ROMANS OVERVIEW

The book of Romans is arranged in three major parts:
Part 1: How the Gospel saves the sinner. The first eight chapters are DOCTRINAL…the basic doctrines of the Gospel. 1 - 8
Part 2: How the Gospel relates to Israel 9 – 11 NATIONAL
Part 3: How the Gospel bears on Conduct 12 – 16 PRACTICAL
In Part 1 in which the subject is How the Gospel saves the sinner…1:18 to 3:20, Paul is showing man’s desperate NEED of the Gospel. He exposes the fallacy of supposed Israelite superiority and shows that the Jews are stricken with the same sin plague as the Gentiles. Both Jew and Gentile have “sinned” (acts of transgression) and both are in sin (inward condition. Transgression is the LEGAL aspect of man’s problem. The inward condition is the MORAL aspect of it. Man is legally guilty because of his acts of transgression and is brought under condemnation. His inward condition – man is morally CORRUPT and is perishing. God deals with this double problem through the Gospel. First Paul shows us the Gospel answer as to sinS and sin!
God deals with the sins problem judicially…sent Christ as the all-sufficient Propitation. Through Him He can justly justify the believing sinner – Justification by faith. Paul shows how the Gospel answers the sins problem experimentally…the experience of the believer “being justified by faith, we have peace with God…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…etc.
As to the answer as to sin: “our old man WAS crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed.” The expressions “our old man” and “the body of sin” refer to the Adam race as a whole; Judicially the Adam race was put away once for all in and by the Cross of Christ. In the death of Christ the believer also DIED TO THE LAW, thus becoming judicially free to be ‘married’ to Another, even to “Him Who is raised from the dead.”
Paul then deals with the sin-problem in the actual experience of the believer. (7:7-9, 39) In the earlier chapters, Paul has shown how the Gospel deals with sins (plural) both judicially and experientially and with sin itself (singular) judicially; yet there remained the most acute problem al all: “sin that dwelleth in me” 8:17,20) The very commandment of the Law against an evil evokes in my depraved nature precisely that which it forbids! The Law is all right, but I am all wrong! “Oh, wretched man that I am! – who shall deliver me?”
Chapter 8 gives the glorious answer. Paul now shows how the new life and law and liberty of the Spirit in the believer, along with the other inward ministries of the Spirit, are the ample answer to the cry, “Who shall deliver me?”
Part 2, NATIONAL: *Paul points out that the wonderful Gospel to the whole world DOES NOT ANNUL God’s special purpose with Israel. *the Gospel FULFILLS THE PROMISE MADE TO THAT PEOPLE. *the Gospel CONFIRMS THE GREAT PROSPECT BEFORE ISRAEL, namely that all Israel that is alive at the time shall yet be saved. The Gospel does not conflict with the purpose and promise and prospect pertaining to Israel as shown in their Scriptures, but confirms them.
Part 3, PRACTICAL 12 – 15…the practical application of the Gospel to life and behavior. 12:1-2 is the appeal for consecration with a view to inward transformation – this is the root of all Christian Godliness. At the end of Chapter 8, we see the fruit of this in humble and loving SERVICE TOWARD OTHERS – the social aspect.
Chapter 13 is plainly the Christian life as to CIVIL ASPECTS. V. 1-7 we are told that the true expression of the Christian life so far as civil duties to, is conscientious submission. V. 8-14 we see that this way of behavior has its foundation in love to one’s neighbor.
Chapters 14-15 is the Christian life as to certain MUTUAL ASPECTS. We discussed last week the relation between the WEAK and the STRONG, between those who are over-scrupulous and those who are seemingly under-scrupulous as regards certain debatable practices. There was the principle of mutual consideration and then it was reinforced by the example of Christ and the teaching of the Scriptures.