text: Greeting (1:1–7) The introduction provides some general notes about Paul. He introduces his apostleship here and introductory notes about the gospel he wishes to preach to the church at Rome. Jesus' human line stems from David. Paul, however, does not limit his ministry to Jews. Paul's goal is that the Gentiles would also hear the gospel.
  Prayer of Thanksgiving (1:8–15)
  He commends the Romans for  faith. Paul also speaks of the past obstacles that have blocked his coming to Rome earlier.
  Salvation in the Christ (1:16–8:39)
  Righteousness of God (1:16–17)
  Paul announces that he is not "ashamed" () of his gospel because it holds power (). These two verses form a backdrop of themes for the rest of the book; first, that Paul is unashamed of his love for this gospel that he preaches about Jesus Christ. He also notes that he is speaking to the "Jew first." There is significance to this, but much of it is scholarly conjecture as the relationship between Paul and Judaism is still debated, and scholars are hard-pressed to find an answer to such a question without knowing more about the audience in question. Wayne Brindle argues, based on Paul's former writings against the Judaizers in Galatians and 2 Corinthians, that rumors had probably spread about Paul totally negating the Jewish existence in a Christian world (see also Antinomianism in the New Testament and Supersessionism). Paul may have used the "Jew first" approach to counter such a view.
  Condemnation: The Universal corruption of Gentiles and Jews (1:18–3:20)
  The judgment of God (1:18–32)