WHO WROTE:  Paul.

 

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  49 A.D. - 58 A.D.?

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  The precise time at which it was written is not mentioned in the Epistle, but it was obviously written when the Apostle was about to “go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints,” Romans 15:25, i.e., which is at the close of his second visit to Greece during the winter preceding his last visit to that city (compare with Acts 19:21; 20:2-3 & 16; 1Co. 16:1-4).  Therefore, this would be around sometime early in 58 A.D.

 

Paul established the Church at Corinth on his second missionary journey, 49-52 A.D. (see Acts 18:1-18).  On his third journey, (53-58 A.D.), he visited Greece again (see Acts 20:2-3), and at this time he received an offering for the saints in Jerusalem near the end of his journey (Rom. 15:25-26).  The Epistle to the Romans was then written most probably in the early months of 58 A.D.

 

Going over the writing of this Epistle again, It was written at the close of Paul’s third missionary journey during the three months he was in Greece (Acts, Chapter 20).  This would be just before he returned to Jerusalem with the offering from the Macedonian Churches.  He was staying with a Gaius of Corinth, who was also called Caius, who entertained the Apostle at the time of his writing his Epistle, and was closely connected with Paul (Rom. 16:23; 1Co. 1:14).

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  Any Book written by Paul must be classified with this important statement from Peter, that all the writings of Paul are “hard to be understood,” Second Peter 3:16.

 

Therefore, for those who use this Book to in any way to cancel the Holy Law of God, see Romans 2:12; 2:13; 2:14; 2:15; 2:17; 2:18; 2:20; 2:23; 2:25; 2:26; 2:27; 3:19; 3:20; 3:21; 3:27-28; 3:31; 4:13-15; 4:16; 5:13; 5:20; 6:14; 6:15; 7:1; 7:2; 7:3; 7:4; 7:5; 7:6; 7:7; 7:8; 7:9; 7:12; 7:14; 7:16; 7:21; 7:22; 7:25; 8:2; 8:3; 8:4; 8:7; 9:4; 9:31; 9:32; 10:5; 13:8; 13:10.

 

In the Book of Romans, Paul quotes more than forty times directly from the Old Testament.  As an example, he quotes from the Book of Isaiah twenty-five times.

 

He commends to the Romans the deaconess Phoebe, who was attached to “the Church at Cenchrea,” Romans 16:1, presumably a place near that from which he was writing; Cenchrea being located near the southern part of Corinth.  Phoebe is thus thought to have conveyed his Epistle to Rome.  We learn from Second Timothy 4:20 that Erastus (Acts 19:22; Rom. 16:23) was chamberlain of the city of Corinth.

 

The Epistle was written in Greek, which was the “common dialect,” the Greek language being of universal intercourse of that age; just as English is now.  However, one might naturally ask, Why not in Latin since the message is addressed to the Roman people?  What we find and know is that the large majority of Christian converts, beyond doubt, came from the middle, lower, and lowest classes, not the least coming from the slave class.  Therefore, not Latin, but Greek would be the daily speech of these people.  To help establish this concept, it is remarkable that all the early Roman bishops bore Greek names.  Even some 40 years after the date of this Epistle we find Clement of Rome writing in Greek to the Corinthians, and later again, early in the 2nd century, Ignatius writing in Greek to the Romans.

 

That this Book is authoritative and authentic can be established, in that the Apostle Peter (2Pe. 3:15-16) quotes Romans 2:4, giving Paul authoritative significance, even calling the Letter, an “Epistle.”  Also, the “Epistles of Clement,” in “Cor.” 35, and Polycarp, in his work, “ad Philippians 6,” quote respectively Romans 1:29-32 and Romans 14:10-12.  Even Irenaeus, in his, “iv. 27, section 2,” quotes Romans 4:10-11 as being of Paul’s authorship.  The Ophites, in “Hippol. Haer. 99,” quotes Romans 1:20-26; while the Basilides, on page 238, quotes Romans 5:13-14 and Romans 8:19-20; with the Tatian, in “Orat.” 4, quotes Romans 1:20.  Lastly, the “Epistle of the Churches of Vienne and Lyons,” under “Eusebius,” H. E. v. 1, quotes Romans 8:18; while the “Athenagoras,” on page 13, quotes Romans 1:24; 12:1 & 37; with the author “Theophilus of Antioch,” in “Autol.” 79, quotes Romans 2:6; 13:7-8.

 

In an interesting note we find that, “The Jews at Rome were so numerous that Augustus assigned them a separate quarter beyond the Tiber, and permitted them freely to exercise their religion,” “Philo, Leg. ad Caium,” page 568.

 

“To see the Christian faith firmly established at the great center of the known world was one of his [Paul’s] dearest hopes and most cherished plans.”  AA:373.1.

 

“In his Epistle to the Romans, Paul set forth the great principles of the Gospel.  He stated his position on the questions which were agitating the Jewish and the Gentile Churches, and showed that the hopes and promises which had once belonged especially to the Jews were now offered to the Gentiles also.”  AA:373.2.

 

“Notwithstanding the opposition, twenty years after the crucifixion of Christ there was a live, earnest Church in Rome.  This Church was strong and zealous, and the Lord worked for It.”  6BC:1067.

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