Romans (short for “The Letter of Paul to the Romans”) marks the beginning of a new collection of New Testament books, a large set of epistles (letters) sent from early Christian leaders to various people and churches. Romans, unlike most of Paul’s other letters, is written to a church community he has not yet visited. It serves as an introduction for his future visit, establishing his credentials in apostolic ministry, and addresses some concerns between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in the church of Rome. Some early groups of Christians were wrestling with the issue of whether or how much of the Old Testament law the new Gentile believers should be expected to keep (Acts 15). In Romans, as elsewhere, Paul argues that the foundation of a Christian’s relationship with God is based not on performing of works of the law but on faith. In many Christian circles, Romans is regarded as the highest expression of Paul’s theology, his magnum opus, and it has historically exercised a significant influence on Protestant denominations.

In the first eight chapters of Romans, Paul lays out the theological foundations of his argument.