About two years ago I attempted to summarize why Paul wrote Romans (see Why Did the Apostle Paul Write Romans?). Today I was reading A. Katherine Grieb’s book The Story of Romans: A Narrative Defense of God’s Righteousness and she offers eight reasons for Paul writing Romans. I thought I’d share (pp. 14-16):
“1. Paul wrote to introduce himself and his theology, especially his controversial law-free gospel for Gentile converts, to the house churches at Rome.”
“2. Paul wrote to correct false impressions and misunderstandings about what he taught.”
“3. Paul wrote to reassure the Jewish Christians at Rome of the priority of Israel and the irrevocability of God’s covenant with Israel.”
“4. Paul wrote to reassure the Gentile Christians at Rome of God’s impartiality and of the fact that they, too, were included in God’s covenant promises to the patriarchs of Israel, even though their males were not circumcised.”
“5. Paul wrote to urge the Roman Christians to quit fighting over nonessential matters and live together as a unity with diversity.”
“6. Paul wrote to recommend Phoebe, his coworker who probably had carried his letter to Rome.”
“7. …Paul wrote to start building the Roman house churches into the base of operations he would need for his mission to Spain.”
“8….Paul wrote to proclaim the gospel of God to them.”
August 9, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Ok, those are A. Katherine Grieb’s ideas.
(1). How do they compare to your original ideas (since presumably you preceded her in asking the question a couple of years ago)?
(2). How much of what A. Katherine Grieb suggests is mere repetition of popular orthodoxy?
(3). Is what A. Katherine Grieb suggests largely substantiated ecclesiastically, or exegetically (historically)?
Personally, I find first 8 chapters of Roman’s argumentation crescendos into a climax [Romans 9-12], with what follows [Rom 13->] being purposeful house-keeping. Also interesting, and worth more in explaining the purpose of Romans than A. Katherine Grieb’s opinions is Paul’s use of the OT. To understand the context of the OT Paul cites – is to understand Paul.
October 18, 2012 at 2:47 pm
As with all of Paul’s letters this was wrote to address certain issues. What we are lacking is the source letter or source message. But the purpose is bring to the attention to the jewish christians that the Creator is also the creator of all mankind, that all mankind was condemned by the sin of Adam, that all makind was redeemed by Yahshua removing the certainty of death of all mankind by providing the means for being judged by the Creator at the final judgement.These jewish christians were having trouble overcoming the belief that only the covenant people could be saved(JUDGED RIGHTEOUS). Paul goes on to remind them that the Northern Kingdom were exiled and sifted amongst the other nations and even though it was said to them they were not his people it would be said in the future that they are his people.So many prophesies expound that both houses would be reunited into the land sworn to Abraham and would live there safely forever.
Evidently these jewish christians were trying to make non jews become a jew to be apart of Grace that was offered freely to all mankind or just to hear about it.
Paul was the obvious choice to write this letter because his background within the pharasee where to be jewish required following the oral law which had added commandments to how to observe the Sabbath,restrictions in how food was to be prepared ,how to prepare yourself for a meal and requiring circumcision to even hear the Word preached. He wrote many letters because of this problem.
This letter also shows that the gospel of circumcision had reached Rome many years before Paul but the gospel of Grace to the uncircumcised had not fully explained.