When asked to state the theme of Romans most pastors and theologians would answer, ‘The Gospel’. They would cite as Paul’s “theme statement” verse Romans 1:16 ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also the Greek.’ Therefore, Paul is writing this letter to lay out his gospel as a treatise for his readers’ sake. For example, one scholar writes: “This letter is therefore very likely intended to lay the theological framework for Rome’s support of his mission”.
I disagree.
It is my conviction that Paul’s theme – his reason for writing this letter – is to address the issue of unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians. He does spend significant attention to the gospel, it is true, but his focus in not on the content of the gospel (justification and forgiveness by grace through faith) nor on the persons behind the gospel (the Father and the Son) but on the result of the gospel, namely the unity between the Jewish and the Gentile Christians. This is the theme that resonates throughout the book. The gospel is a gospel of unity.
This is his theme elsewhere, too.
For example,1 Corinthians where he addresses his readers that he has heard that there is “quarrelling” (1:11) and “jealousy and strife among” them (3:3), that there are “divisions among them” (11:18).They need to be reminded that, like a body, they belong to one another, even “Jews and Greeks’ (12:13), and a “more excellent way” (12:31) is the way of love (13:1-13).
Or Ephesians where the Jews (“we”, “us” in chapters 1 and 2) and the Gentiles (“you”, “your” also in chapters 1 and 2) form two distinct people groups. The Gentiles were “at that time separated from Christ” (2:12). But now they “have been brought near” (2:13) and become with the Jews “one new man out of the two” (2:13). Gentiles and Jews have made one “household” (2:19), “structure” (2:21) and “temple” of God (2:21). The “mystery” (of the gospel) is “that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (3:6). They are called to eagerly “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:3). Since they are one man, there is “one body” (not two), “one Spirit” (not two), “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (4:3-5).
Therefore one might think (with good reason) that the issue of unity is prevalent, if not critical, especially between Jews and Gentiles (1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:28), in all of Paul’s letters to churches. It would make sense then that unity between Jew and Gentile is the theme of Romans and fits well with his theology expressed elsewhere.
So, in the supposed ‘theme’ verse of Romans 1:16 Paul’s focus is not the gospel being “the power of God” but it is the power of God for the salvation “of everyone who believes”.
Perhaps a more appropriate “theme verse” would be Romans 3:22b-24 “For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and (all) are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.
That Paul’s theme in Romans is the fundamental unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
Paul’s letter is therefore broadly outlined as follows:
- 1:1-7 Prologue
- 1:8 – (2:11? 16?) Addresses the whole church
- (2:12? 17?)-11:12 Addresses the Jewish Christians
- 11:13-32 Addresses the Gentile Christians
- 11:33-36 Doxology
- 12:1-15:33 Addresses the whole church
- 16:1-16 Greetings from Paul
- 16:17-20 Final exhortation
- 16:21-23 Greetings from Paul’s companions
- 16:24-27 Final benediction
Observations
- More than 50% of the letter is addressed to Jews particularly and only 20 verses addressed to Gentiles particularly.
- The transition into addressing the Jews is unclear but, as we shall see, in 2:17 he is clearly addressing the Jews.
- Note that in 11:13, where Paul finally addresses the Gentiles, is the beginning of a new heading, not in the middle of a section (chapters 9-11) where the authors of commentaries generally place it. (For example, one scholar places 11:13 at Heading III, sub-heading C, point 2 [out of 3]; The esteemed F.F. Bruce places Heading V, sub-heading d, point 2.)
Notes on the letter to the Romans
- Paul addresses the whole church (Romans 1:1)
- Paul claims he was “set apart for the gospel of God” (1:1). He (and others) have “received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of [Jesus’] name among all the nations” (1:5). He uses the same language in at the end of his letter: “gospel” (16:25), “the prophetic writings” (16:26), and “the obedience of faith” (16:26). In fact, his ministry of the gospel is for “all nations” (1:5, 16:26).
- In 16:25 he refers to the “revelation of the mystery”. What this mystery is made clear in the book of Ephesians 3:6 which reads “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
- He gives thanks to God “for all of you” (1:8) and hopes to come “to you” (1:10), that is, to the Christians who are at Rome.
- The gospel is not just “the power of God for salvation” but “for salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek”(1:16), for it is by faith (which he will explain later) “the righteous will live” (1:17). That is, righteousness is not made available through the keeping of the law (which no one has done, anyway) but it is appropriated through faith which is available to everyone, whether Jew or Gentile.
- After defining the practices of the wicked man (1:18-32) he warns against judging because they themselves are at risk of being judged themselves (2:3). God will both judge and reward both Jew and Gentile (2:8). “God shows no partiality” (2:11) because those who are “without the law” (Gentiles) and those who “have sinned under the law” (Jews) are treated equally by God (2:12).
- Paul addresses the Jewish Christians (Romans 2:11? 16?)
- Paul at this point addresses those who “call [themselves] a Jew” (2:17). There is no change in address until 11:13 (“Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.”) but there are many occasions where Paul seems to continue his address to the Jews:
- “We Jews” (3:9).
- “Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh” (4:1).
- “I am speaking to those who know the law” (7:4).
