PAUL INTRODUCES HIMSELF

Romans 1:1-15

DIMENSION ONE: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Answer these questions by reading Romans 1:1-15

1. Identify the three expressions of Paul's self-identity in verses 1 and 5.

In verse 1, Paul refers to himself as "a servant of Christ Jesus" and "called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God." In verse 5, Paul says he has "received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith."

2. Locate the description of the audience of the letter, the so-called "address" (1:7)

Paul addresses his letter "to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people."

3. Read the opening verses of the other Pauline letters (First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, First and Second Thessalonians, First and Second Timothy, Titus). Which openings contain a reference to the "gospel of God" promised through Scripture (1:1-2) or the creed concerning Jesus (1:3-4)?

Of 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, 2 Corinthians 1:1-2, Galatians 1:1-5, Ephesians 1:1-2, Philippians 1:1-2, Colossians 1:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2, 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 2 Timothy 1:1-2, and Titus 1:1-4, only Titus contains something similar to these references in Romans.

4. What does Paul mention as the content of his prayers in the "thanksgiving section"? (1:8-12)

Paul reveals that he gives thanks for the faith of the Romans (1:8) and prays that he may visit them (1:10-11).

5. In the "narration section" (1:13-15) Paul explains both his motivation in visiting Rome and the reason he has not visited earlier. Identify both points.

Paul's motivation is to "preach the gospel" (1:15) because he is "obligated" (1:14) to all the Gentiles. His earlier plans to visit Rome "have been prevented" (1:13).

DIMENSION TWO: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN?

The Problem of Teaching Romans

Romans is one of the most difficult books in the New Testament to teach, for several reasons. It does not fit the model of the other Pauline letters, which makes Romans hard to understand. For example, when people interpret Romans on the model of the Corinthian letters, they look at Romans as offering theological advice to a congregation that knows and respects Paul. This interpretation is obviously difficult because Paul did not found the church at Rome. Sometimes people interpret Romans on the model of Paul's letter to the Galatians, which is a defense of the gospel. When Romans is viewed this way, it is seen as a polemical letter, defending the true faith. The consequence of this view is that a particular approach to Romans, shaped perhaps by the Protestant or perhaps by the Roman Catholic tradition, is assumed to be the standard by which all other forms of the faith are being criticized by the Book of Romans. The crucial thrust of Romans as a document of early Christian pluralism is lost when the letter is approached in this way.

Many students of Romans, aware of the unique quality of the letter, understand it to be something of a theological treatise. They view Romans as a statement of pure doctrine, unrelated to any congregational situation. Since Paul had not been to Rome before writing the letter, people holding this view assume that Paul is summarizing his general teachings in a way that he thinks might be useful to the congregation. When this approach is taken, the missionary goal that Paul reveals in writing the letter is overlooked.

The peculiar abstraction of Romans also presents a barrier to understanding. That is, Romans is a formal writing with a large number of theological terms. These terms were each understandable in their original setting, but we easily become bogged down in a line-by-line and word-for-word debate on Romans. The problem of abstraction will prove particularly difficult for people in your group who think more concretely, who enjoy pictures and parables, and who lack formal philosophical or theological training.

The approach I suggest is to place Romans in a vivid historical situation and to relate this situation to each section of the letter. The basic purpose of Romans was to gain support from the Roman house churches for Paul's mission to Spain. To achieve this purpose, Paul had to deal with the conflicts between the branches of the house churches in Rome. When these house churches are unified in purpose, free of conflict, and in harmony, then Paul can seek their support for organizing his proposed mission to a difficult portion of the Roman Empire, Spain. Keeping this concrete situation in mind may provide a lively accessibility to this complex letter.

The Structure of the Passage

The questions in Dimension One aim to make participants aware of the structure of Paul's introduction. When they compare the letter opening in Romans with the openings of other Pauline letters, the differences are going to become apparent. A grasp of these differences will help participants understand the unique purpose of Romans. You may want to write an outline of a typical letter opening on a whiteboard or on a large piece of paper. Your outline might look like this:

Sender — "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus"

Recipient — "to all in Rome who are loved by God"

Greeting — "grace and peace to you"

This basic letter opening sometimes has slight expansions, but in no other letter are the expansions as large as in Romans.

Verses 1-7 reveal that Paul is introducing himself with considerable care to demonstrate the orthodoxy of his gospel and the authenticity of his apostolic calling. You will note that the expansions in the letter opening are in sections 1 and 2. Themes of "apostle" and "gospel of God" announced in verse 1 are developed in reverse order before Paul gets to the address of the letter. Part of this expansion involves the citation of an early Christian creed in verses 3-4. Quite likely, this creed is a composite of the viewpoints of conservative and liberal Christians in Rome; and many commentators feel that the creed was actually being used in the Roman house churches.

Verses 8-12 make up the "thanksgiving" section in the introduction to Romans. In most instances the thanksgiving of a Pauline letter announces the major themes of the letter and reveals Paul's purpose in writing. Note that the thanksgiving proper is only in verse 8 but that the themes of prayer and of the relationship between the believers before God continues. The thing that Paul stresses in this section is that he has long prayed to be able to travel to Rome in order to preach the gospel there. This...