Bible Study Outline - Romans

Bible Study at Gospel Light Christian Church, Singapore
by Pastor Dr Paul Choo

Introduction: The O.T. is the preparation for Christ's life, the Gospels are the manifestation of Christ's life, the Acts of the Apostles is the propagation of Christ's life, and the Epistles are the explanation of Christ's life.

Romans is the most important book in the Bible for the purpose of systematic theology. Therefore though it is not the first epistle to be written yet it is placed first among the epistles. Martin Luther, the great Protestant Reformer, was convicted to leave the Roman Church after reading this book. A thorough knowledge of this book will ground us in the foundational doctrines of salvation. Failure to understand the doctrines taught in this book may result in either heresy or doubts of our salvation.

It was written to the Christians in Rome, approximately 25 years after Jesus' resurrection. Chapters 1 - 11 is doctrinal, and chapters 12 - 16 is practical - doctrine should precede practice.

Romans Chapter 1

v.1 Paul - Though Paul was the chief of sinners (I TI 1: 15), yet God used him.

servant - "Doulos", ie, slave. We were once the slave of sin, but are now redeemed by Christ (I CO 6:20). We are now Christ's servants bound by chains of love ("For the love of Christ constraineth us", 2CO 5:14). People who are in love are voluntary slaves to the one they love.

called to be an apostle - God called only twelve apostles (REV 21:14). As Paul replaced Judas as the twelfth apostle, therefore Matthias' human appointment was not accepted by God (ACT 1:26).

gospel - Good-spell, ie, good news (not another set of doctrine, or law).

v 2 promised afore - The gospel was promised immediately after the fall of Adam (GEN 3:15), and repeatedly prophesied by the prophets throughout the O.T. Why did God delay sending His Son for so long? To show man that though he could progress in other fields of endeavour, he was so sinful he could not save himself

v 3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ - The gospel is not about commandments, it is about a person. Christianity is different from all other religions. It is not another set of laws, it is about a Savior

Jesus = Joshua = Savior.

Christ = Anointed One = Messiah.

Lord - When we accept Christ, we accept Him not only as Savior but also as Lord. Christ has three offices, namely, Priest (Saviour), Prophet and King (Lord). When we receive Christ as our Saviour, we receive Him in all these three offices.

made - Christ, the eternal Son of God, was incarnated 2000 years ago (PHI 2:6,7). In His humanity, He was "made", but in His divinity, He was eternal.

according to the flesh - This does not mean that Christ simply had a body, but it includes everything which constitutes the nature which a child derives from his mother. Christ was fully man, with body and soul (MAR 14:34), with all the feelings and frailties of man, but without sin (I PE 2:22). He had to be 100% man in order to be a substitute for man.

declared - As the eternal Son of God, he was not made!

according to the spirit of holiness - This phrase is put in contrast to "according to the flesh", ie, there were two natures in Him! One nature derived from humanity and one nature derived from divinity, 100% God and 100% man. The two natures were perfectly united in one person. Each nature did not affect the other, le, because He was God did not make Him less than 100% man. During His life on this earth, He often voluntarily chose to subdue His divinity. Only one who is God-man can be our Savior, because only God is sinless and His Life is worth an infinite number of fives, and because only a man can die and shed blood, and can be a substitute for man.

declared to be the Son... by the resurrection - During His incarnation Jesus often subdued His divinity, but His resurrection clearly demonstrated His divinity. The uniqueness of Christianity is that we have a risen Savior. v 5 grace - ie, unmerited favor from God. The second greatest attribute of God, after His holiness, is His grace.

apostleship, for obedience to the faith - The duty of apostles was to lead men to be obedient to God's command to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus (ACT 17:30, 1 JO 3 -.23).

for his name - ie, to glorify His name. To believe God is to glorify Him, to disbelieve Him is to call Him a liar. The primary purpose of preaching is to glorify God and not to save souls. The primary purpose of men is to glorify God (I CO 10: 3 1), and to enjoy Him forever.

v 6 called - There are two kinds of call, ie, the universal call by which is effected by preaching, and effectual call by the working of the Spirit upon our hearts. v 7 beloved of God - there is nothing lovely in a sinner, but God who is love and loved us in spite of ourselves.

saints - ie, separated unto God (same root word as "holy"). Every Christian is a saint.

peace - God's grace to us gives us peace. The greatest need of a sinner is to have peace with God. Peace with God is the primary effect of the gospel.

Peace from God - This peace is not from ourselves or our efforts but is from God.

