Romans, Introduction I - Cultural & Historical Background
Romans · Jim Pool · Oct 2, 2005
Romans (2005-07), No. 01
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/48262333263603

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

How many have, in the past, done some sort of a study on the Book of Romans? Whether your own, or sat in a sermon series, or a Sunday school class of Romans of some nature. Good. That's going to be ... because what we want ... We desire for people to be open and to share their thoughts and to share their comments in addition to what it is that Bob and Hal and I are sharing. So please feel free to give your input to the class. Those are the notes there. Dave, feel free to grab one.

These are a little bit different than what, say, Vern gives out on Sunday morning for his. Different in the sense that we have one slide per page. where Vern gives out six slides per page, and I talk to the guys about what's the best format to do this in, because this is the way that I think that we did it with 2 Corinthians, which is fine, but you needed like a five-inch binder by the time we were done with 2 Corinthians to hold all of the notes. So, you know, I've talked to the guys and we're open to possibly making a change to going back to the, or going to the format like what where you get six slides per page, but then what you get as a font is super small, and then if you guys want to take any notes per the text that we're covering or per the slide, then you're fairly limited on the amount of space there is that you can take notes. So, if you've got any thoughts about what you guys would prefer.

Yeah? For any page, and the two remaining can be for the notes. Okay. Okay, so four in a page and two blank, you know, at the bottom, just make blank lines to take notes. Yeah? Buy two binders? Yeah? Okay. Double side these? Sure. Good thought. Yeah. Okay.

By the end of the class, boy, people had some honking binders for Second Corinthians. This is a great resource for you guys for the future. However you guys think would be best for you as you engage with the class over the next two years. This is going to be longer than 2 Corinthians was, so it will produce even more materials and resources. We're going to do an introduction today and we're going to do an introduction next week. And so I'm going to do the cultural and historical background today and then next week Bob is going to do a spiritual introduction and background. So that's kind of the way we're going to get rolling into this thing. And just think about it for a moment.

If you were to go to an antique shop and you were to buy an antique, whether it be a dresser drawer or whatever antique thing you might like to buy. And you got that piece of furniture or whatever it was, home, and as you were looking at it carefully and you were cleaning it out and finding where it was that you wanted to put it in your home, you found a letter. And it was dated 100 years earlier. And you had no idea except for the name, who wrote it, and you had no idea except for the content of who it was written to. You'd be pretty limited, wouldn't you, about your understanding of that letter if you didn't have any other information except that letter.

So what we want to do is we want to look at some background to the Book of Romans and some history and some cultural issues that I think are going to help to give us a better understanding. Hey, Margaret, the notes are right there by David. We want to get a background and history of the culture of Romans that will help us to get a better understanding of the book at large. Because if you found that letter, and if you were able to learn some more about who wrote it, and some more about who the letter was written to, why that person wrote the letter to that person, what were the circumstances and situations surrounding the writing of that letter, I think that you would obviously get a better feel for understanding why that letter was written. So, that's what we want to do with the Book of Romans. Margaret, tell us how your mom's doing real quick.

You know, she's such a little adult. She is so cute. Anyway, I just love her. She's doing great. She's hardly taking any pain medication. The Tylenol is all she wants. She's ready to get up. She's in pretty good physical shape. for someone her age who's had this to Margaret. Yeah. And so, um, anyway, so they're going to get her up today and she will start her rehab. Good.

She can put full weight on this, uh, leg. She really, what she broke was the femur where it joins the ball right into the joint. And so, um, they put two, It's kind of a new procedure as opposed to a plate and a screw. They put these long nails, is what they are, kind of crossways into her leg and then into her hip. And so, you know, she's... I'm hopeful they're going to keep her there for a few days for some strenuous reading. I told her, get ready to hurt. Sure, sure. Good, good. Well, we've prayed for her a couple of minutes ago as we got going. I'm glad. That's good news. So, as we get going, we want to ask a couple of questions this morning.

We want to ask who wrote the Book of Romans? When was the Book of Romans written? Where was it written from? What were the situations surrounding the writing of it? How did the church in Rome begin? Who made up the church in Rome? what was the state of the church when the letter was written and then what was the purpose of the book.

