified by grace as a gift from God through faith in Christ.

Paul’s task was to explain that the Good News of salvation, justification by grace through faith, was actually taught in the Old Testament.

Romans 4 teaches that God has always dealt with man and blessed him in terms of faith and not works.

Abraham He lived hundreds of years before God even revealed the Mosaic Law to His people!!!

Over half were not under the Law when they did what is mentioned in Hebrews 11 concerning them.

HEB 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

He lays out the argument in Romans 4 using Abraham that his justification was by grace through faith not of works.

ROM 5:1-2 is itself a mini-outline of the first 8 chapters of the book of Romans.

Paul takes us from Justification behind us, to Grace Orientation as our current reality, forward in hope to Glorification which is our ultimate destiny.

And that something even MORE important is the eternal security of the believer. That is Paul’s primary theme in Romans 5-8, and every other doctrine he teaches is a branch off the main stream of Eternal Security.

If you want to know what a passage is really all about, sometimes it really helps to ask - what does this passage mean to God?