The book of Romans
The Book of Romans
What is the book of Romans about?
The book of Romans gives a thorough explanation of the tenets of Christian life. Paul writes to the church in Rome to both prepare for his visit and also to present the basic system of salvation to a church that had not received the teaching of an apostle.
He explains that Jews and Gentiles alike are sinners and need salvation. That salvation has been provided by God through Christ Jesus and the events before and after the cross. Moving forward from salvation, Paul told the believers how they can be free of sin, law and death (made possible by their union with Christ)
Paul then shows that Israel, even in the state of disbelief that it was in, has a place in God's sovereign redemption plan. The letter concludes with an appeal to the readers to work out their Christian faith in practical ways, both in the church and in the world.
Who wrote the book of Romans?
The author of Romans is the apostle Paul, with the secretarial assitance of Tertius (16:22).
Who is the audience?
The church in Rome, predominately Gentile but including a minority of Jews.
Timeframe Romans was written:
Written sometime around 57 AD, near the conclusion of Paul's third missionary journey.
"In short" (One sentence summary):
In the book of Romans, Paul writes to the church in Rome to explain the basic premise that sinners are saved only by faith in Jesus Christ.
Fun facts about Romans/Did you know?
Unlike Paul's letters to other churches, this letter was addressed to a church he'd never met. Paul was hoping to see the Roman Christians personally while traveling westward to Spain (15:23-24) but it is unclear if he actually got there or if he was executed in Rome after the end of of the book of Acts.
