Kress Biblical Resources
The “Problem” of Israel and the Gospel (Rom 9:1-11:36)

Detailed Outline of Romans

The Gospel of Salvation by Faith Unites All Believers—Jew and Greek

The “Problem” of Israel and the Gospel (Rom 9:1-11:36)

1. God’s sovereign plan and Israel’s election (Rom 9:1-29)
   1. The sorrow concerning Israel confessed (Rom 9:1-5)
      1. The pain of the Apostle confessed (Rom 9:1-3)
         1. His pledge (Rom 9:1)
         2. His pain (Rom 9:2)
         3. His passion (Rom 9:3)
      2. The privileges of the Jews confirmed (Rom 9:4-5)
         1. Their glorious gifts as a chosen nation (Rom 9:4-5a)
         2. Their glorious God and Messiah (Rom 9:5b)
   2. The sovereign freedom of God in election introduced (Rom 9:6-13)
      1. The Word of God has not failed (Rom 9:6a)
      2. The Word of God has revealed sovereign election (Rom 9:6b-13)
         1. Not all physical descendants of Abraham are children of promise, chosen by God (Rom 9:6b-9)
            1. The pithy statement recorded and clarified (Rom 9:6b-7a)
            2. The promise stated (Rom 9:7b)
            3. The promise further explained (Rom 9:8-9)
         2. Nothing but God’s purpose according to His choice determines sovereign election (Rom 9:10-13)
            1. The twins born of Rebekah and Isaac (Rom 9:10-11)
            2. The texts that confirm God’s sovereign freedom to choose (Rom 9:12-13)
   3. The sovereign freedom of God in election defended (Rom 9:14-29)
      1. Sovereign election extols the riches of God’s mercy—yet in no way impugns His justice (Rom 9:14-24a)
         1. The charge against God’s justice anticipated and answered (Rom 9:14)
         2. The confirmation of God’s sovereign mercy (Rom 9:15-18)
            1. Sovereign election reveals God’s mercy and compassion—not injustice (Rom 9:15-16)
               1. The quotation from Exodus 33:19 (Rom 9:15)
               2. The confirmation of sovereign mercy (Rom 9:16)
            2. Sovereign election reveals God’s power and glory—not injustice (Rom 9:17-18)
               1. The quotation from Exodus 9:16 (Rom 9:17)
               2. The confirmation of sovereign mercy (Rom 9:18)
         3. The charge against God’s justice anticipated and answered again (Rom 9:19-21)
            1. The repeated charge against God’s justice (Rom 9:19)
            2. The reality that man is incapable of rightly critiquing God (Rom 9:20)
            3. The right of the potter over the clay—an illustration of both authority and mercy (Rom 9:21)
         4. The confirmation of God’s sovereign mercy (Rom 9:22-24a)
            1. God is extremely patient—not unjust (Rom 9:22)
            2. God is gloriously merciful—not unjust (Rom 9:23-24a)
      2. Sovereign election extends the riches of God’s mercy to both Jew and Gentile (Rom 9:24b-29)
         1. God’s mercy upon both Jew and Gentile expressly stated (Rom 9:24a)
         2. God’s mercy illustrated in Hosea—hope in God’s character for the called among the Gentiles and the called among the Jews (Rom 9:24b-26)
            1. Hosea 2:23 (Rom 9:25)
            2. Hosea 1:10 (Rom 9:26)
         3. God’s mercy confirmed explicitly in Isaiah—hope in God’s character for the remnant of Israel (Rom 9:27-29)
            1. Isaiah 10:22-23 (Rom 9:27-28)
            2. Isaiah 1:9 (Rom 9:29)
2. God’s sovereign plan and Israel’s rejection (Rom 9:30-10:21)
   1. They stumbled over faith in Christ (Rom 9:30-33)
      1. The reality of Israel’s failure to attain a right standing before God (Rom 9:30-31)
         1. The surprising reality concerning the Gentiles and the righteousness that comes through faith (Rom 9:30)
         2. The sad reality concerning Israel’s pursuit of righteousness through law (Rom 9:31)
      2. The reason Israel failed to attain a right standing before God (Rom 9:32-33)
         1. They sought righteousness by works (Rom 9:32a)
         2. They stumbled over faith in Christ as their only hope of righteousness (Rom 9:32b-33)
   2. They stumbled in self-righteousness (Rom 10:1-13)
      1. The problem of self-righteousness (Rom 10:1-4)
         1. The proper response to Israel’s rejection (Rom 10:1)
            1. Intense longing for their salvation (Rom 10:1a)
            2. Intercessory prayer for their salvation (Rom 10:1b)
         2. The problem of self-righteous zeal for God, which refuses to submit to God’s way of righteousness (Rom 10:2-3)
            1. They wanted to jealously protect God’s name, without truly knowing who He is (Rom 10:2)
