Characteristics and Peculiarities of Romans

Virgil Warren, PhD PDF

CHARACTERISTICS AND PECULIARITIES OF ROMANS

Virgil Warren, PhD

1. With the exception of Luke 20:16, Romans is the book that most uses the Pauline expression God forbid (μὴ γένοιτο, mē genoito): 3:4, 6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11. It appears also in 1 Corinthians 6:15; Galatians 2:17; 3:21; cp. 6:14.*

2. The longest list of individuals saluted (16:3-16). In Colossians the long list of names

consists of saluters (4:7-14, five; while Romans contains seven—eight including Tertius).

3. The only Pauline letter to a church Paul did not found (Colossians might be another.)

4. Makes extensive use of rhetorical questions: “Shall we . . .”: 3:5; 4:1; 6:1, 2; 7:7;

8:31; 9:14, 30

5. The only letter where an amanuensis speaks in his own name (16:22)

6. The only source that makes clear that there was more than one meeting unit in the city (16:4-5, 14, 15)

7. Hebrews 1:5-13 and Romans 3:10-18 (from Psalms and Isaiah) have the longest

catenas of scripture.

8. Has the greatest amount of textual difficulty: the placements of the doxology and

benediction as well as possible precursors of the book without chapter (14-)15

9. Only Paul uses “image (of God)” in an ethical sense (8:29, etc.)

10. Serves as something of a companion volume to Galatians. It amounts to a lengthened version of the earlier, shorter epistle—or perhaps more exactly, a longer version of the doctrinal section in Galatians (3-4).

11. Constituency of the Roman church situation

Twenty-four named individuals: Prisca & Aquila, Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus & Junia(s), Ampliatus, Uranus, Stachys, Apelles, Herodian, Tryphaena & Tryphosa, Persia, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus, Julia, Nereus, and Olympas

Three church sets (at least): 16:3 (with Aquila & Prisca), 14, 15

Two households: Aristobulus and Narcissus

Salutations from Timothy, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, Tertius, Gaius (and the whole church), Eratus, and Quartus

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