ROMANS
(Answers)
(Updated 02/2024)
CHAPTER 1
- a. Obedience must accompany
our faith. b. Paul's obedience in the faith was to spread the gospel among
the Gentile nations.
- a. The gospel of Christ is
our power to salvation for everyone who believes. b. The gospel message
lifts us up daily and has power to make us righteous by God's grace.
- God bestows a verdict of
righteousness on the sinner. The sinner is treated as a non-sinner.
- All men of ungodliness and
unrighteousness who suppress the truth will receive the wrath of God.
- a. The people knew God but
did not honor Him as God. They carved images and committed idolatry and
homosexuality. b. God turned them over to their debased mind and
uncleanness, letting them bring on themselves penalty for their ways by the
consequences of their sins.
CHAPTER 2
- The people were guilty of the
same sins as those they judged.
- There were no repercussions
due to the longsuffering of God so they did not feel any guilt from their
sin.
- God gave them grace (because
of Jesus) in hope that they will come to repentance and change their ways.
- Eternal life is the reward
for those who obey the will of God. Those who are self-seeking,
unrighteous, and evil will receive tribulation, anguish, indignation, and
wrath on their soul.
- Patient continuance in doing
good (in the name of the Lord) will bring salvation of your soul.
- a. The Gentiles and all those
before the law will be judged according to their deeds. b. The Israelites
and any foreigner living or accepting the law will be judged according to
the law. (This was the rule until Jesus came and established the new
covenant.)
- The chosen ones who knew God
and taught the law dishonored God by the sins and idolatry they committed.
The Gentiles witnessed this and spoke dishonorably of the God of the Jews.
- Circumcision could not save
the Jews if they broke the law. It was only a physical sign of being God’s
people Circumcision today is in our faith, rooted in our hearts, which
causes us to honor, fear, and obey God.
- We should not seek the
approval of men but the praise of God.
CHAPTER 3
- Whatever God’s word says is
true. If man speaks contradictory to God it is always false.
- Paul states an emphatic
"No." Our sins will judge us at the end of time. If not then
there is no reason for God to judge the world.
- Believers are not liable for
their sins - Jesus has paid for them. No payment is required of us except
to honor God, believe in Jesus, and live righteous before God.
- a. Sins committed under the
law were overlooked by God. b. By the sacrifices required under the law
for atonement God was patient of their sins. This was just a shadow of
what was coming.
- The law could not be
discarded because by it we have knowledge of sin.
- Through the Spirit we carry
the essence of the law in our hearts (as in 2:14). Our faith recognizes the
requirements of the law are now covered by Jesus' death.
CHAPTER 4
- Blessed is the man to whom
God does not impute sin.
- God has made us righteous
through Jesus Christ. Our sins are forgiven.
- Abraham believed, honored
and obeyed God from the beginning before he was ever circumcised.
- Abraham was too old to
father a child and so was Sarah.
- Abraham had an unwavering
faith and a tested faith.
CHAPTER 5
- Our hope is an inner
awareness of assurance that God is with us, He will return for us, and He
will get us through tribulations.
- Jesus died for us. We are
now reconciled to God and have the hope of life by Jesus' resurrection.
- Sin was not identified or
specified as such until the law but it was still punished by God by death
(i.e. the flooding of the world; Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.).
- The gift of Jesus’ death on
the cross provided every sinner the opportunity for forgiveness of sins
and justification for life.
- Condemnation came from Adam.
Grace and life came from Jesus.
- a. Death had power over
those who sinned. b. The grace of God results in eternal life to those who
believe.
CHAPTER 6
- a. We buried our sins and our
old self with Jesus. b. We are raised to walk a new way of life, one that
lives for God.
- We are no longer shackled to
the result of our sins – death. We are free from death through Jesus.
- Jesus makes us alive to God
by our justification through His death. And, as His resurrection still
serves to glorify God our 'resurrection' to a new life must serve to
glorify God.
- a. We let God control our
life by obeying His will. b. Obeying God leads to righteousness and
holiness that leads to everlasting life. d. Sin leads to death spiritually
and eternally.
