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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; ** Encyclopedias; ** 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” is the creation of an imaginary dialogue. Diatribe was a standard form of classroom teaching in the ancient near east. A diatribe typcialy contained:
- apostrophe (exclamation): 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 6:1-8:39
- further exposition drawing on OT texts – Rom 9:1-11:36
Genre: Understanding Epistles
Background & Outlines
- Romans Study Text NASB
- Romans Study Test ESV
- 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
- James Van Dine: Intro to Romans
- David Malick (Bible.org): An Argument Of The Book Of Romans
Maps from Bible-History.com
- Paul’s 1st Journey
- Paul’s 2nd Journey
- Paul’s 3rd Journey
- Israel in NT Times
- Kingdom of Herod the Great
- Herod’s Kingdom Divided
- New Testament Cities
- Apostles’ Journeys
Maps from Studylight.org
- Paul’s First Missionary Journey
- Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
- Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
- Paul’s Arrest and Imprisonment
- Paul’s Voyage to Rome
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.
Commentaries
- Top 5 Commentaries on Romans – Ligonier.org
- Best Commentaries on Romans – Tim Challies
- Commentary Reviews: Romans
- Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: Romans
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Complete Commentary on the Bible: Romans
- Albert Barnes Notes on the Whole Bible: Romans
- Alford Exegetical Commentary: Romans
- Hodge’s Commentary on Romans
- Geneva Study Bible: Romans
- Reformation Study Bible Notes: Romans
- Precept Austin Commentaries & Sermons: Romans
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Letter
- Romans, Theology of – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
- Romans, Book of – Holman Bible Dictionary
- Romans, Epistle to – Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
- Romans, Epistle to – Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
- Romans, Epistle to – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
- Romans, Epistle – Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
Rome
- Rome – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
- Rome and the Roman Empire – Holman Bible Dictionary
Paul
- Paul, the Apostle – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
- Paul – Holman Bible Dictionary
- Paul, the Apostle – Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
- Paul – Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
- Paul, the Apostle – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
- Paul- Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
Timothy
- Timothy – Holman Bible Dictionary
- Timothy – Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
- Timothy – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
- Timothy – Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
- Timothy in Acts: Acts 16:1-3; Acts 17:14-15; Acts 18:5; Acts 19:22; Acts 20:4
Articles
- Battle, John A. “Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans 9:25-26
- Dockery, David S. “Romans 7:14-25: Pauline Tension in the Christian Life,”
- Garlington, D. B. “The Obedience of Faith in the Letter to the Romans: Part I:
- Garlington, D. B. “The Obedience of Faith in the Letter to the Romans: Part II:
- Garlington, D. B. “The Obedience of Faith in the Letter to the Romans: Part III:
- Garlington, D. B. “The Obedience of Faith in the Letter to the Romans: Part III(b):
- Hugenberger, Gordon. Homosexuality
- Lamp, Jeffrey S. “Paul, the Law, Jews, and Gentiles: A Contextual and Exegetical Reading of Romans 2:12-16,”
- Longacre, Robert E. and Wilber B. Wallis. “Soteriology and Eschatology in Romans,”
- Merkle, Ben L. “Romans 11 and the Future of Ethnic Israel,”
- Rapinchuk, Mark. “Universal Sin and Salvation in Romans 5:12-21
- Reid, Marty L. “A Consideration of the Function of Ro 1:8-15 in Light of Greco-Roman Rhetoric
- Turner, David L. “Cornelius Van Til and Romans 1:18-21
- Young, Richard A. “The Knowledge of God in Romans 1:18-23: Exegetical and Theological Reflections
- Robert Gromacki: ISRAEL: Her Past, Present, and Future – Romans 9–11
- David Hocking: The Importance of the Modern State of Israel
- David Hocking: Israel’s Disobedience and the Sovereignty of God
- David Larsen: The Postmodern Abandonment of Israel
- David Larsen: Tracing The Critical Steps in the Establishment of the Modern State of Israel in 1948
- Thomas McCall: Israel: From Gaza to Eternity
- Thomas McCall: Palestine vs. Israel as the Name of the Holy Land
- Thomas McCall: The Evangelical Defection from Modern Israel
- David Reagan: The Evil of Replacement Theology: Its Origin, History, and Contemporary Relevance
- Andrew Robinson: Comfort My People: 19th Century British Evangelicalism and the Restoration of Israel
- Greg Koukl: Paul, Romans and Homosexuality
- Aaron Morris: The Plain Sense(s) of Scripture: Questioning interpretive singularity in Galatians 3 and Romans 4
- Daniel B. Wallace: May Women be Deacons? A Prelude to Dialogue
- Daniel B. Wallace: Junia Among the Apostles: The Double Identification Problem in Romans 16:7
- Romans 1:1-3:20 – The Epistle to the Romans: An Expanded Paraphrase
- Romans 3:21-4:25 – The Epistle to the Romans: An Expanded Paraphrase
- Romans 6:1 – 7:25 The Epistle to the Romans: An Expanded Paraphrase
- Romans 9:1- 11:36 – The Epistle to the Romans: An Expanded Paraphrase
- Romans 12:1-16:27 – The Epistle to the Romans: An Expanded Paraphrase
GotQuestions.org
Treat like any commentary: read carefully and thoughtfully.
- Book of Romans – Bible Survey
- What are the Pauline epistles?
- Who was Paul in the Bible?
- What does it mean to not be ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16)?
- What does “from faith to faith” mean in Romans 1:17?
- Why did Paul say the gospel brings salvation to the Jew first and then the Gentile?
- What does it mean to have a reprobate mind?
- Does Romans 2:7 teach works salvation?
- What is circumcision of the heart?
- What does it mean that no one seeks God?
- What are the works of the law (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16)?
- What does it mean that all have sinned?
- What does it mean that the wages of sin is death?
- What is justification?
- What is meant by “call those things which are not as though they were” (Romans 4:17)?
- What is Christian reconciliation? Why do we need to be reconciled with God?
- What does it mean to be dead to sin?
- Is Romans 7:14-25 describing a believer or an unbeliever?
- What does it mean that there is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1)?
- What is the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)?
- What does it mean that Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh?
- What is the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15)?
- What does it mean to be co-heirs/joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17)?
- What does it mean that all creation groans (Romans 8:22)?
- What does it mean that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)?
- What does “if God is for us, who can be against us” mean in Romans 8:31?
- What does it mean that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)?
- What is predestination? Is predestination biblical?
- What are principalities and powers?
- What should we learn from the symbolism of the potter and clay in the Bible?
- Why did God love Jacob and hate Esau (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13)?
- What does it mean that Christians are not under the law?
- Is public confession necessary for salvation (Romans 10:9-10)?
- Why was Paul called the apostle to the Gentiles?
- What does it mean that the church has been grafted in Israel’s place?
- Will all Israel be saved in the end times?
- What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?
- What does it mean to not conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2)?
- What does it mean to be transformed by the renewing of the mind?
- What is a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)?
- How can I overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21)?
- Was the American Revolution a violation of Romans 13:1-7?
- What does it mean that love is the fulfillment of the law in Romans 13:8?
- What does it mean that we are not to cause others to stumble?
- What does it mean to put on Christ in Romans 13:14?
- What are the disputable matters in Romans 14:1?
- What does it mean and when will it happen that every knee shall bow?
- Was Junia/Junias a female apostle?
Bible Study Tools
- Bible Study 101
- Interpreting Epistles
- Study Software & websites
- Comprehensive Maps, Charts & Lists
- Greek Word Studies by Precepts Austin
- Books on how to study the Bible
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