ROMANS

Background

Author. The Pauline authorship of Romans is virtually irrefutable. The book makes that claim; and the indirect internal evidence everywhere points to Paul, including the intellect and spirit as well as the style and character of the writing. Externally, it was unchallenged and universally affirmed until the most radical of criticism around 1800, and even today is denied by almost no one.

Paul was born (Saul, his given, Jewish name) a Roman citizen in Tarsus, a Roman city, during the dispersion. There he grew up in an environment of relative wealth and education. There he also received initial training in Judaism, being himself a pure Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. Later he moved to Jerusalem for rabbinic (Pharisaic) training under Gamaliel, a grandson of Hillel. As a Pharisee he was more or less obliged to acquire a trade: his was tent making (or leather work?), which later served him well.

It is possible he left Jerusalem before the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus, since he never indicates any firsthand acquaintance with either. He was obviously back in Jerusalem not long after the birth of the church, actively and zealously involved in Judaism, probably as a member of the Sanhedrin. He led the ‘lynching’ of Stephen (Acts 7:58; 8:1; 22:20; 26:10).

Not long thereafter, while pursuing the official condemnation of Messianic Jews from Judaism, on a mission to Damascus, he met Jesus in an unforgettable and life-changing vision (Acts 9:1–6; 22:5–11; 26:12–19). From that moment until his death he was probably the most effective and vigorous and unflagging proponent of Christianity in all its history.

Date of composition and historical setting. The clues for the setting come primarily from Rom. 15:23–28, as well as 1:10–15. There Paul indicates that he has come to the end of his Aegean mission, the end of his third missionary journey (Spring 53 – Winter 56–57), and intended to proceed to Jerusalem—to deliver a monetary gift from the Greek churches—and thence to Spain for his next major ministry. On the way to Spain he hoped to stop at Rome to minister briefly to the established church there, and to build monetary support for his Spanish mission.

From the indication of chronology in 2 Corinthians 7–9 it appears Paul wrote this letter after reaching Corinth and receiving their contribution. Since he stayed there three months (Acts 20:3), and only very briefly at the stops between there and Jerusalem, it seems most probable that it was during that stay at Corinth (winter 56–57) that this letter was written.

Destination. Witmer’s suggestion seems likely, that there was in Rome more than a single Christian congregation, including one which met at the home of Aquila and Priscilla (16:5). But that reference itself suggests that the letter went to a wider audience than that one church (cf. 16:11, 15). That may explain Paul’s address of the letter not to “the church at Rome,” but to “all … saints” in Rome (1:7). There are also very significant clues suggesting some kind of rift between the Jewish and Gentile Christians (9:24, 30f; 11:18–24; 14:1–6,10; 15:1, 7–9; see also 1:5, 13, 16; 2:1, 12; 3:1, 9, 19, 29–30; 4:11–12, 16; 10:12; 11:11–13; and 15:16). It seems likely the Roman congregations were ethnically fractured (i.e., Jewish and Gentile), and that Paul sought to address that problem in particular.

Of the birth of the first church in Rome little is known for sure. It is quite certain Paul had never visited Rome (1:13). It is also highly unlikely Peter was its founder, since Paul could scarcely have failed to mention him, especially in the greetings (ch 16), if he were. Though some question the possibility of a church being founded without direct apostolic involvement, that does seem to be the best suggestion. It is true that Jews from Rome were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10). The plausibility of their forming the first Roman church is well defended by Guthrie (p. 394). However, more likely still is the suggestion that the church was originally comprised of direct and indirect converts of Paul’s ministry who migrated to Rome. Both his famous statement of reluctance to build on another’s foundation (15:20) and the numerous familiar greetings (16) support this thesis.

Purpose. Contrary to some popular opinion, the epistle is not abstract Soteriology. It is apparent that Paul was aware of some conflict between the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome. It seems the Gentiles were somewhat unbrotherly toward the Jews (cf. 11:13, 18, 20, 25), and even arrogant about their freedom from Jewish compulsions (14–15). Likewise the Jewish Christians tended to despise the Gentiles because of the Jewish superiority complex arising from reliance on the Abrahamic promises and the Mosaic Law (2:17—3:2, 9; 4:1–22). Both of these attitudes reflected selective appreciation of the New Covenant gospel they both claimed. Thus Paul organizes his thoughts to deal with the theological dimensions (1–11) and practical ramifications (12–15) of the New Covenant, especially as they impinge on the relations of Jews and Gentiles in Messiah.

