Romans 9-16 and Issues Reading and Study Guide

Read Romans 9-16.  Use the annotations in the New Oxford Annotated Bible to help (Note the annotations themselves offer a sort of interpretation with which you may agree or disagree).  Then reread pages 166-80 in the Barr chapter on Romans. Reflect on the important interpretive debates about Romans that Barr outlines.

1.   Briefly outline Paul’s argument in Romans 9-11, pointing out at least two places where he makes use of aspects of the diatribe form such as " (1) the use of an imaginary partner, (2) the raising of objections, and (3) the inferring of false conclusions (Barr, pp. 152-53)." What key issues is Paul struggling with?

2.   An important New Testament scholar, Rudolf Bultmann, argued that for Paul the imperative (the demand, ethics) rested on the indicative (what God had done).  Make a case for this view by showing how the ethical exhortations of 12:1 - 15:13 rest on Paul’s preceding argument in Romans 1-11.

3. Briefly describe the interpretive moves that support the "Salvation of the Individual’ and the "Salvation of the World" interpretations of Romans. (See Barr, pp. 161, 166-68 for an outline of the two views. If you are interested, you can also find a related discussion in Roetzel’s chapter entitled "Currents and Crosscurrents, " pp. 174-81 which is on e-reserve). Which interpretation–"Salvation of the Individual" or "Salvation of the World" do you find more persuasive? Why? Be sure to refer to specific passages from Romans to support your position.

4.  What are the "old"  and "new"  perspectives on Paul" according to Barr?  (p. 173) How does Barr's discussion of the Dead Sea Scrolls relate to the new perspective on Paul?  (pp. 168-173) What structural similarity does Barr find between the views of Paul and of the Qumran community? (173)   How are these "old" and "new" perspectives on Paul related to the "Salvation of the Individual" and the "Salvation of the World" interpretations of Romans?

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