ROMANS, THE EPISTLE TO THE. This epistle claims our interest more than the other didactic epistles of the apostle Paul, because it is more systematic, and because it explains especially that truth which became subsequently the principle of the Reformation—viz., righteousness through faith. Melanchthon was so fond of this epistle that he made it the subject of constant lectures, and twice copied it out with his own hand, just as Demosthenes copied Thucydides (comp. Strobel's Litter&ges chichte der loci Theologici des Melanchthon, p. 13) : in these lectures he explained the leading dog,mati cal and ethical ideas—i.e., the loci Theolog-ici which at a later period gave rise to the dogmatical work bearing this title.
I. Time and Place of writing the Epistle.—At the period when the apostle wrote the Epistle to the Romans, he had passed through a life full of experience. About four years after the composi tion of this letter Paul calls himself Ilpeo-f3tirns, the aged' (Philemon, ver. 9). Paul was at this time between fifty and sixty years old. After having spent two years and a half at Ephesus, he planned a journey to Macedonia, Achaia, Jeru salem, and Rome (Acts xix. 21). Having spent about three months in travelling, he arrived at Corinth, where he remained three months (Acts xx. 2) ; and during this second abode at Corinth he wrote the Epistle to the Romans (comp. Cor. xvi. 1-3, and 2 Con ix. with Rom. xv 25). Paul dispatched this letter by a Corinthian woman, who was just then travelling to Rome (xvi. 1), and sent greetings from an inhabitant of Corinth (xvi. 23 ; comp. Cor. 4). [The date generally assigmed to this epistle is towards the close of A.D. 57, or the beginning of A. D. 58.] II. To whom addressed.—The congregation of Christians at Rome was formed at a very early period, but its founder is unknown. [The opinion that St. Peter was the founder of the church will not stand the test of historical inquiry, and is rejected by all except bigoted adherents of the Romish Church [PETER]. It was probably, however, one of the ear liest of the Gentile churches.] Paul himself men tions two distinguished teachers at Rome who were converted earlier than himself According to Rom. i. 8, the Roman congregation had then attained considerable celebrity, as their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world. From chap. xvi. we learn that there were a considerable number of Christian teachers at Rome, from which we infer that the congregation had existed there for some time ; and it is most likely that the Jews at Rome were first converted to Christianity. Under Au gustus there were so many Jews at Rome, that this emperor appointed for them quarters beyond the Tiber. These Jews consisted mostly of freedmen, whom Pompey had carried to Rome as slaves. Some of the early Christians at Rome followed mercantile pursuits. [The gospel was probably carried to Rome by some of the Jewish Christians who had one up to Jerusalem and been converted on the day of Pentecost. As such would vividly recollect and speak much of St. Peter's discourse on that day, and as the founding of the church at Rome by them was the result of their conversion by the preaching of Peter, the tradition of his having been the founder of the church (Euseb.,
H. E., ii. 14 ; 25 ; Chron., p. 372 ; Hieron, De Scriptt. Eccles., ; etc.) may have thus arisen.] At the time when this epistle was written, there were also Gentile Christians in the Roman church ; and from passages like xi. 13 ; xv. 16 ; 7 and 13, we Iearn that the Gentile Cbristians were then more numerous than the converted Jews. It is well known that in those times many heathens em braced Judaism (Tacitus, Annal., xv. 44 ; Juvenal, Sat., xiv. 96). These converts to Judaism were mostly women. Such proselytes formed at that period the point of coalescence for the conversion of the Gentiles. Among the converts from Judaism to Christianity, there existed in the days of Paul two parties. The congregated apostles had de creed, according to Acts xv., that the converts from paganism were not bound to keep the ritual laws of 'biases. There were, however, many con verts from Judaism who were disinclined to re nounce the authority of the Mosaic law, and ap pealed erroneously to the authority of James (Gal. ii. 9 ; comp. Acts xxi. 25) : they claimed also the authority of Peter in their favour. Such converts from Judaism, mentioned in the other epistles, who continued to observe the ritual laws of Moses, were not prevalent in Rome ; however, Dr. Baur of Tiibingen supposes that this Ebionitic tendency prevailed at that time in all Christian congregations, Rome not excepted. He thinks that the converts from Judaism were then more numerous than the Gentile Christians, and that all were compelled to submit to the Judaising opinions of the majority (comp. Baur's Abhandlung iiber Zweck lend Veran lassung des Remerbrifs, in der Tiibinger Zeitschrft, 1836). However, we infer from the passages above quoted that the Gentile Christians were much more numerous at Rome than the converts from Judaism. Neander has also shown that the Judaising ten dency did not prevail in the Roman church (comp. Neander's Pflanzung der Christlicken Kirche, 3d ed., p. 388). This opinion is confirmed by the circumstance that, according to ch. xvi., Paul had many friends at Rome. Dr. Baur removes this objection only by declaring ch. xvi. to be spurious. He appeals to ch. xiv. in order to prove that there were Ebionitic Christians at Rome. It appears, however, that the persons mentioned in ch. xiv. were by no means strictly Judaising zealots, wish ing to overrule the Gentile Christians, but, on the contrary, some scrupulous converts from Judaism, upon whom the Gentile Christians looked down contemptuously. There were, indeed, some dis agreements between the converts from Judaism and the Gentile Christians in Rome. This is evi dent from ch. xv. 6-9, and xi. 17, 18. These de 1 bates, however, were not of so obstinate a kind as among the Galatians ; otherwise the apostle could scarcely have praised the congregation at Rome as he does in ch. i. 8 and z 2, and xv. 14. From ch. xvi. 17-20, we infer that the Judaisers had endea voured to find admittance, but with little success.