The Gospel According to Romans

There are two sides to the Gospel. The historical side is found in the Bible's first four New Testament books: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Their record is neatly summarized in I Corinthians 15:1-8. Before studying the book of Romans you should slowly and thoughtfully read I Corinthians 15:1-8. The historical side of the Gospel can be summarized this way: Jesus Christ died, was buried and bodily resurrected according to the prophesies of the Bible and was afterward witnessed by over five hundred of His followers before He returned to Heaven.

The doctrinal side of the Gospel is found chiefly in the book of Romans.The word Gospel, which means "good news" is used twelve times in this book alone; four of those times it is found in the first chapter. While the historical side of the Gospel shows us what the Gospel is, the doctrinal side shows us what the Gospel means. Someone might honestly ask, "How important is it that Jesus Christ rose from the dead?" The book of Romans is the answer.

The Lord Jesus Christ directly revealed to the Apostle Paul, the writer of Romans, the meaning of the Gospel. This life-transforming book is recognized as one of the most profound statements of faith to have ever been written, and certainly it has been the most influential on mankind. Paul himself was a highly educated man, which can be seen from his manner of writing, which even the Apostle Peter said was at times difficult without guided study.

Below you will find short summaries of each chapter. We hope that these summaries will aid you to analyze what Paul said, as they give you a bird's eye view of his overall thoughts. God bless you as you read Romans and these summaries, and may you better appreciate not only the Gospel, but what it means for you and your eternity.

Chapter 1

Creation reveals God. Our sin shows we have rejected Him (and are worthy of death); faith in the Gospel shows we have returned to Him (and will be saved). [A good illustration can be found in the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 32.]

Chapter 2

God does not respect one's religion or nationality but will judge according to each man's deeds, by revealing both what each man secretly knew of God in his conscience, and how each man's sin is a plain rejection of that knowledge.

Chapter 3

God used the law on His own people, the Jews, so that by their failure to keep it He could demonstrate that all men are guilty and in need of the blood of Jesus Christ, by which blood He now freely justifies anyone who trusts in Him.

Chapter 4

Man's sin removes from him the righteousness he needs to please God. Though many people think righteousness can be earned by lawkeeping and even suppose that lawkeeping gave Abraham his righteousness, the truth is that God graciously gave Abraham righteousness for his faith and that was before Abraham was circumcised. Circumcision was not to represent one's own righteousness, but rather God's righteousness given to one who has faith. Also, the law only increases God's anger because it shows just how unwilling man is to live exactly as God desires.

Chapter 5

Mankind inherited a sin nature from his biological father, Adam. Sin now reigns over every man, separating each from God, angering Him, and condemning each to die. Jesus Christ stole the crown from sin and gave it to grace, that grace might now reign. He accomplished this by dying in place of man as man's sinless substitute taking away from sin the rulership over the lives and futures of believers. Now, anyone who puts faith in Jesus Christ is ruled by grace and is joined back to God in a peaceful, loving, joyous, hopeful and glorious relationship that will last for eternity.

Chapter 6

One is very mistaken if he understands grace to be freedom to sin, because grace is actually freedom to obey Jesus Christ.

Chapter 7

The law does not stop sin, but rather provokes it. Sin is so exceedingly sinful that unless a man has Jesus Christ, he will have no ability to escape his own sinfulness.

Chapter 8

When someone trusts Christ as his Saviour, he receives the Holy Spirit, whose work in the believer's life testifies that not only will he never be condemned but also he can expect many blessings from God. Even though suffering threatens to take away the blessings, Christ who died to secure those blessings will make sure they come to pass.

Chapter 9

Since all men are sinners, it will be only by God's mercy that anyone is saved. God would have all men to be saved, but has arbitrarily chosen men, such as Isaac and Jacob, to show that salvation is totally of Him and completely independent from what a man is or what he does. This was to disprove the false teaching that Jews are recipients of God's mercy based on their nationality or superior lawkeeping to that of the Gentiles. Just because one is of the children of Abraham does not mean he will be acceptable to God; Ishmael and Esau are good examples.

Chapter 10

For centuries God has sent preachers whose Gospel message the people of Israel have rebelliously rejected. They have had the message in their mouths because much of the Bible is in their hearts. Faith should come to them, but rather it comes to the Gentiles who not only hear the preaching but also submit to the fact that salvation is not based on their good deeds but rather on the righteousness supplied by God through Jesus Christ. This was a fulfilment of prophecy.

Chapter 11

God allowed the unbelief of His people, Israel, to conclude that all men, Jew and Gentile, are sinful, so that now anyone who returns to Him through faith in Jesus Christ can be saved without having to keep all the law of the Jews.

Chapter 12

Since by grace and not man's ability to keep the law all sinners have been extended mercy, then no one should think too highly of himself, but should rather, based on that mercy, recognize that if he is saved from his sin it was of God just like anyone else; therefore, he should live totally given to God as a living sacrifice.

Chapter 13

The believer should respect his authority and love his neighbors, because Jesus is soon returning and he should not be found living in his former lusts.

Chapter 14

Every believer will answer to God for his own faith; therefore, no believer should despise another, but rather he should do everything in his power not to hurt his brother's faith.

Chapter 15

Those that have strong faith should seek for unity to God's glory by supporting those weak in the faith. Not one Jew should think a Gentile is any less than him, for all who come to God do so by the same way: faith in Jesus Christ. Finally, Paul would have the Romans to know that he is coming to them, and in the meantime, they should pray for his deliverance.

Chapter 16

Believers should kindly greet other believers but mark those that are divisive. They are divisive if their words and deeds are against the Gospel as presented in the Bible.