Introduction to Romans

Writing from the city of Corinth somewhere around AD 56-58 (Acts 20:3), Paul addressed this epistle (letter) “to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). Rather than viewing this writing to only one church at Rome, it may be more accurate to assume that there were many Christian churches in Rome occupied by both Jews and Gentiles; therefore, the letter was delivered by Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2) and circulated amongst all the churches throughout Rome. It is also very likely that Paul wrote the letter of Romans toward the conclusion of his third missionary journey as he prepared to deliver a financial gift to the church at Jerusalem, which he had collected upon visiting the churches at Macedonia and Achaia (Romans 15:25-27; see also Acts 19:21; 20:1-5; 21:15, 17-19).

Throughout Paul’s ministry, he had a strong desire to visit Rome but had often faced bad circumstances which prohibited him from going there. Although Paul continually faced obstacles in getting to Rome, he felt as if they needed instruction from an apostle about the doctrines and teachings of the gospel. Because of Paul’s love for the people at Rome, where he was a citizen (Acts 16:37; 22:25), he was willing to take whatever measures necessary to ensure their understanding of the truth. The churches at Rome were probably not too familiar with the apostle Paul, but this writing would have provided them with a formal introduction to him.

Paul does not seem to be writing this letter to correct false doctrine, erroneous teachings, or immoral lifestyles, but rather to construct a beautifully doctrinal as well as practical treatise. It seems as if Paul writes with four purposes in mind: to provide a fuller understanding of the gospel (Romans 1-5), to explain the results of receiving the gospel (Romans 6-8), to detail Israel’s response to the gospel (Romans 9-11), and to encourage living a life demonstrating the gospel (Romans 12-15). Throughout our study, we will follow these topics in detail to better understand the salvation provided through Jesus Christ and the change which takes place in our life.

Dear God, please give me a fuller understanding of salvation and may I better demonstrate how my acceptance of the gospel has changed my life.