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Recent research in biblical studies has provided us with a good understanding on the socioeconomic condition of Christians in ancient Rome. The comparable economic and social situations between the earliest church in Rome and the poor in the Global South today suggest that Paul’s letter to the Romans can be very relevant to holistic mission. Based on some key findings of the recent research, this paper looks at two passages in Romans, and proposes that practising love and following Christ are the outworking of the holistic gospel. The implication is that Romans can be a useful resource for holistic mission.

There have been many studies on urbanization, migration, and globalization in recent years. While the Scripture is often used in these studies, it is not common that Paul’s letter to the Romans is the primary focus of discussion. But Rome was the largest urban center in the ancient world, with a multicultural society that is not unlike many cities today. This means that Romans is very relevant to our globalized and increasingly urban world. This paper will show that Romans provides important resources for urban mission practitioners. In particular, it will propose that Paul envisions a love-centered multicultural community of shalom that is called to fulfil the mission of God by living out the death and life of Jesus in a world of chaos.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul emphasizes the importance of Israel's Scripture for his gospel (1:3–4; 16:25–27). In 15:4, he specifically links the Scriptures with endurance, consolation, and hope. Immediately before this verse, Paul cites Ps 69:9b. Commentators customarily—and rightly—think that Paul uses this citation to support his exhortation on community harmony in Rom 14–15. But is this the sole function of the citation? Does it, directly or indirectly, support other themes in Romans? Psalm 69 is significant for Romans, because it is cited in 11:9–10 and 15:3. It is also probable that Ps 69 played a significant role in the early church's understanding of Christ's suffering and death, because it is alluded to in the passion narratives in all four canonical gospels. But the use of Ps 69:9b in Rom 15:3 has drawn relatively little attention among scholars. This article suggests that the function of the citation is extensive, and it strengthens several main themes of the letter. More specifically, this article argues that the citation serves to reinforce Paul's call for believers to participate in God's purpose by following the cruciform pattern of Christ.

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