Discipleship Material
Romans
The Epistle of Paul
to the Romans
Block Diagramed
Ronald Jay Frasco
One of the pressing needs of any serious student of Scripture is an understanding of the syntax of a given passage. Syntax refers to the inter-relationships of paragraphs, sentences, phrases, clauses, and words. The purpose of Block Diagraming is to graphically illustrate the syntax of a passage of Scripture. The Block Diagraming process involves the laying out of a passage of Scripture by indenting subordinate linguistic units while maintaining the word order of the given text or translation. This allows the student of Scripture to determine the Divinely inspired structure of the passage, its key features, and main points, so as to enhance the study and understanding of God’s Word.
Scripture taken from
the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (R), (C)
Copyright The Lockman Foundation
1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977
Used by permission.
I. Introduction 1:1-7
II. Sin and the Judgment of God 1:8-3:20
A. The Apostle and the Roman Church 1:8-12
B. The Grand Motives of Preaching the Gospel 1:13-17
The Righteousness of God: The Thesis of the Epistle 1:13-17
1. God and the Gospel :13-15
2. Fully Persuaded :16-17
C. The Godless under Judgment 1:18-32
1. Exposed: Details of a Monumental Cover-up :18-20
2. Cycles of Judgment :21-32
D. The Jews likewise condemned 2:1-3:20
1. The Jew and the Law 2:1-29
2. Rebuttal of arguments 3:1-8
3. Biblical Support – Citations of Indictment 3:9-20
III. Salvation of God 3:21-5:21
A. Means of Salvation: Justification by Faith (4) 3:21-26
B. Glory of Salvation: Boasting Denied 3:27-31
1. Declares that Salvation is wholly of God :27-28
2. Consistent with the nature of God :29-30
3. Affirms the Law of God :31
C. Example of Salvation by Faith: The Faith of Abraham 4:1-25
1. Challenge #1 – Works? Salvation a Divine Reckoning 4:1-8
2. Challenge #2 – Ritual? Righteousness over Rites 4:9-12
3. Challenge #3 – Law? God’s promise and God’s Law 4:13-15
4. The Grace of Salvation 4:16-17
5. The Faith that Saves 4:18-22
6. The Pattern of Justification by Faith 4:23-25
D. The Blessings of Salvation 5:1-11
1. A Life of Peace with God 5:1-2a
2. A Life of Confident Worship 5:2b
3. A Life of Divine Assistance 5:3-8
4. A Life Free from the Wrath of God 5:9-11
E. Contrast of the Contributions of Adam and Christ 5:12-21
1. Condemnation: Result of One Transgression 5:12-17
2. Justification: Result of One Act of Righteousness 5:18-21
IV. Sanctification by God 6:1-8:39
A. A Question of Sin and Grace: Illustration of Death to Sin 6:1-14
1. The question posed :1
2. The Answer: a reminder of our death in Christ :2-3
3. The reminder of the purpose for which to die :4-11
4. An exhortation to resurrected living :12-14
B. A Question of Law and Grace: Mastery and the Christian 6:15-23
1. The question posed :15
2. The Answer: the principle of slavery :16
3. The hope of liberation :17-23
C. The Law in the Life of the Christian 7:1-25
1. The Reach of the Law: Out from under the Law 7:1-6
2. The Point of the Law 7:7-12
3. The Effect of the Law 7:13-25
D. Divine Assistance for the Christian 8:1-39
1. Established in Christ Jesus 8:1-11
2. Sustained by the Spirit of God 8:12-27
3. Ordained by the Heavenly Father 8:28-30
4. A Divine Covering – Discoveries from a spiritual inventory 8:31-39
V. Sovereignty of God 9:1-11:36
A. Unbelief and Rejection 9:1-29
1. Vindication of God’s Integrity 9:1-13
2. Declaration of Sovereign Mercy 9:14-29
B. Righteousness by Works 9:30-10:21
1. Gentiles and Israel Contrasted 9:30-33
2. A fervent appeal for a wayward nation: Reasons for prayer 10:1-13
3. Dull to the Means of Imparting Saving Faith 10:14-21
C. ‘God and Grasshoppers’: Israel’s Purpose and Restoration 11:1-32
1. Israel’s condition: not rejected, but hardened 11:1-10
2. Implications of Israel’s condition: The Grafting of the Lord 11:11-24
3. God’s ultimate plan for Israel: Merciful Intentions 11:25-27
4. Israel’s relationship to God and Nations 11:28-32
D. Doxology 11:33-36
VI. Service to God 12:1-15:12
A. Sacrificial Living in the Church 12:1-8
1. Presentation 12:1
2. Transformation 12:2-8
B. Life with Others 12:9-21
1. with Christians 12:9-13
2. with the Hateful 12:14
3. with the Downtrodden 12:15-16
4. with the Contrary 12:17-21
5. with Civil Government 13:1-7
6. with Everyone 13:8-14
7. with the Weaker Brother 14:1-15:12
VII. Conclusion 15:13-16:27
A. The Roman Church and the Apostle 15:13-33
1. Blessing and Encouragement 15:13-16
2. Boasting in God 15:17-19
3. Paul’s Ministry Plans 15:20-29
4. Appeal for Prayer 15:30-33
B. Final Matters 16:1-24
1. Greetings 16:1-16
2. Warning about Division 16:17-20
3. Additional Greetings 16:21-24
C. Doxology 16:25-27
I. Introduction 1:1-7
:1 Paul,
a bond-servant of Christ Jesus,
called as an apostle,
set apart for the gospel of God,
:2 which He promised beforehand
through His prophets
in the holy Scriptures,
:3 concerning His Son,
who was born of a descendant of David
according to the flesh,
:4 who was declared the Son of God with power
by the resurrection from the dead,
according to the Spirit of holiness,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship
to bring about the obedience of faith
among all the Gentiles,
for His name’s sake,
:6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
:7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome,
called as saints:
Grace to you and peace
from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. Sin and the Judgment of God 1:8-3:20
A. The Apostle and the Roman Church 1:8-12
:8 First, I thank my God
through Jesus Christ
for you all,
because your faith is being proclaimed
throughout the whole world.
