Romans Bible Study Resources — Wednesday in the Word

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Romans Bible Study Resources | WednesdayintheWord.com

Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Bible Study: Romans: Justification by Faith

Jump to: Background; Maps; Key Words; Encylopedias; Commentaries; Articles; GotQuestions Next

Basics

Author: Apostle Paul (never doubted)
Audience: mixed community of Jews and Greeks
Occasion and Date: From Corinth, c. 57 AD, near the end of 3rd missionary journey
Purpose: To explain the gospel and introduce himself to the Romans before visiting them

Literary outline

A “diatribe” in the ancient near east contained:

apostrophe (Rom 2:1; Rom 3:17);
rhetorical questions (Rom 2:3-4; Rom 2:21-23; Rom 7:1; Rom 8:31-35; Rom 9:19-21; Rom 9:30; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 11:34-35);
questions answered by abrupt answers, e.g. ‘by no means’ (Rom 3:2-9; Rom 6:1-2; Rom 6:15; Rom 7:7; Rom 7:13; Rom 11:1; Rom 11:11);
hyperbole (Rom 8:27-29; Rom 9:3);
lists of vices and virtues (Rom 1:29-31);
examples from the past (Rom 4:1-25);
citations of written texts as authorities (Rom 9:1-11:36).

Classical structure of a diatribe

a statement of the main thesis (e.g. “every person is free”)
a demonstration by means of antithesis (e.g. how vice leads to slavery)
a restatement of the main thesis
a demonstration of the thesis by example (e.g. that someone was free because of his moral virtue even though he was a slave)
an exposition of the thesis, often drawing on written works
an answering of objections to the thesis (e.g. to the objection “aren’t there virtuous people who are prisoners?”

Romans as a diatribe

Thesis – Rom 1:16-17
antithesis – Rom 1:18-3:20
restatement of thesis – Rom 3:21-31
demonstration by example – Rom 4:1-25
exposition of thesis – Rom 5:1-21
answering objections – Rom 6:1-8:30
further exposition drawing on OT texts – Rom 9:1-11:36

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Section 1: Background

Background & Outlines

Map of NT Churches
Chronology of Paul
Blue Letter Bible: Chronology of Acts/Epistles
Bible Atlas: Rome
Blue Letter Bible: Romans Outline
Ray C. Stedman: Overview of the Book
John MacArthur: Author, Date, Background
Charles Swindoll: Romans Introduction
Chalres Swindoll: Romans Overview Chart
Romans at a Glance (WitW)
Romans Chapter Summary (WitW)
Paul’s use of the Old Testament
ESV: Introduction to Romans
ESV: The Global Message of Romans
NIV: Introduction to Romans

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Section 2: Maps

Maps from Bible-History.com

Maps from Studylight.org

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Section 3: Key Words

Key Words in Romans

Occurrences are based on New American Standard Text. “4x/3v” means the word appears 4 times in 3 verses. “3x” means the word appears 3 times in 3 verses.

