Paul had not yet been to Rome: the church had been planted by other gospel-tellers. His strong desire to visit them had been frustrated by circumstances which the Lord allowed (Romans 1:11-13), prompting Paul to write a long letter. In it, the apostle gives a detailed explanation of the gospel to help Christians understand the basis of their faith (Romans 16:25-26), teaching them to recognise and avoid false teaching, remain united, evangelise effectively and answer tough questions (Romans 16:17-20). The Letter to the Romans unlocks many of the Old Testament pictures explaining the perso