Quick Observations/Questions Raised
After reading the Biblical text at first, I thought the text was about spreading the gospel of Christ. However, upon further reading, I understood the text referred to faith and righteous living and not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles.
Translation Comparison
The translations in the texts are not significantly different. However, there is a notable change in the texts in verse 17 of King James Version (KJV) which states that “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith”. Contrarily, the English Standard Version (ESV) states that “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith”.
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Literary Context
The passage occurs in the sixth book of the New Testaments and it is written by St. Paul to the Romans. The concept of the text seeks to explain that both faith and salvation goes hand in hand when it comes to the gospel of Christ. The text also seeks to spread the gospel of the Good News to the gentiles.
Historical-Cultural Context
The text happens when there is need to spread Christ’s gospel to the rest of the world. St. Paul writes a letter to the Romans in an effort to further spread the good news of Christ. Moreover, the Romans were not aware of the Christ’s gospel and they so it as a shameful act to do however, St. paul still goes ahead to spread share with the them the good news. St. Paul believes the gospel is a sign of God’s power and is confident in it. The text further extends to the gospel of Mark 8: 38 where Paul’s visit to the Roman capital is seen as a shameful act.
Genre
Paul’s letter to the Romans is an Epistle and it one of the letters that Paul wrote without addressing any question or concern in the Roman community. Other scholars refer to the epistle as a letter-essay since it is an extended diatribe of the issues that were going through Paul’s head at that moment.
Word Studies
According to the text, one of the theologically significant words is the term Greeks and Gentiles. The Greeks refers to the entire world. It is basically refers to non-Jews.
Original Meaning
The original and main idea of the text was for St. Paul to spread the gospel of Christ further to the Romans. Paul is not ashamed to spread the gospel since it reveals the gracious nature of God which is able to save everyone who believes and trusts in it whether Jew or Gentile.
Theological/Practical Application
In this text, St. Paul is urging us not feel ashamed in spreading the gospel to non-believers. Paul states that God’s word is powerful and it is able to save other people who are not aware of it. The gospel is not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles and be ashamed to do so.
