Answer
The book of Romans is an epistle written by the apostle Paul. An epistle is a formal or structured letter intended for a particular audience. In the case of Romans, the original audience was “all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people” (Romans 1:7). The structure of the epistle is such that the book is “the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian doctrine in all the Scriptures” (Swindoll, C., www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-pauline-epistles/romans, accessed 3/11/24).
The epistle to the Romans played a vital role in the Protestant Reformation. The book of Romans is a deep dive into Christian doctrine, elucidating how we attain righteousness in God’s sight. Themes include human depravity, the law’s insufficiency to make us righteous in God’s sight, justification by faith, and Christian living. The overall lesson of Romans can be summarized in Romans 1:16–17: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
As with most epistles, the author begins by stating his name: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1). In writing Romans, Paul employed the services of an amanuensis named Tertius (Romans 16:22). It is generally agreed that the apostle resided in Corinth when he wrote this letter and had not yet been to Rome personally. The epistle is dated in AD 57. Nero had just become emperor and hadn’t begun persecuting Christians in Rome. Paul's desire to lay a gospel foundation in Rome explains the detailed epistle. Also, his stay in Corinth exposed him to the worst of human depravity, giving him personal experience through which he wrote. He addressed both Gentiles and Jews in the epistle, suggesting a mixed audience (see Romans 1:5–6; 2:14–16, 17–20; 3:1–2).
The book of Romans satisfies our need for a logical presentation of knowledge, and it remains a highly recommended book for anyone who seeks a basic understanding of Christianity. It is especially precious to Protestants as it sparked the flames of Reformation. After Martin Luther studied Romans extensively, he countered many erroneous ideas in the Roman Catholic Church of his time.
Today, the book of Romans stands as a reminder that salvation is a gracious gift from God, not a wage earned.