So hopefully we can sort through a few of these questions and we'll see how far we get or we'll have to infringe on some of Bob's time tomorrow or next week. So let's just look at the first question here. Who wrote the Book of Romans? Probably everybody knows knows this and it's not a debated issue and it's pretty clear about who wrote the book of Romans.

Romans 1, chapter 1 and verse 1, and then kind of tagging the verse 7 there, says, Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God to all who are beloved of God in Rome. So, obviously, Paul was the author the Christians in Rome were the recipients.

Now, it's interesting to note that Paul used a scribe to actually write the letter. Tertius wrote the letter for Paul and it's recorded in chapter 16, verse 22. It says, I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. That was kind of a common practice back then. The guys would use scribes to write down letters for them and we see evidence of that again in Galatians where Paul says, you see how such large letters I write, I write this with my own hand. So Paul uses a scribe here to get his letter written.

What was the date that it was written? It was written in AD 57. Here again, some people would say it's AD 56 It's not really a greatly debated issue, but most of the folks do agree that it is AD 57, and that it was near the end of Paul's third missionary journey. In the back, you'll see there's a paper on the chronology of the New Testament Bible book.

So let's look at that just briefly, and it'll give us an idea as to where the writing of Romans fits into the big scheme of things here for us. Now it shows Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in Acts here, which is kind of a little bit misleading, but this note here says, for the Gospels in Acts at the bottom here, their placement on the time chart indicates where their events occurred, not necessarily. when they were written.

So just make a note of that. It can be a little bit confusing. But you see Romans here in 57 AD. So these were all written beforehand. James, Galatians, 1st and 2nd, Thessalonians, and then 1st Corinthians, and then Romans and 2nd Corinthians were written very much near the same time. So that gives you an idea of how it fits into the big the full scope of the rest of New Testament books.

You've probably seen this chart before. I think that Vern has used it on several occasions. Let's look also at the page you have towards the back. It gives a timeline of the Apostle Paul. Again, it can give us a little more information about this. We're right here, AD 57. It's the end of Paul's third missionary journey. That journey was from 53 to 57.

And so at the end of that journey, he finds himself in Corinth. And from there, he writes the letter to the Romans. And immediately from Corinth, he goes back to Jerusalem. And that's why it says here, his fourth visit to Jerusalem, Romans written from Corinth, first visit to Jerusalem, AD 57. So that gives you an idea as to what events took place in the life of Paul before the writing of Romans and then what took place after the writings of Romans. We're going to talk more about this in detail as we continue on. Any questions?

I'm not a great historian. I'm just going to tell you that up front. My wife is, though, so she probably should be teaching this lesson. Some people probably wouldn't think that would be appropriate. So, I'm here. It's interesting. I've enjoyed studying it out. All right, back to slide number two.

Where was it written from? Let's look at Acts in chapter 20 and let's look at verses 1 Through three. And let's actually look at the map as we're going to X. Twenty one through three. We're asking the question, where was it written from? And let's go to your next slide and let's look at the look at the map. It's hard.

You're also not in color, so you have to kind of. figure out the third missionary journey is the one that's in red, which goes up here around to Corinth, and his fourth journey is the one that basically just goes straight over to Rome. You have to maybe make a note on yours because they're not in color there.

So Acts chapter 20, and this is during his third missionary journey, it says this, verses 1-3, And after the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he departed to go to Macedonia. and when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation he came to Greece and there he spent three months and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to sail for Syria he determined to return through Macedonia so at the end of the third journey here he finds himself in Greece And from there it is that he writes this letter to the Romans. You see this goes up here and then from here he was going to come straight across but because of the plot against him he went back here. So this is the end of the third journey and then from there he heads back to Jerusalem. Aaron will talk about why it is that he was heading back to Jerusalem here in a couple of minutes.

Let's look at your fourth slide. And let's go back to the Book of Romans, and let's look at chapter 16. And let's read verses 1 and 2. And he says that, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Sincrea, that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever manner she may have need of you. For she herself has also been a helper of many and of myself as well." So this gives further evidence of where it is that Paul is writing this letter from. He's in Corinth and he commends to them this lady named Phoebe who is in St. Crea and that's the seaport of Corinth and he commends this lady to the folks there in Rome and she's actually the one who delivers the letter to the church there in Rome.

