Romans 1
In the beginning, the church at Rome was a sect of Judaism. The church began among Jews who had accepted Christ as the promised messiah. The church grew as gentiles heard the gospel and responded in faith. The church held its first meetings in synagogues and in the homes of Jewish leaders. 16 years after the death of Christ in AD 49, the ruler of Rome expelled the Jewish Christians. The gentile Christians that remained continued to grow in number and the church flourished. In AD 54, Rome revoked the edict and allowed Jewish Christians to return to Rome. This led to debate about the nature of the church; was the church the fulfillment of Judaism, or was the church separate, formed by a new covenant? How much of the traditions and religious practices of the Jewish faith should the Christian church incorporate into its worship?
Paul is writing to this church with its many questions and divisions in the book of Romans. He wants them to see that both the gentiles and Jews are lost without Jesus. Both must have faith in Christ. Salvation is an act of God’s mercy and grace, something that neither has earned nor deserves. The Jewish people had the law, and it taught them their need for righteousness but it could not make them righteous. It is only by His grace, that God restores anyone to right relationship with Himself. Considering that truth, Paul wants the church to recognize that they must love each other and respect each other’s religious heritage. The Jews must respect the gentile’s freedom from the law of circumcision, and the gentile’s must respect the Jewish conscience and their need to observe Jewish tradition.
Churches today still need the same principles of respect and tolerance for each other. Faith in Christ will always unite us, but our cultural and traditional differences will work to divide us. When Christ is King, division is not an option. The book of Romans is almost 2000 years old, but the gospel never ages.