BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

The New Testament starts with stories. Its first half is almost entirely narrative: the paradoxical drama of Mark’s gospel, John’s poetic testimony about Jesus, Paul’s epic journeys in Acts. Today’s reading introduces us to a new genre, the New Testament epistles.

Authors Paul, James, Peter, and John wrote letters to real people and communities in the Roman world during the 1st century, usually in response to specific situations happening at the time. We’re essentially reading someone else’s 2,000-year-old mail.

These ancient letters also became part of the unified story that leads to Jesus, so understanding the bigger story of Scripture helps us better understand what they meant back then and what they mean for us today.

For example, Paul’s letter to the Romans is known as his most formidable theological treatise in the New Testament, but it’s not only that. It’s part of the storyabout God’s Kingdom taking root in Rome and beyond. The letter communicates truth to all people, everywhere. However, Paul wrote it to a particular group of Christians facing specific challenges in the Roman Empire. Understanding what it meant for them will help us understand what it means for us.

Today’s video zooms in on the Roman church’s story. In Paul’s day, the Jewish and gentile followers of Jesus were divided. Paul tries to heal these fractures by retelling the Genesis story, including the terrible, downward spiral that happened when humans rejected God’s good plan, which immediately causes relational division that leads to death.

Ever since Genesis 3, all humanity—both Jewish and gentile—has become hopelessly trapped by fear, shame, and selfish desire. But humanity’s weakness, as we know from the prophets and overall narrative, is neither the beginning nor the end of the story.

Reflection Questions

• Today’s psalm celebrates unity between God’s people. How does the psalmist’s delight in unity inform your understanding of Paul’s desire for unity among the Roman Christians?
• What hyperlinks to the Hebrew Bible do you notice in today’s reading? (If you need a hint, try Psalm 115, Proverbs 24:12, or Ezekiel 36:20-22). Why do you think it is important to read the New Testament letters as part of the overall, unified story that leads to Jesus?