The author's purpose in writing this book is to examine and elucidate the meaning of Paul's letter to the Christians of Rome. In order to accomplish this, the author considers the nature of the letter itself, the occasion of its being written, the general situation of Christianity and the world at the time, the religious doctrines included in the letter, and other such information that can help show what Paul had in mind, how he shaped his message, and what effect his message had on those to whom it was addressed at the time and as a statement of the Gospel with vitality to this day. The author shows that Paul wrote the letter specifically in preparation for a visit he was to make to Rome, explaining the reason for his visit and offering a full statement of the gospel as he understood it. The author shows that Paul did this in part as a counter to misrepresentations being made about his views.
The author approaches his subject with a close reading of the text and an analysis of the historical record. The historical record shows the nature of the political, religious, and social situation of the era, while a close reading of the text demonstrates the doctrine of Paul, the manner in which he analyzes the issues he raises, and his own need to communicate with the Roman Christians. The author considers scholarship on these issues offered by others and cites what they have had to say, delving into different periods of time, including writings from the era in which Paul lived and from that immediately after when the story was still fresh.
Some of what the author writes about the time, however, is not clearly marked as to how he arrived at his view. He talks about Paul and what Paul thought without showing from where he derived this information. Some of his information is clearly gleaned from a close reading of the text itself, but some seems more to be the result of sheer speculation or extrapolation from what is known of t...