:9 For God,
whom I serve in my spirit
in the preaching of the gospel of His Son,
is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,
:10 always
in my prayers
making request,
if perhaps now at last
by the will of God
I may succeed in coming to you.
:11 For I long to see you
in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you,
that you may be established;
:12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you
while among you,
each of us
by the other’s faith,
both yours and mine.
B. The Grand Motives of Preaching the Gospel 1:13-3:20
1. Thesis of the Epistle – Righteousness by Faith 1:13-17
:13 And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren,
that often I have planned to come to you
and have been prevented thus far
in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also,
even as among the rest of the Gentiles.
:14 I am under obligation
both to Greeks and to barbarians,
both to the wise and to the foolish.
:15 Thus,
for my part,
I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel,
for it is the power of God for salvation
to everyone who believes,
to the Jew first
and also to the Greek.
:17 For
in it [the gospel]
the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith to faith;
as it is written,
“But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
2. The Sinfulness of Humanity 1:18-3:20
a. Godless under Judgment 1:18-32
:18 For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven
against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men,
who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them;
for God made it evident to them.
:20 For
since the creation of the world
His invisible attributes,
His eternal power
and divine nature,
have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made,
so that they are without excuse.
:21 |? |? For even though they knew God,
they did not honor Him as God,
or give thanks;
but they became futile
in their speculations,
and their foolish heart was darkened.
:22 Professing to be wise,
they became fools,
:23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God
for an image in the form of
corruptible man
and of birds
and four-footed animals
and crawling creatures.
:24 Therefore God gave them over
in the lusts of their hearts
to impurity,
that their bodies might be dishonored
among them.
:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for
a lie,
and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen.
[parallel to verse :21]
:26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading
passions;
for their women exchanged the natural function for
that which is unnatural,
:27 and
in the same way also
the men abandoned the natural function of the
woman and burned in their desire toward one
another,
men with men
committing indecent acts
and receiving
in their own persons
the due penalty of their error.
:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any
longer,
God gave them over to a depraved mind,
to do those things which are not proper,
:29 being filled with all
unrighteousness,
wickedness,
greed,
evil;
full of envy,
murder,
strife,
deceit,
malice;
they are gossips,
:30 slanderers,
haters of God,
insolent,
arrogant,
boastful,
inventors of evil,
disobedient to parents,
:31 without understanding,
untrustworthy,
unloving,
unmerciful;
:32 and,
although they know the ordinance of God,
that those who practice such things are worthy of
death,
they not only do the same,
but also give hearty approval to those who practice
them.
b. Jews likewise condemned 2:1-3:20
(1). The Jew and the Law 2:1-8
2:1 Therefore you are without excuse,
every man of you who passes judgment,
for in that you judge another,
you condemn yourself;
for you who judge practice the same things.
:2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such
things.
:3 And do you suppose this, O man,
when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things
and do the same yourself,
that you will escape the judgment of God?
:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience,
not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
:5 But
because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart
you are storing up wrath for yourself
in the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
:6 who will render to every man according to his deeds:
:7 to those who
by perseverance in doing good
seek for glory and honor and immortality,
eternal life;
:8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious
and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness,
wrath and indignation.
(2). The Impartiality of the Law 2:9-16
:9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil,
of the Jew first and also of the Greek,
:10 but glory and honor and peace
to every man who does good,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
:11 For there is no partiality with God.
:12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the
Law;
and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;
:13 for not the hearers of the Law are just before God,
but the doers of the Law will be justified.
:14 For when Gentiles
who do not have the Law
do instinctively the things of the Law,
these,
not having the Law,
are a law to themselves,
:15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts,
their conscience bearing witness,
and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
:16 on the day when,
according to my gospel,
God will judge the secrets of men
through Christ Jesus.