- The free gift from God is
eternal life through Jesus.
CHAPTER 7
- We left or became dead to the
law and its condemnation of death.
- The law is in our hearts
through the Spirit. By the newness of the Spirit, our hearts are now
directed toward good works and righteousness.
- The law identifies sin and
all its evil passions.
- a. God gave the law as a
guide for man at that time. b. The law identifies our sin so that we can
avoid or rectify sin.
- Sin dwells in us and we can
fall because of it.
- The evil desires and
propensities of the heart and the lust of the flesh bring us in to sin.
The mind is willing but the flesh is weak!
- We serve the law of God
consciously (by heeding the Spirit) or serve the law of sin by heeding to
desires of the flesh.
CHAPTER 8
- There is no more condemnation
of death because of sin but forgiveness to righteousness.
- The gospel was offered as a
pardon to sin. By it we can be free from the result of sin which is death.
- The law could not justify us
or make us righteous before God. There was no healing or strengthening
through the law, only death spiritually and physically through the
sacrifices.
- The righteous requirement of
the law was sacrificial death for the sins of the people. Jesus suffered
this punishment for us so we won’t have to. His death was the sacrifice
required under the law to atone for sins.
- Death is the result of being
carnally minded. Those who seek the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eye, and the pride of life descend to this end.
- You are not God's or Christ's
if you do not have the Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit who raised
Jesus to life can also lead us to life.
- We resist sin by obeying the
Spirit of God.
- a. When we are led by the
Spirit we belong to our Father, God. b. We can call on God any time and He
will hear us and help us. We are His children and joint heirs with Christ.
- All living things on earth
will change also. The earth will not be subject to corruption.
- a. We wait for the redemption
of our bodies for eternal life. b. We must persevere in the hope of our
redemption. c. We must keep believing, keep seeking, and keep worshiping
God even in trials and tribulations.
- The Spirit of God will lead
us and speak for us.
- a. God knew beforehand some
would believe in Jesus and become His children. b. He wanted us to conform
to the image of His son. c. God sent Jesus for our justification. d. God
glorified us by putting His Spirit in us. We have been honored and
elevated by His Spirit in us. We have become one with Him.
- a. God will be the judge of
our sins. b. No one can condemn us. Jesus has already paid all sin for us.
- Nothing can separate the love
of God and Christ from us. We can call on God anytime.
CHAPTER 9
- We judge ourselves by our
conscience through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will convict our conscience
or give us peace.
- a. The children of God are
those of the promise to Abraham through Sarah. (Those of faith.) b. The
children of the flesh are they who came through Hagar the servant of
Sarah. (The Gentiles.)
- Esau was blessed by God but
he was not chosen as heir of the covenant with Abraham.
- Those who do not know Him or
serve Him have been used for His purpose. They, as all, are born into sin
since Adam. These God left to their own but used them for His purposes
(i.e. the nations used to discipline Israel).
- Only a remnant of Israel
will be saved – at least all who will believe and obey God through Jesus.
- Jesus Christ stands between
us and God's wrath. He is our shield.
- Jesus is the stone that was
rejected.
CHAPTER 10
- Israel was still trying to
be righteous by the works of the law.
- Jesus put an end to the
works of the law because He was the ultimate and final sacrifice. There is
no need for any other sacrifice. We are more righteous through Christ than
we could have ever been by the sacrifices of the law.
- The work of Jesus has
already been done once and for all. He will only return to deliver us to
the Father.
- We believe the gospel and we
continually live and speak of it in our lives.
- We must have confession unto
salvation. Our words and actions must be true to our faith and religion.
For with believing there must be a profession by our lives. We profess our
faith in our lives through our words and by our actions.
- Anyone can call on God. He
wishes all to be saved.
- Faith comes by hearing and
hearing by the word of God.
- Israel has not believed the
gospel of Christ even though they have heard the word of the gospel. They
crucified Jesus because they did not know He was the Messiah.
