It is worth considering the New Testament history that leads us to Paul’s Romans epistle. As we read through the Gospels and then go into Acts, we realize Acts begins as a continuation of God’s focus upon dealing with the Nation Israel, not the Gentiles.

²⁴ But he [Jesus] answered and said, I am not sent but [except] unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matt. 15:24
⁵ These twelve [Apostles] Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:5-6

Then we must observe how something momentous happened during the 35 Acts period. As explained parabolically in Luke 13:6-9, Jesus’ words of the parable of “the [baren] fig tree” concern barren unbelieving Nation of Israel. God gives Israel one more year to produce spiritual fruit (Acts 1-8).

Jesus’ “Little Flock” of Jewish Christ believers (Luke 12:32) was to nourish the saints with the Lord’s teachings concerning ‘the Kingdom of [from] Heaven’ being “at hand,” and that the Jesus Christ is their Messiah. However, three times the religious leaders of the nation of Israel rejected the Holy Spirit’s work and by the signs done through the disciples, so with the end of the Acts period God sets Israel aside for a time by Paul’s words of Acts 28:26-28, as they are unto this today, as explained in Romans 11:25.

²⁸ Be it known therefore unto you [Israel], that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. Acts 28:28 (KJV)

²⁵ For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery [secret], lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to ISRAEL, until the fulness of the GENTILES be come in.

This today is Israel’s current ‘Loammi’ status as was prophesied in Hosea,

⁹ Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye [as metaphor for Israel] are NOT my people, and I will NOT be your God. Hosea 1:9 (KJV) Hosea here portrays Israel’s broken covenant with God.

So, the events below were not enough for the leaders of the Nation of Israel to believe.

1) Healing of lame man: A sign and picture of Israel’s spiritual condition, yet it is ignored. (Acts 4:9, 13-18)
2) Miracle prison release: The Saints were imprisoned and warned not to preach Christ but they were miraculously delivered by the power of God; another sign ignored. (Acts 5:17-28)
3) The Stoning of Stephen, with his face of an angel, who by the Spirit preached God’s Truth but it was rejected and they stoned him to death. (Acts 6:15, 7:51-60), a major step in the fall of Israel.

In the rest of Acts God sends Paul to “the Gentiles.” From Acts chapters 9-28, the primary focus, like a pendulum, switches from Israel and Peter with the eleven … to Paul and his ministry to “all men” to include the Gentiles which were still Under ‘Israel’s Kingdom program’ until the end of Acts.

Then again, during Acts three times God holds forth the Truth to Israel, yet the Israel’s leaders consistently reject Paul’s ministry as seen in Acts13:44-52, Acts 18:4-6, and Acts 28:23-28 (below).

⁴⁴ And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. ⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you [Israel]: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. ⁴⁸ And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. ⁵¹ But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. Acts 13:44-52 (KJV)

⁴ And he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks [i.e., Gentiles]. ⁵ And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. ⁶ And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. Acts 18:4-6 (KJV)

²³ And when they [The unbelieving Jews of Rome] had appointed him [Paul] a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. ²⁴ And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. ²⁵  And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias [Isaiah 6:9-10] the prophet unto our fathers, ²⁶ Saying, “Go unto this people [Israel], and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: ²⁷  For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” ²⁸ Be it known therefore unto you [Israel], that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear [heed] it. Acts 28:23-28 (KJV)

So, as the book of Acts ends, Paul relays what’s next in God’s agenda:

• Israel’s rejection resulted in its program of the gospel of “Thy kingdom come on earth” being temporarily set aside. Every promise of God will ultimately be fulfilled only with the 2^nd coming of Christ, returning “in wrath” in which 2/3s of Israel will die in unbelief… while 1/3 will believe and be saved. (cf. Zech. 13:8-9).

¹ In that day there shall be a fountain [of Jesus’ blood] opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. Zechariah 13:1 (KJV)

• After Acts God’s focus, plan and purpose is unto “all nations” (all believing men are seen by God as Gentiles) called to heaven’s glory (Eph. 1:3-4). This is taught Post-Acts in Paul’s 7 Post-Acts epistles to the Gentile “church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) of which Christ is “the Head.”

“Be it known therefore unto you [Israel], that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear [heed] it.” (Acts 28:28)

God had appointed Paul as “the [singular] Apostle to the Gentiles” (cf. Rom. 11:13, Gal. 2:7-8). We have his 6 Acts period epistles written when He was assigned to go “to the Jew first.” Then, AFTER Acts 28:28 we get Paul’s 7 Post-Acts ministry and epistles beginning with his prison epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians declaring “the body of Christ,” then continuing with 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

Romans is first in the set of Paul’s core foundational doctrine for all who will believe the “gospel of the grace of God” (Rom. 20:24). Romans is needed first for all Bible believing “saints,” to grow and become the intelligized “faithful” (cf. Eph. 1:1b) members of the Gentile “Body of Christ” that is destined to reign (2Tim. 2:12) in “the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3-5).

Romans is organized into these four parts explaining:

1) ‘Justification’ of Adamic Fallen Mankind by God’s Grace through faith (Romans 1-5)

2) ‘Sanctification’ of the believers (Romans 6-8)

3) What has happened to Israel and How we fit in God’s plan and purpose as Gentiles today (Romans 9-11) a

4) ‘Faithful Service’ of the believers who are “In Christ” (Rom. 12-16)

Romans sets forth key doctrine to educate and edify “the saints.” ‘All’ genuine grace believers are seen of God first as ‘saints’ being set apart unto God, … needing then to understand Paul’s newly revealed truth that is often contrary to the truth and destiny of Israel. But this makes believers part of what God is doing today during “The Dispensation Of The Grace Of God” (Eph. 3:2).