Romans 7 and Christian Identity: A Study of the 'I' in Its Literary Context by Will N. Timmins

Abstract

Reviewed by: Romans 7 and Christian Identity: A Study of the 'I' in Its Literary Context by Will N. Timmins Christian A. Eberhart will n. timmins, Romans 7 and Christian Identity: A Study of the 'I' in Its Literary Context (SNTSMS 170; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017). Pp. xiv + 238. $99.99. This monograph is a revised version of the Ph.D. thesis of Will N. Timmins, submitted to the University of Cambridge in 2014, supervised by Peter Head. Exploring the "I" in Romans 7—and thus literally only one letter (at least in the English alphabet)—the volume could be considered as having too narrow a focus. But that is not the case. Timmins rightly demonstrates that chap. 7, specifically 7:7-25, is a key to the entirety of the theological concept presented in Romans. Likewise, a correct understanding of Paul's "I" passage unlocks the meaning of this particular chapter. Thus, by extension, a study of the riddle of the "I" (ἐγώ in Greek) is important for understanding the heart of Paul's theology in its mature stages. The book is organized in seven chapters. After an introduction (chap. 1) featuring a concise summary of recent research on the topic, T. dedicates chap. 2 to a discussion of the hypothesis of Stanley K. Stowers (referencing various publications by Stowers, among them: "Romans 7.7–25 as a Speech-in-Character [Προσωποποιία]," in Paul in His Hellenistic Context, ed. Troels Engberg-Pedersen [Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1994] 180–202; A Rereading of Romans: Justice, Jews, and Gentiles [New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994] 264–84) that Romans 7 is an example of the classical rhetorical device of prosopopoeia (speech-in-character). Deeming this argument unconvincing, T. proceeds in chap. 3 with an exploration of the context of the "I" in Romans. He investigates the singularity and solidarity of ambiguous first-person singular speech in Rom 3:7, suggesting that Paul takes on the persona of an exclusive individual boasting self-assurance so as to provide his audience in Rome with a negative model. Thus "the 'I' of 3:7 subtly prepares for the Adamic, confessing 'I' of Rom 7" (p. 201). Romans 6:12-19 also belongs to the context of the "I" in Romans 7; in chap. 4, therefore, T. scrutinizes Paul's argument about the believer's predicament between life in the mortal body and a new existence through participation in the life and resurrection of Christ. The fact that the new life of the believer does not translate into an intrinsic anthropological reality is also the subject of the central question of this book in its main section, which discusses the "I" and Adamic solidarity (Rom 7:7-13) and the "I" and the Christian existence (7:14–25). So in chap. 5, T. suggests that Paul employs a paradigmatic "I" to present his personal apology regarding the law, ultimately aiming at drawing the audience "into a recognition of their own Adamic solidarity" (p. 136). This means that, according to T., Paul does not assign the "I" to an imaginary interlocutor with whom he enters into dialogue for argumentative purposes, as argued by many scholars, but presents his own voice. In that case, the paragraph in 7:7-13 would feature no fictive use of the "I" and no diatribal exchange. Paul's next paragraph (7:14-25), discussed in chap. 6, goes on to describe the inner conflict of the "I," who remains under the power of sin as an anthropological condition despite having experienced salvation in Christ. Humans need the newness of the Spirit for fruitful service of God, but even the Spirit cannot change the fact that human bodies are weak and oriented toward death. Chapter 7 contains a summary of T.'s argument and shows how it corroborates Paul's vision of the Christian life. It covers the areas of life of faith, life of hope, and life of love. The book also features an appendix [End Page 559] illustrating the occurrences of first-person singular pronouns in Romans, an index of ancient sources, and an index of subjects and authors. Romans 7 and Christian Identity is to be commended for tackling the...