The Book of Romans was written by the Apostle Paul (originally known as Saul of Tarsus).
Unlike some ancient documents where authorship is debated by modern scholars, there is nearly universal agreement among historians and theologians—both secular and religious—that Paul is the mastermind behind this letter. It is considered the bedrock of his authentic writings.
The Details Behind the Writing
While Paul is the author, the actual process of getting the letter onto parchment involved a team effort:
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The Author (The Mind): Paul Paul was uniquely qualified to write this letter. He was a Roman citizen by birth, deeply educated in Greek philosophy, and a strictly trained Jewish Pharisee. This rare combination allowed him to bridge the cultural gap between Jewish and non-Jewish (Gentile) believers in Rome.
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The Scribe (The Pen): Tertius Paul rarely physically wrote his own letters, likely due to poor eyesight or the common practice of the day. He dictated the letter to a Christian scribe named Tertius, who actually writes his own little greeting near the very end: “I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.” (Romans 16:22).
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The Courier (The Delivery): Phoebe Once the scroll was finished, it had to be hand-delivered from Greece to Italy. Paul entrusted this incredibly important task to a woman named Phoebe, a deacon/servant of the church in Cenchreae (near Corinth). She carried the theological masterpiece across the Mediterranean to the Roman house churches.
When and Where Was It Written?
Paul wrote the letter around 57 AD from the city of Corinth (in modern-day Greece).
He was at a major turning point in his life. He had spent years planting churches in the Eastern Mediterranean and was preparing to take financial aid to the impoverished Christians in Jerusalem. After that, he planned to head west to Spain—and he wanted to stop in Rome along the way to use their church as a launching pad for his new mission. Romans was his theological resume and introduction to them.