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General Outlines of the Book of Romans

 
Justification by Faith
1. The content of justification by faith (1:1-17);
2. The need of justification by faith (1:18-3:20);
3. The truth of justification by faith (3:21-31);
4. The example of justification by faith (4:1-25);
5. The blessing of justification by faith (5:1-21);
6. The life of justification by faith (6:1-23);
7. The struggle of justification by faith (7:1-25);
8. The secret of justification by faith (8:1-39);
9. The mystery of justification by faith ---- the dispensation of God towards the Israel (9:1-11:36);
10. The realization of justification by faith ---- the demand upon Christians (12:1-16:27);
 
Several Mysteries in the Book of Romans
1. The mystery of the gospel (chap.1-8; Eph. 6:19-20);
2. The mystery of the Israel (chap. 9-11); 
3. The mystery of Christians (chap. 12-16; Col. 1:26-27); 
 
Some Facts of the Gospel Revealed in the Book of Romans
1. All ungodly and unrighteous men are under sin ---- corrupted mind and dishonorable bodies (1:1-32);
2. Men in the whole world are under the judgment of God (2:1-3:18).
3. God has set forth Jesus who has no sin to be a propitiation (3:19-26).
4. Man is justified by faith (3:27-31).
5. God counts those who have faith in Christ righteous (4:1-25).
 
The Relationship of the Resurrection of Christ with Us in the Book of Romans
1. Christ is declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead (1:4).
2. Christ was raised for our justification (4:24).
3. If we have been dead and been raised with Christ
we should walk in newness of life (6:4-5
9).
4. We have been unto the risen Christ (7:4).
5. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you
He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (8:11).
6. It is Christ who died
and furthermore is also risen
who is even at the right hand of God
who also makes intercession for us (8:34).
7. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead
you will be saved (10:9).
 
The Debts of Christians
1. To all men in the world
we are debtors concerning the gospel (1:14).
2. To God
we are debtors ---- not to the flesh
to live according to the flesh (8:12).
3. To saints
we shall own no one anything except to love one another (13:8).
4. To the poor and those who have ever made us partakers of their spiritual things
we are debtors of ministering to them in material things (15:26-27).
 
The Important Truth in the Book of Romans
1. The truth of Judgment (1:18-3:20);
a. The sins of the Gentiles (1:18-32); 
b. The sins of the Jews (2:1-29);
c. The sins of men in the whole world (3:1-20);
2. The truth of justification (3:21-5:21);
a. The demand of justification (3:21-31); 
b. The example of justification (4:1-25);
c. The effect of justification (5:1-11);
d. The foundation of justification (5:12-21);
3. The truth of sanctification (6:1-8:39);
a. The foundation of sanctification (6:1-11);
b. Be holy unto the Lord (6:12-23);
c. Be delivered from the law of sin and of death (7:1-8:2);
d. The foundation of victory (8:3-11);
e. The life of victory (8:12-30);
f. The song of victory (8:31-39);
4. The truth of election (9:1-11:36);
a. The grief of Paul (9:1-5);
b. The of election (9:6-29);
c. The reason for being rejection (9:30-10:21);
d. The fulfillment of the will of God (11:1-36);
5. The truth of offering (12:1-16:16);
a. The life of offering (12:1-21);
b. The duty towards the nation
society and the times (13:1-14);
c. The duty of receiving one another in the church (14:1-15:7);
d. The duty of preaching the gospel widely (15:8-33);
e. The duty of building the body of Christ (16:1-27);
 
Several Kinds of Men in the Book of Romans
1. Sinners (1:18-3:20);
2. The righteous one (3:21-5:21);
3. The sanctified one (6:1-8:39);
4. The Israel (9:1-11:36);
5. The Nazarite (12:1-16:16);
 
Several Kinds of Knowledge in the Book of Romans
1. The knowledge of salvation ---- judgment
justification and sanctification (1:18-8:39);
2. The knowledge of dispensation ---- election and the gracious calling (9:1-11:36);
3. The knowledge of practice ---- to be Christians and be men (12:1-16:27);
 
The Righteousness of God Manifested to Various Kinds of Men
1. The righteousness of God manifested to the world ---- righteousness: wrath and judgment (1:18-3:20);
2. The righteousness of God manifested to common believers ---- justification: “not reckon sin” (3:21-5:21); 
3. The righteousness of God manifested to believers who haven grown further ---- become righteous: the righteous requirement of the law should be fulfilled in…who walk according to Spirit (6:1-8:39); 
4. The righteousness of God manifested to the Israel ---- believe righteousness: finish His work (9:1-11:36); 
5. The righteousness of God manifested to those who have offered them ---- good and righteous: live for the Lord (12:1-16:27); 
 
