Deep Dive into Romans by Bruce B. Barton - Introduction

Paul’s letter to the Romans, written from Corinth around A.D. 57, reads like a skilled lawyer’s brief presenting the case for the gospel. Having never visited the capital, Paul wrote to introduce himself and his systematic theology to the Roman believers, who lacked apostolic leaders. A major purpose was to solidify their faith and prepare them to support his strategic goal of future ministry in Spain.

Paul understood the inevitable conflicts facing Christians in the center of the mighty Roman Empire. He possessed three citizenships himself: Jewish heritage, having been thoroughly trained in the law by Gamaliel, the most respected rabbi of the day; Roman citizenship, which he obtained by birth and strategically used for legal protection and to secure his travel to Rome by appealing to Caesar; and, most importantly, citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. Paul emphasized that his ultimate King, Christ, took precedence over all earthly authority.

To strengthen the Roman church, Paul structured his message around five major theological themes. He began with Sin, establishing the universal condemnation of all humanity, which set the stage for Salvation, available solely through faith in Christ’s grace. This foundation led to Spiritual Growth, where believers are freed from the cycle of sin through the power of the Holy Spirit, and Sovereignty, asserting God’s ultimate control over the world, which was a crucial truth in the face of worldly power. Finally, he detailed Service, the outward application of faith in society and the church.

The tension between heavenly allegiance and Roman imperial power resulted in fierce persecution. After the great fire of A.D. 64, Emperor Nero accused Christians and subjected them to terrible atrocities, including being torn apart by dogs or fastened to crosses and set on fire to serve as torches by night. Christians were explicitly forced to choose allegiance to Christ over the emperor. Both Peter and Paul are thought to be victims of Nero’s terror, with Paul being martyred in the spring of A.D. 68.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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