God our Father - only Christians can claim this (JOH 8:44). God is the Father of all man so far as their creation is concerned, but men chose to reject God and chose to follow Satan and sin. Creationally-speaking He is the Father of all, but spiritually-speaking he is the Father of Christians.

from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ - hints of the equality of the Father and Son. The Holy Trinity is not explicitly taught in the Bible, but is nonetheless clearly taught.

v 9 serve with my spirit - serving God any other way is unacceptable to God, because God is a spirit (JOH 4:24).

prayers - Paul prayed for Christians whom he had never seen. There is a bond between saved people because of the same Spirit. We should pray for one another.

v 10 prosperous journey = prospered to make the journey.

v 12 Paul, the great apostle, realized that he could benefit from fellowship with weak Christians. He did not say that he was going to grant them an audience to bless them.

v 14 debtor - Just as a doctor possessing vaccine in the midst of an epidemic is a debtor to dispense his vaccine, a Christian is debtor to dispense the life-giving gospel in a sin-dying world

v 16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ - Everybody is ashamed of the gospel, because nobody likes to preach about sin, blood, hell, heaven (EPH 6:19, 2TI :8). If you are ashamed of the gospel, you are probably not preaching the gospel as it should be preached.

for it is the power of God unto salvation - However, Paul's realization of the power of the gospel gave him the strength to overcome his shame.

believeth - saved by faith.

v 17 therein is the righteousness of God - In the gospel we learn about the righteousness that we receive from Christ (as opposed to our own righteousness).

faith..faith..faith - We receive this righteousness by faith.

v 18 for - connects to "The just shall live by faith" (vs. 17

wrath - God's holy anger against sin.
ungodliness - impiety towards God.
unrighteousness - injustice towards men.
hold - hold down, suppress.

hold the truth in unrighteousness - Man suppress the truth (of their knowledge of God) because of their wickedness.

v 19 that which may be known - namely, God's eternal power and Godhead (divinity) vs.20.

in them - ie, in men's nature.

shewed it unto them - God has revealed Himself to men by His creation.

v 20 Though no man has seen God (invisible), yet we know of God's eternal power and Godhead when we see God's creation. When we see the shining of the sun we realize the eternal power of God. When we see the perfectness and magnitude of God's creation we realize that God is so different from men, ie, God is divine - His Godhead.

without excuse - ie, no man can say:" How do I know that there is a God, I've never seen Him! " This knowledge of God through His creation is not enough for man to be saved, but it is sufficient for man to realize that there is a God.

v 21 knew God - ie, man know that there is a God, but they suppress this knowledge (vs. 18.)

glorified - give honor.
vain - ie, foolish and wicked. This word is often associated with idolatory in the Bible.
imaginations - thoughts.
was darkened - When men ignore God or have low opinions of God, then God takes away their spiritual understanding.

v 22 professing - pretending.

v 23 into - better translated as 'for", ie, they changed the real God for an idol. (Idolatory is not only worshipping false gods but also worshipping the true God through images, EXO 20:4-6).

v 24 gave them up - withdraw His restraining grace. Though we do not realize it, God is restraining us from committing more evil.

lust & dishonor their own bodies - sexual sins. Idolatory and sexual sins are often closely linked together.

v 25 changed - exchanged truth of God - right concept of God, right opinion of God. into a lie - false god, ie, idol.

v 26 women - women are generally less likely to be immoral than men.

against nature - perversion.

v 27 men with men - homosexuality.

recompense... which was meet - a punishment which they deserve, eg. AIDS.

v 28 reprobate - depraved. convenient - decent, proper.

v 29 fornication - adultery.
covetousness - greed.
maliciousness - evil.
debate - quarrelsome.
malignity - ill-will.
whisperer - gossippers.

v 30 backbiters - slanderers.

despiteful - insulting.

v 31 covenantbreakers -break promises.

without natural affection - unloving.
implacable - cannot be soothed, unreasonable.

v 31 To fall into sin when tempted is bad enough, but to enjoy seeing others fall into sin demonstrates the true extent of our sinfulness.

Summary 1) When any man sees God's creation, he knows that there is a God and that God is powerful and divine (v. 19,20)

2) But men suppresses this knowledge (vs. 18) because they want to continue in their sins. When they acknowledge that there is a God, they cannot sin freely because God is watching and God will punish.

3) Since they cannot "get rid" of the knowledge of God from their hearts, they "change" God into an idol (vs. 23). Idols cannot see their sins, so they feel free to continue in their sins.

4) They continually reject God, so God gives them up (vs.24,26, 28).

5) When God gives them up they become very evil (vs.29-33). All idolatrous countries are corrupt and filled with evil because God has given them up.