Romans Commentary, Summary, and Key Verses

Romans Commentary

The Roman church is unique in that it was not planted by Paul, Peter, or any of the apostles. It was perhaps the only church not started by direct apostolic ministry in the first century. This church may have found its origin from visitors from Rome who were present at the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem(Acts 2:10-11). They must have brought back Christianity with them when they returned to Rome.

The Church at Rome is reflective of church’s today since it had a large number of Gentile Christians, although there were certainly many Jews in it. Paul likely wrote Romans around A.D. 55-56 while at Corinth and served to introduce himself since he had not visited the church in person. Paul planned to visit the church while on his way to Spain to plant churches there but his trip to Spain was not to be even though some have speculated that he went there later. There is little historical evidence to support this fact.

Many evangelists, those who do Outreach, go door-to-door, and share the gospel have used what is called the Roman Road method because key verses (see below) are effective methods to teach the plan of salvation. It describes the necessary ingredient of salvation, the necessary Person of salvation, and the means of this salvation. Many non-believers have been brought to saving faith in Christ by the book of Romans.

Romans Summary

Paul juxtaposes the righteousness of God for both the Jew and Gentile against the holiness of God and His necessary condemnation of sin. He emphasizes the reality of the universal knowledge of God but the natural man’s tendency to suppress it (1:20-21).

Paul also sees the supreme importance of justification by faith alone (1:17) and not by the Law (3:21-31). Paul is not saying that the Law is not good because the Law shows mankind what sin is (7:7). The Law Paul is speaking of primarily is not the obligatory rituals, washings, and sacrifices, but more specifically the Ten Commandments. Faith it the thing that ultimately saves but the Law is still holy and just. Paul clearly states that sin is universal and that sin kills (6:23) but Jesus saves (3:24).

If you want to see how believers should live inside and outside of the church, then Romans 12 and 13 could be considered a manual for just how to achieve this. All of Romans 12 is like an instructional manual for how the Christians ought to live inside the church, while all of Romans 13 instructs the believer how they should live outside of the church.

Key Bible Verses From Romans

Roman 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile”

Romans 2:28-29 “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”

Romans 3:23-24 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in (or through) Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 13:1-2 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”