Some Romans background

If you are going to be tracking along with us for the next few months as we study Paul’s letter to the Romans here are some things to keep in mind…

Paul has three interlocking geographic features on his mind as he writes this letter. The first is Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem is hurting, they need assistance, they need the basics. Paul, as he has been off on his missionary journeys, has been collecting money from other churches to give as a gift to the saints in Jerusalem. Before he sets off for Rome, he will deliver this gift. Something to glean from this activity is that reality that the last time Paul was in Jerusalem, he was almost killed by his old Pharisee pals thinking him a traitor (Acts 21ff). This is a commendable act of Christian love, bringing aid despite danger and the past relational tensions between Paul and the church in Jerusalem.

The second geographic factor is Spain. Paul has his sights set on taking new ground for the Gospel. He is planning on embarking on a new mission to Spain. And the third factor is Rome. Spain and Rome are connected as Paul seeks to garner prayer, financial, and personnel support from the church in Rome, which would act as a new base of operations for his mission to Spain. Paul also seeks to reap a harvest in Rome alongside of the church there. Keep in mind also, that the church in Rome at this point is a decentralized network of small churches that meet in homes and marketplaces.

With those geographic factors in mind, we can also draw out four purposes of why Paul writes this letter to the Romans. The first purpose: missionary. Paul is introducing himself to a church he has never been to before. He need to raise support for his mission to Spain. The second purpose: doctrinal/theological. Paul is writing after 11 years of missionary work and has the ability now to reflect back on the Gospel in a very rich way. This letter unpacks the heart of Paul’s message in a mature and expositional way. The third purpose: apologetic. Throughout his years in ministry, Paul was hounded by people who labeled him, “anti-law.” These were mainly people known as Judiazers, who basically purport that to be a true Christian, you need to become a full fledged Jew first. In this letter, we see Paul address the Gospel in relation to the law, and his understanding of how the law (of Moses) fits into the picture under a new covenant. Finally, the fourth purpose: pastoral. Although Paul has never been to this church, he is aware of relational tensions that were arising. He address these occasional issues, particularly addressing Jew/Gentile relations and matters of being strong and weak in the faith.

It is good to keep these broad contextual matters in mind as we seek to understand Paul’s intended meaning to his audience in Rome, which will better help us apply and live out those truths in our lives today.