may be that some of these Romans, “both Jews and proselytes,” present. On the day of Pentecost
(Acts 2:10) carried back the earliest tidings of the new doctrine; or the gospel may have first
reached the imperial city through those who were scattered abroad to escape the persecution which
followed on the death of Stephen. (Acts 8:4; 11:10) At first we may suppose that the gospel had
preached there in a confused and imperfect form, scarcely more than a phase of Judaism, as in the
case of Apollos at Corinth, (Acts 18:25) or the disciples at Ephesus. (Acts 19:1-3) As time advanced
and better-instructed teachers arrived the clouds would gradually clear away, fill at length the
presence of the great apostle himself at Rome dispersed the mists of Judaism which still hung
about the Roman church.
•A question next arises as to the composition of the Roman church at the time when St. Paul wrote.
It is more probable that St. Paul addressed a mixed church of Jews and Gentiles, the latter perhaps
being the more numerous. These Gentile converts, however, were not for the most part native
Romans. Strange as the: paradox appears, nothing is more certain than that the church of Rome
was at this time a Greek and not a Latin church. All the literature of the early Roman church was
written in the Greek tongue.
•The heterogeneous composition of this church explains the general character of the Epistle to the
Romans. In an assemblage so various we should expect to find, not the exclusive predominance
of a single form of error, but the coincidence of different and opposing forms. It was: therefore
the business of the Christian teacher to reconcile the opposing difficulties and to hold out a
meeting-point in the gospel. This is exactly what St. Paul does in the Epistle to the Romans.
•In describing the purport of this epistle we may start from St. Paul’s own words, which, standing
at the beginning of the doctrinal portion, may be taken as giving a summary of the contents. ch.
(Romans 1:16,17) Accordingly the epistle has been described as comprising “the religious
philosophy of the world’s history “The atonement of Christ is the centre of religious history. The
epistle, from its general character, lends itself more readily to an analysis than is often the case
with St. Paul’s epistles. While this epistle contains the fullest and most systematic exposition of
the apostle’s teaching, it is at the same time a very striking expression of his character. Nowhere
do his earnest and affectionate nature and his tact and delicacy in handling unwelcome topics
appear more strongly than when he is dealing with the rejection of his fellow country men the
Jews. Internal evidence is so strongly in favor of the genuineness of the Epistle to the Romans
that it has never been seriously questioned.
Rome
the famous capital of the ancient world, is situated on the Tiber at a distance of about 15 miles
from its mouth. The “seven hills,” (Revelation 17:9) which formed the nucleus of the ancient city
stand on the left bank. On the opposite side of the river rises the far higher side of the Janiculum.
Here from very early times was a fortress with a suburb beneath it extending to the river. Modern
Rome lies to the north of the ancient city, covering with its principal portion the plain to the north
of the seven hills, once known as the Campus Martius, and on the opposite bank extending over
the low ground beneath the Vatican to the north of the ancient Janiculum. Rome is not mentioned
in the Bible except in the books of Maccabees and in three books of the New Testament, viz., the
Acts, the Epistle to the Romans and the Second Epistle to Timothy.
•Jewish inhabitants. the conquests of Pompey seem to have given rise to the first settlement of Jews
at Rome. The Jewish king Aristobulus and his son formed part of Pompey’s triumph, and many
Jewish captives and immigrants were brought to Rome at that time. A special district was assigned
frankie
(Frankie)
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