Romans Outline – Medium High Detail


Creation Date: June 7, 2009

Author: Michael, Whitney

File: NewRomansOutlineMH.htm

Version: 1.4A


  1. Bait and Trap –Attract Audience Attention (1:1 to 2:29)

    1. Basic Audience Introduction Technique (BAIT) (1:1-15) – Building Rapport

      1. Paul's credentials and quick statement of gospel (1:1-5)

      2. Audience identification (1:6-7)

      3. Encouragement about their faith (1:8)

      4. Paul's efforts and desire to come for the benefit of Roman believers (1:9-15)

    2. Tactical description of the gospel (the lure) (1:16-32)

      1. Intro to gospel as topic the Romans appreciate – Gospel Benefit (1:16-18)

      2. The “Sermon” -- Gospel's judgment shown as accusations against Jews (1:18-32)

    3. Terribly Repugnant Attitude Presented (TRAP). Bad attitude of believers. (2:1-29)

      1. Rebuke to those who became judgmental in reaction to the Sermon (2:1-8)

      2. Replacing judgmental attitude with balanced thinking (2:9-16)

      3. Lead audience into another accusation, exposing stereotypical views(2:17-29)

  2. Showing Empathy of Situation with Jews (3:1 to 4:14)

    1. Benefits of Jews (as described in contrast to negative view just given) (3:1-2)

    2. Failures to believe (3:3-4)

    3. Negative behavior of Jews in making accusations (3:5-9)

    4. Question if accusations and claims of Jews' superiority of Law are true (3:10-20)

      1. Answer: there is no superiority since all are equal.

      2. Issues against supposed benefit of the Law (3:10-20)

    5. Exposing Error of Jewish Non-Believers' boasting (3:21 to 4:14)

      1. Benefits gained apart from Law – Righteousness of God manifested (3:21-26)

        1. as pointed to by the Law and prophets (3:21)

        2. Lacking self merits due to grace and faith (3:21-23)

        3. Gift Nature –Redemption through Christ Jesus (3:24)

        4. Demonstration of God's righteousness (3:25-26)

      2. Issue of Jews boasting in the Law (3:27 to 4:14)

        1. Boasting Excluded (3:27-31)

        2. Focus on Abraham as argument against boasting (4:1-14)

          • Gentile believers as benefactors of promise to Abraham (4:13)

  1. Addressing Fundamental Problems in Rome (4:15 to 8:39)

    1. Enduring persecution: Security in God's love (4:15 - 5:11)

      1. Security in faith. Abraham as example (4:15-25)

          • Gentiles included as children of Abraham. Abraham as father of all.(4:16)

      2. Security of faith and justification by faith as basis to endure persecution (5:1-2)

      3. Benefits of persecution and strength in persecution (5:3-5)

      4. Protection in persecution since God had concern beforehand & still has it(5:6-11)

    2. Problem of fleshly behavior and doctrine to sin(5:12 to 6:23)

      1. Magnified contrast between Sin and Grace (5:12-21)

      2. Introduce errant Doctrine to Sin: Hyper-grace Doctrine (6:1)

      3. Baptism, Resurrection, New life as reason and ability to overcome sin (6:2-11)

      4. Not letting sin reign in your body (6:12-14)

      5. Explanation not to use freedom from law as a reason to sin (6:15). Transition to topic of Law for chapter 7

      6. Being slaves of obedience and freed from sin (6:16-20)

      7. Lack of benefit of being under sin (6:21-23)

    3. Problem of following Law – Law works through the flesh (Ch 7)

      1. Instruction not to be beholden to Law to those trying to follow the Law(7:1-6)

        1. Law only in effect while husband is living (7:1-3)

        2. bearing fruit through the Spirit (7:4-6)

      2. Defense of goodness of the Law given w/o promoting subjection to Law (7:7-23)

        1. Sin is fed by the Law and causes bad to come from the good Law (7:7-13)

            • Paul speaks of Roman first encounter with Law as if his own (vs 9-11)

        2. Goodness of the Law contrasted to bondage of sin, both acting in kind of a schizophrenia (7:14-23)

            • Paul speaks of their “desire for good yet doing evil”, as his own

      3. Deliverance through this schizophrenia (7:24-25)

      4. God knows this battle and justifies so there is no condemnation (8:1)

      5. Solution to Dilemma of chapter 7 – a spirit quickened of God (8:1-16)

        1. Law of spirit of life has set you free condemnation (8:1)

        2. Enmity of the flesh -- Contrasts of spirit and flesh (8:2-8)

        3. Conditional assumption of them being in spirit & spirit assurances(8:9-16)

    4. Problem of Sufferings/Persecution-- now made bearable by Spirit (8:17-25)

      1. Looking to the glories ahead (8:17-25) – Suffering as mentioned in verse 18

      2. Helped by the Spirit in our weaknesses (8:26-28)

      3. God's comprehensive benefits to believers (8:29-32)

      4. The failure of any act to truly hurt a believer (8:33-39). This was the close of specific ministry regarding the current persecution and the fleshly behavior.

