![]() All people have been condemned due to our rebellion against God. Paul began by discussing that which is most easily observable in the world-the sinfulness of all humanity. The letter to the Romans stands as the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian doctrine in all the Scriptures. It was played out before his eyes every day. So when Paul wrote in Romans about the sinfulness of humanity or the power of God’s grace to miraculously and completely change lives, he knew that of which he spoke. The prominent Greek city was also a hotbed of sexual immorality and idol worship. Writing from Corinth, Paul likely encountered a diverse array of people and practices-from gruff sailors and meticulous tradesmen to wealthy idolaters and enslaved Christians. Therefore, Paul wrote to a church that was experiencing a time of relative peace, but a church that he felt needed a strong dose of basic gospel doctrine. The political situation in the capital had not yet deteriorated for the Roman Christians, as Nero wouldn’t begin his persecution of them until he made them scapegoats after the great Roman fire in AD 64. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57, just three years after the 16-year-old Nero had ascended to the throne as Emperor of Rome. No doubt they had heard of Paul and would have been honored by the letter, but Paul always took opportunities to personally connect with his audience so that the message of the gospel might be better received. The apostle greeted twenty-six different people by name, personalizing a letter from a man who would have been a personal stranger to most of the recipients. Paul had never been to Rome when he wrote the letter to the Romans, though he had clearly expressed his desire to travel there in the near future (Acts 19:21 Romans 1:10–12). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |