My keyword that I believe summarizes the entire book is “Saving.”
The apostle Paul was in his prime when he wrote his letter to the Romans. He was at the top of his game and Romans should be called his “magnum opus.” It’s the longest and most theologically significant letter that Paul wrote. With that said, Romans is perhaps the least controversial, yet most important book in the New Testament. Paul’s desire—yet inability to visit is that Rome—created one of the most magnificent pieces of literature of all time
KEY VERSE IN ROMANS. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH” (Romans 1:16–17, NASB).
BIG IDEA. The apostle Paul teaches both Jews and gentiles about their inherited sin nature, God’s gracious gift of salvation obtained by faith in Jesus Christ, and that God’s grace that has been extended to all people.
AUTHORSHIP OF ROMANS. The book of Romans is part of what’s called the hauptbriefe, which is a list of letters in the New Testament that all scholars accepted as written by Paul. The book of Romans, 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, and Philemon are all seen as authentic letters written by Paul (even liberal scholars admit this).
Internal Evidence. Paul calls himself a bond servant of Christ (Rom 1:1) an apostle (Rom 1:1), he is an apostle to the gentiles (Rom 11:13; 15:15–20). He says that he wants to come see the people he is writing to (Rom 1:10b–12), but has been prevented from doing that (Rom 1:13–15). He was prevented from coming to them (Rom 15:22), but he hopes to visit them soon when he goes to Spain (Rom 15:23–24). He’s going to Jerusalem to deliver a gift (Rom 15:25–27), but when done he will go to Rome (Rom 15:28–29). Paul likely was born at the same time as Jesus in the city of Tarsus (Acts 9:11), an important city in the Roman province of Cilicia within Asia Minor. This “Paul” is an Israelite, descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 3:9; 4:1; 9:24), has a strong desire to win the lost (Rom 9:1–5; 10:1–4), and has preached the gospel where it has not been preached (Rom 15:20) from Jerusalem to Illyricum (Rom 15:18–19). We could identify Paul as the author of the book of Romans by his name directly (Rom 1:1), family background (Rom 11:1), travels (Rom 15:25–27), and relationships (Rom 16:1–24).
External Evidence. No one from church history ever raised a voice to challenge the authorship of Romans. There was no serious challenge to the claim that Paul wrote Romans.[1] Various ancient writers include Romans in their lists of authentic documents: Marcion, the Muratorian fragment, as well as a steady stream of patristic writers starting with Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus all say Paul wrote Romans. Similarly, here’s a list of apostolic Fathers that echo phrases from Romans: Clement in 1 Clement 32.1 (Rom 9:5); 35.5 (Rom 1:29–32); Ignatius in The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians 19.3 (Rom 6:4); The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians 6.2 (Rom 6:17); The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians 9.2; The Epistle of Ignatius to the Symrnaeans 1.1 (Rom 1:3–4).
DATE AND OCCASION. Paul’s letter to the Romans was meant to provide an introduction to him as an apostle and garner support for him on his future journey to Spain. (If the believers in Rome knew Paul and his teachings, he hoped they would support him.) Paul likely wrote the book of Romans from Corinth in AD 57 during the three months he spent in that city as recorded in Acts 20:1–3. Romans 15:26 mentions he received contributions from Macedonia and Acaia for the poor in Jerusalem and Acts 20:3–6 mentions that he was preparing to return to Jerusalem with this love offering. Romans 15:28–29 reveals Paul’s plans to stop in Rome on his way to Spain after he delivers a contribution to the poor in Jerusalem (see Rom 15:25–28; Acts 20—21). Paul wanted to go to Rome (Rom 1:13; 15:22–23). Acts 20:3 and 2 Cor 13:1, 10 tell us he spent three months in Corinth in winter or spring of AD 57. Additional support for this view that Paul wrote from the city of Corinth is based on Paul commending Phoebe (who carried this letter according to Rom 16:2) and resided in Cenchrea (a neighboring town of Corinth, see Rom 16:1–2). When “Gaius” sends his greetings in the letter (Rom 16:23) it may be the same Gaius that Paul baptized in Corinth (1 Cor 1:14). The “Erastus” in Romans 16:23 might be the same man mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:20 that Paul has left in Corinth and might match an inscription mentioned in Corinth.[2]
THEMES. The themes of Romans consist of contrasts. These contrasts are prominent and reiterated in almost every chapter either by using the word, a synonym, or a reference to the concept. The themes are contrasts between:
- Jew and Gentile
- Sin and Grace
- Law and Faith
- Death and Life
AUDIENCE. The audience of Paul’s letter to the Romans included both Jews (Rom 1:13; 4:1; 9:1—11:36) and gentiles (Rom 1:5, 12–14; 11:13). Yet, I believe it was written to gentile Christians to rehearse and teach them about their roots of their Christian faith. Gentile Christians were probably the majority; Jewish Christians were probably the minority.[3] Suetonius, in his Life of Claudias, says that the Roman emperor Claudias expelled Jews from Rome because of rioting due to debates about who Christ was (25.2, 4). This would have happened in AD 49. This was verified by Luke when he writes that Priscilla and Acquila, residents of Rome, were in Corinth because of that edict (Acts 18:2). Whatever the context, the letter is written to those in Christ (Rom 1:6) in Rome (Rom 1:7) who have a strong and mature faith (Rom 1:11–12; 15:14; 16:19). The letter was meant to encourage mature believers, likely Gentiles that have spent years living as Christians in Rome, who were also welcoming back Jews who had been expelled from the city but now are returning after the edict of Claudias had lifted. (Most scholars believe the edict would not have been in place for very long, especially since Claudias died in AD 54.)[4] Thus, Jews would be returning to Rome to find a strong Gentile Christian church, to which Paul is teaching the Gentile Christians how to welcome back these Jewish Christians.[5]
THEOLOGICAL TREATISE. While some people claim it is a systematic theology or theological treaty, the letter does not address several important theological topics. Ecclesiology is not explained in the letter. While the word, “ekklesia” occurs in Romans 16:1, 4, 5, 16, 23, it describes a local house church and does not provide instructions about the church. Romans 12:3–8 mentions “the body of Christ” but doesn’t describe the community as a church. Eschatology is only referenced within the context of God’s judgment (Rom 2:5–11) and the need for vigilance before the end time. There is no teaching on the “parousia” and the Eucharist is not even hinted at in this letter.
