Ed Urzi

“concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3-4).

To further support the fact that his gospel message originated in the prophetic books of the Old Testament Scriptures, Paul the Apostle continued with a reference to Jesus, “…who as to his human nature was a descendant of David” (NIV). This was an important point to establish with his Jewish audience, many of whom were familiar with the messianic prophecies that specified the Messiah’s descent through the lineage of Israel’s king David.

Nevertheless, this passage offers greater theological depth than its brevity might suggest. Several commentators can help us remain Biblically accurate when considering these important references to Christ. We can begin with this reference to “…Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh” (KJV)…

“‘Was made’ is Ginomai in a second aorist participle signifying entrance into a new condition. The verb means ‘to become.’ John uses it in his statement, ‘The Word became flesh’ (Joh 1:14), that is, entered into a new state or condition by assuming a human body and putting Himself under human limitations.” ₍₁₎

Next is a reference to the “Son of David,” a phrase that is repeatedly linked to Jesus in the New Testament Scriptures…

“This relates to the prophecy of 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17. The Messiah was of the royal line of David (cf. Isa. 9:7; 11:1,10; Jer. 23:5; 30:9; 33:15) from the tribe of Judah (cf. Gen. 49:4-12; Isa. 65:9). In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus is acknowledged as David’s descendant several times (cf. Matt. 1:6; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30,31; 21:9,15; 22:42), which reflected the Jewish hope of a coming Davidic savior.” ₍₂₎

The phrase “according to the flesh” also speaks of Jesus’ genealogical descent from Israel’s king David…

“Matthew 1 gives the genealogical proof that Jesus, in His humanity, was a direct descendant of Abraham and David through Joseph, Jesus’ legal father. The genealogy in Luke 3 traces Jesus’ lineage through His mother, Mary. Jesus is a descendant of David by adoption through Joseph and by blood through Mary. ‘As to his earthly life [Christ Jesus] was a descendant of David’” (Romans 1:3).” ₍₃₎

Our final commentator ties these data points together…

“This Jesus had both a human origin (born of the seed of David according to the flesh), and an eternal existence (declared to be the Son of God). The evidence of Jesus’ humanity is His human birth; the evidence of His deity is His resurrection from the dead.” ₍₄₎

(1) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (note on Romans 1:2-4) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

(2) Dr. Bob Utley. Free Bible Commentary, Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International. Romans 1. (n.d.). https://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL05/VOL05_01.html

(3) GotQuestions.org. (2025, May 5). GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-son-of-David.html

(4) Guzik, David. Enduring Word. (2025, April 3). Enduring Word Bible Commentary Romans Chapter 1. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/romans-1/

After he embarked on his second missionary journey, Paul the Apostle took advantage of an opportunity to discuss the resurrection of Christ with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers of his day. The Biblical book of Acts chronicles their response to Paul’s gospel message…

“When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, ‘What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods'” (Acts 17:18 NLT).

The allegation that Paul was someone who promoted a foreign (or perhaps imaginary) god was far from accurate. However, it’s possible that some members of the Roman congregation had been exposed to those accusations. So, to counter those charges, it appears that Paul launched something of a pre-emptive strike beginning in Romans 1:2. That portion of Scripture begins with an important declaration…

“which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures” (Romans 1:2).

Paul will advance two lines of argument over the course of the next few verses. The first was primarily designed to benefit the Jewish members of his audience and others who were familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. In making this claim here in verse two, Paul effectively communicated an important truth: “The message I proclaim is not something that sprang from my own intellect or imagination; it was promised in advance through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures.”

In other words, Paul did not advocate a “foreign god” or new religion. Instead, he proclaimed the same good news that was predicted by God’s prophets. Those Old Testament prophets foretold of a New Covenant and a Messiah whose sacrifice would bring hope and redemption. So in making this connection, Paul established a complimentary relationship between these Old and New Covenants.

While other religious traditions maintained their own collections of “sacred texts,” Paul had a precise definition in mind in referring to “the Holy Scriptures”…

“The New Testament uses the term Scripture in a technical sense. It occurs some fifty times, and in most cases it refers unmistakably to the Old Testament as a whole. To first century Christians, the word Scripture meant primarily the sacred canon of the Old Testament, which is called ‘sacred Scriptures’ (II Tim. 3:15…) or ‘holy scriptures’ (Rom. 1:2). These they acknowledged to be ‘inspired of God’ (II Tim. 3: 16…) and the rule for faith and practice (v. 17; cf. Rom. 15:4).” ₍₁₎

So, Paul made certain to establish an important foundation: the gospel he proclaimed did not originate with him, but proceeded from God. In making this reference to the prophets of the Old Testament,  Paul was diligent to root his message in the authority of God’s Word.

