Contents

Series Foreword
Author’s Preface

Introduction to Romans
Why Romans
The Churches in Rome
The Pastoral Context in Rome
The Purpose of Romans
The Perspective of This Commentary
The Over-all Plan of Romans
The Larger Thought World of Romans
The Problem of Language
This Commentary

Introduction, 1:1-15
Prescript, 1:1-7
Thanksgiving, 1:8-12
Disclosure Formula
The Framing, 1:1-15, 15:14-33
Gospel
Gospel
The Obedience of Faith

The Thesis Statement, 1:16-18
The Thesis, 1:16
The Gospel Reveals the Righteousness of God, 1:17 54
The Gospel Reveals the Wrath of God, 1:18 57
Righteousness
God is Righteous
Jesus Defines God’s Righteousness
Righteousness and Ethics are Linked
Righteousness Concerns Peoplehood
God’s Righteousness Again
Socio-Political Implication

The Argument of the Letter
The Revelation of the Wrath of God, 1:18-3:20
The Impartial Judgment of God on all Peoples, 1:18-2:11
The Inexcusability of Humanity, 1:19-21
The Just Retribution of God, 1:22-2:3
The Revelation of God’s Righteous Judgment, 2:4-5
The Judgment According to Works, 2:6-10
The Conclusion
The Impartiality of God
Becoming What We Worship
The Challenge of Homosexuality
The Equality of Gentiles and Jews Before God’s Judgment, 2:12-29
The General Principle—The Equality of Judgment in Relation to the Law, 2:12-13
The First Case of the Gentiles, 2:14-16
The First Case of the Jews, 2:17-24
The Second Case of the Jews, 2:25
The Second Case of the Gentiles, 2:26-27
The General Principle—The Relation of Circumcision and Obedience, 2:28-29
The Objection of the Jews, 3:1-20
The Diatribe, 3:1-9
The Scriptural Warrant, 3:10-18
The Conclusion, 3:19-20
The Picture of God
The Family Debate
The Faithfulness of God
The Language of Criticism

The Revelation of the Righteousness of God, 3:21-26
The Revelation, 3:21-22a
The Means, 3:22b-25a
The Parenthesis 3:22b-24a
Back to the Main Argument
The Purpose, 3:25b-26
The “Faith of Jesus” in Paul
The “Faith of Jesus” in Romans
The Righteousness of God
Salvation Effects Change

One God Makes Righteous All People, 3:27-4:25
The Dialogue, 3:27-4:2
The Exposition of Scripture, 4:3-25
Abraham
Abraham Is Our Father
Abraham Faiths God to Do the Impossible

Summarizing the Argument, chs. 1-4

The Meaning of the Revelation of the Righteousness of God, 5:1-8:39
Peace with God, 5:1-11
The Basis, 5:1a
The Exhortations, 5:1b-8
The Basis, 5:9a
The Benefits, 5:9b-11
Boasting
Reconciliation
The Problem of Suffering
Reframing the Meaning of Christ’s Death
Salvation from Guilt and Shame
The Politics of Peace
Victory of Christ Over Sin, 5:12-21
Perspectives for Interpreting This Unit
Adam in the First Century
Apocalyptic Theologies of Sin
The Beginning and the End, 5:12 and 21
The Relation of Sin and Law, 5:13-14
The Comparison of Adam and Christ, 5:15-21
Adam and Christ in 1 Corinthians
The Preoccupation with Sin
The Good News

The Death of the Old Humanity, 6:1-7:6
Sin that Grace May Abound, 6:1-11
Exhortations Based on the Thesis, 6:12-14
Practice Sin to Enjoy Grace, 6:15-23
To Those Under the Law, 7:1-6
Baptism
Dying and Rising with Christ
The Problem of Sin in the Church
The Challenge of Baptism
A Narrative Spirituality

Victory Over the Flesh/Sin Through Christ and the Spirit, 7:7-8:11
The Meaning of “Law”
The Meaning of the “I”
The Weakness of the Law due to the Flesh/Sin, 7:7-25
The Fulfillment of the Law Through Christ and the Spirit, 8:1-11
The Story of Galatians 3
The Glasses of the Past
A Different Reading
The Gift of the Law
The Gift of the Spirit
The Challenge of Worldviews

