Saturday, May 3, 2008

Notes on Romans--Part Fifty Two

Last post on Romans. Here is a detailed outline of Paul's masterpiece--

1:1-12 Introduction
1:13-15 Pertinent facts
1:16-17 Thesis statement
1:18-15:13 Supporting argument
1:18-32 Immoral people are guilty before God
2:1-16 Moral people are guilty too
2:17-3:8 Even religious people are guilty
3:9-20 The whole world is guilty before God
3:21-31 We are made right with God only by our belief in-, trust in- and loyalty to King Jesus.
4:1-25 Belief in-, trust in- and loyalty to God has always been the way we are made right with God e.g., Abraham.
5:1-21 Adam infected the world with sin but Jesus came to reverse that effect.

6:1-23 Our King has set us free from the oppressive regime of sin.

7:1-25 We continue to struggle with sin and we cannot rescue ourselves.

8:1-17 Yet, thanks to our King's actions we are set free

8:18-39 and our King has promised us a great future BUT in the meantime we are called to suffer with him.

9:1-29 But how can we count on God if He turned His back on Israel? God is faithful but He has the right to elect who He wants to for it is all His.

9:30-10:21 Besides, God did not turn His back on them, they turned their back on Him.

11:1-36 Moreover, birth does not make one a member of God's covenant community--faith does. There was (and is) a remnant of Jews and Gentiles who are loyal to God and they are the true "Israel."

12:1-21 What a person made right with God should act like.

13:1-14:1-23 What a transformed community of God looks like.

15:1-13 For always keep the example of Jesus in mind.

15:14-33 Paul's ministry (and theirs and ours) is to reach out to all people everywhere.

16:1-27 Final remarks.