Romans

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Context of Letter
Romans is contextually unique in many ways. For one, it is the only letter Paul wrote to a Christ-community that he had never met. In addition, it is the longest of Paul's letters. Finally, most scholars believe that Romans is Paul's last letter.

Paul's letter to Romans can be seen as a fundraising letter. Prior to writing to the Christ-community, Paul had been planning a missionary trip to Spain and needed to raise money to fund his mission. Paul's letter to the Romans is thus an introductory letter meant to gain support and patronage from the Roman Christ-community.

Historical Context
In 49 C.E., the Jews were expelled from Rome under emperor Claudius. Because of this, it is very likely that the Roman Christ-community was mostly, if not all, Gentile. Interestingly, the main prupose of Paul's letter is to show that the gospel is meant for for both Jew and Gentile. This may indicate that the relationship between Roman Jews and Gentiles had become strained due to the recent historical events. Thus, Paul may have chosen his theme for this letter as a result of the historical context of the time.

Themes
Paul emphasizes that the Gospel was meant for both Jews and Gentiles alike. Specifically, he renounces the misconception of Jewish or Gentile superiority. Paul argues that Jews and Gentiles alike are "justified" through faith alone. Loyalty and trust is necessary for salvation.