Romans Made Simple

[mikew]

Here's my attempt to show the simplicity of Romans. The letter has a simple logical flow.

The letter to the Roman church focused primarily on the goal of creating a benevolent attitude of the Roman gentile believers toward Jews such that a central goal of prophecy and of Paul would be achieved, that of making Jews jealous unto repentance.

Critical to the understanding of Romans is to understand who the audience was. The audience of the letter was gentiles yet was written without apparent offense to Jews.

Chapter 1
Paul starts the letter with attention grabbing topics. Encouragements were given to attract them saying "your faith has been proclaimed around the world." He also appealed to their boastful interest in the gospel as the power of God which he followed with a powerful sermon. Yet the sermon (vs 18-31) was judgmental, an aspect normally contrary to the wisdom of God. Readers today usually miss this irony that Paul spoke so judgmentally. The reason for such a judgmental sermon escapes any logic until clarified in the second chapter.

Chapter 2
Having just led the audience into an inappropriate judgmental attitude against others, Paul then revealed through the shocking accusation of Rom 2:1 "You who judges is guilty of the same thing" that the audience was guilty of a hypocritical judgmental attitude. This was an insult to Paul's audience yet probably made them curious what Paul meant. Paul then held the feet of his audience over the fire by associating the Romans with those deserving the wrath of God if they do wrong. In the midst of the passage, verse 6 “to render to every man” comes as the second of many equalizing verses that would be used to dispel the anti-Jewish sentiment of the gentile believers.

Next Paul led the audience into another judgmental rant against any hypocritical Jews. This showed Jews in a bad light with stereotypical statements (again improper for a believer to speak), but this negative view was the view of the Roman gentile believers anyhow, words put into the mouths of the gentile believers, words representing their viewpoint. He finally concluded that the only true Jews was a Jew who trusted Christ (circumcised of the heart). The chapter mainly ends in a negative mood about the Jewish condition of that era.

Chapter 3
Out of the horrible impressions given, Paul then wrote as a question words related to the viewpoint of the Roman gentiles, namely to their idea that the Jews were disadvantaged. Paul gave a positive answer here.
Paul quickly went to another judgmental phrase that encompassed both Jews and gentiles. The prime purpose appears to be an attempt to equate Jew and Gentile as being in the same unjustified condition apart from Christ. At the same time there was an introduction to the Law as an undergirding topic of much of the letter. The topic of Law was also the start of an explanation that justification comes as a reaction to the Law, establishing the Law.
Finally the introduction of the first issue appeared with the exposing of their boasting problem. The gentiles were boasting against the Jews saying that the Jews were messing up by following the old method of the Law whereas the gentile believers had become followers in faith.

Chapter 4
Now Abraham was introduced for a multitude of reasons. First Paul used Abraham as an example of one who could boast but that such boasting would be in flesh, not something impressive to God. This image of Abraham was to counteract the error of boasting mentioned in Rom 3:27.
The discussion of Abraham presented a positive image from among the Jews as well as a discussion of the common father of Jew and gentile believers, the father of those of faith. Faith also had to have a foundation, a promise, namely the promise to Abraham enjoyed by all his children. Without this promise, there was no hope expressed upon which the gentile believers could be encouraged, in light of their destination.
Faith also was expressed as a power for endurance. This description of faith provided the foundation for the issue in the next chapter. (Note the letter to the Romans was carefully laid out.)

Chapter 5
Now, in chapter 5, Paul addressed the problem of persecution of the Roman believers. Abraham's example of endurance provided an example to the Romans. Also, Paul further explained how much God had done to this point to give benefit to all believers, including those in Rome, that Christ had died for them while they were yet enemies.
Hopelessness abided among the Romans before they came to Christ but now Christ provided basis for strength, therefore joy(verse 11) could abound in their time of distress.
A sharp change of direction occured in verse 12 where Paul started to show the great contrast between sin and grace through many parallel contrasts. Focus has changed to the topic of the Law, the reign of sin and the reign of death with the contrasting power of Christ Jesus. Law again became a topic of discussion as the framework to raise up the various issues with the Romans and to start giving support to the positive discussion of the Law. Romans then proclaimed the significance of grace(verse 15). Gentile believers in Rome apparently held grace in much esteem.

The passage showed that sin brought death but grace gives life. The contrast was used to show that it was implausible to have the doctrine denounced in the next chapter.