Even the account of his near-term travel plans (15:22–29) supports his controlling message of the unity of Jew and Gentile in Messiah. That mission was the delivery of a monetary gift from predominantly Gentile churches (in Asia Minor and Greece) to their Jewish brothers in Jerusalem, dramatically symbolizing their solidarity in Messiah.

It seems very likely the church was still feeling effects of the edict of Emperor Claudius that all Jews must leave Rome.[1] That would have left the churches to be led by Gentiles only, where previously the church elders must certainly have been heavily Jewish (inasmuch as they would have had considerable Bible education when they first came to faith in Jesus whereas Gentiles had none). As Jews began to return to Rome (c. 54 and after) and to church, they would naturally expect that their leaders would be reassimilated into integrated church leadership teams. It is not hard to imagine that in some house churches the existing Gentile leadership and flocks might resent or only slowly warm up to these who assumed they would be reinstalled into the most influential positions, and that feelings might harden on both sides. One argument Gentiles might take would be to call attention to God’s displeasure with Israel, and extrapolate that God now prefers Gentiles. Again, it is not hard to imagine that something like this may well have been a significant contributing factor for much of the clash evident in the epistle between Jewish and Gentile Christians, and for Paul’s sense of need to teach a comprehensive theology of Israel (ch 9–11).

Argument

Paul began by weaving into the salutation key notes of his gospel (1:2–6), which he would soon develop, especially Jesus’s kingship (Messiah), and Paul’s commission as the Gentiles’ apostle. In the comments on personal matters (1:8–15) he tied together his specific purpose in desiring to visit Rome with a statement of his broader mission oriented toward the Gentile world (1:10–15), which itself issued in his theme for the letter concerning his commitment to righteousness as it is in and comes from God, most evident in the gospel of faith available equally to Jew as to Gentile (1:16–17). The verse he cites from Habakkuk serves as the outline of the great exposition on New Covenant salvation which follows (1:18—8:39), “Those justified by faith shall live.”

Salvation’s starting point is man’s lostness in sin; hence the section on man’s guilt, or The Need for Justification (1:18—3:20). Here it is shown that all mankind is condemned under sin. The Gentile world is the subject in the first subdivision (1:18–32). The main point is that it is self-evident that the Gentile world is justly under condemnation for willful and continued rejection of God in the knowledge of himself that God gives naturally (by general revelation) to all.

Paul next condemns the Jewish world using orthodox Jewish theology. His point in this chapter is not so much to accuse the Roman Christian Jews of all this hypocrisy, as to say that ‘Israel’ which has so easily found fault with the Gentile world (1:18–32), has itself also fallen short of real righteousness. Jewish theology, he reminds them, teaches that righteousness is based not on mere possession of the Law (special revelation), but performance (2:1–16). Israel’s guilt is then demonstrated by their failure to perform, to do the works of the Law they own so proudly (2:17–25). This failure was traceable to a misunderstanding that the external rituals of Judaism were not in themselves efficacious, but were rather meant to serve as symbols of internal changes (2:26–29). Finally he insists that no rationalizations can excuse Israel for her unbelief and unrighteousness (3:1–8).

The conclusion is that Jews and Gentiles are in the identical situation of condemnation (3:9–18). The effect of the Law is to condemn Israel, and thus to demonstrate that all, Gentiles (inasmuch as the condemnation of the Gentile world was already established as ‘self-evident,’ so to speak) and Jews, are in need of justification (3:19–20).

Having established the need of all for justification, Paul moves next to describe the provision of justification, that it is by faith. The work by which such hopeless sinners can be made acceptable to God demonstrates quintessentially the glorious grace of God. God has provided righteousness for sinners so that both they and he can be justified: they, in that they are rendered acceptably righteous before God, so that they can be reconciled to him; and he, in that he is not made complicit in so doing, for he first fully satisfied the righteous judgment against their sin (3:21–26). And because it is by faith, this gracious offer is extended equally freely to all, Jew and Gentile, who believe (3:27–31).

