Robert Jewett

Romans as an Ambassadorial Letter

The content of Pauls letter to Rome, setting forth the equality of Jews and Gentiles under sin and grace and stressing the inclusive reach of faith, can be grasped in its entirety as an expression of missionary diplomacy.

Major Impulses in the Theological Interpretation of Romans Since Barth

To move beyond the present frontier in the interpretation of Romans requires more than a judicious sifting of the conclusions reached in the past. It demands an imaginative recasting of Pauls line of thought in relation to the countervailing voices of his time.

Love without Respect is Bogus: A Reply to John Barclay

It is a rare privilege to be invited to reply to an extensive review that reflects so clear a grasp of the main lines of one’s interpretation, but which disagrees in so fundamental and productive a manner. I am grateful to John Barclay for his review and to Simon Gathercole for the unusual invitation. Perhaps it is not so unusual forothers,but the chance to respond to a review in a major journal is a first for me. Nevertheless, I take up the challenge with a measure of reluctance, because I prefer the procedure that Paul advises in 1 Cor. 14.29, where after the speakers are finished, they should let others ‘weigh what is said’. If a central issue in Romans is the divine impartiality that relativizes all human claims and accomplishments, then no one should be quick to judge his own case. In Barclay’s view, divine impartiality is far from central for Romans, and would be bad news for the elect if true. He maintains that God’s love defies the concept of ‘fairness’, and that it has no bearing on social discrimination.