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by Jeff Roper (Author)
What if Paul's letter to the Romans was never intended to be abstract theology but was instead a missionary appeal? To the Ends of the Earth rereads one of Christianity's most influential texts as a pastoral and apostolic intervention written to form a people capable of participating in God's mission. Drawing on decades of cross-cultural ministry and fifteen years of sustained scholarly research, Jeff Roper argues that Romans is not a detached doctrinal system but a letter shaped by real communities, lived tensions, and life under empire.
Written to believers at the heart of the Roman world, Romans addresses churches fractured by ethnicity, status, power, and practice. Jewish and gentile followers of Jesus, enslaved and free, and patrons and the urban poor were learning how to live together as one body in Christ. Paul's theology emerges here as formation--shaping a reconciled community whose shared life embodied the gospel and propelled its witness outward.
Placing Romans within its historical, social, and imperial context, this book attends to house churches and tenement churches, honor and shame, patronage, and the often-hidden faithfulness of marginalized believers. Moving from the first century to the present, it brings Paul's missional vision into conversation with contemporary church life and global missions. This book is a compelling invitation to read Romans as a summons to become a Spirit-formed people sent into the world for the sake of the nations.
Author Biography
Jeff Roper is Global Associate Director for the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and Europe with Foursquare Missions International. His work centers on developing disciple-making movements, training leaders, strengthening national churches, and cultivating mission partnerships. He is the author of Following Wisdom, Leading Wisely: Proverbs as Ancient Wisdom for Today's Leader. Jeff and Debbie have six children, thirteen grandchildren (so far), and one dog named Millie. They love camping, hiking, and long walks.
