Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16-3:26 - Discovering a New Approach to Paul's Argument

Cover

Preface

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Introduction

A. Prominent Disagreements in Past Scholarship on Rom 1:16–3:26

B. A Neglected Area of Study: Past Scholarship on Revelation, Its Inadequacies, and Its Contributions

C. Toward Rereading Rom 1:16–3:26: Uncovering a Neglected Theme

D. Approaching Romans

Chapter Two: The Revelation of God’s Righteousness: Revelation as Proof of Power unto Salvation in Rom 1:16–17

A. Neglect of Revelation in Past Scholarship on Rom 1:16–17

B. The Contours of Revelation in Rom 1:17a

1. Source and Destination of Revelation: ?? ??????? ??? ??????

a. The syntactical function of the phrases

b. General parameters concerning the senses of ?? and ???

c. Specific evidence about prepositions describing revelation

d. Further implications: divine source and human destination

e. The gospel from God’s faithfulness to human faith in 1:1–15

f. Objections to a theological interpretation of ?? ???????

g. Summary

2. The Location of Revelation: ?? ????

a. Sense of the preposition ??

b. Meaning of “gospel”

c. Meaning of the present-tense verb

d. Argumentative significance

3. The Content of Revelation: ?????????? ????

a. Righteousness from God revealed?

b. God’s activity revealed?

c. Conclusion

C. The Significance of Revelation within Rom 1:16–17

1. Revelation as Proof of Power in Rom 1:16b and 17a

2. Eschatological Life by Faith, Promised Beforehand in Rom 1:17b

3. From Accomplishment of Revelation to Application of Salvation

Chapter Three: The Revelation of God’s Wrath: Powerful Effects Already Manifest upon Some in Rom 1:18–32

A. Problems in Past Approaches to Rom 1:18–32

1. Neglect of Revelation in Past Approaches to the Passage

2. Related Problems in Past Interpretative Paradigms

B. The Contours of Revelation in Rom 1:18

1. Content of the Revelation: ???? ????

2. Source of the Revelation: ??’ ???????

3. Location of the Revelation: ??? ????? ???????? ??? ??????????

4. Source and Location Together: Invisible Revealed in the Visible

C. How Wrath Is Revealed in Rom 1:19–32

1. Revelatory Location: Humans Who Reject the Truth of God

2. Revelatory Power: God’s Handing People over in Wrath

3. Revelatory Display: Holistic Condition Expresses God’s Wrath

4. Conclusions concerning verses 19–32

D. Conclusions concerning Rom 1:18–32

Chapter Four: The Present Hiddenness of God’s Righteous Judgment: Future Revelation and What Is Not Seen in Rom 2:1–16

A. Problems in Past Approaches to Rom 2

1. General Inadequacies

2. Neglect of Revelation in Past Approaches to Rom 2

B. What Is Not Yet Revealed: Revelation-History and Paul’s Argument in Rom 2:1–16

1. Invisible Wrath, Visible Kindness: The Revelation-Historical Basis of the Interlocutor’s Hypocrisy in Rom 2:1–4

a. Problems in past explanations

b. The revelation-historical basis of the interlocutor’s claims

2. Future Revelation of Righteous Judgment: Paul’s Response in Rom 2:5–10

a. Future revelation and wrath in verse 5

b. Description of future revelation in verses 6–10

(i) Connections of verses 6–10 to verse 5

(ii) Connections of verses 6–10 to 1:18–32

(iii) Conclusions concerning verses 6–10

c. Conclusions concerning verses 5–10

3. The Implications of Future Revelation in Rom 2:11–16

a. What is not clear in verses 11–16: problems with past interpretations

(i) Soteriological indeterminacy

(ii) Social indeterminacy

b. What remains hidden and what is shown: toward a revelation-historical approach to verses 11–16

