St Paul’s Letter to the Romans (1)

Of all Paul's letters, the one to the Romans has received the most attention. Martin Luther said of it, “This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is the purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily.” Romans is the longest and probably the last of his letters, and contains his most carefully worked out theology. It has been called “a compendium of Christian doctrine.” though scholars agree that there is much in other Pauline writings not included here. It is not easy to summarize Romans. Paul affirms the sinfulness of the human race and insists that salvation or justification comes not from the law but from faith in Jesus Christ. He then spells out the responsibilities of those who are so justified.