The book of Romans is an epistle that was written by Apostle Paul. Paul’s longest letter, which he sent late in his career is evident in the maturity of core Christian doctrines in the book. The location of writing is probably within Asia Minor including, Macedonia and Greece, as implied in Romans 15.14-28. The message was primarily intended for the Christians living in Rome, some of whom Paul knew (The Holy Bible, Romans. 16.1-23). Notably, the book suggests that there were both Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus Christ. The objective of this paper is to write a structural analysis of the book of Romans.
The letter begins by introducing the author as Christ’s servant who has been set aside for the gospel of God. The second verse explains the gospel as having been predicted by prophets of old and that it is about the son of God. In 4-6, the testimony and works of Jesus are mentioned and concluded with the role of Christ in the targeted audience. Next 7-15, the author expresses gratitude to the receivers, explains the obligations of a Christian, and identifies himself as obligated and happy to preach the word even to them. The structure up to this point shows that the author precedes by explaining a concept before mentioning it.
The first chapter also teaches about righteous living and explains the wrath of God towards those who chose a different path. From verses 16 to 17, the author first states that he does not feel shame for preaching the gospel and then proceeds to explain that the gospel reveals the nature of the righteousness of Jesus Christ through faith, which the believers live by. It relates to 18-32, which shows the wrath of God against all the ungodly is described by noting all people can perceive the nature and power of God but refuse to live well. Hence, God is justified for permitting their destruction, which they receive when they pursue impunity and the lust of their flesh. In addition, their failure of acknowledging the need to please God led them to rely on their depraved minds for their destruction.
In the second chapter of Romans, Paul uses the same structure of mentioning a precept and then elaborating its meaning. The first verse is connected to the preceding one as it also talks about God’s righteous judgment. In verses 1 to 5, the author explains that since humans pass judgment on others, they know what is right but have a hardened heart. This is related to verses 6 to 11, which justifies the decision of God to answer everyone according to their actions. Next, the law concept regarding judgment is introduced, stating that the law condemns because people break the law. Thus, what is needed to achieve righteousness is the circumcision of the heart by the Spirit.
The third chapter is connected to the second one in that after finding fault in man’s righteousness, it acknowledges God as the only one that is righteous. For instance, 10-12 states, “…one is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks God,” which relates to the next unit (The Holy Bible, Romans. 3.21-30), which insists that the only way to be justified is through faith. The transition to the fourth chapter of the book exemplifies Abraham as one who received justification by faith. People who believe in Christ can only be made righteous by believing in Jesus through whom all the Abrahamic promises are realized. This is connected to the next unit, 5.1-11, which shows the peace found when Christians put their faith in God.
Paul proceeds by connecting the concept of righteousness and lack of it to the fall of man. Notably, in 5.12-21, the author shows that sin entered the world through Adam, but through Jesus Christ humanity was redeemed and restored to holiness. This relates to Chapter 6, which states that the followers of Christ have died to sin and are now alive to God. Due to the transition from trespass to right standing with God, every believer must become a slave of righteousness. The consequential result is in the next unit of 6.1-6, which, in summary, declares that since the Christians are of God, they are no anymore bound by the law. This is then connected with the consecutive verses, which indicate that people still struggle with the flesh but should not allow themselves to be entangled to sin again.
The next unit shows how people can overcome temptation, and the solution is living in the Spirit. This is related to the previous chapter, which explains the struggle that people have with flesh. Once a person manages to live in the Spirit, they become the heirs with Christ (The Holy Bible, Romans. 8.12-17). The next unit shows the advantage of such life, pointing out that there is a future glory forever suffering from the present world (The Holy Bible, Romans. 8.18-29). In addition, the chapter ends with a promise of the eternal love of God as people walk in righteousness.
Paul appeals to his credibility when pleading with his fellow Jewish people to understand the sovereign will of God. He then relates the present state with historical rebellion points to past prophesies (The Holy Bible, Romans. 9.1-29). Pieces of evidence follow that Israel still does not believe the gospel as much as the Gentiles do (The Holy Bible, Romans. 9.30-33; 10.1-4). Upon explaining their need for righteousness, Paul teaches how to attain salvation by calling upon the only name of Jesus Christ (The Holy Bible, Romans. 10.5-21). This is reinforced throughout chapter 11, which recognizes Jews as the people who salvation came to at first. The problem is that it has bypassed them and gone to the Gentiles because of the former’s hardening of the heart. Nonetheless, it is apparent that salvation will still come to the Jews through misty and God’s sovereignty.
Righteous living was demanding and evidenced as Paul tells his audience in chapter 12. First, it is important for the body to be offered as a living sacrifice to God (The Holy Bible, Romans. 12.1-2). People who live the crucified life offer provision for the gift of grace and have the mark of Christ-likeness (The Holy Bible, Romans. 12.3-21). The relation with the consecutive chapters is that such a life ensures submission to the authority in the same way as Jesus showed (The Holy Bible, Romans. 13.1-9). With regards to the law, Christians are expected to show love even as they observe the protocols (The Holy Bible, Romans. 13.12-14). The connection of Chapter 14 with the aforementioned sections is that it warns against judging others. This resonates well with following the example of Jesus Christ, who is the only hope for the Jews and Gentiles (The Holy Bible, Romans. 15.1-7). Finally, as the author approaches the end of the letter, he further explains that he is ordained to minister to the gentiles. The last chapter is simply about greetings and doxology.
Conclusively, Paul’s epistle to the Romans is rich with foundational doctrines for Christ-followers. As is the norm in apostle Paul’s letter, he begins by salutation and stating explicitly that he is God’s servant. In his writings, Paul appeals to his audiences to live a righteous life and not feel ashamed to follow Jesus, who was illuminated by prophets and later fulfilled in Christ. Consecutively, he warns that the flesh will always desire to do contrary to the Spirit. In addition, he appeals to his fellow Jewish people to understand the sovereignty of God, who demands righteous living despite the challenges of living such a life. Thus, this book continues to edify Christians today by showing them how they can overcome the flesh and live a life of purity.
Work Cited
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, edited by a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Crossway, 2016.