READING ROMANS MISSIOLOGICALLY

Abstract

The thesis of this paper is that Paul wrote the letter to the Romans to fulfill his missiological and eschatological purposes of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. From beginning to end, Paul is attempting to instill in the Roman Christians a missions vision. On the one hand, Paul is seeking the support of the Romans for his own missions activity both in Rome and beyond. On the other hand, Paul is attempting to renew the missions vigor of the Romans themselves, so that they, both independently and in conjunction with Paul himself, will seek to fulfill Old Testament eschatological prophecy in being a light to the Gentiles.