            2. They willfully ignored God’s righteousness, sought to establish their own, and would not submit to God’s righteousness (Rom 10:3)
         3. The Person who ends the futility of seeking to establish one’s own righteousness before God—for everyone who believes (Rom 10:4)
      2. The proclamation of the righteousness that is based on faith (Rom 10:5-13)
         1. An exemplification of the life of law and the life of faith from Moses (Rom 10:5-8ab)
            1. The righteousness based on law says that life depends on your practice—Lev 18:5 (Rom 10:5)
            2. The righteousness based on faith says life depends on God’s gracious promises—Deu 9:4-5; Deu 30:12-14 (Rom 10:6-8ab)
               1. The righteousness of faith speaks to the inner man—that God gives life because of His gracious promises, not because of your own righteousness (Rom 10:6a; cf. Deu 9:4-5)
               2. The righteousness of faith does not require that which is too difficult or out of reach to obtain life (Rom 10:6b-7)
               3. The righteousness of faith says that life is found in trusting God (Rom 10:8ab)
         2. An explanation of how faith in God’s Word relates to salvation in Christ (Rom 10:8c-10)
            1. The connection between Moses’ call to faith and the gospel of faith (Rom 10:8c)
            2. The confession of Jesus as Lord (Rom 10:9a)
            3. The conviction that God raised Him from the dead (Rom 10:9b)
            4. The consequences of faith (Rom 10:9c-10)
         3. An example of Isaiah’s call to salvation by faith in Christ (Rom 10:11)
         4. An explanation of how salvation by faith is available to both Jew and Gentile (Rom 10:12-13)
            1. The proclamation of God’s salvation is for “all who call upon Him” (Rom 10:12)
            2. The prophetic testimony of Joel 2:32 (Rom 10:13)
   3. They stumbled in willful unbelief (Rom 10:14-21)
      1. Israel and the nations need the good news (Rom 10:14-15)
         1. The sequence of faith analyzed in reverse order (Rom 10:14-15a)
            1. Calling on Him unto salvation requires faith (Rom 10:14a)
            2. Coming to Him in faith requires hearing the message (Rom 10:14b)
            3. Hearing the message requires someone proclaiming that message (Rom 10:14c)
            4. Someone proclaiming that message requires being sent (Rom 10:15a)
         2. The Scripture that explains that the good news would be announced and thus messengers sent (Rom 10:15b)
      2. Israel and the nations need the good news, but not all have heeded the good news (Rom 10:16-17)
         1. The reality that not everyone has believed the good news (Rom 10:16)
         2. The reaffirmation that faith comes from hearing the Word concerning Christ (Rom 10:17)
      3. Israel and the nations have heard the good news, but Israel has stubbornly refused to believe the Word of God (Rom 10:18-21)
         1. Potential objection #1 anticipated and answered—surely they have never heard, have they? (Rom 10:18)
         2. Potential objection #2 anticipated and answered—surely Israel did not know, did they? (Rom 10:19-21)
            1. The question (Rom 10:19a)
            2. The quotation from Moses concerning grace to the nations and the unbelief of Israel (Rom 10:19b)
            3. The quotation from Isaiah concerning grace (Rom 10:20)
            4. The quotation from Isaiah concerning faithlessness of Israel, in the face of God’s persistent compassion (Rom 10:21)
3. God’s sovereign plan and Israel’s salvation (Rom 11:1-29)
   1. There remains a remnant—the present rejection of Israel is not total (Rom 11:1-10)
      1. The Pauline testimony of God’s faithfulness in preserving a remnant in Israel—remember, I too am an Israelite (Rom 11:1)
         1. The anticipated question and the emphatic answer (Rom 11:1a)
         2. The Apostle Paul’s own testimony offered as evidence (Rom 11:1b)
      2. The prophetic testimony of God’s faithfulness in preserving a remnant in Israel—remember God’s response to Elijah (Rom 11:2-4)
         1. The sovereignty of God reintroduced (Rom 11:2a)
         2. The Scripture that illustrates God’s faithfulness to those He has foreknown (Rom 11:2b-4)
            1. The reference to 1 Kings 19 (Rom 11:2b)
            2. The response of Elijah to Israel’s hardhearted unbelief (Rom 11:3)
            3. The response of God to Elijah’s complaint (Rom 11:4)
      3. The pre-eminent issue concerning God’s faithfulness in preserving a remnant in Israel—remember sovereign grace (Rom 11:5-6)
         1. The reality of a present remnant (Rom 11:5a)
         2. The reason for the present remnant (Rom 11:5b)