Interesting, interesting facts and thoughts there. Okay, let's ask the next question. What were the situations that were surrounding the writing of the letter? What was going on in Paul's life? It's going to help us to know what was going on in the life of the author to understand, get a fuller scope of what was the intent of the letter. So, Paul was nearing a big turning point in his ministry. He was getting ready to be a big a transition for him. So, let's ask this question. What was Paul's mindset towards ministry geographically? Who can just give some thoughts towards that? What was Paul's mindset towards ministry geographically? Any thoughts?

Speak out. It always takes a group a little while to get the, you know, last week Corinthian's man was like, New group, you know, a little quiet, but what were his thoughts? I don't know if I understand your question exactly. Okay, okay. Because I'm a blurter out here, you know. Okay. I don't understand exactly what you mean by... Okay, Paul was a guy who wanted to go out and blaze new trails, okay, and go... I'm giving the answer here, but... Exactly. Yeah, geographically he didn't want to build, probably spiritually as well, but we're kind of looking at things from more of a geographical point of view, he did not want to build upon somebody else's foundation.

And it says that to us in the latter part of Romans. So let's read chapter 15, and let's read through this. This is going to help us to understand where Paul is at in his period of life, while it is that he's writing this letter Christians in Rome. So let's just go to 15 in verse 18.

For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and around about as far as Ilocrum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

And thus I aspire to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named that I might not build upon another man's foundation." There it is. There's Paul's mindset towards his ministry geographically. He doesn't want to build upon another man's foundation. But as it is written, they who had no news of him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.

22. For this reason I have often been hindered from coming to you.

But now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had For many years a longing to come to you, whenever I go to Spain, for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while, but now I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them, for if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain." So, Paul is just kind of sharing where he's at in life, and he's sharing his future plans. So, if we were to break it down point by point, Paul is wanting to move on to Spain, which is an unreached area.

And if we were to go back to the map for just a moment, what he says here is that he has basically evangelized this area all the way up here to Ilkum and then he comes down. He says here that there's no more place for him there. Well, what does he mean by that? There's no more place for him to evangelize and to plant churches and to establish churches that haven't already been established.

So, there's churches there, there's leadership there, and he wants to go on to a new territory. He wants to go on to a new area. So, his desire is to go over here to Spain. That's what he's wanting to do. Pretty incredible, if you think about it. The guy is soaked in his life and poured his life into an outreach, into evangelism like that.

He's not, OK, I'm going to retire. This area is finished, this area is done. I think I'm going to go back to Jerusalem and hang out with the guys and just maybe give them some consultation or whatever. No, he said, let's go on to some more areas where the Gospel has not been yet. That's pretty incredible stuff. So, if we were to kind of break it down point by point, one phase of his missionary career was coming to an end. We saw that in verse 19 and 20.

His plans were to engage in church planning work in Spain, verse 24 and also verse 28 mentioned that, but he needed to go back to Jerusalem to give this money. There was a collection being taken up for the poor, Christians for the poor, needy saints in Jerusalem and so Paul had kind of gathered all this money up and he needed to go back to Jerusalem and give this money and also do some shepherding issues there, do a little bit of teaching and make sure that things were okay between the Jews and Gentiles. There was a little bit of controversy there, a division there, so he needed to go to Jerusalem But then from Jerusalem, his intent is to go to Spain. And on his way to Spain, he says, I'm going to stop off and see you guys in Rome. So his real purpose wasn't simply to go to Rome. His purpose was to go to Spain, and on his way to Spain, he's going to stop off and encourage the saints in Rome, and the saints in Rome can mutually encourage him as well. That's his travel plans. His itinerary, so to speak. Thoughts or questions? Okay, let's ask one of the next questions here.

How did the church in Rome begin? Prior to writing the letter, had Paul ever been to Rome? Simple question. No. Paul had never been to Rome prior to writing the letter. That's a little bit different from some of the other epistles that Paul has written. This makes a pretty distinct difference in this letter.

