INTRODUCTIONTOTHEBOOKOFROMANS www.ilumina.

com HISTORICALSETTING The letter to the Romans was written in Corinth toward the end of Pauls third missionary journey. Paul had collected and was about to deliver an offering for the Jerusalem church (Romans 15:2527; 1 Corinthians16:35;2Corinthians8).PaulhadnevervisitedRome.Afterhisvisitthere,hedesiredtomove ontoSpain(15:2233).PaulhadrecentlyworkedthroughsevereproblemswiththeCorinthianchurch(cf. 1 and 2 Corinthians). And it was from Corinth that he wrote his letter to the Romansa letter which describedthepowerofthegospelandtheproblemsofhumanprideandtheweaknessoftheflesh. ThecityofRomewasfoundedin753B.C.ontheTiberRiveratafordthatwasindispensablefortraveling between northern and southern Italy. The ridges surrounding the Tiber River valley provided hilltop fortifications for times of attack. In Pauls day, Rome had a population of approximately one million (the largestcityintheworld)andwasthepoliticalhubofthevastRomanEmpire. ThechurchatRomewasnotfoundedbyPaul.PerhapssomeJewsandproselytesfromRomewhowerein Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10) became believers and carried the gospel back to their city. The church was predominately Gentile (Romans 1:56, 13; 11:13; 15:1516), yet Pauls frequent quotations from the Old Testament and other references indicate that believing Jews would also read his letter(2:17). AUTHOR The Pauline authorship of Romans is almost universally accepted. Internal evidence of authorship abounds (1:1; 15:25; 16:3). The external testimony of the church fathers, who quote Romans, among whom are Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Justin, confirms the view that Paul was the author. The actual writingoftheletterwasdonebyTertius,thesecretarytowhomPauldictatedtheletter(16:22). PAULASTENTMAKERANDPHARISEE Paul was a strict Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). Although he was born in Tarsus, he waseducatedinJerusalemunderGamaliel(Acts22:3).HewasborninTarsuswiththeprivilegeofRoman citizenship (Acts 22:28). Paul was a tentmaker by trade and used that craft to support himself while ministeringinCorinthonhissecondmissionaryjourney(Acts18:13). Paul may have been a member of the Sanhedrin (Acts 26:10) and was so zealous for his Jewish faith that hepersecutedthechurch(Acts26:911;Philippians3:6).PaulwasfirstmentionedasSaulatthestoningof Stephen(Acts8:1);anexecutionwithwhichhewasinheartyagreement(Acts26:10). PAULSCONVERSION PaulsconversiontookplaceontheroadfromJerusalemtoDamascus(Acts9:17),probablyinA.D.35.He remained in Damascus witnessing to the deityof Jesus in the Jewish synagogues (Acts 9:20). When it was learnedthattheJewswereplottingtokillPaul,heescapedfromthecity(Acts9:25)andlivedinArabiafor severalyears(Galatians1:17).
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 PAULSEARLYMINISTRY After revisiting Damascus, Paul went to Jerusalem where he visited with Peter and preached to the Hellenistic, or Grecian, Jews (Acts 9:2629; Galatians 1:1820). Threatened in Jerusalem, Paul went to Tarsus (Acts 9:30) and visited the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Galatians 1:21). Later while Barnabas was ministering in Antioch, he invited Paul to join him (Acts 11:25). The two ministered together for an entire yearatAntioch(Acts11:26).DuringthefaminepredictedbyAgabus(Acts11:28),PaulandBarnabastook relief aid from Antioch to the believers in Jerusalem (Acts 11:30). Paul and Barnabas then returned to Antioch,takingJohnMarkwiththem(Acts12:25). PAULSMISSIONARYJOURNEYS Pauls three missionary journeys all began at Antioch. His first journey (Acts 1314), from A.D. 48 to 49, was followed by another visit to Jerusalem (Acts 15). The second journey lasted from A.D. 50 to 52, and the third from A.D. 53 to 57. It was following Pauls third expedition that he was arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21:2736) and then imprisoned in Caesarea for two years (Acts 23:2326:32) from A.D. 57 to 59. Having appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:11), Paul was transferred to Rome where he was confined for approximatelytwoyears(Acts28:3031). After two years in Rome, Paul was released, apparently because no Jews had appeared to bring a charge againsthim(cf.Philippians1:19,25;2:24).PaulthenwenteastthroughEphesus,whereheleftTimothy(1 Timothy 1:3), and then to Colosse (Philemon 1:22). From there he proceeded to Macedonia where he wrote his first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:3). Paul may have at that