Romans

Romans is Paul's most organized letter and the most influential in Christian history. He writes to a church he had not yet visited, laying out the core of his message. The opening chapters argue that everyone — religious and irreligious alike — stands in the same condition before God, and that justification comes by faith, not by performance. Chapter 8 is considered the high point: life in the Spirit, adoption as children, creation in labor pains and the conclusion that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Chapters 9 to 11 deal with Israel, and the final ones give very practical instructions about community life, conscience and love.