Epistle to the Romans

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.

History

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).

Related Topics:
Corinth - Rome - Apostle - Paul - 1 Corinthians - 2 Timothy

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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.,

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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.

Related Topics:
Greece - Acts

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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).

Related Topics:
Christianity - Jerusalem - Pentecost - Jew - Synagogue - Jesus - Gentile

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

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