A Rereading Of Romans

Paul's Letter to the Romans is one of the most influential writings of Christian theology. In this reinterpretation, the author provides a new reading that places Romans within the sociocultural, historical and rhetorical contexts of Paul's world.

* A fresh and thorough new reading of the situation prompting Paul's most important and puzzling letter

Distinguished Pauline scholars offer an insightful examination of Paul and his world, using carefully chosen examples to demonstrate how particular features of Greco-Roman culture shed light on Paul's letters and on his readers' possible perceptions of them.

Paul wrote this letter to the Roman Christians to win their financial support for a new stage in his mission. How could an Apostle--unknown by sight to the Roman believers--recommend himself, except by sharing his understanding of how God was at work through the Good News that Paul proclaimed to Jews and Gentiles? Romans starts with a practical goal and becomes a theological masterpiece of great historical importance and of enduring significance to all believers in the One God. The fresh reading of Romans by a Catholic scholar pays close attention to Paul's theological argument as it unfolds. The commentary includes several distinctive features. Johnson shows how Paul understands "righteousness by faith" as the faith of the human person Jesus, how "salvation" means inclusion in God's people, and how the work of the Holy Spirit transforms human conciousness so that believers can share with each other the faith and the love shown them by Jesus--from back cover.

Witherington gleans fresh insights from reading the text of Paul's epistle in light of early Jewish theology, the historical situation of Rome in the middle of first century A.D., and Paul's own rhetorical concerns.

Paul did not write a systematic theology or specific church doctrines when he wrote Romans. His audience was Roman Christians, and his last will was to preach the gospel to all, especially gentiles in Spain. Through this letter, Paul wants to pave the way for a visit to Rome and expects their support on his mission trip to Spain. The question is this: What kind of the gospel does he want to share with them? Traditionally, the letter has been read from the perspective of forensic salvation that an individual justification occurs once and for all by faith in Christ. This view remains with the so-called New Perspective on Paul, and Christ’s faithfulness has not been explored. Rereading the letter with a renewed concept of the good news in the letter, this book challenges the traditional reading of Romans and explores Paul’s threefold gospel that features the gospel that is God-centered, Christ-exemplified, and Christian-imitated. His main concern is how gentiles can become children of God, as well as how Jews may live faithfully in Christ. In Romans, the good news is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith. It is not a set of knowledge about God or Jesus. Paul is eager to share this gospel of faith with the Roman Christians and to correct some misunderstandings about him, since his gospel is viewed as anti-Jewish or antinomian.

This highly anticipated commentary on the Greek text of Romans by veteran New Testament scholar Richard Longenecker provides solid scholarship and innovative solutions to long-standing interpretive problems. Critical, exegetical, and constructive, yet pastoral in its application, Longenecker’s monumental work on Romans sets a course for the future that will promote a better understanding of this most famous of Paul’s letters and a more relevant contextualization of its message.

While scholars of the New Testament and its Roman environment have recently focused attention on ethnicity, on the one hand, and gender on the other, the two questions have often been discussed separately-and without reference to the contemporary critical study of race theory. This interdisciplinary volume addresses this lack by drawing together new essays by prominent scholars in the fields of New Testament, classics, and Jewish studies. These essays push against the marginalization of race and ethnicity studies and put the received wisdom of New Testament studies squarely in the foreground.