Letters to the Church

In Genesis , God continues to implement His plan to redeem humanity by establishing the Covenant with Abraham, beginning with His summons for the Patriarch to leave his homeland and sojourn to the “ land that I will show you .” Yahweh would produce a “ great nation ” from him, and the Covenant would bless all the “ tribes of the Earth .” Moreover, from its start, the promise of territory was and remains central to the Abrahamic Covenant.

In Romans , Paul demonstrates that all men have sinned. Jews and Gentiles alike violate God’s revealed will, therefore, no one is or can be justified before Him “ from the works of the Law .” Jews have the Mosaic Law but fall short of its requirements. Gentiles have the witness of their conscience yet live and even revel in their sins. So, if no one is set right before God “ from the works of the Law ,” how is anyone “ justified ” or reconciled with Him?

Sin is the Great Leveler that places every man and woman in the same predicament - bondage now, and death and “ Wrath ” later. No one is exempted from the penalty of sin whether Jew or Gentile, and no one has a legitimate excuse for his or her sin. Without exception, God will “ render to every man according to his works ,” and with Him, “ there is no respect of persons .”

Paul wrote his Letter to the Romans with two purposes in mind. First, to prepare the ground for his visit to the city and planned a missionary trip to Spain. Second, to deal with conflicts between Jewish and Gentile believers in the churches of Rome. In the Letter’s first half, he explains his Gospel. In the second, he addresses the status of the Jewish people and the specific conflicts in the congregation.