Episode 10
Romans — Read the NT in 90 Days
Have you ever wondered how an ancient letter could unite a divided community—and transform the way we understand faith today? In this episode of Seek Go Create, Tim Winders walks us through the Book of Romans, Paul's powerful theological masterpiece written to a church he had never visited. Discover the drama of first-century Rome, the challenges between Jewish and Gentile believers, and why the timeless truths in Romans still matter for us now. Whether you’re a longtime Bible reader or just curious, this episode will open your eyes to the heart and depth behind one of the New Testament’s most influential writings. Don’t miss this opportunity to read Romans as the very first believers did!
“Righteousness is a gift, not an achievement.” - Tim Winders
Access all show and episode resources HERE
Episode Resources:
- NT90 Hub – This is the central website for the 90-day New Testament reading plan, with downloadable, printable plans, background information, and links to all episodes and resources.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 Introduction to Romans
00:21 Overview of the Reading Plan
01:00 Context and Background of Romans
03:58 Phoebe: The Courier of Romans
04:57 Historical Context: The Expulsion and Return
06:41 Paul's Strategic Plan for Rome
07:20 The Setting in Rome
09:54 Paul's Comprehensive Theology in Romans
11:44 Key Themes in Romans
14:05 Reading Assignment and Conclusion
Transcript
Paul's theological masterpiece written to a church he's never visited.
Speaker:Romans lays out the architecture of salvation.
Speaker:Righteousness by faith for Jew and Gentile alike, creating one family in Christ.
Speaker:Hello, this is Seek Go Create.
Speaker:You are listening to read the New Testament in 90 days, 27
Speaker:books in order in context.
Speaker:We're walking through the New Testament, the way it was written, so you can
Speaker:hear it the way the first churches did.
Speaker:Make sure if you haven't done it already, get the free reading plan
Speaker:and other resources and information at K two M Foundation slash.
Speaker:T 90 links and all are down in the comments depending on where you're
Speaker:listening in or watching this.
Speaker:So make sure you click on that.
Speaker:There's resources and other notes and things that are
Speaker:being added constantly there.
Speaker:So make sure you check it out.
Speaker:It's a good place to go.
Speaker:Alright, today, stop Romans, Paul's longest letter and.
Speaker:We all primarily consider this to be his deepest theology.
Speaker:Quick note before we get into it in the episode on First Corinthians, just
Speaker:a few episodes ago, I said that First Corinthians was Paul's longest letter.
Speaker:That's not quite right, so let's kind of correct that here.
Speaker:Romans actually holds the title.
Speaker:For Paul's longest letter, it was an easy mistake.
Speaker:First Corinthians, I think this is actually what I said, is Paul's
Speaker:longest letter to a church he actually planted and visited.
Speaker:Romans is longer, but it's written to a church he had never met.
Speaker:He had never been there.
Speaker:He was planning to go, but he had never been there at the time he wrote this.
Speaker:So sort of splitting hairs there.
Speaker:But our New Testament that we read primarily arranges
Speaker:Paul's letters by length.
Speaker:That's why Romans comes first in your Bible that you most
Speaker:likely have on your shelf.
Speaker:Even though Paul wrote it after Galatians Thessalonians and both
Speaker:letters to Corinth, ordering it by length is fine for organizing a
Speaker:collection and possibly printing books.
Speaker:But that's why we're doing what we're doing here.
Speaker:We're reading them in the order they were written to.
Speaker:Experience them the way early believers receive them.
Speaker:And let's think about it.
Speaker:We believe that Romans was written at about 56 57 ad, which is about six or
Speaker:seven years, maybe almost eight years.
Speaker:After the book of Galatians, and I think it's helpful to read with
Speaker:that time gap in mind, which is exactly what we've done here.
Speaker:The author of this book, we definitely believe and know that it is Paul.
Speaker:The cool thing with a lot of Paul's.
Speaker:Letters is that not only do we pretty definitively know that he was the
Speaker:author, but we also know the timeframe.
Speaker:The dates on this is between 80 56 to 57.
Speaker:Probably during the winter.
Speaker:We're more confident about these dates because we can cross reference much of.
Speaker:Paul wrote to the Book of Acts and also some historical events, so some
Speaker:of the dates that we put on some of the gospels and also some of the other
Speaker:things written in the New Testament.
Speaker:They do have question marks beside them.
Speaker:Most of Paul's, many of Paul's.
Speaker:Do not.
Speaker:We feel pretty confident of those.
Speaker:The audience, it's believers in Rome.
Speaker:It's a mixed group of Jewish and Gentile believers that Paul has never met.
Speaker:The setting is about 27 years post resurrection.
Speaker:Paul is writing from Corinth and Phoebe will carry the letter.
Speaker:To Rome.
Speaker:Let's, let's mention something about Phoebe here.
Speaker:I've always been fascinated by some of what some people might say
Speaker:are minor characters in the Bible.
Speaker:Phoebe would qualify as one of those.