(3). Pathology of Hypocrisy 2:17-25
:17 But if you bear the name “Jew,”
and rely upon the Law,
and boast in God,
:18 and know His will,
and approve the things that are essential,
being instructed out of the Law,
:19 and are confident that you yourself are
a guide to the blind,
a light to those who are in darkness,
:20 a corrector of the foolish,
a teacher of the immature,
having
in the Law
the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,
:21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?
You who preach that one should not steal, do you steal?
:22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit
adultery?
You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
:23 You who boast in the Law,
through your breaking the Law,
do you dishonor God?
:24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles
because of you,” just as it is written.
:25 For indeed circumcision is of value,
if you practice the Law;
but if you are a transgressor of the Law,
your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
(4). Outward vs. Inward Judaism 2:26-29
:26 If therefore the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the
Law,
will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
:27 And will not he who is physically uncircumcised,
if he keeps the Law,
will he not judge you who
though having the letter of the Law and circumcision
are a transgressor of the Law?
:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly;
neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
:29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly;
and circumcision is that which is of the heart,
by the Spirit,
not by the letter;
and his praise is not from men,
but from God.
(5). Rebuttal of arguments 3:1-8
3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew?
Or what is the benefit of circumcision?
:2 Great in every respect.
First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.
:3 What then?
If some did not believe,
their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?
:4 May it never be! [3:4, 6, 31, 6:2, 6:15, 7:7, 13, 9:14, 11:1, 11]
Rather, let God be found true,
though every man be found a liar,
as it is written,
“That Thou mightest be justified in Thy words,
And mightest prevail when Thou art judged.”
:5 But
if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God,
what shall we say?
The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He?
I am speaking in human terms.
:6 May it never be!
For otherwise how will God judge the world?
:7 But if
through my lie
the truth of God abounded to His glory,
why am I also still being judged as a sinner?
:8 And why not say
as we are slanderously reported
and as some affirm that we say,
“Let us do evil that good may come”?
Their condemnation is just.
3. Biblical Support – Citations of Indictment 3:9-20
:9 What then?
Are we better than they?
Not at all;
for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
:10 as it is written,
“There is none righteous, not even one;
:11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
:12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.
:13 Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,
The poison of asps is under their lips;
:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
:15 Their feet are swift to shed blood,
:16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
:17 And the path of peace have they not known.
:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
:19 Now we know that whatever the Law says,
it speaks to those who are under the Law,
that every mouth may be closed,
and all the world may become accountable to God;
:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight;
for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
III. Salvation of God 3:21-5:21
A. Means of Salvation: Justification by Faith 3:21-26
:21 But now
apart from the Law
the righteousness of God has been manifested,
being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
:22 even the righteousness of God
through faith in Jesus Christ
for all those who believe;
for there is no distinction;
:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
:24 being justified as a gift by His grace
through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
:25 whom God displayed publicly
as a propitiation in His blood through faith.
This was to demonstrate His righteousness,
because
in the forbearance of God
He passed over the sins previously committed;
:26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness
at the present time,
that He might be just and the justifier of the
one who has faith in Jesus.
B. Glory of Salvation: Boasting Denied 3:27-31
:27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded.
By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
:28 For we maintain that a man is justified
by faith
apart from works of the Law.
:29 Or is God the God of Jews only?
Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
:30 since indeed God
who will justify the circumcised by faith
and the uncircumcised through faith
is one.
:31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith?
May it never be!
On the contrary, we establish the Law.
C. Example of Salvation by Faith: The Faith of Abraham 4:1-25
1. Questioning Abraham’s Justification 4:1-8
4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham,
our forefather according to the flesh,
has found?
:2 For
if Abraham was justified by works,
he has something to boast about;
but not before God.
:3 For what does the Scripture say?
“And Abraham believed God,
and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
:4 Now to the one who works,
his wage is not reckoned as a favor,
but as what is due.
:5 But to the one who does not work,
but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly,
his faith is reckoned as righteousness,
:6 just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons
righteousness apart from works:
:7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
:8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
2. The Emptiness of the Law’s Rites 4:9-15
:9 Is this blessing then upon the circumcised,
or upon the uncircumcised also?
For we say,
“Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.”
:10 How then was it reckoned?
While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?
Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
:11 and he received the sign of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith
which he had while uncircumcised,
that he might be the father of all who believe
without being circumcised,
that righteousness might be reckoned to them,
:12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the
circumcision,
but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham
which he had while uncircumcised.
:13 For the promise
to Abraham
or to his descendants
that he would be heir of the world
was not through the Law,
but through the righteousness of faith.
:14 For
if those who are of the Law are heirs,
faith is made void
and the promise is nullified;
:15 for the Law brings about wrath,
but where there is no law,
neither is there violation.
3. Abraham’s Justification by Faith 4:16-25
:16 For this reason it is by faith,
that it might be in accordance with grace,
in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants,
not only to those who are of the Law,
but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of us all,
:17 as it is written,
“A father of many nations have I made you”
in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God,
who gives life to the dead
and calls into being that which does not exist.
