Relationship to the Bible as
a Whole (Romans 1:1-2)
Romans bridges the gap between what was PROPHESIED "since
the world began" (Acts 3:21) and that which was "KEPT SECRET since the world began" (Romans 16:25):
Paul CLOSES the epistle with reference to "the preaching
of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the MYSTERY" (Romans 16:25) as revealed in the epistle to the EPHESIANS (Ephesians 3:3,6)
Relationship to the Other Pauline
Epistles (II Timothy 3:16)
The fourfold purpose of Scripture: DOCTRINE, REPROOF,
CORRECTION, INSTRUCTION (II Timothy 3:16)
The canonical order of the Pauline epistles is NOT CHRONOLOGICAL,
BUT DOCTRINAL and that order is preserved intact IN ALL the 2000+ surviving ancient NT manuscripts:
ROMANS (DOCTRINE) - the Gospel (Justification and Sanctification)
CORINTHIANS (REPROOF) - moral reproof (Sanctification)
The WRITING of the epistle occurred during Paul's three
month stay in GREECE from the city of CORINTH (Acts 20:1-3):
He was on his way to Jerusalem to deliver a contribution
for the Jerusalem church from the Gentile churches in MACEDONIA and ACHAIA (Romans 15:24-26 cf. Acts 21:17-19)
He planned to visit the church at ROME on his way to SPAIN
after delivering the Gentile contribution to the Jerusalem church (Romans 15:27-28 cf. Acts 19:21)
The people associated with Paul's stay in CORINTH were:
Paul DICTATED the epistle to Tertius (Romans 16:22)
and it was DELIVERED by the hand of Phebe - a member of the church at Cenchrea (Corinth's eastern harbor) who had
business in Rome (Romans 16:1-2)
There are three FOUNDING views of the church at Rome:
The CATHOLIC view - that it was established by Peter who
became its first bishop - is refuted by Paul's testimony concerning his ministry (Galatians 2:9 cf. Romans 11:13)
The FUNDAMENTALIST view - that it was established by saints
under Peter's ministry, i.e. Jews from Rome (Acts 2:5,8-10) - is refuted by the actions of those under Peter's ministry (Acts 8:1; 11:19)
The DISPENSATIONAL view - that it was established as a
result of Paul's Gentile ministry (Acts 15:22-26) - is confirmed by the following facts:
The first Gentile church at ANTIOCH was established by
Paul (Acts 11:22-26)
Paul's Gentile converts are seen to be DISTINGUISHED from
those believers who are Jews (I Thessalonians 2:14)
Paul's arrival in ROME is marked by the BRETHREN running
out ahead to meet him (Acts 28:13-15); his reputation preceding him - he sends GREETINGS to 25+ persons by
name (Romans 16:1-24)
Although Romans is DOCTRINALLY the FIRST epistle - it
is CHRONOLOGICALLY the LAST epistle written during Paul's Acts ministry of "to the JEW FIRST" (Romans 1:16 cf. Acts 13:45-46; 18:5-6):
This "to the JEW FIRST" ministry ENDED AT ROME
(Acts 28:28) with the prophetci pronouncement of Israel's Divinely induced slumber
due to her unbelief (Acts 28:25-27 cf. Isaiah 6:9-10)
In this LAST epistle (of Paul's Acts ministry) - it is
REVEALED - how long will be the time of Israel's Divinely induced slumber (Romans 11:8,25 cf. Ephesians 3:1-2)