Bible Commentaries
Romans

Romans

Sinner, would you know how to be just before God? Read Romans! Saint, would you be at perfect peace with God? Ponder Romans!

The writer of these words became acquainted with God through a study of this epistle. It is emphatically the portion of God's word which is adapted to show all men God's present grace, preparatory to the higher unfoldings of Ephesians. All revelation previous to Paul's severance to the ministries which are expounded in Romans, as given through the Lord and His apostles, was limited to the Circumcision,

concerned with the kingdom promised by the prophets to Israel, and falls far short of the grace revealed through Paul in this epistle. They promised a probationary pardon on repentance, but here we have a complete vindication or justification or acquittal founded entirely on faith. As is shown by the literary framework, Romans is dominated by three great doctrines: Justification, Conciliation and Sovereignty. God's own righteousness, which He shares with the sinner, His own peace, which He imparts to the believer, and His own indomitable will, which forms the immovable basis of all blessing, are the bulk and burden of this epistle. As justification is commonly degraded to a mere pardon, or forgiveness, and conciliation is unknown, and God's sovereignty is denied, there is need to urge God's beloved saints to give the great truths of this epistle the place in their hearts and lives which they deserve. Every doctrine in this epistle is discussed twice: first from the viewpoint of the individual, and again from the larger, national standpoint. The latter half of the third and the fourth chapters show clearly and exhaustively how anyone may be vindicated in the sight of God. The latter half of the ninth and the tenth chapter shows how this favor finds its way to the nations while Israel fails to effect it through the law. So, too, God's present attitude of peace toward all mankind and toward those who are justified is fully set forth in the fifth, sixth, seventh and part of the eighth chapters. The bearing of this on Israel and the nations is fully unfolded in the eleventh chapter. That God is for His people is shown in the end of the eighth chapter. His sovereign will with regard to Israel and the nations is shown in the succeeding chapter. It is exceedingly important to recognize the national scope of the ninth, tenth and eleventh chapters. Much confusion has resulted from applying parts of these chapters to individuals rather than to nations. Nothing in these chapters which is said of Israel nationally, in apostasy, was true of Paul himself and the few faithful ones in the nation. These are not hardened, though the nation, as such, is. Israel, nationally, has not attained to righteousness, yet many in the nation cannot be included in this sweeping assertion. The nation, as such, not the faithful remnant, has stumbled. It is Israel as God's national witness in the earth which is figured by the olive tree. Some of the branches (the unbelieving majority) are broken off. The nations as a whole (the wild olive tree) are grafted into the cultivated olive tree. Now that the nations, as such, are apostatizing, they are about to be cut out. Individual believers in the nations will not be cut out, for their faith would keep them in.

LITERARY FRAMEWORK

Gospel, made known, Justification Rom_1:1-6

Greetings, brief Rom_1:7

Prayer

Intended Journey Rom_1:10-1:13

Previous Ministry Rom_1:14 - Rom_1:17

The Conduct of Mankind Rom_1:18 - Rom_3:20

INDIVIDUAL

DOCTRINE

Justification Rom_3:21 - Rom_4:25

Conciliation Rom_5:1 - Rom_8:30

God's Sovereignty Rom_8:31 - Rom_8:39

NATIONAL

God's Sovereignty Rom_9:1 - Rom_9:29

DOCTRINE

Justification Rom_3:21 - Rom_4:25

Conciliation Rom_11:1 - Rom_11:36

The Conduct of the Saints Rom_12:1 - Rom_15:7

Previous Ministry Rom_15:8 - Rom_15:21

Intended Journey Rom_15:22 - Rom_15:29

Prayer Rom_15:30 - Rom_15:33

Greetings, extended Rom_16:1 - Rom_16:23

Gospel, hushed up, Conciliation Rom_16:25 - Rom_16:27