Romans

Romans is Paul's fullest and most systematic letter, written to a church he had not yet visited, setting out the heart of the gospel. He argues that all people, Jew and Gentile alike, are sinners, and that God offers righteousness as a gift 'by faith' through the death and resurrection of Jesus — 'the righteous shall live by faith' (1:17).

From justification he moves to life in the Spirit, the place of Israel in God's plan, and the practical shape of a transformed life. Deeply influential from Augustine to Luther to Wesley, Romans has sparked revivals and reformations and remains the classic statement of Christian doctrine.