Exercise Tracing Paul's Thinking

"Be imitators of me" (1 Cor 4:16). Here is a chance to practice reasoning theologically like Paul, by tracing a brief line of argument in and around Romans. Examine any one of these questions.

  1. Does Paul think people who have never heard the gospel might be saved anyway? See 1:18-25, 2:1-16, and 11:25-32.
  2. How does Paul think Christian sex should differ from unrighteous sex? See 1:21-27 (as well as 1 Cor 6:15-7:16).
  3. What good is the Torah, according to Paul? See 2:9-3:31, 7:1-25.
  4. How according to Paul do Jesus' life, death, and resurrection address the problem of sin? See 3:9-26, 4:22-6:14, 7:1-6, 8:1-11.
  5. What do Abraham and Adam have to do with Paul's thesis in 1:16-17? See 4:1-25 and 5:12-21.
  6. "If death, much more life" (5:9, 5:10, 5:17, 8:34, 11:12, 11:24). Trace the logic of 'if this, how much more that' in Romans 4:24-7:6, 8:39. How do Jesus' cross-and-resurrection govern Paul's imagination?
  7. How does Paul think Christians should interpret their ongoing sinning, and what should they do about it? See 6:1-8:17.
  8. How does Paul regard the continuing presence of 'natural evil' (not sin, but unpleasantries like natural disasters, aging, ignorance, conflicts, etc. that can't be rooted in sins) in God's creation even after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection? See 8:18-39, 4:16-5:5.
  9. In class I went through 9-11 to show you what I think Paul is doing. Go through those chapters, examining a couple of Paul's uses of OT scriptures in their original context. Do they support my interpretation? How, or how do they not? Do you have an interpretation of your own to offer?
  10. In light of all that precedes it, how should we interpret "all" in 11:32 and 11:36? Does Paul mean every last person, or does he mean something else? Build your answer by appealing to evidence from earlier in Romans.
  11. "Therefore" (12:1)! Choose one of the behaviors Paul commends to the Romans in 12-15, and show how it follows from elements of his argument in 1-11.
  12. Chapter 13's instructions to obey civil authorities are often cited in isolation from their context. What do they have to do with 12:9-21?
  13. Paul grounds his call for tolerance of different living and worshiping habits ... where? Look in 14:1-15:13 for signs of the basis for our mutual tolerance and support across Jewish/Gentile differences (and thus Gentile/Gentile differences too). I see some compelling ones!
  14. Does Paul see the details of his mission (e.g., visiting Rome, heading for Spain, taking an offering to Jerusalem) as having special theological significance? Look in 15:18-32 for clues.
  15. On the basis of 16:1-16, what roles might women be playing in the Roman church and in Paul's ministry? And what about the men he names? You should probably consult a commentary or two for explanations. Is there a good way to reconcile this evidence with the material from 1 Corinthians 11, 1 Timothy 2 and Titus 1?
  16. How does all this material equip the Roman church to crush Satan under their feet (16:20)? Look elsewhere in Paul for clues, since Satan hasn't figured into Romans until now.

I hope that efforts like this give you an ever sharper sense of how Paul thinks.

No formal length requirement, but if you want a suggestion you might aim for 1000 words. Feel free to use a commentary, but (of course) cite any work not your own or you're plagiarizing. Follow the directions in my handout for writing papers. Remember, I want to see proper style, clear writing, a thorough answer to the question, and explicit citations of course materials.