Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

The Epistle of Paul The Apostle to the Romans

Before diving into the Introduction to the Book of Romans, I would like to say, I found a great website to study the book of Romans and if you would like to just go through it by reading the text, you can find the link in my discription to this audio, video. I do this videos for people like me who get more out of listening to the audio as they read though the text. It really helps using more then one of your senses. By the way, it is said that we have anywhere from 22 to 33 different senses. You can do a search on the Internet to check this out. With that out of the way, let us look at a brief Introduction to this Book.

Writer: The Apostle Paul, Chapter 1 verse 1

Date: Romans, the sixth in chronological order of Pauls’s Epistles, was written from Corinth during the apostle’s third visit to that city, 2 Corinthians 13:1, in A. D. 60.

The Epistle has its occasion in the intention of the apostle soon to visit Rome. Naturally, he would wish to announce before his coming the distinctive truths which had been revealed to and through him. He would desire the Christians in Rome to have his own statement of the great doctrines of grace so bitterly assailed everywhere by legalistic teachers.

Theme: The theme of Romans is “the Gospel of God” Chapter 1 verse 1, the very widest possible designation of the whole body of redemption truth, for it is He with whom is “no respect of persons;” and who is not “the God of the Jews only,” but “of the Gentiles also” Chapter 2 verse 11 and Chapter 3 verse 29. Accordingly, “all the world” is found guilty Chapter 3 verse 19, and a redemption is revealed as wide as the need, upon the alone condition of faith. Not only does Romans embody in thee fullest way the doctrines of gracein relation to salvation, but in three remarkable chapters 9 through 11, the great promises to Israel and reconciled with the promises concerning the Gentiles, and dthe fulfilment of dthe former shown to await the completion of the church and coming of the Deliverer out of Zion Chapter 11 verses 25 to 27. The key-phrase is “the righteousness of God” Chapter 1 verse 17 and Chapter 3 verses 21 and 22.

The Epistle, exclusive of the introduction Chapter 1 verses 1 to 17, is in seven parts: 1.) The whole world guilty before God Chapter 1:18 to 3:20. 2.) Justification through the righteousness of God by faith, the Gospel remedy for guilt, Chapter 3:21 to 5:11. 3.) Crucifixion with Christ, the resurrection life of Christ, and the walk in the Spirit, the Gospel provision for inherent sin, Chapter 5:12 to 8:13. 4.) The full result in blessing of the Gospel, Chapter 8:14 to 39. 5.) Parenthesis: the Gospel does not abolish the covenant promises to Israel, Chapter 9:1 to 11:36. 6.) Christian life and service, Chapter 12:1 to 15:33. 7.) The out flow of Christian love, Chapter 16:1 to 17.