Paul's Theology in the Letter to the Romans
Major Themes
There are five major themes in the body of Paul’s letter to the Romans.
1: The pervasive need for justification/salvation (Rom. 1:18-3:20).
2: Justification/salvation through faith (Rom. 3:21-4:25).
3: The new life of grace in Christ (Rom. 5:1-8-39).
4: The role of Israel in God’s salvific plan (Rom. 9:1-11:36).
5: Ethical exhortation (Rom. 12:1-15:33). (130).
Many scholars believe that Pauline theology is at the heart of the New Testament witness and Christian faith. It represents the oldest detailed statement of a coherent Christian theology available to us. (Ludwig et al. p.127). As “apostle of the nations” …he understood that all people are called by God to a very great glory” (The Pontifical Biblical Commision.144).
Paul’s whole teaching in Romans is captured in the following words. “I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith…The righteous by faith shall live” (Rom. 1: 16- 17).
The need for Salvation: (Rom. 1:18-3:20).
Paul begins by stating that the entire human creation rejected God and followed natural desires necessitating the judgment and anger of God. He declares that all have sinned. “There is no one just, not one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have gone astray; all alike are worthless; there is not one who does good, there is not even one” (Rom. 3:10-12). All the people of the earth both Jew and Gentile are guilty; they all rejected the truth and turned their back on their creator. Therefore all human sin are to be judged by God without any form of partiality. He strongly asserts that, “In the face of this pervasive and powerful sinfulness, the Law, the Torah of Judaism, cannot save”. (Ludwig et al. p.131).
Justification through faith: (Rom. 3:21-4:25).
The good news is that a righteous God did not allow sinful humanity to
There are five major themes in the body of Paul’s letter to the Romans.
1: The pervasive need for justification/salvation (Rom. 1:18-3:20).
2: Justification/salvation through faith (Rom. 3:21-4:25).
3: The new life of grace in Christ (Rom. 5:1-8-39).
4: The role of Israel in God’s salvific plan (Rom. 9:1-11:36).
5: Ethical exhortation (Rom. 12:1-15:33). (130).
Many scholars believe that Pauline theology is at the heart of the New Testament witness and Christian faith. It represents the oldest detailed statement of a coherent Christian theology available to us. (Ludwig et al. p.127). As “apostle of the nations” …he understood that all people are called by God to a very great glory” (The Pontifical Biblical Commision.144).
Paul’s whole teaching in Romans is captured in the following words. “I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith…The righteous by faith shall live” (Rom. 1: 16- 17).
The need for Salvation: (Rom. 1:18-3:20).
Paul begins by stating that the entire human creation rejected God and followed natural desires necessitating the judgment and anger of God. He declares that all have sinned. “There is no one just, not one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have gone astray; all alike are worthless; there is not one who does good, there is not even one” (Rom. 3:10-12). All the people of the earth both Jew and Gentile are guilty; they all rejected the truth and turned their back on their creator. Therefore all human sin are to be judged by God without any form of partiality. He strongly asserts that, “In the face of this pervasive and powerful sinfulness, the Law, the Torah of Judaism, cannot save”. (Ludwig et al. p.131).
Justification through faith: (Rom. 3:21-4:25).
The good news is that a righteous God did not allow sinful humanity to
Cited: Stifler, James M. The Epistle to the Romans. New York: Flemming, 1897. Print. Johnson, Luke Timothy. The writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation. 3rd ed. Mineapolis: Augsburg, 2010. Print. Sanders, E.P. Paul and Palestinian Judaism: A comparisons of patterns of Religion. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1977. Print. Ludwig, Robert A., et al. Christian Origins. The Loyola Institute for Ministry Extension Program. New Orleans: Loyola U, 2010. PDF. The Pontifical Biblical Commission. The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible. Vatican. The Holy See. Web. ***The Catholic Study Bible. 2nd. Ed. Donald Senior and John J. Collins. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. Print. ****Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2009. Web. Wright, N.T. What Saint Paul Really Said. Was Paul of Tarsus the Real founder of Christianity? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997. Print. The Interpreter’s One Volume Commentary on the Bible: Including the Apocrypha, with General Articles. Charles M. Laymon, et al. Abingdon Nashville 1980. Print.