Editing Epistle to the Romans (section)

=== Salvation in the Christ (1:16–8:39) ===

====Righteousness of God (1:16–17)====
Paul announces that he is not "ashamed" ({{transliteration|grc|epaiscúnomai}}) of his gospel because it holds power ({{transliteration|grc|dúnamis}}). These two verses form a backdrop of themes for the rest of the book; first, that Paul is unashamed of his love for this gospel that he preaches about Jesus Christ. He also notes that he is speaking to the "Jew first."<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|1:16||1:16}}</ref> There is significance to this, but much of it is scholarly conjecture as the relationship between [[Paul the Apostle and Judaism|Paul and Judaism]] is still debated, and scholars are hard-pressed to find an answer to such a question without knowing more about the audience in question. Wayne Brindle argues, based on Paul's former writings against the [[Judaizers]] in [[Epistle to the Galatians|Galatians]] and [[2&nbsp;Corinthians]], that rumors had probably spread about Paul totally negating the Jewish existence in a Christian world (see also [[Antinomianism#Antinomianism in the New Testament|Antinomianism in the New Testament]] and [[Supersessionism]]). Paul may have used the "Jew first" approach to counter such a view.<ref>W.A. Brindle, "To The Jew First: Rhetoric, Strategy, History, or Theology?" ''Bibliotheca Sacra'' 159 (2002): 221</ref>

====Condemnation: The Universal corruption of Gentiles and Jews (1:18–3:20)====
{{main|Romans 3}}

===== The judgment of God (1:18–32) =====
Paul begins with a summary of Hellenistic Jewish apologist discourse.<ref>J. C. O'Neill, ''Paul's Letter to the Romans'' (Penguin, 1975); E. P. Sanders, ''Paul, the Law, and Jewish People'' (Fortress, 1983); Calvin Porter, 'Romans 1.18–32: Its Role in Developing the Argument (New Testament Studies, Cambridge University Press, 1994); Scot McKnight, ''Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire'' (Baylor, 2019)</ref> His summary begins by suggesting that humans have taken up ungodliness and wickedness for which there already is [[Divine retribution|wrath from God]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|1:18||1:18}}</ref> People have taken God's invisible image and made him into an [[Idolatry and Christianity|idol]]. Paul draws heavily here from the [[Wisdom of Solomon]].<ref>for all of these comparisons see Ben Witherington's commentary on Romans, p. 63 which is available on a limited preview basis from Google books.</ref> This summary condemns [[Non-traditional sexual relationships|"unnatural sexual behavior"]] and warns that such behavior has already resulted in a depraved body and mind ("reprobate mind" in the [[King James Version]]) <ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|1:26–27||1:26–27}}</ref> and says that people who do such things (including murder and wickedness <ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|1:29||1:29}}</ref>) are worthy of death.<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|1:32||1:32}}</ref> Paul stands firmly against the [[Imperial cult (ancient Rome)|idol worship system which was common in Rome]]. Several scholars believe the passage is a non-Pauline [[Interpolation (manuscripts)|interpolation]].<ref>Percy Neale Harrison, ''Paulines and Pastorals'' (London: Villiers Publications, 1964), 80–85; Robert Martyr Hawkins, ''The Recovery of the Historical Paul'' (Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press, 1943), 79–86; Alfred Firmin Loisy, ''The Origins of the New Testament'' (New Hyde Park, NY: University Books, 1962), 250; ibid., ''The Birth of the Christian Religion'' (New Hyde Park, NY: University Books, 1962), 363 n. 21; Winsome Munro, ''Authority in Paul and Peter: The Identification of a Pastoral Stratum in the Pauline Corpus and 1 Peter'', SNTSMS 45 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983), 113; John C. O'Neill, ''Paul's Letter to the Romans'' (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1975), 40–56; William O. Walker, Jr., "Romans 1.18–2.29: A Non-Pauline Interpolation?" ''New Testament Studies'' 45, no. 4 (1999): 533–552.</ref>