THE CITY OF ROME. It was the largest and most influential city of the first-century. It was an economic hub and vast commercial empire that had enjoyed worldly prominence for more than a century. The phrase, “All Roads Lead to Rome” was true because of the network of highways built to connect it to many other cities. The city of Rome was also a melting pot of cultures and languages. There were many Jews[6] living there, most of which were poor, although there were some groups of Jews that were better educated and wealthier.[7] The Jews lived as different groups of segregated parts of the city and had their own leaders in those smaller communities. Ancient literature we’ve discovered indicates the Romans looked down on Jews because of circumcision (Rom 2:25–29; 4:9–12), Sabbath-keeping (Rom 14:5–6), and food customs (Rom 14:2–23). The city was polytheistic with worship of many foreign deities alongside emperor worship.
THE CHURCH OF ROME. There are three traditions about who founded the church in Rome. I’ll start with the least likely option and end with the most likely option.
Peter. According to the Catalogus Liberianus 25.4(AD 354) the church was founded by Peter and Peter was its first bishop. Additionally, Irenaeus writes in about AD 180 that Peter and Paul both founded the church in Rome (Haer 3.1.2; 3.3.1). However, it seems unlikely because Peter was still in Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Council in AD 50, and we know that Claudias kicked Jews out of the city of Rome because of rioting caused by Christ which occurred in AD 49. (How could Christians be in Rome as a result of Peter’s ministry if he had not yet been to Rome?) This also seems unlikely because Paul probably would not have invested time and energy into a city which had already been evangelized (see Rom 15:20 where Paul writes that he won’t build on another man’s foundation).
Jewish Converts from Feast of Pentecost. A possible view is that Jews from the city of Rome, who were converted on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10), could have brought their faith in Jesus as Messiah back to the city of Rome. In this way, the Gospel would have started in Jewish synagogues and spread from there. However, it seems unlikely a group of new believers like that would establish such an influential church.
Associates of Paul. Another possible origin of the church in Rome was that associates of the apostle Paul had taken the gospel to the city and began the church there. I think this view is most likely for several reasons. First, this is a pattern seen in other areas of the New Testament (Acts 19:10; Col 1:6–7). Second, Paul seems to have had a long list of friends and associates in the city (he lists twenty-six by name in Rom 16:3–16 in a way that suggests they had shared a gospel-centered ministry on other occasions). Third, the letter does not attempt to defend Paul’s apostolic authority. The readers seem to assume and know he’s an apostle appointed by Christ. Fourth, Paul’s first-missionary journey was in AD 47–48 and Romans was written in AD 57, thus leaving a ten-year span in which some of his earliest converts of his missionary trip could have taken the gospel “further” to Rome on his behalf. Fifth, the Roman commercial empire spanned many countries and thousands of miles. It should not surprise us that the gospel reached Rome without Paul going there. Maybe someone traveling to a city in which Paul was conducting his first missionary journey (AD 47–48) or second missionary journey (AD 49–52) heard the gospel while traveling there and then returned back to Rome with it. This could have occurred not as just something on “one occasion” or by “one person” but by several different groups at different times, presenting a “composite” founding of the church by different groups at different times.[8]
An Outline of ROMANS
INTRODUCTION (1:1–17)
I. SIN (1:18—3:20) – Why am I this way?
II. SALVATION (3:21—5:21) – How am I saved?
III. SANCTIFICATION (6:1—8:39) – How do I grow?
IV. SOVERIGNTY (9:1—11:36) – Who’s in charge?
V. SERVICE )12:1—15:13) – What do I do?
CONCLUSION (15:14—16:27)
[1] As a result of this external evidence, some New Testament introduction books don’t even address “authorship” as a category in their chapters on Romans.
[2] See David W. J. Gill, “Erastus the Aedile,” TynD 40 (1989): 293–302. Cited in D. A. Carson and Douglas Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2005), 394.
[3] Douglas Moo, Romans, 2nd ed., NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018), 12.
[4] Carson and Moo, New Testament Introduction, 395–96.
[5] Douglas Moo, Romans, 4–5.
[6] One resource suggests that 20,000–50,000 Jews were living in the city, which was about 5 percent of the population (Craig S. Keener, Bible Background Commentary, 2nd ed. [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014], 422). Another resource suggests 50,000 (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Romans: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. 33, Anchor Yale Bible [New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008], 27.
[7] Keener, Bible Background Commentary, 422.
[8] Kenneth Hanna, From Gospels to Glory, 162–63