What is the “good news” of Jesus Christ? Why do people need to hear it? How can they experience it? What will it mean for their future? And what does the good news have to do with everyday life? These large and basic questions form Paul’s agenda in Romans—an agenda dictated by a combination of audiences, circumstances and purposes. Two years ago we started into the book of Romans, working our way verse- by-verse through the letter. This year, we pick up where we left off and keep moving forward into chapters 5 to 8.