The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the
ROMANS
Romans serves as the flagship of the fleet of Pauline
letters within the New Testament. This letter has also loomed large in the
history of Christianity. Countless men and women of faith have singled out
Romans as the weapon God graciously used to bring about their surrender to
Christ. Martin Luther, John Wesley, and others received unexpected spiritual
volleys from Romans that pierced their defenses and ended their rebellion
against God.
Romans combine breadth logic, and a mature understanding of
the Old Testament Scriptures into a powerful arsenal. By the time it was
written, the Holy Spirit had shaped the Apostle Paul into a skillful
communicator of the faith. The result of this letter to the Romans, a theological
treatise that perfectly fits Paul's description of all Scripture as
"profitable for doctrine, of reproof, for correction for instruction in
righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16).
The letter represents a full expression of apostolic theology. Paul's arguments
challenge the secular, pagan mind, yet they also pierce the shallow spiritual
confidence of many nonpagans. Romans is a mighty leveler, for it declares that
"all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (3:23). Since all are sinners, it comes as a
delightful shock that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (5:8). This is the Good
News, which Paul so eloquently and systematically defends in this theological
treatise addressed to the Romans.
Author and Date - The author introduces himself in the first
verse of Romans by name (Paul), by identity (bondservant), by vocation
(apostle), and by purpose (separated to the gospel of God). Romans has been
recognized as an epistle of Paul throughout church history. The character and
message of Paul, which we read so much about in Acts, appear in Romans as his
signature of the letter.
The letter was written to a vibrant church in the city of Rome.
Although the origins of the church are unknown, it could have been established
by new believers returning from Jerusalem
following the Resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
When Paul wrote this letter he had not personally visited Rome,
although he had desired to do so for some time.
Few clues are included in the Epistle to the Romans about
the Roman believers. Paul admired their faith and prayed regularly for them. It
is evident that the church included both Jews and Gentiles. On the surface it
does not appear that any problem in the church at Rome
was the occasion for the epistle. However, there is some indication that the believers
at Rome needed to be exhorted to
live in harmony (14:1-15:13). Evidence in the Corinthian letters, in Romans,
and in Acts indicates that Paul wrote to the Roman church from Corinth
on his third missionary journey. When Paul composed the Corinthian epistles, he
referred to a collection for the poor Christian believers in Jerusalem
that was being gathered from various Mediterranean churches (1 Cor. 16:1-3; 2
Cor. 8:1-9:1). By the time Romans was written that task had been completed and
Paul was about to depart to Jerusalem
to deliver the funds (15:22-29).
The implication is that Paul planned to sail for Judea
directly from Corinth. Phoebe, also
a fellow believer, was about to leave Corinth
for Rome. She was presumably the
bearer of the letter from Paul to the Romans. Since practically all navigation
on the Mediterranean Sea ceased after November 11 and
was not resumed again until March 10, Romans was likely written in the fall of
A.D. 57.
A plot by the Jews, however changed Paul's travel plans. Instead
of taking a ship from Corinth, he
went through Macedonia
by foot (Acts 20:3) and eventually left for Jerusalem
from Phillipi the next spring (Acts 20:6). Little did Paul know that his eventual
arrival in Rome would be in captivity
(Acts 27:17-31).
Purpose - All of Paul's other letters arise from a
particular occasion and have a definite purpose. Romans is different; from the
content it seems to have a much more general didactic aim. Having said this, it
is possible to see at least three purposes Paul had writing in the book.
His first purpose was to prepare the Romans for his planned journey
to Rome and later to Spain.
His immediate itinerary involved a trip to Jerusalem,
but his vision was toward the west. He clearly suggests that he expects
assistance from them in this endeavor to carry the gospel to Spain
(15:24). But if that had been his
only purpose, a brief note would have been enough. Obviously Paul had more in
mind.
A second purpose involved Paul's understanding that the believers
needed to "be established" (1:11).
Paul wanted to give them a well-instructed faith. His letter is a kind of
syllabus of Paul's apostolic teaching. Romans is a masterful presentation of
God's plan of salvation for the Jews and Gentiles.
A third purpose of the letter was pastoral. Paul wanted to
exhort Jewish and Gentile believers to live in harmony. As in most of the early
churches, the gospel brought different groups of people together who would otherwise
would have stayed apart, whether for reasons of nationality, status, or
culture. Once they came together under one roof, the challenge was to preserve
their oneness in Christ. Thus throughout the letter, Paul deals with problems
arising from Jewish and Gentile differences. He emphasizes that everyone
shared. Since there is only one God, He is the God of both Jew and Gentile.
Both groups are under sin (3:9), and both are saved through faith (3:30). This theme of Jew and Gentile living
together surfaces most clearly in Chs. 14 and 15, where Paul deals with the
practical aspects of being together in one body. Paul hammers home his central
theme: The righteous God justifies and ultimately glorifies both Jew and
Gentile by grace through faith.
Theology
- Romans includes the most systematic presentation of theology found anywhere
in scripture. It explains the meaning of the Cross for the believer's life.
While expounding why Jesus died for all humanity, Paul clarifies the core
concepts of the Christian faith: sin and righteousness, faith and works,
justification and election. The letter contains (1) a detailed description of
the sinfulness of man (1:18-3:20); (2) an extensive discussion of justification
by faith (3:21-5:11), including a clear interpretation of the death of Christ
(3:24-26); (3) an elaborate explanation of sanctification (5:12-8:39); (4) a
strong section on the doctrine of election (9:1-29)); (5) a developed
exposition of what happened to the nation of Israel and the destiny of God's
people (9:1-11:36); (6) an extended section addressing spiritual gifts
(12:1-8); and (7) instructions on the believers relationship to government
(13:1-14). Certainly Romans is the most doctrinal book in the Bible. Because it
provides a systematic outline of the essentials of the Christian faith, it is
as useful to the mature believer as it is to someone who wants a short
introduction to the Christian faith.