ROMANSBACKGROUND

Who founded the Roman Church? Peter?No… “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation” Rom 15:20 So who?

Who founded the Roman Church? Paul?No… “… “…and since I have been longing for many years to see you…” Romans 15:23 So who?

Who founded the Roman Church? Probably returning Jews from Jerusalem after the first Pentecost. The beginning of the Church in Rome was most likely in the Synagogues amongst the Jews. But this wasn’t the type of Church Paul was writing to…

The best date for Paul’s letter is c57AD at the end of his 3 rd missionary journey before going to Jerusalem with the gifts from Macedonia (Romans 15:25ff) Bt something happened in Rome around 49AD – the Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews.

Claudius expelled them because of their “rioting at the instigation of Chrestus” Mentioned by 5 th c historian Orosius and also in Acts 18:2 “ “There he (Paul) met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.”

Claudius died in 54AD Jews would have started to return by the time of Paul’s letter in 57AD. But maybe it was now predominantly a church that met in homes. Romans 16:5 “ But maybe it was now predominantly a church that met in homes. Romans 16:5 “Greetings also to the church that meets in their house.” So what sort of mixture would the churches in Rome have been like?

Paul’s audience was likely to be a majority of Gentile Christians with a minority of Jewish Christians.