"Paul, a slave of King Jesus, called to be an appointed messenger, set apart for the announcing of the news of God’s victory." With these words Paul opened his letter to the church at Rome and set the course of Christian theology. In this episode we examine Paul's letter opening in light of the literary conventions of his day and how he both adheres to cultural norms and radically transforms our understanding of the world around us. We also discover the mind of a genius and the heart of a saint.   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 1:1-17 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.