Paul's Letter to Rome

Background Information

This letter was probably written from Corinth at the later end of Paul’s third missionary journey.

Since Corinth marked the furthest west Paul’s travels had taken him thus far and since he was planning to return to Jerusalem eastward before attempting a westward visit to Rome, he took this opportunity to write a letter to the church in Rome to prepare them for his hopefully eventual and first-time visit to that city.

The audience was Christians in the city of Rome.

The church in Rome was not one that Paul had planted. It probably consisted instead of believers who had been saved throughout the Roman Empire as a result of traveling ministers like Paul and others. Some of the converts from Peter’s first sermon at Pentecost in Jerusalem may have been from Rome and returned there after the festival, while others may have come into contact with the gospel through other churches in the Empire, since travel to and from Rome was common. The membership of this church consisted of both Jews (4:1; 7:1-10) and Gentiles (11:13, 18, 25; 15:16, 18, 27).

At the time Paul wrote this letter, Nero had recently been instated as Caesar. He wouldn’t begin his deranged persecution of Christians until about 7-8 years later, so the church was experiencing a time of relative, cultural peace and normalcy.

The general theme of this epistle is “God’s Plan of Salvation.”

Some have even called this letter “The Gospel of Paul,” as it is Paul’s most thorough, in-depth explanation of the gospel message to ground, strengthen, and mature them in their faith. But why did Paul write and send this thorough treatise about the gospel to the church a Rome, a church he’d neither planted nor visited, one about which he was neither close nor familiar? He appears to have written for at least two primary reasons.

• A Practical Purpose: to prepare the way for a future visit to the church at Rome so that they would help him travel onward to Spain.

According to Rom 1:10-15, Paul expressed upfront a desire to travel to Rome so that he might disciple, serve, and teach them the gospel in all its glory. After making this statement, Paul launches into a lengthy explanation of the gospel – only to return to his original purpose of visiting the church in Rome later on.

In Rom 15:23-24ff, before concluding the letter, Paul returns to his travel plans, stating that he not only hoped to visit Rome in the near future, but that he hoped to visit Rome as a waypoint for traveling onward to Spain. He even hoped that the church at Rome would help him get to Spain, by providing assistance. So, through this letter, he hoped to introduce himself, his ministry, and his message to the church in advance, so that they would already be familiar with him and trust him enough to welcome him in and send him onward to Spain, whenever he did get to visit them at last.

• A Theological Purpose: to provide a thorough explanation of the gospel.

Concerning the theological content of this book, Paul’s lengthy message arranges neatly into two parts:

• He declares and explains how the gospel applies with equal relevance to both Jews and Gentiles – to everyone. (Rom 1-11)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” (Rom 1:16-17)

• He declares and explains how the gospel applies with relevance not only to salvation and spiritual change (subjectively), but also to practical Christian living pertaining to everyday challenges and problems in private, public, and church experience. (Rom 12-16)

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom 12:1-2)

Summary Outline

Doctrinal Exposition (1-11)

• Justification by faith for all people (1:14-5:21)
• Sanctification by faith for all believers (6:1-8:39)
• God’s plans for national Israel (9:1-11:36)

Practical Application (12-15)

• Surrender to the will of God (12:1-2)
• Spiritual gifts distributed to believers for ministry (12:3-8)
• The Christian’s relationship with believers and unbelievers (12:9-21, 15:4-13)
• The Christian’s relationship to human government (13:1-14)
• The appropriate way to handle doubtful things (14:1-15:3)

Conclusion (16)

Extended Outline

Introduction (1:1–17)

• Salutation (1:1–7)
• Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome (1:8–15)
• The Gospel (1:16–17)

All People Need Salvation through the Gospel (1:18–3:20)

• The Gentiles (1:18–32)
• The Jews (2:1–3:8)
• All People (3:9–20)

The Gospel Provides Salvation from the Penalty of Sin (3:21–5:21)

• Received through Faith in Christ (3:21–31)
• Abraham, the Great Example of Faith (4:1–25)
• The Results of Faith (5:1–21)
  • Peace and Hope (5:1–8)
  • Reconciliation (5:9–11)
  • The Gift of Righteousness (5:12–21)

The Gospel Provides Deliverance from the Power of Sin (6:1–8:39)

• We Serve a New Master (6:1–23)
  • Sin is Not Your Master (6:1–14)
  • Your Master is Christ (6:15–23)
• We Have a New Relationship with the Law (7:1-25)
  • Delivered from the Guilt of the Law (7:1–13)
  • Enabled to Fulfill the Law (7:14-25)
• We Live by the Power of the Spirit (8:1–39)

The Gospel Continues to Include the Nation of Israel (9–11)

• The Plan of God Regarding Israel is Just (9:1–29)
• The Plan of God Regarding Israel is Purposeful (9:30–10:21)
• Some Alleviating Factors (11:1–36)
  • The Rejection Is Not Total (11:1–10)
  • The Rejection Is Not Final (11:11–24)
  • The Salvation of Israel will be Fulfilled (11:25–36)

The Gospel Influences Our Life in Practical Ways (12:1–15:13)

• Our Obligation to Fellow Christians (12:1–21)
  • Through ministry in the church (12:1-8)
  • Through vibrant relationships (12:9-21)
• Our Obligation to Society (13:1–14)
• Our Obligation to Fellow Christians, both Weak and Strong (14:1–15:13)

Conclusion (15:14–16:27)

• Paul’s Personal Considerations (15:14–33)
  • His Ministry to the Gentiles (15:14–22)
  • His Desire to Visit Rome (15:23–33)
• Miscellaneous Considerations (16:1–27)
  • Commendation for Phoebe (16:1–2)
  • Greetings (16:3–16)
  • Warnings against False Teachers (16:17–20)
  • Greetings from Paul’s Companions (16:21–23)
• Praise to God (16:25–27)

This book provides the lengthiest, most systematic and thorough explanation of the gospel in all of Scripture. It is universal in its scope, demonstrating not only that all people are sinners before God needing salvation, but that God has provided salvation to all people.

Paul explains that we receive this salvation by faith alone as a free gift of God’s grace and that this salvation is the result of God’s carefully arranged plan to redeem us which begins in eternity past and extends into eternity future. This salvation not only rescues us from the penalty of sin, but provides us with the ability to live increasingly free from the power of sin during our remaining life on earth, as we look forward to the complete eradication of the presence of sin in the future.

This letter provides endless hope and help for nonbelievers and believers alike and deserves regular, personal reading and study.