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.