Outline of Romans

I. Introduction–God’s Righteousness–Good News for All People (1:1-17).

A. Salutation: The Good News God Promised is Now Realized (1:1-7).
B. Greetings: The Good News God Promised is Now being Preached (1:8-15).
C. Proposition: The Good News God Promised Now Reveals His Righteousness
(1:16-17).

II. Condemnation–God's Righteousness–Wrath upon All Humanity apart from Christ

(1:18-3:20).
A. God’s Wrath against Gentiles–Condemned without Excuse (1:18-32).
1. God’s Wrath–Revealed against Idolatry (1:18-23).
2. God’s Wrath–Abandonment to Sexual Perversion (1:24-25).
3. God’s Wrath–Abandonment to Shameful Lusts (1:26-27).
4. God’s Wrath–Abandonment to Depraved Minds (1:28-32).
B. God’s Wrath against Jews–Condemned without Excuse (2:1-3:20).
1. God's Judgment: Justification or Condemnation before God is Equitable to
All–To Both Jew and Gentile (2:1-16).
2. God's Judgment: Justification before God is Not Grounded in Being
Jewish–Possessing the Law and Circumcision (2:17-29).
3. God's Judgment: Condemnation for Lack of Righteousness (3:1-20).
a. God's Righteousness and Israel's Unrighteousness: Jewish Privilege
not the Source of Right Standing with God (3:1-8).
b. God's Righteousness and Universal Unrighteousness: Law of Moses
not the Source of Right Standing with God (3:9-20).

III. Justification–God's Righteousness–Grace for All who Believe in Him (3:21-8:39).

A. The Ground of Justification: Jesus Christ's Faithfulness (3:21-31).
1. Jesus Christ’s Faithfulness–The Justification of God (3:21-26).
2. Jesus Christ’s Faithfulness–The Justification of the Law (3:27-31).
B. The Pattern of Justification: Abraham and His Children (4:1-25).
1. What Kind of Descendant from Abraham does God the Righteous Judge
Justify: One of the Law or One of Faith? (4:1-8).
2. When did God the Righteous Judge Justify Abraham: Before or after
Abraham was Circumcised? (4:9-12).
3. Who are Heirs of the Promise made by God the Righteous Judge: Those
of the Law or Those of Faith? (4:13-25).
C. The Blessings of Justification: Peace with God (5:1-11).
D. The Transmission of Justification: The New Adam (5:12-21)
1. Death and Sin by Adam (5:12-14).

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 2. Life and Justification by Christ (5:15-19).
3. The Law Prepares for Christ (5:20-21).
E. The Freedom of Justification: Alive in Christ (6:1-7:25).
1. Dead to Sin and Alive to God (6:1-14).
2. Free from Sin and Slaves to Righteousness (6:15-23).
3. Dead to the Law and Alive to God (7:1-6).
4. Delivered from the Law of Sin and Death (7:7-25).
F. The Life of Justification: Living in the Spirit (8:1-39).
1. Already we are God's Sons–We already have the Spirit (8:1-17).
2. Not Yet are we Fully Revealed as God's Sons–Our Bodies Have Not Yet
been Redeemed (8:18-30).
3. Our Conquest over All Things is Sure in Christ Jesus (8:31-39).

IV. Vindication–God's Righteousness–Faithfulness to His Covenant Promise Made to the

Patriarchs (9:1-11:36).
A. God Elected an Israel within Israel–Israel's Unfaithfulness does not Nullify God's
Righteous Faithfulness to True Israel (9:1-29).
1. God's Election: Identification of True Israelites (9:1-13).
2. God's Election: Inclusion of Gentiles as True Israelites (9:14-29).
B. God Holds All Humans Accountable Whether Chosen or Rejected–Israel's
Unfaithfulness does not Nullify God's Righteous Faithfulness to True Israel
(9:30-10:21).
1. The Law of Righteousness: Israel's Pursuit and the Gentiles' Failure to
Pursue (9:30-10:4).
2. The Righteousness of God: Israel's Failure to Attain (10:5-21).
a. Explanation of Israel's Failure to Submit to God's Righteousness and
the Gentiles Reception of God's Righteousness (10:5-15).
b. Announcement of the Consequences of Israel's Failure to Submit to
God's Righteousness (10:16-21).
C. God Scripted beforehand the Mystery of Israel's Hardening–Israel's
Unfaithfulness does not Nullify God's Righteousness concerning His Promise
(11:1-36).
1. Israel's Hardening is not Total, Is It? (11:1-10).
a. Has God Completely Rejected Israel? (11:1-6).
b. Has not God Hardened and Elected? (11:7-10).
2. Israel's Hardening is not Final, Is It? (11:11-24).
a. Has God Hardened Israel Permanently? (11:11-16).
b. Are Gentiles Exempt from God's Hardening? (11:17-24).
3. Israel's Hardening Accomplishes God's Purposes for Israel's Salvation
(11:25-36).

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 a. God's Hardening of Israel Entails Divine Mystery (11:25-27).
b. God's Hardening of Israel does not Nullify His Covenant with the
Patriarchs (11:28-32).
c. God's Hardening of Israel Reflects Unsearchable Divine Wisdom
(11:33-36).

V. Exhortation–God's Righteousness–His Will Required by His Mercy (12:1-15:13).

A. God's Will Concerning Christian Obedience (12:1-21).
1. Worship–The Posture of Christian Obedience (12:1-2).
2. Body–The Context of Christian Obedience (12:3-8).
3. Love–The Behavior of Christian Obedience (12:9-21).
B. God's Will Concerning Christian Obedience in the World (13:1-14).
1. Divine Ordination–Motivation to Submit to One's Governing Officials
(13:1-7).
2. Imminent Salvation–Motivation to Love One's Fellow Humans (13:8-14).
C. God's Will Concerning Christian Obedience in Disputable Matters (14:1-15:6).
1. Do not Condemn Others–God alone is the Judge of all (14:1-12).
2. Do not Destroy Others–Practice Deference to others (14:13-23).
3. Bear with One Another–Follow the Example of Christ the Servant (15:1-6).

VI. Conclusion–God's Righteousness–Steadfastness to His Promises Made to the

Patriarchs (15:7-13).
A. God's Christ: Confirmation of God’s Promises to the Patriarchs To both Jews
and Gentiles (15:7-12).
B. God's Holy Spirit: Empowerment of all Believers to Hope in the Confirmed
Promise (15:13).

VII. Postlude–God's Righteousness–Favor to Gentiles through Paul's Apostleship:

Personal Plans and Greetings (15:14-16:27).
A. Paul's Apostleship to the Gentiles Who Have Never Heard the Gospel
(15:14-22).
B. Paul's Plans for a Mission to Gentiles in Spain (15:23-29).
C. Paul's Appeal for Christians to Pray for His Gentile Mission (15:30-32).
D. Paul's First Benediction upon the Roman Christians (15:33).
E. Paul's Commendation of Phoebe (16:1-2).
F. Paul's Greetings to Many Friends (16:3-16).
G. Paul's Warning against False Teachers (16:17-20a).
H. Paul's Second Benediction upon the Roman Christians (16:20b).
I. Paul's Inclusion of Signatures from Friends of the Roman Christians (16:21-23).
J. Paul's Closing Doxology: The Glory of the Mystery of the Gospel (16:25-27).

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