(1) Geisler, N. L., & Nix, W. E. (1968). A General Introduction to the Bible. [pg. 74]

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God–” (Romans 1:1 NIV).

So, Paul was called to be an apostle, but to what purpose? Well, that purpose is made clear in the verse quoted above where Paul tells us he was “set apart for the gospel of God.” This tells us that Paul was called to the apostolic mission of preaching the gospel (or “good news”) that…

• Jesus’ death served as the payment for the penalty of sin.
• By trusting in Him, we can be forgiven and inherit eternal life.

Of course, there are other “gospels” (spiritual and non-spiritual) that also purport to be good news but are actually something else. For example, some “gospels” emphasize good works, moral living, or strict allegiance to a set of religious principles as the path to favor with God. Then there are secular “gospels” that promote the superficial allure of social popularity or wealth accumulation as the keys to happiness and satisfaction in life.

But those “gospels” are not the “gospel of God” Paul references here in Romans 1:1. Unfortunately, the same may often be said of sermons that routinely focus on something other than a study of God’s Word. One pastoral commentator takes the opportunity of this passage to offer a timely reminder…

“If you can take Jesus Christ out of a sermon without affecting it, you’re probably wasting your time listening to it. If you can take Jesus Christ out of a book without affecting it, you’re probably wasting your time reading it. Paul wasn’t separated unto the good advice of Christian living. He was separated to the Good News of God.” ₍₁₎

We can often identify the presence of such teaching with the following question: “How much Scripture does this person use in his or her book, message, or sermon?” Spiritual presentations that routinely feature little or no Biblical text should thus serve as warnings. The insight offered by another source is one that bears repeating in this regard…

“…There are various ways to use the word of God deceitfully, or to tamper with it. Using a Bible text to preach a ‘sermon’ that has little or nothing to do with the Bible is one of the common ways of doing it.” ₍₂₎

Thus, as we close our look at the opening verse of Romans chapter one, our final commentator summarizes Paul’s introduction in verse one: “The author introduces himself in the first verses of Romans by name (Paul), by identity (bondservant), by vocation (apostle), and by purpose (separated to the gospel of God). ₍₃₎

Image Attribution :Gospel Messenger, The (1884), Internet Archive Book Images, Public Domain via flickr.com

(1) Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 866.

(2) Paul T. Butler. The Bible Study Textbook Series, Studies In Second Corinthians (College Press) [p. 93] Copyright © 1988 College Press Publishing Company https://archive.org/stream/BibleStudyTextbookSeriesSecondCorinthians/132Corinthians-Butler_djvu.txt

(3) Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 1421.

“From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1 NET).

We should note the sequence here in Paul the Apostle’s introductory message to the church at Rome. Notice that Paul first identified himself as a slave of Christ, and then as an apostle. So even though Paul was called to an apostolic leadership position, that call was rooted in his servant relationship to Christ.

We can clarify this idea of a “calling” with a look at the following excerpt from the Gospel of Mark…

“And [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:13-14).

This initial reference to Jesus’ “calling” involved a summons or invitation. ₍₁₎ That was followed by an appointment, or the act of making or doing something. ₍₂₎ While there is some overlap in these definitions, they convey the general idea of a “call to the performance of a thing.” ₍₃₎

So Paul clearly viewed his ministry as a divine invitation or appointment. ₍₄₎ In a similar manner, we can often discern God’s call on our lives by conducting a prayerful assessment of the gifts, talents, skills, abilities, interests, desires, blessings, and opportunities He has given us. One commentator offers several insights from this passage as we consider God’s call to our own life’s work…

“Paul never thought of himself as a man who had aspired to an honour; he thought of himself as a man who had been given a task. Jesus said to his men, ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you’ (Joh_15:16). Paul did not think of life in terms of what he wanted to do, but in terms of what God meant him to do… Paul knew himself to be chosen not for special honour, but for special responsibility.” ₍₄₎

That brings us to Paul’s self-identification as an apostle. In a Biblical context, the word “apostle” identifies someone who fulfills the role of a commissioned representative. much like an ambassador or spokesperson. Thus, we can say that an apostle is someone who has been entrusted with the power and authority to act as a representative of Christ.

