History and Background

Paul wrote the letter to the Romans around AD 55–58, during a three-month stay in Corinth, near the end of his third missionary journey. Having fulfilled his ministry in the eastern regions of the empire, Paul was preparing to journey to Jerusalem to deliver a collection for the poor among the believers there (Romans 15:24-28). Afterward, he intended to travel westward, using Rome as a new base for his mission to Spain.

At this strategic moment, Paul viewed himself as standing at a turning point in the history of God’s purposes. In Jesus the Messiah, God’s ancient promises to Israel had reached their fulfillment, and a new era had begun—the long-awaited launch of God’s new creation.

Christianity had first come to Rome likely through Jewish pilgrims converted at Pentecost (Acts 2). However, the situation had evolved: after Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome (around AD 49), the Roman church became predominantly Gentile. Following Claudius’ death, returning Jewish believers faced a different, largely Gentile-shaped church. Paul wrote into this complex setting, concerned with uniting these groups within God’s larger covenant story.

Why Romans Was Written

Paul’s reasons for writing Romans are deeply intertwined and cosmic in scope:

Missionary Purpose: Paul sought support for his forthcoming mission to Spain. But this was no ordinary expansion; it was about the extension of God’s covenant promises to the ends of the earth. Rome, as the heart of the empire, was key to this vision.

Instructional/Theological Purpose: Romans is not just a summary of personal salvation. Paul retells Israel’s story, showing how God’s faithfulness to His covenant culminates in Jesus. Through Jesus, God’s saving righteousness is revealed, bringing together Jews and Gentiles into a single, Spirit-filled family.

Pastoral Purpose: Aware of cultural and theological tensions between Jews and Gentiles, Paul writes to reframe their identities around the Messiah. Belonging to God’s people is no longer marked by the law but by faith in Jesus and the work of the Spirit.

Apologetic Purpose: Romans defends God’s faithfulness. Israel’s apparent rejection of the Messiah does not mean God’s promises have failed. Paul demonstrates that God’s purposes for Israel and the world remain on course—even as surprising and unexpected as they seem.

In all these aims, Romans is deeply rooted in Paul’s conviction that in Jesus, God has fulfilled His promises and launched a new humanity.

To Whom It Was Written

Paul addressed Romans to a mixed community of Jews and Gentiles in Rome.

Originally, many members of the Roman church were Jewish believers. However, after the Jewish expulsion under Claudius, Gentile believers became dominant. When Jews returned, divisions over practices like circumcision, Sabbath observance, and dietary laws became pronounced.

Paul’s message is clear: both groups must understand themselves as part of the one covenant family redefined around Jesus. Gentiles are grafted into Israel’s story, not replacing it. Jewish believers are called to see the fulfillment of their hopes in the crucified and risen Messiah. The gospel unites across historical divisions, forming a new people living by faith.

What Was Naturally Understood Then, But We Might Miss Today

Paul’s first-century audience would have grasped significant realities that modern readers might overlook. Recognising these clarifies Paul’s argument:

First-Century Context	Modern Misunderstanding
1. “Works of the Law” referred to covenant markers like circumcision, Sabbath, and food laws—signs of belonging to God’s people.	1. Often mistaken today as general “good deeds” or attempts to earn salvation.
2. “Righteousness of God” meant God’s covenant faithfulness—His saving action to set the world right through Israel and now through Christ.	2. Commonly reduced to a standard of moral perfection or a gift of personal righteousness.
3. Salvation involved cosmic renewal: the defeat of death, the renewal of creation, and the formation of a new humanity.	3. Often shrunk to “going to heaven when you die,” missing the broader hope of resurrection and new creation.
4. Jew-Gentile divisions were about deep identity questions—who truly belonged to God’s people.	4. Modern readers may overlook how radical it was to unite these groups as one family.
5. Submission to authorities (Romans 13) was taught under an oppressive empire—a reminder that God’s kingdom is distinct from earthly rule.	5. Can be misapplied without acknowledging the tension between allegiance to Christ and imperial power.

Understanding these dimensions deepens our reading of Romans as a covenant, kingdom, and new-creation manifesto.

Big Picture of Romans

Romans unfolds God’s saving plan on a cosmic canvas:

Chapters 1–4: All humanity—Jew and Gentile—stands guilty. God’s covenant faithfulness is revealed through Jesus, justifying all who believe.
Chapters 5–8: Through union with Christ, believers are set free from the reign of sin and death. Life in the Spirit is the foretaste of resurrection life and the renewal of creation.
Chapters 9–11: God’s plan for Israel is explored. Despite Israel’s unbelief, God’s promises stand. Gentiles are grafted into Israel’s story, and God’s mercy ultimately aims to reach all.
Chapters 12–16: The gospel transforms personal conduct and community life: humility, love, unity, and allegiance to Christ above all else.

Romans is not just about personal conversion; it is about God’s long-awaited new creation project being launched in the death and resurrection of Jesus—and the calling of a renewed people to embody that reality in the world.

Summary Quote: “Romans tells the story of how the faithful God of Israel, through the Messiah Jesus, has accomplished what the law and human effort never could: the creation of a single renewed family, living in the Spirit, anticipating the restoration of all things.”

History and Background

Why Romans Was Written

To Whom It Was Written

What Was Naturally Understood Then, But We Might Miss Today

Big Picture of Romans

Further Reading:

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