Chapter 6
Paul now criticized the doctrine of sinning for the purpose of increasing grace. If it were not for the lead-in of the previous chapter, it would be harder to justify the idea that the Romans actually had such a doctrine. Apparently the Roman gentile believers became so embittered to their earlier experience of subjection under the Law that they started emphasizing grace to the point of forming a doctrine of hyper-grace. It wasn't built upon a specific definition or type of sin but just on the basis of doing fleshly action intentfully with the idea that such action would help God by increasing grace.
This doctrine of sinning was self-justification of behavior in the flesh. Paul countered such justification by showing the Romans the need to identify with Christ's death and resurrection rather than following their fleshly behavior. Such corrective instruction also gained further development in chapter 8.
An intricate weave of related concepts such as reigning, slavery, freedom and obedience appear within the argument against the church members' fleshly behavior. A flow from slavery to sin into obedience to God occurred in the text. Freedom became the reason not to get stuck in slavery (to the flesh) again.
In the overall scheme of Paul's purpose, the gentile believers required instruction against fleshly behavior if there was any hope that these gentiles would stop boasting against the Jews.

Chapter 7
The same instruction given against fleshly behavior now was directed those gentile believers who still held to the Law, albeit they were a minority, yet were strong minded. Paul also needed to discuss such dilemma of the law faced by the believers.
And toward Paul's greater goal, the discussion of the law really again equalized Jew with Gentile. The Law operated within the power and influence of the flesh just as the sinner sought to follow the flesh. Both legalists and indulgers operated by the flesh.

Paul's cryptic discussion about his problematic encounter of the Law actually represented the gentile believers' experience. The gentiles, after becoming believers and members of the Jewish believers' Church at Rome, were subjected to the Law and died. These gentiles experienced the futility of following the Law while yet having the desire to do good. The futility then was expressed by Paul showing that there was only hope because of God through Christ Jesus. Paul sought to express the problem of the law as his own experience to help the Roman audience identify better with Paul.
Romans created a promoted an appreciation of the Law and an avoidance of sinful behavior without suggesting that the Roman believers should follow the Law. Paul had to remove the negative image of the Law since the Roman believers' negative image of the Law provided the fodder to reject the Jews as well.
The conflict between the desire for good and for sin then culminated with Christ being the solution.

Chapter 8
In light of the conflicts in chapter 7, affirmation came that there was no condemnation for those in Christ. Paul was trying to get the Roman believers out of the trap of the condemnation they still felt though they had made a doctrine out of their sin (as seen in chapter 6). The discussion of the spirit may well be a discussion about the spirit of man as quickened by the Spirit of God. Mainly what was being said was that the believer should change the focus of his thoughts and he could focus on the actions that were beneficial.
The final preparation, before going into the discussion in chapters 9 to 11 about God's faithfulness to Israel, involved instruction in setting one's mind on the things of the spirit rather than on the flesh. A further presentation of God's provision through the Spirit and His assurances of the benefits to believers was given to support the believers through their persecution.
At this point Paul completed the prerequisites to change the mindset of the believers such that Paul could deal with the boasting of gentile believers against the Jews.

Chapter 9
Finally, emphasis could be made about Paul's essential concern to reach the bloodline Israel. (This is the first that Paul spoke about Israel by name.) Paul had to show that God was faithful to Israel despite the limited numbers of Jews responding to the gospel. Certainly the gentile believers saw the limited Jewish acceptance of Christ as a failing of the Jews, consequently there would be a negative reflection upon God's faithfulness.
First, the gentiles needed to know that the promise of God was only to a subset of the bloodline Israel, namely to those of promise. These were the Jews of chapter 2 who were circumcised of the heart. Paul showed the narrowing. First Abraham was chosen and after that only his son of promise, Isaac. Again a narrowing occurred in that only one child between Jacob and Esau was a child of the promise.
Verse 14 began to justify God if some were to see God's actions toward Israel as unrighteous. The explanation of God's righteousness continued for seven more verses.
Paul then mentioned the prophetic fulfillment showing that those of the promise were a small subset of the Israel people. The passages of Isaiah and Hosea reflected Paul's argment that the remnant was that subset of Isarel who were of the promise.
In a possible action to reaffirm Paul's concern for the Gentiles, Paul introduced that idea of the righteousness the Gentiles followed. Then the epistle dealt with the failure of Israel to come to that righteousness. The tone became a bit negative toward Jews saying they stumbled at that which was to give them righteousness.

