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).