The Stages of the Manifestation of the Righteousness of God
1. The righteousness of God is concealed ---- in the times of ignorance
men in the world have turned every one to his own way (1:18-3:20); 
2. The revelation of God’s righteousness ---- God set forth Jesus as a propitiation (3:21-31);
3. The righteousness of God is given ---- upon all those who believe (4:1-5:21);
4. The fulfillment of God’s righteousness ---- through the spirit that dwells in us (6:1-8:39);
5. The dispensation of God’s righteousness ---- since the Jews were stumbled
salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to provoke them to jealousy (9:1-11:36);
6. The various manifestations of God’s righteousness
a. Manifested in the service of the church (12:1-8);
b. Manifested in dealing with various men (12:9-21);
c. Manifested in meeting the obligations of the nations (13:1-7);
d. Manifested in love (13:8-10);
e. Manifested in watching (13:11-14);
f. Manifested in receiving the weak brothers (14:1-15:3);
g. Manifested in being like-minded one toward another (15:4-16:16
21-24);
h. Manifested in avoiding those who are contrary to the doctrine (16:17-20);
 
Righteousness
1. The need of righteousness ---- sinners (1:18-3:20);
2. The preparation of righteousness ---- (3:21-26);
3. The receiver of righteousness ---- (3:27-4:25);
4. The experience of righteousness ---- (5:1-8:17);
5. The firmness of righteousness ---- (8:18-39);
6. The rejection of righteousness ---- (9:1-11:36);
7. The life of righteousness ---- (12:1-16:27);
 
God’s Wrath
1. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven (1:18).
2. An impenitent heart of hardness shall treasure up for oneself wrath of God (2:5).
3. Indignation and wrath shall be given to those who do not obey the truth (2:8). 
4. God who inflicts wrath is not unjust (3:5).
5. Law brings about wrath (4:15).
6. We are saved from wrath through Christ (5:9).
7. God wants to show His wrath and to make His power known (9:22).
8. To give place to wrath (12:19).
 
The Nature of God
1. God’s goodness
forbearance
and longsuffering (2:4);
2. God’s love (5:5
8; 8:39); 
3. God’s mercy (11:30-32); 
4. God’s wrath (1:18); 
5. God’s righteousness (3:21); 
6. God’s power (chap. 9-11); 
7. God’s good will (chap. 12-14); 
 
The Experience of Paul
1. Paul before his being saved (2:28-29) ---- a Jew outwardly
circumcision which is outward in flesh;
2. Paul after his being saved (3:28; 4:12; 5:9-11) ---- justification by faith;
3. The saint Paul (chap. 5-8) ---- present one’s members; be delivered from the law of sin and of death by the Spirit of life; be conformed to the image of His son; 
4. The great Paul (chap. 9-16) ---- he wished to be a curse from the Christ for his kinsmen; he preached the gospel diligently to the Gentiles for obedience of faith among all the nations; 
 
What Shall We Say?
1. God who judges the world is just (3:5).
2. Abraham is justified by faith
not by works (4:1).
3. We who have died to sin shall not still live in sin (6:1).
4. The law is good. The problem does not lie in the law
but the sin that dwells in the flesh (7:7).
5. If God for us
no one against us (8:31).
6. There is no unrighteousness with God who works all things according to the counsel of his own will (9:14).
7. The nations who did not follow after righteousness have attained righteousness on the principle of faith (9:30).
 
The Laws
1. The law ---- law of Moses (3:19);
2. The statutes ---- the Pentateuch (3:21);
3. The law of faith (3:27);
4. The law of sin ---- the law in one’s members (7:21
23
25);
5. The law of mind ---- the law of one’s mind that does good (7:23);
6. The law of spirit ---- the law of the Spirit of life (8:2);
7. The law of love ---- love has fulfilled the law (13:8-10);
 
The Descriptions of Sin in Chapter Six and Seven and in the Book of Romans
1. Sin can reign in our mortal body
that we should obey it in its lusts (6:12).
2. Sin can use our members as instruments of unrighteousness (16:13-14).
3. Sin can have dominion over us (6:14).
4. Sin can bind men that men shall become bondmen of sin (6:18).
5. Sin can bind men by “unrighteousness” (6:20
22).
6. The wages of sin is death (6:23).
7. Sin can be exposed by the law (7:7).
8. Sin can produce covetousness in men (7:8).
9. Sin can make man do what one wills not to do (7:14-17
20).
10. Sin “dwells in man” (7:17-18
20).
11. Sin is a kind of law warring against the law of one’s mind (7:23).
12. Sin is the object that the flesh serves (7:25);
 
