Intro to Romans

47 to 57 in intense evangelism Jerusalem North

56 and 57 he wintered with his friend Gaius in Corinth.

Planted churches, attended to the planted churches, and was greatful for what Christ had completed in him.

He had a mission to complete. He had gathered funds for the church at Jerusalem and desired to deliver the funds himself. He had collected it from among the Gentiles and wanted to strengthen the bond of Gentile to Mother church.

He had another decision to make. Was he to settle in Jerusalem or in and around another of the churches he planted or move to a new location and begin a new work?

He chose to move north. Far north; to Spain, the oldest Roman province in the west. A place he had never visited and desired to go. His thoughts were to stop in Rome and visit his home country. Although a Roman citizen he had never visited Rome, and there was a flourishing church there.

He wanted to send the Romans a letter to let them know he was coming and to explain the purpose for his visit.

Tertius was his secretary.

So Jerusalem it was and he was going to leave there and visit Rome, but not under his own authority.

then the bottom of 21 and Ch 22. Paul’s travel to Jerusalem. arrest and plea as a Roman citizen.

He is arrested in Jerusalem

Acts 2:7–11 NKJV

Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”

Acts 2:7-

Some of the Romans heard about Christ and went back to Rome and started a church.

The church flourished. On several occasions the Jews and Christians were kicked out of Rome. In this era, Claudius licked them out. It only lasted three years.

Paul grows in the church, so do others. Sometimes their paths meet.

Acts 18:1–3 NKJV

After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.

Acts 18:1-

Were Aquila and Priscilla at Pentecost? Were they converted post Pentecost by some that had seen and heard what the prophet Joel had spoken?

The church grew and Paul wrote to them. In chapter 16, you can see all the people he greeted there. Unfortunaetly seven years after his letter, the city was burned and the Christians were blamed. The Christians were said to be enemies of the human race, and credited with such vices as incest and cannibalism.

Post his trial and Roman citizenship defense, he arrived in the city AD 60.

He was met at the sea by friends who encouraged him and he was in a house prison for two years receiving friends and evangelizing.

Post two years at some point, Paul was convicted and sentenced to death. He was lead out of the city along the Ostian Way and beheaded at a place called the Aquae Salciae.

Who knew the blood of the Martyrs would be the greatest fertilizer to the growth of the church.

By AD 96 Paul’s letter to the Romans had been widely circulated and Clement had read it so often he had memorized it.

Galatians is a mini Romans. Both bring forth the theology of Justification by faith. Galatians was written only one or two years before Romans.

Galatians 2:16 NKJV

knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Read

Galatians 5:17 NKJV

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

In the church of the Nazarene we call that the sanctified life.

Galatians 3:13–14 NKJV

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The gospel is a message of liberty, the law a yoke.

Galatians 5:6 NKJV

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Paul was a recipient of the experience of Justification by faith on the Damascus road.