This principle of justification by faith is not novel, Paul says. In fact, it is traceable to Israel’s father, Abraham, and her great hero-king, David (4:1–8). (Moses, the other of Israel’s greatest legendary heroes, is not listed for the obvious reason of his association with the Law, though Paul would undoubtedly ascribe the same kind of faith to him.) The next section (4:9–17) specifies for emphasis that Abraham’s faith justification was totally apart from his circumcision, the sign of accession to the promises he received, and works, which are the trait of (Mosaic) law. The next section exposits the positive counterpart to the last. The justifying faith of Abraham was simply his believing the promise God pronounced to him (4:18–22). Likewise, justifying faith for us is believing in the propitiation and reconciliation provided in the vicarious death and resurrection of the Lord (4:23–25). Abraham believed the promise of a miracle of life; as do we.

Paul advances to describe the benefit enjoyed by those justified by faith: they shall live, in the fullest sense of the word. Since we believers are justified, we have confidence concerning our eternal future, that we shall enter into the glory of God (5:1–2). We also have confidence that sustains us through the tribulations of our mortal life; for we know they cannot mean divine displeasure, but rather that God means by them to perfect the character of our Lord in us. By an a fortiori argument Paul shows that justified, reconciled believers are most surely secure (5:3–10). Such a one’s confidence cannot but burst forth in exultation in God himself (5:11).

This security is further proved by believers’ ‘ancestry.’ Whereas all men, Jews and Gentiles, are ‘in Adam,’ and thus under the condemnation of Adam’s sin, so all who come to Christ are counted by God as being ‘in Christ,’ the second Adam (cf. 1 Cor 15:22, 45), the head of the new, redeemed race, and thus the beneficiaries of divine grace in Christ, guaranteeing ultimate entrance into the gift of eternal life (5:12–21).

Paul’s logic next takes him to address the matter of sin in the (justified) believer’s experience. By his faith relationship to the Christ he has come to be spiritually united with the Christ, most especially in the supreme work of his death and resurrection. That is to say, the spiritual reality is that every believer in the Christ died to sin, even as the Christ died to sin. Similarly, he has also risen from his death to sin to a new life apart from sin (6:1–11). The practical exhortation is then that it is entirely inappropriate and internally contradictory for a believer, dead to sin, to live in sin. The exhortation is needed because it is still possible: anyone who offers himself as a slave is enslaved. The one declared righteous is therefore not to offer himself or any part of himself as a slave to sin; on the contrary he is positively to offer himself as a slave to God, that is, to righteousness (6:12–23).

 

For the Jewish Christian, death with the Messiah was not only death to sin (ch 6) but also to the Law (ch 7). Only by such death can a Jew be married to another, that is, to Messiah by the New Covenant (7:1–3). As death to sin is emancipation from a death-dealing bondage, so death to the Law is a good, liberating thing (7:4–6). That is not to say, however, there is or was anything inherently death-dealing in the Law itself. The deadly curse was already in the people of Israel; the Law only aggravated the Adamic sin curse (which was one of God’s purposes in giving that Law to Israel; 7:7–16). Paul then begins to broaden the point to include Gentiles. The specific locus of sin in a Christian, Jewish or Gentile, is the outer man, the flesh. Further, sin in our flesh is virtually a parasite, a deadly alien (7:17–20). Christians then are a tortured, living paradox, inhabited by both the redeeming law of God and the deadly law of sin. The one is in our new creation inner man (in the second Adam), the other in our old creation outer man (in the first Adam; 7:21–25).

The ultimate victory over sin by which the believer is acquitted (8:1–3) has further provided the basis for experiential victory (8:4). Paul now expands the conflict of the previous chapter to speak of conflict in which the good is the superior force. As the believer sets his mind to live by the redeemed human spirit in harmony with the Spirit of God (New Covenant) instead of the flesh (Old Covenant), he gains the victory of producing the righteousness both God and he seek (8:4–11). His responsibility is thus quite clear: he is to live by his new creation spirit in concert with the indwelling Divine Spirit (8:12–17).

With verse 18 Paul launches into a relatively brief exposition of the present and future experiences of the New Covenant. Though we now relate to God on the basis of that New Covenant, we enjoy only the spiritual dimensions at present. Thus we continue to suffer the pain of the limitations of being physically unredeemed. But the future bodily redemption is assured, characterized by glory. That glory is of such great quality as to outstrip any amount of unpleasantness associated with life in this yet unredeemed world (8:18–25). He then shows how God has made provision by the gift of the Holy Spirit to sustain the believer through this life and safely into the glory to come (8:26–30). Finally, he proves that nothing whatsoever can interfere so as to thwart God’s plans of glory for his faith-justified children (8:31–39).