:18 In hope against hope he believed,
in order that he might become a father of many nations,
according to that which had been spoken,
“So shall your descendants be.”
:19 And
without becoming weak in faith
he contemplated his own body,
now as good as dead
since he was about a hundred years old,
and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;
:20 yet,
with respect to the promise of God,
he did not waver in unbelief,
but grew strong in faith,
giving glory to God,
:21 and being fully assured that what He had promised,
He was able also to perform.
:22 Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
:23 Now not for his sake only was it written,
that it was reckoned to him,
:24 but for our sake also,
to whom it will be reckoned,
as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
:25 He who was delivered up because of our transgressions,
and was raised because of our justification.
D. The Blessings of Salvation 5:1-11
1. A Life of Peace with God 5:1-2a
5:1 Therefore
having been justified
by faith,
we have peace
with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction
by faith
into this grace in which we stand;
2. A Life of Confident Worship 5:2b
and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3. A Life of Divine Assistance 5:3-8
:3 And not only this,
but we also exult in our tribulations,
knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
:4 and perseverance, proven character;
and proven character, hope;
:5 and hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
:6 For
while we were still helpless,
at the right time
Christ died for the ungodly.
:7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man;
though perhaps for the good man someone would
dare even to die.
:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that
while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
4. A Life Free from the Wrath of God 5:9-11
:9 Much more then,
having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
:10 For if
while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son,
much more,
having been reconciled,
we shall be saved by His life.
:11 And not only this,
but we also exult in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
E. Contrast of Adam and Christ 5:12-21
1. Condemnation: Result of One Transgression 5:12-17
:12 Therefore,
just as through one man sin entered into the world,
and death through sin,
and so death spread to all men,
because all sinned —
:13 for until the Law sin was in the world;
but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses,
even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam,
who is a type of Him who was to come.
:15 But the free gift is not like the transgression.
For if
by the transgression of the one
the many died,
much more did the grace of God and the gift
by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ,
abound to the many.
:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned;
for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression
resulting in condemnation,
but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions
resulting in justification.
:17 For if
by the transgression of the one,
death reigned through the one,
much more those who receive
the abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life
through the One, Jesus Christ.
2. Justification: Result of One Act of Righteousness 5:18-21
:18 So then as
through one transgression
there resulted condemnation to all men,
even so
through one act of righteousness
there resulted justification of life to all men.
:19 For
as through the one man’s disobedience
the many were made sinners,
even so
through the obedience of the One
the many will be made righteous.
:20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase;
but where sin increased,
grace abounded all the more,
:21 that,
as sin reigned in death,
even so grace might reign
through righteousness
to eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
IV. Sanctification by God 6:1-8:39
A. Illustration of Death to Sin 6:1-14
1. Baptized into Christ 6:1-7
6:1 What shall we say then?
Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?
:2 May it never be!
How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
:3 Or do you not know that all of us
who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
have been baptized into His death?
:4 Therefore we have been buried
with Him
through baptism
into death,
in order that
as Christ was raised
from the dead
through the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life.
:5 For if we have become united with Him
in the likeness of His death,
certainly we shall be also
in the likeness of His resurrection,
:6 knowing this,
that our old self was crucified with Him,
that our body of sin might be done away with,
that we should no longer be slaves to sin;
:7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
2. Results of Death to Sin 6:8-14
:8 Now
if we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with Him,
:9 knowing that Christ,
having been raised from the dead,
is never to die again;
death no longer is master over Him.
:10 For the death that He died,
He died to sin,
once for all;
but the life that He lives,
He lives to God.
:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
:12 Therefore
do not let sin reign
in your mortal body
that you should obey its lusts,
:13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin
as instruments of unrighteousness;
but present yourselves to God
as those alive from the dead,
and your members
as instruments of righteousness to God.
:14 For sin shall not be master over you,
for you are not under law,
but under grace.
B. Mastery and the Christian 6:15-23
:15 What then?
Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?
May it never be!
:16 Do you not know that
when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience,
you are slaves of the one whom you obey,
either of sin resulting in death,
or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
:17 But thanks be to God
that
though you were slaves of sin,
you became obedient
from the heart
to that form of teaching to which you were committed,
:18 and
having been freed from sin,
you became slaves of righteousness.
:19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.
For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to
lawlessness,
resulting in further lawlessness,
so now present your members as slaves to righteousness,
resulting in sanctification.
:20 For
when you were slaves of sin,
you were free in regard to righteousness.
:21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you
are now ashamed?
For the outcome of those things is death.
:22 But now
having been freed from sin
and enslaved to God,
you derive your benefit,
resulting in sanctification,
and the outcome, eternal life.
:23 For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
C. The Law in the Life of the Christian 7:1-25
1. The Reach of the Law 7:1-6
7:1 Or do you not know, brethren
for I am speaking to those who know the law,
that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?
:2 For the married woman is bound
by law
to her husband
while he is living;
but if her husband dies,
she is released from the law concerning the husband.