Chapter 10
Paul pointed out the Jew's ineffectual seeking of righteousness which he contrasted with the righteousness by faith instead of works (9 :30-33,10:1-10). Yet Paul expresses his deep felt prayers for his kinfolk and goes on to show that God was sending the gospel message to them and even the words of vv 8 to 10, used in invitations today, were given to show how close true righteousness was to the Jew. Roman 10:11-15 represents a transition.. This likely was an example to the Roman believers to also desire the gospel to go to the Jews. At the same time Paul equated Jew and gentile as further example to the gentiles or as words of indoctrination (vv. 11-13)
Preachers were sent to Paul's kinsmen in accord with God's faithfulness. And the message reached the Jews, yet such people largely didn't accept the message. It was even obvious about the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Jews would be jealous cause of the nations yet still remain disobedient. (This shows God's positive purpose in making Jews jealous at that time.) Paul spoke this to the gentiles showing some support for the gentiles' accusation against the Jews yet Paul quickly readjusts their thinking to a more positive attitude toward Jews in chapter 11.

Chapter 11
Paul speaks well of God by showing that God was truly preserving the remnant among the Jews. But Paul insisted on the need to keep acting on behalf of Israel, since God had not rejected His people. And Paul mentioned this so that the gentile believers wouldn't reject them either. Then even though the end time had been reached, the remnant, the election, was already present. The rest of Israel became dull of hearing in order to bring forth an increase among the gentiles (looking back at the prophecy about making Jews jealous) -- see vv. 11-14. This was spoken to remove reason to boast against the Jews.
In further argument against boasting Paul spoke of the analogy of Jews being broken off the nurtured olive tree for not coming to faith while gentiles were grafted from a wild tree. Paul sought to show that Jews more naturally were those who should be accepted as becoming believers. He concludes with a re-emphasis that the blindness of Jews (dullness of hearing) was a temporary event.
Finally Paul showed that the true Israel (defined as the subset of Israel that accepted Christ, Rom 9:6ff) was being saved, vv. 26-29. And once more Paul spoke of inclusion of the gentiles after which he gave glory to God for all of God's wisdom.

Chapter 12
Now a shift occurs to address the general problems of the believers in Rome. Each of the four successive chapters here get progressively more servile in the teaching with the concurrent giving up of one's own rights, if it will cause less offence to each other. Even now Paul appealed to the Roman pride by emphasizing the idea of being a living sacrifice to God. Indeed any prideful man would take up the offer. But Paul quickly shows that this worship (a word suggestive of the priestly service of the Levitical law) was to consist of serving each other's needs.
Then Romans shifts to address issues about decent treatment of each other. From this Paul even speaks of loving one's enemies by showing decent behavior to enemies. Included among the enemies seems to be the government that also persecuted believers.

Chapter 13
Believers considered the government as an enemy and refused to pay taxes. This was appropriate by the words of Jesus yet it was not expedient. Only further trouble would come on the believers especially in that time of wrath.
Paul returned to an emphasis of the disciples proper love for one another. There seemed to be a struggle to love due to the time of wrath they were facing. Indeed this struggle and persecution likely provided the furtile ground for all the problems in Rome as were addressed by Paul.

Chapter 14
The judgmental attitude of these Romans was first shown to be against Jews but now was shown also to be among the gentiles between each other. The issue appears to be about meat sacrified to idols, an issue addressed in Acts 15:24-30, yet the actual problem was about their judgment of each other.
Another topic for judgment was about holy days, which appears to be a matter of Jewish Law. But in both issues of judgment, the solution was to remember that believers are with the Lord under all circumstances and only must be justified in His eyes.
Paul ultimately just told them to stop judging each other. Then instead of judging others Paul indicated that each of us should avoid taking actions that would upset our brothers in Christ.

Chapter 15
The final stage of the levels of service focused on Christ's ultimate help consisting of Him taking the reproach of those that reproached God.
Many critical issues seem to receive summation in this chapter, acting as the conclusion of what Paul wanted too instill in the body of the letter. All earlier scripture was to benefit this time period.
a) perseverance through persecution (5:3, 8:18)
b) acceptance of each other (Jews in 9 to 11, weak brothers in ch 14)
c) inclusion of Jew and gentile in Christ (Rom 1:16 ,Rom 15:8-12)
d) reassurances to gentiles (vv 9 to 12, and Rom 4:16, assurance of the promise)
Much attention was given to assure the believers about their security and provisions in Christ. Paul gave assurances about Christ provision for him to minister to them.
There were certain amends that Paul had to make with the Roman believers in closing to address their feelings of inadequacy.

Chapter 16
The chapter has been desribed to have Jewish spellings of many names (though the language is Greek, it uses Hebrew influenced spellings). Most likely this was Paul's prescription for the gentiles to greet the Jewish believers of the city and welcome the Jewish believers back to the assembly.
Paul gave additional encouragements and precautions beyond those of the main body.