Having completed his portrait of salvation, Paul introduces his explanation of the current status of Israel in the plan of God by expressing his sincere sympathies for Israel. Having just affirmed the security of those who are God’s, he must address how it is that Israel has come to be cast away, so to speak. By this he sought to ease both the tense rivalry among the Roman Christians and the possible mistrust of him, the apostle to the Gentiles, by the Jews (9:1–5). Paul’s first point is that salvation is by the divine prerogative of election (9:6–29). That is, while Israel is elect nationally, it should not be expected that all sons of Jacob are personally elect. None could dispute this point when he illustrated it from the Old Testament by Isaac, Jacob, and Pharaoh (9:7–18). Still some might protest God’s right so to choose. Therefore Paul defends this divine right by the potter-clay illustration (9:19–21), by demonstrating God’s magnanimity toward both the wicked and the elect (9:22–24), and by quoting Israel’s own prophets (9:25–29).

The flip side to divine election, however, is the human responsibility to seek righteousness by faith. It was on this very point that Gentiles succeeded (9:30) while Israel failed (9:31–33). No amount of legal zeal could compensate for unbelief (10:1–3). The Mosaic Law was not meant to supply righteousness to its adherents, but to direct them to Messiah and the righteousness that comes by faith (10:4–10). Since it is by faith, it is freely available to anyone, Jew or Gentile (10:11–13), and the one who proclaims such a message is to be honored (10:14–15). Israel’s guilt (and God’s ‘justification’) is sealed by the evidence of their hardness against the message proclaimed by God’s messengers (10:16–21).

Paul had finally to discuss the question of Israel’s future in light of the apparently inviolable promises given her. The message of this chapter is directed especially to the Gentiles in the churches (11:13). First it is evident that not all Israelites are rejected by God; there has always been a remnant of faithful ones in Israel under grace (11:1–6). It is the likes of these who shall make up the finally saved nation. These are always kept distinct from unfaithful Israel, whom God hardens in their sin (11:7–10). Israel’s present status as rejected is first temporary, and second providential, resulting in Gentile salvation (11:11–15) by grace, so that Gentiles must avoid any arrogance against Jews (11:16–24). Drawing his argument to a conclusion Paul points out that all salvation—Israel’s and Gentiles’—is by divine mercy (11:25–32). Who could but join Paul in extolling God for such a marvelously wise plan (11:33–36)?

The practical application of the doctrine of the first eleven chapters must begin with the believer offering himself—corresponding to Mosaic sacrifices—to God for his transforming work (12:1–2). The first specific area of application is within the body of believers. There must first be harmony arising out of correct self-evaluation coupled with an appreciation for everyone’s unique contributions to the well-being of the body (12:3–8). This has especial significance for the Romans in view of their ethnic feuding. After that each one must demonstrate love in numerous ways, dictated by the need of the moment, always doing good regardless of others’ actions (12:9–21).

The believer also has a responsibility to submit to the civil government without regard for its ‘righteousness,’ inasmuch as all civil authority is by divine authorization (13:1–7). Christians, rightly expecting Messiah to overthrow human governments, might be especially susceptible to seditious suggestions, and especially those living in such a wicked and anti-Christian state as first century Rome. Toward his fellowman the believer is responsible to show love (13:8–10). For his attitude toward life ought to be to live holily in the brief time he has before eternity (13:11–14).

The climactic application is that believers should respect one another, especially in those areas where the dictates of their consciences diverge. It is apparent that there was a Jew-Gentile squabble behind the exhortations of this chapter. The first principle is that there is tolerable indifference in some issues of conscience. Therefore neither those whose consciences forbid them (Jews) nor those whose consciences permit them (Gentiles) should despise the other. God accepts both (14:1–12). The second principle is that the ‘strong’ (Gentiles and Paul) should forego those practices that he is free in his conscience to do, whenever the exercise of them would offend his (Jew) brother; that would be to walk not in love (14:13—15:2). In support of this second principle Paul appeals to the example of the Christ: as he sought to please not himself but us, so should the strong brother seek above all to edify his brother (15:3–6). By way of conclusion of this issue Paul appeals first to the Jews (15:7–8) and then to the Gentiles (15:9–12) that there be mutual acceptance, resulting in Christian benediction (15:13).