:3 So then if,
while her husband is living,
she is joined to another man,
she shall be called an adulteress;
but if her husband dies,
she is free from the law,
so that she is not an adulteress,
though she is joined to another man.
:4 Therefore, my brethren,
you also were made to die to the Law
through the body of Christ,
that you might be joined to another,
to Him who was raised from the dead,
that we might bear fruit for God.
:5 For
while we were in the flesh,
the sinful passions,
which were aroused by the Law,
were at work in the members of our body
to bear fruit for death.
:6 But now we have been released from the Law,
having died to that by which we were bound,
so that we serve in newness of the Spirit
and not in oldness of the letter.
2. The Purpose of the Law 7:7-12
:7 What shall we say then?
Is the Law sin?
May it never be!
On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law;
for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said,
“You shall not covet.”
:8 But sin,
taking opportunity through the commandment,
produced in me coveting of every kind;
for apart from the Law sin is dead.
:9 And I was once alive apart from the Law;
but
when the commandment came,
sin became alive,
and I died;
:10 and this commandment,
which was to result in life,
proved to result in death for me;
:11 for sin,
taking opportunity through the commandment,
deceived me,
and
through it
killed me.
:12 So then, the Law is holy,
and the commandment is
holy
and righteous
and good.
3. The Limits of the Law 7:13-23
:13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me?
May it never be!
Rather it was sin,
in order that it might be shown to be sin
by effecting my death
through that which is good,
that
through the commandment
sin might become utterly sinful.
:14 For we know that the Law is spiritual;
but I am of flesh,
sold into bondage to sin.
:15 For that which I am doing, I do not understand;
for I am not practicing what I would like to do,
but I am doing the very thing I hate.
:16 But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do,
I agree with the Law,
confessing that it is good.
:17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it,
but sin which indwells me.
:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me,
that is, in my flesh;
for the wishing is present in me,
but the doing of the good is not.
:19 For the good that I wish, I do not do;
but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.
:20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish,
I am no longer the one doing it,
but sin which dwells in me.
:21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me,
the one who wishes to do good.
:22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
:23 but I see a different law in the members of my body,
waging war against the law of my mind,
and making me a prisoner of the law of sin
which is in my members.
4. The Cry under the Law 7:24-25
:24 Wretched man that I am!
Who will set me free from the body of this death?
:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, on the one hand I myself
with my mind
am serving the law of God,
but on the other,
with my flesh
the law of sin.
D. Divine Assistance in the Life of the Christian 8:1-39
1. The Christian’s Life is established in Christ Jesus 8:1-11
8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of
sin and of death.
:3 For what the Law could not do,
weak as it was through the flesh,
God did:
sending His own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh
and as an offering for sin,
He condemned sin in the flesh,
:4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us,
who do not walk according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit.
:5 For those who are according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the flesh,
but those who are according to the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit.
:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death,
but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
:7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God;
for it does not subject itself to the law of God,
for it is not even able to do so;
:8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,
if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
he does not belong to Him.
:10 And if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin,
yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
:11 But if the Spirit of Him
who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you,
He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who indwells you.
2. The Christian’s Life is sustained by the Holy Spirit 8:12-25
a. The Holy Spirit produces mortification that leads to life :12-15
:12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation,
not to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh —
Implication: [but to the Spirit, to live according to the Spirit]
:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die;
but if
by the Spirit
you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God,
these are sons of God.
:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery
leading to fear again,
but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons
by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
b. The Holy Spirit gives affirmation that promises inheritance :16-25
:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
:17 and
if children,
heirs also,
heirs of God
and fellow heirs with Christ,
if indeed we suffer with Him
in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
:19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of
the sons of God.
:20 For the creation was subjected to futility,
not of its own will,
but because of Him who subjected it,
in hope
:21 that the creation itself also will be set free
from its slavery to corruption
into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains
of childbirth together until now.
:23 And not only this, but also we ourselves,
having the first fruits of the Spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our body.
:24 For in hope we have been saved,
but hope that is seen is not hope;
for why does one also hope for what he sees?
:25 But if we hope for what we do not see,
with perseverance
we wait eagerly for it.
c. The Holy Spirit makes intercession that overcomes inability :26-27
:26 And
in the same way
the Spirit also helps our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we should,
but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us
with groanings too deep for words;
:27 and He
who searches the hearts
knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God.
3. The Christian’s Life is Ordained by the Heavenly Father 8:26-30
:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.
:29 For whom He foreknew,
He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the first-born among many brethren;
:30 and whom He predestined, these He also called;
and whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
4. The Believer’s Security in Christ 8:31-39
:31 What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?
:32 He who did not spare His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all,
how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
:33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?
God is the one who justifies;
:34 who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is He
who died,
yes, rather who was raised,
who is at the right hand of God,
who also intercedes for us.
:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall
tribulation,
or distress,
or persecution,
or famine,
or nakedness,
or peril,
or sword?
:36 Just as it is written,
“For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
:37 But
in all these things
we overwhelmingly conquer
through Him who loved us.
