Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

We first heard about the Church in Rome back in acts 18. That's when we met

Aquila and Priscilla, the married couple who were Paul's tent-making missionary

companions. The whole reason Paul met them in Corinth is because they were

kicked out of Italy for being Jewish. Then about five years after the governor kicked

them out they were allowed to return. But when everyone comes back to Rome, the church

looks dramatically different than it did half a decade earlier.

There are so many new Gentiles in the ranks, and the Jewish culture has really been diluted.

It's causing a lot of division and frustration.

We've seen this theme from country to country and church to church.

So Paul picks up his pen again to address this persistent problem with a new group of people,

and as always, the gospel is his solution.

He writes this letter to help the church zoom out. And as always, the Gospel is his solution.

He writes this letter to help the church zoom out on what the Gospel is and what the

gospel means and what the gospel does.

He addresses his letter to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be Saints, every Christ follower from every culture and ethnicity.

Through Christ, they have all received grace and apostleship, which lead to the obedience of faith. Our obedience is a gift of grace from him to us.

It's something he gives us that we offer back to him.

But also, hold up, he gives us apostleship?

Paul, an apostle calls the believers in Rome,

apostles.

What does that mean?

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