Romans

Romans is the longest of all Paul’s writings and is widely regarded as one of the most important letters that he wrote. It is written to the Christians in Rome and is unusual in that Rome was one of the few communities that Paul had not founded, making Romans Paul’s first communication with the community there. The letter announces his intention to come to Rome and to be sent onwards by them to Spain (15.23-24). By way of introduction, Paul laid out his theology in great detail, explaining the good news that he proclaimed (chapters 1-11) and the consequences that he believed this should have in the lives of the Christian community (12-16). We do not, as a rule, know what Paul said when he first arrived in a new place proclaiming the gospel. Most letters, written as they are to communities that Paul had founded, are the second or third communication to the community not the first. Romans is one of the closest accounts we have of what Paul might have said initially to a community, when he first arrived.