:38 For I am convinced that
neither death,
nor life,
nor angels,
nor principalities,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
nor powers,
:39 nor height,
nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
V. Sovereignty of God 9:1-11:36
A. Unbelief and Rejection 9:1-29
1. Paul’s Passion for Israel 9:1-5
9:1 I am telling the truth in Christ,
I am not lying,
my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
:2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed,
separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren,
my kinsmen according to the flesh,
:4 who are Israelites,
to whom belongs the adoption as sons
and the glory
and the covenants
and the giving of the Law
and the temple service
and the promises,
:5 whose are the fathers,
and from whom is the Christ
according to the flesh,
who is over all,
God blessed forever. Amen.
2. Rejection and Election 9:6-13
:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed.
For they are not all Israel
who are descended from Israel;
:7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants,
but:
“through Isaac your descendants will be named.”
:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God,
but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
:9 For this is a word of promise:
“At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”
:10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also,
when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;
:11 for though the twins were not yet born,
and had not done anything good or bad,
in order that God’s purpose
according to His choice
might stand,
not because of works,
but because of Him who calls,
:12 it was said to her,
“The older will serve the younger.”
:13 Just as it is written,
“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
3. Sovereign Mercy 9:14-29
:14 What shall we say then?
There is no injustice with God, is there?
May it never be!
:15 For He says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
:16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs,
but on God who has mercy.
:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh,
“For this very purpose I raised you up,
to demonstrate My power in you,
and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.”
:18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires,
and He hardens whom He desires.
:19 You will say to me then,
“Why does He still find fault?
For who resists His will?”
:20 On the contrary,
who are you, O man, who answers back to God?
The thing molded will not say to the molder,
“Why did you make me like this,”
will it?
:21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay,
to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use,
and another for common use?
:22 What if God,
although willing to demonstrate His wrath
and to make His power known,
endured
with much patience
vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
:23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon
vessels of mercy,
which He prepared beforehand for glory,
:24 even us,
whom He also called,
not from among Jews only,
but also from among Gentiles.
:25 As He says also in Hosea,
“I will call those who were not My people,’ My people,
‘And her who was not beloved,’ beloved. ‘”
:26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you
are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
:27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,
“Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
it is the remnant that will be saved;
:28 for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth,
thoroughly and quickly. “
:29 And just as Isaiah foretold,
“Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity,
We would have become as Sodom,
and would have resembled Gomorrah.”
B. Righteousness by Works 9:30-10:21
1. Gentiles and Israel Contrasted 9:30-33
:30 What shall we say then?
That Gentiles,
who did not pursue righteousness,
attained righteousness,
even the righteousness which is by faith;
:31 but Israel,
pursuing a law of righteousness,
did not arrive at that law.
:32 Why?
Because they did not pursue it by faith,
but as though it were by works.
They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
:33 just as it is written,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
2. Zeal is not Faith 10:1-13
10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.
:2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God,
but not in accordance with knowledge.
:3 For
not knowing about God’s righteousness,
and seeking to establish their own,
they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who
believes.
:5 For Moses writes that
the man who practices the righteousness
which is based on law
shall live by that righteousness.
:6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus,
“Do not say in your heart,
‘Who will ascend into heaven?’
that is, to bring Christ down,
:7 or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’
that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. “
:8 But what does it say?
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”
that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you shall be saved;
:10 for with the heart man believes,
resulting in righteousness,
and with the mouth he confesses,
resulting in salvation.
:11 For the Scripture says,
“Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
for the same Lord is Lord of all,
abounding in riches for all who call upon Him;
:13 for
Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will
be saved.”
3. Dull to the Means of Imparting Saving Faith 10:14-21
:14 How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?
:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Just as it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!”
:16 However,
they did not all heed the glad tidings;
for Isaiah says,
” Lord, who has believed our report?”
:17 So faith comes from hearing,
and hearing by the word of Christ.
:18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they?
Indeed they have;
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.”
:19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they?
At the first Moses says,
“I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation,
By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”
:20 And Isaiah is very bold and says,
“I was found by those who sought Me not,
I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
:21 But as for Israel He says,
“All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and
obstinate people.”
C. Israel’s Purpose and Restoration 11:1-32
1. The Graced Remnant 11:1-10
11:1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?
May it never be!
For I too am an Israelite,
a descendant of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin.
:2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.
Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel?
:3 “Lord, they have killed Thy prophets,
they have torn down Thine altars,
and I alone am left,
and they are seeking my life.”
:4 But what is the divine response to him?
“I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to
Baal.”
:5 In the same way then,
there has also come to be at the present time a remnant
according to God’s gracious choice.
:6 But if it is by grace,
it is no longer on the basis of works,
otherwise grace is no longer grace.
:7 What then?
That which Israel is seeking for,
it has not obtained,
but those who were chosen obtained it,
and the rest were hardened;
:8 just as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”
:9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
:10 Let their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs forever.”
2. The Grafting of the Lord 11:11-24
:11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?
