The next phase of Paul’s life began after he visited Corinth one last time. In our last visit with Paul, he had received word through Titus about Corinth while in Macedonia. He wrote 2nd Corinthians and we looked at that letter. We read in Acts 20:2-3 that, “when he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.“

While Paul was in Greece (e.g. Corinth), he wrote the book of Romans. Paul had not been to Rome, nor did he directly start a church there, but he had a great desire to go there and had the intention to go after visiting Jerusalem again at the conclusion of this (third) missionary journey. He specifically said, in Romans 15:17-29,

“In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.’ This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.“

So it was Paul’s intent to use Rome as a jumping off point to take a mission journey to Spain. There is some conjecture that he did just that, but I’ll write about that when we get there in this study.

As I said earlier, Paul had not yet been to Rome and had not directly begun any churches there. However, the last chapter (16) of the book of Romans has the longest list of names and acquaintances of any of his letters.

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.“

We’ve already met Prisca and Aquila before. They were with Paul in Corinth during his second missionary journey. They (and all Jews) had been expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius in AD 49. His death in AD 54 led to the return of some of the Jews to Rome, including Prisca and Aquila. Since they had connections in Rome and were close friends with Paul (including accompanying him to Ephesus), they had a network already established in Rome and may have been instrumental to introducing Paul to some of the people he listed in Romans 16.

Since Paul had not been there yet, he used the letter to the Roman church (following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, of course) to lay a solid theological foundation rather than to address specific deficiencies or problems. The letter is a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It addresses the need for salvation for all people. It also helps the Christian to understand their role and behavior beyond simple salvation.

After his introduction and reasons for wanting to come to Rome, Paul begins his explanation of the gospel. First, he contrasts the holiness and righteousness of God with the unrighteousness of all people. He also explains that all people have access to an understanding and recognition of the holiness of God compared to their own unrighteousness. He says in Romans 1:18-23,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

He then spends some time comparing the spiritual state of Jews and Gentiles, culminating in the assertion (3:23-25) that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” This led to the next chapter in which he discussed and illustrated faith through the life of Abraham. He concluded that discussion with 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” He also summarizes with another concluding statement in 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

I’m going to stop here and continue this in the next Life of Paul post.