However, the Biblical apostles (like Paul) held several important qualifications that set them apart from anyone who claims the role of a modern-day apostle. For example…

• They were first-century eyewitnesses of Jesus following His resurrection (John 20:26-28, 1 Corinthians 9:1).
• They were personally selected by Jesus to serve as apostles (Matthew 10:1-4, Acts 9:10-16).
• They possessed the God-given ability to perform miracles (Acts 2:43, Acts 19:11-12).

While the ministry of an apostle no longer exists in a Biblical sense, we can still fulfill this important role as “ambassadors for Christ” as we represent Him to others.

(1) G4341 proskaleo. (n.d.). billmounce.com. https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/proskaleo

(2) G4160 – poieo – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4160/kjv/tr/0-1/

(3) G2822 – kletos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2822/kjv/tr/0-1/

(4) Barclay, William. “Commentary on Romans 1”. “William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/romans-1.html. 1956-1959.

“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the gospel of God [the good news of salvation]” (Romans 1:1 AMP).

The Biblical book of Acts tells us that God enabled Paul the Apostle to perform miracles that were so astounding that some began to revere him as a god (see Acts 14:8-15). But Paul preemptively dismissed that notion for the benefit of his Roman audience by identifying himself as a “bond-servant of Christ.”

In the original language of the passage, the word “bondservant” is a direct translation of the word “doulos.” ₍₁₎ That term denotes someone who willingly relinquishes his or her rights, privileges, and entitlements in service to another. While ordinary servants might welcome an opportunity to gain their freedom, a bondservant is someone who willingly accepts that position. One Biblical scholar expands on these definitions with the following insights…

“The Greek word doulos, which is the word servant in the KJV, is more accurately translated by the word slave. In the ancient world a servant was a hired employee who could come and go and even resign if he wanted. But a doulos was owned by a kyrios, a master or lord. He was the purchased property of the slave owner.

This imagery is frequently used in the New Testament to reflect the relationship between Christ and his people. We belong to Christ—our kyrios, our Lord and Master. He has the right of an owner to impose obligation on us. Because Paul so clearly understood that believers have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, he called himself a doulos, or slave, of Jesus Christ.” ₍₂₎

Paul was one of several New Testament leaders to adopt this title, a list that included Peter (2 Peter 1:1), Epaphras (Colossians 4:12), James (James 1:1), and Jude (Jude 1:1). But even more significant is the fact that Jesus leads by example in this area…

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

With this in mind, the following portion of Jesus’ message to His disciples at the last supper adds an important layer of understanding to our text from Romans 1:1…

“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:12-17).

(1) G1401 doulos https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1401/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) Sproul, R. C. (1992). Before the face of God: Book 1: A daily guide for living from the book of Romans (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries.

“Romans serves as the flagship of the fleet of Pauline letters within the New Testament.” ₍₁₎

The first chapter of the Book of Romans introduces us to the central theme of this great Biblical book. That theme involves God’s righteousness and humanity’s relation to it. Romans chapter one will also explore the nature of humanity’s rebellion against God, along with the destructive consequences associated with that rebellion. But before we delve into those topics, let’s begin with first things first.

When traveling outside our home country, it’s important to carry a valid passport or similar form of identification. A passport serves to validate our identity and authenticate the person we claim to be. Without those credentials, our capacity to travel abroad would be greatly limited. In keeping with this idea, Paul the Apostle will lay out his “credentials” here in the opening verses of Romans, chapter one.

Those credentials help form Paul’s statement of faith and establish his authority to speak about Jesus’ life and ministry…

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1).

This opening salutation will continue through verse seven and forms the longest introductory greeting in any of Paul’s New Testament epistles. However, the first verse of this letter offers a remarkably concise description of who Paul is and what he does. We’ll explore these aspects of Paul’s identity at greater length over the next few studies.

It’s also interesting to note that Paul’s name constitutes the very first word of this epistle. Today, we typically sign our names or identify ourselves at the end of a handwritten message. But in the first century, it was customary to begin a piece of correspondence with the name of the author, the recipient’s name, and a greeting. In accordance with that first-century custom, Paul identified himself as the author of this epistle right at the beginning of his opening sentence.

However, there was a practical reason for ancient writers to “sign” their names at the beginning of their correspondence…

“All letters and other written communications, in New Testament times, were written upon parchments and conveyed to their recipients in rolled-up form; and that ancient style of letter required, as a practical consideration, that the signature of the writer be at the beginning. Otherwise, it would have been necessary to unroll the entire scroll to find the name of the sender. Therefore, Paul followed the custom of the times in placing his name along with the salutation in the beginning of the epistle.” ₍₂₎

(1) Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 1420.

