RomansУзор

Paul’s letter to the Romans was written around AD 55–58 during a stay in Corinth. At this moment, Paul stood at a turning point. He had completed his ministry in the eastern regions and was preparing to deliver aid to believers in Jerusalem. His eyes were then set on Rome, not only as a destination but as a launching pad for a greater mission to Spain. For Paul, this was more than strategy—it was the unfolding of God’s purposes in history.

In Jesus the Messiah, God’s promises to Israel had been fulfilled, and a new era had begun. The church in Rome reflected this shift. What began with Jewish believers after Pentecost had, through exile and return, become a community of Jews and Gentiles. Their differences were real—circumcision, Sabbath, and dietary practices—but Paul wrote with a greater vision: in Christ, these groups were one covenant family.

Romans carries many purposes. Paul sought missionary support for Spain, but more than that, he retold Israel’s story to show how God’s saving faithfulness is revealed in Jesus. The gospel was not simply about individual salvation but about uniting Jews and Gentiles into one Spirit-filled family. Paul also defended God’s promises, declaring that Israel’s unbelief did not signal failure—God’s plan remained on course.

For his first readers, “works of the law” meant covenant markers, not general good deeds. “Righteousness of God” meant covenant faithfulness, not mere moral perfection. Salvation meant renewal of creation, not just escape to heaven. Romans reframes everything: in Christ, God has launched His new creation.

Romans tells the story of how the faithful God of Israel has done what law and effort never could—forming a renewed family, living in the Spirit, anticipating the restoration of all things.