Bible Study: The Book of Romans

Authorship and Purpose

• The Book of Romans is traditionally believed to be written by Paul.
• The purpose of Paul's letter to the Romans is to share the gospel.

Context and Themes

• Paul wrote the letter to the Roman Christians from Corinth.
• A central theme of the Book of Romans is the basic gospel of God's plan of salvation and righteousness for all mankind, Jewish and Gentile alike.

Law and Grace

• The Book of Romans explains that the law reveals sin and shows humanity's need for salvation, but righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ apart from obeying the law.
• God's grace, demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice, provides salvation as a free gift to all who believe.
• Believers are no longer under the dominion of the law but are empowered to live by the Spirit.

Salvation and Slavery

• The wages of sin is death.
• Paul used the analogy of slavery to illustrate the call to righteousness because slavery was a familiar social institution in his time.
• Before coming to Christ, humans were enslaved to sin, but through Christ's redemption, believers are set free from the power of sin and become slaves to righteousness, serving God instead of sin.

The Holy Spirit

• The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, comforts us, guides us, gives us spiritual gifts, and enables us to pray and understand God's Word.

Old Testament Figure

• Abraham is used as an example of justification by faith in Romans.

Justification

• But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• Believers have been set free from sin to be righteous in God's view.

Weakness and Prayer

• When Christians are weak and don't know what to ask God for, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them with groans that words cannot express.

Assurance and Love

• Paul knew that God would graciously give us all things because of the assurance given in Romans 8:32.
• Trouble, famine, sword, or any other circumstances should not be able to separate believers from the love of Christ.

God's Sovereignty

• God's objects of wrath are prepared for destruction.
• Paul cites from Hosea, saying, "I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one," which emphasizes God's sovereignty in choosing and calling His people.

Serving and Spiritual Gifts

• Paul pleads with fellow believers to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
• The spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12 include prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy.
• If we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, we should be able to view God's good, pleasing, and perfect will.