Romans: Theology for Everybody (1-5)Àpẹrẹ

Keywords have become all the rage in our age of technology. Certain specific words and phrases are used to guide us through information as we seek to make sense of the flood of data that surrounds us.

The Holy Spirit uses a similar tactic in the Scriptures, and to get a grasp of a complicated passage or book of the Bible, it helps to look at keywords, or words that are frequently repeated. Here are some words you’ll see many times in Romans:

God-153 times (an average of once every 46 words)

Law-72 times

Christ-65 times

Sin-48 times

Lord-43 times

Faith-40 times

When we look at these tallies, it is clear that Romans is about God. At the risk of stating the obvious, the unifying center of the entire Bible is God. The first line of Scripture says, “In the beginning, God”. To understand anyone or anything, we must begin with God. The unifying center of history, theology, the Bible, and our lives is ultimately God. This same principle is true of Romans, as well as every other book of the Bible.

As you read Romans, keep God at the center of your mind and interpretation. Pay attention to how the other keywords and themes relate to Him.

Reflection:

• Read Romans 1-5 again. 
• Outline the main repeated words you see and where they are found, either in a list, chart, or graphic. 
• What stands out to you about the passages where the word “God” is repeated? 
• What other words do you see repeated that are not on this list?