time realizedhis desire to journey toSpain(Romans15:28;1Clement5:7). Paul again journeyed east and visited Crete (Titus 1:5), where he left Titus to set the church in order and appoint elders in A.D. 66. Paul wrote Titus concerning his responsibilities just before he journeyed from AsiaMinor(2Timothy4:13,20)toNicopolis,wherehespentthewinterofA.D.66/67(Titus3:12).Having spent spring and autumn in Macedonia and Greece (1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:20), Paul was arrested a second time and brought to Rome, where he was martyred in the spring of A.D. 68 (see the Date section below). DATE Early church fathers such as Clement of Rome, Eusebius, and Dionysius of Corinth generally support the second arrest of Paul and his martyrdom sometime near the end of Neros persecutions. The date for Pauls death is based on early church tradition and is not certain. The letter was probably written from CorintharoundA.D.57. PURPOSE The letter to the Romans was designed to pave the way for Pauls visit to Rome by giving a straightforwardpresentationofthegospel.Butthegoalwasnottheconversionofthereaders.Theywere already Christians. The goal was to show the implications of the gospel for Christians who mixed ethnic bigotry, fleshly works, and stubborn pride with the pure word of redemption in Christ alone. Paul desired
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to wean his readers away from selfsufficiency with its source in human achievement and pride, whether religiousorsecular.Thegoalwastobringthereaderstothepointofbeinglivingandacceptablesacrifices toGod(Romans12:12). GEOGRAPHYANDITSIMPORTANCE At the time Paul wrote this letter to Rome from Corinth, he planned to return to Jerusalem, with an offering for the Christians there. After his journey to Jerusalem he planned to set out for Rome and possibly Spain. The letter to the Romans outlined Pauls beliefs about Jesus Christ so that the readers wouldbeinformedabouthimwhenhefinallyarrived. GUIDINGCONCEPTS Pauls letter to the Romans is often viewed as a formal presentation of Christian doctrine, as if in it Paul organized his beliefs in a timeless way, untouched by the usual problems and debates with his readers found in all the rest of his writings. On the contrary, Romans throbs with reallife needs and carries the stillglowingheatofPaulsmostrecentproblemswiththeCorinthianchurch. Paul had spent three years of his third missionary journey (A.D. 5357) ministering in Ephesus. After the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:2341), Paul departed for Greece and spent three months there (Acts 20:23) before his departure for Jerusalem with the contribution for the saints (Romans 15:2526). Paul spent a goodpartofthosethreemonthsinCorinthandwrotehislettertotheRomansfromthatcity.Thisisclear from his reference to Gaius in 16:23 and 1 Corinthians 1:14. Pauls recommendation of Phoebe from Cenchrea, the eastern seaport of Corinth, is another indication that Corinth was the place of writing (Romans16:1).PerhapsPhoebecarriedthelettertoRome. Pauls letters to the Corinthians provide the best immediate background to the problems and the passion behind his letter to the Romans. The Corinthians had problems with pride and arrogance (1 Corinthians 4:56; 2 Corinthians 3:56, 1516; 11:2122). And they were not sure they needed to believe in a physical resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5 concerning the resurrection and the nature of flesh). Compare that with the problems of arrogance spoken of in Romans 11:18, 20, 25; 12:3, 16. Romans also dealtwiththeproblemofcausingotherChristianstostumble(cf.Romans14with1Corinthians8). Romans is not an abstract formal presentation of doctrine. It is a throbbing presentation of the impact of JesusChristonthemostcherishedbutfatalpresuppositionsofJewandGentilealike. BIBLEWIDECONCEPTS(THENATUREOFGOD) Paul recounts a number of Gods characteristics and brings Gods character directly to bear on the Romansneeds. God is the Creator. As Creator he is free to act upon and within his creation. He makes the rules for his creatures,nottheotherwayaround(Romans1:20,25;4:17;8:1823;9:1921). God is also just. This characteristic of God is crucial at several points in the letter (for example, see 2:11; 3:34,2526;9:6,14,19;11:12)andissupportedbynumerousOldTestamentquotations. God is completely righteous. Paul used the Old Testament to show how God has always been righteous (forexample,seeRomans3:21;and3:4).
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