When in Romans (Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic): An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel according to Paul
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
When reading the book of Romans, we often focus on the quotable passages, making brief stopovers and not staying long enough to grasp some of the big ideas it contains. Instead of raiding Paul's most famous letter for a passage here or a theme there, leading New Testament scholar Beverly Roberts Gaventa invites us to linger in Romans. She asks that we stay with the letter long enough to see how Romans reframes our tidy categories and dramatically enlarges our sense of the gospel.
Containing profound insights written in accessible prose and illuminating references to contemporary culture, this engaging book explores the cosmic dimensions of the gospel that we read about in Paul's letter. Gaventa focuses on four key issues in Romans--salvation, identity, ethics, and community--that are crucial both for the first century and for our own. As she helps us navigate the book of Romans, she shows that the gospel is far larger, wilder, and more unsettling than we generally imagine it to be.
Beverly Roberts Gaventa
Beverly Roberts Gaventa is Helen H. P. Manson Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. She has published a number of books including Mary: Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus and Our Mother Saint Paul.
Read more from Beverly Roberts Gaventa
African American Readings of Paul: Reception, Resistance, and Transformation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible: Galatians and Philippians Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5First and Second Thessalonians: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to When in Romans (Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic)
Related ebooks
Reading Paul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Old Testament Is Dying (Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic): A Diagnosis and Recommended Treatment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Read Paul: A Brief Introduction to His Theology, Writings, and World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Story of Romans: A Narrative Defense of God's Righteousness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPreaching Romans: Four Perspectives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPaul: An Apostle's Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRomans: A Theological and Pastoral Commentary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsApostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pauline Dogmatics: The Triumph of God's Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFraming Paul: An Epistolary Biography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Paul's Letter to the Romans: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPerspectives on Paul: Five Views Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Romans Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Paul and the Language of Faith Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRomans: A Theological Commentary on the Bible Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPaul and the Power of Grace Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Apostle Paul and the Christian Life: Ethical and Missional Implications of the New Perspective Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Letter to the Romans: A Short Commentary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReading Romans in Context: Paul and Second Temple Judaism Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: Romans Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cruciformity: Paul's Narrative Spirituality of the Cross, 20th Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Paul and Time: Life in the Temporality of Christ Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBecoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPaul and the Person: Reframing Paul's Anthropology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGalatians and Christian Theology: Justification, the Gospel, and Ethics in Paul's Letter Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Participating in Christ: Explorations in Paul's Theology and Spirituality Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The So-Called Jew in Paul's Letter to Romans Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Christianity For You
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5NIV, Holy Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for When in Romans (Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic)
2 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gaventa makes Romans become more alive and accessible than any other book I've read on the subject. Instead of treating it like a theological treatise written in a vacuum, she interacts with it for what it is: a letter written to a specific audience for specific (though perhaps unknown) reasons. Instead of trying to create a systematic theology using Romans as a proof text, Gaventa looks at major themes found throughout the epistle in order to help readers understand the text like the first century Roman churches would have. The first chapter regarding salvation is eye-opening to traditional readers, and the conclusion to the book itself may be one of the most challenging and encouraging reflections I've ever read about Romans. Highly recommend!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a very engaging and readable overview of Romans from an author who has shaped the scholarly discussion of it in the last 30 years. What I appreciate are the contemporary illustrations, and the application of the points that Gaventa makes to contemporary concerns, that help readers to understand what Paul was saying in the first century. I'm going to use this book in my preaching on Romans, along with my trusted stand-bys.
For scholarly readers, Gaventa's reading of Romans reflects a commitment to the 'apocalyptic' understanding of Paul's gospel and theology, and this book gives us a preview of Gaventa's forthcoming scholarly commentary on Romans. Gaventa's reading of Romans sees the plight of humanity as cosmic and the solution of the gospel as equally cosmic and universal. I find it helpful to have her arguments on the interpretation of Paul and Romans, found in various publications, put together in one place.
Book preview
When in Romans (Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic) - Beverly Roberts Gaventa
© 2016 by Beverly Roberts Gaventa
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakeracademic.com
Ebook edition created 2016
Ebook corrections 06.06.2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0578-7
Unless indicated otherwise, all translations of Scripture are those of the author.
Scripture quotations labeled NET are from the NET BIBLE®, copyright © 1996–2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.
