Epistle to the Romans

The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. When it is clear that the Bible is being discussed, it is often referred to as simply "Romans". Romans is one of the seven currently (as of 2004) undisputed letters of Paul and even among the four letters accepted as authentically his (in German scholarship, the Hauptbriefe) by F. C. Baur and the Tübingen School of historical criticism of texts in the 19th century.

History

It was probably written at Corinth or possibly in nearby Cenchrea, transcribed by Tertius. Phoebe (16:1) of Cenchrea, the Aegean port of Corinth, conveyed it to Rome, and Gaius of Corinth entertained the Apostle Paul at the time of his writing it (16:23; 1 Cor 1:14), and Erastus was chamberlain of the city, that is, of Corinth (2 Tim 4:20).

The precise time at which it was written is not mentioned in the epistle, but it was obviously written when the collection for Jerusalem had been assembled and Paul was about to "go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints", that is, at the close of his second visit to Greece, during the winter preceding his last visit to that city (Rom 15:25; cf. Acts 19:21; 20:2, 3, 16; 1 Cor 16:1–4) early in 58.

Probably, Christianity was planted in Rome by some of those who had been at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10). At this time the Jews were very numerous in Rome, and their synagogues were probably resorted to by Romans also, who in this way became acquainted with the story of Jesus as reported among the Jews. Thus a church composed of both Jews and Gentiles was formed at Rome. Many of the brethren went out to meet Paul on his approach to Rome. There are evidences that Christians were then in Rome in considerable numbers, and had probably more than one place of meeting (Rom 16:14, 15).

Purposes of writing

The purposes of the apostle in writing were fourfold and are articulated in the second half of chapter 15.

Paul asks for prayers in his coming journey to Jerusalem and that the offering collected from the Gentile churches would be accepted there.
Paul is planning to come to Rome from Jerusalem and spend some time there before moving on to Spain. He hopes the Roman church will support his mission to Spain.
In that Paul has never been to Rome, he writes the letter to outline his gospel so that his teaching will not be confused by that of "false teachers".
Paul is aware that there is some conflict between Gentile and Jewish Christians in the Roman church, and he writes to address those concerns (chapters thirteen and the first half of fourteen). While the Roman church was founded by Jewish Christians, the exile of Jews from Rome in AD 49 by Claudius resulted in Gentile Christians taking leadership positions. Upon the return of Jewish Christians after Claudius's death in AD 54, tensions resulted over the keeping of Jewish food laws and observance of Jewish holy days.

Content

The main theme of the letter is the gospel of Jesus Christ (1:16–17). Paul argues that all humanity is guilty and accountable to God for sin and that it is only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that humanity can attain salvation. God is therefore both just and the one who justifies. In response to God's free, sovereign and graceful action of salvation, we can be justified by faith. Paul uses the example of Abraham to demonstrate that it is by faith not works that mankind can be seen as righteous before God.

Assurance of salvation

In chapters five through eight, Paul argues that believers can be assured of their hope in salvation, that believers have been freed from the bondage of sin. Paul states that, through faith (Romans 3:28, Romans 4:3), the faithful have been joined with Jesus (Romans 5:1) and freed from sin (Romans 6:1-2, Romans 6:18). Believers should celebrate in the assurance of salvation (Romans 12:12). This promise is open to everyone, as everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23) and Jesus paid for all these sins (Romans 3:24).

In chapters nine through eleven, Paul addresses the faithfulness of God to Israel, wherein he says that God has been faithful to His promise. Paul hopes that all of Israel will come to realize the truth (Romans 9:1-5) since he himself was also an Israelite (Romans 11:1) and had in the past been a persecutor of Christ. In Romans 9-11 Paul talks about how the nation of Israel has been cast away, and the conditions under which Israel will be God's chosen nation again: when the Body of Christ (believers in Christ's payment for sin) stops being faithful (Romans 11:19-22).

The gospel transforms believers

In Romans 7:1, Paul tells us that humans are under the law while we live: "Know ye not... that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?" However, Jesus' death on the cross makes believers dead to the law (Romans 7:4, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye are also become dead to the law by the body of Christ").

In chapter 12 through the first part of chapter 15, Paul outlines how the gospel transforms believers and the behaviour that results from such a transformation. He goes on to tell us how believers should live: not under the law, but under the grace of God. If believers live by what the Bible says (Romans 12:9-21, Romans 13:8-10) and love everybody, study the scriptures (and share them with others), believers are not going to need to sin. As Paul says in Romans 13:10, "love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of law".

Paul is not telling believers that love is all that matters: without first accepting Christ's gift (Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus", and Romans 5:1: "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"), everyone is still under the bondage of sin (Romans 5:12-17: "and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned") and cannot experience that true love.

Concluding verses

The concluding verses contain a description of his travel plans and personal greetings salutations. One-third of the twenty-one Christians identified in the greetings are women, an indication that women played an important role in the early church at Rome.

General characterisation

Paul sometimes uses a style of writing common in his time called a "diatribe". He appears to be responding to a "heckler", and the letter is structured as a series of arguments. The letter is addressed to the church at Rome which consisted of both Gentile and Jewish Christians. In the flow of the letter, Paul shifts his arguments, sometimes addressing the Jewish members of the church, sometimes the Gentile membership, and sometimes the church as a whole.

Protestant treatment of the text

Paul's letter to Rome is a rich, textured articulation of the gospel from which many of the doctrines of the church have made their foundation.

Martin Luther described Romans as "the chief book of the New Testament . . . it deserves to be known by heart, word for word, by every Christian."

The "Romans Road" refers to a set of scriptures from the book of Romans that Christian evangelists use to present a clear and simple case for personal salvation for each person. They are:

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

Romans 6:23a "The wages of sin is death."

Romans 6:23b "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"

Romans 10:9, 10 "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"

The Book of Romans has been at the forefront of several major movements in Protestantism. Martin Luther's lectures on Romans in 1515-16 were probably the crucial moment in which he developed his criticism of Catholicism which led to the 95 Theses of 1517, signalling the start of the Protestant Reformation. In 1738, while reading Luther's Preface to the Epistle to the Romans, John Wesley famously felt his heart "strangely warmed", a conversion experience which is often seen as the beginning of Methodism. In 1919, Karl Barth's commentary on Romans was the publication which is widely seen as the beginning of neo-orthodoxy.

Catholic treatment of the text

Catholics accept the necessity of faith for salvation, but point to Rom 2:5-11 for the necessity of living a virtuous life as well:

Who ^* will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.

Arguments against

Those who argue against this (many Christians) point out that God will bring wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey "the truth", indicating that they're not believers anyway. They also point out Romans 4:2-5: "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted unto him for righteousness." They point out that these verses specifically down-play the importance of actions in regard to salvation and righteousness in God's eyes.

They also point out that in Romans 2, Paul tells us that God will reward those who follow the law: and then goes on to say that no one follows the law perfectly. Romans 2:21-25:

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. (See full text.)

External links

Online translations of Epistle to the Romans:

The "Roman road"

A Wesleyan Interpretation of Romans 5-8 by Jerry McCant

Books of the Bible
Preceded by: Acts	Epistles	Followed by: 1 Corinthians

New Testament books | Ancient Roman Christianity

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