Did he know some of the saints in Rome? He did. He did know some of the saints in Rome. But he had never been there himself. Is that the same deal with Spain? I don't know that about Spain. And the evidence for that he did know some of the saints in Rome is if you look in chapter 16 of Romans, he says, greet Mary. He goes in verse 7, verse 8, verse 9, verse 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. He says, greet all these people. So there has to be evidence that he knew some of the people personally and obviously by name in Rome. But he'd never personally been there yet. I think by having never been to Rome, that this helps us to see one of the purposes that Romans was written. And so we're going to talk about that a little bit later on in the class. Some people would say, well, Peter started the church in Rome. Well, that's not true. The Catholics would certainly say that Peter was the one who started the church in Rome. But that's not correct either.

You have in the back of your papers, you have a handout that says the record of Peter's absence from and possible latter presence in Rome. Look at that for just a moment. There's not. There's some, but it was later on. After. And I'm sure anyone who's been to Rome, if you go there and you go to the quote unquote prison, The big plaque by the Catholic Church is, here's where Peter and Paul, by the way, together were in prison. And no one seems to dispute it in the Catholic Church. We're not going to take the time to go through this. I pulled this out of Verge's slides from his Acts class. This top one, just so that you guys know, the top one is in red, and you have to make little notes because your handout isn't in color, so please make that indication there so that you'll fully understand it.

But this gives evidence that Peter was not in Rome in the time that would have allowed him to start the church there. It's pretty clear evidence that he did not start the church there. Plus, as we stated earlier, it just simply wouldn't make sense for Paul to say that he did not want to build upon another man's foundation and for him to go to Rome to help the church there. It wouldn't make sense based on Paul's previous comment. I think we can firmly establish that Peter did not start the church in Rome. That leaves us with the question, how did the church in Rome start? What are y'all's thoughts before we move to the next slide and talk about it? Any ideas?

Maybe the same city knew that he met with another city. Yeah, very good idea. Because all these Roman places, including Jerusalem, would have communicated directly with Rome more than with each other when they were already the regional seat of government for their area. So there's the idea of all roads lead to Rome, and so there would have been naturally people going from all these different places, and Rome was a big city there.

Any other thoughts? One thought in particular that I'm thinking about that nobody has mentioned quite yet. It talks about the household of someone as if all his servants were Christians, but he wasn't. the household wasn't. Was that someone who had moved his household to Antioch or somewhere to serve the Roman government for a while and then moved back to Rome? His household moves with him. And why that means they brought back the gospel to Rome to their way of transplanting people around their empire. Reminds me of IBM.

Okay. Huh. Okay. Any other thoughts? Dave, are you getting ready to take a deep breath and say something or no? Okay. Alright. Do you think that there were people at Rome in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost? How about that suggestion? Yeah, it worked. So I think that's, everything that everybody said is correct. There's no doubt about it, that the people were traveling and different things like that.

In addition to that, we see in Acts chapter 2, and let's look at that. It's interesting. Acts 2. Acts 2.10.

The Day of Pentecost is described in the people groups that were there, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya, around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome. Both Jews and proselytes were there. So there were people, and actually they would have gone back to Rome, and I think they took the Gospel with them, and thus began to tell people about it there. And then we see the 4th century, Father Ambrosider says this, the Romans have embraced the faith of Christ, albeit according to the Jewish rite, without seeing any signs of mighty works or any of the apostles.

And that's a quote from Douglas Newman, Accounting of Romans, page 35. He did a really good job with some background information regarding Romans, but I would give a word of warning concerning some of his other thoughts on Romans. He likes to propose some different new ideas regarding Paul and new ideas regarding the purpose and interpretation of Rome. So anyways, a little red flag concerning this guy, Douglas New.

Now, it's hard to establish what the faith of these early Jewish believers in Rome looked like. Everything that I studied and read and looked up, it was tough to come up with a solid answer as to what did the faith look like and what was it particularly of these early Jewish believers that were in Rome. But clearly they were Christians, clearly they were establishing the church that was growing in numbers in Rome and then we've already talked about it, that all roads lead to Rome and so it spread that way and the people took their took their faith to the synagogues.