Seven Points Concerning Justification
1. Origin ---- it is “God” that justifies man (8:33);
2. Channel ---- be justified freely by “God’s grace” (3:24);
3. Accordance ---- be justified by “His blood” (5:9);
4. Proof ---- “the resurrection of Jesus” for our justification (4:25);
5. Reception ---- with the heart one believes unto righteousness (10:10);
6. Premise ---- “by your words” you shall be justified (Matt. 12:37);
7. Fruit ---- man is justified because of “works” (James 2:24).
 
Four Deliverances in the Book of Romans
1. One is delivered from condemnation through the grace of Jesus Christ (5:12-21).
2. One is delivered from the power of sin by the one Jesus Christ who reigns in life (5:12-21). 
3. One is delivered from the bondage of the law by dying with Jesus Christ (7:1-6). 
4. One is delivered from the law of sin and of death by the law of the Spirit of life (8:1-14). 
 
The Microcosm of the Whole History of the Israel
1. In the past ---- how the Israel was chosen (9:1-29);
2. At present ---- the Israel has rejected the salvation of God (9:30-10:21); God keeps a remnant for the Israel (11:1-10).
3. In the future ---- all Israel shall be saved (11:11-32).
 
The Election of God
1. Our destiny (9:1-10:21):
a. Is of God that calls (9:1-13);
b. Is of God that shows mercy (9:14-18);
c. Is of God’s sovereignty (9:19-29);
d. Is through the righteousness by faith (9:30-10:3);
e. Through Christ (10:4-21):
1) Christ who is the end of the law (10:4).
2) Christ’s incarnation and resurrection (10:5-7);
3) Christ who is near (10:8).
4) Christ whom man believes and calls (10:9-13);
5) Christ who is preached and heard (10:14-15);
6) Christ who is received and rejected (10:16-21);
2. The of God’s election (11:1-32):
a. There is a remnant in the Israel according to the election of grace (11:1-10).
b. Since the Israel is stumbled
salvation has come to the Gentiles (11:1-22).
c. All Israel will not be saved until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (11:23-32).
3. Praise for the election of God (11:33-36).
 
The Reason Why the Israel Was Rejected by God
1. “They did not seek it by faith
but as it were
by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone” (9:32).
2. “They … being ignorant of God's righteousness
and seeking to establish their own righteousness
have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (10:2-3).
3. “They (the Israel) have not all obeyed the gospel” (10:16).
4. “Did Israel not know? … I (God) will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation
I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” (10:19). 
 
Enter into the Service in the Body
1. Presenting oneself is for the purpose of manifesting the body of Christ (12:1-12).
2. The pattern of the service in the body of Christ (12:3-21): 
a. We are members in the body of Christ (12:5).
b. All the members have not the same office (12:5).
c. The function of each member is measured by God (12:3).
d. One shall do according to what is given to him by God (12:6-9).
e. The life of Christ shall be manifested and shown in the service in Christ’s body (12:10-21). 
3. The principles of life in the body of Christ is obedience and love (13:1-10):
f. Be subject to the authority (13:1-7);
g. The fulfillment of love (13:8-10);
4. The attitude of the life of Christ’s body on the earth is watching (13:11-14). 
 
Life of Christians
1. The church life (12:1-21):
a. By presenting the bodies (12:1);
b. By the transformation by the renewing of mind (12:2-3);
c. By performing the gifts (12:4-8);
d. By living out the virtues (12:9-21);
2. The social life (13:1-10):
a. Be subject to the governing authority (13:1-7);
b. On the principle of love (13:8-10);
3. The spiritual war (13:11-14);
4. The reception among believers (14:1-15:13):
a. According to how God receives (14:1-9);
b. According to the light before the judgment-seat (14:10-12); 
c. According to love (14: 13-15); 
d. According to the principle of the kingdom of God (14:16-23); 
e. According to Christ (15:1-13); 
5. In the building of the body (15:14-16:27):
a. Preach the gospel so as to gain the gentile churches (15:14-16:27);
b. Foster the fellowship between the gentile churches and the Jewish churches (15:25-33);
c. Deliver the greetings of the churches (16:1-24);
d. Praise God who accomplishes all (16:25-27);

── Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible Commentary Series》

Translated by Mary Zhou