(2) Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Romans 1”. “Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/romans-1.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

Although it appears that the Apostle Paul (along with the Apostle Peter) were both martyred in Rome, it seems unlikely that either of those great Apostles founded the the church there. The church at Rome likely began when those who were present for the events that occurred in Acts chapter two and made their way back to the capital city. Others may have sought refuge from persecution (Acts 8:1-4), Once in Rome, their paths converged with those who had heard and believed the gospel and the nascent church was born.

With such a patchwork of cultures and personalities coexisting together, Paul was uniquely qualified to help the Roman congregation grow into spiritual maturity. Consider how Paul was God’s “man for the job” with respect to the church at Rome…

• First, Paul was an academic scholar who taught with the authority of an apostle.
• However, Paul also had to labor to support himself on occasion. Thus, he was familiar with the struggles and challenges of working life.
• Paul had command of multiple languages, a great advantage when communicating with multilingual audiences.
• He also possessed an exhaustive knowledge of Judaism and its related traditions. In fact, the Book of Romans contains dozens of quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures.
• Nevertheless, Paul did not live a religiously sheltered life, for he was deeply familiar with Greek and Roman culture.
• By his own admission, Paul was a poor orator, but he spoke from the perspective of a knowledgeable and experienced world traveler.

Thus, Paul was well-qualified to speak with with the members of this culturally diverse fellowship. However, the Book of Romans also reveals that Paul had a few agenda items of his own with respect to these believers…

• He sought to establish a mutually edifying and encouraging relationship with them (1:12).
• He was eager for an opportunity to communicate the Gospel in that busy metropolitan area (1:15).
• Finally, he hoped to secure the church’s support for a potential missionary journey into Spain- but not until he had an opportunity to enjoy their company for a while (15:28).

The following commentator will close our introduction to this great Biblical book with the following summary…

“Romans embodies the most complete exposition of Christian doctrine in the Bible. Most of Paul’s other epistles were written either to churches in which Paul had a direct interest as founder or to individuals whom he knew personally. His church epistles were usually written to deal with specific needs in the particular churches, but this was not true of Romans.

Furthermore, Rome was the greatest city in the world, so the Roman Gentile Christians had unique opportunities of witness and ministry. Accordingly, Paul used his letter to Rome, probably written while in Corinth on his third missionary journey (16:23; Ac 20:3), to compose a logical and extensive exposition and defense of Christianity.” ₍₁₎

(1) Institute for Creation Research, New Defender’s Study Bible Notes [Romans 1:1] https://www.icr.org/bible/Rom/1/1/ Accessed 10 July, 2025

In addition to serving as an introductory letter, the Epistle to the Romans offered a further benefit to the church at Rome. Much like a water well fed by a deep artesian spring, this letter offered a wellspring of spiritual insight that one could draw upon repeatedly. Since there were likely to be some who held rudimentary, questionable, or fragmented views of Christianity, this letter offered an opportunity to correct any potential misunderstandings. The same is true today.

This may explain some of the lengthy doctrinal discussions that appear in the midst of this epistle. In contrast to some other New Testament churches where Paul the Apostle had an opportunity to develop a strong spiritual foundation, things were a little different in Rome. From a human perspective, Paul had no way of knowing what spiritual views he might encounter on a visit to Rome. This letter would thus provide an opportunity to establish a good spiritual baseline.

Furthermore, there are some clues to suggest that Paul wanted to dispel certain misconceptions concerning his life and ministry. For instance, there is the following exchange in Romans 3:8…

“And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, ‘The more we sin, the better it is!’ Those who say such things deserve to be condemned” (NLT).

Then there is a hypothetical argument that appears in Romans 9:19. The genesis of that argument is almost certainly traceable back to some of Paul’s earlier discussions with those he met during his missionary journeys…

“Of course I can almost hear your retort: ‘If this is so, and God’s will is irresistible, why does God blame men for what they do?’ But the question really is this: ‘Who are you, a man, to make any such reply to God?’ When a craftsman makes anything he doesn’t expect it to turn round and say, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” (Phillips).

As the Biblical book of Proverbs reminds us, “Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight” (Proverbs 18:17 TLB). To some extent, Paul’s epistle to the Romans may represent his attempt to “set the record straight” with respect to his teachings. One commentary puts the importance of these things into perspective for the first century church at Rome…

“The Roman church had no New Testament because the Gospels were not yet being circulated in their final written form. Thus, this letter may well have been the first piece of Christian literature the Roman believers had seen. Written to both Jewish and Gentile Christians, the letter to the Romans is a systematic presentation of the Christian faith.” ₍₁₎

(1) Life Application Study Bible [Romans 1:1] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.

