The Church in Rome — Who Were They?
Suggested reading: Romans 1:1–15; Acts 2:5–11; Acts 28:11–31
Paul wrote his longest letter to a church he had never visited. So who were these believers, and how did the gospel reach the capital of the world before the great missionary did?
The capital of the world
In the first century, Rome was the largest city on earth, with somewhere near a million people. Roads, trade and armies all ran through it. People from every corner of the empire lived there: soldiers, merchants, slaves, freedmen, senators and immigrants.
Rome also had a large Jewish community, many living in neighborhoods across the Tiber River. They had synagogues, kept the Sabbath and were known to their neighbors as a distinct people.
How did the church begin?
The Bible never tells us who founded the church in Rome. No apostle is credited with starting it, and Paul makes clear he had not yet been there (Romans 1:13).
We do get a clue in Acts 2. On the day of Pentecost, the crowd in Jerusalem included "visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism" (Acts 2:10). It is very likely some of them believed, went home and began sharing the good news. Over the next two decades, travelers, traders and new believers moving to the capital helped the church grow.
In other words, the church in Rome was most likely started by ordinary Christians. No famous preacher, no grand plan—just faithful people telling others about Jesus.
Churches in living rooms
There were no church buildings in Rome. Believers met in homes. In Romans 16, Paul greets "the church that meets in their home" at the house of Priscilla and Aquila (Romans 16:5), and he mentions other households and groups as well.
So "the church in Rome" was probably a network of house churches spread across the city. Some might have had a dozen people, others a few dozen. Paul's letter would have been read aloud in each of these gatherings.
A mixed congregation
The Roman believers were a mix of Jewish and Gentile Christians. The names in Romans 16 include Jewish names, Greek names, Latin names, and names commonly given to slaves. Rich and poor, men and women, citizens and servants all worshiped together.
That kind of diversity was a beautiful witness. It also created real tension, which Paul addresses throughout the letter (more on that in a later post).
A faith that was famous
Paul tells them their faith is being reported all over the world (Romans 1:8). This young, scattered church in the heart of the empire had a reputation for faithfulness.
A few years later, that faith would be tested. After the great fire of Rome in AD 64, Emperor Nero blamed the Christians and launched a brutal persecution. Many of the very people who first heard Romans read aloud may have given their lives for Christ.
What this means for us
The church in Rome reminds us that God builds his church through ordinary, faithful people. It also reminds us that a church does not need a famous founder or a fancy building. It needs the gospel, and people willing to gather around it.
When you read Romans, imagine sitting in a crowded living room in ancient Rome, hearing these words for the first time. They were written for people a lot like us.
Join us Sunday at Harvest Community Church as we continue our journey through Romans.
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