May it never be!
But by their transgression
salvation has come to the Gentiles,
to make them jealous.
:12 Now if their transgression be riches for the world
and their failure be riches for the Gentiles,
how much more will their fulfillment be!
:13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles.
Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
:14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen
and save some of them.
:15 For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world,
what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
:16 And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also;
and if the root be holy, the branches are too.
:17 But if some of the branches were broken off,
and you,
being a wild olive,
were grafted in among them
and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
:18 do not be arrogant toward the branches;
but if you are arrogant,
remember that it is not you who supports the root,
but the root supports you.
:19 You will say then,
“Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
:20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief,
but you stand by your faith.
Do not be conceited, but fear;
:21 for if God did not spare the natural branches,
neither will He spare you.
:22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God;
to those who fell, severity,
but to you, God’s kindness,
if you continue in His kindness;
otherwise you also will be cut off.
:23 And they also,
if they do not continue in their unbelief,
will be grafted in;
for God is able to graft them in again.
:24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree,
and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree,
how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into
their own olive tree?
3. God’s Merciful Intentions 11:25-32
:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery,
lest you be wise in your own estimation,
that a partial hardening has happened to Israel
until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
:26 and thus all Israel will be saved;
just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
:27 And this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
:28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake,
but from the standpoint of God’s choice
they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
:30 For just as you once were disobedient to God,
but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
:31 so these also now have been disobedient,
in order that
because of the mercy shown to you
they also may now be shown mercy.
:32 For God has shut up all in disobedience
that He might show mercy to all.
D. Doxology 11:33-36
:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
:34 For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who became His counselor?
:35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?
:36 For
from Him
and through Him
and to Him
are all things.
To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
VI. Service to God 12:1-15:12
A. Sacrificial Living in the Church 12:1-8
12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual service of worship.
:2 And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what the will of God is,
that which is good
and acceptable
and perfect.
:3 For
through the grace given to me
I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he
ought to think;
but to think so as to have sound judgment,
as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
:4 For just as we have many members in one body
and all the members do not have the same function,
:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually members one of another.
:6 And since we have gifts that differ
according to the grace given to us,
let each exercise them accordingly:
if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
:7 if service, in his serving;
or he who teaches, in his teaching;
:8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation;
he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence;
he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
B. Exhortations 12:9-21
:9 Let love be without hypocrisy.
Abhor what is evil;
cling to what is good.
:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love;
give preference to one another in honor;
:11 not lagging behind in diligence,
fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord;
:12 rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation,
devoted to prayer,
:13 contributing to the needs of the saints,
practicing hospitality.
:14 Bless those who persecute you;
bless and curse not.
:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice,
and weep with those who weep.
:16 Be of the same mind toward one another;
do not be haughty in mind,
but associate with the lowly.
Do not be wise in your own estimation.
:17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.
Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
:18 If possible,
so far as it depends on you,
be at peace with all men.
:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved,
but leave room for the wrath of God,
for it is written,
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
:20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him,
and if he is thirsty, give him a drink;
for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.”
:21 Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
C. Obligations to Others 13:1-14
1. Responsibility to Government 13:1-7
13:1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God,
and those which exist are established by God.
:2 Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God;
and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
:3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior,
but for evil.
Do you want to have no fear of authority?
Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;
:4 for it is a minister of God to you for good.
But if you do what is evil, be afraid;
for it does not bear the sword for nothing;
for it is a minister of God,
an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.
:5 Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection,
not only because of wrath,
but also for conscience’ sake.
:6 For because of this you also pay taxes,
for rulers are servants of God,
devoting themselves to this very thing.
:7 Render to all what is due them:
tax to whom tax is due;
custom to whom custom;
fear to whom fear;
honor to whom honor.
2. Responsibility to All: A Debt of Love 13:8-14
:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another;
for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
:9 For this,
“You shall not commit adultery,
You shall not murder,
You shall not steal,
You shall not covet,”
and if there is any other commandment,
it is summed up in this saying,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor;
love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
:11 And this do,
knowing the time,
that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep;
for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
:12 The night is almost gone,
and the day is at hand.
Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
:13 Let us behave properly
as in the day,
not in carousing and drunkenness,
not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality,
not in strife and jealousy.
:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
3. The Weak and the Strong 14:1-15:12
a. The Weaker Brother 14:1-11
14:1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith,
but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
:2 One man has faith that he may eat all things,
but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
:3 Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat,
and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats,
for God has accepted him.
:4 Who are you to judge the servant of another?
To his own master he stands or falls;
and stand he will,
for the Lord is able to make him stand.
:5 One man regards one day above another,
another regards every day alike.
Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind.
:6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord,
and he who eats, does so for the Lord,
for he gives thanks to God;
and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.
:7 For not one of us lives for himself,
and not one dies for himself;
:8 for if we live, we live for the Lord,
or if we die, we die for the Lord;
therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again,
He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
:10 But you, why do you judge your brother?
Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt?
for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.