At this point Paul validated his apostolic ministry, focused especially to the Gentiles, by his sincerity, the power of the Holy Spirit, and his indefatigable pioneering work (15:14–21). He expressed his travel plans, including his intention and purpose to visit the Romans (15:22–29). And he drew them in to himself as his co-laborers by seeking their prayer support (15:30–33).

Before he closed Paul meant to shower the individuals with esteem, perhaps in part that they would learn to do likewise (16:1–16). In one final exhortation Paul drew the line shutting out the divisive (16:17–20). Christian solidarity is shown to be broader even than the one city, Rome, by the greetings from beyond (16:21–23). The doxology ties the letter’s gospel doctrines and exhortations together within the context of the eternal glory of God (16:25–27).

Outline

I. Introduction  1:1–17

A. Salutations  1:1–7

1. Sender  1:1–6

a) His identity and calling  1:1

b) His gospel  1:24

(1) Its ancient promise  1:2

(2) Its personal focus  1:3–4

(a) Jesus’ humanity: related to David  1:3

(b) Jesus’ deity: proven by resurrection  1:4

c) Relations to that gospel  1:5–6

(1) Paul’s  1:5

(2) The Romans’  1:6

2. Receivers  l:7a

3. Well-wishes  1:7b

B. Personal matters  1:8–15

1. His joy at their faith  1:8–9

2. His desire to visit Rome  1:10–15

a) His prayer for the opportunity  1:10

b) His specific purpose  1:11–13

c) His broader mission  1:14–15

C. Thesis: The Gospel of Salvation, “The Just Shall Live by Faith”  1:16–17

II. Soteriological teaching: “The Just Shall Live by Faith”  1:18—8:39

A. The Need for Justification  1:18—3:20

1. The deliberately rebellious (Gentiles)  1:18–32

a) Summary statement  1:18

b) Divine revelation  1:19–20

c) First stage rebellion  1:21–23

d) Divine deliverance to bodily degradation  1:24

e) Second stage rebellion  1:25

f) Divine deliverance to sexual perversion  1:26–27

g) Third stage rebellion  1:28–32

(1) The rebellion  1:28a

(2) Divine deliverance  1:28b

(3) Various sins  1:29–31

(4) Approval of sin  1:32

2. The self-righteous (Jews)  2:1—3:8

a) Accusation: failure to do right  2:1–5

(1) God’s intention to judge sin  2:1–3

(2) God’s purpose in delaying judgment  2:4–5

b) God’s impartial judgment: based on works  2:6–16

(1) The outcomes  2:6–10

(2) God’s impartiality  2:11–13

(3) The condemning factor of righteous Gentiles  2:14–16

c) Their position as spiritual guides  2:17–20

d) Their responsibility as spiritual examples  2:21–25

(1) Guilt: breaking the laws they teach  2:21–23

(2) Effects  2:24–25

(a) Gentile blasphemy  2:24

(b) Disowning  2:25

e) The interiority of ‘Jewishness’ (= salvation)  2:26–29

(1) The illustration  2:26–27

(2) The principle  2:28–29

f) Jewish attempts to distort grace and election  3:1–8

(1) Jewish advantage  3:1–2

(2) Jewish unbelief  3:3–4

(3) Distorted rationalizations  3:5–8

3. Conclusion  3:9–20

a) Paul’s testimony  3:9

b) Scripture’s testimony  3:10–18

(1) General wickedness  3:10–12

(2) Wicked speech  3:13–14

(3) Wicked deeds  3:15–17

(4) Summary  3:18

c) The universal condemnation of the Law  3:19–20

B. The Provision of Justification: by Faith  3:21—4:25

1. Explanation of righteousness by faith  3:21–31

a) The source: God  3:21–22a

b) The beneficiaries: all believers  3:22b–23

c) The means: Christ’s redeeming, atoning sacrifice  3:24–26

d) The results  3:27–31

(1) No works  3:27–28

(2) Gentiles included  3:29–30

(3) ‘Law’ per se vindicated (in Messiah’s Law)  3:31

2. Illustrations of righteousness by faith  4

a) The principle exemplified  4:1–8

(1) The principle: by faith not by works  4:1-5

(a) The Abrahamic model  4:1-3

(b) The principle clarified: by faith, not by works  4:4–5

(2) David’s testimony: forgiveness blessed  4:6–8

