Romans

It is hard for me to understand the animosity of the politically right leaning (Republican) Christians against any Christians who do not share their viewpoint either as Democrats or Independents. it would appear to an outsider that they are  only interested in what effects them financially or their right to guns. Surely not like the Pauline Christians of Acts. Nor do I understand  the underlying tension that exists between Protestants and Catholics. 

We are one, the body of the living God.

In the end it does not matter what nation you are from…if you are male or female…what political party you claim... or the  Church that you attend…all that matters is your relationship with Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Paul wrote Romans toward the end of his third missionary journey (mid-50s ad), probably from Corinth. Though he does not explicitly mention his purpose for writing this letter, he describes his circumstances: He plans to deliver financial relief to the believers in Jerusalem to promote unity among the Jewish and Gentile churches. Unity in Christ is a major theme of Romans. Paul deeply desired to promote unity between believers in Jesus who were Jewish and those who were not Jewish called “Gentiles” or “Greeks”. The Roman (Catholic) church probably was a mix of Jews and Gentiles. Paul wanted to communicate to these Christians that the gospel includes everyone.

Paul aims to help the Roman believers put their faith into practice, particularly when it comes to living together as the diverse yet unified Church. For Paul, Christians ought to have their entire lives—in terms of both belief and action—centered first and foremost on Christ. The good news of Jesus’ saving act is meant to be transformative, and this good news should be unapologetically proclaimed. Faithlife Bible.

Romans is a mighty leveler, for it declares that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Since all are sinners, it comes as a delightful shock that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. This is the Good News, which Paul so eloquently and systematically defends in this theological treatise addressed to the Romans.

Romans is a masterful presentation of God’s plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles.

Paul wanted to exhort Jewish and Gentile believers to live in harmony. As in most of the early churches, the gospel brought different groups of people together who otherwise would have stayed apart, whether for reasons of nationality, status, or culture. Once they came together under one roof, the challenge was to preserve their oneness in Christ. Thus throughout the letter, Paul deals with problems arising from Jewish and Gentile differences. He emphasizes what everyone shared. Since there is only one God, He is the God of both Jew and Gentile. Both groups are under sin and both are saved through faith. This theme of Jew and Gentile living together surfaces most clearly in chapters 14 and 15, where Paul deals with the practical aspects of being together in one body. 

Paul hammers home his central theme: The righteous God justifies and ultimately glorifies both Jew and Gentile by grace through faith. Paul explains that Jesus Christ is the Second Adam whose righteousness and substitutionary death have provided justification for all who place their faith in Him.

In other words, Romans presents a Jesus who offers His righteousness as a gracious gift to sinful people like us because He bore God’s condemnation and wrath for our depraved nature. Paul makes it quite clear that the Savior’s life, death, and resurrection are the basis for our redemption, justification, reconciliation, salvation, and glorification. What is more, Paul contends that the Spirit of Jesus can motivate us to live responsible, Christlike lives. NKJ Bible.