Romans - Introduction(1)

When I first started this blog, back in October 2008, it started part way through Romans. Then when I started on the much more in-depth studies I did Romans beginning in December 2015. So here we are once again in Romans. I have just finished an in-depth study of John for the second time and I certainly learnt a lot. Hopefully, you who read these posts also benefit. The Bible is such a rich book that there is always so much more to learn.

As with John’s gospel, I am using a different commentary, so that will hopefully add some extra insight. I don’t write these notes as a commentary (I’m not really qualified to do so!), I am more interested in the life application of the Word of God, but I do benefit greatly from the work of others. So here are the two primary books that I am reading as I work through Romans again:

Romans - TNTC, David Garland (2021)

A Commentary on Romans - David Pawson (2015)

Here are books thaI have read in the past, and will no doubt still have some influence.

Epistle to the Romans - Leon Morris. 

Craig Keener’s commentary on Romans. 

Romans - FF Bruce

Paul, Apostle of the Free Spirit - FF Bruce

Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision - NT Wright

Paul: Fresh Perspectives - NT Wright

More general sources include my NIV study Bible, my Bible Dictionary, and Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.

Most of the rest of this introduction will be a repeat of the Introduction in 2015. However, the notes on the text itself will all be written from scratch.

There is virtually no one who doubts that Romans was written by Paul the Apostle. The most likely date for its writing is 57 AD, and was written during Paul’s third missionary journey. He was on his way back to Jerusalem, taking with him a gift from the various Gentile churches to help the church in Jerusalem, which was undergoing hard times. Paul knew that things would be difficult in Jerusalem, and many warned him against going there. After that he wanted to visit Rome, a place he had not been to at that point, and after that to go to Spain. As we know from Acts, things were indeed difficult in Jerusalem, with attempts on his life. However, through all this he did end up going to Rome, though he never made it to Spain. Paul was probably in Corinth, or nearby in Cenchreae, when he wrote the letter. 

Unlike letters like Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Philippians etc, Romans is not really dealing with a specific church situation. Rather it is a systematic presentation and explanation of the gospel. It covers:

• the universality of the gospel, ie the need of all people to be saved by Christ;

• the effect of the gospel on our lives;

• the place of Israel in the gospel;

• addressing some practical issues.

In order to understand Romans it can be useful to have the following always in mind:

• Sin is our biggest problem, indeed is the root of all our problems

• We need to be forgiven for our sins (justification)

• We need to be transformed (sanctification, renewal)

Justification and sanctification go together, the Bible knows nothing of one without the other. The notion of someone believing the gospel but not been changed is utterly alien to the Bible.

David Pawson does propose that Paul wrote Romans at least partly in order to address the problem of Jewish and Gentile Christians. The church in Rome had started out as predominantly Jewish, then became more mixed as Gentiles were converted. The expulsion of the Jews led the church to become predominantly Gentile, becoming more mixed again as the Jews were allowed to return.  There is no doubt that Romans is very relevant to the Jew-Gentile relationship in all sorts of ways, but I am not convinced that that was the predominant motive behind the book. However, I do strongly agree that Romans 9-11 is an integral part of the letter, and not a diversion.