- The Gentiles were used to
provoke Israel to jealousy.
CHAPTER 11
- God will remember a remnant
of Israelites who served God and did not fall to the worship of Baal.
- A remnant of Israel will be
saved according to the election of grace. Therefore, the works of the law
cannot save them and grace would not be grace.
- God left the Jews to their
own ways. They fell into their own trap by rejecting Jesus.
- a. Israel and all those of
the covenant of promise are the first fruit and root. b. The lump is all
those joined to Israel and the covenant of promise. The branches are all
believers whether Jew or Gentile under Christ.
- Some Israelites were lost
because of unbelief in Jesus as the Messiah while Gentiles were added in
to the Kingdom of Jesus.
- The Gentiles are the wild
olive tree that was grafted in to the natural olive tree (Israel).
- The blindness of Israel has
opened up the door for the Gentiles to receive the gift of grace for
salvation. (Eph. 2:8, 11-13).
CHAPTER 12
- Our reasonable service is to
present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, and for
His purpose.
- a. We are to consider the
will of God in all areas of our life so we will do what is acceptable and
pleasing to God. b. The scriptures, prayer, and the Spirit will help
transform our mind.
- The people are not to think
highly of themselves because each has been given a measure of faith and
are individual members of the whole body of Christ.
- We all have different gifts
and service to God in the body of Christ.
- We should hate what is evil
and cling to what is good.
- Diligently and zealously we
should seek to do His will.
- During tribulation we should
be patient and pray, believing God will help us.
- We should associate with
humble people, those who do not seek to be glorified by man but by God.
- a. As much as depends on us we are to live at peace with
all people. b. We are not to avenge ourselves; God will avenge us.
CHAPTER 13
- a. We should be subject to
the governing authorities. b. God has appointed the authorities that
exist. (We must still stand against immorality and lawlessness promoted by
any authority.) c. We are to pay our taxes because
the governing authorities are ministers for God and the taxes are for our
benefit too.
- Love does no evil and
therefore cannot violate the commandments. When you love someone as
yourself, you will treat them as you would want to be treated.
- We are to awake from living
in darkness and put on the armor of light. We are to walk properly (in
love, purity, and acceptably before God) not in revelry, drunkenness,
lewdness, and lust for our salvation draws near (and judgment is coming).
- We seek to live as Jesus
lived making no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. (We walk
soberly and righteously).
CHAPTER 14
- Do not dispute over
doubtful or unclear things with one who is weak in the faith. (He may be a babe in the faith or
had limited teaching.)
- God is the master of the
servant and can make a less knowledgeable person stand. He will bring the
less knowledgeable to maturity.
- a. We should not partake of
our liberty in front of a weaker brother for his sake. b. We should act in
love and not let our good be spoken of as evil or destroy the work of God
in the weaker brother.
CHAPTER 15
- By not choosing to just
please ourselves we show brotherly love to the weaker brother and edify
him.
- The books of the law and the
prophets (Old Testament scriptures) were for our learning and hope in God.
We learned patience and comfort and therefore should bear with the
scruples of the weak.
- Jesus came to serve the
Jewish people to fulfill God's promise to them.
- The Gentiles came under the
grace of God also.
- Paul ministered to the
Gentiles to make them acceptable and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
- Paul wanted to go where the
name of Jesus had not yet been established.
- Paul was going to Jerusalem
to bring a gift of goods to the poor and needy believers there.
- Paul feared the resistance
and imprisonment from those who hated him for preaching the gospel.
CHAPTER 16
- Pricilla and Aquila had the
church in their house.
- a. We are to note and stay
away from those who teach contrary doctrines and cause divisions. Avoid
them as teachers; do not follow their instruction. b. They use smooth
words and flattering speech to deceive the hearts of the simple.
- We are to be wise in what
is good and innocent of what is evil.
- God will crush Satan.
- Tertius wrote this epistle
for Paul.
- The prophetic scriptures
reveal Jesus as the Messiah and savior not only to the Jews but also to
the Gentiles.