Romans (Draft)

Romans: An Informal Exegetical Outline (Draft)

Paul explains the Gospel’s surpassing power for salvation for all that believe over against the Law and exhorts the Romans to love others, including ministering to the Gentiles.

1. (1:1-15) The introduction is that Paul proceeds from Christ to preach the Gospel to the Romans on account of their faith.
   1. (1:1-7) The introduction is that Paul proceeds as an apostle of Christ.
   2. (1:8-15) The contextualization is that the Romans’ reputation of faith motivates Paul to preach the Gospel to them.
2. (1:16—11:36) The reason for Paul’s wanting to preach to the Romans is that the Gospel and not the Law or heritage or works is the power for salvation for both Jews and Gentiles that believe.
   1. (1:16-17) The reason for Paul’s wanting to preach to the Romans is that the Gospel is the power for salvation to both Jews and Gentiles that believe.
      1. (1:16a) The reason for Paul’s wanting to preach the Gospel to the Romans is that he is not ashamed of it.
      2. (1:16b) The reason for Paul’s lack of shame is that the Gospel is God’s power for salvation.
      3. (1:16c) The beneficiary of the Gospel’s power for salvation is both the Jew and the Gentile that believes.
      4. (1:17) The reason that believing Jews and Gentiles are beneficiaries is that the Gospel reveals God’s righteousness by faith.
   2. (1:18—2:29) The reason for the Gospel’s revelation of righteousness through faith is that God’s wrath is revealed against all mankind, including the Jews and despite circumcision and the Law.
      1. (1:18-32) The reason for the Gospel’s revelation of righteousness through faith is that the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness.
      2. (2:1-16) The consequence of God’s revelation of wrath upon all unrighteousness is that all those judging others and doing the same unrighteous things deserve the same wrath.
      3. (2:17-29) The accusation is that the Jews do the same unrighteous things despite the Law and circumcision.
   3. (3:1—4:25) The surprise (?) is that the unfaithfulness of the Jews ended up with righteousness being by faith in Christ and as a result both of God’s promise to Abraham and by means of the faith of both Jews and Gentiles.
      1. (3:1-31) The surprise (?) is that the unfaithfulness of the Jews has ended with Christ being the righteousness and justification of all that believe apart from works of the Law.
         1. (3:1-4) The surprise (?) is that the Jews’ faithlessness has demonstrated the faithfulness of God and their unrighteousness his righteousness.
         2. (3:5-8) The refutation is that such does not contradict righteousness for God or the Jews.
         3. (3:9-18) The further refutation is that even given the above, even the Jews are not better off.
         4. (3:19-31) The conclusion is that Christ is righteousness and justificiation for all who believe—both those under the Law, the Jews, and those not, the Gentiles.
      2. (4:1-25) The explanation is that the promise made to Abraham was fulfilled not by law or circumcision but by the righteousness that comes by faith, and the same means applies for those believing in Christ.
         1. (4:1-5) The beginning of the explanation is that (?) Abraham’s righteousness was credited to him on account of his faith. (It doesn’t really appear like he’s a type of our faith so much as the actual promise of which believers now partake—but perhaps Paul isn’t there yet).
         2. (4:6-8) The corollating case (?) of David is that the man that God forgives and doesn’t credit sin against is blessed.
         3. (4:9-12) The continuance of the explanation is that because circumcision was a sign of the righteousness with which Abraham had been credited, Abraham became the father of all the believe—both circumcised and uncircumcised.
         4. (4:13-22) The reason that Abraham became father of all the believe is that the promise God made to him was not fulfilled through the law but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
         5. (4:23-25) The addition (?) is that faith being credited as righteousness also applies to us, who will be credited on account of Christ’s death and resurrection.
   4. (5:1—8:39) The continuation is that as a result of righteousness through Christ, grace reigns through righteousness to salvation from wrath to eternal life not through sin or Law but through the Spirit.
      1. (5:1-20) The continuation is that the result of righteousness through the one man, Christ, is the hope of God’s glory—grace reigning through righteousness to salvation from wrath and eternal life.
         1. (5:1-5) The continuation is that the result of righteousness through Christ is the hope in God’s glory, through Spirit that he has given us.
