A while ago I planned to study Romans together with an old friend. We only got through a couple times together, but I stumbled on this plan I put together for a self-study through the letter. You only need your bible and a pencil. If you try it, let me know how it goes…
A Study in Romans
1. Read the letter through in one sitting.
2. Most people say Romans can be easily divided into three big sections. Identify those sections. What chapters make up each section?
3. Now, read each section individually. Think about what Paul is saying in each section. Write out what each section says in one or two sentences. This is the beginning of your own outline of the letter.
4. Now look at each section. Going one section at a time, see where those sections break down into smaller sections. The first section alone probably has three or four major divisions.
5. For each sub-section in the letter, write out the main idea of that section in one sentence. Keep in mind the sentences you already wrote for the bigger sections. These new sentences should somehow work with sentences for the big sections. The ideas should “fit into” the bigger ideas.
6. Now… can you write out what the whole letter is about in one or two sentences? This shows you’ve grasped the overall message.
7. At this point, you should ask yourself questions about each sub-section.
- What do you learn about God in each section?
- Anything about Him that’s: new, surprising, troubling, comforting, encouraging, etc?
- Where do you find yourself in each of these sections?
- Any challenges for you?
- Any commands to obey?
- Any promises to believe?
- How does what is revealed about God relate to you?
- How does each section describe our world?
- Does Paul’s description of the world ring true to you?
8. Now, using your outline, and rereading the letter, what are the key words in this letter. You might want to mark up the printout by circling or boxing (or whatever) key words and phrases.
9. Pick maybe 5 key verses from the letter, or verses that stuck out most to you, and memorize them.
10. Think through these questions:
- Why do you think God had Paul write Romans?
- What does it say to you, personally?
- Do you find anything in Romans to make you worship or love God more? Why or why not?
If you want to download this to print out, click here.