Many people have heard a part of this lesson before. Most particularly, the last two verses, the part about "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

These verses are often a part of funeral services. In the context of a funeral service, these verses are a source of comfort for those in attendance, a consolation for the bereaved, and a strong reminder of the reward which awaits us all at the conclusion of this life. In the context of this lesson from the letter to the Romans, these verses are the summary of a very important passage, one which is about much more than simple consolation at a funeral.…