God (160x/128v); Christ (66x)
law (77x/50v) – Strong’s G3551 in Rom 2:12; Rom 2:13; Rom 2:14; Rom 2:15; Rom 2:17; Rom 2:18; Rom 2:20; Rom 2:23; Rom 2:25; Rom 2:26; Rom 2:27; Rom 3:19; Rom 3:20; Rom 3:21; Rom 3:27; Rom 3:28; Rom 3:31; Rom 4:13; Rom 4:14; Rom 4:15; Rom 4:16; Rom 5:13; Rom 5:20; Rom 6:14; Rom 6:15; Rom 7:1; Rom 7:2; Rom 7:3; Rom 7:4; Rom 7:5; Rom 7:6; Rom 7:7; Rom 7:8; Rom 7:9; Rom 7:12; Rom 7:14; Rom 7:16; Rom 7:22; Rom 7:23; Rom 7:25; Rom 8:2; Rom 8:3; Rom 8:4; Rom 8:7; Rom 9:4; Rom 9:31; Rom 10:4; Rom 10:5; Rom 13:8; Rom 13:10. Strong’s G460 in Rom 2:12 (2x).
sin (45x/37v) – Strong’s G266 in Rom 3:9; Rom 3:20; Rom 4:8; Rom 5:12; Rom 5:13; Rom 5:20; Rom 5:21; Rom 6:1; Rom 6:2; Rom 6:6; Rom 6:7; Rom 6:10; Rom 6:11; Rom 6:12; Rom 6:13; Rom 6:14; Rom 6:15; Rom 6:16; Rom 6:17; Rom 6:18; Rom 6:20; Rom 6:22; Rom 6:23; Rom 7:7; Rom 7:8; Rom 7:9; Rom 7:11; Rom 7:13; Rom 7:14; Rom 7:17; Rom 7:20; Rom 7:23; Rom 7:25; Rom 8:2; Rom 8:3; Rom 8:10; Rom 14:23.
death (25x/23v) – Strong’s G2288 in Rom 1:32; Rom 5:10; Rom 5:12; Rom 5:14; Rom 5:17; Rom 5:21; Rom 6:3; Rom 6:4; Rom 6:5; Rom 6:9; Rom 6:10; Rom 6:16; Rom 6:21; Rom 6:23; Rom 7:5; Rom 7:10; Rom 7:13; Rom 7:24; Rom 8:2; Rom 8:6; Rom 8:13; Rom 8:36; Rom 8:38.
dead (17x/16v) – Strong’s G3498 in Rom 1:4; Rom 4:17; Rom 4:19; Rom 4:24; Rom 6:4; Rom 6:9; Rom 6:11; Rom 6:13; Rom 7:4; Rom 7:8; Rom 8:10; Rom 8:11; Rom 10:7; Rom 10:9; Rom 11:15; Rom 14:9.
faith (40x/35v) – Strong’s G4102 in Rom 1:5; Rom 1:8; Rom 1:12; Rom 1:17; Rom 3:22; Rom 3:25; Rom 3:26; Rom 3:27; Rom 3:28; Rom 3:30; Rom 3:31; Rom 4:5; Rom 4:9; Rom 4:11; Rom 4:12; Rom 4:13; Rom 4:14; Rom 4:16; Rom 4:19; Rom 4:20; Rom 5:1; Rom 5:2; Rom 9:30; Rom 9:32; Rom 10:6; Rom 10:8; Rom 10:17; Rom 11:20; Rom 12:3; Rom 12:6; Rom 14:1; Rom 14:2; Rom 14:22; Rom 14:23; Rom 16:26.
righteousness (35x/30v) – Strong’s G1343 in Rom 1:17; Rom 3:5; Rom 3:21; Rom 3:22; Rom 3:25; Rom 3:26; Rom 4:3; Rom 4:5; Rom 4:6; Rom 4:9; Rom 4:11; Rom 4:13; Rom 4:22; Rom 5:17; Rom 5:18; Rom 5:21; Rom 6:13; Rom 6:16; Rom 6:18; Rom 6:19; Rom 6:20; Rom 8:10; Rom 9:30; Rom 9:31; Rom 10:3; Rom 10:4; Rom 10:5; Rom 10:6; Rom 10:10; Rom 14:17.
unrighteousness (6x/5v) – Strong’s G93 in Rom 1:18; Rom 1:29; Rom 2:8; Rom 3:5; Rom 6:13.
justification (3x) – Strong’s G1347 in Rom 4:25; Rom 5:16; Rom 5:18. justify (1x) – Strong’s G1344 in Rom 3:30.
Spirit/spirit (34x/27v) – Strong’s G4151 in Rom 1:4; Rom 1:9; Rom 2:29; Rom 5:5; Rom 7:6; Rom 8:2; Rom 8:4; Rom 8:5; Rom 8:6; Rom 8:9; Rom 8:10; Rom 8:11; Rom 8:13; Rom 8:14; Rom 8:15; Rom 8:16; Rom 8:23; Rom 8:26; Rom 8:27; Rom 9:1; Rom 11:8; Rom 12:11; Rom 14:17; Rom 15:13; Rom 15:16; Rom 15:19; Rom 15:30.
flesh (26x/22v) – Strong’s G4561 in Rom 1:3; Rom 2:28; Rom 3:20; Rom 4:1; Rom 6:19; Rom 7:5; Rom 7:14; Rom 7:18; Rom 7:25; Rom 8:3; Rom 8:4; Rom 8:5; Rom 8:6; Rom 8:7; Rom 8:8; Rom 8:9; Rom 8:12; Rom 8:13; Rom 9:3; Rom 9:5; Rom 9:8; Rom 13:14.
grace (21x/18v) – Strong’s G5485 in Rom 1:5; Rom 1:7; Rom 3:24; Rom 4:16; Rom 5:2; Rom 5:15; Rom 5:17; Rom 5:20; Rom 5:21; Rom 6:1; Rom 6:14; Rom 6:15; Rom 11:6; Rom 12:3; Rom 12:6; Rom 15:15; Rom 16:20; Rom 16:24.
life (18x) – Strong’s G2222 in Rom 2:7; Rom 4:17; Rom 5:10; Rom 5:17; Rom 5:18; Rom 5:21; Rom 6:4; Rom 6:10; Rom 6:22; Rom 6:23; Rom 7:10; Rom 8:2; Rom 8:6; Rom 8:11; Rom 8:38; Rom 11:3; Rom 11:15; Rom 16:4.
wrath (12x/10v) – Strong’s G3709 in Rom 1:18; Rom 2:5; Rom 2:8; Rom 3:5; Rom 4:15; Rom 5:9; Rom 9:22; Rom 12:19; Rom 13:4; Rom 13:5.
judgment (9x/8v) – Strong’s G2919 in Rom 2:1; Rom 2:3; Strong’s G2917 in Rom 2:2; Rom 2:3; Rom 5:16; Strong’s G1341 in Rom 2:5; Strong’s G4993 in Rom 12:3; Strong’s G1253 in Rom 14:1; Strong’s G968 in Rom 14:10. Note 6 different Greek words translated judgment.