For Matthew, Sarah, and Charlie
Contents
Cover i
Title Page iii
Copyright Page iv
Dedication v
Series Preface ix
Preface xiii
Abbreviations xvii
Introduction 1
1. When in Romans . . . Watch the Horizon 23
2. When in Romans . . . Consider Abraham 47
3. When in Romans . . . Give Glory to God 75
4. When in Romans . . . Welcome One Another 97
Conclusion 119
For Further Reading 129
Ancient Sources Index 131
Subject Index 135
Back Cover 141
Series Preface
Long before it became popular to speak about a generous orthodoxy,
John Wesley attempted to carry out his ministry and engage in theological conversations with what he called a catholic spirit.
Although he tried to remain united by the tenderest and closest ties to one particular congregation
1 (i.e., Anglicanism) all his life, he also made it clear that he was committed to the orthodox Christianity of the ancient creeds, and his library included books from a variety of theological traditions within the church catholic. We at Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) remain committed to the theological tradition associated with Wesley but, like Wesley himself, are very conscious of the generous gifts we have received from a variety of theological traditions. One specific place this happens in the ongoing life of our community is in the public lectures funded by the generosity of various donors. It is from those lectures that the contributions to this series arise.
The books in this series are expanded forms of public lectures presented at NTS as installments in two ongoing, endowed lectureships: the Earle Lectures on Biblical Literature and the Grider-Winget Lectures in Theology. The Earle Lecture series is named in honor of the first professor of New Testament at NTS, Ralph Earle. Initiated in 1949 with W. F. Albright for the purpose of stimulating further research in biblical literature,
this series has brought outstanding biblical scholars to NTS, including F. F. Bruce, I. Howard Marshall, Walter Brueggemann, Richard Hays, Terence Fretheim, and Joel Green. The Grider-Winget Lecture series is named in honor of J. Kenneth Grider, longtime professor of theology at NTS, and in memory of Dr. Wilfred L. Winget, a student of Dr. Grider and the son of Mabel Fransen Winget, who founded the series. The lectureship was initiated in 1991 with Thomas Langford for the purpose of bringing outstanding guest theologians to NTS.
Presenters for this lectureship have included Theodore Runyon, Donald Bloesch, Jürgen Moltmann, Robert Jenson, and Amy Plantinga Pauw.
The title of this monograph series indicates how we understand its character and purpose. First, even though the lectureships are geared toward biblical literature and systematic theology, we believe that the language of theological explorations
is as appropriate to an engagement with Scripture as it is to an engagement with contemporary systematic theology. Though it is legitimate to approach at least some biblical texts with nontheological questions, we do not believe that doing so is to approach them as Scripture. Old and New Testament texts are not inert containers from which to draw theological insights; they are already witnesses to a serious theological engagement with particular historical, social, and political situations. Hence, biblical texts should be approached on their own terms through asking theological questions. Our intent, then, is that this series will be characterized by theological explorations from the fields of biblical studies and systematic theology.
Second, the word explorations
is appropriate since we ask the lecturers to explore the cutting edge of their current interests and thinking. With the obvious time limitations of three public lectures, even their expanded versions will generally result not in long, detailed monographs but rather in shorter, suggestive treatments of a given topic—that is, explorations.
Finally, with the language of the church catholic,
we intend to convey our hope that these volumes should be pro ecclesia in the broadest sense—given by lecturers representing a variety of theological traditions for the benefit of the whole church of Jesus Christ. We at NTS have been generously gifted by those who fund these two lectureships. Our hope and prayer is that this series will become a generous gift to the church catholic, one means of equipping the people of God for participation in the missio Dei.
Andy Johnson
Lectures Coordinator
Nazarene Theological Seminary
Kansas City, Missouri
1. John Wesley, Sermon 39, Catholic Spirit,
§III.4, in Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley (Nashville: Abingdon, 1985), 2:79–95. We know, however, that his public ties with Anglicanism were at some points in his life anything but tender and close.
Preface
This book on Romans is intended for people who would not normally read a book about Romans. Already there are books—many books—for people who do read books about Romans. Stacks of them arrive on a regular basis. Keeping up with them is nearly impossible, even for the most diligent specialist. As the books pile up, the conversation grows increasingly precise, technical, and challenging for the nonspecialist. And that’s a problem, because Romans is too important to be turned over to a handful of specialists, however learned and insightful they may be.