b) The principle specified: apart from works  4:9–17

(1) Apart from circumcision  4:9–12

(2) Apart from the Law  4:13–17

c) The principle applied: the content of faith  4:18–25

(1) Abraham: the promise of a son  4:18–22

(2) Us: Christ’s vicarious sacrifice  4:23–25

C. The Life of those Justified by Faith  5:1—8:39

1. The new outlook of provided (grace) righteousness  5:1–11

a) Peace  5:1

b) Hope of glory: future  5:2

c) Tribulations: present  5:3–10

(1) The benefits of tribulations  5:3–4

(2) The basis of optimism: reconciliation  5:5–10

(a) Summary statement  5:5

(b) Christ’s sacrifice for the ungodly  5:6–8

(c) God’s deliverance of the reconciled  5:9–10

(d) God himself  5:11

2. The new head of provided (grace) righteousness  5:12–21

a) The old reign of Adamic sin in death  5:12–14

b) The new reign of Christ’s righteousness in life  5:15–21

(1) Contrasts delineated  5:15–19

(2) Contrasts summarized  5:20–21

3. Death to sin and life to righteousness  6

a) The logic of slavery to righteousness  6:1–14

(1) Union with Christ in death and resurrection  6:1–10

(a) General statement  6:1–5

(b) Death to sin  6:6–7

(c) Immortal Life  6:8–9

(d) Transitional summary  6:10

(2) Exhortations  6:11–14

(a) Identity  6:11

(b) Behavior  6:12–13

i) Negative  6:12–13a

ii) Positive  6:13b

(c) Theological foundation  6:14

b) The voluntary nature of slavery to righteousness  6:15–23

(1) The options  6:15–18

(2) The logical reasonableness of righteousness  6:19–23

4. Death to the Law  7

a) The purpose: marriage to Messiah  7:1–6

(1) Illustration of widowhood  7:1–3

(2) Application  7:4–6

b) The need: internal sin  7:7–25

(1) Contrast  7:7–13

(a) Summary statement of the Law’s function  7:7

(b) Sin’s behavior under the Law  7:8–11

(c) Conclusion  7:12–13

i) The Law’s righteousness  7:12

ii) Sin’s exposure  7:13

(2) Conflict  7:14–25

(a) The conflict described  7:14–20

i) Summary statement: the Law’s goodness and the believer’s sin  7:14

ii) Good desires, but bad acts  7:15–19

iii) Conclusion  7:20

(b) The conflict analyzed  7:21–23

i) Evil in the believer  7:21

ii) Good desires in the believer  7:22

iii) The opposition of the two laws  7:23

(c) The conflict resolved  7:24–25

i) The yearning  7:24

ii) The ultimate solution  7:25

5. Life in the spirit (not flesh)  8:1–17

a) Summary: freedom from condemnation  8:1–4

(1) The superior Law of the spirit  8:1–2

(2) God’s condemnation of sin: in the flesh  8:3

(3) God’s supply of righteousness: in the spirit  8:4

b) Contrast between flesh and spirit  8:5–11

(1) The conflicting minds  8:5–8

(2) The basis of the conflict  8:9–11

c) Obligation (as sons) to the spirit  8:12–17

(1) Flesh means death  8:12–13a

(2) Spirit means life, sonship  8:13b–16

(3) Spirit means heirship  8:17

6. Anticipation of glory  8:18–30

a) Creation’s groaning  8:18–22

b) Saints’ groaning  8:23–25

c) Spirit’s groaning  8:26–27

d) Saints’ confidence  8:28–30

7. Assurance of glory  8:31–39

a) No opposition  8:31–32

b) No condemnation  8:33–34

c) No separation  8:35–39

III. Israel in God’s economy  9–11

A. God’s sovereignty in election: Israel’s Past  9:1–29

1. Paul’s grief for Israel  9:1–5

2. The principle of divine election to salvation  9:6–18

a) The principle stated  9:6

b) Illustrations  9:7–18

(1) Isaac  9:7–9

(2) Jacob  9:10–13

(3) Pharaoh  9:14–17

c) The principle restated  9:18

3. Theodicy: God’s right to elect defended  9:19–29

a) The principle articulated  9:19–20a

b) The principle illustrated: potter and clay  9:20b–21

c) The principle explained  9:22–24

(1) God’s longsuffering toward wicked  9:22

(2) God’s mercy toward chosen Jews and Gentiles  9:23–24

d) The principle expressed in Scripture  9:25–29

(1) Hosea  9:25–26

(2) Isaiah 10  9:27–28

