Page 35 - New Testament Survey Student Textbook

Occasion
The apostle’s goal “for many years” (Rom 15:23) had been to visit Rome. His desire is now to come to
Rome (Rom 15:20-22; 1:10-15) which will become his base for a new evangelistic thrust into the Latin
speaking province of Spain (15:23-24). But the immediate concern is to reach Jerusalem where he will
deliver the funds collected from the Gentile churches for the impoverished saints there (15:25-33; cf.
Acts 20:4: collection representatives; 24:17). This will “complete” his eastern Mediterranean ministry
(15:19, 23). Thus three factors converge in his mind as he writes Romans: Jerusalem, Rome and Spain.
*Luke’s narrative from Acts 19:21-on is driven forward by Paul’s strategy to proclaim the gospel
in Rome (19:21; 23:11; 25:11; 26:32; 27:23-24; 28:14, 16, 30-31; cf. 2:10; 18:2).

The origin and character of the Christian church at Rome

The epistle is addressed to all the saints in Rome, not a single, centralized church per se (1:7). Paul is
writing to a church he has not yet personally visited (1:8-15; 15:20-24) though it includes brothers and
sisters whom he knows from his missionary travels (Ch 16).

th
Ambrosiaster (4 c. / PL 17, col. 46): The Romans “have embraced the faith of Christ, albeit according to
the Jewish rite, without seeing any sign of mighty works or any of the apostles. Perhaps Jews from Rome
converted at Pentecost (Acts 2:10) or, alternatively, Hellenistic Jewish missionaries in the aftermath of
Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1, 4; 11:19-22) brought the gospel to Rome. Fitzmyer (Romans, 25-39) suggests
that Andronicus and Junia (Rom 16:7) introduced the gospel in the Jewish quarter of the capital. The “for
many years” of Rom 15:23 (cf. 1:13, “planned many times”) indicates that Christianity could have been
introduced to Rome as early as the thirties in the well-established Jewish community there.

Seutonius records (Life of Claudius 25.2) that Claudius (A.D. 41-54) “expelled the Jews from Rome because
they were constantly rioting at the instigation of Chrestus” (Latin: impulsore Chresto). Chrestus is probably
a misspelling for Christ. This may indicate Claudius expelled Jews from Rome in A.D. 49 due to riots that
occurred in the Jewish community over the claims of Jewish believers that Jesus was the Christ. Priscilla
and Aquila, already Christians, came to Corinth after their expulsion from the capital (Acts 18:2). After
Claudius’ death (A.D. 54) the edict was no longer in force and later we find P. and A. in Rome again (Rom
16:3-4). By the time of the writing of Romans the church in Rome has become predominantly Gentile.

Romans 16 indicates there were several house churches rather than one centralized group: church in
house of P. and A. (16:5a; cf. 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm. 2); two groups in 16:14, 15; two families in
16:10b, 11b. [Perhaps the epistle to the Hebrews was addressed to one of the conservative Jewish
Christian house churches in Rome]. Confirmation of this decentralized situation is that “church” (Εκκλησία
- Ekklesia) occurs only in 16:1, 4, 5, 16, 23. Note 1:7: “to all the beloved saints in Rome.”

Themes
Romans’ major themes—righteousness and salvation—ring forth most clearly in Romans 1:16–17, Paul’s
declaration of the power of the gospel. Here, Paul proclaims that the good news of Jesus opens God’s
salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. Further, this salvation fulfills the Old Testament promises God made
to the people of Israel—showing God’s faithfulness to His covenant. Paul shows us that in Jesus we clearly
see God’s power to save all who believe. In Christ, our righteous God unites Jews and Gentiles alike into
one people of God. All cultures, races, and people can come to God for salvation. Christ’s righteousness is
enough for any and all of us to be saved.

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