Paul's letter to the Romans, says Nanos, is an example of Jewish correspondence, addressing believers in Jesus who are steeped in Jewish wayswhether of Jewish or gentile origin. Arguing against those who think Paul was an apostate from Judaism, Nanos maintains Paul's continuity with his Jewish heritage. Several key arguments here are: Those addressed in Paul's letter were still an integral part of the Roman synagogue communities. The "weak" are non-Christian Jews, while the "strong" included both Jewish and gentile converts to belief in Jesus. Paul as a practicing devout Jew insists on the rules of behavior for "the righteous gentiles." Christian subordination to authorities (Romans 13:1-7) is intended to enforce submission to leaders of the synagogues, not Roman government officials. Paul behaves in a way to confirm the very Jewish portrait of him in Acts: going first to the synagogues.
Mark D. Nanos is lecturer at the University of Kansas and author of The Mystery of Romans (Fortress Press, 1996) and The Irony of Galatians (Fortress Press, 2002)
Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: To the Jew First and Also to the Greek Chapter 2: The Historical Backdrop and Implied Audience 1. Diaspora Judaism in Rome at the Time of Paul's Letter 2. The Implied Audience for Paul's "Reminder" to Rome Chapter 3: Who Were the "Weak" and the "Strong" in Rome? 1. The Problem with Prevailing Views of the "Weak" and the "Strong" 2. Must One Assume that the "Weak" and the "Strong" are Christians? 3. The Identity of the "Weak" and the "Strong" in Romans 4. Paul's Instructions to the "Weak" and the "Strong" 5.The Impact of Redefining the "Weak" and the "Strong" on the Purpose and Message of Romans Chapter 4: The Apostolic Decree and the "Obedience of Faith" 1. Monotheism and the Shema as the Basis of Paul's Arguement 2. The Apostolic Decree and the Message of Romans 3. The "Obedience of Faith" and the Apostolic Decree Chapter 5: Paul's Two-Step Pattern and the Restoration of "All Israel" 1. Paul's Two-Step Pattern in Romans and Reflected in Acts 2. Romans 11:25-29 3. Exegesis of Romans 11:25-29 4. The "Fullness of the Gentiles" and the Restoration of "All Israel" Chapter 6: Romans 13:1-7: Christian Obedience to Synagogue Authority 1. Exegetical Feasibility 2. Contextual Feasibility 3. The Feasibility of this Proposal as Demonstrated in Paul's Example of "Subordination" (A Final Concern) 4. Summary 5. An Expanded Contextual Translation of 13:1-7, 8 Summary and Appendix 1: Peter's Hypocrisy (Gal. 2:11-21) in the Light of Paul's Anxiety (Rom. 7) Appendix 2: Some Problems with Reading Romans through the Lens of the Edict of Claudius Bibliography Indexes 1. Index of Passages 2. Index of Selected Subjects 3. Index of Greek and Hebrew Words 4. Index of Authors
