Paul’s Letter to the Romans

It had only been a few years since Jesus had lived and died and risen again but he was winning people over all over the world.

Jesus was changing the way people lived and it was happening quickly.

So quickly that it wasn’t always clear how things were supposed to work, and what Jesus’ death and resurrection meant for history. Paul was on the front-lines of this transformation of the world. He was part of establishing groups all over the place and writing the groups as they tried to sort things out. One of the hardest things was Jewish people and Gentiles learning to live and pray together. 

Paul wrote a letter to the 3 to 5 congregations that had started in Rome. He clearly wants to help Jews and Gentiles to be able to share life together, eat together, to have mutual trust, respect, and affections. Paul and his partners wrote such a long, dense, letter that it is hard to take in. He was trying to get Jews and Gentiles to see that they are a new family, that everyone is invited to be forgiven, that there’s a new way of life together in the Holy Spirit, that God’s love was being poured out onto everyone, and so much more besides – as I said, there’s a lot to take in. 

At the heart of Paul’s appeal is the new family made up of changed people who are challenged to love each other as Jesus loves them. Paul says that nature is waiting for God to finish this work. Until that day comes, Paul gives us these famous words:

“Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ”