Martin Luther wrote that the book of Romans “is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul.” Luther’s study and reflection on Romans 1:16-17 led him to the understanding that the righteousness of God is a gift we receive by faith, more than a standard we must achieve, to be saved. That idea of “justification by faith” sparked the Protestant Reformation, and is a crucial doctrine for every true Protestant church today. Romans was also the book that convinced Karl Barth, probably the most influential theologian of the 20th century, that he should preach the Bible from the pulpit. Barth was trained in a custom of giving sermons based on theology, history, and social application. His reading of Romans changed his teaching practice, and set him on a path of teaching and preaching the Bible itself (this approach may seem obvious to us, but was novel in his context). All this to say, the book of Romans weighs heavy in Christian history. This is partially why I’ve always been apprehensive to tackle it on Sunday mornings. The task of tackling Romans has always felt daunting. Not only is it large by simple word count, it is dense in content, and intricate in logic. So why now start going through Romans in January? I’m not sure I can say for certain. I do know it was the most requested book from our church assessment. I also know Romans covers just about every topic of Christian life and application of the gospel that one might desire. Beyond all this, we’re going to do Romans simply because it’s there! God placed it, by the oversight of the Spirit, in our Bibles for our good. And God gives the Spirit that we might understand His Word. So I trust that as we work through Romans, it will not be a burden but a grace God uses to strengthen His church. And as we begin, please pray that God would make this series profitable!