sample of romans

Introduction to Romans
By Bro. Charley Buntin
Rom 1:1

Introductory Thoughts

· The world’s chief problem: sin
· Sin’s effects
o Alienates God
o Cuts off eternity
o Alienates from other humans
Lives of selfish desperation
Mindless, unimaginable evil
Destruction, murder, chaos
The world’s people are living: (MacArthur)
Self-centered lives
Guilt-ridden lives
Hopeless lives
Meaningless lives

· See it in the movies, hear it in the music, observe it in drug abuse, and in all kinds of gross sins.
· Basically, for mankind, there is only one source of good news, and that is the Gospel.

· We often forget that there are a set of basic questions that all humans have about life, and we who know the Lord have the only set of valid answers—and these are all addressed in Romans.

Questions Answered by the Book of Romans
List adapted from Commentary on Romans 1-8, by John MacArthur

What is the good news of God?
Is Jesus really God?
What is God like?
How can God send people to hell?
Why do men reject God and His Son, Jesus Christ?
Why are there false religions and idols?
What is man’s biggest sin?
Why are there sex perversions, hatred, crime, dishonesty, and all the other evils in the world, and why are they so pervasive and rampant?
What is the standard by which God condemns people?
How can a person who has never heard the gospel be held spiritually responsible?
Do Jews have a greater responsibility to believe than Gentiles?
Who is a true Jew?
Is there any spiritual advantage to being Jewish?
How good is man in himself?
How evil is man in himself?
Can any person keep God’s laws perfectly?
How can a person know he is a sinner?
How can a sinner be forgiven and justified by God?
How is a Christian related to Abraham?
What is the importance of Christ’s death?
What is the importance of His resurrection?
What is the importance of His present life in heaven?
For whom did Christ die?
Where can men find real peace and hope?
How are all men related spiritually to Adam, and how are believers related spiritually to Jesus Christ?
What is grace and what does it do?
How are God’s grace and God’s law related?
How does a person die spiritually and become reborn?
What is the Christian’s relation to sin?
How important is obedience in the Christian life?
Why is living a faithful Christian life such a struggle?
How many natures does a Christian have?
What does the Holy Spirit do for a believer?
How intimate is a Christian’s relationship to God?
Why is there suffering?
Will the world ever be different?
What are election and predestination?
How can Christians pray properly?
How secure is a believer’s salvation?
What is God’s present plan for Israel?
What is His future plan for Israel?
Why and for what have the Gentiles been chosen by God?
What is the Christian’s responsibility to Jews and to Israel?
What is true spiritual commitment?
What is the Christian’s relationship to the world?
What is the Christian’s relationship to the unsaved?
What is the Christian’s relationship to other Christians?
What is the Christian’s relationship to human government?
What is genuine love and how does it work?
How do Christians deal with issues that are neither right nor wrong in themselves?
What is true freedom?
How important is unity in the church?

1. Some Things About Romans

a. Famous People and Romans

(1) Samuel Taylor Coleridge referred to Romans as, “The profoundest piece of writing in existence.”
(2) Luther said it was, “The chief book of the New Testament. … It deserves to be known by heart, word for word, by every Christian.”
(3) According to C. A. Fox, “Chrysostom used to have it read over to him twice every week by his own express order…”
(4) Luther, Augustine, Wesley, all were saved through an encounter with Romans

b. Romans is the closest thing in the Bible to a total manual for Christian Doctrine.

c. Romans is one of the most organized books in the Bible--it outlines like a dream

d. In general, Paul gives us theology first, with some practical observations mixed in, then follows that long theological section with doctrine of a more practical nature.

e. Romans quotes the OT 57 times, more than any other NT book.

f. Brief Word analysis—these words appear this many times in Romans
(1) God----------------------------------153
(2) Christ, Jesus, Christ Jesus---------71
(3) Holy Spirit---------------------------45
(4) Lord----------------------------------45
(5) Law-----------------------------------68
(6) Sin (or synonyms of “sin”)--------56
(7) Righteous/righteousness-----------41
(8) Faith----------------------------------37
(9) Death---------------------------------35
(10) Life----------------------------------35
(11) Judge/judgement------------------21
(12) Wrath -------------------------------9
(13) Just/Justify-------------------------22
(14) Grace-------------------------------21
(15) Glory-------------------------------20

g. What is the point of this numbers exercise?
(1) Romans is a book concerned with the big issues.
(2) Most of these words have to do with the great eternal issues of God, sin, law, judgement
(3) Romans is not a “How to” book primarily--it is a “How it IS” book.

h. It is in the book of Romans that God, speaking through the Apostle Paul, tells us how the universe works in the area of salvation. It is here that we learn the great truths that explain to us what God did for us in choosing, redeeming, calling, and saving us.