As the capital of the Roman Empire, the city of Rome held a position of preeminence in the first-century world. From its central location in western Italy, Rome governed large portions of Europe, the near east, and north Africa during the New Testament era.

The following commentary offers an overview of Rome at the time of Paul the Apostle’s letter to the church there…

“Rome was the capital and most important city of the Roman Empire. It was founded in 753 B.C., but is not mentioned in Scripture until NT times. Rome is located along the banks of the Tiber River, about 15 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Until an artificial harbor was built at nearby Ostia, Rome’s main harbor was Puteoli, some 150 miles away…

In Paul’s day, the city had a population of over one million people, many of whom were slaves. Rome boasted magnificent buildings, such as the Emperor’s palace, the Circus Maximus, and the Forum, but its beauty was marred by the slums in which so many lived.” ₍₁₎

Much like the city of Corinth (though vastly larger), the city of Rome was a study in contrasts. On one hand, the city was cultured, artistic, and sophisticated. However, it was deeply immoral, idolatrous, and depraved in many respects.

That brings us to this letter itself. Since there were no postal services available within the Roman Empire, all forms of correspondence had to be carried by hand for delivery to their intended destination. In this instance, Romans 16:1-2 suggests that Paul the Apostle’s designated letter carrier was a woman named Phoebe. That portion of Scripture tells us that Phoebe attended church in the Corinthian seaport village of Cenchrea, and further suggests that the Epistle to the Romans may have originated in Corinth.

In part, this lengthy epistle served as Paul’s introduction to the Roman church, especially for those who were relatively unfamiliar with his life, ministry, and doctrine. And as we’ll see later in chapter one, Paul affirmed his desire to follow this letter with a personal visit. In fact, he acknowledged that he would have visited them sooner if circumstances had not prevented him from doing so.

Finally, Paul encouraged his audience by reminding them of his continued prayers for them (1:9) and provided his readers with a glimpse of his future travel plans: “So, to the fullest extent of my ability, I am ready to come also to you in Rome to preach God’s Good News” (Romans 1:15 TLB).

Image Attribution : “Ancient Rome sure looked like the National Mall” by Don Sniegowski, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

(1) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006).

Introduction to the Book of Romans

The opening verse of the Biblical book of Romans identifies Paul the Apostle as the author of this letter, while the final chapter tells us that a secretary named Tertius held the important responsibility of transcribing this message on his behalf. As we might expect, this epistle derives its name from Paul’s intended audience: the assembly of believers who gathered in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire.

Although the book of Romans appears first among the New Testament epistles, there are other Biblical epistles that likely predate it. Nevertheless, the length and theological content of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans helps account for its prominent position within the New Testament canon.

Most commentators believe Paul authored the book of Romans while he was temporarily residing in the city of Corinth. Corinth was situated on a land area between the Aegean and Ionian seas, a location was that very attractive to seafaring travelers who were moving between the eastern and western portions of the Roman Empire. Since Corinth’s harbor narrowed to a strip of land that was only about four miles (6.5km) wide at one point, travelers and merchants found it relatively easy to cross that distance on foot and continue their ocean voyage on the other side.

This meant that Corinth served as a busy metropolitan area in the days of the first century. Thus, it should not surprise us to learn that Paul spent over eighteen months there at one point. In fact, a few of Paul’s associates from that period of his ministry also appear in the Book of Romans. ₍₁₎ This further supports the theory that Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans while he was in Corinth.

One commentator ties this timeline together…

“The life and ministry of Paul (also known as Saul of Tarsus) is well documented in Acts chapters 8 through 28, as well as Galatians 1 and 2, and 2 Corinthians 11 and 12. It is almost universally agreed that Paul wrote Romans from the city of Corinth as he wintered there on his third missionary journey as described in Acts 20:2-3 (based on Romans 16:1, 23 and 1 Corinthians 1:14).

A variety of commentators pick dates with confidence anywhere from 53 to 58. By the time Paul wrote Romans, he had been a Christian preacher for some 20 years. In Corinth, on his way to Jerusalem, he had three months without any pressing duties. He may have thought this was a good time to write ahead to Rome, a church he was planning to visit after Jerusalem.” ₍₂₎

(1) Compare Acts 20:4 and Romans 16:21–23

(2) Enduring Word. (2025, April 3). Enduring Word Bible Commentary Romans Chapter 1. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/romans-1/