Romans,
the longest of St. Paul's letters, is his most meticulously developed
affirmation of the Christian Faith. Written at the height of Paul's ministry,
sometime between C.E. 54 and 58, and addressed to "all God's beloved in Rome,"
the Epistle is Paul's "Gospel." In the introduction in the New Revised Standard
Version (NRSV) of the Bible, the editors have written, "The Gospel as God's
power for salvation to all who believe is the theme of Romans. It is expressed
especially in terms of God's saving righteousness, or justification by faith,
and with a universal concern for both Jew and Gentile." One biblical scholar
observes, "Because of the range and depth of theological topics discussed in
it, the letter to the Romans has played a key role at critical junctures in the
history of Christianity. ... To those who pay careful heed, Romans continues to
be an important guide for all who seek to make sense of their lives in the
midst of historical change and cultural conflict." [Achtemeier, "Romans, The
Letter of Paul To" in The Oxford Companion to the Bible, p. 662].