Survey of the Book of Romans

Martin Luther called this book, “The chief book of the New Testament… it deserves to be known by heart, word for word, by every Christian.”

Theme: is the GOSPEL – the book of Romans is an inspired, systematic setting forth of God's gospel…

Key Verse(s): Romans 1:16-17 …

The word, “righteousness” is one of the key words in Romans… Gospel of Christ is a revelation of the “righteousness of God.”

In 1515, Martin Luther, professor of Sacred Theology at Univ. of Wittenberg wrote, ‘I greatly longed to understand Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, “the righteousness of God,” because I took it to mean that righteousness whereby God is righteous and deals righteously in punishing the unrighteous… Night and day I pondered until… I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, He justifies us by faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before “the righteousness of God” had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gateway to heaven.' – Vol. 54, Luther's Works

• (See attached notes)