(3) Isaiah 1  9:29

B. Israel’s Present: Unbelief (God’s salvation by faith)  9:30—10:21

1. Israel’s failure to seek righteousness by faith  9:30—10:3

a) Gentiles’ attainment  9:30

b) Israel’s failure  9:31–33

(1) The problem  9:31–32a

(2) The consequence  9:32b–33

c) Israel’s ignorance  10:1–3

(1) Zeal  10:1–2a

(2) Ignorance: seeking self-righteousness  10:2b–3

2. God’s provision of righteousness by faith  10:4–15

a) Two righteousnesses contrasted  10:4–10

(1) The demand of exterior righteousness  10:4–5

(2) The salvation of interior faith-righteousness  10:6–10

b) The way of faith  10:11–15

(1) The believer blessed  10:11–13

(2) God’s program of involving messengers  10:14–15

3. Israel’s hardness in unbelief  10:16–21

a) The message to Israel  10:16–20

b) Israel’s rejection  10:21

C. God’s ultimate restoration of Israel: Israel’s Future  11:1–32

1. Divine preservation of a remnant  11:1–10

a) Grace toward the remnant  11:1–6

(1) Affirmation  11:1–2

(2) Scriptural example: Elijah  11:3–4

(3) Inference of grace  11:5–6

b) Hardening of “the rest”  11:7–10

2. Israel’s present rejected status  11:11–24

a) Blessings through Israel  11:11–15

(1) Even in her present disobedience  11:11

(2) Especially in her determined eventual obedience  11:12–15

b) Illustrations  11:16–24

(1) Dough  11:16a

(2) Olive branches: warning to Gentiles against arrogance  11:16b–24

(a) Dependent status  11:16b–21

(b) Unnatural status  11:22–24

3. The divine plan of mercy toward all  11:25–32

a) Present mercy on Gentiles in Israel’s disobedience  11:25–30

b) Future mercy on Israel  11:31–32

D. Praise of God’s great wisdom  11:33–36

IV. Practical teaching  12:1—15:13

A. Introductory appeal to practical obedience  12:1–2

1. Presentation  12:1

2. Transformation  12:2

B. Christian behavior in church  12:3–21

1. Varied ministries in the church  12:3–8

a) Proper self-estimation  12:3

b) Proper body cooperation  12:4–6a

c) Various gifts  12:6b–8

2. Exhortations to love and goodness  12:9–21

a) Toward one another  12:9–13

b) Toward antagonists  12:14–21

C. Christian behavior in society  13

1. Submission to government  13:1–7

2. Love to all  13:8–10

3. Urgent call to watchful holiness  13:11–14

D. Christian behavior in conscientious discrepancies  14:1—15:13

1. Tolerance: Christian liberty  14:1–12

a) The exhortation  14:1

b) Example of eating meat  14:2–3

c) Relationship to the Lord  14:4

d) Example of observing days  14:5–6

e) Commitment to the Lord  14:7–9

f) Commitment to the Lord’s judgment  14:10–12

2. Respectful self-denial: Christian charity—no hindering by strong  14:13–23

a) Responsible consideration of the strong  14:13–14

b) Specific responsibility of self-denial  14:15–18

c) General responsibility of edification  14:19–21

d) Respect of individual conscience  14:22–23

3. Supporting the weak (in conscience): Christ’s example  15:1–6

a) Priority of edification  15:1–2

b) Precedent of edification  15:3–4

c) Benediction: unity  15:5–6

4. Conclusion: ethnic peace  15:7–13

a) Christ’s acceptance of Jews  15:7–8

b) Christ’s acceptance of Gentiles  15:9–12

c) Benediction: joy, peace, hope  15:13

V. Conclusion  15:14–33

A. Paul’s self-conscious reflections: looking back  15:14–21

1. Confidence in the Romans  15:14

2. Calling to Gentile ministry  15:15–21

B. Paul’s plans: looking ahead  15:22–29

C. Paul’s request for prayer  15:30–33

VI. Greetings and closing thoughts  16

A. Commendation of Phoebe  16:1–2

B. Greetings (to)  16:3–16

C. Final exhortations  16:17–20

1. Warning to beware of the divisive  16:17–18

2. Commendation for obedience  16:19a

3. Exhortation to wisdom  16:19b

4. Encouragement by God’s victory  16:20

D. Greetings (from)  16:21–23

E. Benediction  16:25–27