Romans
INTRODUCTION
ROMANS
E.M. BLAIKLOCK
The authorship of the Letter to the Romans can be certainly attributed to Paul. The place and date of writing can be determined with some certainty from internal evidence. Paul had not yet been to Rome (1:11,13,15), where a mixed church of unknown origin (Acts 28:15) was already functioning, but he intended to pay a visit, after a forthcoming journey to Jerusalem, to where he intended to carry contributions from Macedonia and Achaia (15:23-32). This intention was in his mind during his residence in Corinth (Acts 19:21). Ten years of vigorous evangelism were over, and he planned a major new move after the visit to Jerusalem to which he looked forward with justifiable apprehension. He made this journey, and he made it from Corinth (Acts 24:17). When he wrote to Rome, Timothy, Sosipater, Gaius and Erastus were with him (16:21,23). Gaius was, at least for part of his Corinthian residence, his host (1 Corinthians 1:14). Erastus was a Corinthian, perhaps a prominent figure in the city (16:23; 2 Timothy 4:20), and had served Paul in Macedonia (Acts 19:22). In Acts 20:4 we read that Timothy, Sosipater (Sopater) and Gaius were with Paul in Corinth. Phoebe, who appears to have carried the letter to Rome, and who may have also been hostess to Paul, lived in the marine suburb of Corinth, Cenchreae (16:1). Set these biographical data in order, and it appears that the letter was written in the winter of AD 56–57: This said, the great document may be left to tell its own story, of Christian truth and its mighty exponent.