- “Our forefather, Isaac” (9:10).
- The quote from Isaiah – “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (2:24) seems to also be addressed to Jewish/Jewish Christians.
- Paul addresses his hearers concerning things that are uniquely Jewish: circumcision (a specific commandment), ethnic descendancy from Abraham (see the Jews’ boast to Jesus that “Abraham is our father” [John 8:39]), and the Law in general.
- Circumcision (3:25-29): If they break the law their circumcision means nothing. However, if those who do not have the law but nonetheless keep to what the law requires, they may as well be circumcised. Circumcision is not physical as a sign of being God’s people but is a circumcision of the heart. Physical circumcision then is no basis for superiority. “Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all” (3:9).
- Ethnicity through Abraham (4:1ff): Even though he was “our forefather according to the flesh” (4:1), it was his belief in God and his promises that “[were] counted to him as righteousness” (4:3). This is true of anyone who trusts in God (4:8). So Abraham is the “father of all who believe without being circumcised… and [he became] the father of [all] who walk in the footsteps of the faith that Abraham had before he was circumcised” (4:11-12) or as Paul wrote a few verses later, “the one who shares the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all” (4:16, see also 9:6). The same statement that his belief “was credited to him as righteous” (4:3) is equally applicable to those who “believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord” (4:24). Being a physical descendant of Abraham is likewise no basis for claiming superiority.
- Law: Paul writes “to those who know the law” (7:1).The law is part of his arguments about circumcision (2:25) and Abraham (4:13), and he has already made the point that “by works of the law no human being will be justified in [God’s] sight” (3:20). He goes on: “we” (he counts himself among the Jewish Christians) “have been justified by faith” (5:1). So then we are no longer under the law (6:15). The law was given to the Jews to “increase the trespass” (5:20) and to awaken sin within “us”. Even though Paul “delights in the law of God” he sees “another law waging war against the law of [his] mind” (7:23). The law cannot save. His only hope is “God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (7:25). So having the law is, like circumcision and having Abraham as a physical ancestor, no basis for superiority.
- So it’s to the Jews that Paul gives the reminder of what he has earlier stated, namely that “God shows no partiality” (1:11):
- “There is no distinction” (3:22).
- “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also?” (3:29)
- “There is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord of all” (10:12).
- Paul at this point addresses those who “call [themselves] a Jew” (2:17). There is no change in address until 11:13 (“Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.”) but there are many occasions where Paul seems to continue his address to the Jews:
Summary:
According to the gospel itself, being a Jew doesn’t make one more likely to obtain righteousness than being a Gentile.
- Paul addresses the Gentile Christians (Romans 11:13-32)
- As already noted, in 11:13 (“Now I am speaking to you Gentiles”) Paul for the first time addresses the Gentiles.
- He warns them not to be “arrogant” (11:18) against the “branches [that have been] broken off” (11:19). Even though they have been “grafted into” the tree (respecting Jews) they can just as easily be “cut off” (11:22). Lest they become “wise in their conceits” (11:25) he reminds them that “all Israel will be saved” (11:26).
- Just as they were “at one time disobedient to God” they “have now received mercy because of their [the Jews] disobedience”, so they too have “been disobedient” and “received mercy” for “God has consigned all to disobedience that he may have mercy on all” (11:30-32).
Summary:
Being a Gentile has no advantages over the Jews even though the Jews come from a disobedient people.
- Paul again addresses the whole church (12:1-15:33)
- Paul addresses ‘brothers’ (in this case he means “fellow Christians”) and says he is addressing “everyone among” them (12:1-3). He immediately calls each of them “not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think” (12:3). For Paul says “in one body we have many members” (12:4, see also 1 Corinthians 12). He instructs them to “let love be genuine” (12:9), to “love one another with brotherly affection” (12:10) and “live in harmony with one another” (12:16).
- As occasions in which Jew and Gentile might be at odds, he chooses two: eating (14:2-4) and honoring (or not) special days (14:5) both of which were common areas of conflict between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Instead of passing judgment on each other (14:10,13) they are to “pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding” (14:19).
- As they each “please his neighbor for his good, to build up” (15:2), God will “grant” to “live in harmony” so that “together [they] may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (15:5-6).
- God has confirmed “the promises he gave to the patriarchs” (of the Jews) and did this “in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (15:8-9). They are equal.
- In his final appeal he calls them to “watch out for those who cause divisions” among them (16:17). These are “obstacles to the doctrine [they] have been taught” (16:17).
Summary of the whole paper
Paul is writing to the Jews in 2:11(?)16(?) – 11:12. To them he makes clear that the gospel in its fullness is for everybody, for all – Jew and Gentile alike – have sinned and receive grace. To the Gentiles in 11:13-32 he reminds that they ought not to be arrogant toward the Jews as those who have special favor. He then tells them to love one another, live in harmony with one another and work together to prevent the presence of those who cause division in the church. It is my contention that Paul wrote this letter to address the possible (if not the actual) rift between Jews and Gentiles upon their receipt of the gospel. Christ came to die for all to bring redemption for all. He didn’t die for Jews or for Gentiles, but for everyone. The gospel is a gospel of unity.