===== Paul's warning of hypocrites (2:1–4) =====
{{main|Romans 2}}

On the traditional [[Protestant]] interpretation, Paul here calls out Jews who are condemning others for not following the law when they themselves are also not following the law. Stanley Stowers, however, has argued on rhetorical grounds that Paul is in these verses not addressing a Jew at all but rather an easily recognizable caricature of the typical boastful person ({{lang|grc|ὁ ἀλαζων}}). Stowers writes, "There is absolutely no justification for reading {{Bibleref2-nb|Rom|2:1–5}} as Paul's attack on 'the hypocrisy of the Jew.' No one in the [[Christianity in the 1st century|first century]] would have identified {{transliteration|grc|ho alazon}} with Judaism. That popular interpretation depends upon anachronistically reading later Christian characterizations of Jews as 'hypocritical [[Pharisees]]{{'"}}.<ref>Stowers, ''A Rereading of Romans''. Yale Press, 1994, p. 101</ref> (See also [[Anti-Judaism]]).

==== Justification: The Gift of Grace and Forgiveness through Faith (3:21–5:11) ====
{{main|Romans 5}}

Paul says that a righteousness from God has made itself known apart from the law, to which the [[Torah|law]] and [[Neviim|prophets]] testify, and this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus to all who believe.<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|3:21–22||3:21–22}}</ref> He describes [[Justification (theology)|justification]] – legally clearing the believer of the guilt and penalty of sin – as a gift of God,<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|3:24||3:24}}</ref> and not the work of man (lest he might boast), but by faith.<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|3:28||3:28}}</ref>

==== Assurance of salvation (5–11) ====
{{main|Romans 11}}

In chapters five through eight, Paul argues that believers can be [[Assurance (theology)|assured]] of their [[hope]] in [[salvation]], having been freed from the bondage of sin. Paul teaches that through [[faith]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|3:28|KJV}}, {{bibleverse|Rom|4:3|KJV|4:3}}</ref> the faithful have been joined with [[Jesus]]<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|5:1|KJV|5:1}}</ref> and freed from sin.<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|6:1–2|KJV}}, {{bibleverse|Rom|6:18|KJV|6:18}}</ref> Believers should celebrate in the assurance of salvation<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|12:12|KJV|12:12}}</ref> and be certain that no external force or party can take their salvation away from them.<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|8:38–39|KJV|8:38–39}}</ref>{{efn|These verses are commonly quoted to provide evidence of [[eternal security]]; however, groups who oppose eternal security state that this does not take into account the individual believer choosing voluntarily to leave Christianity.}} This promise is open to everyone since everyone has sinned,<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|3:23|KJV|3:23}}</ref> save the one who paid for all of them.<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|3:24|KJV|3:24}}</ref>

In {{Bibleref2|Romans|7:1|KJV}}, Paul says that humans are under the law while they live: "Know ye not [...] that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?" However, Jesus' death on the cross makes believers dead to the law ({{Bibleref2-nb|Rom|7:4|KJV}}, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye are also become dead to the law by the [[body of Christ]]"), according to [[Antinomianism#Pauline passages supporting antinomianism|an antinomistic interpretation]].

In {{Bibleref2|Romans|9–11||chapters 9–11}} Paul addresses the faithfulness of [[God]] to the [[Israelites]], where he says that God has been faithful to his promise. Paul hopes that all Israelites will come to realize the truth,<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|9:1–5|KJV|9:1–5}}</ref> stating that "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In [[Isaac]] shall thy seed be called."<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|9:6–7|KJV|9:6–7}}</ref> Paul affirms that he himself is also an Israelite,<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|11:1|KJV|11:1}}</ref> and had in the past been a persecutor of [[Early Christians]]. In {{Bibleref2|Romans|9–11}} Paul talks about how the nation of Israel has not been cast away, and the conditions under which [[Jews as the chosen people|Israel will be God's chosen nation again]]: when Israel returns to its faith, sets aside its unbelief.<ref>{{bibleverse|Rom|11:19–24|KJV|11:19–24}}</ref>