:11 For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
b. Causing another to Stumble 14:12-23
:12 So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.
:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore,
but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a
brother’s way.
:14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself;
but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
:15 For if because of food your brother is hurt,
you are no longer walking according to love.
Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
:16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;
:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,
but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
:18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God
and approved by men.
:19 So then let us pursue the things which make for peace
and the building up of one another.
:20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food.
All things indeed are clean,
but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.
:21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine,
or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
:22 The faith which you have,
have as your own conviction before God.
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
:23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats,
because his eating is not from faith;
and whatever is not from faith is sin.
c. Exhortation to Edification 15:1-4
15:1Now we
who are strong
ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength
and not just please ourselves.
:2 Let each of us please his neighbor
for his good,
to his edification.
:3 For even Christ did not please Himself;
but as it is written,
“The reproaches of those who reproached Thee fell upon Me.”
:4 For whatever was written in earlier times
was written for our instruction,
that
through perseverance
and the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.
d. Exhortation to Unity 15:5-6
:5 Now may the God
who gives perseverance and encouragement
grant you to be of the same mind with one another
according to Christ Jesus;
:6 that
with one accord
you may
with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
e. Exhortation to Acceptance 15:7-12
:7 Wherefore,
accept one another,
just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
:8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision
on behalf of the truth of God
to confirm the promises given to the fathers,
:9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy;
as it is written,
“Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles,
And I will sing to Thy name.”
:10 And again he says,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”
:11 And again,
“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him.”
:12 And again Isaiah says,
“There shall come the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”
VII. Conclusion 15:13-16:27
A. The Roman Church and the Apostle 15:13-33
1. Blessing and Encouragement 15:13-16
:13 Now
may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
:14 And concerning you, my brethren,
I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge,
and able also to admonish one another.
:15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points,
so as to remind you again,
because of the grace that was given me from God,
:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,
ministering as a priest the gospel of God,
that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
2. Boasting in God 15:17-19
:17 Therefore
in Christ Jesus
I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.
:18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has
accomplished through me,
resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles
by word
and deed,
:19 in the power of signs and wonders,
in the power of the Spirit;
so that
from Jerusalem
round about as far as Illyricum
I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
3. Preaching the Gospel 15:20-29
:20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel,
not where Christ was already named,
that I might not build upon another man’s foundation;
:21 but as it is written,
“They who had no news of Him shall see,
And they who have not heard shall understand.”
:22 For this reason I have often been hindered from coming to you;
:23 but now,
with no further place for me in these regions,
and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you
:24 whenever I go to Spain —
for I hope to see you in passing,
and to be helped on my way there by you,
when I have first enjoyed your company for a while —
:25 but now,
I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.
:26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the
poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
:27 Yes, they were pleased to do so,
and they are indebted to them.
For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things,
they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.
:28 Therefore,
when I have finished this,
and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs,
I will go on by way of you to Spain.
:29 And I know that
when I come to you,
I will come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ.
4. Appeal for Prayer 15:30-33
:30 Now
I urge you, brethren,
by our Lord Jesus Christ
and by the love of the Spirit,
to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,
:31 that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea,
and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;
:32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God
and find refreshing rest in your company.
:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
B. Final Matters 16:1-24
1. Greetings 16:1-16
16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe,
who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea;
:2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints,
and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you;
for she herself has also been a helper of many,
and of myself as well.
:3 Greet Prisca and Aquila,
my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
:4 who
for my life
risked their own necks,
to whom
not only do I give thanks,
but also all the churches of the Gentiles;
:5 also greet the church that is in their house.
Greet Epaenetus,
my beloved,
who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.
:6 Greet Mary,
who has worked hard for you.
:7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners,
who are outstanding among the apostles,
who also were in Christ before me.
:8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
:9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ,
and Stachys my beloved.
:10 Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ.
Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.
:11 Greet Herodion, my kinsman.
Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.
:12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord.
Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord.
:13 Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine.
:14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the
brethren with them.
:15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas,
and all the saints who are with them.
:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ greet you.
2. Warning about Division 16:17-20
:17 Now I urge you, brethren,
keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances
contrary to the teaching which you learned,
and turn away from them.
:18 For such men are slaves,
not of our Lord Christ
but of their own appetites;
and
by their smooth and flattering speech
they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
:19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all;
therefore I am rejoicing over you,
but I want you to be wise in what is good,
and innocent in what is evil.
:20 And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
3. Additional Greetings 16:21-24
:21 Timothy my fellow worker greets you,
and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
:22 I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord.
:23 Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you.
Erastus, the city treasurer greets you,
and Quartus, the brother.
:24 (The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.)
4. Doxology 16:25-27
:25 Now to Him
who is able to establish you
according to my gospel
and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery
which has been kept secret for long ages past,
:26 but now is manifested,
and by the Scriptures of the prophets,
according to the commandment of the eternal God,
has been made known to all the nations,
leading to obedience of faith;
:27 to the only wise God,
through Jesus Christ,
be the glory forever. Amen.
- The word document: Romans
