Paul, author of several letters to churches that he started and shepherd as their pastor, has been arrested and is being transported to Rome where he will be tried on charges brought by the priests in Jerusalem for his beliefs and his ministry. Because he is a Roman citizen the thought was he would have a fairer trial in Rome than in a provincial court. At some point along the way, he wrote a letter to the believers in Rome who he did not know personally. Hence, we have a rather densely worded document which for the most part summarized Paul’s theology. It is the last of Paul’s letters written sometime around 30 CE or some 20 years before Mark, the first gospel. Chapter 9 thru 11 are the climax of the letter. A central question: Who will be saved Jew or Gentile , anyone who is not a Jew? Paul’s letter is written to both audiences. The Jew as the elect. They are the ones that God has written more than one covenant with giving them the law in exchange for God’s protection. The difficulty is that it is almost impossible to live into the law, and the Israelites were constantly being confronted with their failure. The Gentiles were not thought of as being God’s people, hence, there was no covenant with them. Salvation is thought by Paul, after some discussion, to come to both groups as a gift of grace.
