Romans
  1. Author, Date, and Place of Writing
    1. Paul’s authorship has never been questioned
    2. c. AD 56 or 57
    3. Probably written while on his 3rd missionary journey during a stay at Corinth or Cenchrea
  2. Who Founded the Church at Rome?
    1. Paul, though he had never been there, was the "long-distance" founder of the church
    2. Reasons to support this conclusion
      1. Paul had not yet been to Rome, but was eager to go there (Ro. 1:15)
      2. No other apostle had been to Rome either
        1. Paul was specifically the apostle to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:8-9; Ro. 15:15-16)
        2. Peter was specifically the apostle to the Jews (Gal. 2:8-9)
      3. Paul would not have gone to Rome if any other apostle had already been there (Ro. 15:20)
      4. "All roads lead to Rome" showing that it was possible, and most likely, that many converts returned to Rome.
      5. Aquila and Priscilla were from Rome but were forced to leave during a wave of persecution (Acts 18:1-3)
      6. Paul names several people in Ro. 16, suggesting he had met many of them in other places
  3. Importance of the Epistle
    1. Theologically: Lays the doctrinal foundation for the church

      2. McGee: "It is a message that I have attempted over the years to proclaim. And it is the message, by the way, that the world today as a whole does not want to hear, nor does it want to accept it. The world likes to hear, friend, about the glory of mankind. It likes to have mankind rather than God exalted. Now I am convinced in my own mind that any ministry today that attempts to teach the glory of man¾ which does not present the total depravity of the human family and does not reveal that man is totally corrupt and is a ruined creature, any teaching that does not deal with this great truth¾ will not lift mankind, nor will it offer a remedy. The only remedy for man’s sin is the perfect remedy that we have in Christ, that which God has provided for a lost race. This is the great message of Romans."

    2. Practically:

      3. No apostle, including Paul, had been to Rome. Therefore, Paul was writing to an established church that did not have the benefit of having an apostle visit and help establish it. Paul was giving to them in writing the doctrinal foundation that they needed.

      Churches today, have never had an apostle visit them. But we do have the Word, including the book of Romans. Therefore, the book of Romans is especially fitting for us since we are in a similar situation to that of the original recipients.

    3. Quotes
      1. Godet (Swiss commentator) said that the reformation was surely the result of the message of the book of Romans and Galatians.
      2. Martin Luther:

        3. He called Romans "the chief book of the New Testament" and "the true masterpiece of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel, which is well worth and deserving that a Christian man should not only learn it by heart, word for word, but also that he should daily deal with it as the daily bread of men’s souls. It can never be too much or too well read or studied; and the more it is handled, the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes."

      3. Chrysostom had the epistle read to him twice a week
      4. Coleridge: Romans was the most profound writing that exists
      5. This was the book that transformed John Bunyan
      6. Melancthon copied it twice by hand