Romans

In June, we are making our way in the New Testament from narratives to letters.  The first set of letters come from the Apostle Paul, beginning with Romans.  This week’s blog covers Romans, perhaps Paul’s most famous letter.  This letter is often seen as a mini theological handbook.  However, it is best to view it as a theological letter from the hand of an active missionary.  In other words, this is missionary theology.  As with each letter in the New Testament, a helpful way to view Romans is in terms of its audience, situation, and message and how each of these aspects intersect.

 AUDIENCE

Let’s get started with Paul’s audience for Romans.  Paul wrote this letter to a group of Romans, which consisted of Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus.  The mixed nature of this group is important for understanding the situation Paul addresses in his message to them.  It seems that this Christian community began as an exclusively (or primarily) Jewish group.  According to one view (one I support), the first believers from this community were present at the outpouring of the Spirit at the celebration of the Jewish festival of Pentecost (ca. 29−30 AD) in Acts 2 (see esp. 2:1−11).  They, in turn, returned to Rome as Jesus’ followers and grew together spiritually and in numbers.

A later historical development impacted the Roman believers.  In 49 AD, Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews (including Christian Jews) from Rome, probably in response to trouble associated with Jews and Jesus’ followers.  After the death of Claudius (54 AD), these expelled Jews returned to Rome.  (An edict of a Roman emperor would only remain in effect after his death if the subsequent emperor renewed it.)  When the Christian Jews returned, they discovered that the Christian community in Rome was made up only (or primarily) of Gentiles.

SITUATION

Now, let’s move on to the situation the letter addresses.  In the first-century Greco-Roman world, relations between Jews and Gentiles were often strained.  Sadly, this was also true for Christian communities.  One of the major problems of this Jewish-and-Gentile group of followers of Jesus was a lack of unity.  Jesus’ first followers were Jews, and they struggled with the practical implications of God’s salvation of the Gentiles.

These communities struggled with questions about which Jewish practices were necessary for following Jesus.  The role of the law in God’s plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles was a theological and practical issue that affected their everyday lives.  It seems that this Christian community was wrestling with this issue.

It is important to understand Paul’s situation as well as that of his Roman audience.  Paul wanted to establish a relationship with the Romans for the sake of his mission as the apostle to the Gentiles.  As the capital city of the Roman Empire, Rome was a strategic place to visit and, possibly, to use as a base of operations for ministry into Spain (see 15:15−32). 

MESSAGE

Finally, we need to address the message of Paul’s letter to the Romans in light of its audience and situation.  Paul’s message to the Roman Christians can be summed up in the phrase the salvation of our God.  Everything in the letter somehow relates to the salvation of God and/or the God who saves Jesus’ followers.  There are three purposes-in-writing connected to this message:

• Theological.  Paul wanted his Roman audience to know the fullness of the Good News of God’s salvation for both Jews and Gentiles (1:18−4:25), the new life they received in Christ and by the Spirit (chaps. 5−8), and how God called them to live in light of the Gospel (12:1−15:13).  Also, God’s faithfulness to Israel in His plan of salvation is also theologically important in this letter (chaps. 9−11).

• Pastoral.  Part of God’s calling was to live out their lives in love and peace with one another, despite their different racial and religious backgrounds.  Paul wrote to them as a pastor, instructing them about what God expected of them as those who are saved by Him.

• Missionary.  In addition, Paul desired that these Roman believers would participate in Paul’s mission of spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles.  This participation included helping Paul preaching the Gospel in Rome and possibly supporting Paul’s mission to new areas.

The contours of Paul’s flow of thought in his letter can be seen in the following outline of the letter:

I.          The Opening (1:1−17)

II.         Jews and Gentiles under Sin (1:18−3:20)

III.        Justification by Faith (3:21−4:25)

IV.        New Life in Christ and by the Spirit (chaps. 5−8)

V.         Israel and the Faithfulness of God (chaps. 9−11)

VI.        Living out the New Life (12:1−15:13)

VII.       The Travel Plans of Paul (15:14−33)

VIII.      The Closing (16:1−27)

So, let’s explore a couple verses in Romans that captures some of Paul’s dynamic theology in Romans (Romans 12:1-2):

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2 is a pivot point for the book.  The phrase “the mercies of God” points back to God’s gracious justification through Christ’s redemptive work for Jews and Gentiles and to the new life Church has in Christ and by the Spirit.  The exhortation to “present your bodies a as a living sacrifices” focuses on the life of worship to which both Jewish and Gentile disciples are called.  This addresses the earlier debate over the place of the Law of Moses within the Church.  Also, Paul looks forward to the unity and holiness of our new life in the remainder of the book.

As followers of Jesus, we can see how God’s Story of Redemption encompasses our life stories.  Romans shows us how the story of Israel culminates in Christ’s story and becomes the foundation for our story as the Church.  Treating this letter as a theological handbook limits its potential power.  In this letter, Paul invites us into God’s true story of the whole world.