(i) What remains hidden: accounting for indeterminacy in verses 12–16

(ii) What is shown: a new dynamic in revelation-history in verse 15

(iii) The revelation-historical basis for impartiality

c. Conclusions concerning verses 11–16

C. Conclusions concerning Rom 2:1–16

Chapter Five: The Hiddenness of the Jew and Circumcision: What Is and Is Not Seen in the Sphere of the Law in Rom 2:17–29

A. Embodiment of the Truth: The Jewish Teacher’s Claims in Rom 2:17–20

1. Problems in Past Approaches

2. Initial Observations: Structure and Emphases in Rom 2:17–20

3. ??? ???????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ???????? as Outward Form

4. The “Form of Knowledge” as Bodily Circumcision?

a. Evidence in the preceding context

b. The anthropological focus of verses 19–20

c. Paul’s focus on circumcision in his response

d. Corroborating evidence in contemporary Jewish literature

e. Conclusion

5. ??? ?? ???? as a Sphere of Power in Rom 2:20

B. What Is and Is Not Seen in the Sphere of the Law: Paul’s Response in Rom 2:21–29

1. What Is Seen in the Sphere of the Law: Transgression and Dishonor in Rom 2:21–24

a. Adultery, stealing, and temple-robbery in verses 21–22

b. Transgression, dishonor, and cause for blasphemy in verses 23–24

2. What Is Not Seen in the Sphere of the Law: The Hiddenness of the Jew and Circumcision in Rom 2:25–29

a. What is not embodied through circumcision in verses 25–27

b. The hiddenness of the Jew and circumcision in verses 28–29

(i) Recovering the meaning and importance of the ???????-??????? contrast

(ii) The ??????-?????? contrast

(iii) The ????????-???? contrast

(iv) Conclusions concerning verses 28–29

C. Conclusions concerning Rom 2:17–29 and Implications

D. Conclusions concerning Rom 2

Chapter Six: An Inverse Demonstration of God’s Righteousness: Constructing Jewish Advantage through David in Rom 3:1–8

A. Problems in Past Interpretation of Rom 3:1–8

B. Rereading Rom 3:1–8

1. An Alternative Claim about Jewish Advantage in Rom 3:1–2

2. Response to a Familiar Question: What David Demonstrates in Rom 3:3–4

3. Dismissing Familiar Criticisms: Not Ashamed of the Gospel in Rom 3:5–8

C. Conclusions concerning Rom 3:1–8

Chapter Seven: What is Visible in the Sphere of the Law: Knowledge of Sin’s Power Undermines the Law’s Power in Rom 3:9–20

A. Problems in Past Approaches to Rom 3:9–20

B. Rereading Rom 3:9–20

1. Selection and Arrangement in the Catena: The Holistic Condition of People

2. Paul’s Interpretative Framing of the Catena

a. Sin as power in verse 9

b. Knowledge of Sin in verse 20

c. The Law as power and the condition of those “in the Law”

3. The Argumentative Rationale of the Passage

4. Laundry List of Other Problems

Chapter Eight: The Revelation of God’s Righteousness in Christ: The Power of God unto Salvation of which Paul Is Not Ashamed in Rom 3:21–26

A. Problems in Past Approaches to Rom 3:21–26

B. Rereading Rom 3:21–26

1. Initial Description: Revelation of God’s Righteousness in Rom 3:21–22a

a. How God has not revealed his righteousness in verse 21

b. How and to whom God has revealed his righteousness in verse 22a

2. Initial Explanation: What This Revelation Shows about Sin and Justification in Rom 3:22b-24

3. Further Explanation: How, Where, and Why God’s Righteousness is Revealed in Rom 3:25–26

a. ???????? ? ????

b. ??? [???] ???????

c. ??? ?? ????? ??????

d. ??? ??? ??????? … ?? ?? ????? ??? ????

e. ??? ?? ??? ?????

f. ??? ?? ????? ????? ??????? ??? ?????????? ??? ?? ??????? ?????

4. Conclusions and Observations

Chapter Nine: Summary and Further Reflections

A. Summary

B. Further Reflections

Bibliography

Old Testament

New Testament

Other Ancient Texts

Index of References

Index of Authors

Index of Subjects