Grace Revealed: The Message of Paul's Letter to the Romans--Then and Now

At the heart of Christianity and at the center of the New Testament lies the epistle to the Romans the most groundbreaking letter ever written. The author is Paul an early convert from Judaism and the greatest early figure in the development and spread of Christianity. Romans contains his most cogent and compelling presentation of Christian faith and practice. The author takes logic and argument poetry and imagination scripture and prayer history and experience and weaves them into a letter that has become the premier document of Christian theology. The importance of Romans for Christian tradition is incalculable. Each generation of believers has found inspiration relevance and transforming power in this letter. To read Romans is to confront ones faith at its source. In Romans Paul deals with problems as contemporary as todays headlines: divisions and sectarianism in society; fixation with violence; discrimination prejudice and inequality; social injustice; the destiny of the Jewish people; the role of the individual in the total sweep of history; the responsibilities of citizens to their government; and the morality of actions in which adults engage sexual and otherwise. Grace is pervasive in Romans present in every theme. As expected it is evident in Christs life and death in Gods righteousness (Gods faithfulness and righteous justice) in justification predestination election and saving faith; but grace is also present in Mosaic law and perhaps most surprisingly in Gods judgment and wrath. If grace can be said to underlie the Christian gospel and to embody the biblical portrayal of Gods identity and activity what does the word grace mean and what is its transformative power? The answers are explored in Grace Revealed.