  2. Problem of not seeing God's faithfulness. Appeal to Gentiles' treatment of Jews (9-11)

    1. Clarification of true Israel in order to explain God's faithfulness (9:1-33)

      1. An appeal to have regard for the people of Israel (9:1-5)

      2. Narrowing of meaning of Israel and Israel as recipient of God's mercy (9:6-29)

        1. Israel narrowed from full bloodline to subset that is of promise (9:7-12)

        2. Issue whether God was wrong to narrow the lineage (9:13-21)

        3. God's preserving bloodline Israel until time of mercy (9:19-22)

        4. God's patience to delay wrath till He showed mercy (9:21-23)

        5. Identification of vessels of mercy and the upcoming wrath (9:24-29)

          • Reference made to Isaiah regarding reaching of Israel remnant(9:27-29)

    2. God's plan in action for Israel and God's faithfulness (9:30 to 11:6)

      1. Failure of Israelites due to pursuit without knowledge (9:30 to 10:7)

      2. Yet the knowledge was always nearby so some could receive it (10:8-11)

      3. God's faithfulness shown in answering those who call upon Him (10:12-18)

        1. Interjection on calling, to equalize Jew and Gentile (10:12-13)

        2. The need for preaching of the gospel to have occurred (10:14-17)

        3. The fact that the report did reach Israel (God's faithfulness) (10:18-19)

          • through preaching

          • through prophecy that Gentiles would make Jews jealous

      4. It still may not seem that God was reaching Israel (10:20-21, 11:1-2)

      5. God was still reaching through the remnant (11:2-6)

    3. Appeal to Romans not to boast against Israel (11:7 -25)

      1. The rest of Israel was blinded giving Gentiles an edge in getting saved.(11:7-10)

      2. Jews stumbled so Gentiles would be reached so Jews would get jealous and get saved. (11:11-15)

      3. Olive Tree Analogy: Jews as natural people of God;Gentiles grafted in (11:16-25)

          • Boast not against the branches (11:18)

      4. Mystery of the blindness (11:25) –this was the concluding remark that they “may not be wise in [their] own conceit”

    4. Recap of letter and conclusion about God's plan for Israel and His faithfulness

      1. All Israel shall be saved. God's plan restated. (11:26-27)

      2. Israel as enemies to Gentiles yet a remnant preserved for the Fathers. (vs 28-29)

      3. God's wisdom and mercy to all (vs 30 -36)

  3. Additional Issues of Behavior of Roman Believers (12 to 15:7)

    1. Lack of Serving One Another (12:1-16)

    2. Problem of treatment of enemies (12:17-21, 13:1-6)

      1. Have good behavior among evil men (12:17-21)

      2. Have good behavior with government (13:1-7)

    3. Problem of maintaining love in the evils of the day (13:8- 14)

    4. Stop judging each other for self-pride (14:1-18)

    5. Make peace instead and avoid making stumbling blocks (14:19-23)

    6. Learn to edify each other in unity (15:1-7)

  4. Conclusions to all issues (15:8-33)

    1. Unification of Jew and Gentiles recapitulated (15:8-12)

    2. Final affirmations and explanations. Paul's harsh message (15:13-18)

    3. Paul's ministry across the nations (15:18-24)

    4. Justifying the gifts to Jerusalem (14:25-27)

    5. Consolations for Romans (14:28-33)

  5. Reconciliation Assignments and precautions (16:1-19)

    1. Make amends with those who were alienated (16:1-16)

    2. Beware of evil ones (16:17-19)

  6. Concluding encouragements (16:20-27)

    1. Seeing an end to the problems. Satan to be crushed soon (16:20 )

    2. Greetings of Paul's helpers (16:21-24)

    3. Additional reasons to hope (16:25-26)

    4. Praise to God (16:27)


Changed to Version 1.1 – June 25,2008


Changes from 1.1 to 1.2 – May 08,2009

a) ch 3 had assumed it was Gentiles' boasting

b) ch 7 outline didn't show Paul's insight into Roman experience

c) ch 9 argument outline was refined


Changes from 1.2 to 1.3 – May 2009

a) 9:30-33 removed and bring up the idea of whether the stumbling was a drawback

b) 9:30-10:11 changed


Changes from 1.3 to 1.4 – May 25,2009

a) Changed text of several entries to clarify outline entries

b) Relatively minor adjustments to structure of outline.

c) Removed some entries providing too much detail


Changes 1.4A – June 7,2009

a) Fixed html outline numbering problems


Website: www.BibleReexamined.com

Common Law Copyright 2008-2009 by Michael, Whitney.