GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS REVEALED
The apostle Paul’s letter to the 1st-century church at Rome has played a crucial role as a catalyst for reform and renewal throughout the history of the Christian church; it dramatically changed the lives of men such as Augustine and Martin Luther. It is the most complete exposition of the gospel ever written, clearly stating the universal need and universal provision for salvation. In addition, it includes Paul’s teaching on the futility of self-effort and the divine provision for living victoriously.
Romans contains the most formal and systematic development of the apostle Paul’s thinking. His driving concern throughout is salvation—righteousness coming as God’s free gift and being received by faith alone. The letter can be divided into roughly two halves, a predominantly doctrinal section (that is, tenets or principles) in chapters 1–8, and a more practical application section in chapters 12–16. In between, in chapters 9–11, there is a detailed consideration of the place Israel occupies in salvation history.