I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome." - Romans 1:14-15 (ESV)

 Romans is often named as the greatest letter or book in the entire Bible. In this letter, we receive a summary of Paul’s theology, especially his theology of salvation.[1]

 The Big Idea of Romans

I have taught the big idea of Romans in this way: Paul is eager to fulfill his duty to preach the gospel to the Romans. Paul tells Romans he’s thinking of them and wants to visit them to preach the gospel to them, then goes into depth in his description of the gospel and its effect in their lives. Paul is concerned for the Romans to know the gospel, to know of his concern and love for them and to live a life that flows from the gospel and the relationship with God it entails. This is true for the Romans, but it is also true for all Christians.

An Outline of Romans

1-3: All Are Sinners, All Need Christ

Chapters 1-3 teach us that all are sinners and all need Christ. Paul opens the letter by telling the Romans about how he is eager to see them to preach the gospel to them personally. He did not let his absence stop him, however, as he launches into an extended explanation of the gospel that constitutes the majority of the letter. He begins by addressing the Jewish and Gentile competing perspectives that one is superior to the other, either the Jews because the Law came through their people or the Gentiles because the Jews had lost their privileged position and the gospel was now come to them. 

4-6: Salvation Is by Faith and for Being Holy

Chapters 4-6 teach us that salvation is by faith and for being holy. Paul is at pains to emphasize the fact that salvation does not come through works of the law and never has. Instead, salvation has always been by faith, as evidence in the fact that the righteousness that Abraham achieved was granted in response to his belief in God before he was circumcised and not as a result of his obedience to God. Abraham believed, and that was it. However, that does not mean that believers can or should live however they like. Believers are saved from sin so that they could be slaves of righteousness instead of sin. To continue on in willful sin is a fundamental contradiction of the need for and purpose of salvation. 

7-8: Salvation In Eternity Leads to Sanctification in the Present

Chapters 7-8 teach us that salvation in eternity leads to sanctification in the present. Paul describes how believers are not captive to the law but free to serve in the new way of the Spirit. Paul defends the Law of Moses from the charge that it was somehow bad or sinful of itself. The Law exposes human sin rather than being sinful of itself. Paul describes how believers are led by the Spirit of God, and how that is evidence of who are sons of God and who are not. He the describes how the suffering currently experienced do not compare to the glory that we await. In the meantime, the Spirit helps us. The love of God is for us, and nothing will be able to separate us from God in Christ because of that.

9-11: God’s Plan Will Be Fulfilled

Chapters 9-11 teach that God’s plan will be fulfilled. Paul returns to the theme of Jewish identity, which is such a focus in chapters 2-4. Paul describes the love he has for his fellow Jews, but he counterbalances his sorrow with the confidence that God’s word will continue to succeed and that those whom he has chosen will be redeemed. Paul explains that the problem for the Jews is that they seek to establish a righteousness of their own instead of submitting to God’s. People are saved by hearing and believing the gospel and not by self-righteousness. Nevertheless, God has not finally rejected his people. The gospel is going to the Gentiles, but the Jews will not remain hardened forever. Paul concludes this major section of the letter with a doxology, an exclamation of praise, extolling the wisdom, knowledge, and glory of God.

12-16: Live in Harmony with One Another

Chapters 12-16 contain a series of instructions to the Romans for how they ought to live together as Christians. They should be marked by humility and love, living submissively under the government as possible and being gracious with one another as Christ has been gracious to them. Paul concludes the letter by expressing confidence in them as well as his hope that he will see them shortly in the course of his missionary travels.

Benefits of Romans

We could say that the benefits of every Bible book are nearly limitless, but not every Bible book is as obviously fruitful as Romans is. Where to start? Romans works as a guide for the Christian life, helping us to understand the nature and reality of our sin in the first few chapters, then explaining how we are saved through Christ’s work. Romans helps us to understand what kinds of changes we ought to expect in our lives since we are still fallen and not yet glorified. We still sin, but we are not consigned to it or forced to do it. Romans’ last section on believers’ relationships with one another is beautiful and practical.

Romans has what may be a surprising amount of material on suffering and hope in chapters 5-8. In that section, and among other things, Paul introduces the concept of suffering as a means of cultivating hope. From there, Paul draws a series of connections related to the Christian life that are typically treated as a description of sanctification or how a Christian should grow in holiness. The section concludes in chapter eight on a triumphant note, as Paul declares that Christians are more than conquerors through Christ and that nothing can separate them from the love of God. The end of chapter eight concludes the argument begun in chapter five regarding suffering. Romans 5-8 is a manual for living in general that is stated in terms of how to suffer well. In other words, as Paul teaches Christians how to suffer well, he is really teaching Christians how to live in general. This is so beneficial, and yet so relatively rarely stated or explained, that it is worth highlighting. 

Romans provides endless and fruitful fodder for meditation and study. It is remarkable that all Paul is doing in the letter is preaching the gospel. What a privilege it is to read this masterful and divinely inspired reflection of the apostle Paul’s mature understanding as he was in the throes of his ministry. May Romans serve as a challenge to all of us who read it to continue to deepen our understanding of and conformity to the gospel that Paul received from Christ for all of us. 

[1] The study of salvation is more technically known as “soteriology,” from the root word for “salvation” in biblical Greek.