Children of God, 8:12-39
The Spirit and Family Relationships, 8:12-17
The Triumph of Glory Over Sufferings, 8:18-30
The Triumph of God in Christ, 8:31-39
Children of God and the Spirit in Galatians 4
The New Family of God
Living in the Spirit
The Church and Creation
The Mystery of Suffering

Summarizing the Argument, chs. 1-8

The Faithfulness of God to Jews and Gentiles, 9:1-11:36
The Wish, 9:3
The Privileges, 9:4-5

God’s Word Has Not Failed, 9 6-29
God’s Call, 9:6-13
God’s Sovereignty, 9:14-21
God Elects a New People, 9:22-29
Election and Jewish Identity
Displacement Theology
Theology of Predestination
God’s Election of Jewish and Gentile Peoples
Election Is About God’s Love and Mercy

Christ Is the Fulfillment of the Word of God, 9:30-10:21
Israel Pursued the Law and Righteousness Incorrectly, 9:30-10:3
Christ Is the Goal for Jew and Gentile, 10:4-13
The Gospel Is for all Who Hear, 10:14-21
Leviticus 18
Deuteronomy 30
The Church’s Historic Grid
Jesus Fulfills the Law and God’s Promises
Preaching the Good News
Obedient Hearing

God Has Not Rejected Israel, 11:1-36
The Remnant and the Rest, 11:1-10
The Importance of Israel’s Future Salvation, 11:11-24
The Divine Mystery of Salvation for Jews and Gentiles, 11:25-32
Doxology, 11:33-36
The Prophecies of Isaiah
Isaiah in Jewish Literature
Supersessionism
Two Covenant Theology
The Rejection of Anti-Judaism
The Jewish-Christian Schism and Contemporary Response

Summarizing the Argument, chs. 9-11

The Living Sacrifice of the Righteous Community, 12:1-15:13
The Living Sacrifice, 12:1-2

The Renewal of the Mind, 12:3-16
The Frame, 12:3 and 16
To Live as the Body of Christ, 12:4-8
To Love without Hypocrisy, 12:9-15
Importance of Renewed Mind
Common Mind
A Radical and Concrete Ethic
A New Value System
Repay Only the Good, 12:17-13:10
Do Not Repay Evil but Overcome Evil with Good, 12:17-21
Be Subject to the Governing Authorities, 13:1-7
Be Obligated to No One Except to Love, 13:8-10
Non-retaliation
Submission to the Authorities
Living Nonviolently
Church and State
Faithful to God and Subject to Government

The Renewal of the Mind, 13:11-14
The Reason: Knowing the Opportune Time, 13:11-12a
The Imperatives, 13:12b-14 Baptism as Enlistment
Call to Faithfulness
Welcome Differences, 14:1-15:13
Welcome the Weak One, 14:1-12
Do Not Judge One Another, 14:13-23
The Strong Bear the Weak, 15:1-6
Welcome One Another, 15:7-13
Clean or Unclean?
Food and Community
Boundary Maintenance
Rebuilding the Center
Criteria for Inclusion
The Politics of Paul
Letter Form
Living in the Spirit
Natural Theology
Obedience
Original Sin
Righteousness
The Righteousness of God
Salvation-Judgment by Works
Sin in Romans
Universalism
Works of the Law
Wrath

Outline of Romans
Map of New Testament World
Bibliography
Index of Ancient Sources
The Author
Conclusion, 15:14-16:27
Paul’s Mission, 15:14-21
Paul’s Plans, 15:22-29
Paul’s Request for Prayer, 15:30-32
Letter Closing, 15:33-16:27

The Theology of Romans

Essays
Chiasmus
Identity of Chrestus
Death in Romans
Death/Baptism as Ritual Events
Diatribe
Faith in Romans
Flesh in Romans
Grace in Romans
Homosexuality
Honor-Shame
Inclusio
Into/With Christ

Romans was written by Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. As an apostle Paul spent his life traveling the Mediterranean area preaching the gospel and establishing churches. In the course of his missionary career, Paul wrote numerous letters to the churches he had established as a way to pastor them in his absence. Romans is the longest and most complex of Paul's letters. John E. Toews explores why Paul writes to remind the Roman churches of God's purpose for both Jew and Gentile and to reconcile Jewish-Christian and Jewish-Gentile church relationships.