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While Paul's Epistle to the Romans makes no mention of this, the epistle to the Hebrews ''does'' discuss the persecution, including the vandalism of their homes and even imprisonment, and [[Timothy]] is mentioned as one of the believers who has been imprisoned. However, there is no mention of [[martyr]]s at this time, which further cements the epistle to a definite time around the middle of Nero's reign. The treatment being endured by the church explains the point of the epistle: those members who were Jews could easily escape from the persecution by publicly denying faith in [[Jesus Christ]] and returning to [[Judaism]], which at this time was still legal, while Christianity was not. The letter, then, seems to have been written ''from'' Jerusalem, probably by a Jewish believer who was a pupil of Paul, addressed specifically ''to'' the Jewish members of the church in Rome, as an exhortation to remain firm within the church.
While Paul's Epistle to the Romans makes no mention of this, the epistle to the Hebrews ''does'' discuss the persecution, including the vandalism of their homes and even imprisonment, and [[Timothy]] is mentioned as one of the believers who has been imprisoned. However, there is no mention of [[martyr]]s at this time, which further cements the epistle to a definite time around the middle of Nero's reign. The treatment being endured by the church explains the point of the epistle: those members who were Jews could easily escape from the persecution by publicly denying faith in [[Jesus Christ]] and returning to [[Judaism]], which at this time was still legal, while Christianity was not. The letter, then, seems to have been written ''from'' Jerusalem, probably by a Jewish believer who was a pupil of Paul, addressed specifically ''to'' the Jewish members of the church in Rome, as an exhortation to remain firm within the church.
==Structure==
Chapters 1-10 of the epistle quite clearly emphasize the contrast between the Old and New Testaments and between Judaism and Christianity, and the superior position that the believers are in through having the "Son of God" as their mediator rather than [[angel]]s, the mere ''servants'' of God. The opening of chapter 1 is regarded by most scholars as the finest Greek in the New Testament in terms of its construction, rhythm and sheer beauty, more so even than the more famous passages of Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1:{{quotebox|God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (''Heb 1:1-4'')}}
{{inuse}}
==References==
==References==