         2. (5:6-11) The rationale for this hope is that because believers were reconcilied by Jesus when we were sinners, having now been reconcilied, believers will be saved from God’s wrath by Christ’s life.
         3. (5:12-20) The explanation is that like death came to all people through one man’s sin, grace through righteousness to eternal life has come to people through righteousness through Christ.
      2. (6:1—7:25) The bolstering of grace is that as a result of Christ’s death and resurrection and our death and resurrection in him, believers shall not remain in sin because we are dead to sin and to the Law, through which sin accomplishes in us evil and death, and alive to God in the Spirit, through whom we may now serve.
         1. (6:1-11) The bolstering of grace is that as a result of Christ’s death and resurrection and our death and resurrection in him, believers shall not remain in sin so that grace may increase but instead are/shall be dead to sin and to death and alive to God.
         2. (6:12-14) The aside/ is that as a result of our death to sin through Christ, believers should work to not let sin reign in us now.
         3. (6:15-23) The continued bolstering of grace is that the reason believers shall not sin because we are not under law but under grace is that as a result of our presenting ourselves as slaves to righteousness through our obedience to “the pattern of teaching to which we were entrusted,” we are freed from sin and enslaved to righteousness—to God—benefiting with sanctification and in the end eternal life.
            1. (6:15-19a) The continued bolstering of grace is that the reason we shall not sin because we are not under law but under grace is that as a result of our presenting ourselves as slaves to righteousness through our obedience to “the pattern of teaching to which we were entrusted,” we are freed from sin and enslaved to righteousness
            2. (6:19b-20) The second aside is to present our members not as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessnew but as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
            3. (6:21-23) The summation is that having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, we benefit with sancitification and in the end eternal life.
         4. (7:1-25) The explanation to those that know the Law concerning the Law and sin is that since sin used the Law to accomplish in us evil and death, we have died to the Law so that we could be joined to the Spirit.
            1. (7:1-6) The explanation to those that know the Law concerning the Law and sin is that we have died to the Law through the body of Christ, so that we could be joined to the Spirit, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.
            2. (7:7-20) The defense of the Law and condemnation of sin is that sin used the Law to produce in our flesh evil and death, proving the Law holy and itself utterly sinful.
            3. (7:21-25) The culmination is that though one serves the Law of God with the mind, with the flesh that person serves the law of sin.
      3. (8:1-39) The conclusion is that as a result of God condeming sin in the flesh in Christ, we will indeed put to death the deeds of the body and live by the Spirit, through Christ.
         1. (8:1-4) The conclusion is that as a result of God condemning sin in the flesh in Christ, the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ has freed us from the law of sin and death.
         2. (8:5-11) The explanation is that unlike the flesh, whose outlook is death, the outlook and even the mortal bodies of those that are in Christ are brought to life by the Spirit.
         3. (8:12-30) The reason that we will put to death the deeds of the body and live by the Spirit is that we are sons and fellow-heirs with Christ, from whose love we cannot be separated.
            1. (8:12-17) The the reason we are not under obligation to die by living according to the flesh but instead to live by putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit is that we are sons of God and fellow heirs of life with Christ.
            2. (8:18-25) The reason for suffering’s remaining presence is that in hope with endurance we are saved.
            3. (8:26-30) The further explanation for being saved in hope is that by the Spirit, not only are we able to connect now with God in prayer, but all things work together for the good of those that are called according to God’s purpose, whom he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son by calling, justifying, and glorifying them.
            4. (8:31-38) The sealing of our hope is that nothing can separate us from the love and intercession of Christ, who alone could condemn us.
   5. (9:1—11:36) The result is that while Israel because of lack of faith has been temporarily cut off from the root so that the Gentiles might be brought in by faith, Israel will return with the Gentiles to mercy.
      1. (9:1-33) The result is that Israel, despite their connections to the Gospel, failed to believe as a result if God withholding his mercy and ordaining Israel as an object of wrath and so failed to obtain righteousness by way of works.
         1. (9:1-5) The reason that the previous leads to Paul anguishing concerning Israel is that to them belong all that the Gospel provides and all the human history on which the Gospel is based.
         2. (9:6-13) The explanation for how the word of God did not fail is that it was always the children of promise/election and not the children of the flesh that are children of God.