         3. The recognition of what grace really means (Rom 11:6)
      4. The prophetic testimony of God’s faithfulness in blinding those who insist on establishing their own righteousness—remember the Scripture said this would happen (Rom 11:7-10)
         1. The summary—the chosen within Israel have obtained a right standing before Him, but the rest were blinded (Rom 11:7)
         2. The Scriptures that confirm judicial blindness for those who ignore and reject sovereign grace (Rom 11:8-10)
            1. Isa 29:10 and Deu 29:4 (Rom 11:8)
            2. Psa 69:22-23 (Rom 11:9-10)
   2. There remains an opportunity for repentance—the present rejection of Israel is not final [but it should warn us against arrogance and unbelief] (Rom 11:11-24)
      1. The anticipated question and emphatic answer (Rom 11:11a)
      2. The astounding ramifications of Israel’s present rejection and future restoration (Rom 11:11b-15)
         1. Salvation for the Gentiles through Israel’s current unbelief (Rom 11:11b)
         2. Super-abundant riches when the promise of Israel’s salvation is fulfilled (Rom 11:12)
         3. Salvation of Israelites now is of great apostolic importance (Rom 11:13-14)
         4. Supernatural resurrection will be pictured in Israel’s future salvation (Rom 11:15)
      3. The Abrahamic promises and nation of Israel (Rom 11:16)
      4. The admonition against Gentile arrogance, and the ability of God to restore Israel if they do not continue in their unbelief (Rom 11:17-24)
         1. The analogy of Gentiles being grafted into the people of God, and unbelieving Jews being broken off (Rom 11:17)
         2. The admonition against Gentile arrogance (Rom 11:18-22)
            1. Remember that it is God’s promise to Abraham that has brought your salvation (Rom 11:18)
            2. Resist the temptation to think that you are more important than Israel—but rather live in humble fear (Rom 11:19-21)
               1. The conclusion stated (Rom 11:19)
               2. The caution against conceit given (Rom 11:20-21)
            3. Recognize the consequences of either trusting in God’s kindness, or trusting in one’s own righteousness (Rom 11:22)
         3. The ability of God to restore Israel if they do not continue in their unbelief (Rom 11:23-24)
            1. The possibility of Israel’s restoration (Rom 11:23ab)
            2. The power of God to accomplish Israel’s restoration (Rom 11:23c-24)
   3. There remains the predetermined plan and promise of God—the promised redemption of Israel is irrevocable (Rom 11:25-29)
      1. The fullness of the Gentiles and the future of Israel—God’s predetermined plan is now revealed (Rom 11:25-26a)
         1. The purpose of this mystery revealed (Rom 11:25a)
         2. The partial hardening of Israel has happened until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Rom 11:25b)
         3. The promise that all Israel will be saved (Rom 11:26a)
      2. The fulfillment of the Scriptures concerning Israel—God’s promise of the New Covenant will be fulfilled in regard to Israel (Rom 11:26b-27)
         1. The Redeemer of Israel will come (Rom 11:26b)
         2. The removal of ungodliness from Jacob will come (Rom 11:26c)
         3. The reality of the New Covenant for Israel will come (Rom 11:27)
      3. The faithfulness of God—God’s predetermined plan is irrevocable (Rom 11:28-29)
         1. Israel’s current rejection is for the sake of the Gentiles (Rom 11:28a)
         2. Israel’s election is for the sake of the fathers—and thus an irrevocable gift (Rom 11:28b-29)
            1. Sovereign election guarantees Gentiles salvation now, and Israel’s place in God’s future program (Rom 11:28b)
            2. Sovereign grace is irrevocable (Rom 11:29)
4. God’s sovereign plan and irrepressible exultation (Rom 11:30-36)
   1. The undeserved mercy of God’s sovereign plan (Rom 11:30-32)
      1. Mercy to the Gentile (Rom 11:30)
      2. Mercy to the Jew (Rom 11:31)
      3. Mercy manifest to all (Rom 11:32)
   2. The unfathomable majesty of God’s sovereign plan (Rom 11:33-36)
      1. His wisdom is unequalled—trust and rejoice in His wisdom (Rom 11:33-34)
         1. God’s wisdom is gloriously unfathomable (Rom 11:33)
         2. God’s wisdom is gloriously unique (Rom 11:34)
      2. His sovereignty is unrivaled—trust and rejoice in His sovereignty (Rom 11:35-36a)
         1. God’s sovereignty is gloriously unfettered (Rom 11:35)
         2. God’s sovereignty is gloriously focused (Rom 11:36a)
      3. His glory is unending—trust and rejoice in His glory (Rom 11:36b)