The Book of Romans was written by Paul because at Rome, before he ever got there, a Church was formed. But, because the Church is made of ex-Jews and ex-Gentiles (Eph.2:15)❃, the ex-Jews were refusing to meet with the ex-Gentiles based on the Law. So Paul is provoked to lay down the judicial grounds of salvation for BOTH to see.
Chapters 1 - 3 show that the Nations will be judged because they refused to acknowledge God in two proofs. (i) His creation, and (ii) their consciences. The Jew will be judged by Law. BOTH are concluded as condemned
Chapter 4 establishes that it does not help to claim righteousness by Law, and that God equally blesses men with righteousness that is given by faith, just as Abraham did not have Law but is counted righteous
Chapter 5 deals with other problems that both Gentile and Jew face. We can have righteousness imputed, but still be enemies of God. So we need peace and reconciliation. Then, we need to be justified positionally as well as dispositionally
Chapter 6 gives the solution how God can deal with, and even live in a man with a corrupted flesh - by applying Christ's death and resurrection to him by the sign of Baptism
Chapter 7 is pointed at the Jew who might claim his righteousness by the Law. He concludes that even if one has Law, he cnanot keep it because another law, which is stronger, dwells in the flesh
Chapter 8 is the solution to Chapter 7 - the Law of Christ's divine life exercising authority from the human spirit to over come the Law of sin and death in the flesh.
Chapter 9 - 11 answer a logical question that must arise from Chapters 1 to 8. If all men are condemned and counted as sinners, and the solution is Romans Chapter 8, what will become of Israel? They are concluded under sin, they failed to keep the Law, they refused and murdered their Messiah and refuse to believe the disciples of Jesus. The problem for God is even bigger. His honor hangs on the answer. God gave Abraham a Covenant by oath that Israel would gain the Land of Canaan for "an everlasting possession". But He also gave a Covenant of Law some 430 years later that would cause Israel to be kicked out of that Land. This had happened. So if the Israelite is concluded under sin, cannot establish his righteousness by Law, does not take the offer of Jesus until the times of the Gentiles are full, WHAT HOPE IS THERE FOR ISRAEL AND WHAT ABOUT THE COVENANT OF PROMISES AND THE PROMISES OF ALL THE PROPHETS?
It is no small dilemma. On what basis will God fulfill the Covenant of Promise while the Covenant of Law, PLUS Israel's refusal and murder of their Messiah, will drive them out of the Land? The answer is that God has established a judicial ground to show mercy to Israel. A Tree in Parable is a king and his Kingdom (see Judges 9, Daniel 4 and Ezekiel 31). The Olive Tree depicts Christ's coming Kingdom ON EARTH in which the Church rule, and Israel is restored to their Land and hosts Emmanuel among them.
Chapters 12 - 16, like most of Paul's letters, show how we must APPLY the doctrinal build-up of the first Chapters. They address the practical fulfilling of an established doctrine.
I would advise you to ignore anyone who tells you to discard commentaries. The Lord has given teachers as a gift to the Church. Use them. There are also false teachers. But you have two advantages against them. (i) You need to hear all opinions to be educated. The good must be set alongside the bad for you to choose. I know this takes time, but you must settle things in your mind. One-sided teaching is just brainwashing. (ii) The Lord is deeply interested that you "come to the knowledge of the faith". He might allow you to be wrong for some time, but if you approach His Word humbly, with prayer and honestly (not adding or subtracting), you will be blessed with the truth in the end. Remember, He has all authority in heaven and on earth. He has the power to give you the truth despite false teachers. Just honor His Word by being accurate, and admitting that you don't understand something if you don't.
❃ I use the term
"ex-" because at the moment of faith and confession by mouth, the believer becomes a New Creature (2nd Cor.5:17). His past is wiped out and all things are new - including his ethnicity (Gal.3:28; Col.3:11)
2
1
