The book of Romans is one of the longest and most significant things written by the Apostle Paul. We know from Acts 18:1-2 that the church in Rome had existed for some time and was made up of both Jewish and non-Jewish followers. Roman emperor Claudius expelled all of the Jewish people from Rome, but five years later all those Jews, including many who followed Jesus, were allowed to return. When they did, they found a church that had become non-Jewish in its customs and practice.

Paul wrote this letter because he wanted this divided community to become unified once again, and he hoped that the Roman church could become a staging ground for his mission to go even further west, reaching to Spain. This motivated Paul to write out his fullest explanation of the Gospel, the good news that announces Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.