Speaker:She is more than a courier.
Speaker:Just the fact that she's the courier.
Speaker:Of what we now consider one of the most popular and most, I guess
Speaker:most famous books in the Bible.
Speaker:Romans, she's the courier.
Speaker:She carried this letter, but Paul also calls her a deacon in Romans 16, one.
Speaker:She likely.
Speaker:Read this letter aloud to the gathered believers as she delivered it.
Speaker:She's a woman caring and delivering Paul's most important theology, 2000 years ago.
Speaker:So anyway, no hidden message in there.
Speaker:I'm just sharing with the scripture, discusses and talks about a little
Speaker:bit of background that I think we need before we get into Romans.
Speaker:Let's talk about the expulsion that occurred in AD 49, 8 years before
Speaker:this letter, and also this was around the same time that Paul wrote his
Speaker:first letter, Galatians, that we've already should have already read.
Speaker:If you're doing this in order.
Speaker:Eight years before this letter, emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome.
Speaker:The Roman historian Satton says it was because of disturbances.
Speaker:At the instigation of Cresta.
Speaker:Almost certainly we believe disputes about Christ.
Speaker:In the synagogues.
Speaker:Can you believe it?
Speaker:People were arguing about faith.
Speaker:How about that?
Speaker:Back in AD 49 in Rome, that is when a couple, Priscilla and
Speaker:Aquila packed up and headed east.
Speaker:They landed in Corinth, which is where they met Paul, and they
Speaker:worked alongside him as tent makers.
Speaker:They became key leaders in the early church.
Speaker:Now, fast forward a few years to AD 54, still about three years before
Speaker:Romans was written, but there was something that we call the return.
Speaker:Claudius died.
Speaker:The edict died with him.
Speaker:Nero became the emperor.
Speaker:We've talked some about Nero already, and we'll hear more about him later,
Speaker:but then Jews could return to Rome now.
Speaker:That's historical.
Speaker:We know that.
Speaker:But I'm gonna speculate on something here that I've read a little bit about,
Speaker:and I wanna make sure you're clear.
Speaker:This is Tim's thoughts and ideas.
Speaker:Take it for whatever it's worth.
Speaker:I believe that Paul, as soon as Claudius died, that he sent leaders
Speaker:back into Rome strategically as soon as that door opened up.
Speaker:He knew how significant that city was, the capital of the world, the
Speaker:hub of trade, travel, and influence.
Speaker:If the gospel was going to spread, Rome mattered.
Speaker:Priscilla and Aquila were among those who returned.
Speaker:By the time Paul writes this letter, they're hosting a church in their house.
Speaker:We know that from Romans 16, three, and five.
Speaker:So with that in mind, let's now look at the setting in Rome.
Speaker:At the time of the writing of Romans, Nero is now on the throne.
Speaker:Jews have been returning for the last few years after Claudius.
Speaker:Expulsion that we just talked about, but there's tension between
Speaker:Jewish and Gentile believers.
Speaker:The gentile believers were not expelled, so they most likely continued to meet
Speaker:without those of Jewish background.
Speaker:Meanwhile.
Speaker:South in Jerusalem.
Speaker:The temple structure and system was still intact.
Speaker:This was still in AD 57, 13 years before the event.
Speaker:We now know that occurred, which is the destruction of the temple in AD 70.
Speaker:The church, Roman believers are fractured and the tension is real.
Speaker:When those Jewish believers returned after the expulsion, gentile believers,
Speaker:like we said earlier, they'd been leading the church for five years without them.
Speaker:Now there's friction.
Speaker:Who's in charge?
Speaker:Who's customs matter?
Speaker:Who's the real church?
Speaker:Romans 14 and 15 addresses this head on the strong.
Speaker:The weak learning to accept one another.
Speaker:It's interesting, we're reading this in context and we are putting
Speaker:ourselves in the first century,
Speaker:But like I've said, time and time again, we're learning about the
Speaker:context so that we could then apply it.
Speaker:That is something that definitely applies in our churches and
Speaker:our world we're in today.
Speaker:Paul has never visited.
Speaker:He's writing to introduce himself and explain the gospel and heal divisions.
Speaker:Why now?
Speaker:Paul plans to visit Rome on his way to Spain.
Speaker:Rome isn't his final destination.
Speaker:It's a stop on the way West Spain represents the edge of the known world.
Speaker:If Paul gets there, the gospel will have reached.
Speaker:All nations fulfilling Jesus' words.
Speaker:This letter prepares Rome for his arrival and lays out his
Speaker:fullest theology before he goes.
Speaker:Just a quick thought on something here, and again, I want to interject.
Speaker:This is.
Speaker:My thinking, not historical, nothing that I've really seen written in places.
Speaker:So again, take this for what it is worth.
Speaker:Consider this In the first century, believers faced
Speaker:pressure from two kingdoms.
Speaker:We've talked about this, the Roman Empire and the Jewish temple system.
