The Book of Romans at a Glance

by Krisan Marotta | Mar 22, 2018 | 02 Library, Charts NT, Romans

The Book of Romans at a Glance. An open Bible rests on a rustic wooden table in soft morning light.

Updated November 2026

I use this outline to keep the whole letter in view. It's one page that shows how Paul's argument moves from the power of the gospel, through Israel's hope, to a life of love. Use it to find your place in the book, then jump to a section below or to the matching talk.

Paul writes to explain the good news of Jesus Christ, who as Messiah is the Savior for all people; who as the Transformer of lives writes His Law on our hearts; and who as the Lord of history is carefully bringing this salvation to all nations, culminating in the restoration of Israel.

Opening Greetings 1:1-17

  • Rom 1:1-7 Greeting
  • Rom 1:8-15 Expressions of Paul’s eagerness to share the gospel
  • Rom 1:16-17 Theme of the Book: The gospel is the power of God for salvation.

Listen: 01 Why Trying Harder Fails, and What Works Instead (Romans 1:1-17)

Presentation of the Gospel 1:18-8:39

  1. Condemnation 1:18-3:20
    1. Rom 1:18-32 The ongoing revelation of God’s wrath
      Listen: 02 Do Good People Go to Heaven? (Romans 1:18-32)
    2. Rom 2:1-16 The judgmental moralist
      Listen: 03 You are that man. What Paul Says About Every One of Us (Romans 2)
    3. Rom 2:17-3:8 The self-confident religious person
      Listen: 03 You are that man. What Paul Says About Every One of Us (Romans 2); Listen: 04 Why Self-Help Fails and What Frees You (Romans 3)
    4. Rom 3:9-20 The whole human race
      Listen: 04 Why Self-Help Fails and What Frees You (Romans 3)
  2. Pardon 3:21-5:21
    1. Rom 3:21-31 The explanation of justification
      Listen: 04 Why Self-Help Fails and What Frees You (Romans 3)
    2. Rom 4:1-25 The example of justification
      Listen: 05 Why It Matters that Abraham was Saved by Faith (Romans 4)
    3. Rom 5:1-21 The results of justification
      Listen: 06 You Will Be Good Enough: Three Reasons to Rejoice (Romans 5:1-11); Listen: 07 Why Grace Outweighs Sin (Romans 5:12-21)
  3. Freedom to Glory 6:1-8:39
    1. Rom 6:1-23 Freedom from sin
      Listen: 08 Why Grace Is Not a License to Sin (Romans 6:1-14); 09 If We Can’t Lose Grace, Why Not Sin? (Romans 6:15-7:6)
    2. Rom 7:1-25 Freedom from law
      Listen: 09 If We Can’t Lose Grace, Why Not Sin? (Romans 6:15-7:6); Listen: 10 Why You Can’t Stop Doing What You Hate (Romans 7:7-25)
    3. Rom 8:1-39 Freedom from futility
      Listen: 11 Why Trying Harder Can’t Make You Holy (Romans 8:1-11); Listen: 12 Why Faith Works When the Law Doesn't (Romans 8:12-25); 13 Why You Can Have Confidence Even When You Can't Pray (Romans 8:26–39)

God’s Loyal Love to Israel 9:1-11:36

  1. Rom 9:1-33 Experienced in the past in God’s sovereign choice of Israel
    Listen: 14 Is the Gospel Too Good to Be True? (Romans 9:1-13); Listen: 15 Is God Fair? Four Biblical Answers (Romans 9:14-33)
  2. Rom 10:1-21 Not overruled by Israel’s present partial rejection
    Listen: 16 Why Sincere Religion Can Miss the Point (Romans 10)
  3. Rom 11:1-36 Manifest in the future restoration of the nation
    Listen: 17 The Danger of Thinking History Exists to Produce You (Romans 11:1-32); Listen: 18 Called or Driven? Finding Your Place in Christ (Romans 12)

Practical Application 12:1-15:13

  1. Rom 12:1-21 Love expressed in service to the body
    Listen: 18 Called or Driven? Finding Your Place in Christ (Romans 12)
  2. Rom 13:1-14 Love expressed in subjection
    Listen: 19 The Christian's Relationship to Government (Romans 13:1-7); Listen: 20 Why Owing Nothing but Love Sets You Free From Darkness (Romans 13:8–14)
  3. Rom 14:1-15:13 Love expressed in sensitivity to weaker believers
    Listen: 21 When Christians Disagree (Romans 14:1-20); Listen: 22 How to Disagree Without Dividing (Romans 14:19-15:13)

Personal Remarks 15:14-16:27

  1. Rom 15:14-33 Explanation of Paul’s current ministry
    Listen: 23 How to Finish Well (Romans 15:14-33)
  2. Rom 16:1-27 Final greetings & remarks
    Listen: 24 Who Was Phoebe? The Names at the End (Romans 16)

If you'd like to walk through the letter with me, start at the beginning of the Romans podcast series, or grab the free downloads to use as you study.

Copyright 2005 Krisan Marotta. www.WednesdayintheWord.com
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Part of the series: Romans: Justification by Faith

More Resources: Romans Resources

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