Part II
We’ve discussed who wrote this letter, and there’s little debate about it. The general consensus is that Paul is the author. We’ve also covered when he wrote it—toward the late 50s, near the end of his third missionary journey. And we know why he wrote it instead of waiting until he arrived in Rome to preach it in person. Paul anticipated coming to Rome as a prisoner and recognized that he might not have the freedom to preach as openly as he would have otherwise.
But there are a couple of additional “whys” worth exploring. Why write to Rome, specifically, rather than to another influential city like Milan, Florence, or Genoa? The answer seems obvious: Rome was the capital of the known world. Where better to deliver such a message? And that’s largely correct. Paul’s focus had always been on cities and people of influence. However, this wasn’t driven by numbers, prestige, or self-promotion, as evangelists are often accused of today. Paul’s intent was purely missional—he was on a divine assignment.
Looking back at his missionary journeys, we can observe a clear pattern. On his first journey with Barnabas and John Mark, they began in Salamis on the eastern end of Cyprus and quickly traversed the island, bypassing many towns and villages, to arrive at Paphos, the capital on the western edge. It was there that they met Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, and he became the first recorded convert of their journey. After this encounter, Paul abruptly left Cyprus and headed for Antioch of Pisidia, which happened to be Sergius Paulus’s hometown. It’s likely the proconsul provided letters of recommendation to his influential connections in Antioch.
This direct focus on major centers and influential figures may have contributed to John Mark’s decision to leave the group after Cyprus. John Mark likely expected Barnabas to lead, spending more time in Cyprus among their relatives. Instead, Paul’s relentless drive—directed by the Holy Spirit—dominated their itinerary. The same pattern of prioritizing influential cities occurred on subsequent journeys. Yet, as eager as Paul was to reach cities like Ephesus (and perhaps even Rome), there were times when the Spirit prevented him from moving forward.
Paul’s approach was deeply tied to his unique role as the Apostle to the Gentiles. His mission was to introduce the gospel to the Gentile world, which required taking it beyond the borders of Palestine to places of influence. While Peter initiated the inclusion of Gentiles with the household of Cornelius, Paul was singularly set apart to proclaim the gospel to the Gentile nations. As Paul notes in the opening of Romans, his life and calling were entirely devoted to this work. And there was no better place to proclaim the gospel than in Rome itself—the heart of the empire.
Paul’s letter to the Romans was not just a theological treatise; it was the first step in his proclamation to the city’s believers, setting the stage for his eventual arrival. His mission was clear: to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. But what exactly does that mean? Understanding the gospel as Paul proclaimed it is vital for interpreting his arguments in Romans.
Paul’s mission was not simply about “saving souls.” Of course, he desired to see people saved, and his writings reveal his passion for leading others to Christ. But his mission went deeper than that. Paul’s intent in writing to the Romans was to proclaim the gospel, and while salvation results from the gospel, it is not its sole purpose. This distinction is crucial. Proclaiming the gospel is not identical to seeing souls saved, though the latter flows naturally from the former. Misunderstanding this subtle difference has led to a wide range of conflicting interpretations of Paul’s message, as commentators fail to distinguish between purpose and outcome.
The gospel Paul proclaimed was not merely about individual salvation or going to heaven. While personal salvation is indeed wonderful news, the gospel is far more expansive. To grasp its full meaning, we must return to its foundation: creation and covenant.
God created for relationship. His essence is truth, goodness, and beauty (TGB), and relationship depends on his nature. To share in this relationship, God made humanity in his image, capable of understanding, assenting to, and communicating TGB. Humanity’s longing for TGB reflects its design, and God covenanted with his image bearers to provide it in abundance as they depended on him. This relationship was meant to be fully satisfying.
But sin disrupted this design. Seeking TGB apart from God, humanity broke the covenant, severing their relationship with him and bringing death. God, however, was not caught off guard. From initial point of creation, God had resolved to redeem his creation should they fall. God had covenanted within himself to restore humanity through a Redeemer, ensuring that his purpose of everlasting relationship would be fulfilled.
God’s plan of redemption centered on a Messiah, who would fulfill creation’s purpose. Humanity, in their souls, had been given dominion over physical creation—human essence. But the fall occurred when humanity chose to worship that essence in place of God. That act brought a curse to human essence—physical creation—and reversed the roles so that human souls were now enslaved to that cursed essence. Jesus came into this world, taking on this cursed human essence, lived sinlessly, not deserving death, but then gave his body up to death, only to reclaim (redeem) it in resurrection. That putting of cursed human essence to death and raising it redeemed made his now curse-free body the firstfruits of redemption. And by his resurrection, the Messiah would inaugurate the redemption of all physical creation.
Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus revealed this cataclysmic reality: Jesus, the Messiah, had accomplished God’s redemptive plan. Sin no longer reigned—Jesus reigned. This is the gospel: Jesus is Lord! It directly countered the Roman proclamation “Caesar is Lord,” offering hope to a world lost in futility.
Paul’s mission, then, was to proclaim this gospel, which forms the foundation of his letter to the Romans. The theme of Romans is encapsulated in 1:16-17: Paul declares he is not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation, revealing God’s righteousness.
To understand God’s righteousness, we must consider its covenantal, judicial, and apocalyptic dimensions. Covenantally, righteousness reflects God’s faithfulness to his promises. Judicially, it speaks to God’s just judgment of the world. Apocalyptically, it refers to the revelation of God’s redemptive work through Christ. Together, these aspects show how God’s righteousness is revealed through the death and resurrection of Jesus, accomplishing the redemption of creation.
This is the gospel: the righteousness of God revealed through Jesus Christ, restoring creation and securing everlasting relationship with God.