Read Romans 1:8–15

WHEN IN ROME …

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the Foolish. Romans 1:14

Rome was a proud city, and the gospel came from Jerusalem, the capital
city of a little nation Rome had conquered. The Christians in that day were not among the elite; they were common people and even slaves. Rome had known many great philosophers and philosophies; why pay any attention to a fable about a Jew who arose from the dead? Christians looked upon
each other as brothers and sisters, all one in Christ, which went against the grain of Roman pride and dignity.

Paul arrived in Rome a prisoner as well as a preacher. In Jerusalem he was arrested in the temple, falsely accused by the Jewish authorities, and
eventually sent to Rome as the emperor’s prisoner to be tried before Caesar.

When Paul wrote this letter, he had no idea that he would go through imprisonment and even shipwreck before arriving in Rome! At the close of the letter (15:30–33), he asked the believers in Rome to pray for him as he contemplated this trip, and it is a good thing that they did pray!

Something to Ponder
If you knew that presenting the truth of Jesus to others would involve shipwreck, imprisonment, and other hardships, would you be at all reluctant to share the gospel? Why or why not?