Theme: The Righteousness of God; The Gospel

1. Introduction (1:1-17)
1. Salutation (1:1-15)
2. Theme (1:16-17)
2. Righteousness Needed: The Iniquity of Man (1:18-3:20)
1. Gentiles under sin (1:18-32)
2. Jews under sin (2:1-3:8)
3. All men are sinners (3:9-20)
3. Righteousness Imputed: Justification (3:21-5:21)
1. Obtained by faith (3:21-4:25)
1. Illustrated in Abraham (4:1-15)
2. Promise of faith is for everyone (4:16-25)
2. Obtained through Jesus Christ (5:1-21)
1. How we are saved through Christ (5:1-11)
2. Contrast with Adam and Christ
4. Righteousness Imparted: Sanctification (6-8)
1. Freedom from sin (6)
2. Freedom from the law (7)
1. Illustration from marriage (7:1-6)
2. Inner struggle with sin (7:7-25)
3. Power of the Spirit (8)
5. Righteousness For Israel: Rejection & Restoration (9-11)
1. Three Preliminary Points
1. Rom. 11:33 "His ways are past finding out…"
2. The election of Israel in these chapters is national, not personal
3. Why this section?
1. Paul ended chapter 8 speaking of election of God
2. Some may then ask? "If election is so sure, what about Israel? They were chosen by God and look what happened to them!"
3. Paul answers by showing that Israel’s election had nothing to do with Israel and her obedience, that her rejection would not be total, and that she would be restored.
2. The justice of the rejection (9:1-29)
1. The nation was guilty (Rom. 3:23)
1. Illus. by Ex. 33:19
2. The whole nation deserved to be destroyed, but only 3,000 were killed
3. Pharaoh as an illustration
1. Both Pharaoh and Moses were murderers, but they each responded differently to God’s light
2. The same sun that melts butter hardens clay
3. Cp. Is. 45:9
4. "fitted" is a middle voice reflexive = "fitted himself for destruction"
2. Only a remnant was to be saved (Is. 10:22-23)
3. Open the door to the Gentiles (Hosea 2:23)
4. Christ the stumbling stone would be rejected (Is. 28:16)
1. Israel is cut off because of stumbling stone
2. Gentiles will be cut off in the future because of apostasy
3. The cause of the rejection (9:30-10:21)
1. Sought it by works (9:30-33)
2. Sought to establish their own righteousness
3. "Did not obey…"
4. Restoration of Israel (11)
1. The rejection is not total (11:1-10)
1. Paul as an illustration

"The accounts of Paul’s conversion tell very little that parallels our salvation experience today. Certainly none of us has seen Christ in glory or actually heard Him speak from heaven. We were neither blinded by the light of heaven nor thrown to the ground. In what way, then, is Paul’s conversion "a pattern"? It is a picture of how the nation of Israel will be saved when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom on earth. The details of Israel’s future restoration and salvation are given in Zechariah 12:10-13:1. The nation shall see Him as He returns (Zech. 14:4; Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7), recognize Him as their Messiah, repent, and receive Him. It will be an experience similar to that of Saul of Tarsus when he was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians (Acts 9)." ¾ Warren Wiersbe

2. Elijah as an illustration
2. The rejection is not final (11:11-24)
1. Gentiles are to "provoke Israel to jealousy"
2. The "fall" of Israel opened the door for the Gentiles
3. Gentiles are to "Provoke" individual Israelites to salvation
4. The nation as a whole will be saved at the return of Christ
5. Their final salvation will uplift the Gentiles even more
3. God’s purpose is mercy (11:25-36)
6. Righteousness Practiced: Obligation (12-15:13)
1. Christian Service (12)
2. Christian Submission (13)
3. Christian Judgement (14-15:13)
7. Conclusion (15:14-16)
1. Paul’s purpose and plans(15:14-33)
2. Commendations and Greetings (16)