The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. When it is clear that the Bible is being discussed, it is often referred to as simply "Romans". Romans is one of the seven currently (as of 2004) undisputed letters of Paul and even among the four letters accepted as authentically his (in German scholarship, the Hauptbriefen) by F. C. Baur and the Tübingen School of historical criticism of texts in the 19th century. The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally: according to Matthew, Greek: kata Maththaion) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... The Gospel of Mark is the second in the familiar sequence of the New Testament Gospels, as they were established by Jerome and appear in many but not all early manuscripts of complete gospels, and as they are commonly printed. ... The Gospel of Luke is the third of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, which tell the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. ... The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the sequence of the canon as printed in the New Testament, and scholars agree it was the fourth to be written. ... The Acts of the Apostles, (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the New Testament. ... The Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament, traditionally said to be written by Paul at Rome about the same time as that to the Colossians, which in many points it resembles. ... The Epistle to Philippians is a book included in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the First Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... This article or section should be merged with Second Epistle to Timothy The First Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ... This article or section should be merged with First Epistle to Timothy The Pastoral Epistles are often considered together, as each throws light upon the others. ... The Pastoral Epistles are often considered together, as each throws light upon the others. ... The Epistle to Philemon is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... The Epistle to the Hebrews (abbreviated Heb. ... The Epistle of James is a book of the New Testament, best known for its teaching that faith without works is dead (James 2:26 KJV). ... In Christianity, the First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. ... The Second Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament of the Bible. ... The First Epistle of John is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Second Epistle of John is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Third Epistle of John is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The brief Epistle of Jude is a book in the Christian New Testament canon. ... The Book of Revelation or The Apocalypse of John (IPA: , from Greek revelation), is the last and only prophetical book of the New Testament in the Bible. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ... An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons, usually a letter and a very formal, often didactic and elegant one. ... The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... The holy Jewish scripture: The Torah. ... An early portrait of the Apostle Paul. ... Ferdinand Christian Baur (June 21, 1792 - 1860), was a German theologian and leader of the Tübingen school of theology. ... Higher criticism is a branch of literary analysis that attempts to investigate the origins of a text, especially the text of the Bible. ...

History

Romans 7.4–7 from the Greek text of the Codex Claromontanus.

It was probably written at Corinth or possibly in nearby Cenchrea. Phoebe (16:1) of Cenchrea, the Aegean port of Corinth, conveyed it to Rome, and Gaius of Corinth entertained the apostle Paul at the time of his writing it (16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:14), and Erastus was chamberlain of the city, i.e., of Corinth (2 Timothy 4:20). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (625x768, 123 KB) A portion of the Greek text of the bilingual Codex Claromontanus, from the National Library, Paris. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (625x768, 123 KB) A portion of the Greek text of the bilingual Codex Claromontanus, from the National Library, Paris. ... Codex Claromontanus is a 6th-century manuscript in an uncial hand on vellum of the Epistles of Paul and the Epistle to the Hebrews in Greek and Latin on facing pages (thus a diglot manuscript, like Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis). ... Temple of Apollo at Corinth Corinth, or Korinth (Κόρινθος) is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the original isthmus, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000 1... Alternate meanings: See Apostle (Mormonism), The Apostle (1997 movie) The Twelve Apostles (in Greek απόστολος apostolos = someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the... An early portrait of the Apostle Paul. ... (Redirected from 1 Corinthians) See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... This article or section should be merged with First Epistle to Timothy The Second Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ...

The precise time at which it was written is not mentioned in the epistle, but it was obviously written when the collection for Jerusalem had been assembled and Paul was about to "go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints", i.e., at the close of his second visit to Greece, during the winter preceding his last visit to that city (Rom. 15:25; compare Acts 19:21; 20:2, 3, 16; 1 Cor. 16:1-4), early in A.D. 58. The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ...

Probably Christianity was planted in Rome by some of those who had been at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10). At this time the Jews were very numerous in Rome, and their synagogues were probably resorted to by Romans also, who in this way became acquainted with the story of Jesus as reported among the Jews. Thus a church composed of both Jews and Gentiles was formed at Rome. Many of the brethren went out to meet Paul on his approach to Rome. There are evidences that Christians were then in Rome in considerable numbers, and had probably more than one place of meeting (Rom. 16:14, 15). Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... Jerusalem (31°46′ N 35°14′ E; Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushalayim; Arabic: القدس al-Quds; see also names of Jerusalem) is an ancient Middle Eastern city of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ... The name of the Jewish holiday Shavuot is commonly translated as Pentecost. Pentecost is the Christian festival that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter, and ten days after the Ascension. ... A synagogue or synagog (from Greek συναγωγη, transliterated sunagoge, place of assembly literally meeting, assembly) is a Jewish house of prayer and study. ... // Jesus, or Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, is Christianitys central figure, both its Messiah and Emmanuel (God in the form of man). He is also regarded as a major prophet in Islam and the Baháí Faith, and is widely considered one of the... The word Gentile has several meanings. ...