2. Overview of Romans (The Basic Outline)

a. Introduction and text—Rom 1:1-17
b. Man Can’t Save Himself—Rom 1:18-3:20
c. God Saves Sinners—Rom 3:21-11:36
d. God Expects Saved People to Live Like They are Saved—Rom 12-16

3. Paul:

a. He was a man specially prepared by God to accomplish a particular purpose. His Name, background, education, and character all tell us much about him.

b. He was Saul, then Paul? Switch—(Acts 13:9)

c. Background
(1) Native to Tarsus—Acts 22:25-28
(2) A Freeborn Roman Citizen—Acts 22:25-29
(3) A Religious Pedigree—Phil 3:1-10
(4) Raised to have a trade—every Pharisee had a trade, even if he was rich.

d. Paul’s Greek and Roman Education
(1) Raised up at the feet of Gamaliel—Acts 22:3
(2) Greek classics—Acts 17:28—Tarsus was a center of academia!
(3) Pagan culture and traditions—1 Cor 9:19-23
(4) Athletics—1 Cor 9:24-27
(5) A master of languages—(1 Cor 14)

e. Paul’s Jewish education
(1) Gamaliel—Acts 22:3-4
(2) A trade—tentmaking.
(3) He was a zealous Jew:—Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-2—he was a Pharisee of Pharisees

f. Paul’s Providential Preparation
(1) Gal 1:13-16
(2) Prepared to defend the Gospel against Jewish legalism—Galatians, Romans (Lloyd-Jones)
(3) Prepared to preach to all the Roman world
(4) Prepared to Debate with scholars—1 Cor 2:1-6
(5) Prepared to preach to the simple—1 Cor 1:17-18,

g. Paul’s Conversion and commission—Acts 9:1-16

4. “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ..”.

a. Paul’s authority as an apostle is BASED in his servanthood—Mark 9:35, 10:44
b. Christ’s example –Mat 20:25-28—
c. Jewish custom of a voluntary slave for life—Ex 21:4-6.
d. Paul is not looking to please anyone but his Master—Gal 1:10
e. The Lord’s example: Phil 2:7-9, Mat 11:29
f. The apostles often refer to themselves as the bond servants (doulos) of Christ, or of the church—2 Cor 4:5, Gal 1:10, Phil 1:1, Titus 1:1—
g. Application: The one who would lead in God’s church must be willing to be a servant to all.

5. Called to be an apostle—we need to consider what it means when he says he is an apostle.

a. First, what is an apostle?
(1) The Primary Office—Eph 4:11, Luke 6:13
(2) Only those personally appointed by Christ— John 15:27, 1 Cor 9:1, 1 Cor 15:1-11
(3) There were no provisions for replenishment of the office

b. What was the function and authority of the apostles?
(1) Special Authority and power—Heb 2:3-4
(2) The Apostles were foundational—Eph 2:20
(3) No Apostles Today


c. He was CALLED to apostleship
(1) Something interesting to think about is the fact that Paul was called to his apostleship long before God actually separated him to the work in Acts 13:2,
(2) His Calling
(a) First, God called him to salvation, and revealed almost immediately the mission He had for Paul—Gal 1:15-16
(b) Then God called Paul apart for preparation—Paul did not need seminary--he’d already studied at the feet of Gamaliel and was mighty in the scriptures
(c) Then Paul received Revelation.
(d) Then Paul languished in obscurity in Tarsus as God set him apart for maturation
(e) Then God opened the door for Paul to teach in Antioch—Acts 11:19-26
(f) God has been molding this great servant, He has readied him for the apostleship, and then....Acts 13:2 Now, Paul is ready to begin the mission for which all else in his life was but preparation.

6. Separated to the Gospel—Acts 13:2-3

a. Separated—The word comes from two which mean to mark off a boundary or a property line. God had drawn a line around Paul’s heart from the beginning, but it was not apparent until later—Gal 1:13-15, see also Jer 1:4-5

b. Set apart to the gospel—

(1) The gospel is the prime subject of Romans, as it was the prime subject of Paul’s life.
(2) Paul was obsessed with the Truth of God’s Word, and with the facts of the gospel story.
(3) The Gospel IS
(a) About facts that happened
(b) About facts that were attested to by eyewitnesses—1 Cor 15:1-11
(c) The Gospel is about A plan made before the world was made; a plan promised before it was revealed; A plan embodied, revealed, and accomplished in the life and work of The Lord Jesus Christ;

c. Paul loved to talk about the Gospel—the word “gospel” is used 101 times in the New Testament, and 75 of those times are found in the writings of Paul!

d. Paul loved to talk about the Gospel—the word “gospel” is used 101 times in the New Testament, and 75 of those times are found in the writings of Paul!
(1) Paul’s Mission—1 Cor 1:17 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…”
(2) Paul’s Obsession—1 Cor 9:16 "… necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”
(3) Paul’s Revelation from God—Gal 1:11 "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man."
(4) Paul’s mission in spite of difficulties—Gal 4:13 "Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first."
(5) Paul sees the Gospel as a Trust—1 Th 2:4 "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” See 1 Tim 1:11.
(6) Paul sees the Gospel as a man to man legacy—2 Tim 2:1-2 "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Applications
1. God has prepared each of us in distinct, uniquely personal ways
2. God has called each of us to salvation and service (Mat 28:18-20)—we are all disciples
3. God has given each of us gifts that are appropriate to our callings
4. God has placed before each of us our particular mission in life