Introduction & Additional Resources
Author
The letter to the Romans was written by Paul (1:1), the “Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13). Paul, originally named “Saul” in Acts, was an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5) who was born in the city of Tarsus in the Roman province of Cilicia (Acts 21:39, 22:3). Though he converted to Christianity, he held strongly to the Jewish religious and cultural background (Phil. 3:5-6). He was raised in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3), and was a member of the Pharisees (Acts 23:6; Phil. 4:5) which was considered to be the “strictest party” of Judaism (Acts 26:5; cf. Gal. 1:14). He was also educated in the Greek arts and rhetoric, as exhibited in Acts 17:28ff.--and here, in the letter to the Romans, where he follows similar rhetorical structures.
Paul was converted to following Jesus at the beginning of Acts 9, after which he became devoted to Christ, going on missionary journeys, planting and teaching churches, enduring persecution and imprisonments, and writing letters to disciple developing churches (among many other things!). You can read Paul’s life story, as he presents it, in Acts 22-23.
The end of the letter also indicates that a man named Tertius (16:22) transcribed Paul’s words, in large part.
Recipients / Setting
Part of the reason the letter to the Romans is so helpful is that, at the point of the letter’s composition, Paul had never visited the church at Rome (16:22-24). Chapter 16 makes clear that he had many friends and associates in the city, but he goes to great lengths to clarify doctrine and points of God’s work and character to the other members of the church there. Because of this dynamic, Romans is more general and also more comprehensive than Paul’s other letters, since the rest of them were written to address specific problems within congregations whom Paul already knew.
Date / Location of Composition
Historians estimate that Paul wrote this letter circa 56 or 57 A.D. This is significantly before he was executed during the reign of Nero between 64 and 67. Since he had not yet visited Rome at the time of this letter’s writing, he would have written it before the events of Acts 27-28 (where he’s travelling to and arriving at Rome). He also states in Rom. 16:25 that he is, “at present, … going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints,” most likely indicating the composition to be before the events of Acts 21:15-17 (when he arrives in Jerusalem). Yet it was probably after Acts 18:18, since that was the first time he visited Cenchreae, and he sent Romans in the hands of someone from the church at Cenchreae (16:1).
So, Romans was probably written from Corinth or Ephesus (the main places Paul stays between those two stories in the Acts), during his third missionary journey around 56-57 A.D. This is then before the “Prison epistles” (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon) and “Pastoral epistles” (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus); but after earlier letters like Galatians.
Structure / Themes
Romans is Paul’s longest and most systematically-structured epistle. Unlike some of his other letters, which address a variety of issues, most of Romans focuses on comprehensively addressing a single line of argumentation (most of chapters 1-11), and then explaining the implications for the argument he’s made (most of chapters 12-16).
The themes and frequent topics that he covers in the letter include sin; the righteousness of God; judgment; faith; the law; the Holy Spirit; the role and righteousness of Jesus; glory of/from God; God’s sovereignty; and the fact that all kinds of people can be saved. It is very comprehensive in these areas! While it doesn’t cover everything, Romans provides a foundation for much of what is distinctive about, and important within, Christian belief.
Important Definitions:
Circumcision - A physical practice commanded by God, first to Abraham, as a sign of God’s covenant with him in Genesis 17. It also carries a metaphorical meaning, representing the Jewish identity and adherence to the Old Testament law.
Condemnation - The verdict of punishment for one’s wrongdoing following being convicted of a crime/sin; penal servitude; penalty.
Faith - Trusting commitment of one person to another, particularly to the person of God.
Judgment - Can have one of two meanings: either [1] a decision or evaluation, which could be either positive or negative; or [2] a condemnation of wrongdoing (either from a human perspective or from God’s perfectly righteous perspective).
Justified/Justification - The state of being declared righteous by God, on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ. This is a legal term that signifies acquittal from sin, and Christ’s righteousness being given to us.
(the) Law - In the context of Romans, refers to the law of God as given to Moses, encompassing the commandments found in the Old Testament. The term generally can be used to describe the entire Old Testament legal system, or the moral law, or sometimes the baseline principle of law as opposed to God’s grace.
Reconciled/reconciliation - Restoration of a relationship to favor, particularly the relationship between God and humanity through Jesus Christ.
Redemption - Deliverance from a punishment or something similar, carried out by the payment of a ransom.
Salvation - Deliverance from the consequences of sin; ultimately, from its eternal consequences, by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Sanctified/sanctification - The process of making or becoming holy; set apart; dedicated to God.
Transgression - Sinning by overstepping the limits of God’s law.
Trespass - To lapse morally; slip; sin. Similar in definition to “transgression.”
Tribulation - Persecution; affliction; severe distress (often faced by believers as a result of their faith).
How to Read NT Letters
Questions to ask for understanding:
What specifically does this say about Jesus / God?
What specifically does this say about human nature?
What warnings are there?
What sins should we avoid?
What commands or examples are there to follow?
Things to look for while reading NT Letters:
Repeated words or phrases (Ex: the phrase “by no means”)
Applying a shared truth (Ex: Old Testament reference)
Comparing and Contrasting Ideas
Vivid Imagery
Patterns or Mirroring
Interruptions in Pattern
Themes (Ex: “sin/unrighteousness” vs. “righteousness”)
Bible Project Resources:
Reading NT Letters - Literary Context
Reading NT Letters - Historical Context
Reading NT Letters PDF - Study Notes
Further Introductory Reading: