Abstract

A phenomenon noticeable in many of Paul’s quotations of Scripture is the way that they do not follow the texts he cites verbatim. This prompts the question as to whether his audience would be competent enough to detect these differences. This study considers aspects such as text variations, memory, notetaking, and rhetorical argument as potential factors related to Paul’s flexible use of Scripture in Romans. The study then probes whether Paul’s audience, particularly believing gentiles in Rome, would have known Jewish Scripture well enough to evaluate Paul’s use of Scripture. Through congregational longevity, plurality of audience, synagogue influence, and other factors, it is concluded that there is indeed competency among Paul’s auditors, but there is no evidence suggesting that he is concerned about their reacting negatively to the elasticity of his quotations.

Highlights

  • Paul’s letter to the Romans, as a number of scholars propose, provides an example of the gospel message he proclaimed on his missionary trips (Rom. 1.1, 15–17)

  • Paul’s letter would have enjoyed considerable prior, and ongoing, exposure to a number of the scriptural passages Paul cites”. (p. 184). Whether some of these gentiles were still exposed to the synagogues when Paul writes to them is a matter of debate, but the perspective that some of the Christ gatherings in Rome had been influenced by Jewish communities well-versed in Scripture is entirely plausible

  • Scholars such as Stowers (1994) argue for a gentile audience only, Romans 16 becomes a difficult obstacle for this view since nine names appear to be Jewish and are associated with the greetings related to Rome (Schnabel 2015, vol 2, p. 869)

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Summary

Introduction

Paul’s letter to the Romans, as a number of scholars propose, provides an example of the gospel message he proclaimed on his missionary trips (Rom. 1.1, 15–17). If so, the apostle’s gospel would seem to include many quotes and allusions to Jewish Scripture (the so-called “Old Testament”), and by far Romans contains more quotes from Scripture than any of his other letters (see below). The apostle’s study of Scripture did not end after his formal training as a Pharisee when he excelled in Jewish traditions that almost certainly included the study of the Torah (Gal. 1.13–16). His encounter with Christ on the way to Damascus would seem to have compelled him to revisit Scripture and interpret it in light of his new experience and calling to reach gentiles. It would seem to be the case, that Paul could not afford to underestimate his audience’s knowledge of Scripture and potential to learn from it With these preliminary thoughts in place, one may wonder why Paul seems to be almost cavalier in his attitude towards Scripture quotes that frequently do not follow a verbatim reading of the sources he cites. Paul’s use of Scripture and his audience’s capabilities regarding it, need to receive further attention, and this study responds to that awareness

Flexibility and Paul’s Use of Scripture
Textual Variants
Memory Lapse and the Scarcity of Scripture Collections
Notetaking
Rhetorical Argumentation
Combination of Factors
Audience Competency in Romans
Gentiles and Scripture Competency
Jewish Influence
Paul’s Prior Knowledge of the Romans
Longevity of the Congregation
Multiple Auditors
Stowers’ Three Readers
Rhetorically Explicit Auditors
Rhetorically Implicit Auditors
Competency and Scripture Use
Conclusions
Full Text
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