         3. (9:14-18) The reason such is not injustice is that such is not merited by means of human desire or exertion but is a result of God’s mercy and compassion.
         4. (9:19-29) The reason that our inability to resist his will does not subvert our culpability is that the Creator has a claim over his creation, as God has for those objects of mercy with Paul from both the Gentiles and the Jews. a. (9:19-23) The reason we are still culpable is that God is creator, and we are his creation—whether unto glory or destruction. b. (9:24-29) The example of God creating some for glory is those with Paul from both the Jews and the Gentiles.
         5. (9:30-33) The conclusion is that the Gentiles obtained righteousness by way of faith, while Israel, failing to believe and instead trusting in works, failed to obtain righteousness.
      2. (10:1-10:21) The elaboration on Israel’s culpability is that while righteousness is attainable by faith, and while Israel heard such words, they sought their own righteousness by way of works.
         1. (10:1-4) The elaboration on Israel’s culpability is that though Christ is the end of the Law and the source of righteousness of all that believe, Israel sought to establish their own righteousness.
         2. (10:5-13) The explanation is that while the requirements of righteousness, as those given by Moses, appear beyond reach, they are within reach by faith, through Christ, so that “everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame,” and “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
         3. (10:-14-21) The elaboration is that while faith comes by hearing, Israel heard and still sought righteousness by works. a. (10:14-17) The elaboration is that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the preached word. b. (10:18-21) The final point is that Israel heard and still sought their own righteousness by works.
      3. (11:1-36) The further explanation is that God has not rejected Israel, but just as through their disobedience the Gentiles have received mercy, so through that mercy will Israel also receive mercy.
         1. (11:1-11:10) The further explanation is that God, instead of rejecting his people, has chosen a remnant of elect by grace.
         2. (11:11-16) The continuance is that Israel didn’t stumble into an irrevocable fall—their transgression brought reconciliation to the Gentiles and a cause for Israel’s jealousy, and so life from the dead will result from Israel’s full restoration.
         3. (11:17-24) The warning against boasting is that all branches that are grafted into the root are done so by grace, so that while Israel has been cut off and the Gentiles grafted, God can just as easily make the opposite true.
         4. (11:25-36) The further warning against conceipt and explanation of the mystery is that while the partial hardening of Israel will bring the full number of Gentiles into mercy, all Israel will receive mercy as well, so that all have been consigned to disobedience in order that God might show mercy to all, for from God and through him and to him are all things.
3. (12:1-15:32) The exhortation is that as a result of the the Gospel being the power of salvation, the Romans should love others and, ultimately, minister to the Gentiles.
   1. (12:1-2) The exhortation is that brothers and sisters by God’s mercy should present their bodies as sacrifices by means of (?) the renewal of their minds so as to test and accept as proved the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.
   2. (12:3—13:14) The elaboration of the testing of God’s will is that we should love our neighbors as ourselves.
      1. (12:3-8) The elaboration of the testing of God’s will is that because God gives us each our measure of faith, we should be of humble attitude toward one another and thus work according to our own gifts.
      2. (12:9-21) The further elaboration is that we should love without hypocrisy.
      3. (13:1-7) The further elaboration is as a result of God ordaining governing authorities, we should be subject to them.
      4. (13:8-14) The further elaboration is that, since the day is coming, we should live as if in the day and love our neighbors as ourselves and in so doing fulfill the law.
      5. (14:1—15:13) The further elaboration is that those that are strong in faith and those that are weak in faith should love each other, so that each receives each other.
      6. (15:14-21) The final elaboration is that, like Paul, the Romans should minister to the Gentiles.
      7. (15:22-32) The application is that the Romans can aid Paul in his ministry both to the Jerusalem saints and also to the Romans (if he should arrive on his way to Spain) by way of prayer.
4. (16:1-27) The final thoughts include commendations and greetings and Paul’s benediction.
   1. (16:1-16) The commendations and greetings are numerous.
   2. (16:17-20) The warning is to avoid those that create obstacles and dissensions contrary to the teaching the Romans had learned.
   3. (16:21-23) Several greetings continue.
   4. (16:24-27) benediction is the proclamation of the-God-of-the-Gospel’s glory.