You know, I don't know. What was it? Help me out. Yeah. So, because it was such a travel, all the roads that they built, the Lord had such a plan to run the center of all that, because the gospel was being spread all through Europe. I mean, early. It's really pretty amazing how that works. Anyway, just a thought, because I was thinking about Spain. The Gospel was already in Spain? Right. And if it was already there, I think that we could still maintain that it was a place that was in need of His presence. or else he wouldn't be going there, as we established earlier.

So who made up this church in Rome? By the end of the first century, many Jews had migrated to Rome, yet they were not organized into a formal group, and their synagogues were independent of each other. So they weren't necessarily a unified group of people. lots of individual house churches that were beginning to spring up within the area.

And the Gentiles who were interested in Christianity would have attended the synagogues, yet without becoming Jews. Now we know that did the Jews as a whole accept the Gospel? No, there were some, and there's quite a few, but as a whole, as a people group, as a nation, they were not receiving the Gospel. There were more Gentiles that were receiving the Gospel than there were Jews.

So, by the time Romans was written, the Gentiles would have made up a large portion of the church at Rome, and more Gentiles were turning to Christ than the Jews. So, the letter was written to both the Christian Jews and the Christian Gentiles, that were in Rome. Romans 1-7 tells us, to all who were beloved of God in Rome, called the saints. So clearly, it's written to all the believers that were in Rome.

Now let's look at chapter 2. Let's read this very specific section where he addresses the Jews, and then we'll read some very specific sections where he addresses the Gentiles. So, in chapter 2, verse 17, But if you bear the name Jew and rely upon the law and boast in God, so here he is specifically addressing the Jewish Christians that are in Rome, and you know of his will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and of truth, You therefore who teach another, do you not teach yourselves?

You who preach that one should not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, though you break in the law, do you dishonor God? For the name of God is blaspheming among the Gentiles because of you, just as it is written.

For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. If therefore the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Will not he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the law, will he not judge you who, through having the letter of the law and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter, and his praise is not from men, but from God."

So clearly he's addressing in his letter the Jews. Now, it'll be interesting as we study through that to see what in the world does all that mean, but we'll get to that later on. He also talks about Abraham being their spiritual father in chapter 4, and verse 1 in chapter 11, verses 1-7, he also specifically refers to the Jews. We won't take the time to read through that. Let's go to chapter 11 and read through verses 11-14, a section where he specifically addresses the Gentiles. verses 11 through 14.

I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? They did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be. But by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous. Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be? But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles, and as much then as I am an apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office. If somehow I might love, I might move to jealousy of my fellow countrymen and save some of them." So clearly he's also addressing very specifically the Gentiles in this letter. It's interesting. Go to chapter 15 of Romans and listen carefully to this. Let's start in verse 1. I'm going to read down through verse 9.

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weakness of those without strength, and not just please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to his edification. For even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproach thee fell on me. For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the Father, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for his mercy.

And as it is written, he goes into this Old Testament. So he gives, he writes the letter as a whole to all the Christians that are in Rome. There's certainly sections of Romans that are very directed to the Jews. There's certain sections of Romans that are very directed towards the Gentiles, but he's encouraging these guys to work together amongst the Jews and the Gentiles.

So, why do you think he gives them this strong word of encouragement. That's only a certain section. There's more. Why does he give them this strong word of encouragement to work together? What do you think? That's right. Any idea why? That's right. Any idea why?

Why might there have been this rift or division or tension? that the Jews thought they were better than the Gentiles. They had lived under the law. They had been circumcised and they had this kind of feeling of superiority. Of course it had to be tremendously hard for the Jews to to just leave the law and all they had known, all of their lives been raised and taught and brought up in. That had to be very difficult.

Yeah. And to just allow the dirty dogs in, the Gentiles. Right. The Gentiles would have been idle, you know, they would have been involved in the temples and all the idle things that were going on in the, just the lifestyle that the heathens lived. So that had to be, as Carol said, so difficult for those Jews to allow those gentiles. Yeah, that's right.

Do you think of them as their peers? Yeah, all of a sudden God's plan included a people group that they had in the past not thought very highly of. So socially, let alone spiritually, that would have been a huge adjustment. I think we can think of today how difficult it is even for saved people to accept grace. It's hard today and then you multiply that by a lot. We probably can't even comprehend trying to make that understanding and adjustment in their minds.