Many arguments found in Romans have been articulated in earlier letters, particularly Galatians and the letters to the church at Corinth.

Purposes of writing

The purposes of the apostle in writing to this church were fourfold and are articulated in the second half of chapter 15.

1. Paul asks for prayers in his coming journey to Jerusalem and that the offering collected from the Gentile churches would be accepted there.
2. Paul is planning to come to Rome from Jerusalem and spend some time there before moving on to Spain. He hopes the Roman church will support his mission to Spain.
3. In that Paul has never been to Rome he writes the letter to outline his gospel so that his teaching will not be confused that of "false teachers".
4. Paul is aware that there is some conflict between Gentile and Jewish Christians in the Roman church and he writes to address those concerns (Chapters thirteen and the first half of fourteen). While the Roman church was founded by Jewish Christians, the exile of Jews from Rome in 49 A.D by Claudius resulted in Gentile Christians taking leadership positions. Upon the return of Jewish Christians after Claudius's death in 54 A.D. tensions resulted over the keeping of Jewish food laws and observance of Jewish holy days.

Content

The main theme of the letter is the gospel of Jesus Christ (1:16-17). Paul demonstrates that all humanity is guilty and accountable to God for Sin and that it is only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that humanity can attain salvation. God is therefore both just and the one who justifies. In response to God's free, sovereign and graceful action of salvation we can be justified by faith. Paul uses the example of Abraham to demonstrate that it is by faith not works that mankind can be seen as righteous before God.

Assurance of salvation

In chapters five through eight Paul argues that believers can be assured of their hope in salvation, that believers have been freed from the bondage of Sin and the dominion and bondage of the Law. Believers can celebrate in that assurance of salvation. In chapters nine through eleven Paul addresses the faithfulness of God to Israel, wherein he says that God has been faithful to His promise but "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel". Paul argues of God's freedom to choose who He will or will not save, but also concludes the section by saying that after a full measure of Gentiles have been saved, all Israel will be saved. Assurance is a Protestant Christian doctrine which states that the inner witness of the Holy Spirit allows the justified disciple to know that they are saved. ... Assurance has been defined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) as Independent Professional Services that improve information quality or its context. Such services are very broad and could include assessments of internet security and quality of health facilities. ... Hope is a desire for something to happen, while expecting or being confident that it will come true. ... Salvation refers to deliverance from some undesirable state or condition. ... // Sin has been a term most usually used in a religious context, and today describes any lack of conformity to the will of God; especially, any willful disregard for the norms revealed by God is a sin. ... Corruption Jurisprudence Philosophy of law Law (principle) List of legal abbreviations Legal code Intent Letter versus Spirit Natural Justice Natural law Religious law Witness intimidation Legal research Critical legal studies External links Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Law Look up law in Wiktionary, the free dictionary... The term God is capitalized in the English language as a proper noun when used to refer to a Supreme Being. ...

The gospel transforms believers

In chapter twelve through the first part of chapter fifteen Paul outlines how the gospel transforms believers and the behavior that results from such a transformation. In this section of the letter Paul addresses the tension between those who wish to observe Jewish traditions and those who do not. The concluding verses contain a description of his travel plans and personal greetings salutations. One third of the twenty-one Christians identified in the greetings are women; an indication that women played an important role in the early church at Rome.

General Characterisation

Paul, at times, uses a common style of writing of his time called a "diatribe" in which he appears to be responding to a "heckler" and the text is therefore structured as an argument. The letter is addressed to the church at Rome which consisted of both Gentile and Jewish Christians. In the flow of the letter Paul shifts his arguments, at times apparently speaking to the Jewish members of the church, then the Gentile membership and at times to the church as a whole.

Protestant treatment of the text

Paul's letter to Rome is a rich, textured articulation of the gospel from which many of the doctrines of the church have made their foundation.

Martin Luther described Romans as "the chief book of the New Testament ... it deserves to be known by heart, word for word, by every Christian." The Luther seal Martin Luther (November 10, 1483–February 18, 1546) was a German theologian, an Augustinian monk, and an ecclesiastical reformer whose teachings inspired the Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Lutheran, Protestant and other Christian traditions (a broad movement composed of many congregations and church bodies). ...

The "Romans Road" refers to a set of scriptures from the book of Romans that Christian evangelists use to present a clear and simple case for personal salvation for each person. They are:

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Romans 6:23a "...The wages of sin is death..."

Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"

Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"

External links

Online translations of Epistle to the Romans:

• Romans at Bible Gateway of Gospel Communications (various versions)
• Early Christian Writings: Epistle to the Romans

Related articles:

• The "Roman road"

• A Wesleyan Interpretation of Romans 5-8 by Jerry McCant