What I have tried to offer in this book is an invitation to Romans, focusing on aspects of the letter that I find crucial, both for the first century and for our own. In the introduction I take up a few general questions about the composition of the letter, but the book is not a survey of the letter. It is also not a commentary on the whole of the letter, although I am preparing one of those as well. I have tried to keep the text itself free of the jargon and the clutter of detailed argument that causes readers to slip away for their siestas. The notes should be helpful for those who want to read further on a particular point, but most readers can simply pass over them. The list of suggested readings at the end also provides an entry point for further study.
In the introduction I observe that no one writes alone. Certainly I have not written this book alone. It began with an invitation from Dean Roger Hahn to deliver the Earle Lectures on Biblical Literature at Nazarene Theological Seminary in the fall of 2013. I am grateful to my host and colleague Andy Johnson for the good conversations around those lectures as well as the hospitality extended to me on that occasion. And I appreciate the relationship between the Earle Lectures and Baker Academic, which prompted me to expand and revise those lectures into this book.
I also presented earlier versions of chapters 1–3 as the Currie Lectures at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in February 2015. I am grateful to President Theodore Wardlaw for that invitation, as well as for his friendship of many years. The week itself was a delightful combination of worship, lectures, conversation, and fellowship.
Former students at Princeton Theological Seminary, where I taught courses on Romans regularly for nearly two decades, may recognize anecdotes and analogies to which they were subjected in various pedagogical experiments. With their nods, amens, groans, and even occasional yawns, they helped me sort words that hit their communicative targets from words that needed to be targeted elsewhere. I am happy to acknowledge their assistance.
Friends in ministry Patrick James Willson and Leslie Murphy King read portions of the manuscript and made numerous suggestions for improvement, and I am grateful for their care and encouragement.
Rendering earlier oral presentations into written form became much easier with the help of my graduate assistants at Baylor University. Scott Ryan and Natalie Webb provided important research assistance at an early stage in the work. Natalie also read the manuscript during the copyediting stage, saving me some embarrassment and making numerous suggestions throughout. Justin King was invaluable in the final stages of manuscript preparation. In addition to tracking down bibliographical information, Justin read the entire manuscript, corrected numerous errors, and became an important conversation partner about Romans in general and this book in particular. I am also pleased to acknowledge the support of the Baylor University Department of Religion, especially our chair, William H. Bellinger Jr.
As much as I might wish otherwise, these fine people are not responsible for the missteps, the infelicities, and the errors that remain in what follows.
This book is dedicated to three people who give me boundless joy: my son, Matthew Gaventa; my daughter-in-law, Sarah Kinney Gaventa; and their son, Charlie. Matthew and Sarah both proclaim the gospel regularly in word and deed, and I hope something here will be useful for them and their congregations. Charlie does not yet read books about the Bible, at least not books without pictures, but I hope he will one day enjoy reading the Bible itself. For now, I am happy to report that this book, although it has no dinosaurs, does have one discussion about trains and the people who ride them.
Abbreviations
Old Testament
New Testament
Old Testament Apocrypha
Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
Other Abbreviations
Introduction
The title of this book plays on the old saying, When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
That familiar adage suggests that we should behave as the locals do so as not to stand out, not to give offense. Although it sounds like contemporary folk wisdom, it did not arrive in the baggage of twentieth-century relativism. It goes at least as far back as a letter written by Augustine of Hippo around 390. Augustine in turn was citing advice he had received from Ambrose of Milan:
When I go to Rome, I fast on Saturday, but here [in Milan] I do not. Do you also follow the custom of whatever church you attend, if you do not want to give or receive scandal.1
I have transferred the saying, if somewhat artificially, from a place to a text, a very important and familiar text, Paul’s Letter to the Romans. And I use the saying by way of introducing the question: What happens to readers, hearers, teachers, and preachers of the church in the early part of the twenty-first century, when we are in Romans
?2
My own impression, an impression shaped by decades of teaching in Protestant seminaries and in continuing-education forums of several sorts, is that we are seldom in Romans for very long. At most, we make weekend visits. We know the purple passages:
I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation . . . (1:16)