This great epistle begins with a broad perspective. It looks at the promise of a Savior in the Old Testament, reviews Paul’s ministry to date, and surveys the religious history of the Gentile world. “The main body of Romans is a treatise on Paul’s gospel, bracketed by an epistolary opening (1:1–17) and conclusion (15:14–16:27). These opening and concluding statements have many similarities, not the least of which is the emphasis on the gospel. (Eight of the 11 occurrences in