Speaker:They were being squeezed In between those two.
Speaker:Romans is Paul's most comprehensive theology.
Speaker:I mean, it seems as if he really wanted to pack.
Speaker:Everything that he had into this letter, he sent it to the capital of the empire.
Speaker:He knew that that was a place of significance and that it
Speaker:would circulate in that hub of the known world at that time.
Speaker:I'm a writer myself.
Speaker:Many of you have written things.
Speaker:I just picture Paul spending a little more time crafting this letter to make
Speaker:it complete, to address issues, to make it where if someone only got a hold of
Speaker:this letter, it would cover the theology.
Speaker:Of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Speaker:And so again, that's my speculation.
Speaker:I do wanna mention that there's another book that we'll get to later,
Speaker:Hebrews, that I believe does the same thing for the Jewish world.
Speaker:So Romans is directed towards, obviously Rome and that empire.
Speaker:And then Hebrews is directed to the Jewish world, a full theology of Christ addressed
Speaker:to those tempted to return to the temple.
Speaker:Together, these two letters speak the gospel to the two powers
Speaker:pressing on the early church.
Speaker:Well look at Hebrews later, but I just wanted to mention that here.
Speaker:I think the significance, every letter's significant, but that.
Speaker:Puts an extra level of significance, I believe, on Romans and Hebrews.
Speaker:So here's what you're gonna encounter here.
Speaker:Romans is systematic and profound.
Speaker:Paul builds his case layer by layer.
Speaker:Here's what you'll hear about in Romans, the human problem.
Speaker:Gentiles are guilty.
Speaker:They suppress the truth.
Speaker:They worshiped idols.
Speaker:Jews are guilty.
Speaker:They have the law, but they don't keep it.
Speaker:None is righteous.
Speaker:No, not one talks about righteousness by faith, apart from the law,
Speaker:through faith in Jesus for all.
Speaker:Who believe he mentions Abraham.
Speaker:He believed before circumcision, so before the law.
Speaker:He is the father of all who believe.
Speaker:Paul talks about life in the spirit.
Speaker:No condemnation.
Speaker:The spirit helps our weakness.
Speaker:Nothing.
Speaker:Nothing can separate us from God's.
Speaker:Love.
Speaker:Nothing can separate us from God's love.
Speaker:Powerful message, powerful message in Romans.
Speaker:Paul addresses Israel and the Gentiles.
Speaker:Has God rejected Israel?
Speaker:No, but salvation has always been by faith.
Speaker:One olive tree Gentiles grafted in not.
Speaker:Replacing, keep that in mind.
Speaker:One olive tree, not two olive trees, not Israel and the
Speaker:Gentiles, but one olive tree.
Speaker:Paul addresses living sacrifice.
Speaker:Present your bodies.
Speaker:Be transformed.
Speaker:Love one another.
Speaker:Let chapters one through three convict before chapters four through eight.
Speaker:Comfort, why it matters, why Romans is so significant.
Speaker:It answers the question.
Speaker:Every Christ follower eventually asks, how can a Holy God accept me?
Speaker:Paul's answer isn't try harder, it's trust the one who already did it.
Speaker:Righteousness.
Speaker:Is a gift, not an achievement.
Speaker:And that gift creates a new family, Jew and gentile slave,
Speaker:and free grafted into one tree.
Speaker:If you've ever felt like you don't belong, Romans says you do.
Speaker:Now here's our reading assignment over the next four sessions.
Speaker:A couple of long readings here, but chapters one through four, five through
Speaker:eight, nine through 12, 13 through 16.
Speaker:Over the next four sessions, you are going to read Romans, take the time,
Speaker:spend time, and really enjoy this book.
Speaker:This again is what we would consider to be Paul's.
Speaker:Big, big theological masterpiece, so enjoy it.
Speaker:What's next after this?
Speaker:Next we go to Ephesians, cosmic Christ New Humanity, and a spirit empowered walk.
Speaker:Don't forget, make sure you're downloading and checking out the information at
Speaker:our hub, K two m.foundation/in team 90.
Speaker:Now, before you read Romans picture this.
Speaker:It's winter AD 57.
Speaker:You are in Rome inside the home of Priscilla and Aquila.
Speaker:They fled the city eight years ago when Claudius expelled the Jews.
Speaker:Now they're back hosting a church in their house.
Speaker:The room is crowded.
Speaker:Jewish believers who returned after the expulsion sit near Gentile converts who
Speaker:kept the faith going while they were gone.
Speaker:There's tension.
Speaker:You can feel who's in charge now, whose Customs matter.
Speaker:A woman named Phoebe has just arrived.
Speaker:She traveled from raa, the eastern port of Corinth, carrying a scroll from
Speaker:Paul, a man none of us have ever met.
Speaker:The room falls quiet.
Speaker:Phoebe unrolls the scroll and begins to read.
Speaker:Paul starts with a diagnosis.
Speaker:Everyone is guilty.
Speaker:Now, let's read.
