Page 7 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

To whom is the author writing this letter?

The short answer to this question is “all those who are in Rome beloved of God, called saints.”14 This
letter is intended to address every person in Rome who had trusted in Jesus as the Messiah of Israel who
is the Savior from sin. These people are designated in two ways in this short verse. First, they are the
recipients of the love of God and because of that are in a relationship with God by which he designates
them as his beloved. Second, they are saints. They are set apart by the work of Jesus to be different in a
way that brings glory to His name as they live out His commands in the way that they live in this world.
Notice that Paul does not say that they are to work to become saints, but rather, that they are already
saints.

Becoming a saint is an act of God, not a work that people do.

The long answer to the question of who the recipients of this letter are is given at the end of the letter as
Paul greets those people who he believes to be in Rome that he has met throughout his ministry of the
gospel up until this point in his life. In Romans 16:3-16 Paul greets 28 individuals and those who are
associated with them. These people are given a number of significant designations by Paul. Some are
called “fellow workers” (16:3,6,9,12), others “kinsmen” (16:7,11), others “fellow prisoners” (16:7), others
“beloved” (16:8,9,12), others “approved in Christ” (16:10), others “chosen in the Lord” (16:13), others
“brothers” (16:14) and “saints” (16:15). Each of these terms describe productive relationships with Paul
that orbit around mutual respect, affection and purpose. In the midst of that list of people are
indications of at least five separate groups or churches to which they all belong (16:5,10,11,14,15).

Does the author mention other people in this letter? Who are they and what is their significance?

Part of the dynamics of this letter is that there are other people outside of Paul and the Roman believers
who are referenced. Phoebe, who is described as a “deacon” of the church in Cenchreae is recommended
to the Roman believers a worthy servant of God whom they should honor for her faithful service to the
cause of Christ. This commendation is most likely occasioned by her service to Paul and the Romans as the
one who carried the letter to the Roman churches. The custom of the day was that important letters were
both written down and then memorized and read to the recipients by the messenger who carried the
letter to them. They were given to trustworthy messengers who could be counted on to get the letter to
the proper people. Phoebe’s faithful fulfillment of that role is the reason for Paul’s words of
commendation about her.

In 16:21-23 Paul relayed greetings to the Roman believers from members of his ministry team and from
key leaders in the church that was in Cenchreae. These people bear similar descriptors to those given to
the people whom Paul greeted in Rome. Timothy is called “my fellow worker” (16:21). Lucius, Jason, and
Sosipater are called Paul’s “kinsmen” (16:21) which likely means that like Paul they were Jewish. Tertius is
the scribe who put pen to parchment and wrote down what Paul told him to write (16:22). Gaius, Erastus,
and Quartus are significant leaders in the church in Cenchreae who are likely the pastor and elders of the
church that met in Gaius’ home.

14 Romans 1:7, Author’s translation.

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