Particularly in Rome, the Romans were the conquerors. Conquered Jerusalem. That's right. Good, good thoughts. And you're exactly right. A historical fact that I think adds to what it is that you guys are saying is that it's said that the Emperor Claudius in AD 49 expelled all the Jews from Rome because they were constantly rioting. at the instigation of Christus. Let's read Acts 18. Let's go to 18 and let's read verses 1 and 2.

After these things, he left Athens and went on to Corinth. He found a certain Jew named Aquila a native of Pontus having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome so we see that all the Jews were expelled by the Emperor Claudius and so they were forced to leave Rome and this caused a huge problem in the church that was there so all that remains in Rome was the Christian Gentiles.

So think about that adding to the already tough, tense situation that is there between the Jews and the Gentiles. The Gentiles remained while the Jews left and this left the Gentiles as the only Christians in Rome and the Jews had to stay out until around AD 54 when Claudius died and then they began to kind of trickle back. They didn't all come back in kind of one big tsunami rush, but they began to trickle back in after AD 54 when Claudius died. So what that does, is if we were to continue on with that same thought, when the Jews returned, there was tension between them and the Gentiles.

And why? Because now the Jews were the ones that were in minority. Who has been running the church in Rome for over five years? the Gentiles, the people who they did not really care much for. Those are the ones that have now been in charge of the church. So the church had become more Gentile in nature than it was Jewish in nature. So man, the Jews come back in to Rome and there's huge, huge problems that's going on there.

And so that's part of the reason for Paul's exhortation in chapter 15 encouraging these guys to work together. And so this also explains part of the purpose of the letter for the Jews and the Gentiles to work together. So I think we see a dual purpose there.

Paul wants to write a letter to a church where he had never been. So he wants to explain things from the very beginning to the very end of the Gospel of God. He wants to make it very clear. He had never been there, he had never taught there, and so he wants to explain it to them from the very beginning to the very end. If you go to Romans 1 verse 16, which is probably one of the key verses of Romans. Again, that's going to be Bob's part of the spiritual introduction and background to Romans.

But he says in Romans 1 verse 16, For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews first and also to the Greek. There we see it again, there's both, the Jews and also to the Greek. For in it, meaning in the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, but the righteous man shall live by faith. So, he's wanting to explain to them the Gospel and the power of God that is in the Gospel, and so he explains that to them from the beginning to the end.

Also, he wants to explain God's plan for the Jews, and he wants to explain to them God's plan for the Gentiles. Because it had to be some huge questions. He's never been there. He's never given them any direct teaching, direct interaction about what in the world is going on here. So there was some tension, there was some strife, and so he explains those things to them. Why does he say to the Greeks? When he's writing the letter to the people in Rome, is he writing just to the Greeks in Rome? that are largely going to be the servants and slaves, because again, Greece was conquered by Romans.

Yeah. Any thoughts? I don't know. Any thoughts about that? I thought that when they used the term Greek, it sort of encompassed the Gentiles. I mean, that was the term that was used frequently for anyone who was a non-Jew. I mean, that's what I understood. I don't know why it... That was my understanding. But I sort of wonder, Where I got that. Where I came from, sure. But I just have always understood that. Back in verse 13, same chapter, it mentions Gentiles. In chapter 1? Yeah. And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I plan to come to you and have been prevented thus far in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

So look at the next verse. But look at the next verse, I'm a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians. So it makes you almost wonder if the Greeks were considered educated, the upper class, or I don't know. I don't know. That's interesting. The Greeks and then in the same verse the barbarians. Makes a good homework, this one. Yeah, that's right. That's right.

Yeah, good. those gentiles who spoke greek or followed the greek way of life even though they may have been latin-speaking citizens okay yeah our good friend alexander had been through the whole region and hellenization had just taken over everything so these were all people who were speaking greek who were living in a greek sort of culture but it could have been anybody yeah i mean any nationality sure all right Okay, good.

Let's pray. Lord, thanks for your time. Thanks for just giving us a little bit of a background and insight into the writing of Romans, and thank you for it. We look forward to our time that we're going to have in it over the next two years to learn about you from this letter. So thanks, Lord. In your name we pray. Amen.