Overview Article
Romans has been called the greatest theological document ever written. In this letter, the apostle Paul explains the Good News—the climactic revelation of God to the world through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul reflects on the human condition, on the meaning of our lives on earth, and on our hope for the world to come. He constantly moves us back to the fundamentals of God’s truth revealed in Christ, and he teaches us to deal with the problems, failures, and disputes that characterize life in this world.
Key People, Places, and Terms
People 56
Places 12
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Key Terms 185
Themes
Jews and Gentiles (Non-Jews) 18 A key theme of the New Testament is that God has included non-Jewish people (called gentiles) in his people while keeping his promises to Israel. In Romans 11:11–32 , the apostle Paul explains God's plan to save all n... The Limitations of Law 15 The law was central to God's special agreement (the covenant) with the people of Israel. Many Jews in the apostle Paul's time, including Jewish Christians, still considered it as essential for living. Therefore, Paul... The Old Realm and the New 14 The Jewish people in Paul's time saw a clear difference between the "present evil age" and a "glorious age to come." Throughout Romans 5–8 , Paul uses these contrasting "realms" or "kingdoms" to explain our experience... God’s Unified Plan of Salvation 13 God reveals his plan for salvation throughout Scripture. It is a key theme in the letter to the Romans. In Romans 3:21 , the apostle Paul emphasizes two important points about being "made right" with God through Jesus... The Resurrection of Jesus 8 The Bible clearly describes how Jesus physically rose from the dead through God's power. However, many other explanations have been suggested: Jesus did not actually die. He fainted and later woke up in a cold tomb. S... The Grace of God 7 Grace is an important word in the Bible. It shows God's kindness and favor. It is often related to how he saves those who do not deserve it. The New Testament emphasizes that grace came through Jesus Christ ( John 1:1... God’s Covenant with Abraham 6 God started a relationship with Abraham before making a formal covenant (agreement) with him ( Genesis 12:1–9 ; 15 ). God started the relationship with Abraham by speaking to him in a vision. God promised that the eld... Job’s Innocence 6 Job’s comforters could not accept the idea that any human could be truly innocent ( Job 4:17–19 ; 15:14–16 ; 25:4–6 ). They believed suffering was a direct result of sin. So, Job must have done something wrong to dese...
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The Message of Reconciliation 6 Reconciliation is a term found throughout the New Testament. It means making peace and repairing broken relationships. When two people reconcile, they stop being enemies and become friends again. In the same way, thro... The Holy Spirit’s Work 6 Different New Testament writers emphasized various aspects of the Holy Spirit's work. The apostle John, for example, emphasized the Spirit's role as a teacher and revealer of God's thoughts and ways ( John 14:17 , 26... Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility 5 The Bible shows that everything is under God's control. In other words, God is sovereign over everything. For example, rain falls on both good and bad people as part of God's plan ( Matthew 5:45 ). God is not responsi... “Belief” in the Gospel of John 5 The theme of "belief" is central in John’s Gospel. John does not use the noun faith found often in the New Testament (for example, see Matthew 8:8–10 ; Mark 11:22 ; Acts 20:21 ; Romans 1:17 ; 3:27 – 31 ; 4:3–5 ; Hebre... Giving up Rights 5 Paul consistently teaches that Christians should be willing to give up their personal rights and freedoms for the good of others and for the spread of the good news about Jesus. He does not command Christians to defen... Sin Enters the World 5 Genesis 3 explains how humans lost their moral innocence by rebelling against God. What God called "very good" was no longer perfect ( Genesis 1:31 ). The man and woman ate the fruit that promised knowledge of good an... The Church 5 The church is the community of people who acknowledge Christ as Lord and obey him ( Ephesians 5:21–24 ). The New Testament word for "church" comes from the Greek word ekklēsia (meaning "a group of people who gather to... The Resurrection of the Dead 5 Jesus spoke about a future resurrection for everyone. God will raise up all people to eternal life or to judgment ( Mark 12:26–27 ; John 5:28–29 ; 6:39–40 , 44 , 54 ; 11:25–26 ; see also Luke 20:34–36 ). When Jesus re... Following Jesus 5 The Gospels (books about Jesus's life) were written to help people understand and accept Jesus' invitation to follow him by "taking up their cross." This invitation is not just for Jesus' closest followers, called apo... Tolerance 5 The apostle Paul urges tolerance (patient understanding) between those weak in faith and those strong in faith. He teaches Christians to accept each other ( Romans 14:1 ; 15:7 ). He instructs them to stop condemning o... The Purpose of the Judgments 5 What is the purpose of God's judgments? Are they meant to bring redemption, or are they just meant to destroy? The judgments in the book of Revelation provide some clues. At the end of the sixth trumpet, despite all t... Living for Christ 4 The apostle Paul writes from prison, “ For to me, to live is Christ ” ( 1:21 ). Why should Christians commit their lives to Jesus Christ? Christians recognize that they owe everything to Christ. This includes their sa...
Related Articles
Outline
Greetings 1:1–15
What the good news is 1:16–16
Why all people need to be saved 1:18–3:20
People are made right with God by having faith in Jesus 3:21–5:21
Living under the control of the Holy Spirit 6–8
God’s relationship with Israel 9–11
Living the way God wants people to live 12:1–15:13
Paul’s work and his plans to travel 15:14–16
Paul greets certain believers and says goodbye 16–16
Use of the Old Testament in Romans
80 quotations from 13 Old Testament books
Total quotations 80
Connected books 13
Most-connected book Isaiah 21
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