Romans 13:1-7 in context
http://thomerica.com/reformanda/2008/05/r1321-text-in-context.html
Paul’s letter to the Romans has been seen as, among other things, a systematic theological treatise on salvation by faith alone, a missionary support letter, an apology defending the righteousness/justice of God in his dealings with humanity, an apology to the Jews defending Paul’s gospel of Gentile inclusion, an apology to the Gentiles defending Israel’s continuing role in the story of salvation, and a pastoral letter seeking to reconcile divisions along Jew/Gentile lines within the Roman congregations (Dunn 1993: 839-41). The fact that so many different approaches have been characterized as representing the “central issue” driving the epistle demonstrates, or should demonstrate, that there is not in fact one central concern streamlining throughout Romans (840), but a plurality of concerns that converge upon one another. There may be a unifying theme in their convergence, however, which until recently has gone almost entirely unnoticed by interpreters. The predominant readings, captivated as they have been by constantinian sensibilities, have failed to see the myriad ways Paul utilizes key words from the vocabulary of the Roman imperial propagandists in order to tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth.
Paul’s letter to the Romans has been seen as, among other things, a systematic theological treatise on salvation by faith alone, a missionary support letter, an apology defending the righteousness/justice of God in his dealings with humanity, an apology to the Jews defending Paul’s gospel of Gentile inclusion, an apology to the Gentiles defending Israel’s continuing role in the story of salvation, and a pastoral letter seeking to reconcile divisions along Jew/Gentile lines within the Roman congregations (Dunn 1993: 839-41). The fact that so many different approaches have been characterized as representing the “central issue” driving the epistle demonstrates, or should demonstrate, that there is not in fact one central concern streamlining throughout Romans (840), but a plurality of concerns that converge upon one another. There may be a unifying theme in their convergence, however, which until recently has gone almost entirely unnoticed by interpreters. The predominant readings, captivated as they have been by constantinian sensibilities, have failed to see the myriad ways Paul utilizes key words from the vocabulary of the Roman imperial propagandists in order to tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth.
