Lesson 413

(Lesson 413)(10-02-12) Romans 1:13-15, "That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also."

This lesson concerns more of Paul's letter to the disciples at Rome. It esplains how he had long wanted to visit with them because, in his words, "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also."
Evidently, Paul had not yet preached to these disciples to whom he was writing. This idea is confirmed by his usage of the term "also", at the end of the above statement and the fact that Paul said, "Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you". This tells us that Paul had indeed preached to someone, by not yet to these disciples in particular.
This knowledge has a great bearing on whether or not the disciples at Rome, as yet, constituted an organized, ordained, individual branch of Christ's Church.
This lesson, even the entirety of Paul's letter, can reasonably qualify as a sermon to those in Rome.
This will become clearer as these lessons progress.~