Romans is placed first among Paul’s letters in the New Testament not only because it is his longest work, but because it also furnishes a massive and basic theological frame-work for the whole collection of the apostle’s writings. Consisting of some 7100 words in total, 160 name “God.” Paul identifies himself as one “separated for the gospel of God.” We see the theme here as the entire book of Romans unfolds for us the “gospel of God.” It is this gospel that Paul says he is “separated unto.” He is saying he is a spiritual Pharisee – the Pharisees you know called themselves such because “Pharisee” means ‘separated one.’ Yet, Paul is separated in quite a different way. He states in Galatians 1:15, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace…” – recognizing that he was “set apart,” but not specifically mentioning what he was set apart to. Here in Romans he makes it clear that he was specifically set apart for the “gospel of God.”
