There is no mystery who wrote this letter. Paul was in his final sojourn among the Corinthians, about to sail to Jerusalem with the relief funds collected from the Gentile churches. We believe that was in the year 57 AD. Typically, it would have been sent by the hand of some private courier. This was common in ancient times, and particularly in the Roman Empire. We also know Paul seldom actually put pen to paper, but used a professionally trained scribe.
Of all Paul's letters preserved by the early churches, this one comes first in the collection because of what it covers, and how it covers it. Paul writes to a rather large congregation, perhaps more than one. While mostly Gentile, it would naturally include some Jewish Christians. Paul addresses some of the standard residual differences, but there seems no great conflict between these two groups.
Instead, most of Paul's effort is bringing the ancient mysteries of Old Testament faith, as understood by Jesus, the Son of God, to a very foreign Western world. Paul is uniquely positioned to understand both. This explanatory letter serves as a foundation for Christian doctrine. The biggest problem here is failing to understand how completely Eastern is Christian faith. Paul characterized the issue as knowing versus faith. While the two are not opposed by nature, it starts out that way because the intellect recoils from things it cannot control directly via analysis. It becomes necessary to show how faith is above reason, but that intellect can be made to serve faith.
Chapter 1 -- Paul begins telling about his faith by first declaring something of the man held by that faith. He then proceeds to explain the nature of the difficulties for men to understand that faith.
Chapter 2 -- The reason men don't understand faith is because they rejected it. Instead, they demanded God meet them on their own terms. When He did not, they denied His revelation; even the Jews joined in this folly.
Chapter 3 -- It requires a spiritual mind to understand the Law Covenants pointed to grace, and grace validates the Laws.
Chapter 4 -- Paul corrects the false understanding of the Covenant of Abraham, and show how Christ continues and renews that same covenant of faith.
Chapter 5 -- Paul plunders the Greek language trying to symbolize the ineffable truth of grace breaking the curse of death.
Chapter 6 -- Using parables of living under different realms and rulers, Paul encourages his readers to embrace the entirely different mindset of the Spirit.
Chapter 7 -- Paul explains the spiritual logic using parables, pointing out how having a nagging conscience is a good thing, if it bears the intended fruit.
Chapter 8 -- Paul explains how the choices made by God in calling each of us cannot be revoked under any circumstances.
Chapter 9 -- For all their unspeakable blessings, precious few from the Nation of Israel would become Eternal Israel.
Chapter 10 -- Nations can't be redeemed spiritually, only individuals. Israel was displaced by a nation of random individuals, including Gentiles.
Chapter 11 -- It would seem entirely stupid for Gentile Christians to regard Jews with contempt, when coming to Christ means taking up the identity of Israel. How would a Gentile have any idea what goes with that, were it not for a few Jews who also come to Christ?
Chapter 12 -- Having set aside any possible reason for disunity, Paul goes on to describe what living for Jesus looks like.
Chapter 13 -- Paul warns his readers in Rome to stop trying to fix all the little problems of this fallen world.
Chapter 14 -- An awful lot of issues creating conflict between Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians were simply petty, and reflects an improper focus.
Chapter 15 -- Paul sums up his appeal for reduced tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome by discussing his last mission to deliver aid to Jerusalem as the perfect symbol of unity in Christ.
Chapter 16 -- We catch a glimpse of the wide array of people known to Paul in Rome, and working with him there in Corinth whence this letter was written.
By Ed Hurst
14 November 2009
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